Warren Township Schools: Minutes for September 25, 2017

Minutes for September 25, 2017 Archived Minutes

A regular business meeting of the Board of Education was held this day at the Warren Middle School, 100 Old Stirling Road. The following is a record of that meeting.

I. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m by Board President, Tia Allocco.

Open Public Meeting Statement - Mrs. Allocco read the following statement:

Re: Chapter 231 P.L. 1975: “The adequate notice of this regular meeting as required by the open public meetings act was provided by the posting, mailing/delivery, and filing of this notice on January 4, 2017. This notice was on that date was posted on the Courier News, and TAP into Warren, all in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act.”

II. Pledge of Allegiance - Mrs. Allocco led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Roll Call

Present: Paige Albano, David Brezee, Len deMontagnac, Lisa DiMaggio,

Andrea Freijomil, Joan Schiller, Patricia Zohn and Tia Allocco

Absent: Jeannine Sarosy

Also Present: Dr. Matthew Mingle, Superintendent, and Patricia Leonhardt, Board Secretary, and members of the public and press.

IV. Minutes

Mr. deMontagnac moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public and private session minutes of the September 11, 2017 Board Meeting.

The motion was seconded by Mr. Brezee and approved by 8-0 roll-call vote.

V. Correspondence and Information

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:

Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:

VI. President's Remarks

Mrs. Allocco welcomed all and reported on her attendance at the first PTO Presidents’ meeting of the year.

Mrs. Allocco congratulated staff moving across the guide on this evening’s agenda.

Mrs. Allocco stated that an enrollment update will be provided at the next board meeting and referenced the upcoming large workload required of the Board members for the adoption of a new set of district policies.

VII. Superintendent’s Remarks

Dr. Mingle discussed the process for policy adoption, encouraging the board to suggest any policies that they wish to be prioritized.

Dr. Mingle clarified motion A.4., which does not really signify a wholesale change of curriculum, but rather an update of title referencing.

VIII. Presentation

First Day of School Video - A video of the district’s students on the first day was presented.
Audit Report - The district’s auditor, Steve McDermott, presented an overview of the district’s 2016-2017 audit.
7th and 8th Grade Trip Proposals - Mr. Villar and Mr. Achtau presented an overview of both trips. The board asked follow up questions. The trips will be voted on at the next board meeting.

IX. Discussion

Ad Hoc Committee on Impact of Future Development - The board decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee for this topic. Mrs. Allocco asked Mrs. Zohn to chair the committee with Mr. deMontagnac and Mr. Brezee to serve as committee members. All accepted.

X. Committee Reports

Finance, Operations and Security Committee - Mrs. Freijomil opened her remarks by congratulating all involved in the district’s clean audit. Mrs. Freijomil reported on the committee’s recent meeting, at which the Flag Ordinance, the 2018-19 Budget Calendar, Summer Fun 2017, Middle School door replacement project, and committee goals were discussed. In addition, Mrs. Freijomil reported on the short meeting held earlier in the evening with the auditor, in advance of the presentation of the audit.

XI. Public Commentary (agenda items only)

Note on public input at BOE meetings: Board Policy #9322, adopted on January 21, 2013, provides for and encourages public participation in Board of Education meetings. Such participation is governed by the following rules:

A participant must be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface comments by an announcement of his/her name and place of residence;
Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to three minutes’ duration (limit may be adjusted at the discretion of the presiding officer as circumstances dictate);
No participant may speak more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard; and
All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer—no participant may address or question Board members individually.

The portion of the meeting during which participation of the public is invited shall be limited to fifteen minutes (limit may be adjusted at the discretion of the presiding officer as circumstances dictate).

Gretchen Mineri, Mundy Lane, addressed the value of the Middle School trips and the work it represents.

XII. Items for Board Consideration/Action

Mrs. Freijomil referenced some questions she had regarding elementary clubs (C.4.).

Mrs. Zohn asked some questions regarding entries on the list for motion C.4.

On motion by Mr. deMontagnac, seconded by Mrs. Freijomil, the consent items A.1., through A.6., B.1., through B.8., and C.1., through C.10., were approved by a 8-0 roll-call vote.

A. Education

A.1. HIB Report

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the HIB Report submitted by the Superintendent for the period ending on September 20, 2017.

A.2. Revised School Calendar

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the amended 2017-2018 calendar to include a staff inservice day on June 25, 2018.

A.3. Curriculum, Communications, and Technology Committee Goals - 2017-2018

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following goals for the

Curriculum, Communications, and Technology Committee for the 2017-2018 school year:

Recommend policies to the full Board for approval as appropriate to the Committee’s function.
Research options for recording meetings and present information to the full Board for consideration.

A.4. Revised Curriculum

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following curriculum

revisions for the purposes of alignment to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards:

K-8 English Language Arts
K-8 Mathematics

A.5. Home Instruction

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves up to 10 hours per week of home instruction for Student #2317511567, starting September 18, 2017, at a rate of $50 per hour.

A.6. Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the annual update to the Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement, dated September 19, 2017. (The Agreement between education and law enforcement officials is approved on an annual basis.)

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. Payment of Bills

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the month of September 2017 in the amount of $3,090,743.46.

B.2. Travel Approval

Whereas, in accordance with State of New Jersey School District Accountability Act (A-5) and the Warren Township Schools’ policy number 4133-Travel and Work Related Expense Reimbursement, travel by school district employees and Board of Education members must be approved in advance.

Now Therefore Be It RESOLVED, the Warren Township Schools Board of Education approves the following expenses for faculty, staff, administrators, and board members for seminars, conferences and workshops. The expense includes travel costs, if applicable:

Name	School	Workshop/ Conference	Location	Month/Yr	Cost
Lakiesha Beaubrun	CS	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Oct & Nov 2017 Feb 2018	$462
Stacey Lederman	MH	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Oct & Nov 2017 Feb 2018	$465
Brittany Leonard	ALT	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Oct & Nov 2017 Feb 2018	$479
Catherine Maquire	MH	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Nov 2017, Jan & Mar 2018	$466
Shannon Reis	WS	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Nov 2017, Jan & Mar 2018	$501
Adam Yenish	WS	Conquer Math	Pompton Plains	Mar 2018	$465
Meghan Madden	ALT	NGSS 2017-18 Workshops	Branchburg	Nov & Dec 2017, Jan & Mar 2018	$528
Jessica Randall	WS	NGSS 2017-18 Workshops	Branchburg	Nov & Dec 2017, Jan & Mar 2018	$539
Michele Wolkun	CS	NGSS 2017-18 Workshops	Branchburg	Nov & Dec 2017, Jan & Mar 2018	$532
Jeanne Vecchione	WS	NJIDA Dyslexic Conference	Somerset	Oct 2017	$230
Meryl Lettire	MS	AENJ 2017 Beyond Looking Conference	Long Branch	Oct 2017	$230
Jill Zimmer	CS	Rutgers Gifted Education Conf.	Somerset	Nov 2017	$200
Nicole Ravettina	MH	PECS Level 1 Training	New York, NY	Nov 2017	$416
Max Achtau	MS	AMLE National Convention	Philadelphia, PA	Nov 2017	$636
Cynthia Cassidy	MS	AMLE National Convention	Philadelphia, PA	Nov 2017	$312
Peter Kassalow	MS	AMLE National Convention	Philadelphia, PA	Nov 2017	$308
Lynn Alger	MS	AMLE National Convention	Philadelphia, PA	Nov 2017	$319

All of the above travel has been approved by the Superintendent. The School Business Administrator shall track and record these costs to insure that the maximum amount is not exceeded.

B.3. Middle School Door Replacement Project Award

WHEREAS, a recommendation was made by the Superintendent of Schools to the Warren Township Board of Education (“Board") to seek a contract for construction services for the Door Replacement Project at the Middle School (hereinafter “Project”); and

WHEREAS, the Project was properly advertised to prospective bidders in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-4; and

WHEREAS, on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 the Board received the following bids from potential bidders in accordance with N.J.S.A.18A:18A-1, et seq.;d

Bidder	Base Bid	Alternate 1	Alternate 2	Total
A Plus Glass and Metal LLC	$85,200	$49,106	$45,974	$180,280
C&M Door Controls, Inc.	$61,870	$26,270	$21,200	$109,340
SLS Construction	$186,000	$54,000	$51,000	$291,000

WHEREAS, C&M Door Controls, Inc’s bid has been reviewed by the design professionals and attorney and is the lowest and is responsive to the bid requirements for the Project,

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board hereby awards the Project, including the base bid plus Alternates 1 and 2, to C&M Door Controls, Inc. for One hundred nine thousand, three hundred forty ($109,340.00). Motion includes approval to transfer monies from Emergency Reserve for full cost of the project, including professional fees.

B.4. Acceptance of Audit for the 2016-2017 School Year

WHEREAS, the Board of Education has engaged Suplee Clooney & Company of Westfield, NJ, to audit the district's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, in compliance with N.J.S.A.18A:23-1 et seq, and,

WHEREAS, this audit has been completed and the CAFR filed with the State Department of Education and submitted to the Warren Township Board of Education along with a synopsis of the audit report and recommendations, which synopsis and recommendations are available for public review, and,

WHEREAS, pertinent results of operations during the 2016-2017 school year are:

AUDIT 2016 - 2017

GENERAL FUND

REVENUES	Final Budget	Actual
Local Sources	$39,493,514	$39,692,207
State Sources*	$1,447,692	$6,827,218
Federal Sources	-	-
TOTAL	$40,941,206	$46,519,425
EXPENDITURES
Regular Instruction	$11,936,880	$11,680,103
Special Education	$4,045,620	$3,927,467
Other Instruction	$1,654,400	$1,612,778
Undistributed Expenditures*	$23,512,796	$27,140,703
Total General Expenses(A1-4)	$41,149,696	$44,361,051
Capital Outlay	$1,180,557	$901,750
Special Schools	$223,946	$223,651
Transfer of Funds to Charter School	$33,624	$33,624
TOTAL	$42,587,823	$45,520,076
OTHER SOURCES/USES
Transfer in from Capital Projects	-	-
Transfer to Capital Projects	-	-
EXCESS (DEFICIENCY)		$999,349
Fund Balance July 1, 2016		$6,998,619

Fund Balance June 30, 2017		$7,997,968
Analysis of Fund Balance
Reserved
Excess Surplus- subsequent year's expenditures (17-18)		$458,000
Excess Surplus (18-19)		$459,000
Emergency Reserve Account		$375,000
Maintenance Reserve Account		$265,826
Capital Reserve Account		$4,746,116
Encumbrances		$703,724
TOTAL**(Undesignated fund balance)		$990,303
*Maj of variance due to State’s TPAF FICA reimbursement and payments to pension ($5,195,710)
**Allowable Undesignated Fund Balance
2% of 2016-17 General Fund Expenditures		$806,487
NP Transportation		$23,142
Excess 2015-16 Extraordinary Aid		$160,674
		$990,303
Sources: Audit Report Exhibit C-1 and Auditor's Management Report

Now therefore be it,

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby accepts the report, notes the following recommendations, and directs that appropriate corrective action be taken:

Recommendation: None

Corrective Action: None

B.5. Field Trip Destinations

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the following field trip destinations for the 2017-2018 School Year:

The Paley Center and NBC Studios, New York
Escape Room, Bridgewater

B.6. Annual Flu Clinic 2017

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the offering of a flu shot clinic to staff members on September 27, 2017, at a cost to the board not to exceed $500.

B.7. Finance, Operations, and Security Committee Goals - 2017-2018

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following goals for the

Curriculum, Communications, and Technology Committee for the 2017-2018 school year:

Recommend policies to the full Board for approval as appropriate to the Committee’s function.
Develop a long range capital improvement and financial plan that addresses maintenance needs, aspirational projects, and security needs.
Support the consistent application of security practices across the district.

B.8. Transportation for Out of District Student

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves a transportation contract with Somerset County Educational Services Commission for the 2017-2018 School year transportation for an out of district student as follows:

Contractor	Student ID#	School	Cost
SCESC	9880687809	Green Brook Middle School	$26,769.60 (prorated)

The new rate for this route is effective September 19, 2017 and supersedes the rate on the August 28, 2017 agenda.

C. Personnel/Student Services

C.1. Employment for the 2017-2018 School Year

RESOLVED, upon recommendation from the Superintendent that the Board of Education approve the following Personnel items including the emergent employment of the following employees (indicated by *) conditional upon the final approval by the New Jersey Department of Education, for the 2017-2018 school year and the Board further authorizes the submission of an application for emergency hiring pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.1, et. Seq., N.J.S.A. 18A:6.14.12, et. Seq.”

a. Lois Wagner, Classroom Paraprofessional, Woodland School, Step 1 of the 2017-2018 salary guide, $22,260 (prorated), effective September 18, 2017 through June 30, 2018. (This is a new position.)

b. William Fratto, Transportation Monitor, Angelo L. Tomaso School, 2 hours/day at an annual salary of $4,680 (prorated), effective September 26, 2017 through June 30, 2018.

C.2. Substitute Teachers

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following to be appointed as substitute teachers for the 2017-2018 school year:

a. Yuliana Cardenas

b. Susan Wasserman

C.3. Movement on the Guide

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff for amended placements on the 2017-2018 salary guide:

a. Kristina Traynor, with congratulations, for movement from BA+15 to MA, effective September 1, 2017.

b. Dorothy Stolfi, with congratulations, for movement from MA+30 to MA+45, effective September 1, 2017.

C.4. After School Activities/Clubs

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the 2017-2018 after school activities/clubs, and the instructors for each, at the negotiated stipend rate.

C.5. Student Teacher

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves Michelle Keane, student at Ramapo College, to complete student teaching clinical practice from January 16, 2018 through May 4, 2018 at Angelo L. Tomaso School.

C.6. Substitute Bus Driver

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves Timothy O’Heney as a Substitute Bus Driver for the 2017-2018 school year at the approved Substitute Bus Driver pay rate.*

C.7. Approval to Create Position

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the creation of the following positions:

Transportation Monitor (up to 2 hours per day)

C.8. Approval of Inservice Day Presenters

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following October 9 and 10, 2017 Inservice Day presenters, (for presentation and preparation time according to the 2017-2020 WTEA Collective Bargaining Agreement) for a total cost not to exceed $13,562.50:

Lynn Alger	Traci Haise	Jennifer Ronkiewicz
Nancy Andrews	Jessica Halpern	Beatrice Schwarzkopf
Anita Brower	Rebecca Hartman	Melissa Stoeckel
Kathy Brown	Peter Kassalow	Dorothy Stolfi
Christine Burkhardt	Lindsay LaNeve	Kristen Stoyanov
Cynthia Cassidy	Marianne Larson	Rebecca Sutherland
Christine Cirrotti	Meryl Lettire	Linda Yu
Sue Cooper	Jessica Nathan	Michelle Zgombic
Christina DeShields	Bonnie Pierson
MaryBeth Greco	Amanda Rodrigues

C.9. Special Education Service Providers’ List

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following rate change for the provider Learning Tree Multi Cultural/Multi Lingual Evaluation and Consulting, Inc. for Bilingual Evaluations with written reports from $750 to $780 for the 2017-2018 school year.

C.10. Approval of IDEA Preschool Payroll Monies

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the use of the FY2018 IDEA Preschool Grant monies in the amount of $15,981 for salary support as follows:

Employee ID	Full Salary	Salary Funds from IDEA	%
#2207	$23,325	$11,662.50	50%
#1391	$30,085	$4,318.50	14.35%

(This motion supersedes previous motion from July 17, 2017)

XIII. Unfinished Business

Action Plans for Board Goals - The board discussed the proposed action plans in support of the board’s goals.
Uniforms for Athletics/After School Activities - Team uniforms were discussed as well as board sponsored attire for clubs. The board supported an administrative analysis regarding the cost for a range of options.

XIV. New Business

N/A

XV. Public Commentary (any topic)

A participant must be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface comments by an announcement of his/her name and place of residence;
Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to three minutes’ duration (limit may be adjusted at the discretion of the presiding officer as circumstances dictate);
No participant may speak more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard; and
All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer—no participant may address or question Board members individually.

Rachel Singleton, Deerwood Trail West, referenced extended bus ridership times.

XVI. Executive Session

At 8:29 p.m. Mr. deMontagnac moved the following:

WHEREAS, the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A.10:4-11, permits the Board of Education to meet in closed session to discuss certain matters, now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, the Board of Education adjourns to closed session to discuss:

protection of public safety and property and/or investigations of possible violations or violations of law and

pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiation and/or matters of attorney-client privilege

Action may be taken upon return to public session;

the length of the meeting is anticipated to be approximately 30 minutes; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the minutes of this closed session be made public when the need for confidentiality no longer exists.

The motion was seconded by Mrs. Freijomil and approved by unanimous voice vote.

On motion by Mr. deMontagnac, seconded by Mrs. Freijomil, the Board reconvened in open session at 9:36 p.m.

On motion by Mr. deMontagnac, seconded by Mrs. Freijomil, the Ad Hoc Committee motion was approved by a 8-0 roll-call vote.

Ad Hoc Committee on the Impact of Future Development

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education directs the Ad Hoc Committee on the Impact of Future Development to reach out to the district’s board attorney to undertake actions consistent with the committee’s purpose and to report back to the full board.

XVII. Adjourn

On motion by Mr. deMontagnac, seconded by Mr. Brezee, the meeting adjourned at 9:37 p.m.

Minutes submitted by,

Patricia Leonhardt

Board Secretary

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