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Verona Board of Education Meeting to be Conducted via Zoom Webinar 01/05/2021

CONFIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30 pm 

VIA TELEPHONE CONFERENCE

REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA – 7:00 pm 

VIA  ZOOM WEBINAR

January 5, 2021

Based on the recent attention with COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus, and the potential impact on our community, the Verona Public Schools will be conducting the Verona Board of Education meeting remotely via Zoom webinar. This meeting is scheduled to occur with public access and participation availability to ensure the continued regular operation of government and the health, safety, and well-being of our community members. The next meeting of the Verona Board of Education will be held via zoom webinar.  The public shall utilize the following instructions to call into the meeting: 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/94575749740

Or iPhone one-tap :

    US: +13126266799,,94575749740#  or +16465189805,,94575749740#

Or Telephone:

    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

        US: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 518 9805  or +1 213 338 8477

Webinar ID: 945 7574 9740

    International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aqZpou1D2



  • Anyone from the public wishing to address the Verona Board of Education on any matter, when prompted by the Verona Board of Education will be able to raise their hand using the Raise Hand button on their device or dial *9 if you called in (please click here to determine how to raise your hand using your device). When you are advised it is your turn to address the Verona Board of Education, please state your name and address for the record. You will have time to address the Verona Board of Education. At the conclusion of your comments the Verona Board of Education and/or the Superintendent of Schools may address your comments and/or questions.
  • Please make sure you have the current version of Zoom updated on your device in order to have the capability to use the Raise Hand function to make public comments or ask questions.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs recently stated that “the Division of Local Government Services reminds local units that, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 10:4-6, et seq., (the “Open Public Meetings Act,” or “Act”), public meetings may be held in person or by means of communication equipment, N.J.S.A. 10:4-8(b), to include streaming services and other online meeting platforms. All meetings, including those held using communications equipment, must be noticed in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Act, unless the meeting is for emergent circumstances and held in a manner consistent with the requirements set forth at N.J.S.A. 10:4-9(b).  Local units should also provide guidance to the public for remotely accessing and providing comment at a meeting.  Local units should still have an advertised meeting place, which is connected to the meeting through communications equipment, unless  otherwise directed by state or local emergency management or health officials, consistent with Executive Order 103 (Murphy 3/9/2020).”

CONFIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30 pm 

VIA TELEPHONE CONFERENCE

REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA – 7:00 pm 

VIA ZOOM WEBINAR

January 5, 2021

  1. Election Results

Lisa Freschi -   5,500

Write in -            565

  1. Swearing in of Board Members
  1.   Call to order
  2.   Pledge of Allegiance
  3.   Reading of Meeting Notice 
  4.   Roll Call Attendance
  5.   Superintendent Report -  Dr. Rui Dionisio, Superintendent of Schools
  6.   Presentations - VHS School Reopening Plan Update

                        HBW School Reopening Plan Update

  1.   Committee Reports - None to be reported at this time
  2. 10.  Public Comments on Agenda Action Items to be Approved
  3. Discussion Items
  4. Roll Call Vote on Resolutions
  5. Public Comments







NOTE: The next scheduled Public Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 beginning with a Confidential Session at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm Public Session via ZOOM webinar pending the evolving nature of COVID-19.



 

  • Election Results
  • Swearing in of Board Members

 

  1. Call to Order
  2.   Pledge of Allegiance
  3. Reading of Meeting Notice 

This meeting is being conducted in compliance with the open meeting session that the Verona Board of Education passed a resolution at its annual reorganization meeting held on January 7, 2020. The meeting set forth the schedule of its regular meetings which resolution was within 7 days of passage.  The schedule was sent to the Verona Cedar Grove Times, the Star Ledger, the Township of Verona and the VEA. Postings of this meeting setting forth the time location and agenda were posted at the Verona Board of Education Office and on the Verona Public Schools district website. The Verona Board of Education operates under a consent agenda format, any board member has the right to have an item pulled to be voted upon or discussed separately. Copies of tonight’s agenda and resolutions have been made available to the public and press.

 

  1. Roll Call Attendance

 

Mr. Alworth _____ Mr. Day _____

 

                        Mrs. Drappi _____ Mrs. Freschi _____

 

Mrs. Priscoe _____

 

  1.   Superintendent Report -  Dr. Rui Dionisio, Superintendent of Schools
  2.   Presentations - VHS School Reopening Plan Update

  HBW School Reopening Plan Update

  1.   Committee Reports - none to be reported at this time
  2. Public Comments on Agenda Action Items to be Approved
  3. Discussion Items
  4. Roll Call Vote on Resolutions
  5. Public Comments

 

       Motion by:     ____________________ 

 

       Seconded by: ____________________






Be it RESOLVED the approval of Resolutions #1 - 10.

 

Mr. Alworth _____ Mr. Day _____

 

            Mrs. Drappi _____ Mrs. Freschi _____

 

                          Mrs. Priscoe _____

 

VERONA PUBLIC SCHOOLS – BOARD OF EDUCATION

RESOLUTIONS

REORGANIZATION MEETING

January 8, 2021

 

The following resolutions have been recommended by the Superintendent to the Board of Education. 

 

#1 RESOLVED that the Board approve the minutes of the following meetings:

 

                  Confidential & Regular Public Meeting       December 22, 2020



BOARD RENEWAL RESOLUTIONS

 

#2    RESOLVED  that the Verona Board of Education approve the establishment of

                                 the following Board of Education Committees.  Appointments to the

                                    Committees will be made by the Board President:

 

Athletics & Co-Curricular - Timothy Alworth/Pamela Priscoe

Education - Timothy Alworth/Sara Drappi 

Facilities - Jim Day/Pamela Priscoe

Community Resources - Jim Day/Lisa Freschi

Finance - Sara Drappi/Lisa Freschi

 

PERSONNEL

 

#3 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following pending pre-employment paperwork:



3.1 New Hires

 

Name

Location

Position

Salary

Committee

Term of Employment on or about

Shauna Lodato

District

Sub Secretary

$90 per diem

Education

SY 20-21

Kimberly Rothenberger

HBW

Maternity Leave Replacement

$250/per diem

Education

Jan. 4 - Jan. 15, 2021

Rhander Kramer

FOR

Sub Teacher

$90/per diem

Education

SY 20-21

 

3.2 Leave of Absence

 

Name

Reason

Begin Date

Estimated Return Date on or about

#105337

Child Care EFMLEA

Dec. 14, 2020

Jan. 4, 2021

#102721

FFCRA Leave

Dec. 11, 2020

Jan. 4, 2021

#102814

Maternity Leave of Absence

Feb. 26, 2021

Jan. 1, 2022

#105470

Unpaid Leave of Absence

Jan. 19, 2021

Mar. 3, 2021

 

3.3 Extra Class

 

Name

Location

Course

Amount

Term of Employment on or about

Angela Salisbury

VHS

Work-Based Learning - Capstone Senior Internship

$8,911.30

Feb. 8 - Jun. 25, 2021

Raquel Grasso

HBW

Special Education Leave Replacement Teacher

$4,499.43

Jan. 19 - May 14, 2021

 

  3.4 Permanent Substitutes

 

Name

Location

Position

Salary

Committee

Term of Employment on or about

Luisa Hirsch

FNB

Permanent Sub Teacher

$120/per diem

Education

SY 20-21

 

#4 RESOLVED that the Board approve Raquel Grasso to work on a self-contained

  program combination plan over winter break not to exceed 10 hours at the

  hourly rate of $40.39 or total amount of $403.90.

 

EDUCATION

 

#5 RESOLVED that the Board approve the attached Statistical report for the month of November 2020.

 

#6 RESOLVED that the Board approve the attached Board of Education

                                     meeting dates for January 2021 – January 2022.

 

#7 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following:

 

7.1 Professional Development Planning

 

Presenter

School

Date

Hrs./Stipend

Total

Jennifer Kleinknecht

HBW

Sept.10, 2020

3 hrs./$60/per hr.

$180.00



SPECIAL EDUCATION

 

#8 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following for the 2020-2021 school year:

8.1 Home Instructors

 

Name

Eric McElroy

Steven Munoz

Albert Palazzo

 

8.2 Student Home Instruction

 

Student #

School

Grade

Hrs./Week/Duration

Beginning on or about

#271711

HBW

6

10 hrs.per wk./5 wks.

Dec. 14, 2020

#222581

VHS

10

10 hrs.per wk./5 wks.

Dec. 14, 2020

#271649

HBW

5

10 hrs.per wk./10 wks.

Dec. 21, 2020



CO-CURRICULAR

 

#9 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following:

 

9.1 Extra Curricular

 

Advisor

Club Name

Location

Stipend

Term of Employment

MaryAnn Halbert

Dream Team

HBW

$1,500.00

SY 20-21

Meredith Bielen

Dream Team

HBW

$1,500.00

SY 20-21

Melissa Hanulak

Kind Club

HBW

$1,167.00

SY 20-21







FINANCE  

     

           #10 RESOLVED that the Board approve the enclosed checklist(s) in the following

                             amounts:

               

Amount            Description        Check Register Date

        $3,077,118.36   Vendor Checks December 30, 2020

 

#13  Public comments

 

         CONFIDENTIAL SESSION IF NECESSARY



          RESOLUTION TO ADJOURN

   

          #11 RESOLVED  that the Board meet in private session, from which the public shall 

be excluded, to discuss the topics of negotiations and personnel or 

potential litigation which private discussion is being held pursuant to 

Section 7b and 8 of the Open Public Meeting Act.  The matters

            under discussion will be disclosed to the public as soon as final 

decisions are made and voted upon. 




   Motion to adjourn the meeting:

 

       Motion by: ____________________ 

 

       Second by: ____________________

 

       All in Favor: ____________________

 

       All Opposed: ____________________

 

This meeting is adjourned at (TIME) _________________ P.M.





NOTE: The next scheduled Public Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 beginning with a Confidential Session at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm Public Session via ZOOM webinar pending the evolving nature of COVID-19

 

 VERONA PUBLIC SCHOOLS – BOARD OF EDUCATION

ADDENDUM RESOLUTIONS

January 5, 2021

 

The following resolutions have been recommended by the Superintendent to the Board of Education.

 

Motion by:     ____________________ 

Seconded by: ____________________

 

       Be it RESOLVED the approval of Addenda Resolution #1 - 4.

 

Mr. Alworth _____ Mr. Day _____

 

             Mrs. Drappi _____ Mrs. Freschi _____

 

                          Mrs. Priscoe _____

 

PERSONNEL

 

#1 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following:

 

1.1 Permanent Substitute

 

Name

Location

Position

Salary

Committee

Term of Employment on or about

Louella Selby

VHS

Permanent Sub Teacher

$120/per diem

Education

SY 20-21

 

1.2       Leave of Absence

 

Name

Reason

Begin Date

Estimated Return Date on or about

#105382

Unpaid Leave of Absence

Jan. 4, 2021

Sept. 1, 2021

 

1.3       Resignation

 

Name

Location

Position

Reason

Effective on or About

Paula Petrucelli

FNB

Paraprofessional

Resignation

January 15, 2021




            #2 RESOLVED that the Board approve the following for the 2020-2021 school year:

 

2.1    Coaches

 

Name

Location

Position

Stipend

Eric McElroy

VHS

Head Boys Basketball

$10,920.00

Greg Davidson

VHS

JV Boys Basketball

$6,866.00

Mark Rossi

VHS

Freshmen Boys Basketball

$5,182.00

Jessica DelVecchio

VHS

Head Girls Basketball

$10,920

Al Palazzo

VHS

JV Girls Basketball

$6,866

Angela Appolito

VHS

Varsity Cheerleading

$4,899

Jake Farrell

VHS

Volunteer Boys Basketball

NA

Rachel Horowitz

VHS

Volunteer Girls Basketball

NA



              SPECIAL EDUCATION

 

              #3    RESOLVED  that the Board approve Marla Burns to work on IEP writing and case

                      management at the hourly rate of $69.21 for 4.5 hours.

 

              #4    RESOLVED  that the Board approve to contract Innovative Therapy Group as a vendor

                                              for paraprofessional services during the 2020-2021 school year.