Teachers' union and residents urge action after burst coils, fire-panel failures; board hires consultants to begin referendum planning

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. Nicholas O'Sullivan, vice president of the PHA, and other commenters described classrooms that had been cold, replacement space heaters and CO2/air-quality concerns that required staff to keep windows open.

Administration and facilities staff described the work to address immediate failures: temporary fire panels were installed and a 24/7 fire watch was in place while replacement parts are obtained; some coils were repaired from district stock, while others require custom-made parts with an estimated lead time of about 12 weeks. The business administrator said staff and outside contractors had repaired or replaced components where possible and were coordinating inspections with subcode officials.

Board members and administration agreed to proceed with steps that include contracting a demographer and a "solutions architect" to support referendum preparation. Members asked for clear deliverables, timelines and whether any projects can be funded from maintenance reserves rather than waiting for a referendum. Superintendent Dr. Feltree said architects were compiling principals' input to determine scope and costs; several board members said they wanted the administration to provide clearer cost estimates and comparisons before the board commits to a dollar amount or a special election.

Quotes that matter: "Governor Livingston had 15 coils burst, leaving multiple classrooms without heat or ventilation," Helmstetter told the board. Resident Eric Samson said the current SLEO contract approach lacked spending limits and urged clearer oversight: "Why are we accepting such an open ended agreement when other districts have kept spending and clearer terms?"

What happens next: The board approved initial consultant work so architects and consultants can scope needs for a referendum process; members asked administration to provide past billing for shared services, a clear list of priority capital projects and recommendations for what can be addressed from reserves before a bond question.