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Agenda:

1. Call Meeting to Order, Flag Salute, Opening Statement

2. Roll Call

3. Correspondence

4. Minutes of October 10, 2006 and Bill Lists; September 2006 Secretary/Treasurer Reports; Certify Financials

5. Discussion of the Comprehensive Annual Finance Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2006

6. Tours of the Elementary School Building

7. Public Comment on Agenda Items

8. New Business - Action Items

 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 November 14, 2006 at 7:35pm. 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 of the annual notice in the Express-Times.  A copy of this notice has been filed with the Township Clerk and posted at both school locations.

This meeting was also publicly advertised for a meeting location change to the Lopatcong Township Elementary School located at 263 Route 57, Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

ROLL CALL

Present:  Dennis Drake, Robert Edinger, Ernie Gallant, Terry Glennon, Kurt Kessler, Frank Kish, Greg McGann, Jesse Rozycki (arrived at 7:40pm) and Bill Taggart.

Absent: None

Others Present:  Dr. Michael Rossi, Superintendent; Teresa E. Barna, Business Administrator/Board Secretary; Rosemary Kowalchuk, Principal; Stephen Geisel, Assistant Principal; Matthew Eagleburger, Assistant Principal; and 25 members of the public.

MINUTES

Motion by Mr. Taggart, second by Mr. Kish, that the minutes of the October 10, 2006 meeting be approved and filed. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

BILL LIST

Motion by Mr. Taggart, seconded by Mr. Drake, that the bills submitted for November 14, 2006 meeting, to include operating account, food service account and construction account be approved for payment. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORTS

Motion by Mr. Taggart, seconded by Mr. Drake, that the Secretary/Treasurer’s Report submitted for the month ending September 30, 2006 which agree with each other and the bank be approved and filed. Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

FINANCIAL REPORTS CERTIFICATION

Motion by Mr. Taggart, seconded by Mr. Drake, 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 September 30, 2006, 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.

PRESENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCE REPORT

Mrs. Barna reviewed the audit synopsis that was distributed to the board and the public. Mrs. Barna reviewed the fund balance at June 30, 2006 as well as explained exhibit C-1 which was also included in the synopsis. The Comprehensive Annual Finance Report indicates that there were no recommendations for non-compliance. Therefore, the administration has prepared a negative corrective action plan for acceptance by the Board.

TOURS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Board of Education and administration scheduled this meeting to be held at the elementary school in order to present improvement to the building and the academic atmosphere to the public and to the board. The administration took the public through the building to the music room to see new instruments that have been acquired through a program sponsored by the PTA. New carpeting was also installed in the music room. New furniture throughout the school was also highlighted as the group passed by classrooms. A stop was made in the BSI/Reading Specialist room where a library of guided reading books was shown as well as the cabinets that they are stored in. The shelving unit was designed and built by an on-staff custodial employee, Mr. Bob Marinelli. Many thanks to him for using his talents to help further the educational goals of the district. Going down the back hallway along the gym, a stop was made in the courtyard to display the Eagle Scout Project completed by Timothy Remetta. On the opposite side a playground area was installed for the Preschool Disabled class. Going into the foutth grade pod, it was mentioned that all pod areas now have hooks and shelves for students to hang their coats and book bags. These replaced old unstable portable coat racks that the students couldn’t even reach. Then into a room we are calling “The Discovery Lab”. This is a technology area where the students can use interactive technology and a place for the district to host professional development for staff members. Into the second grade pod to see the new art tables and the tile flooring that was installed throughout the classrooms in the second and third grade pods. Outside the second grade pod, the group viewed a canopy that was installed to protect students from bad weather during arrival and dismissal. A poured rubber surface was put on the playground area in the back of the school as well. Before returning to the meeting area, Dr. Rossi thanked the board for their support and the public for their support and hope that they are assured that their tax dollars are being put to good use to further the children’s educational accomplishments and experience.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, accept the Comprehensive Annual Finance Report (CAFR) and the Report of Administrative Findings, Financial Compliance and Performance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 as prepared by Ardito & Co., LLP and presented by the administration with no recommendations and a negative corrective action plan.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the 2006-2007 District Nursing Services Plan as presented and attached to these minutes.

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve REBEL2 (Reaching Everyone by Exposing Lies) and D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) as the substance abuse prevention programs for grades 4 through 8 for the 2006-2007 school year.

Vote:  9 – 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, approve the School Safety Plans for Emergency Management, Evacuation and Lock down procedures as presented.

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the Quality Assurance Annual Report (QAAR), including School Level Goals and Objectives for the 2006-2007 school year and the 3 year Comprehensive Maintenance Plan for submission to the Warren County Office of Education.

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve tuition contracts for special education placements and services for the 2006-2007 school year as follows:

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve a Reading Recovery Contract for the 2006-2007 school year with the Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District in the amount of $1,400.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve a field trip for Grade 7 on December 11, 2006 to Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

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

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve transfers within the 2006-2007 school year as follows:

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, approve Progressive Alternatives to Workplace Supervision (PAWS) as presented.

Vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

Dr. Rossi explained that Progressive Alternatives to Workplace Supervision is a vehicle by which tenured staff members can recommend and implement new ideas in exchange for traditional classroom observations and supervision.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve additional school volunteers for the 2006-2007 school year as presented and attached to these minutes.

Vote:  8 – Yes.  Dr. McGann – abstain.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, refuse Title III funding through the No Child Left Behind Grant in the amount of $943.

Roll call vote:  9 – Yes.  Motion carried.

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

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, approve the Technology Curriculum for Grades K-4 as presented and attached to these minutes.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

The technology curriculum for grades K-4 was approved tonight. The administrative team is currently looking at the technology curriculum for grades 5-8 and the math curriculum. Within the next year, the administration will be looking at visual arts, 5-8 world languages and health and physical education.

A short parent meeting will be held on November 13th for those students participating in the diversity project as we move into the student experience portion.

The reading initiative via guided reading is progressing well. Mrs. Gable will be holding a meeting for middle school parents to explain the results of the DRA tests.

The administration is always looking at ways to improve security in the buildings. On thing among others that we are looking into is flip charts in each classroom to instruct the teacher as to what to do in different scenarios.

Dr. Rossi and Mr. Glennon are currently collecting input towards the district mission statement.

The new telephone system will be rolled out within the next two weeks.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Mr. Glennon reported that tomorrow is a big day in the legislature. A special session of the legislature will be held to receive the recommendations from the four bipartisan committees on property tax reform developed by Governor Corzine. The committees are: The Committee for Public School Funding Reform, The Committee for Government Consolidation and Shared Services, The Committee for Public Employee Benefits Reform and The Committee for Citizens Property Tax Constitutional Convention.

REPRESENTATIVE INFORMATION FROM PHILLIPSBURG

Mr. Kish reported that the Phillipsburg Board of Education is in the process of interviewing attorneys. The Board had previously agreed that the final candidates would be interviewed publicly. At the meeting an officer of the board cleared the room and did not allow the public to participate. Following the interviews, the Superintendent was asked by a board officer to discontinue his comments to the board.  Mr. Kish shared his thoughts about these actions publicly.

Mr. Don Morrow was rehired at the Board Attorney but there seems to be a questions on the Labor Relations Attorney.

OTHER ITEMS OF EMERGENT NATURE

Dr. McGann informed the Board that he has been drafting the Superintendent goals.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mrs. Rozycki – How were students selected for the diversity initiative?  Dr. Rossi replied that the students were selected based on recommendation by the Superintendent and the teachers.  Students are from grades 7 and 8, five from each grade level. How will there experience transcend the rest of the school?  The students will share their experience with their peers.

Mrs. Burdette – How will the students from the diversity initiative share their experience to gain interest in the program?  Dr. Rossi responded that this has not exactly been determined yet, however, there have been discussions about memorializing the experience via video of a pictorial essay.

Mrs. Rozycki – What are the objectives for the teachers?  The teachers will be visiting classrooms where they can experience different instruction techniques being used and how they might be able to implement these different techniques in their own classroom.

A member of the public mentioned that Lopatcong Township was mentioned in Money Magazine as a good place to live.

Mrs. Rozycki – How many lock down practice drills are performed each year? The district is required to hold two per year.

Mrs. Burdette – Expressed concern during lock down and all the doors being locked, how will the police and emergency responders access the buildings?  Each building has a lock box on the exterior of the building that contains a set of master keys.  The police and fire departments are aware of this and have keys to the lock boxes.

Mrs. Rozycki – How are the lock down drills communicated?  Dr. Rossi indicated that he would not share this information.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Motion by Mr. Taggart 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 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 8:51pm to discuss the above mentioned matter 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:  9 - Yes.  Motion carried.

Motion by Dr. McGann, second by Mr. Edinger, that the Board of Education return to regular session at 9:45pm.  Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Hearing no further business, the Board adjourned at 9:46pm on a motion by Mr. Edinger, second by Dr. McGann.  Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa E. Barna, RSBO

Business Administrator/

Board Secretary

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Last Modified:  Sunday, April 01, 2007

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