State lawmakers call meeting after embattled middletown school board announces three school closures

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. — Monmouth County lawmakers are calling for an urgent meeting with Gov. Phil Murphy and Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer following a controversial Middletown Township School District proposal that would close two elementary schools to address a multimillion-dollar funding shortfall.

The incident unfolded this week as hundreds of parents lined up outside a scheduled board meeting and were locked out. Police were called and the Middletown School Board refused to reschedule the meeting for a larger venue.

In the aftermath, residents of Middletown called for the removal of School Board President Frank Capone and Board Vice President Jacqueline Tobacco. Both have made it clear, they do not intend to resign. The audience at the meeting was united against the board’s decision to close three schools. That unity included teachers, parents, and local residents with no real vested interest in those schools.

The shortfall, while compounded by Phil Murphy’s S2 funding. Funding decreases coincided with a 1,500 student drop in enrollment. State funding is based on enrollment.

Key Points

Middletown school officials propose closing two elementary schools to offset a $10 million budget gap.
Lawmakers are requesting a meeting with Gov. Murphy and education officials to address ongoing state aid shortfalls.
Without a new plan, the district may lay off staff, cut programs, and raise class sizes by April 30.

Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, the father-in-law of Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, sent a letter to the governor and education officials Thursday, demanding action after Middletown’s Board of Education revealed a draft budget that includes shuttering Leonardo and Navesink elementary schools. The plan, intended to help cover a $10 million budget gap, has sparked backlash from parents and lawmakers alike.

“Closing schools should never be the solution in Middletown or any other district faced with that state-forced choice. Selling schools only provides one year of savings and does not address the underlying issue of insufficient state funding long-term,” Flynn and Scharfenberger wrote.

The district has already moved to sell the long-closed Port Monmouth Elementary School to Monmouth County and may also consider leasing or selling the Leonardo building for added revenue. However, officials say these are only short-term fixes.

Superintendent Jessica Alfone said the district’s funding loss is significantly higher when adjusted for inflation. “The real loss is closer to $60 million,” she said.

Under Murphy’s proposed budget, Middletown would receive the state-mandated maximum of a 6% increase in aid, leaving the district $2.1 million short. “The school district would have received $2.9 million in the upcoming school year if not for the 6% cap,” the lawmakers noted in their letter.

The district has until April 30 to finalize its budget. Without a resolution, it faces the potential elimination of 120 jobs, program cuts, and larger class sizes. Flynn and Scharfenberger warned that continued inaction would further harm students and educators.

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