Residents urge independent facilities study, criticize budget and challenge transgender policy at Neptune board meeting

Three residents used the public-comment period at the May 27 meeting of the Neptune Township School District Board of Education to raise concerns about budget transparency, call for an independent facilities study and object to district transgender policy 5756.

Michael Avat of 526 South Riverside congratulated retirees and then criticized the board's handling of the budget, saying the district's more-than-$12 million budget was "buried" inside a lengthy finance report and describing the adoption process as "cowardly and sneaky." He urged the board to pursue an independent consolidation plan and suggested poor management could risk state oversight.

"The manner in which the board adopted its budget of more than $12 million, burying it as item 22 in a 172-page April finance report, can best be described as cowardly and sneaky," Avat said. "Board members should have the courage to publicly state they are adopting this budget despite the burdensome tax rate it imposes."

Carol Neggerie said parents and neighbors hoped the board's announced summer facilities study would be independent, but that recent superintendent comments indicated the district planned to rely on internal review. Neggerie cited district utilization figures presented in state-audited data, saying Neptune High School sits at 39% utilization and Shark River Hills at 47%, and urged the board to hire a third-party firm to provide objective recommendations and consider grade-banding models used elsewhere.

"We want an objective, expert third-party firm to look at our space utilization metrics and give us real solutions," Neggerie said. "We are not asking for education to be cut. We are asking for the waste to be cut so our children's classrooms can be fully funded."

Gerald Magleio spoke about policy 5756, asserting the policy is unconstitutional and interferes with parental rights. He said similar policies have been legally challenged elsewhere and expressed concern parents could risk custody disputes if disagreements with a child's expressed gender identity are reported to state agencies. Magleio asked that his remarks be entered in the meeting minutes and provided in writing.

The board did not respond substantively during the public forum; board members later noted that the board and superintendent may at their discretion respond at the end of the public forum.

No formal changes to district policies or the budget were made at the meeting. Several consent agenda items, including facilities approvals, were adopted by roll call later in the meeting.