Several parents, teachers and community members urged the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District Board of Education on Sept. 11 to restore police officers and other security measures at district schools after the removal of Class 3 officers.

Catherine Bentovania of Raritan Township, who said she has two children in the district, addressed the board at length about security at Copper Hill School and districtwide categorical security aid. She said the district receives roughly $642,000 in security aid for six schools and questioned whether the dollars and staffing decisions provide adequate protection, asking "Who made this determination that this is adequate funding for our children?" She noted the district enrollment figures discussed during the meeting and asked the board where recently increased security funding had been allocated.

Lindsay King, also of Raritan Township, told the board she opposed removal of resource officers and urged the district to restore police presence at schools, saying officers provide immediate protection, deterrence and trusted adult relationships. Several public commenters tied the security concerns to recent staffing and budgetary decisions.

In response, the board and administrators explained the district's limits. The board president told the meeting that the board had placed the Class 3 officers on a special-election question "so we could keep them," and that because the ballot question failed "by law we cannot keep them." The administration said it is working with the Raritan Township Police Department to reestablish officer visits to buildings on an irregular schedule so officers will be present at unpredictable times rather than in-district full-time coverage.

Business Administrator Tanya Dawson said the district is coordinating with Raritan Township Police to have officers visit schools as they did previously, acknowledging that random visits "are not an officer in the school all day, but...it is something the district is trying to do to address some of the security concerns." The board said it had prioritized deployment based on where officers were most needed and that decisions about funding and staffing were influenced by the election outcome and existing budget constraints.

Speakers requested further transparency about how security aid was calculated and used. The meeting record includes a reference to the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) as the formula used to determine eligibility for certain state funding and security aid calculations.

The board committed to ongoing communication with community members and to return updates as it continues to evaluate security arrangements and possible partnerships with local law enforcement.