Pascack Valley board approves director of curriculum recommendation after executive session; some members abstain

The Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education approved the administration'recommended Director of Curriculum on April 7, 2025 after holding an executive session to discuss human resources items.

The appointment was part of a human resources consent agenda of 14 items that the board voted on after reconvening from executive session. The human resources consent agenda was adopted; multiple trustees recorded abstentions on specific items during the roll call.

The ad hoc committee that reviewed the hiring process met March 31, 2025 and interviewed candidates; the committee reported to the board that it had recommended a candidate for Director of Curriculum. The committee'related discussion earlier in the meeting noted participation by Joseph Orlak and Doreen Babs in the hiring-review process.

During discussion before the vote, board member Mister Weaver said he would abstain on at least one item because, in his view, hiring for the district'''one of the most senior administrative roles'should be completed by the next superintendent amid an ongoing leadership transition. "Because the superintendent is resigning ... that hiring should be done by our next superintendent," Weaver said, and added, "It's premature, but I'll congratulate Mister Russo. But I will be abstaining." The statement was recorded on the meeting transcript and attributed to Weaver.

The board first voted to go into executive session to discuss human resources contracts. The motion to move into executive session passed 5-4 (yes: Miss Calderon, Miss Guzman, Missus Huang, Missus Martin, Mister Weaver; no: Miss Keller, Mister Stankus, Miss Stephens, Missus Varghese). The transcript records the board returning from executive session and then taking the vote on the human resources consent agenda.

Board President (name not specified) apologized for a recent personal absence at the start of the public meeting and said the executive session was used to resolve remaining questions about the human resources items.

Action details and roll-call nuances on specific consent items were recorded during the meeting. Several trustees abstained on specific numbered items in the consent package; where the transcript recorded those abstentions it is noted above. The board otherwise approved the human resources consent agenda and moved forward with the recommended appointments and contract actions contained in that package.

The board also thanked the ad hoc committee for its work on the Director of Curriculum search; a trustee commended the committee's work while still expressing concern about timing during the superintendent transition.

The board did not provide additional public detail about the candidate in the public portion of the meeting beyond the committee recommendation and the formal vote.