Middletown School Board Member Minnuies: Cut From Administration

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the most recent Middletown school board meeting, held last Tuesday night March 14, board member Joan Minnuies said she would not be voting to approve the proposed 2023-24 school year budget.

You can read the budget here; there will be a two percent property tax increase for Middletown homeowners: https://www.middletownk12.org/...

Minnuies said if the district is looking to save money, it should start at the top.

"I'm gonna be straight-out honest: I want to see some more money cut from the top of administration," said Minnuies, a longtime Board member. "Our teachers need more hands-on help in the classroom. I don't think they need more people to supervise them. They need more people to get in there and help them."

Business administrator Amy Doherty did say the district is currently "evaluating" staffing, including administrative staff, and "which positions will be retained."

This means some positions in the Middletown school district will most likely be eliminated this spring.

She did not elaborate.

What Minnuies also takes issue with is how the Middletown school district is spending its ESSER funds.

This is Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money given by the federal government to public/private schools across the nation when the pandemic first started, to help remote learning, prevent virus spread, etc.

In total, the Middletown school district was given $4.9 million in American Rescue Plan/ESSER rounds 1 and 2 funding; see chart here: https://www.nj.gov/education/e...

Because it was so much money, many school districts in New Jersey, including Middletown, are still spending the federal handout.

A big chunk of Middletown's ESSER money will be spent installing a new HVAC system at High School South, but the district still has some money left over as of this March, said business administrator Doherty.

"I'm happy that the budget is balanced, but I'm not convinced we're reaching all the students we need to reach," said Minnuies of ESSER. "We need to make sure that all these programs are benefitting all kids and not just some. I'm a little disappointed we haven't gotten into that before budget time. I know some kids are being reached, but I know many kids are not being reached."

All the other Board members voted to adopt the tentative budget. Watch that March 14 meeting here; the budget is discussed at the very end: