Board reviews policy updates and hears facilities progress on HVAC, roofing and solar capacity

The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District’s administration and facilities committee and the finance committee reported a number of policy and capital-project updates at the board meeting.

The administration and facilities committee recommended first readings or revisions for several policies that staff said are necessary to align the district with New Jersey requirements, including P0174 (legal services), P0177 (professional services), P1570 (internal controls), P1620 (administrative employment contracts), P2422 (statutory curricular requirements), P6111 (special education Medicaid initiative), and P6220 (budget preparation). The committee also recommended a second reading and approval of a new sunscreen policy, P5339.01, which allows students to use sunscreen and sun-protective equipment without documentation from a physician or other licensed health care professional while allowing administrators to restrict certain products for health or nuisance reasons. The committee recommended abolition of a COVID-era policy, P1648.15, relating to record keeping for health-care settings in school buildings.

"The committee reviewed several policies and regulations, which are recommended for a first reading at tonight's meeting," said Dana, who presented the administration and facilities committee report.

The finance committee reported that the district closed fiscal-year 2024–25 accounts and rolled over to fiscal 2025–26; an audit of 2024–25 is in progress. Committee materials listed several routine finance items on the board’s agenda including acceptance of a donation in lieu of taxes from Princeton Theological Seminary, an addendum to increase the Pritchard Industries contract by $5,000 related to recent salary negotiations, purchases exceeding the bid limit for concrete work at Morris Hawk and Grover Middle Schools, disposal of obsolete equipment, award of additional transportation routes, and approval of travel for board members and central-office administration to the New Jersey School Boards Association workshop in fall 2025.

Facilities project updates included near-completion of built-in unit ventilator installation and rooftop unit placement at Morissock (start-up delayed only by late delivery of a breaker panel but expected before school starts), a short delay in delivery of rooftop units for Grover Middle School, arrival of new boilers at Village anticipated before heating system activation in October, and summer upgrades across the district (new flooring in High School North hallways, auditorium lighting and control upgrades, foyer and walkway improvements at Grover Middle School, new walk-in refrigerators at Millstone River and Town Center). District staff said Schneider Electric is working to secure additional solar grid capacity that became available in Plainsboro.

The board voted to approve administration items, finance items and personnel items on the meeting agenda; the finance vote included multiple abstentions recorded on agenda item 19a by individual board members, as noted in the meeting roll calls.