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May BOE Meeting Highlights
Donald Webster, Jr., BOE President reported on several national, state and local school board events he recently attended. [read President's Report]
Superintendent of Schools, David Trethaway, said that a new committee is being formed to work over the summer on reviewing new teacher evaluation systems. Research has already been underway and this committee will review the different systems in order for a choice to be made next year. Plans are for full implementation by the following year.
The district's Parent Portal, online access for parents to their students' grades, attendance and other information, is now up and running. Trethaway said he has heard positive comments from parents about it.
A resolution to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity was on the agenda. Board Attorney Thomas Monahan explained that the Doctrine of Necessity would allow all board members to vote on employee contracts in accordance with procedures of the NJ School Ethics Commission.
Business Administrator, Craig Lorentzen, said that typically the board would hold its reorganization meeting in May, but with the elections moved to November, that meeting would now be held in January. However, because the district fiscal year is from July 1- June 30, he said that many items that would in the past have been part of the reorganization meeting were on the May agenda for approval. These items, including appointments, professional services, curriculum, etc., must be approved in order for the district to operate beginning July 1.
Lorentzen said that the district would contract with CHA Consulting Group as the lowest quote to conduct an energy audit throughout the district. The quote was for $23,239, which would be paid for with a NJ Clean Energy grant that the district received for the same amount. The district will also contract with Spiezle Group architects to conduct a district-wide facilities needs assessment to determine how to implement the energy audit recommendations.
New school lunch pricing was also approved for the 2012-13 school year. Lunch prices for next year will be $2.25 for elementary, $2.60 for HS/MS, and $.40 for reduced lunch. Lorentzen said that the district has kept its pricing low, however there is federal formula for minimum pricing and Manchester has slowly been increasing their pricing to meet that minimum.
[see full May BOE Agenda] | 
