Teachers, parents and students press Middlesex board over expired contract, staffing and program gaps

At a lengthy public‑comment period Wednesday, teachers, parents, students and other residents pressed the Middlesex Borough School District Board of Education to resolve an expired teachers' contract and address staffing shortages they said are affecting classrooms across the district.

Teachers and parents said the district has been operating without a settled contract for some time and described an erosion of services at multiple elementary schools, including Hazelwood, Woodland and Parker. "We don't want apologies — we want a contract," said a teacher who identified herself during public comment; multiple classroom teachers and the Middlesex Education Association representative urged the board to return to the bargaining table.

Several parents told the board their children lack access to regular music and technology instruction, have had rotating substitutes, or in some cases went without a guidance counselor for weeks. One parent described second‑grade classes at Hazelwood that had no long‑term substitute until parents raised the issue publicly. A student representative said a recent visiting speaker motivated students but contrasted that outreach with classroom instability.

Why it matters: district staff shortages and an unresolved contract affect daily classroom instruction, morale and retention. Parents and students said they are seeing program reductions and elevated churn in teaching staff at a time when residents expect stable services.

Examples from public comment: - Hazelwood School: parents said a beloved principal was removed and classes have lacked consistent coverage, technology, music and a guidance counselor; they called the removal "wrongful" and said the changes have prompted student anxiety and crying. - Teacher pay and contract: educators said many teachers work additional jobs to make ends meet and urged the board to prioritize settlement of a contract. "Do the right thing. Give your teachers, your staff, and, yes, even your coaches the contract we so badly deserve," a teacher said. - Safety and SROs: a parent and former educator called for school resource officers in elementary schools and a full‑time SRO at the high school, describing student safety as an urgent need.

Board response and process: board members listened throughout a prolonged public‑comment session. The board's public‑participation bylaw revision was discussed earlier in the meeting; one commenter asked whether the new language would prevent board members from responding during public comment. The acting board president answered that the president speaks for the board at meetings and that the bylaw language reflects that practice.

Quotes and attribution (selected): - "We have gone on long enough. We've been down this road in many years past as well," said a teacher who identified herself as having 15 years in the district, calling for good‑faith bargaining. - "If you are to walk into any one of these schools, you would see clearly that these teachers are working their butts off without a contract," said parent Nicole Luciano during public comment about conditions at Hazelwood.

Next steps and context: public speakers asked the board to prioritize negotiation, to post and fill vacant positions (technology, music, long‑term subs) and to create a transparent plan to stabilize classrooms. Several speakers urged the board to use incoming state aid and one‑time funds to prioritize staff retention rather than new administrative hires.

Ending: The volume and detail of public comment stretched the meeting; the board closed the public session after more than an hour of testimony and indicated it would consider public concerns in upcoming committee work and in budget deliberations.