Morris School District begins new year with upgrades — and concerns over ICE

By Ellen S. Wilkowe

The Morris School District has plenty of construction work ahead after voters approved a $158.4 million bond referendum this month.

But at the first Board of Education meeting since students returned for the 2026-27 school year, officials on Monday showcased some of the work already finished — including a new synthetic turf field at Frelinghuysen Middle School completed over the summer.

The meeting also brought a sobering reminder that facilities are not the only concern facing district families.

Morristown resident John Madden used the public comment portion to address last week’s ICE operation near Sussex and Speedwell avenues, close to St. Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church and the Morristown Jewish Center.

The operation resulted in three arrests and unfolded as children were heading to school. A busload of students witnessed part of the incident.

Madden, a retired Morristown High School teacher, invoked the 15th anniversary of New Jersey’s Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying protocols before drawing a comparison to what some district students are experiencing outside school.

“I mention this only because a large part of our district students today are encountering another terrifying form of harassment, intimidation and bullying and not at the hands of their peers,” he said.

“This was coordinated to occur exactly when students were heading to school,” Madden continued. “Not only did they use this (raid) to terrorize the detainees and their families, but also to traumatize children walking or riding the bus to school.”

Madden made clear he was not blaming the district.

“I am confident that you are exploring every option at your disposal through transportation, security and community to ensure to the best of your ability that this will not happen again,” he said.

His remarks exceeded the three-minute public comment allotment. Madden closed by suggesting the board work with the state to find ways to accommodate Latino residents who, he said, are afraid to leave their homes and consequently were not represented at the meeting.

The ICE operation also drew local police involvement after a Morris Plains motorist clipped the open door of an ICE vehicle near the Morristown Jewish Center.

IMPROVEMENTS BEFORE REFERENDUM WORK BEGINS

Against that backdrop, much of Monday’s meeting was devoted to the district’s buildings — specifically, the before-and-after makeovers that took place during summer break.

Facilities Director Glen Miller used a slideshow to highlight repairs, restorations and renovations completed before the longer-term projects approved by voters in the Sept. 15, 2026, referendum get underway.

The big reveal was the new synthetic turf field at Frelinghuysen Middle School, completed in just three months, Miller said.

The Morristown High School boys varsity soccer team joined district administrators and board members for a ribbon-cutting, and the field already is seeing action during the fall sports season.

Frelinghuysen also received a renovated second-floor art room, improvements to ceilings and floors, updated cabinetry and a paved bus loop.

At Lafayette Learning Center, safety needs drove asbestos abatement and sidewalk repairs. The school also received a new handicap-accessible swing and permanent plumbing in two classrooms.

The Sussex Avenue Elementary School underwent asbestos abatement and removal, followed by complete re-tiling of the main hallway. Students also returned to new furniture.

“This past summer we had 104 work orders including preparing the high school auditorium with baseline infrastructure that is necessary for the renovations approved in the referendum,” Miller said.

At Morristown High School, 16 LED fixtures, a control panel and replacement wiring were installed in the auditorium — improvements intended to reduce the need to rent lighting equipment for productions.

“The idea behind this was to try and cut down on rentals,” Miller said. “We rent a lot of lights for productions.”

The high school’s main hallway received LED flat-panel lighting along with new flooring and replacement ceiling tiles.

Crews also restored the auxiliary gym roof rather than replacing it.

“Rather than doing an expensive full roof replacement, we did a restoration,” Miller said. “So, the existing roof is repaired and then you’ve got several layers of coating and a 20-year warranty out of it.”

At Hillcrest Elementary School, the work was less visible but more critical. Obsolete electrical components were replaced with modern, code-compliant equipment, including a boiler room panel and main office subpanel. The work also eliminated a single point of failure that could have knocked out power to an entire wing.

An asbestos-positive classroom at Woodland Elementary School has been fast-tracked for abatement during the November break.

$158.4 MILLION REFERENDUM

Those projects are separate from the much larger construction program authorized by voters earlier this month.

The $158.4 million referendum — the district’s first in decades — calls for facility upgrades across all 10 schools. The cost will be offset by approximately $46 million in state debt-service aid.

The regional district estimates the referendum will add about $38 per month in taxes for a Morristown home assessed at $653,433, and about $41 per month for Morris Township homeowners assessed at the Township average of $560,500.

In the run-up to the Sept. 15 vote, district officials promoted the proposal through a series of community outreach events and created a referendum website that will remain online as the work progresses.

Superintendent Anne Mucci said improving facilities was among the priorities identified during development of the district’s five-year strategic plan.

“One of the things that was identified in our strategic plan was improvement to facilities,” Mucci said. “It was one of the things that people spoke about the most in the surveys, and now here we find ourselves about two years out into our five-year educational plan.”

(Scroll below to see goals of the district’s strategic plan plan. The district has scheduled a public forum to discuss that plan on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School. )

Given the scope of the referendum, Mucci estimated the projects could take about five years to complete. Much of the construction will be scheduled during summers to minimize disruption to students.

“We will be providing updates for what can be expected in the upcoming summers as we move through the referendum work,” Mucci said. “We want everybody to know what the projects are so that there are no surprises.”

GRANTS, KUDOS AND A NEW BOARD MEMBER

The district also is receiving more than $30,000 in grants from the Morris Educational Foundation.

“As you’ll see on your agenda, the passing of our first round of grants and within this first round there’s over $30,000,” said Debbie Sontupe, immediate past chair of the foundation.

“So, we’re really in it with you and we’re very excited about what’s ahead.”

Sontupe also noted the upcoming 20th anniversary of Morristown Onstage, the foundation’s primary fundraiser.

Board members gave a shout-out to Morristown High School Foreman Brian DiDomenico for going “above and beyond” during an August facilities emergency.

A backup generator failed during a power outage, cutting power to the pool pump and allowing water to flow into the basement until DiDomenico intervened.

The custodial staff at Hillcrest Elementary School also earned applause after the school secured bragging rights as the district’s “cleanest school.”

Lastly, the board appointed Charlie Rowan as an interim member through December.

A Morris Township resident, Rowan brings experience both from the Morris School District and from his job as an assistant middle school principal in the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Five Year District Goals: 2025-2030

Goal 1: Foster academic excellence through inclusive and culturally responsive teaching practices ensuring that all students regardless of background or ability receive equitable access to a rigorous curriculum and diverse learning objectives that prepare them for success in a global society.

Goal 2: To create a cohesive community that builds upon our combined strengths to offer more opportunities to learn within and beyond our curriculum resulting in more well-rounded experiences and students.

Goal 3: Make facility investments that improve our academic ROI (return on investment).

Goal 4: Strengthen and foster meaningful pathways within the Morris School District and the greater community to create informed and intentional partnerships.

Goal 5: Explore career pathways through self-discovery and real-life experiences so all students are prepared for their transition from high school.