Middletown, New Jersey, parents blindsided by plans to close, consolidate schools
Plans to close and consolidate schools in Middletown, New Jersey, have angered parents and students who feel blindsided by the news.
Parents were told this week of plans to close two elementary schools – Navesink and Leonardo – and move those students to what is now Bayshore Middle School. Bayshore kids would be consolidated into other middle schools.
The plan is to close and consolidate the schools before the start of the 2025-2026 academic year this fall.
Navesink Elementary parents vow to keep fighting
Navesink Elementary is one of the highest performing schools in the state. Parents say it's also the heart of this community.
"You take out the community school like this, and a historic village turns into a bedroom community. It's a place where people sleep. And otherwise there's no heart," parent Eric Dowell said.
"It's being ripped away with no warning. And it's tragic for our community," parent Mary Pat Buckley said.
"They wanted to do this at the last minute with no community involvement or ability to say anything about it whatsoever," parent Mithra Busler said, adding that he felt completely blindsided and betrayed.
Kristin Rooney, a parent and president of the Navesink PTA, says the fight is just getting started.
"I can tell you we're not done. We are mobilizing," she said.
School board president blames state of New Jersey for closures
Tuesday night, hundreds of parents chanted outside the Board of Education meeting, which was so full they couldn't get in. Inside, parents and students pleaded with school officials.
School Board President Frank Capone blamed higher costs and decreasing state aid.
"We did not do this to any of your children. The state did this to your children," he said.
Those words caused clamor from parents in the audience, who are worried about overcrowding and angry at what they call a lack of transparency.
CBS News New York reached out to the school board president and the superintendent for comment. So far, we have not heard back.
