Parents and residents press Belleville board on OPRA costs, tech purchases and a faith-based vendor

Several residents used public comment at the Belleville Board of Education meeting on June 16 to press the board and administration for more transparency about public-records costs and the district’s recent procurement and contracting decisions.

The concerns centered on what speakers described as large OPRA fees for records requests, the details of high-value technology purchases listed on the agenda, and a proposed partnership with a faith-based recovery provider that will receive public funds.

Why it matters: Speakers said unanswered questions about contracts and fees undermine public trust and make it difficult for taxpayers to evaluate how district funds are spent. Board action that night approved a slate of personnel and purchasing resolutions that supporters said were routine but that critics said required clearer public documentation.

Resident Vincent Frantantoni noted the district’s budget growth since the previous superintendent’s tenure and raised OPRA costs, saying in public comment that he had asked for a “simple” answer via OPRA and received a one-sentence response that cost $275 in legal fees. Michael Mignone, a resident, and Michael Sheldon,…