3 Public Meeting Dates Announced As Middletown Schools Begin Strategic Planning

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — As Patch told you repeatedly, redistricting is next on the Middletown school district's agenda. This will possibly include closing at least one — but likely multiple — schools in the future.

The Middletown school district is about to launch a "Strategic Planning process" facilitated by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA).

The NJSBA will hold three public meetings where they will hear from the Middletown community. The dates of those meetings has now been announced and they are:

• Thursday, May 29 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Middletown High School North
• Monday, June 16 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Middletown High School North
• Thursday, August 28 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Middletown High School North

These meetings will be open to all, not just Middletown school parents. They will be open to all Middletown residents. There is also this "Strategic Planning Interest Form:" https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQb9a2OrHuzbQqC2WC20OA2zjQ9BIIVx0cX7qU6uBYtasf0A/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawKIXc5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBseklZbHZkNGc4WmZzOXByAR63Xov0Bbm-A_B8djHf7z9Ustly81LZIEyEwMiapTJhcDAbZosIDbF6uRG9ug_aem_ZYy31nxyyfyy__Drk33zfw

As part of this process, the school district already hired an outside strategic planning firm to tell them how to redistrict and where to save money and plug budget holes. The district will pay that consulting firm $24,000, superintendent Jessica Alfone previously said.

The consulting firm will first assess all the buildings in the district; that facilities assessment will take place during the month of June, Alfone said previously. They will then present a report in mid- to late September about "how our boundaries could be redesigned" and any Middletown school buildings "that are aging and could be taken offline," she said.

"I think we all know that something needs to change," said the superintendent at the last Board meeting, held last Wednesday, April 30.