Wolak Elected President of New Providence Board of Education

John Wolak was elected President of the New Providence Board of Education at the reorganization meeting last night in the High School/Middle School Media Center.

Nancy Opperthauser was elected board Vice President, and Wolak and Ira Krauss took an oath of office for three-year terms.

Final results from the April 27th School Election were also announced. Wolak received 1,009 votes, while Krauss received 731 votes.

For the General Fund of $30,722,298, 1,064 voted in favor, while 512 voters were opposed. Overall, 1,582 votes were cast in the election out of the 7,920 registered voters in New Providence.

Later in the meeting, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Miceli gave an update on enrollment in the school district, which now totals 2,243 students, broken down as follows:

• : 628
• : 615
• : 339
• : 625
• Out-of-district: 36

Miceli also noted that the 2011 New Providence Summer Recreation Programs booklet is available on the district's website, which includes information on how to register for programs.

Moving on to other action items, Wolak noted that all board meetings for the next year are now scheduled to be held at 7 p.m., instead of 8 p.m., beginning with the next meeting on May 26.

The board also voted in favor of abolishing the position of the Treasurer of School Moneys. James Testa, School Business Administrator/Board Secretary, will handle the job responsibilities of that position moving forward.

The board also approved the AESOP substitute/attendance system between Frontline Technologies and the Board for “initial system set-up costs and continued support of attendance database software package for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 school year.”

“Again, a credit to the administration in terms of looking for cost savings areas, and this is one of them,” Wolak said. “Once this is up-and-running with respect to attendance and substitute teachers, this is going to be a cost savings for the district.”

The board also approved the “generous donation of weight room equipment from Sportscare of America, to the High School, valued at approximately $25,000.00.”

When board members asked how this donation came to fruition, Testa said it was made possible through retired head football coach .

“Coach Bottone and his wife, [Betsy], were at a Physical Therapy place up in East Hanover. Mrs. Bottone, I believe, broke her ankle and was rehabbing,” Testa said. “While he was there, he was speaking with the staff and found out that they were looking to get rid of some equipment and wanted to donate it. So Coach Bottone hooked him up with [Athletic Director] Rob Harmer.”

In other business, the board also approved the use of New Jersey State Contract #70256 to purchase Dell computers, projectors, and printers in the amount of $130,253.94.

Testa said funds to make this purchase are being utilized from the which was made on behalf of James and Teri Covello at the March 24 board meeting.

Since the district will soon have new technology because of that donation, the board also approved the disposal of the list of technology hardware that is no longer deemed necessary for school use.

Testa said some of the computers will be taken to the and set up for their use. But any computers not needed at the center will be donated to a non-profit organization in Newark.

“They use them for a training mechanism for people to take them apart,” Testa said. “They teach them how to put them back together, what can be recycled, what can’t be recycled, and that’s what we’ll do with the rest of them.”

Later in the meeting, board members also discussed the wording in the Affirmative Action Program and the Comprehensive Equity Plan, voting in favor of the amended policies.

Wolak appointed William Dibble, Ira Krauss and Adam Smith to an ad hoc committee to begin the process of preparing for teacher negotiations later this year.

“If we lay the groundwork now, it will hopefully make for a successful endeavor,” Wolak said.

During the public comments section of the meeting, resident Pat Moschetti congratulated the school board for being “on the same page as the voters" this year.

Moschetti also asked board members who decides where the girls’ softball team practices and plays, as they have been playing at the Allen W. Roberts field, and why the team has not been playing on the high school softball field.

Wolak said he thinks the decision is made by Athletic Director Rob Harmer, Coach Kelly Villa, and possibly with input from the team.

Wolak also announced the following assignments to each board committee:

Curriculum, Instruction and Technology

Chair: Nancy Opperthauser

Susan Vogel, David Hasenkopf

Finance, Facilities and Safety/Security

Chair: Adam Smith

Ira Krauss, William Dibble

Personnel, Management and Communication Committee

Chair: William Dibble

Susan Vogel, David Hasenkopf

Wolak also announced the following representatives:

Government Relations: John Wolak and Ira Krauss

Union County School Boards Association: Susan Vogel

Union County Educational Services Commission: David Hasenkopf

New Jersey School Boards Association: John Wolak

Municipal Alliance Representative: William Dibble

Morris-Union Jointure Commission: Dr. David Miceli

Liaison with Education Foundation: Nancy Opperthauser

Liaison with Athletic Foundation: Adam Smith

Liaisons with Tri-County Boards: John Wolak and Nancy Opperthauser

Wolak also said Susan Vogel will handle matters of Board Policy with Deborah Feinberg.

At the end of the meeting, board members moved to closed session to discuss personnel and student matters.