Residents at the Middlesex Borough School District meeting raised multiple questions about vendor charges, recent equipment purchases and unpaid student lunch balances.

During public comment Laura Thomas asked, “Why are we paying $65,000 for bills from a year and a half ago?” Business Administrator Annette Giordano replied that the amounts reflect ongoing projects; the purchase orders are often dated to when the work began and the contractors are still completing punch‑list items.

A resident asked why the district bought an enclosed van after purchasing an open‑bed truck; administrators said the enclosed van was purchased to allow maintenance staff to carry tools and materials to multiple school sites without returning to the high school between jobs. The transcript records a taxpayer question about a roughly $56,000 amount for the van and a separate $23,000 charge to an entity identified as Forward Progress; the business office said it would provide details later.

Attendees also asked about recurring charges such as $270 for board‑meeting refreshments (the business administrator said that amount covered two meetings) and a $1,100 charge for water coolers; administrators said they did not have immediate detail on the number and locations of coolers and would follow up.

On the subject of unpaid lunch balances, a resident noted the district reported $32,355 in lunch arrears for the 2024‑25 school year and suggested stronger enforcement steps used in other districts. A speaker identified in the transcript as board counsel cautioned that reporting a family to child‑protective authorities requires a fact‑based belief that a child is being harmed and cannot be used solely as a tool for collecting unpaid meal charges; “There has to be other indicia that the child is being hurt,” the counsel said. Counsel and administrators said staff should follow established protocols to identify and address potential neglect or maltreatment while handling unpaid balances through standard billing and family outreach procedures.

The board recorded that it would collect additional information requested by commenters — including itemized explanations for the March 2024 vendor entries, the Forward Progress charge and the water‑cooler contract — and return those details to the commenters or a future meeting.