Warren Township Schools: Minutes for January 25, 2021

Minutes for January 25, 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 President

Marc Franco

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 6, 2021. 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. Franco led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Roll Call

Present: Aaron Bellish, Mark Bisci, David Brezee, Lori Clar, Lisa DiMaggio,

Laura Keller, Todd Weinstein, Patricia Zohn Marc Franco

Absent:

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

Board Secretary, Steve McDermott of Suplee Clooney and members

of the public and press.

IV. Minutes

● Mr. Bisci moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public session minutes of the January 4, 2021 Board Meeting.

The motion was seconded by Mr. Franco and approved by a 9-0 roll-call vote.

V. Correspondence and Information

Dr. Mingle reported that there was one parental email regarding Return to School.

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:

Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:

· Suspension Report

In School:

Out of School:

VI. President's Remarks - Mr. Marc Franco

Mr. Franco reported on the temporary closing of one school due to COVID.

VII. Superintendent’s Remarks - Dr. Matthew Mingle

Dr. Mingle thanked all Mt. Horeb School parents, students and staff for their cooperation during their two week closure.

Dr. Mingle read a proclamation of Appreciation for School Board members.

Dr. Mingle discussed the plans in place pending tomorrow’s projected weather event.

Lastly, Dr. Mingle shared that the Strategic Plan’s Voice and Community Engagement Committee will be meeting this Thursday.

VIII. Presentations

● 2019-2020 Audit Report - Mr. Steve McDermott of Suplee Cooney presented the district’s clean audit.

VIII. Discussion

● Norms for Board Communication - The board discussed the timeline and process for committee meeting minutes. The board renewed its commitment to the norms as written.

IX. Committee Reports

● Finance/Operations/Security Committee - Mr. Brezee reported on the recent committee meeting at which updated committee goals, Central School roof project, potential referendum projects and the 2021-2022 budget were discussed.

● Ah Hoc Return to School - Dr. Mingle reported on the recent meeting at which employee recall procedures, school closures, the district’s attempt to become a vaccine COVID location, and the plan for future expansion of our students in school attendance were discussed.

X. 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

XI. Items for Board Consideration/Action

On motion by Mr. Bisci, seconded by Mr. Franco, the consent items A.1., through A.5., B.1., through B.9., C.1., through C.8., and D.1., were approved by a 9-0 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 January 4, 2021.

A.2. Bedside Instruction

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the bedside instruction through Silvergate Prep for Student #7674803877, beginning January 4, 2021, at an hourly rate of $40, at a cost not to exceed $1,600.

A.3. Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC)

RESOLVED, that although P.L. 2020 c. 143 allows for the postponement of a Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) monitoring for highly performing districts, and the Warren Township School District has been deemed to be highly performing, the district hereby requests that its 2020-2021 NJQSAC monitoring occurs as originally planned.

A.4. Tuition Contract

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves a tuition contract with the Parents of Student #8338661791 for continued attendance in the Warren Township School, effective March 11, 2021 through June 30, 2021, at a total tuition cost of $4,439.04.

A.5. Fieldwork Site

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves a Clinical Affiliation Agreement with Kean University for the 2020-2021 school year to secure Warren Township Schools as a fieldwork site to provide supervised clinical educational experiences in the field of physical education.

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. Payment of Bills

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the month of January 2021 in the amount of $2,420,789.48.

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 December, 2020; and

WHEREAS, this report shows the following balances on December 31, 2020:

FUND	CASH BALANCE	APPROPRIATION BALANCE	FUND BALANCE
(10) General Current Expense Fund	$10,535,922.99		$1,275,641.28
(10) General Current Expense		$0.00
(11) Current Expense		$2,118,683.40
(12) Capital Outlay		$248,701.81
(13) Special Schools		$167,716.24
(20) Special Revenue Fund	-52211.01	$40,335.98	$0.00
(30) Capital Projects Fund	$757,026.32	$98,049.27	$355,825.94
(40) Debt Service Fund	$0.65	$0.65	$60,336.00
TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS	$11,240,738.95	$2,673,487.35	$1,691,803.22
(60) Milk Fund	$4,049.49	$ (26,000.00)	$ 17,207.49
(61) Juice and Water Fund	$1,358.13	$ (11,000.00)	$ 1,358.13
TOTAL ENTERPRISE FUNDS	$5,407.62	($37,000.00)	$18,565.62

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 Month of December 2020

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.	11-000-100-562-000-08-01	Tuition - Other LEAs	11-000-100-566-000-08-01	Tuition - Private Schools	$35,258
2.	11-000-223-500-033-07-00	Staff Training - Other Purchased Service - MS	11-000-223-580-033-07-00	Workshops & Travel - MS	$60
3.	11-000-240-103-030-03-00	Salaries - Principal - CS	11-000-222-100-030-03-02	Salaries - Librarian - CS	$150
4.	11-000-270-420-000-10-00	Transportation-Repair & Maintenance	11-000-270-518-000-10-00	Contracted Special Ed Transp.- ESC	$6,600
5.	11-000-270-800-000-10-00	Transportation - Other	11-000-270-518-000-10-00	Contracted Special Ed Transp.- ESC	$500
6.	11-190-100-610-030-11-01	Supplies-Instructional Hardware-CS	11-000-222-500-030-11-01	Other Purchased Services - CS	$1,250
7.	11-190-100-610-035-11-01	Supplies-Instructional Hardware-MH	11-000-222-500-035-11-01	Other Purchased Services - MHS	$1,250
8.	11-190-100-610-040-11-01	Supplies-Instructional Hardware-ALT	11-000-222-500-040-11-01	Other Purchased Services - ALT	$1,250
9.	11-190-100-610-050-11-01	Supplies-Instructional Hardware-WS	11-000-222-500-050-11-01	Other Purchased Services - WS	$1,250
10.	11-401-100-500-030-03-00	Co-curricular Clubs - Purchased Services - CS	11-401-100-600-030-03-00	Co-curricular Supplies - MHS	$249
11.	12-130-100-730-033-11-01	Instructional Equipment - Tech. - MS	11-000-291-270-000-00-00	Health Benefits	$66,616

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
Rey Rodriguez	Maint.	Black Seal Boiler License	Online	Feb and Mar 2021	$600
Paula Williams	CS	2021 New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages / New Jersey Bilingual Educators Spring Conference	Online	May 2021	$299
Mary Sfiris	ALT	2021 New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages / New Jersey Bilingual Educators Spring Conference	Online	May 2021	$299
Lauren Valera	WS	2021 New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages / New Jersey Bilingual Educators Spring Conference	Online	May 2021	$299
Carol Brown	MS	Promoting Adolescent Executive Functioning	Online	Feb 2021	$199.99

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.5. Acceptance of the Audit for the 2019-2020 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, 2020, 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 2019-2020 school year are:

School Year 2019-2020
REVENUES	Final Budget	Actual
Local Sources	$ 41,665,535	$ 41,995,898
State Sources*	$ 1,808,159	$ 9,288,645
Federal Sources	$ -	$ -
TOTAL	$ 43,473,694	$ 51,284,543
EXPENDITURES
Regular Instruction	$ 12,139,945	$ 11,701,181
Special Education	$ 4,936,886	$ 4,691,202
Other Instruction	$ 1,763,260	$ 1,709,903
Undistributed Expenditures*	$ 24,707,285	$ 29,721,837
Total General Expenses (A1-4)	$ 43,547,377	$ 47,824,123
Capital Outlay	$ 1,208,204	$ 876,255
Special Schools	$ 314,962	$ 298,885
Transfer of Funds to Charter School	$ 57,522	$-
TOTAL	$ 45,128,065	$ 48,999,264
OTHER SOURCES/USES
Transfer in from Capital Projects	$ -	$ -
Transfer to Capital Projects	$ -	$ -
EXCESS (DEFICIENCY)		$ 2,285,279
Fund Balance July 1, 2019		$ 9,482,714

Fund Balance June 30, 2020	$ -	$ 11,767,993
Analysis of Fund Balance
Reserved
Excess Surplus- subsequent year's expenditures (2020-2021)		$ 461,000
Excess Surplus (2021-2022)		$ 462,000
Emergency Reserve Account		$ 11,659
Maintenance Reserve Account		$ 118,800
Capital Reserve Account		$ 9,225,791
Encumbrances		$ 213,101
TOTAL** (Undesignated Fund Balance)		$ 1,275,641
*Maj of variance due to State’s TPAF FICA reimbursement and payments to pension ($7,043.951)
**Allowable Undesignated Fund Balance
2% of 2019-2020 General Fund Expenditures		$839,106
NP Transportation
Excess Extraordinary Aid		$436,535
		$1,275,641
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.6. Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Account Plan Changes

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves Covid-related changes to the district’s Flexible Spending (FSA) and Dependent Care (DCA) plans, affecting both rollover capabilities and mid-year deduction changes.

B.7. Finance, Operations, and Security Committee Goals

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the amended 2020-2021 Finance, Operations, and Security Committee goals:

○ Advise the board on the impacts of the school reopening plan on the district’s finances, operations, and security.

○ Collaborate with the administration to support the implementation of consistent safety and security procedures and practices throughout the district.

○ Advise the board on the funding and implementation of the capital improvement plan.

○ Advise the board regarding the development of the 2021-2022 budget.

○ Review the impact of new residential development on district operations.

B.8. 2021-2022 School Year Tuition Rates

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

● Kindergarten - $18,381

● Grades 1 - 5 - $21,461

● Grades 6 - 8 - $21,790

B.9. Central School Slate Roof Replacement Project

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 Replacement of the Slate Roof at Central 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 Friday, January 15, 2021, the Board received the following bids from potential bidders in accordance with N.J.S.A.18A:18A-1, et seq.;

Vendor	Base	Alternate 1	Total
Strober-Wright Roofing Inc.	$147,947	$4,800	$152,747
Pravco	$151,210	$11,700	$162,910
Frank Cyrwus Inc.	$169,711	$5,500	$175,211
Integrity Roofing Inc.	$166,340	$18,000	$184,340
VMG Group	$181,000	$6,500	$187,500
Northeast Roof Maintenance	$188,000	$10,000	$198,000
White Rock Corp.	$182,000	$17,500	$199,500
Arco Construction	$199,800	$4,500	$204,300
Advanced Roofing and Sheet Metal Co., Inc.	$201,900	$5,000	$206,900
Alden Bailey Restoration Corp.	$228,810	$9,800	$238,610
G.C. Dynatech	$228,000	$12,000	$240,000
Duga Construction	$234,500	$14,500	$249,000
CRO-International Inc.	$249,800	$12,800	$262,600
Safeway Contracting, Inc.	$258,000	$5,700	$263,700
All-Ply Roofing Co., Inc.	$261,500	$18,000	$279,500
Journey Contracting Company Inc.	$288,500	$20,000	$308,500
Detwiler Roofing LLC	$346,000	$10,000	$356,000
D.A. Nolt, Inc.	$346,014	$24,504	$370,518
Pax Mundus Enterprise LLC	$287,000	OMITTED	N/A

WHEREAS, Strober Wright Roofing 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 to Strober Wright Roofing Inc. for One hundred fifty-two thousand seven hundred forty-seven dollars ($152,747). This contract and all of the project’s professional and ancillary fees are to be paid from the district’s general fund monies.

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
Janine Pasquale*	Leave Replacement Special Education Teacher	CS	MA	4	$67,564	8/31/2020 - 5/3/2021	N	To replace employee #2691
Paige Hobby	Multi-Duty Paraprofessional 08-40-15/bes	ALT	N/A	1	$21,585	1/26/2021 - 6/30/2021	N	To replace employee #3464
Lam Wong	.6 Leave Replacement Mandarin Teacher	WMS	MA	2	$39,403.20	1/19/2021 - on or about 2/19/2021	N	To replace employee #2580
Thomas Henry	Leave Replacement Teacher	WMS	BA	1	$58,842	11/12/2020 - 4/14/2021	N	To replace employee #1312

*(This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on June 8, 2020)

C.2. Substitute Teachers

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

Name

Amanda Shaw

Ellie Campbell

Aaron Geusic

C.3. Long Term Substitute

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

Name	Effective Date	Replacing Employee #
Sabina Gade	1/13/2021 - 3/4/2021	#2879
MaryAnn Minervini	2/1/2021 - 4/30/2021	#1391
Richard Bardy	2/1/2021 - 4/30/2021	#1713
Cathryn Ticchio	2/1/2021 - 4/12/2021	#1715

C.4. 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

Vincent Kuprat

C.5. Leave Request

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

Employee ID	Paid/Unpaid
#2691	FMLA - August 31, 2020 through November 4, 2020 (paid and unpaid) NJFLA - November 9, 2020 through February 5, 2021 (unpaid) Extended Leave - February 8, 2021 through May 3, 20201 (unpaid) (This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on May 11, 2020)
#3153	FMLA - March 4, 2021 through April 16, 2021 (paid) FMLA - April 17, 2021 through May 14, 2021 (unpaid) NJFLA - May 17, 2021 through June 30, 2021 (unpaid) NJFLA - August 30, 2021 through October 15, 2021 (unpaid)
#3159	FMLA - April 5, 2021 through April 22, 2021 (paid) FMLA - April 23, 2021 through June 18, 2021 (unpaid) NJFLA - August 30, 2021 through November 19, 2021(unpaid) Extended Leave - November 22, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (unpaid)
#2879	FMLA - January 4, 2021 through January 21, 2021 (paid) FMLA - January 22, 2021 through March 4, 2021 (unpaid)
#3058	FMLA - May 20, 2021 through June 30, 2021 (paid) NJFLA - August 30, 2021 through November 19, 2021 (unpaid) Extended Leave - November 22, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (unpaid)
#3214	FMLA - November 17, 2020 through January 15, 2021 (paid) NJFLA - January 19, 2021 through April 16, 2021 (unpaid) (This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on August 3, 2020)
#1391	FMLA - February 1, 2021 through February 5, 2021 (paid) FMLA - February 8, 2021 through April 30, 2021 (unpaid)
#1715	FMLA - February 1, 2021 through April 12, 2021 (paid)
#1713	FMLA - February 1, 2021 through April 20, 2021 (paid) FMLA - April 21, 2021 through April 30, 2021 (unpaid)
#2580	FMLA - January 7, 2021 through on or about February 19, 2021 (paid)
#3243	FMLA - February 1, 2021 through March 12, 2021 (paid)
#0617	FMLA - January 4, 2021 through February 8, 2021 (paid) (This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on January 4, 2021)

C.6. Retirement/Resignation

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

of the following staff:

Name

Position

Location

Retirement/

Resignation

Dates of Service

Maria Grossman

Speech Therapist

02-40-20/ahx

ALT

Resignation

8/31/2020 - (on or about) 3/8/2021

Dorothy Stolfi

Grade 1 Teacher

02-50-22/abb

Retirement

9/1/2000 - 6/30/2021

C.7. After School Activities/Clubs

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the 2020-2021 after school activities/clubs, and the instructors for each, at the negotiated stipend rate.

C.8. Advancement on the Salary Guide

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff for amended placements on the 2020-2021 salary guide:

Name	From	To	Effective
Adam Yenish	MA+30	MA+45	02/01/2021
Aditi Patel	MA	MA+15	02/01/2021

D. Policy

D.1. Policy – First Reading

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the first reading of the following policy:

Number	Name	New/Revision	Source of Changes
P2464	Gifted and Talented Students	R	SEA / Curriculum Committee

XII. Unfinished Business

● Finance Committee - Mrs. Zohn asked a question regarding follow up budget action.

XIII. New Business

N/A

XIV. 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;

● Ms. Shefali Tejani, Aspen Court - asked a question regarding school closures.

● Ms. Mariette Dzeletovic, King George Road, discussed the parental surveys and student assistance.

● Ms. Heather Silver, Quail Run, discussed expanded in person student attendance.

● Ms. Sumitra Nicholson, Livingston Ave, asked a question regarding distribution of the hybrid calendar.

● Mr. Daniel Croson, Fairfield Ave, reiterated an interest in creatively addressing student needs.

● Ms. Nancy Andrews, WTEA President, thanked the Board of Education for their support of safety protocols.

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

XVI. Discussion

● Mt. Horeb School Standardized Testing - Mr. Weinstein addressed the timing of testing and return to school.

XVII. Adjourn

On motion by Mr. Bisci, seconded by Mr. Bellish, the meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m.

Minutes submitted by,

Patricia Leonhardt

Board Secretary

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