[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6557536,"mediaKeyId","3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598","parentId",3290819,"title","Metuchen Board approves minutes, personnel, finance and policy items; OKs low bussing fee and construction change orders","audioSeconds",296,"startMs",3328805,"endMs",3625105,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598&start=3328&end=3625","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598/thumbnail_3328805.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557536/New-Jersey/Metuchen-Board-approves-minutes-personnel-finance-and-policy-items-OKs-low-bussing-fee-and-construction-change-orders","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557536-4954a2a63721f32f4fec14c5ee746d46/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488974&Signature=X4GK95DHb9E~yuNVUcK2P0bvZCYKmX0~k4ZPbTRlDw1bpC0fbDbubvRQzc0Lz5bvCq8gcjVvugrxuq9jYH7S~AwZTqsO8YKgVL869cHZyNUaLNgTxGo3ZhG2uuaVIkDpSeCchM8PmM7-rL0Jkev0Ivuau7O9zjudIZuccMXcOFLeBQa8MHWlE7H8e5bgwuDVA4fECey6XB7AfZOzNPFu-Zwa5XDTwCz~kWmrAADf5VLsntRGQTHnRZvBE58uk6R~9T0HoLpYXVC81Y8H65~neMaoWUe1N2mCx3opHQ70kknjILn2XvJo6Xr8RSk-JJIwU7zvyu56u0tBlDPcTiqV9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Metuchen Public School District","date","2025-05-13T23:51:28Z","article","The Metuchen Board of Education approved a slate of routine and fiscal items during its May 13, 2025, meeting, voting to approve minutes, personnel appointments, the finance package and policy items. Roll-call votes recorded a majority of board members in favor on each item, with abstentions noted on a small number of individual votes.

Key votes and outcomes

- Minutes (04/29/2025 special and regular meetings): Approved. Vote: Yes—Mister Bhatt, Miss Cheatham, Mister Glassberg, Doctor Johnson Marcus, Miss Killeen, Doctor Spigner, Mister Suss; Abstain—Mister Derflinger, Mister Lifton. Motion carried.

- Personnel items (a1–a6): Approved by roll call. Several leave-replacement appointments and staffing motions were authorized. Motion carried (all recorded board members voted yes in roll call).

- Finance package (b1–b14): Approved. The finance items included a partial-subscription bussing fee of $6.10 per student per year (the parent component; the district subsidizes the remainder), and confirmation that the district will provide bussing to Edgar and Campbell schools next year. The package also included a resolution to support applying for a tree-planting grant and several construction change orders for ongoing work at Campbell School. Roll call: unanimous in favor among recorded voting members; motion carried.

- Policy items (c1–c2): Approved by roll call; motion carried.

- Curriculum and recognition item (d1): Approved, including an acknowledgment of Caroline Ford, Edgar sixth-grade teacher, receiving an Applebee’s “Above and Beyond” teacher award. One board member stated an abstention specific to the Applebee’s recognition; the motion on the curriculum item carried.

Finance discussion highlights

Board members discussed elements of the construction change orders listed in the finance packet. One change order (listed as change order 15) modified exterior stairs at Campbell School because of a dimensional issue. Board members and administrators said they expect some issues of interpretation among contractor, architect and district staff to be negotiated near project completion and that there is potential for refunds or credits depending on those negotiations. The administration said it intends to keep the project moving within contingency monies and provide updates at the appropriate time.

On transportation, a board member clarified that the $6.10 figure was a partial subscription fee paid by parents (the district subsidizes the remainder) and reiterated that bussing routes will include Edgar and Campbell next year.

Procedural notes

Motions were introduced from the floor and approved by roll call; where seconds were recorded in the transcript, they were noted (for example, a motion to move personnel items was seconded by Mister Derflinger). No contested policy or budget votes were recorded at the meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Metuchen Board of Education Meetings Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","At its May 13 meeting the Metuchen Board of Education approved routine minutes and personnel items and passed finance and policy packages that include a partial-subscription bussing fee of $6.10 per student, continuation of bussing to Edgar and Campbell, a tree-planting grant resolution and several construction change orders for Campbell School.","taxTitle","Metuchen Public School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",75049,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6557541,"Metuchen district reports 74 of 78 on anti-bullying self-assessment to state",174,2585970,2760500,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598&start=2585&end=2760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598/thumbnail_2585970.jpg","/articles/6557541/New-Jersey/Metuchen-district-reports-74-of-78-on-anti-bullying-self-assessment-to-state","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557541-387fa91800ea87e03784d1d3745d0192/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488974&Signature=XNLOmp-IeMK61Gg9gtKsBzue7SimysKy7AYPuzelqBwiBwHm52Pn6jzznzwdwE0yK3xZZCBnLmUwM66tJ~X7b2u0SpenQD3DwMcFI5e8C9ehjovlG8A41~V5sAcXFCB~sgIH8YTnef6oNeyUAA-3X0sdI9KaPeH9OVbYh6XixTUYtD0kxVxqA4DjYG0GYzePsQMC6eWGl66M11O28g0lR7pYn7cDgfBXHNJGVbnswYRBYnNYbPGWnFPymekL7D-jcEnrp0ZinxwoHOtfFKJ3MDocakrqMfeNRItBcqI0nVY6EEwnlt1Pi31PuGmJmMALkR~3NQNA2W4dbMNGDFik8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Doctor Caputo reported to the Metuchen Board of Education on May 13, 2025, that the district’s self-assessment under the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights was submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education and the district received a score of 74 out of 78.

Caputo said the state reviews each school’s submission and may confirm or modify the self-reported scores. The district-wide score of 74 reflected individual school totals across nine core elements, he said: Campbell School scored 75 of 78; Edgar School scored 73 of 78; Metuchen High School scored 74 of 78; and Moss School scored 72 of 78. Caputo said the report is posted on the district website.

The superintendent described the submission as the district’s final report after several interim reports provided earlier to the board. No board action was taken; the item was an informational report and is available on the agenda packet and district website for public review.

","Superintendent Dr. Caputo told the board the district submitted its Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights self-assessment to the New Jersey Department of Education and the district score is 74 out of 78; individual school scores were also listed and posted online.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6557545,"Metuchen board hears expanded mental-health initiative, Lifelines training and peer-mentoring growth",1568,1071395,2640135,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598&start=1071&end=2640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290819-18c6dd97de9f7d629a3fb29b190a0598/thumbnail_1071395.jpg","/articles/6557545/New-Jersey/Metuchen-board-hears-expanded-mental-health-initiative-Lifelines-training-and-peer-mentoring-growth","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557545-fda416337144896175849eb8c45dcc55/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488974&Signature=EEKFM3wpKgARHBuJismE70vcPtslvZSYZ4I6UCMAaMWt4FYNt4gXcUL8GbfRJi2LIoLCg0ZdOwOAv0aX9LVJGjoTriK7n1nvJZ3~cHCHSrOsDKrS3BJNSpD62z7EUQcYb1WDKwBJfd9rpsY3Spl7rnVY3ukLZ5Tu5kB2uB1pxFp~HJ7WePvo0Q~v0wvpTVrJqeUoxP8bL28566V9wmOXYNX6~Ny7bsrZtOfQ~OrPIT7iOWpULdSfQHzC02O36SuLDD5XcszTundBu1jSsDpawXu4K62w7NbF1f65hbZVwD3BbmNS~QyF9tYEqFd3hVic-BYkwDBV28Cl0bXPeTb6CQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Doctor Herzog told the Metuchen Board of Education on May 13, 2025, that the district’s community-funded mental-health initiative now includes a 12-element framework of tiered interventions, expanded clinician partnerships and a districtwide rollout of Lifelines suicide-awareness programming.

The presentation explained why the initiative matters: suicide is the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14, and “20 percent of United States high school students have had serious thoughts of suicide,” Herzog said, citing national statistics included in the presentation. The program’s funding traces to a 2019 local referendum that began at $700,000 and has increased with annual budget growth, Herzog said.

Herzog summarized the program’s 12 core elements as tiered interventions, social-emotional learning embedded in curriculum, explicit instruction and practice opportunities, staff development, high-quality resources, leadership support, family and community engagement, multidisciplinary collaboration, student leadership and peer mentoring, and a comprehensive suicide-awareness plan. He said the district uses the New Jersey tiered system of supports model beyond academics to structure these services.

Among specifics, Herzog said the district hired two school psychologists funded by the referendum so each school has a psychologist five days a week; added board-certified behavior analysts; placed therapeutic clinicians at Campbell and Edgar schools through community partnerships; and funded reading and math intervention positions and summer programs. He described three-tiered service levels: universal (Tier 1) supports for all students, targeted (Tier 2) groups for some students, and individualized (Tier 3) data-driven services for the smallest group.

Herzog described this year’s Lifelines trilogy rollout, which trained a core team in prevention, intervention and postvention. “Our secondary health and physical-education teachers were trained in the curriculum,” Herzog said; Lifelines lessons were implemented for sixth-, ninth- and 11th-grade health classes this spring to teach warning signs, how to identify a trusted adult and how to seek help. The district also launched a trusted-adult campaign and ran parent Lifelines trainings, Herzog said.

The presentation highlighted student leadership programs: Bulldog Buddies pairs younger and older elementary students to practice SEL skills, middle-school mental-health ambassadors receive training to spread awareness and the Wingman program links athletes and advisors to student-led kindness initiatives. Herzog credited partnerships with Rutgers clinicians and the Metuchen Police Department for coordination in cases requiring outside care.

Board members praised the work and asked operational questions. Board member Mister Glassberg said the presentation showed the program was “more than money” and praised the sustained effort. Miss Cheatham asked about provider capacity, saying, “What are you seeing the capacity like with the current school psychologists? Are they fully utilized?” Herzog responded that school psychologists perform direct services, risk assessments, safety plans and consultation, and that a major goal is to build capacity among classroom teachers and paraprofessionals so more staff can support students’ needs.

Herzog said the district will focus next year on continuity and sustainability as schools are reconfigured and on adding supports to help students navigate sensitive topics in class content. He thanked Janine Bonacisa, the district’s director of special services, and Alana Curtain, supervisor of school counseling, and noted Heather Mills is Curtain’s interim replacement.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; the session was an informational report and discussion.

","Doctor Herzog gave the Metuchen Board of Education an annual update on the district’s mental-health initiative on May 13, describing 12 core elements funded by a community referendum and new programming including Lifelines suicide-awareness lessons, tiered interventions and student peer-mentoring.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Metuchen Board approves minutes, personnel, finance and policy items; OKs low bussing fee and construction change orders

Metuchen district reports 74 of 78 on anti-bullying self-assessment to state

Metuchen board hears expanded mental-health initiative, Lifelines training and peer-mentoring growth