Dr. Bangia’s presentation on the New Jersey School Ethics Act was a focal point of the meeting. He underlined the significance of board members maintaining confidentiality, providing accurate information, and referring complaints to the superintendent instead of acting independently. He conveyed the potential penalties for violating the Code of Ethics, which range from reprimands to removal from the Board of Education. Through real cases from the School Ethics Commission, Dr. Bangia illustrated scenarios including unauthorized dealings with vendors and conflicts of interest, which sparked debate among the board members. The interactive discussion allowed board members to engage critically with ethical dilemmas they may face.

The Personnel Committee’s decision to consider adding an additional high school nurse and a part-time floater nurse was among the critical points of discussion. The move aims to bolster the district’s capacity for addressing student health needs. The committee also explored the possibility of increasing leave pay replacement rates to attract more candidates for those positions.

In terms of operations, the Finance and Operations Committee presented an update that included a recent power outage. The committee discussed changes implemented to prevent future outages and briefed on a security update. The committee also reported finding a way to save the district approximately $55,000 in costs associated with the expiring copier lease.

The Curriculum and Technology Committee provided an update on special services programming, focusing on professional development and family outreach. The Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) reported on collaborative efforts with the district on special education matters and emphasized the significance of parent engagement.

Reports from parent associations also featured in the meeting, with various successful events and fundraisers highlighted, including the Fall Fest, holiday boutique, and holiday light celebration. The Elementary School PTA discussed service projects and fundraising efforts from the fourth and fifth graders, while the Middle School PTO reported on the completion of a Teachers Lounge redesign and scholarship fundraising for graduating seniors.

Technical difficulties arose during the parent association reports, which posed challenges in hearing updates. Despite this, the PTA president, Nikki Odison, shared information on recent grants, events such as the jingle bell run, and upcoming activities including STEAM night, self-defense classes, and a winter page program registration.

a discussion about the district’s policy on student rights during bullying investigations emerged as a salient issue. Board member Lisa Narcise questioned the fairness of not allowing a parent to be present during questioning of an accused student. The board clarified that the law does not guarantee parental presence but that students have the right to refuse questioning. Concerns from a parent about their child’s repeated experiences of being assaulted in a gym class brought attention to the urgency of addressing bullying and harassment within the district. The parent’s dissatisfaction with the handling of their child’s harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) case and the subsequent suspension underscored the need for the board to review and possibly revise their policies and responses to such incidents.

The meeting also included the approval of routine operational items such as monthly expenditures, personnel action items, and curricular and technology action items. A motion to recess into a confidential session was made towards the end of the meeting, followed by adjournment.