School Board Takes Care of Business in First Meeting of the Year

The Hoboken Board of Education honored its district’s students of the month, and updated the community on the latest happenings of the district during Tuesday’s monthly board meeting.

Students of the Month included Johanna Sexton from Calabro School and from Hoboken High School, who were on hand to receive their certificates.

During the Superintendent’s report, former Business Administrator Robert Davis was given the floor to update the board on the status of the upcoming School Budget for 2012-2013. At the present time a first draft is anticipated to be put before the board within the next three weeks. According to Davis, the budget is being worked to address district and Board of Education goals.

The first draft of the budget includes approved district and board goals, the 6-year capital projects plan, as well annual expenditures for existing programs, Davis said.

All the budget managers have submitted their requested appropriations for the upcoming school year, which the superintendent is currently reviewing. It's still unclear how much revenue the budget will see, as well as the amount of state and federal grants. It's still unclear if there'll be a change to the tax levy, which is capped at 2 percent per state mandate.

The district will learn the amount of state aid the will receive during the last week of February, Davis said. The superintendent, however, will present the first draft of the budget on or before the February board meeting. 

Last year Hoboken received an extra $1.6 million in State Aid, which was used towards expenditures, and reserved a roughly $457,000 surplus for the next school budget.

“Last year’s state aid put us in a good position,” said Davis. “I think [aide] will be similar to last year.”

Superintendent of Schools Mark Toback announced that his documentation showed a decrease in bullying in December. He said last summer the board planned a program, with as its main goal educating students and parents about bullying. 

“You have anti-bullying specialists [in each school], who are doing a phenomenal job, and our District Anti-bullying coordinator Dr. Cecilia D’Elia works with all the schools giving advice and talking about needs,” said Dr. Toback. “It’s an ongoing topic and the basis of the whole things is about educating people.”

Dr. Toback also announced that the high school’s renovated culinary classroom and café will be fully operational by next school year. The approved contract for the renovations went to Singer Equipment Company Inc. of Philadelphia in the amount of $106,035.

“The culinary program is a program that has existed,” said Dr. Toback. “[We] are converting an existing home-economics classroom into the culinary classroom with new equipment and into a small café.”

With the new room and equipment students in the culinary program can earn Pro-Start Certification, which certifies students to start careers in the culinary arts, and Service Aid Certification, which you need to work in a restaurant. The district is currently in a partnership with the culinary program at Hudson County Community College, where students can receive college credit, and are working on establishing partnerships with 4-year culinary schools.

Among the resolutions the board approved at the meeting was the termination of the Interim Business Administrator Michael Donow due to the completion of his contract as of Jan. 16. New incoming Business Administrator William Takacs will assume the position a day later. He is currently the County Business Administrator for the Department of Education.

The board also approved an emergency contract to T&M Contracting Company for an estimated $58,000 for emergency work due to structural issues with the façade of the Brandt School. This included emergency installation of a protective sidewalk bridge. An additional $5,000 was approved for district’s architect Mount Vernon Group, who will be working with T&M to determine the extent of the problem and specification of repairs.

In addition, the anticipated district newsletter was given out to the community before the holiday break and copies are still available.