Jonathan Shutman Ed.D. is a retired elementary school principal. Since retirement, he has taught at Brookdale Community College, mentored for NJL2L, supervised student teachers for Stockton University and NJCU, and been a GED and ESL support teacher for the Monmouth County Vocational School District.

I attended the Ocean Township Board of Education Work Meeting, 5/13/26. Disturbing news had been reported in local publications and social media about an assault in the intermediate school that resulted in a beaten boy taken by ambulance to the hospital. This incident prompted several public comments during the open comments session that started the meeting, several having concerns about not only the violence but the bias that may have precipitated it.  

A lawyer representing one of the families spoke first, questioning the veracity of the media reports. Most comments linked below spoke about safety concerns in the schools, poor district communication, bullying in the district schools, including one that spoke to a rush to judgement regarding how the incident was being reported while also decrying the district failure to address bullying. Speakers included former Board of Education members, school parents including mental health professionals, this writer, and an articulate and specific report by a graduating senior on poor and potentially dangerous physical plant management, bullying, and other concerns at the high school.  One parent requested open dialogue at a Town Hall Meeting where these and other concerns could be addressed.

These comments and the board response can be seen on YouTube beginning at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nVBznxAuJ0. At the end of the recording are some of the board members’ responses.

It is noted that this incident occurred at the intermediate school, the transitional nexus in student school experience, a place where all the students from the elementary schools become one student body provided with the learning experiences to continue their growth and development to the high school. It was curious to me that at a recent board meeting it was remarked that students at the intermediate school are funded at levels lower than all the other district schools, and yet the staff and leadership at the intermediate school are making concerted efforts to implement whole school academic improvement and a social culture of respect.

As for the district response to this incident? A letter was written to the parents on the website with the salutation, “Dear Spartan Community,” apologizing for untimely communication and no specifics on how promises that “we will do better” will be made. Parents in public comments said this letter was sent after students had been sent home and the school was under a shelter in place, also occurring during state testing. We were also told that the incident is still under investigation.

Might the “Spartan Community” be informed that a review of the Code of Conduct, to be conducted by a committee of concerned parents, students, residents, and school staff will be done? Does the Code of Conduct have a place in the district board of education policies with clear infractions and consequences? Will all parents and students sign this code acknowledging having read it? Might school assemblies take place by the superintendent, board president, and principal of each school, reviewing the code in a developmentally appropriate way with discussion including identifying and reporting physical and verbal bullying, abuse, and/or harassment? Might such an assembly include small group discussions in a Classroom Meeting format, to be continued on a weekly basis to address positive student discipline and concerns, and unearth problems if brought up, acknowledging the untenable student to counselor ratios in the schools?

Might this Code of Conduct include restorative justice as consequences and acts of contrition rather than simple out of school suspensions, where who knows what is done to ameliorate student conduct? After all, as reported, given what had been reported – this may have been an altercation with biased implications.

This leads to the district culture and mission as displayed abundantly on the district and school websites. “Meeting the needs of all students with a proud tradition of academic excellence! Your Spartan Legacy starts here!”

Tradition needs to be maintained. As for academic excellence, all metrics for the district are that academic achievement is on the decline, at best at the middle of all NJ schools – average or below average as this link to NJ State Department of Education reports. Other rating and reporting websites show similar data of concern: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/districts/township-of-ocean-school-district/ocean-township-high-school-12697, https://www.niche.com/k12/ocean-township-high-school-oakhurst-nj/, and- https://www.greatschools.org/new-jersey/ocean-township/1459-Ocean-Twp-High-School/. These links are high school rankings. Similar ratings can be found for the other district schools at niche.com and greatschools.org. Recent real estate listings at the end show greatschools.org ratings for schools served by that address.

Independently, state data is irrefutable. The other websites may have biases, and test scores in and of themselves do not indicate the strengths or weaknesses of a district or school. Yet, the similarity of these other sites to the state reporting is public data and a reflection of how the Township of Ocean School District compares to others.

Next, we have Spartan Legacy and Spartan Pride. Spartan Helmets/Heads are displayed throughout the district website. At a recent PowerPoint presentation at a board meeting, to conceal their identity, young children in a group had their identities masked by having the very same Spartan Helmet/Heads replacing their faces. Spartan ideology is one of conquest, one of winners and losers. Whether a reference to ancient Greece or dictionary definitions, common synonyms include austere, frugal, severe, strict and harsh. It is well ingrained in the Ocean Township ethos, typified by athletic prowess. It might as well say as a not so hidden curriculum that some students win, some lose, some learn, some won’t or cannot and some, i.e., the other, don’t belong here.

As for governance? With the exception of the usual handful of attendees, highly articulate community members were present at the May 13th meeting to express concerns, as cited above. Board meetings are customarily attended by less than a handful, including the few who attended a recent one on a significant tax increase in the face of declining enrollment and the declining district ratings and test scores.

Board meetings are perfunctory with slim community attendance other than when there are rewards to the Spartan Special. Public comments are met with silence by the board. No explanations or dialogue. People are told to contact school principals where systemic problems cannot be addressed. Most of what the board does is take turns reading board agenda items, votes to approve items (often unanimously), and cheerlead the district. There is no reporting on a consistent basis on implementation of curriculum, best practices in instruction, matters of assessment, nor district or school accountability on these important matters. In the last election, three of the present members ran unopposed. To me, the board appears to be an enclave of cheerleaders.

Then there is the professional staff, with the superintendent at the top. The Coaster reported on April 7, 2026 that the “Ocean Township Board of Education renewed School Superintendent Kelly Weldon’s contract to run through June 2031 with a base salary for the coming school year of $245,000 with an increase of 3 percent for years two and three and a 3.5 percent increase for the final two years.” You can calculate what the salary at the end of this contract will be within the realities of declining enrollment, declining test scores, unsettling public reports, and an increasing tax levy.

Other public information at board meetings might include how professional recruitment and hiring is conducted in the district. How rigorous are the teacher and administrator hiring practices? Are local candidates hired disproportionally and why? What are the specific qualifications that the district looks for in a candidate and what is the hiring and selection process? Are parents and students at the high school included in the interview process?

These standards influence student achievement, along with evidence based best practices in staff development, curriculum, instruction, and assessment. How does the district manage the advent of AI as it affects all these areas as technology already does? These are all important areas at board meetings to present and report, by school curriculum and content area.

To address the above data and matters of concern, nothing will likely change unless residents and parents attend board meetings and ask questions. At the same time, if the board is to act as more than a board of approval, it is time to engage in the hard work of school and district improvement starting with problem finding and analysis. Create a survey for all stakeholders that discerns how the district is seen anonymously on matters described and more that define school district culture and climate. Find out what stakeholders think. Create needs assessments for the instructional staff that could influence staff development as well as other signifiers for school support. Conduct some focus groups on the same. Find out what the district’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs are. Begin the hard discussions on these findings at board meetings. Then present a plan.

Regardless, all is for naught until Ocean Township residents attend board meetings, voice concerns, and advocate for change in the best interests of our youth.