District officials told the board the preliminary 2027 outlook shows an estimated $5.6 million operating deficit under current assumptions, reviewed capital and technology requests and discussed options including a medical waiver, reserves use and bus leasing; the board approved routine minutes, personnel and finance items and a proposed calendar with one abstention on a calendar subitem.
At a school board meeting, administrators described a job-embedded professional development initiative at the intermediate school that uses monthly focus standards, a shared instructional language and LinkIt assessments; presenters reported improvements in 13 of 16 focus standards and a district Padlet of lesson plans and resources.
Superintendent presented student safety data for Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2025: district totals of 7 HIB investigations initiated with 3 confirmed, 10 instances of violence, 1 weapons offense and 4 substance offenses; confirmed incidents prompted disciplinary interventions and counseling.
School business administrator presented a 2027 budget preview showing an initial roughly $8 million gap between requested expenditures and likely revenue; administrators warned steep health‑benefit premium increases and a $4.7 million health waiver are key drivers of the shortfall.
The Township of Ocean Board of Education approved the January minutes, consent personnel items (with one recusal), financial and instructional consent items, recognized educators and declared January 2026 School Board Recognition Month; Laura Macaluso was announced as assistant principal at the intermediate school.
Two residents used public comment to press the Township of Ocean Board of Education for clearer, consistent, and transparent processes after recent incidents including an educator who was doxxed and suspended and a board member omment that many found troubling.
The Township of Ocean School District board approved minutes, personnel, financial management, and instruction items listed on the consent agenda, and voted to reduce summer meetings to a single session and adjust January reorganizational scheduling; recorded roll-call votes were unanimous where captured with one recusal noted for a personnel item.
Superintendent Reclerc said Hazel Health offered services to the district through a grant, providing free telehealth counseling and expanded translated support to supplement county in-person resources for multilingual families.
During public comment Alex Hayes named a board member (identified in her remarks as "Mister Schneider") and said recent pro-ICE remarks were "vile and disgusting," saying families now fear for undocumented and minority students; an unnamed board member later thanked commenters and said they would reflect on the concerns.
Paul Kuva of Wilcotts and Company presented the Township of Ocean School District's FY2025 audit, reporting roughly $8,000,000 in the capital reserve and an excess surplus figure (about $44,334,000) that the district must appropriate in the 202627 budget; the district's tentative budget deadline is March 19.
