Berkeley Heights Board of Education Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan - TAPinto

The Strategic Plan

The Berkeley Heights Board of Education approved a five-year strategic plan on June 25, completing a community engagement process that began in September with stakeholder meetings.

The plan centers on three goal areas: whole child development, academic excellence and lifelong learning, and family and community engagement.

Superintendent Dr. Kim Feltre presented the Year One action plan. Key priorities include expanding social-emotional regulation programming across all schools, conducting climate surveys on student wellbeing, redesigning core instruction using Universal Design for Learning principles, and auditing district communication methods.

One concrete benchmark: the district will target 80 percent staff consistency in grading and assessment practices across core courses. Staff will be trained to analyze student growth data. Meeting structures will shift to include students in conversations about their own learning goals.

"A student cannot reach academic excellence if they don't feel safe, seen, and supported," Dr. Feltre said. "We want students to be producers, creators, and cultivators of their learning, as opposed to consumers of information."

Implementation begins this summer with administrator training focused on relational trust-building. Staff professional development is planned for fall and winter. The board will receive district goals aligned to the strategic plan in August.

Public Pushback on Implementation

Resident John Migueis challenged the board during public comment, saying that in his experience "year one turned into year five" in the district. He raised concerns about the absence of standardized test proficiency targets in the plan. No board members or administrators disputed his characterization on the record.

Governor Livingston Enrollment Concerns

Resident Ramya Kasthuri raised concerns about eighth-grade enrollment trends at Governor Livingston High School. She suggested that students choosing Union County Vocational Technical Schools and private institutions combined could represent more than 20 percent of the incoming class.

"I would urge the administration and the board to treat this as a priority issue," Kasthuri said. She asked the board to confirm total attrition figures, identify whether the trend has worsened over time, and set benchmarks for monitoring retention.

Dr. Crystal Marr, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Achievement, confirmed that a survey will be sent in late July to families of students who chose not to enroll at Governor Livingston—both this year and last year, with Mountainside students included.

Board members discussed broadening the survey to include families of students who did enroll, arguing that understanding why families stay is equally important.

Policy Approvals and Tabled Items

The board approved a new staff privacy policy governing use of personal devices to photograph students. Photos taken on personal devices must be uploaded to the school server, with clear communication to students and families about how images will be used.

Two policy items were tabled: Policy 2200, governing curriculum content, and its accompanying regulation. Board member Natasha Joly raised questions about language placing curriculum delivery responsibility with the board rather than administration. The policy committee was directed to seek clarification from consultants before a vote.

Referendum and Contract Updates

Business Administrator Jennifer Nicholson confirmed that purchase orders have been issued for the first referendum project—upgrades to cameras, clocks, and public address systems across district buildings. Work is expected to be substantially complete before the school year begins.

Contract negotiations are ongoing with Mountainside over the districts' send-receive agreement and with the Berkeley Heights Education Association. Both committees met the day after the June 25 board meeting.

For Union County Life readers in Berkeley Heights, the subscription bussing portal closed June 30. Families interested in late registration should contact the business office to be placed on a waitlist. Bus pass information is expected to be posted to the district transportation website in late August.

The next Berkeley Heights Board of Education meeting is scheduled for August, when district goals for the 2026-27 school year aligned to the new strategic plan are expected to be presented.

FAQ

Q: What are the three goals of Berkeley Heights' five-year strategic plan?
Whole child development, academic excellence and lifelong learning, and family and community engagement. Year One priorities include Universal Design for Learning in classrooms, climate surveys on student wellbeing, staff training on grading consistency, and improved family communication.

Q: What concerns were raised about Governor Livingston High School enrollment?
Resident Ramya Kasthuri suggested that students choosing UCVTS or private schools could represent more than 20 percent of the incoming class. The district confirmed a late-July survey will go to families of students who chose not to enroll, with board members also pushing to survey families who did enroll to understand retention factors.

Q: When is the next Berkeley Heights BOE meeting?
August 2026. District goals for the 2026-27 school year, aligned to the new strategic plan, are expected to be presented at that meeting.

Q: What policy changes did the board approve?
The board approved a new staff privacy policy governing the use of personal devices to photograph students. Two curriculum policy items were tabled pending clarification from policy consultants.

Q: What is the status of referendum projects?
Purchase orders have been issued for the first project—camera, clock, and public address system upgrades across district buildings. Work is expected to be substantially complete before the school year begins.

Q: Is the bussing portal still open?
No. The subscription bussing portal closed June 30. Families interested in registering should contact the business office to be placed on a waitlist. Bus pass information will be posted to the district transportation website in late August.