Warren Township Schools: Minutes for January 4, 2021

Minutes for January 4, 2021 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 7:00 p.m. by Board Secretary

Patricia Leonhardt.

Open Public Meeting Statement – Mrs. Leonhardt 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 7, 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 – Mrs. Leonhardt led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Election Results

For entry into the minutes, Mrs. Leonhardt provided the Somerset County Clerk certified results of the Annual School Election, held on November 3, 2020:

Warren Township - Three (3) Three Year Board of Education Seats

● David Brezee

● Laura Keller

● Todd Weinstein

Warren Township - One (1) One Year Board of Education Seat

● Lori Ruckstuhl-Clar

IV. Oath of Office

● The Oath of Office was administered to Mr. Brezee, Ms. Keller, Ms. Ruckstuhl-Clar and Mr. Weinstein by Mrs. Leonhardt.

V. Roll Call

Present: Aaron Bellish, Mark Bisci, David Brezee, Lisa DiMaggio, Marc Franco,

Laura Keller, Lori Ruckstuhl-Clar, Todd Weinstein and Patricia Zohn

Absent:

Also Present: Dr. Matthew Mingle, Superintendent, and Patricia Leonhardt,

Board Secretary, and members of the public and press.

VI. Election of Board Officers

The nominations for Board President were opened by Mrs. Leonhardt.

Mr. Marc Franco was nominated by Mr. David Brezee. Seeing no other nominations, nominations were closed.

Mr. Marc Franco was elected President with a 9-0 roll-call vote.

Board President Franco presided over the remainder of the meeting.

The nominations for Board Vice President were opened by Board President Franco.

Mr. Mark Bisci was nominated by Mrs. Zohn. Seeing no other nominations, nominations were closed.

Mr. Bisci was elected Vice President with a 9-0 vote.

VII. Annual Reorganization Action Items

On motion by Mr. Bisci, seconded by Mr. Bellish and approved by a 9-0 roll-call vote, the board approved reorganizational agenda items A., through G.

A. Policies

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves adoption of current Board Policies & Bylaws for the Calendar Year 2021.

B. Service Appointments

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the following:

1. The Echoes-Sentinel as the official school district newspaper for the Calendar Year 2021.

2. The Courier News and Star-Ledger as official alternate newspapers to be used in lieu of the Echoes-Sentinel, when necessary, for the Calendar Year 2021.

3. TAP into Warren and the Echoes-Sentinel (online version) as official electronic news sources for the Calendar Year 2021.

4. The appointment of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC (non fair and open) as Board Attorneys for the Calendar Year 2021 at the following hourly rates:

a) $160 - Partner

b) $155 - Counsel

c) $150 - Associate

d) $90 - Law clerks and paralegals

at an approximate total cost not to exceed $64,000.

5. The appointment of Parette Somjen Architects, LLC as the architect of record (non fair and open) for the Calendar Year 2021, at an approximate total cost not to exceed $20,000, at the following hourly rates:

a) Principal $167

b) Partner $167

c) Director $157

d) Senior Associate $157

e) Associate $146

and additional rates and terms as specified in the contract.

C. Board Meeting Dates

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the following list of meetings for the Calendar Year 2021.

WARREN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF EDUCATION

2021 MEETING SCHEDULE

(NOTE: All meetings from January 2021 through June 2021 assumed to be held virtually. Beginning in July, 2021, all meetings are assumed to be held in the Library at the Middle School. All meetings are to be held on a Monday unless otherwise noted.)

DATE	TIME
January 4, 2021 REORGANIZATION	7:00pm
January 25, 2021	7:00pm
TUESDAY February 16, 2021	7:00pm
March 1, 2021	7:00pm
March 15, 2021	7:00pm
April 12, 2021	7:00 pm
April 26, 2021	7:00 pm
May 10, 2021	7:00 pm
May 24, 2021	7:00 pm
June 21, 2021	7:00 pm
July 19, 2021	4:00 pm
August 23, 2021	7:00 pm
September 27, 2021	7:00 pm
October 25, 2021	7:00 pm
November 22, 2021	7:00 pm
December 20, 2021	7:00 pm
January 3, 2022 REORGANIZATION	7:00 pm

D. Board Member Code of Ethics

RESOLVED, the Board of Education acknowledges that each Board Member has received a copy of the Code of Ethics as follows:

1. I will uphold and enforce all laws, state board rules and regulations, and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes should be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures.

2. I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools which meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex or social standing.

3. I will confine my board action to policy making, planning, and appraisal and I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them.

4. I will carry out my responsibility, not to administer the schools, but, together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.

5. I will recognize that authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action which may compromise the board.

6. I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends.

7. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. But in all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its schools.

8. I will vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the Superintendent.

9. I will support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties.

10. I will refer all complaints to the Superintendent and will act on such complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.

E. District Mission Statement

RESOLVED, the Board of Education readopts the district’s mission statement as follows:

“The mission of the Warren Township School District is to provide, through a safe, nurturing yet challenging environment, all students with an outstanding education that engages students and fosters academic excellence, healthy social and emotional development, and a lifelong passion for learning.”

F. Appointments

1. The election of Lisa DiMaggio as Board Representative to the NJSBA Delegate Assembly for the Calendar Year 2021 and the election of David Brezee as the alternate.

2. The election of Laura Keller as the Board Representative to the Somerset County Educational Services Commission for the Calendar Year 2021 and the election of Aaron Bellish as the alternate.

3. The election of Todd Weinstein as Board Representative to the Watchung Hills Municipal Alliance Committee for the Calendar Year 2021 and the election of Lori Ruckstuhl-Car as the alternate.

4. The appointment of the Superintendent of Schools as the Board Representative to the Morris Union Jointure Commission Board of Education for the Calendar Year 2021.

5. The appointment of the Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education president as liaisons to the Warren Township committee.

G. 2021-2022 School Year Tuition Rates for Employees’ Children

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following as the 2021-2022 tuition rates for children of staff members.

● Kindergarten- Grade 8: $4,245

**********End of Reorganization Items**********

VIII. Minutes

● Mr. Bisci moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public session minutes of the December 14, 2020 Board Meeting.

The motion was seconded by Mrs. DiMaggio and approved by a 7-0-2 roll-call vote.

(Ms. Keller and Mrs. Clar abstained.)

IX. Correspondence and Information

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:

Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:

· Suspension Report

In School:

Out of School:

· Fire Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A
December 15	December 08	December 09	December 09	December 09

Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B
December 11	December 11	December 11	December 10	December 10

· Security Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A	Cohort A
December 14	December 08	December 15	December 21	December 22
Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom
ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B	Cohort B
December 18	December 11	December 23	December 23	December 23
Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom	Hold in Classroom

X. President's Remarks - Mr. Marc Franco

Newly elected Board President Mr. Franco welcomed the board’s new members and congratulated Mr. Brezee on his re-election.

Mr. Franco also expressed his gratitude for the confidence expressed by his fellow board members upon his election as board president and thanked both the board and administration for its hard work and dedication.

XI. Superintendent’s Remarks - Dr. Matthew Mingle

Dr. Mingle welcomed the board’s three new members (Mrs. Clar, Ms. Keller and Mr. Weinstein). Dr. Mingle also congratulated Mr. Brezee on his re-election and Mr. Franco and Mr. Bisci on their election as board leadership.

Dr. Mingle congratulated Mrs. Leonhardt as this year’s Somerset County Association of School Business Officials Distinguished Service Award winner.

Dr. Mingle reported on an initiative to highlight the district’s Educators of the Year with individual features beginning this Thursday.

Dr. Mingle also thanked all who worked over break to address ongoing Return to School challenges, referenced instructional model change deadlines and thanked the Somerset County Commissioners for their share of CARES monies and the WTEA for its donation for community members in need.

Lastly, Dr. Mingle reported on the vaccination of our school nurses for COVID-19.

XII. Presentations

N/A

XIII. Discussion

Mrs. DiMaggio asked a question regarding the status of COVID vaccines.

XIV. Committee Reports

● Finance/Operations/Security Committee - Mr. Brezee reported on the recent meeting at which legislative updates, traffic beacons, facility projects, potential future referendum and the 2021-2022 budget were discussed.

● Committee Membership - Mr. Franco requested that all board members provide him with their committee membership preferences.

XV. 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;
When the Board of Education is conducting its meetings either virtually or in a hybrid environment, members of the public may also submit comments no later than 9:00 AM the day of the board meeting via email to BA@warrentboe.org or hardcopy mail to the district office.

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).

N/A

XVI. Items for Board Consideration/Action

Mrs. DiMaggio thanked the WTEA for its donation (motion B.3.).

Mrs. Zohn noted the success of a retired teacher’s return as a substitute.

On motion by Mr. Bisci, seconded by Mrs. Zohn, the consent items A.1., through A.3., B.1., through B.3., and C.1., through C.7., were approved by a 6-0-3 roll-call vote. (Ms. Keller,

Mrs. Clar and Mr. Weinstein abstained.)

The Superintendent recommends that it be:

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 December 14, 2020.

A.2. Bedside Instruction

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the bedside instruction through Learn Well for Student #7674803877, beginning December 15, 2020, at an hourly rate of $39.75, at a cost not to exceed $2,147.

A.3. Tuition Contract

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves a tuition contract with the Parents of Students #3254607499 and #6020805187 for continued attendance in the Warren Township School, effective November 9, 2020 through June 30, 2021, at a total tuition cost of $19,420.80. (This motion supersedes previous motion from November 2, 2020.)

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. Payment of Bills

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the period December 15, 2020 through December 31, 2020 in the amount of $3,027,502.18.

B.2. Acceptance of CARES Monies Grant

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby accepts from the County of Somerset, a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) grant in the amount of $35,000, to be used to offset the district’s expenses required in response to Covid-19.

B.3. Donation - Warren Township Education Association

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education accepts, with gratitude, a donation in the amount of $1,500 from the Warren Township Education Association to be used to offset support for community members in need.

C. Personnel/Student Services

C.1. Leave Request

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

Employee ID	Paid/Unpaid
#3461	FFCRA - December 16, 2020 through December 23, 2020 (paid)
#2649	FFCRA - December 21, 2020 through December 22, 2020 (paid)
#3542	FFCRA - December 21, 2020 through December 23, 2020 (paid)
#3490	FFCRA - December 22, 2020 through December 23, 2020 (paid)
#1954	FFCRA - December 22, 2020 through December 23, 2020 (paid)
#0617	FMLA - January 4, 2021 through January 25, 2021 (paid)

C.2. Retirement/Resignation

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

of the following staff:

Name

Position

Location

Retirement/

Resignation

Dates of Service

Alfred Bennett

Part-Time Night Custodian

04-30-10/abe

Central

Resignation

April 29, 1996 - January 15, 2021

C.3. Custodial Substitutes

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following as Substitute Custodians for the 2020-2021 school year at the approved substitute custodian pay rate:

Name

Steven Scott

C.4. Approval to Create Positions

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves the creation of the following positions for 2020-2021:

Location	Position	Full-Time Equivalent
ALT	Social Worker 02-40-22/blm	.20
MH	Social Worker 02-35-22/bln	.80
CS	Social Worker 02-30-22/blo	.20
WS	Social Worker 02-50-22/blp	.60

C.5. Approval to Abolish Positions

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves to abolish the following positions for 2020-2021:

Location

Position

Full-Time Equivalent

Central

Mt. Horeb

02-30-06/beb

02-35-06-bec

.10

.90

ALT

Woodland

02-40-22/bkg

02-50-22/bkh

.50

.30

C.6. Transfer/Change in Assignment

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the transfer/change in

assignment of the following district staff:

Name

Effective Date

From

Victoria Cruz

January 25, 2021 through June 30, 2021

School Social Worker

ALT 02-40-22/bkg

WS 02-50-22/bkh

School Social Worker

CS 02-30-22/blo

WS 02-50-22/blp

Sara von Bartheld

January 25, 2021 through June 30, 2021

School Social Worker

CS 02-30-06/beb

MH 02-35-06-bec

School Social Worker

ALT 02-40-22/blm

MH 02-35-22/bln

C.7. Substitute Teacher

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following to be appointed as a substitute teacher for the 2020-2021 school year.

Name

Barbara LaSaracina

XVII. Unfinished Business

N/A

XVIII. New Business

● Snow Event - Mr. Brezee thanked the Buildings and Grounds team for their attention to our facilities during the recent snow. Mr. Franco expressed his appreciation for the snow day.

XIX. 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;

N/A

XX. Adjourn

On motion by Mr. Bisci, seconded by Mr. Franco, the meeting was adjourned at 7:36 p.m.

Minutes submitted by,

Patricia Leonhardt

Board Secretary

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