The Cedar Creek Italy trip raised questions from board members who were concerned about the selection of the participating students and the implications of such trips on the school budget. While it was clarified that not the entire school would be traveling and that it might be a group organizing the trip rather than a specific club, the discussion highlighted the need for more information on how these trips are rotated among the schools and their impact on the district’s finances.

In the realm of budget and facility improvements, the board approved a $112,000 change order for the HVAC project at Absegami High School, which will address control issues and add additional heat pumps. This project is funded through ESSER III funds, which are federal funds allocated for school district use. Furthermore, a paving project, which had been previously bid twice and discarded each time, was finally awarded to Maxwell for $64,000 after successful negotiations.

Personnel items were also on the agenda, with P1 through P26 being moved and seconded. Some abstentions were noted during the voting process, particularly concerning Cedar Creek administrators and others in supervisory roles due to potential conflicts of interest.

Public comments were invited but there were no speakers, and the meeting concluded without an executive session. The absence of a superintendent’s report was noted, with Superintendent James Reina away. Board members took a moment to express appreciation for the successful graduation ceremonies that had recently taken place across the district’s schools.