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Teachers' union and residents urge action after burst coils, fire-panel failures; board hires consultants to begin referendum planning
Summary
Union and residents described burst heating coils, temporary fire panels, and poor ventilation; administrators outlined immediate repairs, parts lead times and a path toward consultant-supported referendum planning to fund major infrastructure work.
Speakers from the Berkeley Heights Education Association and other residents pressed the board for an urgent, districtwide response to multiple facility failures that affected classrooms and school operations.
Marcy Helmstetter, president of the Berkeley Heights Education Association, said the scale of recent problems — 15 burst coils at Governor Livingston, malfunctioning fire panels that temporarily closed Columbia Middle School and ongoing roof and plumbing problems — required more than piecemeal fixes. "These conditions are unacceptable," she said, adding that she had filed complaints with New Jersey's public employees occupational safety and health.…
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