How did we get here? How do we get out of this mess?

Two questions seem to permeate the Save Middletown Schools community: how did we get here? and how do we get out of this mess?

For years, community members voiced concerns about the district’s declining capital reserves (Exhibit A). When these issues were brought up during BOE meetings, the responses were reassurances that such “ebbs and flows” were normal. In hindsight, it is difficult not to question how much each board member truly understood about the district’s looming financial challenges. Were they concealing information, were they unaware, or were some deliberately silenced?

This year, unfortunately, has brought even more unanswered questions. We are proud of the work that Save Middletown Schools has done to uncover the truth, but transparency from district leadership remains lacking. We want to share what has been uncovered so far, along with the questions that remain, in the hope that Superintendent Dr. Jessica Alfone and Board Leadership will follow through on their commitment to increase transparency. Only by fully understanding how we arrived at this point can we begin to correct these issues and prevent our town from facing a similar crisis again.

On February 25, 2025 (Exhibit B), a meeting was held to brief BOE members on the district’s budget crisis and the proposal to close two elementary schools. What remains unclear is who, if anyone, had prior knowledge of this plan before that date. Save Middletown Schools has continued to seek clarity on the timeline, but at the August 26th BOE meeting (YouTube), direct questions posed by a community member were met with deflection rather than transparency. Specific inquiries regarding who was involved in the decision-making process prior to February 25 and for how long went unanswered. Instead, Ms. Tobacco responded dismissively with, “What is this?” while Mr. Capone attempted to cut off the discussion, saying, “Thank you for your comment, your time is up.”  If there is nothing to hide, why not simply answer the question?

Conjecture suggests that this initiative originated within the Shared Services Committee, composed of Superintendent Dr. Alfone, Business Administrator Amy Doherty, BOE President Frank Capone, BOE Vice President Jackie Tobacco, Mayor Tony Perry, Township Administrator Tony Mercantante, and community member—and current BOE candidate—Sara Weinstein. Disturbingly, this committee, which appears to play one of the most influential roles in shaping how tax dollars are spent, does not keep public minutes nor has reported any meeting notes in 14+ months (Exhibit C). Adding to the concern, many of the elected officials on this committee share overlapping campaign donors (Exhibit D).

By March 17th, 2025, word spread that school closures were on the BOE agenda for March 18th. The superintendent’s last-minute communication to parents seemed more like a defensive maneuver than a genuine effort at transparency (Exhibit E). At that meeting, the public was presented with deeply flawed data, including inflated renovation estimates—better described as “wish lists” for future schools—that exceeded the cost of replacing facilities entirely. The capacity figures presented were found to be misleading, as they were based on inaccurate square footage data and occupancy numbers. Updated details will be shared soon on the Save Middletown Schools website.

These discrepancies came to light only through the diligence of Save Middletown Schools, whose members also analyzed spending and proposed cost-saving alternatives (YouTube). While it was encouraging to see some of these ideas incorporated into revised district presentations, it begs the questions: why wasn’t this work done by the large Middletown Administration team? What exactly is happening behind the scenes?

A glimpse into those behind-the-scenes dynamics came on April 8, when BOE member Deborah Wright revealed during the meeting (YouTube) that a small subset of board members who serve on the shared services committee, alongside township officials, had already negotiated a “deal” involving a 5.88% tax increase (YouTube). She further disclosed that the BOE as a whole had no opportunity to discuss this prior to the public meeting. During the same discussion, Dr. Alfone admitted the county superintendent had rejected the district’s initial budget submission because reserves were too low—an alarming misstep by district leadership.

Mrs. Wright also highlighted how, in previous years, the district repeatedly opted to raise taxes by less than 2%, leaving significant revenue on the table during a time of reduced state aid, inflation, and rising personnel costs. BOE member Leonora Caminiti even apologized at a meeting for being unaware of the long term effect keeping taxes so low was having on the district.  This raises even more critical questions: Were BOE members informed of the long-term consequences when voting on these decisions? Or were they, like this year, excluded from meaningful discussions unless they were part of the Shared Services Committee? Why was the district’s strategic planning process abandoned for years? Was it intentional?

During the April 8 meeting, it was revealed that the state would allow the district to raise taxes by up to 10.1% as a one-time measure. Save Middletown Schools later discovered through OPRAs that this incentive was known in early March (Exhibit F) but wasn’t included for the public’s awareness in any backup plans.  The more of that 10.1% increase the district chose to use, the more additional matching aid it would receive from the state. Shortly before this, on April 3, Mayor Tony Perry held a live press conference (YouTube) announcing a restructured agreement for Class III police officers and a proposed land purchase, which he claimed would provide $2.6 million in district support. At no point did he suggest this aid was contingent on adopting the full package later presented by BOE leadership. 

EXIBIT F

When the BOE voted to allow a tax increase of up to 10.1%, many parents and residents believed this—together with the promised savings from restructuring the Class III officers—would finally help stabilize our schools’ finances. But by the time the final budget was presented on April 30, those savings had completely vanished. We have since learned that the 5.88% figure introduced by Mr. Capone was tied directly to that “deal.” And when the board chose to act in what they believed was the best interest of the district, the $2.6 million in support was pulled back. This leaves parents and residents asking: Why was critical funding tied to backroom deals in the first place?

Even after repeated questions at BOE and township meetings, the Shared Services Committee has not reconvened, and no explanation has been given. However, Superintendent Jessica Alfone admitted (YouTube) that the 5.88% increase came out of a meeting with the town sometime in early April or late March, and was tied to a package created by Mayor Tony Perry. Yet that meeting never appeared on any BOE or Middletown Township agendas—just as we’ve seen with other Shared Services meetings. Why isn’t this committee meeting regularly? Why are minutes not kept (Exhibit C)? And what else is happening outside of public view?

Adding yet another layer of concern, just days after the March 18 meeting, an email was sent to both Dr. Alfone and Mr. Mercantante (Exhibit G) proposing a full-time Soccer Academy at either Leonardo or Navesink Elementary—two schools coincidentally considered for closure. This raises serious questions. Has the Shared Services Committee been quietly pursuing a vision for our town that was never shared with the public—or even with the full BOE? Was the district’s financial collapse simply negligence, or was it engineered to create opportunities for a hidden agenda?

EXIBIT G

In closing, we caution against assuming that every incumbent is to blame. As this situation has shown, some board members were deliberately kept in the dark. Still, there is a clear pattern connecting certain individuals back to the Shared Services Committee—where political alliances and shared campaign funding raise serious questions about influence and accountability.  BOE positions should never be political. Their only purpose is to ensure student success—period.  So we return to the questions our town desperately needs answered.

How did we get here? How do we get out of this mess? And when will parents and residents finally feel like they are part of the team, with real transparency and accountability from those in charge?