Board debates bills‑list transparency and substitute staffing; superintendent to study reporting options
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Summary
Board members asked for clearer line‑item descriptions on the bills list and questioned the ESS substitute addendum; the superintendent agreed to analyze whether software or thresholds can provide clearer vendor descriptions and the time needed to produce them.
At its Dec. 16 meeting, the North Hunterdon‑Voorhees Board of Education spent an extended portion of its finance agenda asking for more transparency on the bills list and clarifying the district’s approach to substitute staffing.
Several board members said the bills list — a multi‑page accounting report generated by the district’s software — lacks readable descriptions for some vendor lines and large dollar amounts. One member asked for a brief description column or a threshold (for example, the largest 10% of invoices) so the board and public can more quickly understand major expenditures before voting.
Board members also revisited the district’s use of ESS (a substitute staffing agency) and an addendum to that contract. Members asked for the original contract to be attached to any addendum so the board can see base rates, pay vs. bill rates and other terms. The board discussed whether bringing substitute management in‑house would be feasible; administration noted benefits of using an agency (fingerprinting, a larger regional pool and software for daily calling and assignments) but agreed to examine data on substitute absences and cost comparisons.
During the discussion, a board member noted a procedural consequence of a formal 'no' vote: "If somebody votes no, it triggers a report to the county," and members said such reports can signal to the county office that board members have concerns about monthly financial reports. Superintendent Dr. Bursart said he would investigate whether existing accounting software can add a brief description field or whether staff time would be required to create one for large invoices. He also said he will report back with data on substitute usage, absentee rates and the feasibility of alternative procurement or staffing approaches.
The board ultimately approved the finance agenda items that night; transcript entries show multiple yes votes, abstentions and at least one recorded 'no' on a related audit/financial item that has triggered county notification procedures, but the transcript does not provide a single, clean roll‑call tally for each line item in the bills list within the public record of this meeting.
Board counsel reminded members about the distinction between governance (the board’s role) and management (the superintendent and business administrator’s role) and recommended that members route detailed information requests through the superintendent ahead of meetings so staff can prepare responses.
Next steps: superintendent to analyze software/reporting options and estimate staff time required to provide descriptive bill‑list lines or a thresholded summary, and to return with substitute‑pool and contract context in the new year.