REGULAR MEETING
May 15, 2003
Branchburg Municipal Building
The Board of Education of the Township of Branchburg, County of Somerset, New Jersey, convened for a Regular Meeting at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2003, in the Conference Room at the Branchburg Municipal Building.
The meeting was called to order by President Jerry Feldman, who stated that the meeting was convened in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 231, P.L. 1975, the Sunshine Law; notices were sent to the Courier News and the Somerset Messenger Gazette, filed with the Township Clerk and posted in the Branchburg Township Schools.
The following members of the Board of Education were present: Zoltan Ambrus, Patricia E. Bowers, Marie Annucci Caprio, Jerry Feldman, Karen M. Lambert, Lisa Romancheck, William J. Rouse, and Gregory M. Scott (8:20 p.m.).
The following members of the Board of Education were absent: Robert J. Fulton, Jr.
Also present were: Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lois J. Capobianco; and Business Administrator/Board Secretary Nancy Lee Hunter.
On a motion by Mr. Ambrus, seconded by Mrs. Caprio, and carried unanimously, the Board agreed to convene in Executive Session this evening from 7:05 p.m. to approximately 8:00 p.m. to discuss either negotiations, personnel matters, legal issues, matters involving attorney/client privilege and all other matters as detailed in Board bylaw 0166.
The regular portion of the meeting resumed at 8:15 p.m.
At this time also present were: district administrators Dr. John Hrevnack and Dr. Kathleen Monks; Frank Altmire and several residents, students, parents and staff members.
The assembly saluted the flag.
The Secretary called the Roll.
Mrs. Feldman, assisted by Mrs. Caprio, presented the following certificates of
achievement:
Tara Maharjan
2003
Township of Branchburg
Steven Russell
Sarah Ongaro
Lauren Flood
Ryan Adam
April – Rachel Herzog
May – Anna Marie Gyergyah
Daniela Colucci
First Place ages 9 and 10 – Jamie Basile and Brian Lalor
First Place ages 11 and 12 – Megan Lalor
Participants:
Brittany Murphy
Dana Fortune
Casey Glenn
Nicholas Kornas
Aschlyn DiBetta
Paige Kizmann
Former Board Member Joseph Cash stated that the Township Committee was very
thankful for the information provided by Mrs. Hunter and Dr. Monks regarding the defeat
of the second question.
He also stated that the Children First Scholarship account was approved at the
reorganization meeting in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Teacher Cheryl Oram and students from Somerville High School gave a presentation on
the Somerville High School Freshman Trip to Romeo and Juliet at Raritan Valley
Community College.
Dr. Capobianco acknowledged the following: students receiving certificates of
achievement; Teachers of the Year, Beth Kinney, Whiton Elementary School; Lee
Zarelli, Old York School; Karen Sudol, Stony Brook School; and Jeffrey Heaney,
Central School; and Dr. John Hrevnack, Robert Lenio, and Barbara Shuba for their 35
years of service, Ramona Dafgek and Albert Gayzik for their 30 years of service, and
Joyce Collins and Barbara French for their 25 years of service.
Dr. Capobianco gave the monthly reports for Central Office Administration, Building
Level Administration, and Enrollment.
Motion by Mr. Rouse, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, that Item A.1 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Roll Call vote with the
exception that Mrs. Caprio and Mr. Rouse abstained on the minutes of April 10, 2003:
Approval of Minutes - The Minutes of the Work Session meeting of April 10, 2003, and
the Organization/Regular meeting of April 28, 2003, and the Executive Session Minutes
of April 10, and 28, 2003, were approved as distributed.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mr. Rouse, that Item A.2 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Roll Call vote:
Approval of Policy and Regulation 5512 on First Reading - The Board approved the
following mandated policies and regulations, to be attached as Reference A.2, on First
Reading:
Policy/Regulation Number |
Title |
Policy No. 5512 |
Hazing |
Regulation No. 5512 |
Reporting Procedure - Hazing and/or Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying |
Motion by Mrs. Bowers, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, that Item A.3 be moved upon
the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved with seven ayes and one nay by Voice
vote:
Approval of Resolution Thanking District’s in Support of Amicus Brief - The Board approved
the Resolution Thanking District’s in Support of the Amicus Brief, which is attached as
Reference
A.3.
Motion by Mrs. Bowers, seconded by Mr. Scott,
that Option B of the Revised 2003-
2004 Board of Education Meeting Dates under
Item A.4 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the motion was defeated by the following votes:
Ayes Nays Abstained
Mrs. Bowers Mr. Ambrus Mr.
Rouse
Mrs. Feldman Mrs. Caprio Mr.
Scott
Mrs. Lambert
Mrs. Romancheck
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mrs.
Lambert, that Option A of the Revised
2003-2004 Board of Education Meeting Dates
under Item A.4 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was
approved by the following votes:
Ayes Nays Abstained
Mr. Ambrus Mrs. Bowers Mr.
Rouse
Mrs. Caprio
Mrs. Lambert
Mrs. Romancheck
Mr. Scott
Mrs. Feldman
Approval of Revised 2003-2004 Board of Education Meeting Dates - The Board
approved Option A of Revised 2003-2004 Board of Education Meeting Dates attached as
Reference A.4.
Motion by Mr. Rouse, seconded by Mrs.
Romancheck, that Item A.5 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was
approved unanimously by Roll Call vote:
Approval of Summer Hours - The Board approved summer hours for Board
of Education
Offices to be open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:45
p.m., Monday through Thursday, effective
June 30, through August 22, 2003.
It was agreed that an administrator covering
on Fridays will have a day off on Monday.
There was a discussion of Item A.6, Approval
of Signatories, at which time Mr. Ambrus passed out a handout regarding a
possible conflict of interest. He would
like a legal opinion on this.
Mrs. Feldman agreed that she would also like
a legal opinion from Board Attorney David Rubin and stated for the record that
the donation was made innocently on advice from their campaign’s
treasurer.
Mrs. Bowers suggested that David Rubin put
his opinion in writing.
Mr. Scott disagreed that the Board should
seek a legal opinion on this subject.
He felt that a Board member should seek a ruling from the Ethics
Commission.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mrs.
Lambert, that Item A.6 be moved upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was
approved by the following votes:
Ayes Nays
Mrs. Bowers Mr. Ambrus
Mrs. Caprio Mrs. Romancheck
Mrs. Lambert Mr. Rouse
Mr. Scott
Mrs. Feldman
Approval of Signatories - The Board approved the Superintendent and
Board Secretary as
the signatories on the Branchburg Board
Scholarship Fund account.
There was a discussion regarding the interim superintendent selection process. Mrs.
Bowers gave the report from the committee. She stated that the position should be posted
internally for seven business days, and the Board should give internal candidates due
consideration.
There was also a discussion regarding summer hours for custodians. It was agreed that
the BFT should be contacted regarding contract issues.
Motion by Mr. Rouse, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, that Item B.1 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Roll Call vote:
Approval of Principal at Stony Brook School - The Board approved Frank Altmire as
Principal of Stony Brook School effective July 15, 2003, or sooner if he is able to be
released from his current contract, through June 30, 2004, and issue a Letter of Intent for
an annual salary of $100,000.00, prorated.
Dr. Capobianco introduced Mr. Altmire, who thanked the Board, and reviewed his
qualifications as principal.
Motion by Mr. Rouse, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, that Items B.2 through B.7 be
moved upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Roll Call vote:
Acceptance of Retirement Notice - The Board accepted the retirement notice of Barbara
French, Basic Skills teacher at Old York School, effective June 30, 2003, with thanks for
her 24 years of dedicated service to the children of the Branchburg Township School
District.
Approval of Substitute Teacher - The Board approved Patricia McGee as a Substitute
Teacher for the remainder of the 2002-2003 school year.
Approval
of Teacher Transfer - The Board approved the transfer of Anthony Aliperti
from the position of Fifth grade teacher at Old York School to the position of Third grade teacher
at Stony Brook School effective September 2003.
Approval of Non-tenured Teachers - The Board approved the listing of
non-tenured teachers and granted tenure (attached as Reference B.6) as
indicated at the Steps and Levels on the Salary Guide as noted effective
September 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004.
Approval
of Regular Contract for School Clerk - The Board approved a regular
employment contract for Melissa Looby as a School Clerk at Whiton Elementary
School on Step 5 of the 12-month Clerical Guide ($29,562.00, prorated)
effective April 17, through June 30, 2003.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mr. Rouse, that Items C.1 through C.3 be
moved upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Voice vote:
Approval of Out-of-District Placements - The Board approved the listing of Out-of-
District Special Education placements for the
month of April 2003, attached as
Reference C.1.
Approval
of Extended School Year Program - The Board approved an Extended School
Year Program for the students in the Whiton Elementary School Autistic class,
the Preschool Disabled class, the Learning/Language Disabled class, and the
Speech and Language class effective June 30, through August 7, 2003, for four
days per week, 4 hours per day, with the exception of the Preschool Disabled
class, which will run for 2 to 2.5-hour sessions.
Approval of Out-of-District Special Education Placement - The Board approved the
placement of Student #1773 at the Jerry Davis Early Childhood Center on a half-day
schedule effective May 5, through June 20, 2003, for a total cost of $2,380.00.
Motion by Mrs. Bowers, seconded by Mr. Rouse, that Item C.4 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Voice vote:
Approval of Fundraiser at Whiton Elementary School - The Board approved BJ’s
Wholesale Club’s Adopt-a-School Program at Whiton Elementary School for the 2003-
2004
school year.
Motion by Mrs. Bowers, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, that Item C.5 be moved upon
the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Voice vote:
Approval of Community Service Project at Stony Brook School - The Board approved a
Girl Scout community service project to collect children’s books at Stony Brook School
from May 27, through June 6, 2003.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mr. Rouse, that Item C.6 be moved upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Voice vote:
The
Board approved the Gateway to Technology Program at Branchburg Central Middle
School beginning September 1, 2003.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mrs. Bowers, that Items D.1 through D.9 be moved upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved unanimously by Roll Call vote:
Bill List - The List
of Bills for the month of May 2003, totaling $2,727,802.95, was approved for
payment.
Secretary’s Report - The Report of the Secretary for April 2003, has been submitted for
Board review. As required by N.J.A.C. 6:20-2.13(d), I, Nancy Lee Hunter, Business
Administrator/Board Secretary, certify that no line item account has been over expended
and that sufficient funds are available to meet the District’s financial obligations this
fiscal year.
The Secretary’s Report for April 2003 was accepted and ordered filed, and the Board of
Education hereby certifies that no major account has been over expended in violation of
N.J.A.C. 6:20-2.13(b) and that sufficient funds are available to meet the District’s
financial obligations for the remainder of the 2002-03 fiscal year.
Treasurer’s Report - The Treasurer’s Report for the month of March 2003 was accepted
ordered and filed.
Line Item Transfers - The Board accepted the list of Line Item Transfers for the month of
April 2003 (see Reference D.3).
Acceptance of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B Funds - The Board accepted the following funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B) for FY 2004, attached as Reference D.5:
Basic $398,595.00
Preschool $ 13,847.00
Approval of Food Service Bid
Award - The Board approved Dowling Food Service Management, Inc., as the
food service management company for the 2003-2004 school year.
This contract shall begin on September 1, 2003 and terminate on June 30, 2004.
The management/administrative fee for the 2003-2004 school year shall be $14,000.00 per year payable at $1,400.00 per month prorated over a 10-month period.
Dowling Food Service Management guarantees that the bottom line on the operational financial report for the 2003-2004 school year will be a profit of $30,000. If the actual bottom line is below this amount, Dowling Food Service Management will subsidize the bottom line for any amount less than the guarantee.
A request for proposal for food service was sent out to five food service management companies. Two companies responded, Dowling Food Service Management, Inc., and Chartwells School Dining Services.
The results of the bid are as follows:
Dowling Chartwells
Management Fee $14,000.00 $18,500.00
Projected Net Income $45,242.00 $27,385.00
Profit Guarantee $30,000.00 $20,000.00
Approval of Joint Transportation Agreement with Somerset County Educational Services Commission - The Board approved the Joint Transportation Agreement with the Somerset County Educational Services Commission for the 2003-2004 school year in accordance with Reference D.7.
Sale of Telecommunications Equipment - The Board approved the sale, for $250.00, of the following telecommunications equipment no longer in use at the Board Office and Readington Road:
Quantity |
Equipment |
1 |
Merlin II Model 511A with (1) AM3 Processor Feature Model (1) 129B Ring Generator Option (4) 408 4 CO/8 Ext Card |
1 |
Merlin Plus Model 820-D2 with (2) Station Boards (2) Line Boards |
1 |
Merlin Mail Rel 7.5 Model MM04 with (1) Voysys Mail System Model 100 (2) 7318H Display Consoles (1) BIX-34D Display Console (2) BIS-34 Telephones (27) BIS-10 Telephones (3 with handsets) |
Adoption of Budget – The following resolution was adopted:
BE IT RESOLVED to adopt the 2003-2004 school district budget as
follows:
General Fund *$31,365,529.00
Special Revenue Fund 423,584.00
Debt Service Fund 1,866,978.00
TOTAL BASE BUDGET $33,656,091.00
*This includes the Second Question amount of $425,000.00 restored by the Township Council
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following amount be raised for the General Fund
tax levy: $28,878,804.00.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mr. Rouse, that Items E.1 through E.2 be moved upon the recommendation.
Motion by Mr. Ambrus, seconded by Mrs. Bowers, to table the vote on Item E.1.
On call of the vote, the following was tabled unanimously by Voice vote:
Approval of Architectural Services for New
roof at Branchburg and Wall Shingle Replacement Work - It is recommended that the Board approve
the architectural services with Cornerstone Architectural Group for $34,000.00,
attached as Reference E.1.
Motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by Mrs.
Bowers, that Item E.2 be moved upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
On call of the vote, the following was approved
unanimously by Voice vote:
Approval to Accept Donation - The Board accepted the donation of a gym
partition from the Branchburg Basketball Club with a value of approximately
$12,500.00 (see attached Reference E.2).
Somerville Board of Education Report – Mrs. Bowers reported that Somerville’s
budget was reduced by $175,000.
Branchburg Education Foundation Report – Dr. Capobianco reported that the Annual
Golf Outing is scheduled for next week.
Emergency Management Planning Committee – There was no report.
Child Care Committee – There was no report.
Community Education Council – There was no report.
N.J.S.B.A./S.C.S.B.A. – The Spring Dinner will be held on May 28,
2003.
Somerset County Educational Services
Commission – There was no
report.
Youth Services Commission/Municipal Alliance – There was no report. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday,
May 20.
P.T.O. – Mrs. Bowers reported that the General Meeting will be held on Monday,
May 19, at 7:00 p.m. Phone chain
information will be going home with report cards.
Community Relations – Mrs. Romancheck stated she will be
drafting a letter home to parents. Mrs.
Feldman suggested that the committee develop a formal charge before sending
home a letter to parents.
There were no comments from the public at
this time.
Mrs. Bowers commented on a great program at
Whiton Elementary School, “Moving Up and Over.”
Mrs. Romancheck stated that she would like to
see Robotics demonstrated at a Board meeting and commented on Whiton Elementary
School having a family council. She
asked if the other schools also have such a program.
Mr. Ambrus suggested that air-conditioning at
each school be discussed at the next Work Session.
Mr. Rouse commented on the importance of
announcements on Channel 14.
Mrs. Feldman stated that the next Work
Session is June 12, and she would like information for the agenda by June 2.
On a motion by Mr. Rouse, seconded by Mrs. Romancheck, and carried unanimously, the Board agreed to convene in Executive Session this evening at approximately 10:40 p.m. to discuss either negotiations, personnel matters, legal issues, matters involving attorney/client privilege and all other matters as detailed in Board bylaw 0166.
On a motion by Mrs. Romancheck, seconded by
Mr. Rouse, and carried unanimously, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lee Hunter
Business Administrator/Board Secretary