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Agenda:

Public comments are invited on any educationally pertinent subject.  All participants will be given five (5) minutes to state their issue.  In addition, the subject matter may be discussed by the Board for an additional five (5) minutes.  All audience participants must state their name and address before speaking.  Thank you for your understanding.

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President Gallant called the meeting to order on August 14, 2007 at 7:32pm. Mrs. Barna read the following opening statement:  “I would like to announce and have placed in the minutes that adequate notice of this regular meeting of the Lopatcong Township Board of Education has been provided in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act by publication in the Express-Times.  A copy of the agenda has been filed with the Township Clerk and posted at both school locations.”

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Present:  Dennis Drake, Robert Edinger, Ernie Gallant, Terry Glennon, Kurt Kessler, Judy Liptak, Frank Kish (arrived at 7:41pm), Greg McGann, and Bill Taggart.

Absent:  None

Others Present:  Dr. Michael Rossi, Superintendent; Teresa E. Barna, Business Administrator/Board Secretary; Rosemary Kowalchuk, Principal; and 10 members of the public.

Motion by Mr. Taggart, second by Mr. Edinger, that the minutes of the July 24, 2007 meeting be approved and filed. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

Motion by Mr. Kessler, second by Mr. Edinger, that the bills submitted for the August 14, 2007 meeting, for the operating account, be approved for payment. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

Motion by Mr. Taggart, seconded by Mr. Edinger, that the Secretary/Treasurer’s Reports submitted for the month ending May 31, 2007, which agree with each other and the bank, be approved and filed. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

Motion by Mr. Taggart, seconded by Mr. Edinger, as follows: Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:23-2.11(c)3, the Board Secretary certifies that no line account has encumbrances and expenditures, which in total exceed the line item appropriation in violation of N.J.A.C. 6A:23-2.11(a) and;

Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:23-2.11(c)4, we certify that as of May 31, 2007, after review of the monthly report (appropriation section) and upon consultation with the appropriate officials, to the best of our knowledge no major line account or fund has been over-expended in violation of N.J.A.C. 6A:23-2.11(b), and that sufficient funds are available to meet the district’s financial obligations for the entire fiscal year.  Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

Strauss Esmay was scheduled to give a presentation to the board regarding development and maintenance of school district policies.  This presentation has been rescheduled for the October board meeting.

The Policy Committee will meet at 6:30pm prior to the start of the October meeting.

Motion by Mr. Taggart, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, hire Jean Beischer as the Administrative Confidential Secretary for the Lopatcong Elementary School effective on a date to be determined at a salary of $38,000 prorated.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mr. Taggart, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, hire Douglas Ryan as a middle school math teacher for the 2007-2008 school year at locator MM/BA.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mrs. Liptak, second by Mr. Kessler, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, hire Edward Reid as a long term substitute for a maternity leave replacement in Grade 4 effective September 1, 2007 through November 21, 2007 at locator RR/BA.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Glennon, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve travel and expense reimbursements for district staff as presented and attached to these minutes.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Kessler, second by Mr. Taggart, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the Integrated Pest Management Plan for the 2007-2008 school year as presented and attached to these minutes and as required by the New Jersey Integrated Pest Management Act.

Vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Edinger, second by Mr. Kessler, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve a contract with the Kiddie Academy for technology services for the 2007-2008 school year for an amount not to exceed $400.00 as provided by the State of New Jersey.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Mr. Kish arrived at 7:41pm.

Motion by Mr. Drake, second by Mr. Taggart, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, enter into an agreement with the Warren County Health Department to provide nursing services to the Kiddie Academy for the 2007-2008 school year in the amount not to exceed $772.00 as provided by the State of New Jersey.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Taggart, second by Mr. Kish, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve a contract with the Phillipsburg Christian Academy for technology services for the 2007-2008 school year for an amount not to exceed $1,880.00 as provided by the State of New Jersey.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Kish, second by Mr. Taggart, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, enter into an agreement with the Warren County Health Department to provide nursing services to the Phillipsburg Christian Academy for the 2007-2008 school year in the amount not to exceed $3,628.00 as provided by the State of New Jersey.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, adopt the K-4 Health and Physical Education Curriculum as presented.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mrs. Liptak, second by Mr. Kessler, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, adopt the 5-8 Health and Physical Education Curriculum as presented.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Glennon, second by Mr. Kish, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, adopt the 5-8 Spanish Curriculum as presented.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Mrs. Liptak commented on the great job the teaching staff did on the curriculum writing and revisions.

Motion by Mr. Kessler, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the placement of one Lopatcong student at the Midland School for the 2007-2008 school year and to approve a tuition contract for such placement in the amount of $36,720.00.

Roll call vote: 9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Edinger, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, adopt the following revised policies as read, attached to these minutes and filed in the district policy manual.

Roll call vote:  Drake – No, Edinger – Yes, Glennon – No, Kessler – No, Kish – No, Liptak – No, McGann – No, Taggart – Yes, Gallant – Yes.

Motion does not carry.  A lengthy public discussion took place regarding this policy.  The discussion focused on where or not students should be allowed to bring food to school to celebrate their birthday.  Several board members felt strongly that the students should be able to bring food items to school, therefore the motion was defeated 6 to 3.  The policy as presented to the board of education for approval indicated that food items could not be brought to school for birthdays.  In conclusion, the board decided that the district should allow food items to be brought to school for birthdays, but those food items must meet the requirements of the Student Wellness and Nutrition Policy and would not be considered a “Special School Celebration” as defined by the policy.  The administration was directed to develop a list of acceptable suggestions for parents to choose from when bringing food items to school for birthdays.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mrs. Liptak, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, adopt the following revised policies as amended, read, attached to these minutes and filed in the district policy manual.

Roll call vote:  Drake – Yes, Edinger – No, Glennon – Yes, Kessler – Yes, Kish – Yes, Liptak – Yes, McGann – Yes, Taggart – No, Gallant – Yes.  Motion carried.

Mr. Taggart left at 8:35pm.

Motion by Mr. Drake, second by Mr. Kish, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the list of Special School Celebrations for the 2007-2008 school year as presented and attached to these minutes.

Vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the 2007-2008 substitute teacher list as presented and attached to these minutes.

Roll call vote:  McGann – abstain.  7 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the following requests for use of facilities:

Vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mrs. Liptak, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation of the Superintendent, that beginning January 2008, absent full funding from the NJ DOE, Lopatcong Township School District begin a feasibility study, either in ‘quick study’ form or as a complete study, in cooperation with as many sending district partners as agree, to investigate avenues that would enable the construction of a new high school.

Roll call vote:  Gallant – No.  7 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Mr. Glennon asked for further information about what the previous motion means.  Dr. Rossi explained that the resolution hopes to put a timeframe around waiting on false promises from the State regarding the construction of a new Phillipsburg High School.  There are many concerns about the stalled high school project.  Trailer security being one of those concerns.  The study would be a data collection process by which the sending district along with Phillipsburg would look at different viable or even unviable options towards the end of solving the problem of an overcrowded high school with over 30 trailers to accommodate the enrollment.  The study would help us to look forward by putting different options on the table such as regionalization, withdrawing from the send/receive relationship, etc.

Motion by Mr. Glennon, second by Mr. Edinger, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the following requests for use of facilities:

Vote: 8 – Yes. Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Kessler, second by Mr. Edinger, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, extends the employment contract for Nicole Kocsis from part-time to full-time effective September 1, 2007.

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Edinger, second by Mr. Glennon, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 No Child Left Behind Grant to include carryover funds in Title IV from fiscal year 2006 in the amount of $901.00.

Roll call vote: 8 – Yes. Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Drake, second by Mr. Edinger, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, hereby adopts a 457 Employee Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January 1, 2007 for the purpose of making available to eligible employees an eligible deferred compensation plan as defined in Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and further authorize AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company to offer investment funding vehicles for said plan.

Vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Mr. Drake requested further information on a 457 plan. Mrs. Barna responded that a 457 plan was another tax sheltered retirement investment plan that the board would offer to it’s employees. There would not be a cost to the board associated with the establishment of this plan.

Motion by Mr. Kish, second by Mr. Drake, that be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve fiscal year 2008 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Grant for submission to the Warren County Office Education and the State of New Jersey for approval as follows:

Roll call vote:  8 – Yes.  Motion carried.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

Dr. Rossi has contacted the local day cares and others for tours and proposals for a before and after care program.  Each company has been given the criteria that was set by the Ad-hoc Committee for the consideration of a program in the schools.  Dr. Rossi also explained that he believes that there should be a fee charged for the use of the school facilities to operate this program.

The 2007-2008 school year calendar had to be revised again due the state testing dates being released. The state testing dates did not correlate well with the spring break.  An instant alert was sent to notify parents of the change.

In the area of communication, Dr. Rossi emphasized that he is available to the board, staff, parents and the community to assist them with their needs.

The curriculums have been revised and now there is an opportunity for some curriculum mapping. Curriculum mapping targets skills that need to be accomplished and determines when during the year those skills will be addressed.

As far as facilities, there have been a lot of upgrades and changes again at the elementary school. The main exterior doors have been replaced. There is new tile in the primary wing, including the all purpose room. There have been security upgrades and additional parking for visitors and for dismissal.

Standard form that parents and staff may need to complete are being added to the school district website to be downloaded. This should be more convenient for parents than having to come to the buildings to acquire forms.

There have been several new hires, due to added positions and retirements. The administration did a lot of interviewing. The last of the available positions has finally been filled.

Dr. Rossi will be presenting at the New Jersey School Boards Convention this year on Thurs.

The district has added several technology upgrades with the help of the new Technology Director, Mr. Shea. Both buildings have a partial wireless network, keyless entry systems, new software for teachers such as “United Streaming” and Quia Software for quiz preparation.

REPRESENTATIVE INFORMATION FROM PHILLIPSBURG

Mr. Kish reported that Phillipsburg is conducting a security assessment. This assessment will be completed by the State Police. The fee may be minimal to $0.

A board of education member has resigned from the Phillipsburg Board of Education and there is question as to who can vote on the new member.

There is a Key Leaders Meeting scheduled for August 22, 2007.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Dennis Drake reported that the Super County Superintendents seem to be qualified candidates.

As far as required board member training, Board members must receive training each year for the first three years of service on the board and then the first year of each re-elected term.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mrs. Flanagan stated that she really appreciates the addition of the summer reading program.  She felt it was a great program for the children to participate in.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Motion by Mr. Edinger, seconded by Mr. Drake,

WHEREAS, Section 7 of the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 231, P.L. 1975 (R.S. 10:4-13), permits the exclusion of the public from a meeting or portion of a meeting of this public body in certain circumstances; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education must consider matters involving legal and personnel issues, the disclosure of which could constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education adjourn to executive session at 9:08pm to discuss the above mentioned matters to the exclusion of all others.  Matters discussed may or may not be made public this evening.  Any resulting action will be taken after re-entry into regular session.

Vote:  8 - Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Mr. Drake, second by Mr. Edinger, that the Board of Education return to regular session at 10:35pm.  Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Hearing no further business, the board adjourned at 10:35pm on a motion by Mr. Edinger, second by Mr. Kessler.  Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa E. Barna, RSBO

Business Administrator/

Board Secretary

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Last Modified:  Monday, February 11, 2008

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