Freehold Township board approves personnel and finance items; leaders outline referendum outreach

The Freehold Township School District Board of Education on Jan. 28 approved multiple personnel, finance and curriculum items and heard extended discussion of outreach plans for a March 11 referendum.

Board members voted to approve the personnel items, financial reports and a set of budget transfers and contracts listed on the agenda, the board’s school business administrator certified the district’s fiscal standing, and administrators described planned public information sessions and materials for the upcoming referendum.

Board President called the meeting to order and announced two referendum information sessions: an in-person forum on Thursday, Jan. 30, at Erickson School from 6 to 8 p.m., and a virtual session Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. Superintendent Neil Dickstein asked residents to attend and noted printed and digital materials would be available, saying the sessions would help voters “learn more about our upcoming March 11th referendum” and “go a long way to make you feel comfortable when you’re voting.”

Dickstein and other administrators described the district’s outreach strategy. School officials said the district has contracted a public relations firm to create a website, postcards, flyers and a short informational video; the video and other materials were described as being finalized and due to publish in February. Board members raised questions about reaching residents who are not online. A board member asked for talking points that individual board members could use on personal social media; administrators said the district’s position is to direct people to the district website for factual materials rather than engage directly in social media debates. Dickstein said, “If you see any negativity on social media, the best response is please visit this website for the facts.”

Separately, board attorney Michael Gross warned board members about Open Public Meetings Act constraints on board participation in unscheduled public events, advising that more than four board members at an unscheduled forum could trigger the act’s public-notice requirements. Gross read the statute’s standard for meetings under the law and said the district should limit attendance to four board members at nonadvertised events to avoid a violation.

On formal business, Robert Davita, the district’s school business administrator and board secretary, read a certification of accounts for November and December 2024, stating that “no line item has been overexpended in violation of NJAC 6A:23A-16.10(c)(3), and that sufficient funds are available to meet the district’s financial obligations for the remainder of the year.” The finance committee recommended approval of the secretary/treasurer reports, bills and claims and multiple transfers; the board approved bills and claims totaling $5,007,000.80 and a planned withdrawal from capital reserve of $685,000 as listed on the agenda.

The board also approved acceptance of bids related to Eisenhower Middle School, authorization of an RFP award for Wilson Foundations training and materials for 2024–25, and updates to IDEA Basic and Preschool and ESEA fiscal year 2025 grant applications as listed on the agenda. Curriculum committee members reported that the district’s Language Instruction Education Program was approved by the New Jersey Department of Education through 2027 and that districtwide I-Ready training and testing windows are scheduled in February.

During the administrative report, Dickstein addressed community concerns about law-enforcement access to school buildings. He said the district’s practice is not to permit entry to outside agents and that, “If somebody shows up and has an order executed by a judge… the building principal will contact my office. I will contact our board attorney who will advise whether that is authentic and genuine and we’ll go from there.”

The board affirmed the personnel roster and other personnel-related agenda items after a roll-call vote. The board president announced a 10-minute recess following recognition items earlier in the meeting.

The board scheduled continued outreach and encouraged board members to participate in approved forums. Administrators said they would provide additional materials and make talking points available for board members who choose to direct constituents to the district’s official website and video resources.