Proposed school closures

Said most homebuyers with children choose homes based on school districts; losing a neighborhood school undermines community stability and asked the Committee to help.

Praised Navesink Elementary's community and its Rutgers study recognition; asked the Township for transparency and urged the district to slow the plan down.

Criticized the Board of Education as dysfunctional, saying it voted to close schools before seeing the budget and with no plan, and asked the Committee for help.

Returned to her hometown for the schools; said three months' notice to close schools is unacceptable and directly appealed to Mayor Perry for help.

Said she is in shock over the BOE vote and that thousands of kids are hurting; the tax increase was meant to buy time for a plan.

Urged the Committee to call Board of Education President Chris Aveta, call the plan unacceptable, and discuss shared services.

Raised concerns about the traffic impact of the closure plan.

Noted the deficit has dropped from $3.2 million to $2.3 million and urged leaders to come up with the remainder rather than close schools.

Asked the Committee to remember the middle schoolers who learned to read and made friends during the pandemic; crowding them would be an awful experience.

Moved to Middletown six months ago for the schools; noted the district spends in the bottom third of costs while performing highly, and called closing a top school over a small deficit insane.

A Navesink resident doesn't want his three kids in an overcrowded school losing the community feel.