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Board accepts All School Special Needs donation; trustees request finance oversight of gift-card distribution
Summary
The board approved acceptance of a multi-part donation from the All School Special Needs Association (roughly $32,500 reported), including ~ $20,000 paid directly to a music vendor and gift cards limited to a teacher-designated website; trustees asked the finance committee to clarify controls and tracking.
The Ridgefield Park Board of Education voted Sept. 17 to accept a gift from the All School Special Needs Association that trustees described during discussion as approximately $32,500 in total value, with roughly $20,000 earmarked for a music vendor and a separate package of gift cards restricted for teacher-designated purchases.
During the Faculty & Programs discussion (items 9.01–9.08) trustees praised the donation’s value to special-education classrooms but pressed administration for details about how the gift cards will be administered and audited. Trustee McNeil asked whether the gift-card portion follows district donation controls; the superintendent explained there are two donations: one vendor payment (previously approved vendor, paid directly to the vendor rather than passing through district books) and the other an amount to be used against a wish list assembled by special-education teachers. The superintendent said the gift cards are specific to a teacher-design website and are not unrestricted cash cards.
Trustees asked for further assurances about equitable distribution, whether gift-card amounts are equal across classrooms, and how the district will document purchases. The board’s legal adviser and business administrator were asked to confirm policy; the business administrator reaffirmed donors may earmark gifts but final use rests with the board and suggested the finance committee and business office implement tracking procedures.
Several trustees proposed the minutes note that part of the donation is paid directly to a vendor so auditors and the public will have a clear record. Administration said it would report back to the finance committee with recommended procedures for tracking spending and documenting gift-card use.
The motion to accept the donation and related faculty-and-programs items was moved and seconded on the record and approved by roll call. The board did not change the resolution language on the floor; instead trustees requested administrative follow-up and minute notation to ensure transparency and internal controls.
