Metuchen student advisory board presents yearlong report, cites referendum and construction as recurring topics

Danny Galligan and other student advisory board members presented the board with a year-in-review at the Metuchen Board of Education meeting on May 27, 2025, outlining monthly topics and priorities for the 2024–25 school year.

The student advisory board — which includes representatives from third grade through 12th grade — told the board it discussed construction and referendum updates at multiple meetings, worked on vertical articulation and assessment topics, and raised student concerns about workload and testing.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Danny Galligan, and this is our student advisory board presentation for the 2024 to the 2025 school year," Danny said as he opened the presentation. The students summarized agendas from September through April, noting recurring focus on construction and the referendum; October’s discussion included the media club and a field trip to a Westfield media program; January covered AI use and an "AI scale"; February included a food-services (Pomptonian) discussion about recycling and breakfast; March guests included Mayor Bush and Police Chief Flaherty discussing parking and school–police interactions; April’s meeting featured vice principals focused on referendum updates and their roles.

Students said the advisory board includes two juniors and two seniors at the high school level, and representatives from each elementary grade. The group described its regular structure — a guest presentation followed by Q&A — and said it meets monthly. The students also noted a districtwide bus tour scheduled for May 28 to inspect construction progress and projected completion dates.

Student speakers named classroom- and district-level items they wanted addressed: seventh-grader Iommi Cohen requested reduced end-of-year workload for her grade because of heavy testing; other student speakers said being heard made them feel their suggestions were taken into account by the administration. Senior members Danny Galligan and Hannah Midler called the experience "impactful" and said they had seen change in the district that they linked to advisory-board activity.

Superintendent Dr. Caputo and the board thanked the students; board members congratulated graduating seniors and noted that returning members would continue the program. The board also invited the community to the Edgar Middle School Arts Festival on June 5, one of several extracurricular items the students helped promote.

The presentation covered only student advisory board activities and did not include formal board action beyond the acceptance of the report.