The Roselle Park Board of Education and its Vision 2035 committee told residents on Tuesday that the district is in a research phase of a long-range facilities planning process required by the New Jersey Department of Education and that no sale of the Board of Education office at 510 Chestnut Street has been finalized.

Board President Dr. Brittany Kirkland and Vision 2035 committee members described the committee’s role and the state timeline for a long-range facilities plan (LRFP), which the committee said must be updated by 2026. Dr. Kirkland told the meeting, “it is not currently up for sale,” and Vision 2035 chair Wendy Gillig Jimitaric and other committee members repeated that the committee is cataloging options for future board consideration and state review.

Why it matters: residents raised alarm after a resolution authorizing district professionals to “explore the potential disposition” of the BOE property was circulated and discussed. Several residents and some board members said the language in that resolution — which tied the exploration explicitly to borough affordable-housing obligations — caused confusion and prompted accusations of insufficient transparency. Board members said the resolution was intended only to permit conversations with outside parties so the district could evaluate options as part of its LRFP work and to comply with Department of Education procedural expectations.

What the board said: Committee members described Vision 2035 as a long-range, community-engagement effort to align facilities, programs and resources with district goals through 2035. Wendy Gillig Jimitaric, presenting the committee timeline, said the group was reconvened in 2025 and has been meeting since June; she explicitly told the meeting that the committee’s work “does not mean everything in the plan will happen.” Superintendent Patricia Goyce and other board members reiterated that any change of district property ownership would also require New Jersey Department of Education approval.

Public concern and board pushback: Several public commenters and board members asked why the resolution explicitly referenced the borough’s affordable-housing plan rather than student space needs. Board member Constance Quintella and resident speakers pressed for an explanation of how disposition of the BOE property would serve students. Board members said the LRFP must consider all legally permissible options and that including an item in planning documents does not amount to a final decision. At least one board member said she had left an earlier executive-session meeting when heated language was used during private discussions; other members said they had briefed colleagues afterward and that no final action has been taken.

Process and next steps: Vision 2035 members said the LRFP process is intended to produce a strategic plan, not merely a compliance filing. The board and committee said any feasible option that emerges from the research phase will be subject to multiple rounds of public input and to state review and approval where required. The committee provided an email for public comment and questions: vision-2035-committee@rpsd.org.

Ending note: Several residents asked the board to rescind or clarify last month’s resolution; board leaders replied they will continue research and emphasize public engagement before any final decisions are taken.