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Millburn board moves turf‑fields project forward, approves personnel, textbooks and other business items
Summary
The Millburn Township Board approved business items that advance a joint turf‑fields project into the engineering phase, confirmed personnel hires and adopted several instructional and policy items. Public commenters raised funding and environmental questions; board members described the project as an investment and said township funding details remain to be resolved.
The Millburn Township Board of Education approved several business and personnel items during its meeting Monday, including measures that advance the proposed turf‑fields project into an engineering phase, and passed textbook adoptions, personnel recommendations and policy second readings by roll call.
Board member Noel Bigman, a member of the joint facilities committee, framed the turf‑fields project as an investment in community playing hours and long‑term maintenance savings. "I think it's actually an investment," he said, noting community feedback and meetings with recreation and engineering staff. Bigman said the project aims to address a deficit of playing hours for students and the public and suggested turf could lower operating costs over time.
Resident Jeffrey Feld used the public‑comment period to press for clarity on funding and procurement. Feld asked whether the district’s planned use of capital‑reserve funds covered lighting costs and whether state or bond agreements could constrain the township’s ability to fund its share. "There are questions as to the township with the offering materials...where they agreed with the new lender not to go out into the marketplace to fund any other projects this year," Feld said, and urged caution.
The board responded that the business items approved on the agenda authorize the district to proceed to the engineering phase and further design and contracting steps, not a final construction contract. The roll‑call votes on business items 3A–3D were recorded as passed unanimously in the transcript.
Other votes: the board approved instructional items 1A–1D; personnel report 2A (including recommended assistant‑principal hires for Millburn High School); a special‑services item 4A; and several policies on second reading. The program committee earlier recommended adoption of an AP seminar textbook and other instructional resources.
What’s next: The turf project will proceed to engineering and further procurement steps; township financing details and any necessary permit/referendum questions were identified as outstanding and will be addressed in subsequent meetings.
