The Board of Education’s regular meeting was called to order by President Jason Sanchez at 7:01 p.m. in the LGI at CVA. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all those present.

 Members Present                                      

• Jason Sanchez                                           

• Maggie Wesolowski                                   

• Jonathan Boucher

• Travis Costin

• Matt Darrow 

• Jonah Levi

• Jane North

Members Absent                                       

• None

Staff Present                                              

• Jeremy M. Rich, Supt.                                

• Jim Humphrey                                             

• Garrett Olds

Guests Present (those signing in or speaking)

• Richard Diliberto

• Robert Bartlett

AGENDA CHANGES        

Consent Agenda

B. Resignations – Jessica Redner, Teacher Aide, Effective 4/27/22

PRESENTATION

BSN Sports and Under Armour – Uniforms

Rich Diliberto and Bob Bartlett presented the advantages of going with all Under Armour uniforms for our athletic teams. They also shared information for fund raising activities and many other opportunities BSN Sports can offer our district. Utica City School District is currently contracting with BSN Sports and Under Armour in the same program. The representatives provided each board member with three handouts that helped summarize the program offer.

After the completion of the presentation, Mr. Olds briefly discussed our current uniform purchase program. He explained the difficulties with many of our team uniforms due to the age of the uniforms. He believed a program like the one offered by BSN Sports would help replace many of our dated team uniforms. Moving forward, Mr. Olds will come up with a two to three year replacement budget to have all sports teams in new Under Armour uniforms. The Board suggested we start at the modified levels the first year as they are in need of new uniforms desperately.

(Copy of information on file in District Clerk’s files.)

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Superintendent’s Report

• Testing (Grades 3-8) - Mr. Rich briefly discussed the upcoming testing that will occur for grades 3-8. He was happy to announce very little opposition to the tests with only a few families opting out of the testing.

• Second SEL/PD Day - Mr. Rich explained that the second SEL/PD day went smoothly. Teachers were happy to have the afternoon to share and learn.

• Calendar Change due to Return of Unused Emergency Days – Mr. Rich explained that our most recent snow day will be recorded as an emergency closure and not count as a snow day. That way we are still able to move forward with unused emergency days and extend the Memorial Day Weekend.

• Mr. Rich then expressed excitement about the upcoming Book Fair. This event has not taken place since COVID.

Administrative Reports

• The Board received copies of the Administrative Report as submitted by the building principals and Mrs. Carney.

(Copy of report on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Business Official’s Report

• The Board received copies of the March 2022 financial reports for their information.

• Mr. Humphrey reviewed the items that were included in the Business Official’s report. The draft budget, three-part budget and budget notice were all reviewed. Mr. Humphrey then presented the current state aid run and described the loss of nearly $200K from the executive run presented back in early January.

(Copies of reports on file in District Clerk’s files.)

BOARD DISCUSSION

• Mr. Boucher discussed concern about the Barringer Road playground. He stated that some older students, possibly middle school-aged, had been using the basketball court and have had issues with the foul language displayed after school hours. Mr. Rich briefly gave an update on our athletic fields and described which teams will be playing where. Mrs. North had a question about signage asking why the sign on Otsego Street is so small for the High School. She was wondering if we could get a larger sign so that people traveling to the High School from other districts could find the turn easier.

PUBLIC OPEN FORUM

• There was no public participation this evening.

ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION

• There were no items removed from the Consent Agenda for individual consideration.

CONSENT AGENDA

Approval of Minutes

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the minutes of the following meeting. Motion carried 7-0.

• Regular Meeting – March 16, 2022

Acceptance of Resignations

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board accepted the following resignations. Motion carried 7-0.

• Nate Tabor, Substitute Building Cleaner, Effective 2/28/22

• Nicole Rockwood, Bus Monitor, Effective 3/4/22

• Jessica Redner, Teacher Aide, Effective 4/27/22

(Copy of resignations on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of Unpaid Leave of Absence Requests

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the following requests for unpaid leaves of absence. Motion carried 7-0.

• Barbara Clemens, Teacher Aide, Effective 4/19/22 - 5/31/22

• Linsey Rumrill, Elementary Teacher, Effective 4/20/22 - 5/31/22

(Copy of requests on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of Personnel Appointments/Adjustments

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the following personnel appointments/adjustments. Motion carried 7-0.

Non-Instructional Appointments – Permanent - Conditional:

• Holland Edwards, Teacher Aide, Effective 5/3/22

Non-Instructional Appointments - Six-Month Probationary:

• Ashley Anthony, Teacher Aide - 7 hrs/day, Effective 3/28/22

• Gabriella Beam, Teacher Aide - 7 hrs/day, Effective 4/25/22

Substitute Aointments:

• Sherry Gross, Substitute Bus Driver, Effective 4/19/22

• Thomas Seymour, Substitute Building Cleaner, Effective 4/20/22

• Frank Torres, Substitute Building Cleaner, Effective 4/20/22

Substitute Appointments – Instructional:

• Diane Pabes, Retired LTS Elem. Teacher, Effective 3/14/22

• Oscar Pratt, Substitute - Conditional*, Effective 4/19/22

• Jordan Palmer, Substitute - Conditional*, Effective 5/9/22

*Conditional pending completion of BOCES Sub Service Process

Volunteer Coaching Appointment – 2021-2022:

• Joseph Rando, Volunteer Softball Coach

Approval of Financial Reports

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the following financial reports. Motion carried 7-0.

• Financial Reports - March 2022

• Cash Account Summary – March 2022

• Internal Claims Auditors Log Summary - March 2022

• Extracurricular Summary Report - March 2022

(Copy of reports on file in District Clerk’s files.)

OLD BUSINESS

Approval of Policy Audit – Section 4000

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. North, seconded by Mrs. Wesolowski, the Board approved the following revised policies as part of the Section 4000 Policy Audit. Motion carried 7-0.

• #4001 - Fiscal Responsibilities

• #4002 - Reports of Possible Violations of Policy or Law

• #4100 - System of Accounts

• #4101 - Bonding of District Personnel

• #4102 - Periodic Financial Report

• #4103 - Authorized Signatures

• #4200 - Budget Planning

• #4201 - Budget Publication and Hearing

• #4204 - Collection of Taxes

(Copy of policies on file in District Clerk’s files.)

NEW BUSINESS

Approval of Arrangement of Services – CSE/CPSE/504 Accommodation Plan Meetings

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the following CSE/CPSE/504 Accommodation Plan Meetings. Motion carried 7-0.

• February 28, 2022

• March 1, 2022

• March 2, 2022

• March 4, 2022

• March 7, 2022

• March 8, 2022

• March 9, 2022

• March 10, 2022

• March 11, 2022

• March 14, 2022

• March 15, 2022

• March 16, 2022

• March 17, 2022

• March 18, 2022

• March 21, 2022

• March 22, 2022

• March 23, 2022

• March 24, 2022

• March 25, 2022

(Copy of minutes on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of BOCES 2022-2023 Administrative Budget

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. Wesolowski, seconded by Mr. Darrow, the Board approved the BOCES 2022-2023 Administrative Budget. Motion carried 7-0.

(Copy of ballot on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of BOCES Board Candidates

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. North, seconded by Mrs. Wesolowski, the Board cast votes for the following BOCES Board Candidates. Motion carried 7-0.

• Janine Lynch

• Holly Poulus

• Travis Costin

• Samuel Louis

(Copy of ballot on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Adoption of Proposed 2022-2023 Spending Plan

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. North, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the proposed 2022-2023 spending plan in the amount of $ 52,414,760. Motion carried 7-0.

Approval of 2022-2023 Property Tax Report Card

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. Wesolowski, seconded by Mr. Darrow, the Board approved the 2022-2023 Property Tax Report Card. Motion carried 7-0.

(Copy of information on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of Vote Worker Appointments

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. Wesolowski, seconded by Mrs. North, the Board approved the following vote worker appointments for the May 17, 2022 budget vote/board election. Motion carried 7-0.

• Election Inspectors/Assistant Clerks:                  

  • Sharon Adams                                

  • Marilyn Bridger                                

  • JoAnn Duga            

  • Ken Long

  • Tammy Morgan

  • Sharleen Roginski

  • Mary Ann Vogel

• Vote Coordinators:

  • Kathy Contino-Turner

  • Patricia Talaba

Approval of Overnight Field Trip Request

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the following overnight field trip request. Motion carried 7-0.

• NNDCC trip to NJROTC Brain Brawl in San Diego, CA – Effective April 27- May 3, 2022

(Copy of request on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Acceptance of Donation from Richfield Springs American Legion

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mrs. Wesolowski, the Board accepted the following donation. Motion carried 7-0.

• $5,000 towards expenses associated with NJROTC Brain Brawl in San Diego, CA

Approval of Return of Unused Emergency Days

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. Wesolowski, seconded by Mrs. North, the Board approved the return of two unused emergency days as follows. Motion carried 7-0.

• May 27 and 31, 2022 - The District will be closed for ALL students and staff on both days

(Copy of revised calendar on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of Non-Public School Transportation Requests – 2022-2023

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. North, seconded by Mrs. Wesolowski, the Board approved the following non-public school transportation requests for the 2022-2023 school year. Motion carried 7-0.

• Christian Heritage School: , Karabanov (Julia and Matthew)

• St. Francis de Sales Regional Catholic School:, Kennedy (Carter)

(Copy of requests on file in District Clerk’s files.)

Approval of Appointment & Employment Agreement

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board approved the appointment and employment agreement of the following consultant. Motion carried 7-0.

• Ruth Neff, Interim Payroll Consultant, Effective 7/1/22 - 6/30/23

(Copy of agreement on file in District Clerk’s files.)

EXECUTIVE SESSION

On a motion made my Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mrs. North, the Board entered into Executive Session at 9:10 p.m. for the purpose of discussing the following. Motion carried 7-0.

• Medical, financial, credit or employment history of any particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of any particular person or corporation;

• Collective negotiations pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law.

Also present for a portion of the Board’s Executive Session were James Humphrey, Business Administrator (excused at 9:15 p.m.), and Jeremy Rich, Superintendent (excused at 10:00 p.m.). Superintendent Rich was invited back into Executive Session at 10:06 p.m.

 President Sanchez called the Board out of Executive Session at 10:07 p.m.

 Approval of Non-Union Salaries – 2022-2023

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Jeremy M. Rich, on a motion made by Mrs. Wesolowski, seconded by Mrs. North, the Board approved the 2022-2023 salaries for the following non-union employees. Motion carried 6-0-1. In favor: J. Sanchez, M. Wesolowski, J. Boucher, T. Costin, J. Levi, J. North. Opposed: None. Abstained: M. Darrow.

• Nicki Bailey, Account Clerk (Payroll)

• Kathleen Carney, Director of Curriculum & Instruction

• John Darrow, Assistant Transportation Supervisor

• Chad Francisco, Transportation Supervisor

• Marsha Griffith, Confidential Secretary to the Superintendent

• James Humphrey, School Business Administrator

• Dominick Mauro, School Food Service Director I

• Gordon Miller, Director of Facilities II

• Tammy Morgan, Confidential Office Assistant II

• Cuyle Rockwell, Public Information Specialist

• Lisa Van Winkler, Treasurer

• Jeremy Rich, Superintendent of Schools

MAY MEETINGS

• May 10, 2021 - Annual Budget Hearing

• May 17, 2021 - Annual Budget Vote / Board Election (No BOE Meeting)

• May 25, 2021 - Regular BOE Meeting

ADJOURNMENT

On a motion made by Mr. Darrow, seconded by Mr. Levi, the Board adjourned their regular meeting at 10:12 p.m. Motion carried 7-0.

James Humphrey, Deputy Clerk
Minutes taken by James Humphrey, Deputy Clerk, in absence of District Clerk.