Finance committee outlines boat donation, ticketing, preschool and Chromebook proposals; audit shows clean opinion with one finding

The Bernards Township Board of Education received a finance committee report covering a series of operational and budget-related items, including a proposed donation of sailing equipment, a trial of electronic ticketing for athletics, changes to preschool tuition, a Chromebook protection plan, updates on a utility incentive program at Mount Prospect, and the district's independent audit findings.

A grandparent has offered to donate boats, rudders, sails and dollies for the Ridge sailing team; the equipment would be stored at the Ryerdon Yacht Club for team use. Committee members discussed insurance, storage, upkeep, repair needs and certification of the boats. Mr. Rollo was assigned to investigate those issues and to consult with athletics directors and neighboring districts about costs and enrollments. The committee noted the donation falls under board policy cited in the record as "board policy 6630.1."

Athletics e-ticketing: the committee supported a winter trial of Hudl— an online ticketing platform. The platform charges a per-ticket fee reported in the presentation as $1.60; the committee also supported a proposal to raise gate prices that have not been adjusted in several years (current prices recorded in the meeting were $3 for students and $5 for adults). The record states cash sales will continue to be accepted for winter events and the administration indicated cash acceptance is expected to continue beyond the trial as a convenience.

Preschool tuition: the committee discussed preschool tuition for general education students and supported a proposed increase. The transcript notes prior monthly tuition levels and a recommended new monthly fee of $375; the committee described this rate as substantially lower than area private preschools. The record indicates limited openings for general-education preschool spots once special-education placements are accounted for (approximately 10 to 15 spots available).

Chromebook protection plan: the information technology director, Mr. Beavers, recommended a $40 annual protection plan to cover repairs (not replacements) on district Chromebooks; the committee endorsed preparing parent communications about the option and about likely future repair and replacement costs as the current fleet reaches end of support in mid-2029.

Mount Prospect direct-install eligibility: the committee discussed a New Jersey utility direct-install incentive program with roughly $3,000,000 of eligible projects identified for Mount Prospect (boilers, rooftop HVACs, lighting, etc.). Eligibility requires an average monthly electrical demand under 300 kilowatts for 12 consecutive months. Mr. Rollo found anomalous peak-hour usage readings on past bills; the district requested a meter replacement from the utility and the district reported the electric meter at Mount Prospect was replaced before winter break; Mr. Rollo will continue to monitor usage to determine program eligibility.

Custodial and grounds services: because the district has moved maintenance in-house, future bids will focus on custodial-only contracts; because the contract term is five years the bid requires review by the state controller before public advertisement.

Audit: the district received a draft independent audit report showing a clean opinion. The auditors noted one finding related to timing of deposits in student activity accounts. The report also noted increases in interest income (recorded in the meeting as about $2,000,000 over budget) and an increase in aid (about $1,000,000). The finance committee reviewed the draft and reported no other significant exceptions in the portion of the audit discussed in the meeting.

Board members asked clarifying questions on multiple items; staff committed to follow-up reporting on insurance and certification for the sailing donation, timing and consumer impacts for ticketing, preschool seat availability and tuition impacts, and continued monitoring of Mount Prospect utility meter readings.