SOUTH BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
P. O. Box 181
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
The South Brunswick Township Board of Education met on Monday, January 5, 2015 in the
Auditorium at Crossroads North School. The meeting was chaired by Temporary
Chairperson/Business Administrator/Board Secretary, Anthony N. Tonzini, Jr.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mrs. Azra S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr.
Barry Nathanson, Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel Mr. Patrick Del Piano, Mr.
Arthur Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
CALLED TO ORDER AND SALUTE FLAG – Mr. Tonzini called the meeting to order at 7:00
pm and asked the audience to stand for the pledge of allegiance.
STATEMENT OF ADVANCE NOTICE – Mr. Tonzini read a statement in compliance with
the Open Public Meetings Act.
APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON – There was motion by Mr.
Nathanson, seconded by Dr. Parker to appoint Mr. Tonzini, School Business
Administrator/Board Secretary as Temporary Chairperson:
Yes:
Mrs. Azra S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Dr.
Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel Mr. Patrick Del Piano, Mr. Arthur Robinson
and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
APPROVAL OF AGENDA - There was a motion by Mr. Delgado, seconded by Mr. Boyle to
approve the agenda of January 5, 2015:
Yes:
Mrs. Azra S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Dr.
Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel Mr. Patrick Del Piano, Mr. Arthur Robinson
and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
ANNOUNCE ELECTION RESULTS – Mr. Tonzini announced the election results from the
November 4, 2014 General Election:
Candidate
Votes Cast
Patrick DelPiano
4067
Arthur L. Robinson
3781
Deven M. Patel
3049
Anilkumar C. Patel
2312
ADMINISTER OATH OF OFFICE TO BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS – Mr.
Tonzini administered the oath of office to Mr. Del Piano, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Patel.
NOMINATION OF PRESIDENT – Mr. Tonzini asked for nominations for President. Mr.
Nathanson nominated Dr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Boyle. Mr. Nathanson commented on
Dr. Parker’s guidance to the board members, including throughout the superintendent
search.
MOTION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS: There was a motion by Mr. Nathanson, seconded
by Mr. Delgado to close the nominations:
Yes:
Mrs. Azara S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson,
Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Mr. Arthur
Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
MOTION TO APPOINT PRESIDENT: There was a motion by Mr. Nathanson, seconded by
Mr. Delgado to appoint Dr. Parker as president:
Yes:
Mrs. Azara S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson,
Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Mr. Arthur
Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
Dr. Parker consented to having his name offered as Board President and assumed his seat as
President and presided over the remainder of the meeting. He thanked the board for their
confidence in him and announced he will serve as president to the best of his ability.
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
NOMINATION OF VICE PRESIDENT – There was a motion by Mr. Patel, seconded by
Mrs. Baig, to nominate Mr. Boyle as Vice President. Mr. Patel spoke of Mr. Boyle’s great
leadership skills and also his work as budget chair.
There were no other nominations.
MOTION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS – There was a motion by Mr. Nathanson, seconded
by Mr. Delgado to close the nominations:
Yes:
Mrs. Azara S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson,
Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Mr. Arthur
Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
MOTION TO APPOINT VICE PRESIDENT– There was a motion by Mr. Nathanson,
seconded by Mr. Delgado to appoint Mr. Boyle as Vice President:
Yes:
Mrs. Azara S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson,
Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Mr. Arthur
Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
REPORT OF THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE – Sophia Balsamo
Ms. Balsamo submitted and reported the following report:
Activities
•
•
•
December 23rd was the first ever Winter Pep Rally, emceed by myself and Vice-President
Tyler Sanders. There were performances by the dance teams and the cheerleaders, and all
of our winter athletes were recognized and honored.
January 30th, Student Council is hosting its annual Hugs-for-Brady Black Light Dance
from 6pm to 10pm, teams and individuals will dance the night away, and all for a good
cause. Registration cost $7 per person on a team or $10 individually.
Last meeting I reported our Underclassmen Representative Nina Trach is slated to run for
President on the NJASC Executive Board. On Wednesday, the Student Council will be
heading to TCNJ for the Winter Conference, where voting will take place. I hope you’ll
join us in wishing Nina the best of luck!
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
•
I’d also like to notify everyone about our Leadership Association. As coalition of sports
team captains, club presidents, and class and student council leader, the Leadership
Association brings together the best and brightest of SBHS to discuss important issues
surrounding our school. The next meeting is Wednesday, January 14th.
Guidance
•
•
On Wednesday January 7th there will be a panel for our graduating seniors. The panel will
consist of SBHS alumni attending college for the first-time this year and they will answer
questions about applying and transitioning to college.
Wednesday, January 14th will be incoming Freshmen Parent Night at 7:00 pm. All parents
with an eight-grader this year are encouraged to attend.
Athletics
•
•
•
•
•
•
Girls Basketball is 4-1 and will be playing tomorrow against Edison at 7:00 pm.
Boys Basketball is 4-1 and will be playing tomorrow at North Brunswick, also at 7:00 pm.
Girl’s Bowling is 7-0-2 and recently won the Carteret Old Bridge Baker Tournament for
the 4th time in a row. They also placed 1st in their squad and 3rd overall in the Brick Town
Tournament.
Boys Bowling is 7-2 and was a top qualifier in the Carteret Old Bridge Baker tournament
and placed 4th overall.
Ice Hockey is 5-2 and is playing Wednesday at ProSkate at 3:30 pm against St. Joe’s. Girls
Track won the Merli Invitational meet and have GMC relays this Saturday at the Bennett
Center in Toms River at 4:00 pm.
Boys Winter Track won the 4x800 relay with a time of 801.9, which at the time, was the
best in the state and the country, but has since been bumped to second. They also have
their GMC relays this Saturday at the Bennett Center in Toms River at 4:00 pm.
Music
•
The Fall Play, “Larceny and Old Lace” will have performances on January 22nd, 23rd, and
24th. We invite everyone to attend. The Visual Ensemble and Performance Company are
hard at work preparing for their first shows this month.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT – Dr. Jerry Jellig
Dr. Jellig congratulated Dr. Parker and Mr. Boyle on their nominations as President and Vice
President, and Mr. Del Piano, Mr. Patel and Mr. Robinson on their re-election. Dr. Jellig also
congratulated the students being honored this evening.
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
•
The next scheduled Parent Academy will be held at Crossroad North Middle School on
Thursday, January 8th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm entitled “Persistence, Perseverance and
Grit: Learning to Tolerate Discomfort.” Childcare will be provided for children over
three. Parents can register online.
•
January 15th is an early release day for Professional Development.
•
January 19th schools will be closed in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday.
•
January is School Board Recognition Month and Board Members will be honored at the
next scheduled board meeting.
RECOGNITION – 2015 National Merit Semi-Finalist Students and Honored Faculty
Dr. Peter Varela announced tonight we are fortunate to recognize students who have been
selected by the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program as Semi-Finalists. The top 16,000
out of 1.5 million students who took the PSATs are selected. South Brunswick High School is
recognizing 21 semi-finalists the most in school history. Tonight is Part I of the recognition
and ten students will be recognized this evening as well as the educator they have chosen.
Part II of this recognition for the remaining 11 National Merit Semi-Finalists will be
recognized at an upcoming board meeting.
Mr. Varela also announced there are 61
commended students that were selected, the most in schools history and they will be
recognized at two separate board meetings.
The following high school students were recognized along with the educator they have
chosen that have impacted them during their education experience in South Brunswick
School District. The students and teachers were presented with certificates by Mr. Varela and
Dr. Parker. The students presented their honored guest with a special book and
accompanying inscription.
Student Scholar
Akanksha Acharya
Jacqueline Aquino
Abhishek Banerjee
Rupesh Chinta
Shweta Dutta
Pooja Gadani
Pramodh Janjanam
Shreya Kumar
Pranav Marupudi
Amrita Mojumdar
Honored Educator
Roberto DeBari
Dianne Belnay
Ithan Zimmer
Aparna Rajagopal
Ken Sadowsky
Stephen Dentler
Kathy Fekete
Maritza Arango
Ana Liptak
Mark Ziminski
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
Mr. Varela thanked his secretary Maryann Murphy as well as Administrative Assistant
Madeline Daniels for their help in organizing the recognition.
Dr. Jellig congratulated the students on an extraordinary achievement, he announced he was
very proud of the students and asked the parents and educators to stand and also be
recognized for their work.
Dr. Parker on behalf of the board congratulated the students on their hard work and also
congratulated the parents and the teachers.
Meeting recessed at 7:48 pm.
Meeting reconvened at 7:53 pm
PUBLIC COMMENTS –
Mr. Paul Migliore, Kendall Park resident thanked the Board for approving a recent
settlement agreement. Mr. Migliore raised his concerns regarding the child study teams
following the terms of the agreement and asked the board and the superintendent to take a
more active role in the administrative agreement. He commented that he did receive a call
earlier in the day from Mr. Raphael Morales, Director of Student Services, questioning the
timing of the call.
Dr. Jellig commented on Mr. Migliore’s concerns.
Mr. Raj Tiwari, Global Manager of Johnson & Johnson, discussed his background experience.
Mr. Tiwari spoke of the theme “Building Bridges” and offered his assistance in the
communication gap between parents and the school district. Mr. Tiwari announced parents
are willing to volunteer their time. He offered his assistance in helping the parents become
more involved by communicating through emails. Mr. Tiwari also commended Ms. Aparna
Rajagopal, Stem Supervisor for South Brunswick High School for encouraging her students to
be inventive.
BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS – None
APPROVE ACTION ITEMS – There was a motion by Mr. Delgado, seconded by Mrs. Baig
to approve the Action Items of January 5, 2015:
1
BUSINESS/BOARD
Administration recommends that the following item be approved:
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
1.1
Approve Change Order – That the Board of Education approve the following change order 5
for Central Pack Engineering for HVAC Equipment at Crossroads North Middle School:
Original Contract Sum
Net Change by previously authorized Change Orders
Contract Sum prior to this Change Order
Contract Sum will be increased by this Change Order
New Contract Sum including this Change Order will be
$536,000.00
$14,104.94
$550,104.94
$8,480.68
$558,585.62
1.2
Approve Extension of Contracted Services – That the Board of Education approve an
extension to the agreement for a Substitute Athletic Trainer Program for JAG Physical
Therapy at Crossroads Middle Schools for the remainder of the 2014 – 2015 school year due
to an extension of a leave of absence. The original not to exceed amount was for $8,400.00
approved on August 25, 2014, the services should now not exceed $15,000.
1.3
Approve Resolution for Travel and Related Expense Reimbursement A. Regular Business Travel
B. Other
WHEREAS, the South Brunswick Board of Education recognizes school staff
and Board members will incur travel expenses related to and within the scope of their current
responsibilities and for travel that promotes the delivery of instruction or furthers the efficient
operation of the school district; and
WHEREAS, N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-1.1 et seq. requires Board members to receive prior approval of
these expenses by a majority of the full voting membership of the Board and staff members to
receive prior approval of these expenses by the Superintendent of Schools and a majority of the
full voting membership of the Board; and
WHEREAS, a Board of Education may establish, for regular district business travel only as
described in NJOMB Circular Letter 12-14, including amendments or revisions thereto, a
threshold amount below which Board approval is not required; and
WHEREAS, travel and related expenses not in compliance with N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-1.1 et seq.,
but deemed by the Board of Education to be necessary and unavoidable are excluded from the
requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-1.1 et seq.; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves all travel not
in compliance with N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-1.1 et seq. as being necessary and unavoidable as per
noted on the attached Board of Education Approval of Travel and Related Expense
Reimbursement Form; and
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Minutes of the Board Meeting of January 5, 2015
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Education approves the travel and related expense
reimbursements as listed on the attached Board of Education Approval of Travel and Related
Expense Reimbursement Form.
Yes:
Mrs. Azara S. Baig, Mr. Daniel Boyle, Mr. Harry J. Delgado, Mr. Barry Nathanson,
Dr. Stephen F. Parker, Mr. Deven M. Patel, Mr. Barry Nathanson, Mr. Arthur
Robinson and Mr. Peter St. Vincent
No:
None
Abstentions: None
PUBLIC COMMENTS – None
BOARD COMMENTS/COMMUNICATIONS –
Mr. Nathanson congratulated Mr. Del Piano, Mr. Patel and Mr. Robinson on their re-election
and Dr. Parker and Mr. Boyle for being nominated as President and Vice President. Mr.
Nathanson also congratulated Mr. Delgado for his 20 years of service on the board.
Mr. Boyle thanked the board for their confidence in him.
Mrs. Baig also congratulated Dr. Parker, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Del Piano, Mr. Patel and Mr.
Robinson. She commented on a letter writing campaign for residents to write cards of
condolences to families in Pakistan in regards to the recent Taliban attack, she announced the
deadline is January 12.
Mr. Robinson also congratulated Dr. Parker and Mr. Boyle and thanked the residents for reelecting him.
Dr. Parker announced serving on the board is a privilege and he is honored to serve as
president.
MOTION TO ADJOURN – There was a motion by Mr. Delgado, seconded by Mr. St.
Vincent to adjourn the meeting at 8:13 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Anthony N. Tonzini, Jr., CPA
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
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