During the public comment period, a community member criticized the board for allegedly misusing resources by involving its attorney to investigate a candidate’s eligibility for the recent school board election. The speaker asserted that determining a candidate’s eligibility is the jurisdiction of the county election office, not the school board. This move was described as an overreach of authority and a misallocation of district resources.

Further controversy arose from claims that the district improperly censored a student-written article about the speaker’s candidacy. According to the speaker, the article, which merely reported on their decision to run and their platform, was blocked under a policy dating back to 2003. The speaker argued that this censorship violated the New Jersey New Voices Law of 2021, which protects student journalists’ rights to free expression and limits prior restraint by school administrations. The district’s actions, they suggested, could be legally questionable given the strong protections afforded to student media under this law.

Additionally, the meeting saw the swearing-in of new board members and the election of new leadership. Danielle Parenti and Sharon Schueler were elected as board president and vice president, respectively. The board also adopted the New Jersey School Boards Association code of ethics and approved the annual meeting schedule.