Board of Ed has $366,000 Surplus

The district's independent auditor presented the 2010-2011 Independent Audit and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to the Board at Monday night's work session. The auditor said that there is a surplus of $366,000, that will be rolled-over into the 2012 school budget. 

"That number does not reflect expendable cash," Business Administrator Michael Sawicz clarified. "In fact," he said, "it's a normal occurrence in the budget that we have seen before."

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Superintendent Michael Polizzi reported that with the exception of the , all New Milford public schools were closed for three days as a result of the snow storm on Oct. 29. The Berkley School was closed an extra day, for a total of four days, as a result of a boiler problem.

For the 2011-2012 school year, four snow days are built into the calendar. If the four days are exhausted, Polizzi said that additional days can be made up during one of the scheduled breaks.

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Polizzi reported that the October HIB (Harassment, Bullying and Intimidation) incidencts report contains 21 cases, with four meeting the HIB criteria. 

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Director of Curriculum Danielle Shanley reported on students' positive responses to the Academy Program. She also reported that she observed the trainer of the K-8 Writer's Workshop training the teachers. "She's doing a remarkable job," Shanley said.

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Business Administrator Michael Sawicz said he has received a letter from the County Clerk's office informing him that because the census showed that there are such a large number of Korean speaking voters in Bergen County, that all election materials will be made available in three different languages: English, Spanish, and Korean.

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Sawicz also reported that the BOE must revise its "facilities" forms to comply with New Jersey's Prevention of Concussion and Head Injury Law that took effect on Sept. 1, 2011. This law mandates measures to be taken to ensure the safety of kindergarten through grade 12 student athletes who participate in Interscholastic Athletics in New Jersey. 

This law requires each school district that participates in interscholastic athletics adopt a policy regarding the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among student athletes. Sawicz said that any youth sports teams that want to use any of the district's facilities must be aware of the law and comply with the policy. 

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The next regular BOE meeting will be on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at the high school upstairs in the new Global Leadership Media Center--room 336.