Warren Township Schools: Minutes for February 6, 2023

Minutes for February 6, 2023 Archived Minutes

A regular business meeting of the Board of Education was held this day at the Central School, 109 Mount Bethel Road. The public was welcome to attend in person or virtually through the online Zoom platform. The following is a record of that meeting.

I. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Board Vice President Patricia Zohn

Open Public Meeting Statement – Mrs. Zohn 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 9, 2023. This notice was on that date posted on the bulletin board in the Township Office, sent to the Courier News and TAPinto Warren, and filed with the Township Clerk of the Township of Warren, all in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act.”

II. Pledge of Allegiance – Mrs. Zohn led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Roll Call

Present: David Breeze, Natalie Feuchtbaum, Laura Keller, Scott Otto, Ryan Valentino, and Patricia Zohn

Absent: Todd Weinstein

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

Mehul Desai arrived at 6:45 p.m.

IV. Acting President’s Remarks - Mrs. Patricia Zohn

● Recognition of Outgoing Board Member - Mr. Daniel Croson. Mrs. Zohn made comments regarding the resignation of Mr. Croson as board member and board president. Mrs. Zohn read and presented Mr. Croson with a resolution of appreciation for his service to the board and the community.

● Board Vacancy Announcement - Mrs. Zohn made an announcement that a vacancy is now available on the board. She explained the process to fill Mr. Croson’s unexpired term, which will end with a selection by the board at its next meeting on February 27.

V. Election of Board Officer

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

Mr. David Brezee was nominated by Mrs. Patricia Zohn. Seeing no other nominations, nominations were closed.

Mr. David Brezee was elected President with a 6-0 roll-call vote.

Board President Brezee presided over the remainder of the meeting.

VI. Minutes

● Mrs. Zohn moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public minutes of the January 26, 2023 Board Meeting.

The motion was seconded by Mr. Brezee and approved by a 6-0 roll-call vote.

VII. Correspondence and Information

● Dr. Mingle gave a brief report on correspondence and HIB investigation.

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:			Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:
	2			1

· Suspension Report

In School:			Out of School:
	1			0

· Fire Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
January 18	January 27	January 4	January 5	January 17

· Security Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
January 25	January 3	January 17	January 18	January 9
Lockdown	Non-Fire Evacuation	Lockdown	Lockdown	Lockdown

VIII. President's Remarks - Mr. David Brezee

Mr. Brezee thanked Central School staff for hosting tonight’s Board meeting.

Mr. Brezee welcomed the new staff members listed in agenda items C.1. and C.2.

Mr. Brezee congratulated staff who advanced on guide as listed in agenda item C.4.

Mr. Brezee congratulated the retirees as listed in agenda item C.11.

IX. Superintendent’s Remarks - Dr. Matthew Mingle

Dr. Mingle thanked Mrs. Zohn for her time as acting board president.

Dr. Mingle mentioned that Warren Middle School came in 4th place in a recent national history competition.

Dr. Mingle highlighted a recent mock trial event.

Dr. Mingle recognized the district’s school counselors and thanked all counselors for their service to our students.

X. Presentations

● Central School Student Feature - Mrs. Alison Tugya. Mr. Tugya introduced the Central School staff responsible for the Central School feature on the school’s kindergarten experience.

Mr. Mehul Desai arrived at 6:45 p.m.

XI. Discussion

None

XII. Committee Reports

● Curriculum, Communications, and Technology Committee - No Meeting

○ Ryan Valentino - Chair, Mehul Desai, Natalie Feuchtbaum, Todd Weinstein

● Finance, Operations, and Security Committee - No Meeting

○ Patricia Zohn - Chair, David Brezee, Scott Otto, Ryan Valentino

● Personnel and Negotiations Committee - No Meeting

○ Laura Keller - Chair, David Brezee, Todd Weinstein

XIII. 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).

● Ms. Shefali Tejani, Aspen Court - Spoke on the recent board vacancy.

On motion by Mr. Otto to close public commentary, seconded by Ms. Keller, the motion was approved by a 7-0 voice vote.

XIV. Items for Board Consideration/Action

Ms. Keller asked that motion C.1., be pulled for a separate vote.

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Mr. Desai, the consent items A.1., through A.4., B.1., and C.2., through C.13., were approved by a 7-0 roll-call vote.

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Ms. Keller, the consent item C.1., was approved by a 6-0-1 roll-call vote. (Ms. Keller abstained.)

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 23, 2023.

A.2. Board Norms for Communications and Operations

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the Board Norms

for Communication and Operations.

A.3. Fieldwork Site

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following supervised clinical fieldwork at Warren Township School District for the 2022-2023 School Year:

School	Clinical Field
Monmouth University	Speech Language Pathology

A.4. Bedside Instruction

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the bedside instruction through Silvergate Prep for Student #2063384875, beginning January 31, 2023, at an hourly rate of $40, at a cost not to exceed $2,400.

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. 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
Michael Pate	B&G	New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association	Somerset	Mar 20-22, 2023	$737
Cheryl Hall	Transp.	New Jersey Pupil Transportation Conference	Atlantic City	Mar 30-31, 2023	$714
Michelle Zgombic	MTH	International Society for Technology in Education	Philadelphia, PA	June 25-28, 2023	$593
Kimberly Bostory	ALT	5th Annual Whole Child Conference	Monroe Township	Mar 16, 2023	$183

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.

C. Personnel/Student Services

C.1. Employment for the 2022-2023 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
Mariana Arango Guzman	Grade 1 Teacher 02-40-22/bnp	ALT	BA	1	$60,298	February 1, 2023 Through June 30, 2023	Yes	To replace employee #3675
Emily Baker	Leave Replacement Teacher	WMS	MA+15	16-17	$85,736	On or about February 7, 2023 through June 30, 2023	No	To replace employee #2684
Adam Dipaolo	Leave Replacement Teacher	WMS	BA+15	16-17	$78,281	February 7, 2023 through on or about May 31, 2023	No	To replace employee #1920
David Spiller	1:1 Paraprofessional 08-35-08/bon	MH	N/A	1	$27,923	On or about February 7, 2023 through June 30, 2023	No	New Position

C.2. Substitute Teacher

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following to be appointed as a substitute teacher for the 2022-2023 school year.

Name

Sara Byrne

C.3. Leave Request

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

Employee ID	Paid/Unpaid
#3147	FMLA - May 1, 2023 through June 16, 2023 (paid) NJFLA - August 28, 2023 through November 17, 2023 (unpaid)
#0366	FMLA - January 9, 2023 through January 27, 2023 (paid)
#2262	January 23, 2023 through February 6, 2023 (paid)
#2053	FMLA - January 9, 2023 through March 31, 2023 (paid) Extended Leave - April 1, 2023 through June 16, 2023 (paid)
#1920	FMLA - February 6, 2023 through May 5, 2023 (paid) Extended Leave - May 8, 2023 through June 7, 2023 (paid) Extended Leave - June 8, 2023 through June 16, 2023 (unpaid)
#3321	FMLA - May 8, 2023 through June 16, 2023 (paid) NJFLA - August 28, 2023 through November 17, 2023 (unpaid) Extended Leave - November 20, 2023 through March 1, 2024 (unpaid)
#2684 *	FMLA - May 2, 2022 through June 30, 2022 (paid) NJFLA - August 29, 2022 through November 18, 2022 (unpaid) Extended Leave - November 21, 2022 through May 31, 2023 (unpaid)

*(This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on August 29, 2022)

C.4. Advancement on the Salary Guide

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following staff for amended placements on the 2022-2023 salary guide:

Name	From	To	Effective
Nancy Andrews	MA+15	MA+30	02/01/2023
Lindsay La Neve	MA	MA+15	02/01/2023
Katie Cameron	MA	MA+15	02/01/2023
Gianna Bonfiglio	BA+15	MA	02/01/2023

C.5. Long Term Substitute - Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following Long Term Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant as follows:

Name	Effective Date	Replacing Employee #	Rate
Theresa Godfrey	On or about February 24, 2023 through on or about June 8, 2023	#2167	$68 per hour. 10 hours maximum per week.

C.6. Warren Academy Courses - Instructor Stipend 2022-2023

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.

Staff Member	Course	Date	Prep Hours	Instructor Hours	Cost Total Not to Exceed
Kimberly Bostory	Artificial Intelligence and its impact on Education	February 23, 2023	3	1	$200
Cynthia Cassidy	Artificial Intelligence and its impact on Education	February 23, 2023	3	1	$200
Kimberly Bostory	ChatGPT: What is it? And How to Use it to Your Advantage	February 28, 2023	3	1	$200
Kimberly Bostory	ChatGPT: What is it? And How to Use it to Your Advantage (WMS)	March 1, 2023	3	1	$200
Cynthia Cassidy	ChatGPT: What is it? And How to Use it to Your Advantage (WMS)	March 1, 2023	3	1	$200
Francesca Frosoni	Next Generation Guided Reading	April 11, 2023	4	2	$300
Rebecca Hartman	How to Take Behavioral Data	February 23, 2023	3	1	$200
Rebecca Hartman	Behavior Management: Quick tips for effective intervention	March 2, 2023	3	1	$200
Josephine Maccagnan	Fundations: The Double Dose Method	March 6, 2023	1	1	$100
Elena Marinello	Fundations: The Double Dose Method	March 6, 2023	1	1	$100

(*The district may use ESSER funds for this session.)

C.7. Approval to Create Positions

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby approves to create the following positions for 2022-2023 school year:

Location	Position	Full-Time Equivalent
MH	1:1 Preschool Paraprofessional 08-35-08/bon	32.5
MH	1:1 Paraprofessional 08-35-08/bop	32.5
WS	1:1 Paraprofessional 08-50–08/boq	32.5
CS	1:1 Paraprofessional 08-30-08/bor	32.5

C.8. Summer Fun Positions - 2022-2023

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following Summer Fun/ESY positions for the 2023 school year.

Name	Position	Location	Salary
Meryl Lettire	Summer Fun/ESY Principal/Supervisor	ALT	$17,331
Jessica Decelle	0.5 Summer Fun/ESY Assistant Principal	ALT	$5,211
Kristen Stoyanov	0.5 Summer Fun/ESY Assistant Principal	ALT	$5,211
Jenna Rotella	Summer Fun/ESY Secretary	ALT	$4,000

C.9. Employee Discipline

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the suspension, without pay, of employee #3625 effective January 31, 2023 through February 6, 2023.

C.10. Clubs/After School Activities

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following 2022-2023 after-school activities/clubs, and the instructors, at the negotiated stipend rate.

Name	Club	School	Cost
Susan Cooper	E2 - Extra Club Duties	MS	$1,470
Kristen Boni	Volleyball Club	MS	$735
Sean Mealey	Basketball Club	MS	$1,470

C.11. Retirement/Resignation

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the retirement/resignations of the following staff:

Name

Position

Location

Retirement/

Resignation

Dates of Service

Denise Kennedy

Reading Recovery/ASAP Teacher

02-50-22/bmo

02-35-22/ahf

Retirement

September 1, 2001, through June 30, 2023

Carol Brown

Student Assistance Counselor/Social Worker

WMS

Retirement

September 1, 2003 through June 30, 2023

C.12. Resignation - Board of Education

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby accepts the resignation of Board of Education member Mr. Daniel Croson, with gratitude for his service to the Warren Township students, effective January 26, 2023.

C.13. Special Education Service Provider List

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following Service Provider addition for the 2022-2023 school year:

Name	Rate
Therapy Source	Speech Therapy Services at a rate of $92 per hour

XV. Unfinished Business

None

XVI. New Business

● Adjustment to Committee Responsibilities

Mrs. Zohn made the following motion:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education directs the Superintendent to take necessary actions to update district policies, regulations, and/or practices to shift responsibility for Communications from the Curriculum, Communications, and Technology Committee to the Personnel and Negotiations Committee.

Seconded by Mr. Valentino, the motion was approved by a 7-0 roll-call vote.

XVII. 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;

There was no public comment.

On motion by Mr. Otto to close public commentary, seconded by Mrs. Keller, the motion was approved by a 7-0 voice vote.

XVIII. Executive Session

● At 7:06 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:

● material the disclosure of which constitutes an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy; 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 Ms. Keller and approved by unanimous voice vote.

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Ms. Keller, the Board reconvened in open session at 7:45 p.m.

Mrs. Zohn made the following motion:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education affirms the Superintendent’s decision regarding the appeal of Student #700074’s school assignment for the 2023-2024 school year.

Seconded by Ms. Keller, the motion was approved by a 7-0 roll-call vote.

XIX. Adjourn

On motion by Mrs. Zohn, seconded by Ms. Keller, the meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m.

Minutes submitted by,

Christopher Heagele

Board Secretary

Google Translate Google Translate Google Translate Google Translate Google Translate