MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE

NORTH HUNTERDON-VOORHEES REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF EDUCATION - HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ

Meeting Location - District Administration Office, 1445 Route 31, Annandale, NJ 08801

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

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At 7:00 p.m., School Board President, R. Kirchberger called the meeting to order and led the opening activities.

1. Call to Order and Open Public Meeting Act Statement
2. Roll Call

Also present:  R. Bergacs, Assistant Superintendent, S. Press, Business Administrator / Board Secretary, Z. Baharev, Director of Special Services, A. Broan, Director of Curriculum, Articulation and Student Achievement, L. LaMonte, District Comptroller, G. Vargas-Dellacasa, Technology Coordinator, M. Smagala, Communications Coordinator, G. Cottrell, Principal, North Hunterdon High School, R. Peterson, Principal, Voorhees High School, F. Cousland, School Board Attorney, Riker Danzig, Scherer, Hyland, Perretti and approximately sixty members of the public.

3. Flag Salute
4. Motion by R. Straight, second by H. Richards to approve agenda item 4.1.  The motion carried with abstentions by R. Straight and J. Viotto.  Note:  School Board members J. Melick and C. Allen-Munley were not present at the time of this vote.  

1. Minutes of the March 19, 2019 board meeting 

5. Public Hearing and Adoption of the 2019-2020 School Year Budget

1. District Communications Coordinator, M. Smagala reviewed the slide presentation on the 2019-2020 school year budget.  School Board President, R. Kirchberger called for comments from School Board members; there were none.
2. Public comment -School Board President, R. Kirchberger called for comments from members of the public; there were none.
3. Motion by R. Straight, second by H. Richards to adopt resolution F43019-1 establishing the 2019-2020 school year budget including maximum travel reimbursement and maximum expenditures for professional services.  School Board member, J. Melick commented that he supports the budget and has concerns about the future.  Upon a roll call vote, the motion carried; in favor - C. Allen-Munley, S. Crisologo, L. Diederich, F. Goger, T. Hintz, R. Kirchberger, J. Melick, H. Richards, T. Roll, R. Straight, and J. Viotto; opposed - R. McLaughlin; abstentions - none.

6. Chief School Administrator’s Report - Assistant Superintendent of Schools, R. Bergacs presented the following items on behalf of Chief School Administrator, J. Bender, who was not in attendance:

1. Report on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB)
2. Motion by R. Straight, second by J. Melick to affirm the determinations on the HIB incidents reported at the March 19, 2019 board meeting.  The motion carried unanimously.
3. Motion by R. Straight, second by H. Richards to adopt resolution F43019-2 recognizing Teacher Appreciation Week May 6 -10, 2019.  The motion carried unanimously.
4. Monthly reports 
5. Student recognition - North Hunterdon High School students placed in the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Courtroom Art Contest; first place, Sarah Switlyk  and honorable mention, Gerard Murjani.
6. May 6 - 17, 2019 - Advanced placement exams will be administered.
7. May 10, 2019 - Relay for Life at North Hunterdon High School.
8. Recognition - The North Hunterdon Education Foundation was recognized by the New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership with an award for Outstanding Education Foundation Program for its college bound programming.

7. School Board President’s Report - School Board President, R. Kirchberger reported the following:

1. May 21, 2019 - Board meeting - 7:00 p.m. - District Administration Office
2. June 7, 2019 - Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:17-20.3a, and in preparation for the June 18, 2019 Board Goal Setting Meeting, School Board members are requested to complete the Board Self-Evaluation and Chief School Administrator Evaluation now  available online at New Jersey School Boards Association.
3. June 18, 2019 - Goal setting meeting and Board meeting - 6:00 p.m. - District Administration Office
4. July 29, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. - Deadline for submission, of November School Election Nominating Petitions, to the office of the Hunterdon County Clerk  
5. Statement regarding Policy 2530 (added to the agenda on 4/29/19)

8. School Board Committee Reports

1. Community Relations & Student Affairs Committee Chair, J. Viotto advised that the committee did not meet this month.
2. Personnel Committee Chair, S. Crisologo reported that the committee met and discussed the personnel agenda recommendations.
3. Policy Committee Chair, T. Roll reported that the committee reviewed policies presented on the agenda, discussed the athletic handbook and recommended that security be included as part of the policy committee
4. Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee Chair, F. Goger reported on a petition from Voorhees High School for a national honor society for social studies, upcoming class observation training, student testing and the student success committee will focus on homework goals
5. Facilities, Finance and Transportation Committee member R. Straight advised that the committee discussed the 2019-2020 budget

9. Old Business 

1. Facilities, Finance and Transportation Committee review of policies related to school security and identified that school security will be included as a component of the Policy Committee
2. Policy Committee review of the Athletic Handbook - ongoing
3. Order of the Board agenda - New Business to appear before executive session

10. Opportunity for Public Comment - The following members of the public addressed the School Board, as indicated on the public sign in sheet, Exhibit A:

11. Motion by J. Viotto, second by R. McLaughlin to approve agenda items 12.1 - 15.14  The motion carried, with the following abstentions, S. Crisologo on agenda item 15.14 travel request 20-0005 and T. Hintz on agenda item 15.14 travel request 20-0004.
12. Curriculum, Instruction and Technology

1. Home instruction and out-of-district placements  

13. Community Relations / Student Affairs

1. Authorization to submit application for membership to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for North Hunterdon High School and Voorhees High School for the 2019-2020 school year

14. Policy

1. First reading of board policies

15. Finance, Facilities and Transportation

1. Agreement with Comcast Cable Communication Management, LLC of Philadelphia, PA for the provision of internet services  
2. Agreement with ESS Northeast, LLC of Cherry Hill, NJ for the provision of substitute staffing services for the 2019-2020 school year
3. Agreement with Stronge and Associates Educational Consulting, LLC of Celebration, FL in the amount of $3,400 for training on August 13, 2019
4. Agreement with Educational Services Commission of Morris County of  Morristown, NJ for professional support / non-public services for the 2019-2020 school year
5. Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission 2019-2020 rates 
6. Payment, in the amount of $1,762.05, be made on behalf of student #20200144 for instructional services provided to the student for the period of March 7, 2019 through March 29, 2019
7. Change order #13 in the amount of $1,960.47 - state project #3660-050-18-5000 renovations to room 125 and 126 at North Hunterdon High School  
8. Declare district property as damaged and / or obsolete and grant authorization for disposal
9. Check journals 
10. Treasurer and Board Secretary report March 2019
11. Transfer report March 2019
12. State contract purchases pursuant to N.J.A.C. 18A:18A
13. Staff training and travel requests
14. Board member training and travel requests                    

16. Motion by S. Crisologo, second by T. Roll to adopt the resolution for executive session.  The motion carried unanimously and the Board adjourned to executive session at approximately 8:00 p.m.  

Resolution read by the School Board President, R. Kirchberger:  Whereas, Section 7 of the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-12 authorizes a public body to exclude the public from that portion of a meeting at which the Board discusses topics falling within certain specified exceptions to the requirement for open public meetings; and Whereas, the matters to be discussed fall within one or more of those exceptions, now therefore be it Resolved, that the Board of Education of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District now adjourns from public session to executive session for the purpose of discussing the following:

15. Personnel - recommendations for appointments, separations, changes in salary,  changes in assignment, and leaves of absence
16. Pending and threatened litigation and matters falling within the attorney-client privilege
17. Executive session minutes March 19, 2019  

17. Motion by R. McLaughlin, second by J. Viotto to reconvene public session.  The motion carried unanimously and the School Board reconvened in public session at 9:08 p.m.
18. New Business

1. Recommendation by School Board member L. Diederich, for the Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee to review the Math program
2. Request by School Board member R. McLaughlin for consideration to invite students and employees to School Board meetings for recognition  

19. Motion by S. Crisologo, second by T. Hintz to approve agenda items 19.1 - 19.2 including three hand carried items as read by Board President, R. Kirchberger and noted as follows:  

Hand carry 1 - Motion to approve the settlement of litigation involving former employee #1995 in accordance with terms discussed by the Board of Education in closed session, subject to review and approval of a written settlement agreement by the Board Attorney and Superintendent; and upon such review and approval, to authorize the Superintendent to execute the settlement agreement on behalf of the Board of Education; and to direct its implementation.  

Hand carry 2 - Motion to approve the settlement of litigation involving student #20227628 in accordance with terms discussed by the Board of Education in closed session and to authorize the Superintendent to execute the settlement agreement on behalf of the Board of Education; and to direct its implementation.  

Hand carry 3 - Motion to approve the settlement of litigation involving student #20222803 in accordance with terms discussed by the Board of Education in closed session and to authorize the Superintendent to execute the settlement agreement on behalf of the Board of Education; and to direct its implementation.  

3. Personnel agenda P04302019
4. Executive session minutes March 19, 2019  

Upon a roll call vote, the motion carried with abstentions by R. Straight and J. Viotto on agenda item 19.2, minutes for a meeting they did not attend.

20. Motion by J. Viotto, second by H. Richards to adjourn.  The motion carried unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Press

Susan Press

School Business Administrator and Board Secretary