Woodbridge Central Board approves routine agendas, introduces budget timeline; students highlight FCCLA activities and district achievements

The Woodbridge Central Board of Education on March 13 approved the superintendent's and several committee agendas, opened its budget process with public dates, and heard student reports on school activities and community service.

The meeting’s business began with routine roll call and a closed-session vote on personnel and attorney–client matters. After reconvening to public session, the board approved minutes and accepted the superintendent’s report for February, which highlighted districtwide student achievements and recent school events.

The superintendent, Dr. Massimino, said 109 seniors earned a Seal of Biliteracy; 10 of those students earned an additional seal in another language. The report recapped Title I family nights; Read Across America activities across elementary schools; multiple school fundraisers for the American Heart Association (including more than $4,000 raised by Port Reading School No. 9 and $11,414 by School No. 25); community food drives (School No. 1 collected more than 1,800 soup donations; Ford Middle School donated about 800 pounds of food); and student enrichment activities such as a Princeton STEM conference attended by FMS students. The report also noted a Woodbridge High School student qualified for DECA nationals following regional and state competition.

During the finance committee report, board members announced the district’s budget process timeline: open public budget meetings will begin May 1 and the board will vote to adopt the budget on May 8. The finance item introduced the tentative budget to be submitted to the county superintendent.

In public comment, two John F. Kennedy Memorial High School students spoke on behalf of FCCLA. Resham Desai identified herself as a junior at Kennedy and Mission Patel, also a junior and the New Jersey FCCLA vice president of community service, detailed upcoming state leadership conference activities and local community projects. Patel said the chapter is collecting monetary donations to aid wildfire relief, yarn for a wig-making project for children with cancer, and hygiene items for Vision of Hope in South Jersey. Patel also described a local fashion sustainability campaign and an April 26 fashion show at the youth center tied to that effort. “Our community service initiatives for this year is having monetary donations for an effort to help the LA fires,” Patel said. She also described fundraising that raised $72,000 in two weeks to assist a teacher who lost her home.

Board members made several procedural and standing-committee approvals across communications, curriculum, finance, safety, dining and transportation, and personnel items. Several motions were moved and seconded by board members on committee recommendations and were approved by roll call; named abstentions were recorded where indicated on the record. The meeting concluded with an announcement about an upcoming free prom dress event on March 19 at Woodbridge High School and an adjournment.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to go into closed session to discuss personnel and receive attorney–client advice — motion by Miss Borden, second by Mr. Trebwasser; outcome: approved (all in favor). (Transcript topicintro: opening roll call and Sunshine Law notice; topfinish: motion to retire to closed session.)

- Motion to reconvene to public session — motion by Mr. Trebwasser, second by Mr. De LaPietro; outcome: approved.

- Motion to approve minutes from the previous meeting — motion by Mr. De LaPietro, second by Miss Perez; outcome: approved.

- Motion to adopt the superintendent’s agenda (items 1–11) — motion by Mr. Trebwasser, second by Miss Borden; outcome: approved. Abstentions: Mr. Mohammed and Miss Perez on item 11 (abstention reason cited as affiliation with Rutgers University).

- Communication, policy and planning committee recommendation (4 items) — motion by Mr. Mohammed, second by Miss Anderson; outcome: approved.

- Curriculum, extracurricular activities and technology committee recommendation (7 items) — motion by Mr. Sedona, second by Miss Perez; outcome: approved.

- Finance and insurance committee recommendation (12 items; budget introduction) — motion moved and seconded on committee recommendation; outcome: approved. Note: board announced public budget meetings starting May 1 and a final adoption date of May 8. One recorded abstention on finance item 1 by Mr. Trebwasser (noted on the record as an abstention tied to a name listed on item 1).

- Safety and security committee recommendation (2 items) — motion by Mr. Velez, seconded; outcome: approved.

- Dining and transportation committee recommendation (7 items) — motion by Miss Perez, seconded by Miss Anderson; outcome: approved.

- Personnel committee recommendation (28 items) — motion by Mr. De LaPietro, second by Miss Perez; outcome: approved.

- Motion to adjourn — motion seconded by Dr. Massimino and Mr. Trebwasser; outcome: approved.

Context and why it matters

The meeting covered routine governance, personnel matters discussed in closed session, and the first formal step in the district’s 2025 budget process. The superintendent’s report highlighted student academic recognitions, literacy and STEM programming, and several school fundraisers and community-service efforts — items that reflect both student achievement and district-community engagement. Student presenters representing FCCLA used the public-comment period to describe ongoing community-service drives and a sustainability initiative that will culminate in a fashion show April 26.

What the board directed and next steps

The board authorized staff to proceed with the budget timeline (public meetings May 1; budget adoption May 8) and approved committee and superintendent recommendations presented at the meeting. The closed-session subjects (personnel and attorney–client advice) remain confidential until the board determines the reasons for confidentiality no longer apply.

For upcoming public engagement, the district noted a free prom dress giveaway on March 19 at Woodbridge High School and scheduled public budget meetings beginning May 1.