Warren Township Schools: Minutes for November 16, 2020

Minutes for November 16, 2020 Archived Minutes

Due to the public health crisis, the regular business meeting of the Board of Education was held this day virtually through the online Zoom platform. The Board of Education, administration and the public were present and participating through logon to that platform. The following is a record of that meeting.

I. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:45 p.m. by Board President Christian Bellmann.

Open Public Meeting Statement – Board President Christian Bellmann 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 November 3, 2020. 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. Bellmann led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Roll Call

Present: Aaron Bellish, Mark Bisci, David Brezee, Lisa DiMaggio, Marc Franco, Ayanna Taylor, Patricia Zohn and Christian Bellmann

Absent: Vaishali Amberkar

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

Ms. Amberkar joined the meeting at 7:15 pm.

IV. Executive Session

● At 6:46 p.m. Mrs. Zohn 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 be taken upon return to public session;

the length of the meeting is anticipated to be approximately 15 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 Mr. Bellmann and approved by unanimous voice vote.

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Mr. Bellmann, the Board reconvened in open session at 7:00 p.m.

V. Minutes

● Mrs. Zohn moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public session minutes of the November 2, 2020 Board Meeting.

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

VI. Correspondence and Information

Dr. Mingle reported on emails from a parent and a student.

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:

Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:

· Suspension Report

In School:

Out of School:

VII. President's Remarks – Mr. Christian Bellmann

Mr. Bellmann welcomed all and spoke of increasing COVID counts.

Referencing recently celebrated World Kindness Day, Mr. Bellmann encouraged all to care for and support each other. In the same vein, Mr. Bellmann expressed thanks for the donations noted in motions B.2. and B.4. and congratulated the long term staff members whose retirements are noted on tonight’s agenda (C.3.).

Lastly, Mr. Bellmann expressed his hope that all will share Thanksgiving safely.

VIII. Superintendent’s Remarks – Dr. Matthew Mingle

Dr. Mingle spoke to the success of the Return to School plan, and the planned expansion of the program. While discussing the increasing COVID case counts, it was noted that there have been no Covid cases from school based spread.

Dr. Mingle further discussed the need for continued community vigilance and work in partnership with the district in all Return to School matters.

In close, Dr. Mingle wished all a Happy Thanksgiving, and, to those who celebrate, Happy Diwali.

IX. Presentation

● Student Achievement Data - Mr. Kimmick provided a presentation and analysis of the data.

● Return to School Update - Dr. Mingle provided an overage of the planned expansion of student in person attendance.

Upon completion of both presentations, the board discussed both topics.

Ms. Amberkar joined the meeting at 7:15 p.m.

Ms. Amberkar left the meeting at 7:45 p.m.

X. Discussion

N/A

XI. Committee Reports

● Curriculum, Communication, and Technology Committee - Mrs. Taylor reported on the committee meeting at which community involvement with the Strategic Plan, community response to HIB events and tonight’s student assessment data presentation were discussed.

● Ad Hoc Return to School Committee - Dr. Mingle reported on the committee meeting at which the expansion of the Return to School plan and indoor facility usage were discussed.

XII. 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).

Member(s) of the public discussed the following:

● Ms. Rosa Krause - Holly Drive, spoke to the needs of Special Education students.

● Ms. Mariette Dzeletovic - King George Road, spoke to transportation options.

● Ms. Shefali Tejani - Aspen Court, asked a question regarding test scores.

● Dr. Meruka Hazari - Skyline Drive, discussed COVID practices.

● Ms. Nancy Andrews - WTEA President, thanked all for working together

● Ms. Laura Keller - Skyline Drive, discussed non-compliance and the daily health assessment form.

Dr. Mingle responded to the array of questions and topics.

XII. Items for Board Consideration/Action

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Mrs. DiMaggio, the consent items A.1., through A.5., B.1., through B.6., C.1., through C.7., and D.1.., were approved by a 8-0 roll-call vote.

The Superintendent recommends that it be:

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 November 2, 2020.

A.2. 2021-2022 Calendar

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the 2021-2022 calendar.

A.3. Return to School Plan

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the revised Return to School plan and authorizes its submission to the New Jersey Department of Education for the following areas:

Preschool
Hybrid 1.2 Priority 1

A.4. Evaluation Instruments

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education adopts the district evaluation

systems as follows:

● Kim Marshall Principal Evaluation system as evaluation system for building administrators as well as curriculum supervisors.

● Danielson Framework for Teaching as an evaluation system for the district's teaching staff.

● Reflective Practice Protocol for highly effective teaching staff members.

A.5. Bedside Instruction

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the bedside instruction through Silvergate Prep for Student #7674803877, beginning November 13, 2020, at an hourly rate of $40, at a cost not to exceed $1,600.

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. Payment of Bills

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the month of November 2020 in the amount of $3,969,327.54.

B.2. Donation

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education accepts, with gratitude, a donation from an anonymous donor in the amount of $5,700 to be used for the purchase of a Standing Bubble Panel for the Angelo L. Tomaso School library.

B.3. Central School Security Vestibule Project

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education authorizes Parette Somjen Architects to submit all necessary plans and paperwork to the Department of Education concerning the Central School Security Vestibule Project, to submit an application to the Office of School Facilities and an amendment to the District’s Long Range Facility Plan, when necessary, and facilitate the solicitation of bids.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this project shall be an “Other Capital” project and the Board of Education is not seeking traditional State funding but the primary source of the project’s funding will be the district’s NJDOE Security Grant, with additional funding, if needed, coming from a withdrawal from the district’s Capital Reserve.

ADDITIONALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution also authorizes district administration to submit the application for said NJDOE Security Grant to the State of New Jersey.

B.4. Donation - PTOs

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education accepts, with gratitude, the following PTO donations for student food support:

School	Amount
ALT School	$540
Central School	$540
Middle School	$1,750

B.5. Travel Approval

Whereas, in accordance with the 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
Thomas Ronkowitz	B&G	Black Seal Boilers License	Online	Dec 2020 & Jan 2021	$600

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

B.6. Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (CMP)

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following motion:

Whereas, the Department of Education requires New Jersey School Districts to submit the Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (CMP) and the Annual Maintenance Budget Amount Worksheet (M-1) documenting "required" maintenance activities for each of its public school facilities, and

Whereas, the required maintenance activities as listed in the attached document for the various school facilities of the Warren Township Schools are consistent with these requirements, and

Whereas, all past and planned activities are reasonable to keep school facilities open and safe for use or in their original condition and to keep their system warranties valid, and

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Warren Township School District hereby authorizes the School Business Administrator to submit the Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (CMP) and the Annual Maintenance Budget Amount Worksheet (M-1) for the Warren Township Schools in compliance with Department of Education requirements.

C. Personnel/Student Services

C.1. Employment for the 2020-2021 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

Melissa Smolenski

Supervisor of

Special Services

10-00-03/aye

District

N/A

$107,000

prorated

January 4, 2021

To replace employee #2099

C.2. Leave Request

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following leave requests:

Employee ID	Paid/Unpaid
#0095*	FMLA - September 25, 2020 through October 16, 2020 (paid) FMLA - October 26, 2020 through January 5, 2021 (paid) Extended Leave - January 6, 2021 through on or about April 5, 2021 (paid)
#3227**	FFCRA - November 16, 2020 through November 18, 2020 (paid) FMLA - November 19, 2020 through on or about December 10, 2020 (paid)
#3356	FFCRA - November 12, 2020 through November 23, 2020 (paid)
#2283***	NJFLA - September 14, 2020 through December 4, 2020 (unpaid) Extended Leave - December 7, 2020 through December 18, 2020 (unpaid)
#1593	FFCRA - November 23, 2020 (paid) FMLA - November 24, 2020 through December 15, 2020 (paid)

* (This motion supersedes previous motion from October 5, 2020)

** (This motion supersedes previous motion from November 2, 2020)

*** (This motion supersedes previous motion from August 31, 2020)

C.3. Retirement/Resignation

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the retirement/resignations

of the following staff:

Name	Position	Location	Retirement/ Resignation	Dates of Service
Amy Brunswick	Social Worker 02-30-06/beb	MH/CS	Retirement	September 1, 1999 - January 22, 2021
Suzanne Wisher	Computer Teacher 02-40-22/bdx	WS/ALT	Retirement	September 1, 1995 - December 31, 2020
Cheryl Thoma	Paraprofessional 08-40-08-bgh	ALT	Resignation	August 28, 2020 - December 9, 2020

C.4. 2020-2021 Approval of Title I - Extended Day Tutor

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the appointment of the following staff members as Title I - Extended Day Tutors, to be paid the contractual rate of $50 per hour. Total cost is dependent upon the needs of identified students in the district’s Title I school(s), which are Central and Angelo L. Tomaso Schools, at a total cost not to exceed $40,465. Cost to be fully funded by ESEA Title I.

Name
Nancy Braunstein	Lauren Valera
Mary Sfiris	Paula Williams

C.5. Sidebar Agreement - Modified Work Location

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the sidebar agreement between the Warren Township Board of Education and the Warren Township Education Association regarding modified work location.

C.6. Long Term Substitute Paraprofessional

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following individual as a Long Term Substitute Paraprofessional:

Name

Effective Date

Replacing Employee

Eleanore Wilson

October 19, 2020 -

November 20, 2020

#2200

C.7. 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 $20,000.00.

Name
Ashley Allegra	Keith Koellhoffer	Lucia Raphael
Caitlin Atkinson	Nancy Lauber	Allison Reu
Michelle Barbagallo	Edward Lee	Michelle Roth
Nicholas Bayachek	Brittany Leonard	Beatrice Schwarzkopf
Kelly Blessing-Maire	Linnea Middleton	Shawna Slater
Carol Brown	Lauren Nelson	Sherri Strauss
Natalie Caterisano	Valerie Nelson	Sandra Surowiec
Jessica Decelle	Carlyn O’Regan	John Tsihlas
Alexa Diiorio	Celeste Ostry	Sara Von Bartheld
Jacqueline Fattell	Erica Pawlo	Lois Wagner
Julie Jagiello	Alyssa Pech	Deborah Yankowitz
Peter Kassalow	Alexandra Pranzo	Linda Yu
Carol Keirstead	Lisa Pravato	Marcela Stefanikova
Frances Blabolil

D. Policy

D.1. Policies – First Reading and Adoption

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education suspend Bylaw 0131 that requires two readings to adopt a Bylaw or Policy and adopt Bylaw 0164.6 with one reading to be in compliance with the new emergency regulations regarding remote meetings held during a Governor-declared emergency, N.J.A.C. 5:39-1.1 through 1.7, promulgated by Department of Community Affairs.

XIV. Unfinished Business

N/A

XV. New Business

● Correspondence - Mr. Franco commented on the student correspondence and commended the initiative.

● Specials - Mr. Bellmann shared that administration and the Curriculum Committee will be discussing the district’s special subjects.

XVI. Public Commentary (any topic)

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;

Members of the public discussed the following:

● Ms. Rachel Singleton - Deerwood Trail, asked a question regarding classified student expanded in person attendance.

● Ms. Stacy Sackett - Trinity Drive Place, discussed synchronous instruction.

● Ms. Mariette Dzeletovic - King George Road, discussed the lack of student interaction.

● Ms. Jennifer Armao - Briarwood Drive East, discussed instruction delivery.

Dr. Mingle responded to the array of questions and topics.

XVII. Adjourn

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Mr. Bellmann, the meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.

Minutes submitted by,

Patricia Leonhardt

Board Secretary

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