The Board honored staff members Christina Nestory, Jenna Pizzo, and Marissa Mongelli for their contributions to the Hillsdale Public Schools and their students. The Board also approved multiple personnel decisions, including approving Professional Development Days for several staff members, approving leaves of absence, and appointing tenured and non-tenured administrators and staff under the Hillsdale Education Association for the upcoming school year.

Among the significant appointments made were those of Michael Amuso as Supervisor of Maintenance, Buildings, and Grounds, and educators Kayleigh Basovsky, Christina Horton, Danielle Davila, Angelo DeSalvo, and Serenity Martin. These appointments are subject to teacher certification, criminal background checks, and receipt of official transcripts.

The meeting also saw the presentation of the Harassment Intimidation and Bullying Grade Reports for the academic year 2021-2022 by Superintendent Mr. Lombardy. He updated the Board on various matters, including enrollment data, disciplinary issues, and forthcoming important dates, particularly mentioning kindergarten enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year.

In terms of financial decisions, the Board approved the bill list for April 2023, totaling $3,144,617.22, and revised the Requisition Schedule for the 2022-2023 Local Tax Levy. A decision was made to adopt the Requisition Schedule for the Local Tax Levy. Furthermore, the board approved a Flexible Spending Account with Horizon BCBS for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, and decided to renew the FSMC contract with Maschio’s Food Service Inc. for the 2023-2024 school year. A withdrawal of $300,000 from the Maintenance Reserve Account to the General Fund for required maintenance repairs/projects was also authorized.

A notable constituent concern came from Mr. Michael Kenduck, who expressed worry about potential security issues arising from using district schools as polling locations during elections. The Board took note of his concerns and forwarded them for further review.

Moreover, under the Buildings and Grounds Committee, the Board endorsed the district’s Cyber Incident Response Plan to coordinate efforts during a cybersecurity attack. Also, an agreement for the use of the Computerized Security Camera System between the Hillsdale Board of Education and the Borough of Hillsdale was approved.

In response to the national shortage of qualified school bus drivers, the Transportation Committee passed a resolution urging the New Jersey State Legislature to allow holders of Type S School Bus Certificates to transport children to and from school without requiring a commercial driver’s license.