Warren Township Schools: Minutes for March 18, 2024

Minutes for March 18, 2024 Archived Minutes

A regular business meeting of the Board of Education was held this day at the Warren Middle School, 100 Old Stirling 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 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 11, 2024. 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: Mehul Desai, Natalie Feuchtbaum (via zoom), Laura Keller, Richard Molfetta, Todd Winstein (via zoom) and Patricia Zohn

Absent: Scott Otto and Ryan Valentino

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

Stephen Toor arrived at the meeting at 6:38 p.m.

IV. Minutes

● Ms. Keller moved the following:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the public minutes of the February 26, 2024 Board Meeting.

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

V. Correspondence and Information.

● Dr. Mingle reported on HIBs and suspensions.

· HIB Information

Total # of Investigations:			Total # of Determined Bullying Incidents:
	4			1

· Suspension Report

In School:			Out of School:
	0			1

· Fire Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
February 9	February 12	February 29	February 9	February 9

· Security Drills

ALT	Central	Mt. Horeb	Woodland	Middle
16-Feb	16-Feb	28-Feb	15-Feb	23-Feb
Lockdown	Lockdown	Lockdown	Lockdown	Lockdown

VI. President's Remarks - Mrs. Patricia Zohn

● Mrs. Zohn reported that she attended a ceremony to begin the season of Ramadan where the Warren Township Middle School Choir provided a portion of the entertainment.

● Mrs. Zohn reported on a situation with a recent school program with New Jersey Child Assault Prevention Program at Mount Horeb School.

VII. Superintendent’s Remarks - Dr. Matthew Mingle

● Dr. Mingle noted that the Middle School Play - Footloose Jr. will take place on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22.

● The public session on the use of Warren Township schools as polling locations will be held on March 27 at 6:00 p.m.

VIII. Presentation

● Tentative Budget - Mr. Chris Heagele presented the 2024-2025 tentative budget.

Mr. Stephen Toor arrived at 6:38 p.m.

IX. Discussion

None

X. Committee Reports

● Curriculum and Technology Committee - February 26, 2024

○ Stephen Toor - Chair, Mehul Desai, Rich Molfetta, Laura Keller - Alternate

■ Mr. Toor reported that the committee met on February 26 to discuss several topics: the iReady winter results, K-5 program and health academic instruction.

● Finance, Operations, and Security Committee - March 11, 2024

○ Patricia Zohn - Chair, Scott Otto - Vice Chair, Ryan Valentino, Rich Molfetta - Alternate

■ Mrs. Zohn reported that the committee met on March 11, to discuss recommending the budget to the board, to plan a meeting to discuss the Capital Improvement Plan on April 15 to prioritize projects, and the use of Warren Township Schools as polling places for the primary and general elections.

● Personnel, Negotiations, and Communication Committee - February 26 & March 13, 2024

○ Laura Keller - Chair, Natalie Feuchtbaum, Todd Weinstein, Stephen Toor - Alternate

■ Ms. Keller reported that the committee met on February 26 and March 13 to negotiate with the WTEA on a subsequent CBA.

● Ad Hoc Strategic Planning Committee - No Meeting

○ Laura Keller, Stephen Toor, Patricia Zohn

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;
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).

The Board of Education welcomes and encourages input from the public. Being mindful of privacy rights regarding students and board employees and to avoid any potential liability on the part of the speaker, the board discourages references to specific individuals. While directing your comments or questions to the board president, please understand that the public comment portions of the meeting are not structured as question and answer sessions but rather are offered as opportunities for you to share your thoughts with the board. The board president may need to refer an issue to the superintendent if the particular issue has not been handled through the appropriate chain of command with the school district. However, responses may be provided at the end of this session. There are times when comments and questions will require additional fact gathering before a response is provided.

None

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

XII. Items for Board Consideration/Action

● Dr. Mingle thanked Mrs. Zohn and others for their hard work on the preparation of the district’s budget for the 2024/2025 school year.

On motion by Ms. Keller, seconded by Mr. Desai, the consent items A.1., through A.3., B.1., through B.11., C.1., through C.9., and D.1., through D.3. were approved by a 7-0 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 February 26, 2024.

A.2. Tuition Contract

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following tuition contract with the parents of:

Student	School	Dates	Monthly Revenue
#TBD	Mt. Horeb	August 29, 2024 through June 30, 2025	$450.50

A.3. Tuition Contract - Sending District

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves a tuition contract with the Plainfield Public School District, for Student # 3881387219 to attend Warren Township School District’s 2023-2024 LLD program at Warren Middle School with tuition rate as follows:

School Year

Amount

Regular School Year

(3/18/2024 through 6/30/2024)

$13,450.80

B. Finance/Operations/Transportation

B.1. Payment of Bills

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the payment of bills for the month of March 2024 in the amount of $5,276,792.70.

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 February 2024.

WHEREAS, this report shows the following balances on February 29, 2024

FUND	CASH BALANCE	APPROPRIATION BALANCE	FUND BALANCE
(10) General Current Expense Fund	$7,732,052.07		$1,637,065.46
(10) General Current Expense		$0.00
(11) Current Expense		$2,270,954.16
(12) Capital Outlay		$893,586.94
(13) Special Schools		$239.03
(20) Special Revenue Fund	($52,380.83)	$150,939.45	$0.00
(30) Capital Projects Fund	$41,968.81	$92,979.45	$1,949,308.08
(40) Debt Service Fund	$0.00	$0.12	$179.41
TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS	$7,721,640.05	$3,408,699.15	$3,586,552.95
Wealth Mgmt - Capital Reserve	$4,900,000.00
Wealth Mgmt - Operating	$1,750,000.00
Wealth Mgmt - Capital Projects	$4,216,000.00
TOTAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT	$10,866,000.00
(60) Milk Fund	$0.00		$0.00
(61) Juice and Water Fund	$0.00		$0.00
(62) Food Service Account	$119,362.08	($315,823.37)	$58,742.82
TOTAL ENTERPRISE FUNDS	$119,362.08	($315,823.37)	$58,742.82

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 February 2024

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.	11-000-240-500-030-12-00	Admin - Purchased Services - CS	11-000-240-600-030-03-10	Admin Supplies - CS	$6
2.	11-000-240-500-033-12-00	Admin - Purchased Services - MS	11-000-240-600-033-07-10	Admin Supplies - MS	$6
3.	11-000-240-500-035-12-00	Admin - Purchased Services - MHS	11-000-240-600-035-04-10	Admin Supplies - MHS	$6
4.	11-000-240-500-040-12-00	Admin - Purchased Services - ALT	11-000-240-600-040-05-10	Admin Supplies - ALT	$6
5.	11-000-240-500-050-12-00	Admin - Purchased Services - WS	11-000-240-600-050-06-10	Admin Supplies - WS	$6
6.	11-000-270-512-033-07-99	Field Trip Transportation - MS	11-190-100-610-033-07-99	Instructional Supplies - MS	$8,360
7.	11-190-100-800-033-07-99	Field Trip Admission - MS	11-190-100-610-033-07-99	Instructional Supplies - MS	$6,287

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
Chris Heagele	District	New Jersey Association of School Business Officials Annual Conference	Atlantic City	June 2024	$1,023

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. Transportation - Out-of-District Student-SCESC - Regular School Year

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the transportation contract with Somerset County ESC for 2023-24 RSY transportation for Out-of-District students as follows:

School	Student ID #	Transportation Cost
Celebrate The Children	8830524421	$315.00 per diem*
Allegro School	8959312787	$358.05 per diem**

* This motion supersedes previous motion from November 20, 2023.

**This motion supersedes previous motion from January 22, 2024.

B.6. Joint Agreements between SCESC and Warren BOE

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves entering into the following joint agreements between Somerset County Educational Services Commission (SCESC) and the Warren Township Board of Education for the 2024-2025 School Year:

● Coordinated Transportation Services agreement, dated July 1, 2024, with an administration fee of 5.50%;

● Nonpublic Instructional Services Agreement and Addendum for Chapters 192/193, with an administrative fee of 6%;

● Nonpublic School Textbook Services agreement, dated July 1, 2024, with an administrative fee of 6%;

● Nonpublic School Technology Initiative Program agreement, dated July 1, 2024, with a state-approved administrative percentage (currently set at 5%);

● Nonpublic School Nursing Services agreement, dated July 1, 2024, with an administrative fee of 6%

● Nonpublic School Security Aid Program agreement, dated July 1, 2024, with no administrative fee charged;

● Nonpublic Instructional Services Agreement for Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, dated July 1, 2024, with no administrative fee.

B.7. Adoption of the 2024-2025 Tentative Budget

RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the tentative 2024-2025 Warren Township School District Budget and approves the tentative budget for submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools for Somerset County for review.

The tentative budget includes sufficient funds to provide curriculum and instruction which will enable all students to achieve the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and is in compliance with N.J.S.A. 18A and N.J.A.C Title 6 and 6A.

Proposed 2024-2025 Budget
Appropriations:		Revenue:
Fund 10
Transfer to Charter Schools (10)	$21,499	State Aid: General Fund	$3,294,257
Operating Budget (11)	$50,331,043	Tax Levy: General Fund	$46,249,908
Capital Outlay (12)	$373,777	Other Revenues	$1,048,385
Summer School (13)	$451,231	Fund Balance	$585,000
FUND 10 TOTAL	$51,177,550	FUND 10 TOTAL	$51,177,550

Fund 20
Special Revenue Appropriations	$454,572	Grants - Local	$21,000
		Grants - Federal	$433,572
FUND 20 TOTAL	$454,572		$454,572

GRAND TOTAL	$51,632,122	GRAND TOTAL	$51,632,122

FURTHER RESOLVED, the tentative budget includes an increase in the tax levy which utilizes an enrollment adjustment of $1,195,656 and an inflation adjustment of $417,060 (partial allowable amount only), as allowed by law, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, per NJAC 6A:23B-1.2(b), the tentative budget provides for a maximum expenditure amount that may be allotted for travel and expense reimbursement. The 2024-2025 tentative budget includes a maximum travel appropriation of $125,000. The School Business Administrator shall track and record these costs to insure that the maximum amount is not exceeded, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, a Board of Education may, and this Board does, establish, for regular district business travel only, an annual school year threshold of $1,500 per staff member where prior Board approval shall not be required for regular business travel, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Education hereby establishes April 29, 2024 as the date for the Public Hearing on the budget and authorizes the Superintendent and Board Secretary, after approval by the Executive County Superintendent of Schools, to advertise the budget and the budget hearing as required by law.

B.8. Vehicle Purchase 2023-2024

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following vehicle purchases:

Vehicle	Cost
1 - 2025 Chevrolet Type B, 24 Passenger School Bus	$93,520.27*
1 - 2023 Ford F-450 Truck	$86,047.00**

* Purchase from Van-Con, Inc. through ESCNJ Cooperative Bid # 23/24-21.

** Purchase from Nielsen Ford through NJ State Contract #A88214 - 23-FLEET-34923

B.9. Approval of School Development Authority (SDA) Grant Submission

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the application submission

of the SDA Emergent and Capital Needs grant, for which the district’s allocation is $36,311.00. Grant monies will be used to purchase emergent roof repairs and emergent sewer repair.

B.10. Camden County ESC Agreement

WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-11(5) authorizes contracting units to establish a Cooperative Pricing System and to enter into Cooperative Pricing Agreements for its administration; and

WHEREAS, the Camden County Educational Services Commission, hereinafter referred to as the “Lead Agency" has offered voluntary participation in a Cooperative Pricing System for the purchase of goods and services;

WHEREAS, on March 18, 2024 the Warren Township Board of Education, County of Somerset, State of New Jersey, duly considered participation in a Cooperative Pricing System for the provision and performance of goods and services;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:11-11(5), the School Business Administrator is hereby authorized to enter into a Cooperative Pricing Agreement with the Lead Agency. The Lead Agency shall be responsible for complying with the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.) and all other provisions of the revised statutes of the State of New Jersey.

B.11. AlphaBest Contract Extension

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves a contract extension with AlphaBEST Education, Inc. to provide Before and After School Program Services with an extended term through June 30, 2027.

C. Personnel/Student Services

C.1. Employment for the 2023-2024 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

Katherine Gorski

District Communications and Human Resources Coordinator

03-01-07/axs

District

N/A

$71,000

April 3, 2024, through June 30, 2024

Yes

Replaces Employee #3287

Mary Johnstone

Preschool Classroom Paraprofessional

08-35-08/bpt

N/A

$28,380 (with stipend)

March 29, 2024 through June 30, 2024

New Position

C.2. Substitute Teachers

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following to be appointed as substitute teachers for the 2023-2024 school year.

Names

Ross Sheitelman

Eliana Neuwirth

Linda Hatcher

Julianna Gong

C.3. Leave Request

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

Employee ID

Paid/Unpaid

#2818

FMLA - April 9, 2024, through May 20, 2024 (paid)

FMLA - May 21, 2024, through June 7, 2024 (unpaid)

NJFLA - June 10, 2024, through June 17, 2024 (unpaid)

NJFLA - August 27, 2024, through November 11, 2024 (unpaid)

(This motion supersedes the previous motion approved on January 22, 2024)

#2085

FMLA - March 7, 2024, through on or around March 28, 2024 (paid)

C. 4. Warren Academy Courses - Instructor Stipend 2023-2024

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
Marissa Marton-Sarao	Getting Organized with Google!	April 12, 2024	3	1	$200
Cynthia Cassidy	Read Write Think: Supporting Students in the Classroom	April 16, 2024	3	1	$200
Cynthia Cassidy	Making Classlink Work for You	April 22, 2024	1	1	$100
Cynthia Cassidy	Classlink: The Student Dashboard	April 25, 2024	3	1	$200
Beth Alcaraz	Differentiation in the Classroom	April 11 & 30, 2024	4	2	$300

C.5. Compacted Schedule for Summer 2024

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves a four-day compacted

work schedule for Summer 2024, from the week of June 24, up to and including the week of August 12th.

C.6. Summer Technology Assistants 2024

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the list of Summer Technology Assistants.

C.7. Long Term Substitutes

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following Long Term Substitutes:

Name	Dates	Employee #
Laura Lofling	March 4, 2024, through June 14, 2024	#3384

C.8. Retirement/Resignation

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

of the following staff:

Name

Position

Location

Retirement/

Resignation

Dates of Service

Shannon Regan

District Communications and Human Resources Coordinator

03-01-07/axs

District

Resignation

February 1, 2018 through April 5, 2024

C.9. 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

Notes

Robert Dallas

May 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024

Night Custodian (head), MH

$48,860

(with stipend)

04-35-10/ajg

Day Custodian, (head), MH

$53,500

(with stipend)

4-35-10/adi

To replace employee #0738

D. Policy

D.1. Policies – Second Reading

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the second reading and adoption of the following policies:

Number	Name	New/Revision	Source of Changes
P1140	Educational Equity Policies/Affirmative Action	Revised	SEA
P1523	Comprehensive Equity Plan	Revised	SEA
P1530	Equal Employment Opportunities	Revised	SEA
P1550	Equal Employment/Anti-Discrimination Practices	Revised	SEA
P2260	Equity in School and Classroom Practices	Revised	SEA
P2411	Guidance Counseling	Revised	SEA
P2423	Bilingual Education	Revised	SEA
P2431.4	Prevention and Treatment of Sports-Related Concussions and Head Injuries	Revised	SEA
P3211	Code of Ethics	Revised	SEA
P5570	Sportsmanship	Revised	SEA
P5750	Equitable Educational Opportunity	Revised	SEA
P5841	Secret Societies	Revised	SEA
P5842	Equal Access of Student Organizations	Revised	SEA
P7610	Vandalism	Revised	SEA
P9323	Notification of Juvenile Offender Case Disposition	Revised	SEA
P5512	Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying	Revised	WTS

D.2. Regulations – Second Reading

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the second reading and adoption of the following regulations:

Number	Name	New/Revision	Source of Changes
R1530	Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint Procedure	Revised	SEA
R2431.4	Prevention and Treatment of Sports-Related Concussions and Head Injuries	Revised	SEA

D.3. Abolishment

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves abolishment of the following policy:

Number	Name	New/Revision	Source of Changes
P5755	Equity in Education Programs and Services	Abolish	SEA

XIII. Unfinished Business

None

XIV. New Business

● Personnel, Negotiations, and Communications Committee Review of Policy #5250 - Excusal from Class or Program - Mrs. Zohn introduced the need for a review committee on the opt out procedures.

○ RESOLVED, that the Board of Education directs the Personnel, Negotiations, and Communications Committee to review the District’s “opt out” procedures and to report back to the full board with any conclusions and/or recommendations.

On motion by Ms. Keller to approve the formation of a review committee, seconded by Mr. Toor, the motion was approved by a 7-0 voice vote.

XV. 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;

● Rachel Singleton, Deer Wood Trail West - Made comments and had questions regarding recent changes to the health curriculum.

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

XVI. Executive Session

● At 7:10 p.m. Ms. Keller 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:

a collective bargaining agreement and/or negotiations related to it

a matter involving the purchase, lease, or acquisition of real property with public funds

Action will not be taken upon return to public session;

the length of the meeting is anticipated to be approximately 20 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. Otto and approved by unanimous voice vote.

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

XVII. Adjourn

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

Minutes submitted by,

Christopher Heagele

Board Secretary

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