The Livingston Board of Education now owns the building at 26 Monmouth Court, after the Township Council voted Monday, July 13, to sell the property for a single dollar.

The deal scraps a 2012 agreement that still had more than six years left on it. Under that arrangement, the school board spent roughly $2 million upgrading the building — classroom renovations, electrical work, HVAC improvements — while the township held the deed. The $1 transfer gave the district full ownership.

"In today's world, getting anything for $1 is a really good value so I'm proud to be a part of this," Mayor Edward Meinhardt said after the public hearing. "This is a big win for the town of Livingston." Meinhardt, who said the deal had been years in the making, is listed as mayor on the council's official roster for the July 13 session.

The building houses Livingston High School's Alternative High School program, which serves about 40 students in grades 9 through 12, along with a gymnasium and craft room. The school board has not announced specific plans for the space now that it holds the deed. The township retains the adjacent playground and athletic fields.

Deputy Mayor Ketan Bhuptani said he hopes the transfer will help relieve some of the capacity pressure the district is facing. Livingston Public Schools posted demographic studies and referendum options online in June 2026 as it weighs larger structural solutions to overcrowding.

Closed session on Livingston Mall

Before the regular meeting, the council convened a closed session at 6 p.m. to discuss Livingston Mall under attorney-client privilege. The township's official 48-hour notice stated that formal action would be taken. Under New Jersey's Open Public Meetings Act, that notice signals the council intended to vote on a matter discussed privately. No public action from that closed session had been announced as of Friday, July 18.

What's next

The next Livingston Township Council meeting is Tuesday, July 28, at Town Hall, 357 S. Livingston Avenue. The conference session begins at 6:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Residents can email comments or questions to [email protected] before 4 p.m. on the meeting date.