Mendham Council, Board Of Ed Want New High School District For Local Students

Mendham, N.J. – In a joint meeting Monday night between Mendham Borough’s Mayor and Council and the town’s local school district, both sides approved resolutions to move forward and de-regionalize from the West Morris Regional High School District.

Both groups decided it would be best for Mendham High School to split off from the joint district and its sister school West Morris Central, creating a singular high school district serving all Mendham and Chester students.

Mendham is the first of four towns to make such a decision, and would need Mendham Township, Chester Borough, and Chester Township to all equally agree before the move can be put to a referendum for voters, which would come after a state review, according to Mendham Mayor Neil Henry.

The decision is based on the findings of the Haber Report, a feasibility study that analyzed two options, both of which resulted in dissolution of the regional district. Option one was to keep all Mendham Borough, Township, and Chester K-8 school districts in tact while turning Mendham High School into its own district. Option two was to create a “mega” K-12 district that would put all Mendham and Chester schools, including the high school, in a single group.

“We had a strong turn-out of Borough residents at last night’s joint public meeting,” said Henry in a statement. “The consensus of those who addressed the Borough Council and Borough School Board clearly supported moving ahead with Option I presented in the Haber Report. I want to thank residents for taking time to come to the meeting to have their voices heard before the Borough Council and Borough School Board reached a decision.

“The Borough Council and School Board just took an important step that ensures Mendham Borough will have a seat at the table as the future direction of our high school is weighed,” continued Henry. “All of us recognize that a decision of this magnitude should, ultimately, be voted on by the residents of the regional high school district, and I salute both Borough Council and School Board Members for giving this matter the careful attention and consideration it deserves.”

No announcement has been made by the Chesters or Mendham Township on when, or if, those towns will take similar action.

Only three of the district's five towns need to approve resolutions for the vote to be put to a referendum. If that happens and the issue goes to a referendum ballot, all five towns involved in the current district would be able to vote, including Washington Township. At that time, three of the five towns would need to have a majority approve the referendum while an overall majority of voters throughout the five towns would have to be in favor as well.