The Takeaway: East Brunswick Board of Education Pays the Bills and Addresses Personnel Change

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The agenda was long, but the meeting was short as the East Brunswick Board of Education literally paid its bills on Thursday, July 11.  The 185-page agenda consisted mostly of the approval of contractual obligations, personnel movement, and school discipline reports.

Here's the takeaway:

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• The meeting began with an approbation for the district being awarded a Certificate of Excellence in financial management for the ninth time.
• The administration recognized Sam Mattis, EBHS Class of 2012, for his upcoming placement as an Olympic discus athlete who will compete in Paris this summer.  Mattis is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business with a degree in Economics.
• Assistant Superintendent Bernardo Giuliana apologized for his use of the outdated term "handicapped" when referring to a Special Education program.  he said, "I assure you that I will be more sensitive to terminology.  I apologize to those who were offended." During the public portion, resident Dom Sclafani requested the apology, as he has done at the past two meetings of the BOE.
• SAT, ACT, and AP preparation classes, a long-standing program available through the Princeton Review at EBHS, were once again approved.  There is no cost to the district for offering these programs, and students receive a significant price reduction.
• The agenda enumerated out-of-district placements for students requiring a great level of service.  The total cost for these students is over $2 million.  Some students also received extended school year instruction and several also had aides.
• The agenda also featured the "deletion" of the position of Assistant Superintendent for Activities and Services, the former job of Dr. Louis Figueroa. According to the revised Organizational Chart for the district administration, Figueroa's duties have been spread among existing administrative positions and department leaders. Significantly, Student Services and Wellness is now the final responsibility of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joyce Boley, as are Alternate Programs. School Security and Special Education top administrators now report directly to Superintendent Dr. Victor Valeski.  The chart indicates that there is a second-tier administrator for each of these programs, as there has been for many years.
• Dr. Figueroa spoke during the public portion, thanking those with whom he has worked in the district for more than a decade. Notably, there was no sendoff for Figueroa following the elimination of his position, as pointed out by Jack Levitt who also spoke from the floor, calling the slight a show of "disrespect for a well regarded employee."
• Aramark, the district's food service contractor, was approved for the payment of $5,660,858 for the upcoming school year.  Board member Liwu Hong questioned the approval of the budget item because it included the employment of two additional workers when the district itself is cutting staff.
• Resident Mark Sher took to the podium to continue his complaint against the district for poor management of transportation which he sees as unsafe and careless.  Sher has been to court with the district over this issue and has been charged criminally for being a "disorderly person."
• Laurie Herrick and Heather James showed support for the upcoming Special Needs Family Event at the Brunswick Square Mall on Sunday, July 28 which is sponsored in part by the East Brunswick Public Schools, the Special Education Parents Advisory Group (SEPAG,) Daisy Recreation, Fast Break Basketball, and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Special Needs Registry.  Entertainment begins around 2:00 pm.

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