THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024

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 Star Ledger, and by filing a copy with the Borough Clerk as prescribed by this law.

4. Roll Call

5. Showcase of Success

❖    Edgar Middle School 8th Grade First Place Winners 

    Adam Skvarcek and Jaymin Shah - Is Bounty the Quicker Picker Upper?

❖    Student Advisory Board 

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

7. Presentations 

❖    Final Budget Hearing - Dr. Caputo and Michael Harvier

• Motion to open public hearing

• Present budget

• Accept comment from public

• Motion to close public hearing

❖    District Goals Update - Dr. Caputo 

8. Reports

• President’s Report

• Superintendent's Report

• Committee Reports

• Student Board Member Report

9. Old Business

10. New Business

11. Approval of Minutes of the Board of Education 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)

Oftentimes 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. Leave of Absence - Certificated Staff

Move to approve the leave of absence of Samantha Murphy, Special Education Teacher at Campbell School, effective approximately September 20, 2024 through approximately February 24, 2025.

2. Leave of Absence - Certificated Staff

Move to approve the leave of absence of Elizabeth Rentenberg, ELA Resource Teacher at Campbell School, effective approximately September 12, 2024 through approximately February 7, 2025.

3. Appointment - Additional Substitutes 

Move to approve the appointment of the additional substitutes for the 2023-2024 school year, effective April 17, 2024 pending completion of substitute certification, substitute training and criminal history clearance:

4.    Instructional Stipends - Extension

    Move to extend the following Edgar School instructional stipends for the 2023-2024 school year, from April 12, 2024 through June 19, 2024 as listed (Agenda 01/23/2024, Section 13 A10):

5.    Instructional Stipends - Extension

    Move to extend the following Metuchen High School instructional stipends for the 2023-2024 school year, from May 4, 2024, through May 14, 2024, as listed (Agenda 01/23/2024, Section 13 A22):

6.    Appointment - Certificated Staff

    Move to approve the appointment of Morgan Schleuss, 5th Grade Math/Science Teacher at Edgar Middle School, for the 2024-2025 school year, at a salary of $60,559/year, Step 3A, effective August 26, 2024 through June 30, 2024. 

----------------------------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 February 29, 2024.

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 April 24, 2024 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 December 31, 2023.

4.    School Health Insurance Fund (SHIF)

Move to approve the Schools Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) as the district's medical and prescription insurance carrier effective July 1, 2024. Move to approve the attached health documents (see attachment).

5. Professional Development

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

6.    Nonpublic Security Aid

    Move to approve the following nonpublic security aid for the 2023-2024 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.

7.    Technology Equipment Disposal

Move to approve the disposal of the obsolete equipment on the attached manifest.

8.    Distribution of ESSA Title I Salary Funds

Move to approve the use of ESSA Title I teacher salary funds for RTI Math Teacher Tomasz Sobieniak, not to exceed $33,792.00 in salary and $21,672 in benefits for the 2023-2024 school year. 

9.    Adoption of the 2024-2025 School District Budget

WHEREAS, the Board of Education must adopt and submit a 2024-2025 school district budget to the New Jersey Department of Education.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Metuchen Board of Education adopt the 2024-2025 school district budget as follows:

The supporting documentation of the budget included an itemization of certain expenditures required under administrative regulations. Maximum travel budget is established at $90,000. Travel includes professional development that takes place outside the District.

WHEREAS, the Board of Education is requesting authority to utilize $278,415 in health care allowance and this allowance will be utilized by the end of the budget year and cannot be deferred or incrementally completed over a longer period of time.

Included in the general fund budget is $5,700,000 to be withdrawn from the board of education’s approved Capital Reserve Account to supplement the approved November 8, 2022 referendum of $84,436,225 for the Moss Elementary School, Edgar Middle School, Metuchen High School and Campbell Elementary School improvements authorized by the referendum.  The additional Capital Reserve funds are needed in addition to the approved $84,436,225  for the capital projects because costs are now higher than expected due to inflationary economic forces since the development of the costs pre-referendum.

10.    RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING USE OF INVESTMENT EARNINGS FOR DEBT SERVICE

WHEREAS, The Board of Education of the Borough of Metuchen in the County of Middlesex, New Jersey has investment earnings on its School Bonds, dated July 18, 2023 (the “Bonds”), that are not needed to be reserved to pay to the Federal Government arbitrage rebate in accordance with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Board’s covenants made with respect to the Bonds; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:26-4.2(e), a board of education may by resolution authorize interest earning to be transferred to the debt service fund or the general fund in its discretion; and

WHEREAS this Board has now determined it to be in the best interest of the school district to utilize $480,000 of interest earned on the Bonds for the payment of debt service on the Bonds;

Now, Therefore, be it resolved by this Board, as follows:

Section 1.   $480,000 of interest earnings on the Bonds shall be transferred from the Capital Projects Fund 30 to the Debt Service Fund 40 for the payment of debt service due on the Bonds;

Section 2.    This resolution shall go into effect immediately.

----------------------------end of finance section--------------------------

3. POLICY

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

    Move to affirm the findings of the previously reported case.

• METHS031824001

• EMS040824001

2.    Suspensions

The Board hereby acknowledges receipt of the suspension report summary for April 5, 2024 - April 19, 2024. 

 ----------------------------end of policy section--------------------------

4. CURRICULUM

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1.    Field Trips

Move to approve the following field trips for students in the Metuchen School District  as shown: 

2.    Curriculum Writers - Revision

    Move to rescind and approve the following curriculum writers and amounts for the 2023-2024 school year: 

3.    Curriculum Document

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

----------------------------end of curriculum section--------------------------

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