Teachers and union press board to settle contract after block-schedule changes

Dozens of teachers, union leaders and parents urged the Middlesex Borough School District Board of Education on May 20 to settle an expired teachers’ contract and address what staff called an unauthorized increase in instructional time after the district implemented an 84-minute block schedule at the high school.

The dispute centers on schedule changes at Middlesex High School. Gary Brenner, a high school health and physical education teacher, told the board that high school teachers now teach three 84-minute blocks daily — 252 minutes of instruction — compared with the prior six 40-minute periods (240 minutes). “Twelve minutes doesn’t seem like a lot, but over 180 days those 12 minutes add up,” Brenner said, and he calculated that the total amounted to roughly 2,000 extra minutes this school year — about 35 hours of instruction, or five school days.

The issue has become a focal point in broader contract talks, speakers said. Mark Kohlhofer, vice president of the Middlesex Education Association, said the district has operated more than 300 days under an expired agreement and that the unresolved contract “drastically negatively impacts the morale and well-being of our incredibly dedicated staff.” Several teachers and staff said the block schedule was rolled out without reconciling conflicting language in the expired contract.

The contract and schedule change matter because they affect pay and workload, speakers said. “There are a number of school districts in New Jersey that follow this model… All of those schools, all within a 15-mile radius, have working conditions that include compensation or adjusted duties that we do not have here,” Kohlhofer said. Another teacher who spoke said neighboring districts provide compensation, duty relief, or different load structures for teachers on block schedules.

Teachers and staff framed the demand as both practical and economic: they asked negotiators and the superintendent to address the discrepancy in instructional minutes and to reach a timely settlement so the district can retain and recruit qualified staff. “We are asking to be treated with the same respect, appreciation and decency that our peers are getting in other districts,” Brenner said.

Board members and the superintendent did not announce a contract settlement at the meeting. During public comment and later discussion, multiple board members said negotiations were ongoing and that the board expects to continue bargaining; a public question about when negotiations are scheduled was answered only with “it is being scheduled.”

Speakers said the expired contract has practical classroom consequences. A parent and staff members told the board that increased instructional minutes left teachers with less planning time, and some said they were limiting unpaid extracurricular involvement as a result. One teacher said the district’s current approach risks increased turnover and discouraging new hires.

The board recorded several routine approvals on its agenda at the meeting, and some members signaled willingness to revisit related policies; however, no final contract action was recorded. Several teachers urged the board to settle before summer to avoid further morale loss and potential summer departures.

The public comment period included multiple accounts from long-serving staff and parents about how the unresolved contract and staffing pressures affect classroom programs and continuity. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to negotiate “in good faith” and to prioritize a fair resolution that reflects the workload teachers are being asked to carry.

Board President Danielle (last name not specified in transcript) and Superintendent Roberta Freeman (first name as stated in the transcript) acknowledged the concerns and said negotiations will continue. The superintendent and board did not provide a public timeline for finalizing the contract at the meeting.

Looking ahead, teachers and union leaders said they will continue public advocacy and negotiations over the summer if needed. The board did not set a public deadline at the meeting but heard repeated calls from staff and residents to settle the contract promptly.