Hoboken Board adopts 2025–26 budget, approves contracts, staff appointments and grant submissions

The Hoboken Board of Education voted to approve its consent agenda at the May 2025 public meeting, which included formal adoption of the 2025–26 school budget and a package of contracts, grant submissions, facilities requests and personnel actions.

The board’s approval covered renewal of two existing services (E‑Rate consulting and the OnCourse student information system), several professional services contracts (legal, accounting and architectural), an increase to the 2024–25 architectural contract not to exceed the previously authorized amount, and authorization to proceed to the next phase of an energy costs-and-savings audit tied to the district’s Schneider Electric energy-efficiency program. The board also approved submission of a 2025 safety grant and a separate submission described by staff as likely for sidewalk repairs in the amount of $5,194.

Votes at a glance: the roll-call vote on the bundled consent motion carried. Board members recorded in the roll call as voting “yes” included Miss Angley, Miss Cadenatore, Mister Grama, Mister Clifton, Miss Norwood and Miss McGurk. Mister Delaure said, “I’m abstaining on 6.02, but yes on everything else.” The motion was declared passed by the chair.

The consent agenda also approved district curricular and extracurricular items recommended by the curriculum committee: acceptance of a New Jersey Department of Education high-school computer science grant for $41,004.97; submission of a Hudson County Arts and Education Program grant (amount to be determined by allocations); approval of Deloitte’s community-service project at Brandt School; and a set of field trips. The facilities committee items approved were fire and safety drill reports, three facilities requests for outside vendors (Hybe Athletics, Zog Sports and Hudson Way volleyball) and the district’s submission for the 2025 safety grant. The finance committee recommended and the board approved proceeding with the Schneider Electric program item that the facilities committee described as financed by cost savings over time.

Governance items approved on the consent agenda included multiple staff appointments and renewals for the 2025–26 school year, hiring for summer programs, volunteer approvals for theater and music, and acceptance of scholarships for graduating seniors. The governance committee report noted the appointment of Steven Dickerson as acting principal for Wallace Elementary for the remainder of the 2024–25 school year while the principal is on leave; that appointment appeared on the consent agenda and was approved with the bundled motion.

Board members and committee chairs reported a range of operational and program updates during committee reports that preceded the vote: curriculum updates on NJSLA and AP testing dates; summer programming plans (Splash Camp enrollment rising, a three‑week camp by Steamworks at Hoboken High School in August, and a district summer algebra readiness program run by Mathnasium); and a projected increase in students qualifying for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program next year. Governance reported 714 responses to the district strategic-plan survey and described recent pre‑K registration figures.

A final roll call recorded the consent motion as passed. No public commenters signed up to speak on agenda or non‑agenda items during the public-comment periods.