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Freehold Township board honors departing members, recognizes student athletes and confirms Donovan reopening
Summary
The Freehold Township School District honored two departing board members, recognized middle‑school athletes and musicians, and announced Laura Donovan Elementary will reopen Jan. 2 with transportation limited to students who qualify under board policy. A bullying report showed one founded case out of seven investigations.
The Freehold Township School District board on Monday honored two departing members and recognized student achievements while confirming operational details for the reopening of Laura Donovan Elementary School.
Board President called the Dec. meeting to order and introduced remarks for Mary Casalino, who is leaving the board after seven years. Casalino described her priorities in office — advocating for small class sizes, expanding teacher‑led instruction and implementing a district‑wide phonics program for K–2 students — and thanked voters and colleagues for the opportunity to serve. “Keep tilting at windmills,” Casalino told colleagues as she reflected on what she called the worth of persistent advocacy for students.
The board recognized several student accomplishments. Eisenhower Middle School 6th‑grader Leah Sanchez was honored for finishing third out of 139 competitors in the regional cross‑country meet. Barcelo Middle School’s boys soccer team was recognized as the 2024 Monmouth County champions; coach Mr. Moran credited the team’s perseverance through early losses and injuries. Band directors Mr. Crawford (Barcelo) and Mrs. Feldman (Eisenhower) presented students accepted into the 2024–25 All Shore Intermediate Band and named individual audition winners.
On operations, the board confirmed an email sent to Donovan families informing them the Laura Donovan Elementary School will reopen on Jan. 2. Transportation will be provided only to students who qualify under the district’s board policy; parents can verify eligibility in the parent portal (the bus info field must show a populated route to receive transportation) and contact the transportation office if they believe there is an error.
The district also reported results of its most recent bullying investigations: seven cases were investigated, one was found to be founded and six were determined to be unfounded. The board did not announce additional disciplinary details at the meeting.
Board members presented flowers and a cake to Casalino and the other departing member, Carrie; several colleagues offered brief tributes to both for committee service, constituent advocacy and work on district initiatives. The meeting recessed for approximately 10 minutes after the recognitions and continued with routine business.
