Little Egg Harbor board approves finance and personnel packages; members press for clarity on bus fuel and custodial hours

The Little Egg Harbor Township Board of Education voted to approve the meeting agenda, previous minutes and a package of finance and personnel recommendations after discussion about program targeting and personnel hours.

Board members approved the finance slate and moved forward on non‑personnel items and personnel actions. A motion to approve the agenda — with the removal of the newly numbered item 13 on page 12 — carried on a voice vote; the board then accepted the previous meeting minutes and approved the listed finance items a–f by roll call.

Members pressed staff for details on two operational items. A board member raised concern that a proposed summer program appears to target students who do not receive in‑class supports, leaving students who receive in‑class supports without comparable summer options; district staff said they would confirm program targeting and report back. Another member questioned the conversion of previously full‑time custodial roles to two part‑time positions, noting part‑time posts typically do not include health benefits and expressing concern about coverage and class sizes for programs serving students with higher needs. The superintendent and staff responded that a recent retirement and an internal transfer prompted the staffing change and that the move was intended to give broader hourly coverage across the day.

Board members also sought clarity about a bus‑driver/transportation line item listed as an $18,000 part‑time salary, asking whether the amount equates to a roughly $25 hourly rate; district staff confirmed the figure but clarified it is a part‑time annual salary intended to reflect district scheduling and pay practices.

The votes advanced the district's routine administrative business; the board did not take additional substantive policy actions at the meeting.