A significant portion of the meeting focused on the proposed merger of school districts involving Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, and Seabright to form a K-12 district. This initiative has been in discussion for about a year, with the municipalities aiming to enable residents to decide how their tax dollars should be allocated for education. A representative highlighted that the municipal governments were facilitating the decision-making process rather than determining the outcome. However, there was concern about resistance from Oceanport and Shore Regional, who were accused of using taxpayer money to prevent residents from making decisions about their education funding.

In September of last year, the Commissioner of Education approved a vote to create the K-12 district. This vote passed, allowing for a future joint petition for a referendum to include Seabright in the new district. The speaker emphasized the potential tax savings and educational benefits from including Seabright, citing supportive studies. Frustration was expressed regarding the lack of cooperation from the involved boards of education. An email from these boards cited hectic schedules, unresolved litigation, and disagreement on a new tax levy formula as reasons for their hesitance to participate in a joint filing. The speaker contested these points, arguing that the tasks were manageable and that the ongoing litigation had been addressed by the Commissioner months prior.

A issue raised was the financial implications of the Tri-District’s current legal challenges. The boards had filed suit against the Commissioner of Education, claiming that their grant application should have covered referendum costs and that they were entitled to state aid, which they claimed amounted to a loss of $334,000. The combined financial strain from these issues was estimated at approximately $350,000. The speaker questioned why the public was not allowed to vote on the matter of Seabright joining the district, emphasizing the financial strain on the school district and expressing hope for renewed cooperation from the boards of education.

During the public portion of the meeting, Don Krueger, a candidate for the board of education, spoke about the misunderstandings surrounding the regionalization efforts. Krueger, who has been part of the Henry Hudson Regional PK through 12 Board for the past three years, stressed the importance of moving forward with regionalization and recounted the timeline of events starting from a petition filed with the Department of Education in 2022. He noted that the process had stalled due to litigation and a lack of communication from the boards of education. Krueger emphasized the need for clarity regarding the number of incoming students, particularly special education students, and the applicable funding formula.

Muriel Smith, a resident, expressed her confusion regarding the difficulties associated with the regionalization of the three schools and questioned the financial benefits of the regionalization. Another participant clarified the complexities of merging multiple school districts, particularly the challenge of unifying three separate collective bargaining agreements into one. The participants discussed the need for collaboration between the municipalities and the boards of education to facilitate the process and expressed hope that the issues could be resolved swiftly.

Public comment also included Gina Melck, who expressed gratitude for the council’s information sessions on the matter but raised concerns about the financing of a special election intended for regionalization. Melck sought clarification on the claim that costs would not burden local taxpayers. It was confirmed that the Department of Education contested the grant application meant to cover these costs, resulting in taxpayers being responsible for approximately $119,000 related to the election.

Melck articulated frustration among residents regarding perceived miscommunication and lack of action in the regionalization efforts. She called for residents to demand accurate information and questioned the rationale behind executive sessions that limit public access to discussions. Melck also pressed for clarity on how bringing Seabright into the regional system might affect funding equity for Highlands residents. It was noted that Seabright could contribute about a million dollars per year in tax relief for both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, contingent upon successful collaboration.