Minutes for October 28, 2019
Archived Minutes
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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
David Brezee.
Open Public Meeting Statement – Mr. Brezee 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 8, 2019. 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 – Mr. Brezee led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
III. Roll Call
Present: Aaron Bellish, Christian Bellmann, Lisa DiMaggio, Marc Franco,
Ayanna Taylor-Venson, Patricia Zohn and David Brezee
Absent: Naresh Chand and Jeannine Sarosy
Also Present: Dr. Matthew Mingle, Superintendent, and Patricia Leonhardt,
Board Secretary, and members of the public and press.
IV. Minutes
● Mrs. DiMaggio moved the following:
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public and executive session minutes of the October 7, 2019 Board Meeting.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Bellmann and approved by 6-0-1 roll-call vote.
(Mrs. Taylor-Venson abstained.)
V. Correspondence and Information
● Dr. Mingle reported on a letter the Board received regarding a resident’s zoning variance request.
· HIB Information
|
Total # of Investigations: |
0 |
Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents: |
0 |
· Suspension Report
|
In School: |
.5 |
Out of School: |
0 |
VI. President's Remarks – Mr. David Brezee
Mr. Brezee welcomed all and discussed two presentations he attended:
● October 8th presentation on later school start times
● October 17th bullying presentation by Coach Randy.
Mr. Brezee thanked the Central School PTO in particular for its generous donation (motion B.6.) and all PTOs for the Trunk or Treat events.
Lastly, Mr. Brezee acknowledged School Business Administrator Patricia Leonhardt, Supervisor of Buildings & Grounds Michael Pate for the district’s School Alliance Insurance Fund’s Safety Award, which is accompanied by a $4,000 premium credit.
VII. Superintendent’s Remarks – Dr. Matthew Mingle
Dr. Mingle shared that the Strategic Plan Facilitators will be back in district November 18, 19
and 20 to gather additional input. There will be sessions dedicated to input from community members.
Dr. Mingle also referred to the evening’s two presentations, noting that comparative data with other districts for the testing data has not yet been released by the state..
VIII. Presentation
● Proposed Capital Improvement Plan - Architect William Bannister of Parette Somjen Architects presented the district’s proposed Capital Improvement Plan. The board asked follow up questions.
● Standardized Assessment Report - Mr. Kimmick provided an overview of the district’s Standardized Assessments. The board asked follow up questions.
IX. Discussion
N/A
X. Committee Reports
● Finance, Operations, Security Committee - Mr. Bellmann reported on the committee’s October 16 meeting which discussed current facilities’ projects, the proposed Capital Improvement Plan, PILOT funds and Middle School LED projects.
● Personnel/Negotiations Committee - Mrs. Taylor reported on the evening’s meeting which discussed the Superintendent Evaluation and Middle School teams’ websites.
XI. Public Commentary (agenda items only)
Note on public input at BOE meetings: Board Policy #0167, adopted on June 18, 2018, provides for 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, address, and group affiliation, if applicable;
- Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to three minutes’ duration. If necessary, the public comment portion of the meeting may be extended fifteen minutes with Board approval;
- No participant may speak more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard;
- All statements, questions, or inquiries shall be directed to the presiding officer and any questions or inquiries directed by a participant to another Board member shall be redirected to the presiding officer who shall determine if such statement, question, or inquiry shall be addressed by the presiding officer on behalf of the Board;
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).
● Heather Silver, Quail Run, thanked Mr. Brezee for his assistance at Trunk or Treat.
XII. Items for Board Consideration/Action
On motion by Mrs. DiMaggio, seconded by Mrs. Zohn, the consent items A.1., A.2., B.1. through B.6., and C.1. through C.14., were approved by a 7-0 roll-call vote.
A. Education
A.1. HIB Report
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education accepts the HIB Report submitted by the Superintendent for the period ending on October 7, 2019.
A.2. Field Trip Destinations
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the following field trip destination for the 2019-2020 School Year:
● Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT
● FM Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, Madison, NJ
● Escape Room, Bridgewater, NJ
● Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, NJ
B. Finance/Operations/Transportation
B.1. Payment of Bills
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the month of October 2019 in the amount of $4,432,909.78.
B.2. Board Secretary's and Treasurer's Report
WHEREAS, the Board of Education has received the report of the secretary for the month of September, 2019; and
WHEREAS, this report shows the following balances on September 30, 2019:
|
FUND |
CASH BALANCE |
APPROPRIATION BALANCE |
FUND BALANCE |
|
(10) General Current Expense Fund |
$10,263,855.22 |
$1,063,861.93 |
|
|
(10) General Current Expense |
$0.00 |
||
|
(11) Current Expense |
$2,516,057.99 |
||
|
(12) Capital Outlay |
$221,233.36 |
||
|
(13) Special Schools |
$18,538.43 |
||
|
(20) Special Revenue Fund |
$10,871.02 |
$35,688.22 |
$0.00 |
|
(30) Capital Projects Fund |
$4,959,632.44 |
($286,987.82) |
($1,763,502.48) |
|
(40) Debt Service Fund |
$60,336.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
|
TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS |
$15,294,694.68 |
$2,504,530.18 |
($699,640.55) |
|
(60) Milk Fund |
$9,857.77 |
$ (26,000.00) |
$ 5,198.02 |
|
(61) Juice and Water Fund |
$4,239.76 |
$ (11,000.00) |
$ 1,811.56 |
|
TOTAL ENTERPRISE FUNDS |
$14,097.53 |
($37,000.00) |
$7,009.58 |
WHEREAS, in compliance with law and code the secretary has certified that, as of the date of the reports, no budgetary line item account has obligations and payments (contractual orders) which in total exceed the amount appropriated by the district board of education, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Board of Education accepts the above reference reports and certifications and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, in compliance with law and code, the Board of Education certifies that, after review of the secretary's monthly financial report (appropriation section), to the best of its knowledge, no major account or fund has been over expended in violation of law and code and that sufficient funds are available to meet the district's financial obligations for the remainder of the year.
B.3. Budget Transfers for the Month of September 2019
RESOLVED, the Board of Education ratifies the following transfers between budget line items that have been approved by the Superintendent of Schools and that are now being reported to the Board pursuant to Policy 6422:
|
TO: |
FROM: |
||||
|
1. |
11-000-217-320-040-08-00 |
Extraordinary Svcs. - Purchased Professional Svcs. -ALT |
11-000-100-566-000-08-01 |
Tuition - Private Schools |
$60,000 |
|
2. |
11-000-217-320-040-08-00 |
Extraordinary Svcs. - Purchased Professional Svcs. -ALT |
11-000-291-270-000-00-00 |
Health Benefits |
$12,812 |
|
3. |
11-000-222-800-035-04-00 |
Library - Memberships - MHS |
11-000-222-600-035-04-12 |
Library Books - MHS |
$65 |
|
4. |
11-000-223-500-030-12-00 |
Staff Training - Other Purchased Svcs. - CS |
11-190-100-640-030-12-00 |
Textbooks - Series Replacement - CS |
$240 |
|
5. |
11-000-223-500-033-12-00 |
Staff Training - Other Purchased Svcs. - MS |
11-190-100-640-035-12-00 |
Textbooks - Series Replacement - MS |
$440 |
|
6. |
11-000-223-500-035-12-00 |
Staff Training - Other Purchased Svcs. - MHS |
11-190-100-640-035-12-00 |
Textbooks - Series Replacement - MHS |
$240 |
|
7. |
11-000-223-500-040-12-00 |
Staff Training - Other Purchased Svcs. - ALT |
11-190-100-640-040-12-00 |
Textbooks - Series Replacement - ALT |
$240 |
|
8. |
11-000-223-500-050-12-00 |
Staff Training - Other Purchased Svcs. - WS |
11-190-100-640-050-12-00 |
Textbooks - Series Replacement - WS |
$240 |
|
9. |
11-000-240-600-035-04-10 |
Admin Supplies - Mt. Horeb |
11-190-100-610-035-04-10 |
Instructional Supplies - MHS |
$500 |
|
10. |
11-000-262-300-000-09-00 |
Purchased Prof. & Tech. Svcs. - Maintenance |
11-000-262-520-000-01-00 |
Insurance - Property & Liability |
$8,000 |
B.4. Travel Approval
Whereas, in accordance with State of New Jersey School District Accountability Act (A-5) and the Warren Township Schools’ Policy 6471-School District Travel, 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 |
|
Lisa Carlson |
MS |
Understanding Texts and Readers |
Piscataway |
Jan 2020 |
$155 |
|
Wendy Piller |
ALT |
Rutgers Gifted Education Conference |
Somerset |
Nov 2019 |
$199 |
|
Jim Zimmer |
CS |
Rutgers Gifted Education Conference |
Somerset |
Nov 2019 |
$199 |
|
Jennifer McMahon |
MH |
Rewire the Anxious Brain |
Edison |
Dec 2019 |
$220 |
|
Scott Cook |
MH |
The Leadership Challenge in Implementing Units of Study in Reading |
Somerset |
Nov 2019 |
$192 |
|
Michelle Barbagallo |
MH |
Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration Toolbox for Dyslexia |
Edison |
Jan 2020 |
$395 |
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.5. Transportation for Out-of-District Students
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the transportation contract with Watchung Hills Regional High School for 2019-2020 SY transportation for Out-of-District students as follows:
|
Host |
Joiner |
Location |
Route |
Revenue |
|
Warren |
Watchung Hills Regional High School |
Ridge High School |
RHS1 |
$31,915.80 |
B.6. Donation - Central School PTO
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education accepts, with gratitude, a donation totaling $25,000 for the purchase of color-coating the blacktop at Central School.
C. Personnel/Student Services
C.1. Employment for the 2019-2020 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 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., if applicable Staff members shall be paid in accordance with provisions in their collective bargaining agreement and/or in accordance with a schedule provided to all employees prior to the beginning of the contract or school year.
|
Name |
Position/PCR |
Location |
Degree |
Step |
Salary |
Effective Date |
Tenure |
Discussion |
|
Kelsey Harcourt |
Leave Replacement School Counselor |
MS |
MA |
1 |
$64,064 |
8/28/2019 - 1/7/2020 * |
N |
Replacing employee #1415 |
|
Tara Taggart |
Nurse 02-50-09/aoj |
WS |
BA |
6 |
$62,950 (prorated) |
12/1/2019 (or sooner) - 6/30/2020 |
N |
Replacing employee #3419 |
* (This motion supersedes previous motion from August 19, 2019.)
C.2. Substitute Teachers
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following to be appointed as substitute teachers for the 2019-2020 school year.
|
Name |
|
Elisabeth Weaver |
|
Mia Barros |
|
Ravichandirika Thiagarajah |
|
Tara Taggart |
C.3. Personnel and Negotiations Committee Goals - 2019-2020
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following goals for the
Personnel and Negotiations Committee for the 2019-2020 school year:
● Review and advise on Superintendent recommendations for adjustments to nonaligned staff compensation.
● Negotiate successor collective bargaining agreements with the WTAA and WTEA.
● Advise the Superintendent on efforts to increase the diversity of applicants for instructional job openings within the district.
C.4. Leave Request
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following leave requests:
|
Employee ID |
Paid/Unpaid |
|
#3122 |
FMLA - September 3, 2019 through October 7, 2019 (paid) FMLA - October 8, 2019 through November 22, 2019 (unpaid) Extended Leave - November 25, 2019 through December 10, 2019 (unpaid) (This motion supersedes previous motion dated August 8, 2019.) |
|
#3207 |
FMLA - August 28, 2019 - October 8, 2019 (paid) FMLA - October 19, 2019 through October 31, 2019 (unpaid) (This motion supersedes previous motion dated September 16, 2019.) |
|
#3450 |
Extended Leave of Absence - March 27, 2020 through April 21, 2020 (paid) Extended Leave of Absence - April 22, 2020 through June 5, 2020 (unpaid) |
|
#1464 |
FMLA - November 12, 2019 through February 7, 2020 (paid) Extended Leave - February 10, 2020 through February 18, 2020 (paid) |
C.5. Transfer/Change in Assignment
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the transfer/change in
assignment of the following district staff:
|
Name |
From |
To |
Effective Date |
|
Sharon Harvey |
School Bus Driver, 25 hours per week. $16,200 12-00-24/act |
School Bus Driver, 35 hours per week, $22,680 12-00-24/bjw |
10/29/2019 - 6/30/2020 |
C.6. Approval to Create Positions
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the creation of the following positions:
|
Location |
Position |
Full-Time Equivalent |
|
Transportation |
12-00-24/bjw |
35 hours per week |
C.7. Approval to Abolish Positions
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the abolishment of the following positions:
|
Location |
Position |
Full-Time Equivalent |
|
Transportation |
School Bus Driver 12-00-24/act |
25 hours per week |
C.8. Long Term Substitute
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following individual as a Long Term Substitute:
|
Name |
Effective Date |
Replacing Employee # |
|
Maryanne DuBois |
9/3/2019 -10/31/2019 * |
#3207 |
*(This motion supersedes previous motion dated September 3, 2019.)
C.9. Additional Hours
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following additional hours:
|
Name |
Student # |
Club/Purpose |
Starting Date |
Cost |
|
Nancy Lauber |
8433407152 |
Gold Band |
November 5, 2019 |
$799 |
C.10. Warren Staff Academy Courses Instructor Stipend 2019-2020
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff for reimbursement as an Instructor. Each instructor will be reimbursed at the WTEA contractual rate $50.00 per hour. The total cost shall not exceed $1,300.00
|
Name |
Course |
Date |
Prep Hours |
Instructor Hours |
Cost Total |
|
MaryEllen Weaver |
Applying Mindfulness Techniques for a Calming Classroom |
Dec 3 & 10, 2019 |
6 |
2 |
$400 |
|
MaryEllen Weaver |
School Wellness: Empowering Students and Teachers to Thrive |
Jan 7, 14 & 28, 2020 |
9 |
3 |
$600 |
|
Kathryn Speckin |
Using Patterns to engage students in Life Science |
Jan 29, 2020 |
3 |
1 |
$200 |
|
Marianne Larson |
Utilizing BAS Data to Plan for Strategy Instruction |
Oct 23, 2019 |
3 |
1 |
$200* |
*(This motion supersedes previous motion dated October 7, 2019. Original approved amount was $100.)
C.11. Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) Building Teams
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff as Crisis Prevention Intervention Building Team members. Each staff member will receive an annual amount of $500 stipend per the WTEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The stipend will be rewarded upon verified completion of the Crisis Prevention Intervention training, for a total cost not to exceed $19,000.00.
|
Ashley Allegra |
Celeste Ostry |
|
Caitlin Atkinson |
Erica Pawlo |
|
Michelle Barbagallo |
Joyce Pekarsky |
|
Lakiesha Beaubrun |
Alexandra Pranzo |
|
Fran Blabolil |
Lucia Raphael |
|
Kelly Blessing-Maire |
Jessica Rediger |
|
Carol Brown |
Allison Reu |
|
Amy Brunswick |
Michelle Roth |
|
Alexa Diiorio |
Nicole Runfola |
|
Patricia Doll |
Shawna Slater |
|
Casey Hardy |
Marcela Stefanikova |
|
Rebecca Hartman |
Sherri Strauss |
|
Julie Jagiello |
Cheryl Thoma |
|
Keith Koellhoffer |
John Tishlas |
|
Nancy Lauber |
Joan Toth |
|
Brittany Leonard |
Sara Von Bartheld |
|
Josephine Maccagnan |
Lois Wagner |
|
Valerie Nelson |
Linda Yu |
|
Carlyn O’Regan |
Nicholas Bayachek |
C.12. Crisis Prevention Intervention Training Instructor Stipend 2019-2020
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff as Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) Instructors. Each staff member will be reimbursed at the WTEA contract rate $50.00 per hour.
|
Course |
Staff Member |
Date |
First Offering Prep hours |
Instructor Hours |
Total Cost |
|
CPI Initial Training |
Brittany Leonard |
Oct 21 & 22, 2019 |
33 hours |
Within contract day paid for prep only |
$825 $1,650.00* |
|
CPI Initial Training |
Caitlin Atkinson |
Oct 22, 2019 |
0 hours |
Within contract day paid for prep only |
$825 $0 |
*(This motion supersedes the approval for these staff members on previous motion dated October 7, 2019.)
C.13. Approve Contracted Services
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves Staffing Plus, Inc. as a provider of Substitute Nurses starting on or about November 1, 2019 through on or about January 31, 2020, at a maximum hourly rate of $65, at a cost not to exceed $24,115.
C.14. Rescind Contracted Services
RESOLVED, that the Board of Education rescinds approval of Delta-T Group
North Jersey, Inc. as a provider for Substitute Nurses starting October 16, 2019 through December 7, 2019, at an hourly rate of $47.75, at a cost not to exceed $11,365.
XIII. Unfinished Business
N/A
XIV. New Business
N/A
XV. Public Commentary (any topic)
N/A
XVI. Executive Session
● At 8:25 p.m. Mrs. DiMaggio 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:
pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiation and/or matters of attorney-client privilege; and
a collective bargaining agreement and/or negotiations related to it; and
specific prospective or current employees unless all who could be adversely affected request an open session.
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. Zohn and approved by unanimous voice vote.
On motion by Mrs. DiMaggio, seconded by Mrs. Zohn, the Board reconvened in open session at 8:48 p.m.
On motion by Mr. Bellmann, seconded by Mr. Franco, on the following:
● RESOLVED that the Board of Education hereby tasks the President and Administration to communicate with the Township Administrator regarding the distribution of PILOT monies.
The motion was approved by a 7-0 roll-call vote.
Matthew Mingle and Patricia Leonhardt left at 8:53 p.m.
XVII. Executive Session
● At 8:54 p.m. Mrs. DiMaggio 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:
specific prospective or current employees unless all who could be adversely affected request an open session.
Action will not be taken upon return to public session;
the length of the meeting is anticipated to be approximately 10 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. Zohn and approved by unanimous voice vote.
On motion by Mrs. DiMaggio, seconded by Mrs. Zohn, the Board reconvened in open session at 9:07 p.m.
XVIII. Adjourn
On motion by Mrs.DiMaggio, seconded by Mr. Bellmann, the meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
Minutes submitted by,
Patricia Leonhardt
Board Secretary
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