Board approves personnel, curriculum and finance packages including $7.03 million in bills; authorizes drone use for referendum outreach

The Freehold Township School District board approved a series of bundled motions covering personnel, curriculum and finance items at its meeting.

Personnel and policy: Board member Mr. Gargiulo moved a personnel and policy package that included first reading of a regulation, listed resignations and adjustments, position control updates, new hires and start-date adjustments, changes of assignment and salary adjustments, long-term substitute assignments, leaves of absence, volunteer approvals, affirmation of bullying-investigation findings, practicum placements and substitute lists. The motion was seconded and approved by roll call, with one board member stating an abstention on specific PTO honoraria items.

Curriculum and staffing: The curriculum committee reported that Rosemary King joined the district as supervisor for ELA and social studies and Angela Romanowski was appointed permanent elementary instructional coach. The committee also highlighted I-Ready fall results (98% student completion), reported that high-impact tutoring began for multilingual students with 100% day-one attendance, and moved items including course reimbursement, the CUSAC district improvement plan, and the annual school-safety-and-security assurance. Those items passed on voice vote.

Finance and grants: The finance committee presented and the board approved a set of finance items including the secretary-treasurer's report, bills and claims totaling approximately $7,030,000, transfers (including two added that evening), out-of-district contracts, a Commission for the Blind contract, MOESC out-of-district transportation contracts, several PTO honoraria approvals, ratification of IDEA basic and preschool fiscal-year 2025 grants, the comprehensive maintenance plan and M-1 form, and authorization to use a drone as part of an informational campaign on the district referendum. The board recorded a $1,000 donation from the "First Day of School Foundation" to Applegate Elementary School as part of the consent items.

Votes and roll call: For the personnel packet, the transcript records a roll call with board members answering in the affirmative and one stated abstention on items 18 and 19 (PTO honoraria). For other consent packages the board approved motions by voice vote with the chair stating "Motion carries."

Notes: Several items were procedural consent agenda approvals and did not prompt extended debate. A board member raised concerns about permit fees the township charged district food vendors in a particular instance and urged continued budget scrutiny ahead of the upcoming January–February budget cycle. No formal public comments were recorded on agenda items during the two public-participation opportunities.