Here's A Breakdown Of Middletown's New Plan To Keep Schools Open

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Here's a breakdown of the newest — and likely final — plan to create a balanced Middletown school budget for the 2025-'26 school year:

(This information came from both the Middletown school district and the Township.)

- There will be a 5.88 percent increase to the school property tax levy: A 2-percent property tax increase that happens yearly, plus an additional 3.88 percent increase on top of that.

- There will be some staffing layoffs in Middletown schools. No teaching positions will be eliminated, but there will be "reductions to administrative and duplicate roles." Expect a "moderate level of staffing reductions," said superintendent Jessica Alfone. The layoffs will not impact classroom teachers, or increase class sizes, she said.

- Middletown Township will purchase a 10-acre parcel of land, owned by the school district, on Kings Highway at Sleepy Hollow Road, Mayor Tony Perry announced Thursday morning in this press conference. The Township will pay the school district approximately $1.9 million for the lot. The Township will buy the land using tax dollars from the Open Space Trust Fund, and the lot will be preserved as wooded open space. Middletown parents did previously suggest the district sell the lot to raise revenue. However, Perry said he has been interested in buying that land "for nearly the past year now. The school district had it appraised about eight months ago."

"These were all good ideas," Perry added. "But many were already in the works."

- The Township and school district will now equally split the cost of having armed, Class-three police officers in Middletown schools, in a shared-services agreement. Currently, the school district entirely pays to have the officers, but under this new proposal, the Township will pay for half. It is about $1.2 million a year to have the Class-3, armed police officers in schools, so the school district will save approx. $600,000 in next year's budget.

Board will vote on this next Tuesday

All of this above will be introduced at next Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting, held at 7 p.m. at High School North auditorium.

There are no longer school closures on the agenda.

"In light of this resolution, the district will also be forgoing (canceling) the forums scheduled for April 9 and 10," said Alfone.

• Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the High School North Auditorium
• Thursday, April 10 at 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the High School South Gymnasium

Save Middletown Schools, a parent group passionate about keeping the three schools open, said Thursday morning they approve of this latest plan.

"We are encouraged by the announcement from Middletown Mayor Tony Perry that he has identified alternative solutions to address the school budget shortfall, without laying off in-classroom teachers or closing our beloved community schools," said Save Middletown Schools. "We are cautiously optimistic about the new proposal, and we look forward to learning what the Board of Education will decide at their meeting on Tuesday, April 8."

Also — as Patch already told you — the school district will begin a "broader strategic planning process," said Alfone. That will likely start in late May.

"Something must shift," Alfone warned Thursday in a letter home to parents. She may be referring to the need to close schools in Middletown in the future, as the district grapples with declining student enrollment and thus declining state aid from Trenton.

The school district will hire an outside consultant for the strategic planning process.

"This effort will be led by an outside consultant and will include meaningful engagement with the entire school community," said Alfone Thursday. "While no immediate changes will be made, all stakeholders recognize that something must shift to ensure the district remains sustainable and strong in the years ahead. More details will be shared soon on how to get involved in the strategic planning process, which is anticipated to begin in late May."

Special Voting Meeting Of Middletown School Board April 8

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