[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6469285,"mediaKeyId","5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b","parentId",5780988,"title","Superintendent highlights seamless school openings, evacuation response, attendance rules and 2,674 lunch applications","audioSeconds",2675,"startMs",1363000,"endMs",4038000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b&start=1363&end=4038","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b/thumbnail_1363000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6469285/New-Jersey/Superintendent-highlights-seamless-school-openings-evacuation-response-attendance-rules-and-2674-lunch-applications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469285-e061e907588c847afbc995ea10422259/orig.mp4?Expires=1775961473&Signature=LAx0o64CuFv-svZ1KiP6xvNQjS6ELqFTug39mhU63EJ8UsTUSxN1yh2tcBIVGcih9ZHQSNKc~JKNL7g7D3qYDXwhRf-a2CbAS72ODdbcDDqvq4-iD7BNh3zhMNKSUebpqB11h8HJmOLEv3HlO~xJUc9gaL6VDolZuSkJaHOtN6Uxy3YNRbL0klDIqtNmeuRhlEvmIqRiOHj9W438ez3m1lPtVZOV5GgUdpQI5sazrnBCBsthTpNdn59nGQpAK8XqW9vNnocqCPMWwdbajsywAWbu3dZbtl1Kk3-5fgbBrTX~geW0oyNCUNg8B95v1NwdVvP~28mfjN3QneTvVKA7KQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Belleville Public School District","date","2025-09-16T13:03:56Z","article","Superintendent Eric Alfonso told the board on Sept. 15 that the district had a “seamless opening” across buildings and thanked buildings and grounds staff for preparing schools over the summer. He said revised morning drop‑off procedures at the high school, middle school and School 4 have improved arrival times and that many schools have held well‑attended back‑to‑school nights.

Alfonso briefed the board on a safety incident last Friday at School 5, when an accidental discharge of a fire extinguisher prompted an evacuation and reunification. He said the district moved about 370 students through reunification and praised School 5 staff and the Belleville Police Department for their response. “The evacuation reunification process went seamless,” Alfonso said, calling it a “model” of how the procedure should operate.

The superintendent also outlined attendance categories and cautioned families about state reporting rules: the New Jersey Department of Education recognizes two categories (verified and unverified). Alfonso noted that verified absences include medical appointments (with a provider note), religious observances, court appearances and college visits (for juniors and seniors), and he emphasized that a parent phone call alone does not convert an absence into a state‑verified absence. “If our students are not here, they can't learn,” he said.

On outreach, Alfonso introduced a biweekly newsletter the district will send on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. He urged families to complete lunch applications because the district’s state funding and program resources rely on the percentage of applications returned; he reported 2,674 lunch applications submitted after the first full week of school.

The superintendent recognized several community members and staff for service: Judge Joseph C. Angelo, an alumnus and municipal court judge, received an alumni recognition; Lisa Kisner, an administrative assistant at School 4, was honored for long service; and the district presented awards to Jerry Tapeta (director of buildings and grounds) and assistant director Frank Weldling for facilities leadership.

Alfonso closed by asking families to avoid sharing or acting on hearsay and said the district’s “sole purpose is to remain transparent” in serving students and families.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Meeting 9-15-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Eric Alfonso reported a smooth start to the school year, described an evacuation at School 5 after an accidentally discharged fire extinguisher, announced a biweekly district newsletter and urged families to complete lunch applications (2,674 submitted to date). He also presented staff and community recognitions.","taxTitle","Belleville Public School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",68124,"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},6469289,"Residents press board for answers on 335 Washington Ave. soil testing and gym‑floor repairs",156,4150000,4306000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b&start=4150&end=4306","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b/thumbnail_4150000.jpg","/articles/6469289/New-Jersey/Residents-press-board-for-answers-on-335-Washington-Ave-soil-testing-and-gymfloor-repairs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469289-b837a4458a298ed2c873e8fbc0ba8f7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775961473&Signature=Bhc7viDanKVL8cg6dGphzUPRZxFz80S2KRIDXD9OyBLQn01rOgfaW1QHS38Ix7UUjYgjUtjQFUznt-4F1iIU2KXrV8gvb-rhyX44hlGLGiqIkIpKfov8mEQY72SZzsTyZ8pcgD5KWGnN2uUp-NFikRIGA3jBQeq1p4fTh8Nt-bdn9TiECEaH6pa6C-xTOqXISV3qWKYGOF~QWJyp4e5cr50HT2vfEgI1Q36ku0wwCXRlB2m0w5iNKX8Kxglvc2P6W8FdJawMPyP07EvHd4hcbt8ty7edaMpYt9yBaLFdaYu9ma0xE78oxResfqazFFnsJAr3YD5gSr8dPz6OO2f29w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents used the meeting’s public‑comment periods to press the board for more information about two facilities and real‑estate matters: a proposed gym‑floor repair at 335 Union Avenue and ongoing soil testing at the former King Aluminum / King’s property, 259 Washington Avenue.

Michael Sheldon, a resident, asked the board to “please inform me and the rest of the community exactly the nature of the repair work” related to an $8,850 quote from Jack Devine Gym Floors for 335 Union Avenue. When asked by the board for details, Superintendent Eric Alfonso said facility staff described “some scratching to the floor” and the administration had engaged a vendor to assess and repair the damage.

Sheldon also called the board’s attention to multiple earlier contracts and invoices for environmental work at the former King Aluminum site. Citing items on past board agendas, he listed prior payments to a consultant identified as Environmental Logic LLC for a series of services (geophysical surveys, soil borings, delineation sampling and other testing) and said the total of those earlier payments exceeded $66,000. He asked why the district was now hiring a new company to repeat testing and requested the board table the current contract until the administration explained the need for additional sampling.

Vincent Frantantoni added that he believed the district had purchased the property in April 2022 and said that as a contractor he would expect prior environmental work to have identified underground tanks given the site’s history as a gas station. He called for clearer public answers about why new testing was required.

Superintendent Alfonso replied that he would “look into it” and provide a direct response to Sheldon and the public. He acknowledged the resident’s request for more specific details and said he did not want to “misrepresent” what was in the past reports. The board did not take action on the public‑comment request during the meeting; administration was asked to follow up with the questioners.

","Residents asked the board to explain repeated soil testing at the former King Aluminum site (335 Washington Ave.) and requested details about a $8,850 gym‑floor repair quote; the superintendent said he would follow up with specifics.",{"_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},6469292,"Belleville Board approves routine personnel, curriculum, policy, purchasing and finance items",274,4735000,5009000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b&start=4735&end=5009","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b/thumbnail_4735000.jpg","/articles/6469292/New-Jersey/Belleville-Board-approves-routine-personnel-curriculum-policy-purchasing-and-finance-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469292-ecc9cbabfa9d6ffb3ad862662998c9b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775961473&Signature=nx-gIL7O1fHR~HBweMZxEBdFl1gzIJipD1rl7dbrT385sLYXILFNfccrv0OtruBPwH3qGQnOv7OJu8O27qkjp37nShBa0~tOc5~htwvHDVguDvz9UiNz1odukGVuyx7JOnEMEqQNQK0XJHBUSLwTjc-2pBALyCINU-Oju1LrZoeZVGJTEeTXq6Hw-LWYC8QH5JnE7J8osLpiaQK27oF8MPIqZ5~o5jLp6v~L~ZfseBrJ~UcbV9jxJ3peZDm9okS4RUe7zO~y-RDGv6XDCVK4HanOfqTkR4g2HH96FAJLwBbBlykeu7cHjHoemAOTYKim29RUumXHPD7tUhFlfrZXsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Belleville Board of Education conducted multiple grouped roll‑call votes on Sept. 15, approving personnel actions, curriculum items, policy updates, purchasing recommendations and finance resolutions.

Personnel: The board moved and approved personnel items 9.1 through 9.47, as presented by Superintendent Eric Alfonso. Trustee Leon called the roll and the trustees recorded “yes” votes; the chair declared the motion passed.

Curriculum: Item 10.1 (curriculum and instruction) was moved, seconded and approved by roll call.

Board policy and action: Items 11.1 through 11.23 were considered and approved in a single vote. President Bennett Meany announced an abstention on item 11.14 during the roll call; the remainder of the trustees voted yes and the grouped motion passed.

Purchasing and business services: Purchasing items listed under Section 12 were moved and approved after trustee questions about a few items; a roll call recorded affirmative votes and the motion passed.

Finance: Finance resolutions 13.1 through 13.8 were approved by roll call with affirmative votes and the chair declared the motion passed.

Meeting minutes and committee reports: The board also approved minutes from the August 18 open and closed sessions earlier in the meeting and heard committee reports including a high‑school student representative update.

No substantive policy reversals or major contract awards were decided at the meeting; most approvals were routine grouped resolutions presented by administration. Trustees asked clarifying questions on specific purchasing items during the meeting record.

Votes at a glance (high‑level roll‑call summary):
- Personnel (9.1–9.47): approved (roll call: Trustees Leon, Rodriguez, Muniz, Musaggia/Massaggio, Darrow, Bennett Meany — all recorded yes)
- Curriculum (10.1): approved (roll call: same trustees recorded yes)
- Board policy (11.1–11.23): approved; President Bennett Meany abstained on 11.14, remaining trustees recorded yes
- Purchasing/business services (12.*): approved (roll call: trustees recorded yes)
- Finance (13.1–13.8): approved (roll call: trustees recorded yes)

Board members and attendees should refer to the official meeting minutes and BoardDocs for item‑level language and vote tallies.","At its Sept. 15 meeting the Belleville Board of Education approved grouped resolutions on personnel (9.1–9.47), curriculum (10.1), board policy (11.1–11.23), purchasing/business services (12.*) and finance (13.1–13.8); trustees conducted roll calls and the measures passed, with one abstention recorded for item 11.14.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6469294,"After‑school provider Apollo outlines staffing, programming and cost structure to Belleville board",1146,2597000,3743000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b&start=2597&end=3743","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780988-f4c5ce3fd4fa00fe633867c7de66560b/thumbnail_2597000.jpg","/articles/6469294/New-Jersey/Afterschool-provider-Apollo-outlines-staffing-programming-and-cost-structure-to-Belleville-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469294-59a3410f4c011298e446f42426e7595e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775961473&Signature=eK4vFAoDnYmOnYCx5IuEqUkIs3df9Vcs~DidxOEgAGzx6geNzVHRtn5Sxnhd3xvGYftWeuvmCRsnzgyxirZ13lQkr2AI7gYCM1LwLh~x-3Z0xoBLV-zc7my385~eJnf63-AYqh7-Iv4pqnLoIz2~cyDn3TC9OhUvVqR5wuHc4BnQ9lQ7SbD5dCjBRiIeREo2EvCdmQp0EeZarqWxwMMkes3ALiyXUQ3S8WjpdsGLflinG~tbb6usq0LwgQNN4g1MmGKADWbPZVZpM2L7NWzsEvDdD9-r3TT9vQcE9AT2oeZ~3bpkEFVhy-AVjD2CuraiDv8~IVuRBmZMwcjbepq4iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Apollo After School, the district’s contracted aftercare and summer program vendor, presented an overview of its operations in Belleville on Sept. 15, describing how the company launched midyear in February 2024, expanded coverage to all pre‑K schools, and said it pays staff “on average 20 to 25% more” than competitors to reduce turnover.

The presentation, delivered by Apollo founder and CEO Oleg Budokov and district manager Lawrence Vargas, gave the board details about staffing ratios, enrichment programming and pricing. Budokov said Apollo had to get licensed and hire new staff quickly to begin operations on Feb. 5, 2024, and emphasized the company’s efforts to provide structured enrichment rather than “a babysitting service.”

The board and the superintendent pressed Apollo on special‑needs support and affordability. Trustee Muniz asked specifically what Apollo provides for students with disabilities; Budokov said Apollo and site staff “speak with school principals” and work case‑by‑case to continue supports such as 1:1 aides when feasible. Lawrence Vargas said the company intentionally overstaffs: “Our average daily summer camp ratio was 1 to 8. When we go on field trips, we're either at 1 to 5 or 1 to 6,” and “Safety is our main priority.”

Apollo described program highlights including STEM offerings (Dash robots and block‑based coding), a movie‑maker studio that produced at least one commercial with student participants, and specialty summer trips and adventure camps for older children. The company reported enrollment growth of roughly 51 new students since taking over in 2024 (about a 9% increase) and said it expanded before‑ and after‑care to pre‑K at four additional schools (Schools 4, 5, 8 and 10).

On costs and district revenue, Apollo said its contractual revenue share to the district for the year is $75,000; Apollo representatives said that payment helps offset custodial costs tied to aftercare operations. Board members and community commenters raised affordability concerns during public comment and asked that the district continue to review whether services remain affordable for families with multiple children.

Apollo officials also described staffing and retention metrics: they reported more than a 90% staff retention rate since last spring into fall and said paying above market rates was necessary to retain higher‑quality instructors in a largely part‑time sector. Budokov noted that the company’s national sister organization began as a chess education program and that the aftercare operation dates to 2012 (with a chess division dating to 2002).

The board did not take an immediate vote on operational changes at the meeting; Apollo’s presenters said they would take questions and communicate further with administration and families.

","Apollo After School presented results from its first full year of service in Belleville, describing rapid licensing, expanded pre‑K coverage, higher pay for staff, enrollment growth and a $75,000 revenue share to the district; board members asked about special‑needs accommodations and affordability.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent highlights seamless school openings, evacuation response, attendance rules and 2,674 lunch applications

Residents press board for answers on 335 Washington Ave. soil testing and gym‑floor repairs

Belleville Board approves routine personnel, curriculum, policy, purchasing and finance items

After‑school provider Apollo outlines staffing, programming and cost structure to Belleville board