State tax-levy incentive aid excludes facility and administrative purchases; board discusses restoring instructional positions

The board was updated that the state-passed tax-levy incentive aid included late revisions prohibiting administrative or facility purchases from the incentive, which the Personnel Committee said removes funding for projects such as the middle-school roof and elementary elevators.

Personnel Committee Chair Miss Cristello reported that the executive county superintendent’s office required the revisions and that the district’s superintendent recommended allocating a portion of the tax-levy incentive to reinstate instructional support and gifted-and-talented (G&T) teachers who had been reduced under the budget. The committee “partially agreed” but requested that the Operations Committee review the district’s financial stability before filling positions, Cristello said.

The personnel committee also reviewed resignations, new hires and leave agreements and approved recommendations presented by the superintendent. The committee approved the annual Chapter 27 emergency virtual or remote instruction program required by the New Jersey Department of Education; no revisions were made, and the item was expedited.

Operations Committee members later reported they had revised the tax-levy incentive application language as a formality to comply with the county office’s request; the dollar amount did not change. Operations asked board members to continue reviewing budget-preparation policy language and to await further financial analysis before any hiring tied to the levy.

Board votes on committee-recommended personnel and instruction items were moved and approved by roll call during the meeting.