Final Middletown Schools Strategic Planning Session Is Thursday Night

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The third and final public strategic planning session for the Middletown school district will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday night (Aug. 28) at the Middletown High School North cafeteria.

The Middletown school district is holding these three meetings (the others were in May and June) as part of its "Strategic Planning process."

This is where the school district hears from the entire community about where they would like the direction of Middletown schools to go in the next five years. Redistricting, and possibly closing one or more schools are all options on the table.

Middletown schools superintendent Jessica Alfone previously said in May: "These three meetings are to gather community input about the district's new five-year strategic plan. School closing and redistricting are not absolutes as outcomes of the eventual plan. Closing schools and/or rezoning could be outcomes, but we need to engage in the process first before making any determinations for the future."

Alfone said at this week's school board meeting the Middletown school district is still awaiting the results of a "building utilization and boundary re-analysis," which it hired a consulting firm to do in June.

The school district paid that firm $24,000 to evaluate how all the buildings in the district are being used, and what is the best use for each school building. This spring, the Middletown school district announced it has a $10-million budget hole, and cannot keep operating as usual. The district has to make some serious financial changes. That's why a majority of the Board approved a controversial 10.1 percent increase to the school tax levy in April.

"Once we have that information, it will be presented to the school community," Alfone said Tuesday, referring to the building-use study. "Our steering committee will meet sometime after we have those results back ... and create the action plans for the five-year strategic plan. Our goal is to have this (the Strategic Plan) board-approved in early 2026, January/February area."

Board member Joan Minnuies said Tuesday night some Middletown residents have a conception their neighborhood schools will be exempt from possible redistricting — something she is trying o dispel.

"We don't know if any schools could be affected (for possible closure). But no schools are left out of being affected. Is that true?" she asked the district.

Alfone said that is correct. The superintendent said the district is currently gathering the residencies for all the students in the district.

"Certainly one of the goals is to see where populations can be shifted to alleviate some of the higher class sizes and populated buildings in areas of town, and to create more equity in how those populations are spread out," she said.

Minnuies said she's been trying to get a lot of people to attend the Strategic Planning sessions.

"It's better to have everyone involved now ... and (not have) people say, 'I didn't know it was my school,'" said Minnuies.

Alfone previously said here the consulting firm will 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."

"All of our facilities are being evaluated. Everything's fair game," Alfone said Tuesday.

These meetings are open to all Middletown residents, not just public school parents. All three meetings are facilitated by the New Jersey School Boards Association. The school district posts a summary here of what is discussed at the three meetings: Middletown school district Strategic Planning

Final meeting date:

• August 28 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at Middletown High School North cafeteria

Alfone gave a brief strategic planning update at 1:52 at Tuesday night's BOE meeting:

Staff returns to Middletown schools Thursday. The first day for students is Sept. 2.

Prior: 3 Public Meeting Dates Announced As Middletown Schools Begin Strategic Planning (May)

Lack Of Money, Aging Schools: 1st Middletown Strategic Planning Meeting (May)

Middletown School Board Approves Budget With 10.1 Percent School Tax Increase (April)