Middletown School Board Will Have More Public Meetings, Revise Its Public Comment Policy

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown school board will now have two public meetings a month: A workshop meeting/committee of the whole and a regular board meeting.

This came about at last Thursday's BOE meeting — watch it here — when Board member Joan Minnuies made a suggestion that the public comment portion of the meeting be renamed "public session." She said she wants that to become a time where, as she said, "all questions that can be answered, will be answered, including budget questions and school operations, because we are committed to transparency and working with our community."

"There is so much misinformation out in this community that parents are asking us, and we're sitting here not answering," she continued. "We need to be upfront and honest and get the truth out. And stop the nonsense going around this town."

Minnuies said she wants it to go into place "ASAP."

Her suggestion was met with resounding claps from the audience. In the past year, Middletown residents have increasingly accused the school board of lacking transparency and making decisions behind closed-door meetings — especially after the district abruptly announced last spring it wanted to close three schools.

Board member Joe Fitzgerald seconded Minnuies' suggestion.

Board member Deb Wright then emphasized: "I believe that Ms. Minnuies is also saying we should be answering questions that can be answered in real time."

BOE president Frank Capone and Jacqueline Tobacco then raised some issue with that, saying it is only the administration or the chair of the meeting that can answer questions from the public.

"I don't know if that can be done," said Capone.

"Why can't that be done, everyone is sitting at this table?" responded Minnuies.

"Do you have all the answers, Joan?" Capone fired back.

"I think all we're saying is whoever can answer the question should answer it, if it's a quick answer," said Fitzgerald.

Capone then said information the public is seeking is in public documents.

"They should still be able to be answered ... there is no reason why we say I can't answer that," said Minnuies. She said it was "embarrassing" the school board does not answer questions from the public.

"We have so many good things and we are blowing it by not answering people," Minnuies said later in the meeting.

As the Board members were about to vote, a lawyer for the school board interjected and told Minnuies there is already a policy on the books that dictates how questions from the public can and should be answered by the board. He said if anyone wants to change that, they should amend the policy.

It was then decided the policy on public comment would be edited privately by the board. Stay tuned.

Secondly, at last week's meeting, Leonora Lacqua-Caminiti, who asks the community to re-elect her Tuesday, then said she would like to bring back workshop meetings.

Her suggestion was again seconded by Fitzgerald.

Lacqua-Caminiti said here last week she and the rest of the Board were kept in the dark by BOE leadership (meaning Capone and Tobacco), particularly over the budget and proposed school closures earlier this year.

Capone said it would cost $10,000 to $20,000 in attorney fees because the board lawyer has to be present at all the meetings.

"I don't think you can put a dollar sign on transparency," responded Minnuies.

All the Board members voted for Lacqua-Caminiti's suggestion to bring back workshop meetings.

Lacqua-Caminiti did not stop there: She also proposed bringing back what's known as "committee of the whole" meetings. Caterina Skalaski and Gary Tulp were the only two board members who voted against bringing back committee as a whole. The rest approved it. There will now be two Middletown school board meetings a month, likely starting as early as November. Both meetings will be open to the public.