Board Meeting - September 28, 2021

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

MEETING AGENDA

of the Metuchen Board of Education

Metuchen High School

400 Grove Avenue

Metuchen, NJ  08840

1. Call to Order 

2. Flag Salute

3. Notice of Meeting

I hereby make this statement to indicate compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act known as Chapter 231 of the Public Laws of New Jersey, 1975, which became effective 90 days after enactment, January 19, 1976.

Notice of this meeting was given by providing the location, time and date of this meeting, and posting of the same on the front door of the Board of Education offices, by delivering copies to the Borough Hall and the Metuchen Public Library, The Home News and Tribune, The Criterion Sentinel, The Star Ledger, and by filing a copy with the Borough Clerk as prescribed by this law.

4. Roll Call

5. Showcase of Success

Introduction of New Teachers:

Matt Sutin - MHS English

Jennifer Azzara - Gym Dance Teacher at Moss

6. Meeting Open to the Public (for any topic)

7. Presentations        

Graduation Data:  Class of 2021 

1.   Total Number of Graduates Class of 2021:  183 

2.   Graduation Assessment Requirements:  Waived. (On January 11, 2021, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 214. Recognizing that students expected to graduate in the class of 2021 have faced more challenges in accessing graduation assessment requirements than those in previous graduating classes, the Executive Order waives the statutory graduation assessment requirement pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-1 et seq. for any 12th grade student who has not yet satisfied the assessment requirement. This waiver includes the requirement to complete the portfolio appeals process. Students in the class of 2021 must still meet all the other State and local graduation requirements, including but not limited to credit, curriculum, and attendance requirements.)  

3.    Additional Graduation Data for the Class of 2021 

·         Cohort Count:  193 

·         Graduated:       183 

·         Excluded from Cohort:  10 

o    Transfer Out: 1 (Transfer to Alternate Adult Education) 

o    On Track Continuing: 5 (four to 18-21 program and one designated as class of 2022) 

o    Off Track Continuing:  1 (designated as class of 2022)

o    Drop Out:  3 

8. Reports

• President’s Report

• Superintendent’s Report

• Committee Reports

9. Old Business

10. New Business

11. Approval of Minutes of the Board of Education Meetings

Move to approve the minutes of the following meetings:

12. Meeting Open to the Public (for any topic)

13. Recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools

(at this time the Board will take formal action on the following items – see attachments) 

Often times it may appear to members of our audience that the Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote. Before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the Superintendent of Schools. If the Superintendent is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education, it is then referred to the appropriate board committee. The members of the board committee work with administration and the Superintendent to assure that the members fully understand the matter. When the committee is satisfied with the matter, it is presented to the Board of Education for discussion before any final action is taken. Only then, is it placed on the agenda for action at a public meeting.

1. PERSONNEL

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Clubs and Co-Curricular Activities

Move to approve the additional co-curricular stipend at MHS for the 2021-2022 school year (Agenda 8/24/21, Section 13 A14):

2. Interim Supervisor Extension

Move to extend the Interim Supervisor term of Kathy Glutz, Interim Supervisor of Guidance, through October 15, 2021 (Agenda 8/24/21, Section 13 A12).

3. Maternity Leave of Absence Extension

Move to extend the maternity leave of absence of Susan Paredes, German Teacher at Edgar Middle School and Metuchen High School, through January 28, 2022 (Agenda 1/5/21, Section 20 A16).

4. Medical Leave of Absence

Move to approve the medical leave of absence of Rhonda Silverman, Paraprofessional at Metuchen High School, from September 9, 2021 through approximately October 18, 2021.

5. Summer Work - Metuchen High School Peer Leadership

Move to approve the following peer leadership trainer for summer work at Metuchen High School: 

6. Coach Appointment Revisions - Metuchen High School and Edgar Middle School

    Move to approve the following revisions to the 2021-2022 Metuchen High School and Edgar Middle School Coach Appointments (Agenda 6/22/2021, Section 13 A27):

      *Represents Adjunct Coach

7. Mentor Teacher Revisions

Move to approve the Mentor Teacher Revisions for the 2021-2022 school year as follows (Agenda 8/24/21, Section 13 A17,17):

8. Specialized Reading Intervention

Move to approve Julie Anderson to provide specialized reading intervention 1.5 hours per week at $47 per hour.

9. Appointment - Bus Aide

Move to approve Ann Della Sala, paraprofessional, to work as a bus aide to provide additional student assistance on the bus, as needed, at the hourly rate of $20.36/hr.

10. Distribution of ESSA Title 1 Salary Funds

Move to approve the use of ESSA Title 1 teacher salary funds for RTI Math Teacher Tomasz Sobieniak, not to exceed $59,753.00 for the 2021-2022 school year. 

11.    Appointment Substitutes

    Move to approve the additional substitute teachers for the 2021-2022 school year, effective September 29, 2021 (Agenda 8/24/21, Section 13 A5), pending criminal history clearance:

12.    Non-Instructional Stipend Revision

    Move to approve the following Non-instructional Stipend revision for the 2021-2022 school year effective October 1, 2021, as listed (Agenda 08/24/2021, Section 13 A20):

----------------------------end of personnel section--------------------------

2. FINANCE

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Treasurer of School Monies and Board Secretary’s Reports

Move to approve the Treasurer of School Monies’ Report, and Board Secretary’s Report as of July 31, 2021.

2.   Payment of Bills

a)  Board Secretary’s Certification

Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6:20-2A.10(d), the Board Secretary has certified that as of September 28, 2021 no budgetary line item accounts have obligations and payments which exceed the amount appropriated by the Board of Education.

________________________________________                  _______________

Michael A. Harvier, Board Secretary                         Date

b)  Approve the Following Items Submitted by the Board Secretary

Payment of bills and claims, as shown on the attached list(s) that have been certified by the Board of Education and filed in the Business Office.

3.   Budget Transfers

Move to approve budget transfers effective July 31, 2021.

4.    Nonpublic Technology  

    Move to approve the following nonpublic technology for the 2021-2022 school year. These expenditures are required for the district to fulfill certain legal obligations under state legislation to administer federal or state funds provided to nonpublic schools within our jurisdiction:

5.    Special Olympics Unified Grant

Move to accept the Special Olympics of NJ Unified Grant in the amount of $12,000 to implement Unified Programs at MHS.

6.     IDEA and ARP Grant Allocation Revision

    Move to approve the following revised IDEA and ARP Grant Allocation for the 2021-2022 school year (Agenda 7/20/21, Section 13 B6:  

7.    Professional Development

Move to approve the following professional development activities as shown on the following chart: 

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C.     POLICY 

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Second Reading of Policies and Regulations 

Move to approve the second reading of the following policy:

P 1648.13    School Employee Vaccination Requirements

2. Suspensions

The Board hereby acknowledges receipt of the suspension report summary for September 15, 2021 – September 24, 2021. 

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D.     CURRICULUM

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Physical Education and Health Curriculum Guide

Move to approve the following curriculum guides for the following subjects:

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14.   Meeting Open to Public (for any topic)

15.   Announcements

16.   Motion to Go Into Executive Session (when applicable)

Resolution to Close Meeting

BE IT RESOLVED, pursuant to the Sunshine Act, N.J.S. 10:4-12 and 13, that the Board of Education will now meet in executive session to discuss _____________________________________ and that matters discussed will be disclosed to the public as soon as the reason for confidentiality no longer exist.

17.   Adjournment