Tonight, Thursday January 25th, both the Newark and Asbury Park Boards of Education have public meetings. Here are highlights to look for.

Newark:

• The Board of Education plans to swear in two new members, Kanileah Anderson and Helena Vinhas, to fill two empty seats created by resignations. What about Tommy Luna, whom the Board chose unanimously to fill one seat back on October 30, 2023? The Board decided, apparently with the backing of school district leadership, that Luna’s job—a long-time math and science teacher at a local public charter school, KIPP Rise Academy—was a “conflict of interest..” This is in spite of the fact that Luna was chosen to fill the seat vacated by Asia Norton, also a public charter school teacher, who had served as board president. Also, a legal memo concluded no conflict of interest exits for a charter school teacher to sit on a district school board.

Mr. Luna declined to comment at this time.

Asbury Park:

We only have the Board agenda to go on, posted just this morning, but here are a few items getting the public’s attention after less administration-friendly board members were sworn in earlier this month:

• Bridget O’Neill, Asbury Park High School principal, who has been in the center of some controversial incidents, will not only manage the high school but also “be assigned to oversee the Athletics/PE/Health department in addition to her current duties.” Asbury Park had a fine Athletic Director, Mark Gerbino, but Superintendent Rashawn Adams reportedly sees him as a threat yet can’t fire him because he has tenure. That’s why last year Adams hired Troy Bowers, who is considered a bully by students and teachers.

• Speaking of, Troy Bowers has resigned effective February 5th, which is why Principal O’Neill is the new Athletic Director. But not really because, says the agenda, Mark Gerbino is being transferred to the high school from the middle school to help out O’Neill, as well as run a program for students whose behavior bars them from being in classroom.

• Adams recommends that the Board approve $256,548 this year and $261,684 next year to rent space for the district’s central office. This is in spite of the fact that the district has one completely empty building (the former Barack Obama Elementary School) and declining enrollment.

• One other note: when school boards approve placements for students in out-of-district schools, these schools are listed on school board agendas with tuition rates. These lists are usually private special education schools and/or public charter schools. However, tonight’s agenda for Asbury Park lists four general education students (names withheld) who will attend Neptune Public Schools, right next door. It is atypical for districts to pay other traditional districts to educate students without special needs.