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Resident urges Middletown to help prevent proposed school closures
Summary
Bernard Dawson told the Middletown Township Committee on March 2 that proposed closures of three neighborhood schools would fracture North Middletown communities, harm students and taxpayers, and urged municipal leadership to press the Board of Education for alternatives; township staff said a CFO-level meeting with BOE representatives is scheduled.
Bernard Dawson, a Middletown resident, told the township committee on March 2 that proposed closures of three schools threaten the social and economic fabric of several North Middletown neighborhoods and urged municipal leaders to intervene. "School closures, rushed consolidations, expensive renovations, and very crowded middle schools will be bad for our students and bad for our taxpayers," Dawson said during the public-comment period.
Dawson said the Board of Education has been "in crisis" in 2026 after the superintendent resigned and described what he called a sudden set of emergent budget issues. He said he had reviewed enrollments, capacity and budgets and argued the district "does not need to close schools right now," offering alternatives including reducing administrative headcount, leasing facilities, reevaluating transportation contracts, using shared services and selling vacant land.
"I'm here to appeal for help," Dawson told the committee, urging it to use its leadership to encourage a cooperative, transparent planning process with the BOE.
The chair responded that township staff have taken steps to open lines of communication with the BOE. He said the township's CFO, Colleen Lapp (not present at the meeting), and staff member Tony have scheduled a meeting with BOE representatives later in the week to discuss the items Dawson raised. The chair thanked Dawson and other residents for their engagement but did not announce any formal township action or directive at the meeting.
Why it matters: school closures and consolidations directly affect neighborhood stability, student assignment and municipal budgets. Dawson framed the issue as a local cross-jurisdictional problem requiring both BOE and municipal coordination.
The committee did not vote on any BOE-related directive at the March 2 meeting. Township staff said a meeting between municipal finance staff and BOE officials is planned for later in the week; further action was not specified.
