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Stanhope Board approves SEMI waiver, contracts for music room and sound panels, and out-of-district special-education placement
Summary
At its Feb. 19 meeting the Stanhope Board approved a waiver request from the Special Education Medicaid Initiative for 2025–26, awarded contracts for sound panels and music-room renovations totaling $53,150, and authorized an out-of-district placement billed at $14,712.10, among other financial items and personnel delegations.
The Stanhope Board of Education on Feb. 19 approved a slate of business and finance measures including a requested waiver from the Special Education Medicaid Initiative (SEMI) for the 2025–26 school year, the purchase and installation of sound panels in two instructional spaces, and a retroactive out-of-district placement for a student in need of specialized services.
Superintendent Steven Hagemann explained the SEMI waiver request, saying the district projects it will have fewer than 40 Medicaid-eligible classified students for 2025–26 and therefore seeks a waiver of participation; the board authorized the district to submit the waiver to the Sussex County Executive County Superintendent. The board approved the waiver as part of the Business Services action items on a roll-call vote; Board member Najib Iftikhar abstained on several financial-report items (items 1–3) but voted in favor of the remaining business items.
The board approved two vendor proposals for facility improvements: a $14,200 contract with Total Homes Interiors, LLC for sound panels in the Innovation Lab Broadcasting Room and the Music Room, and a $38,950 contract with Mangiro Contracting Co., Inc. for Music Classroom renovations. The two approvals total $53,150. The board also retroactively approved an out-of-district placement to Byram Intermediate School for student #1792395857, retroactive to Jan. 2, 2025, for 110 billable days at a prorated cost of $14,712.10; the minutes note that tuition is subject to State audit.
On routine financial matters, the board approved December line-item transfers and received the Treasurer’s and Board Secretary’s reports; it also approved two bill lists covering Jan. 16–31, 2025 and Feb. 1–(date listed as Feb. 00, 2025 in the minutes) totaling $244,616.93 and $430,440.12 respectively. The board delegated authority to the Interim Business Administrator/Board Secretary to handle business operations, including fund transfers and payment of bills, until the next meeting where formal action will be taken.
The minutes record discussion of the SEMI program’s administrative burden and funding cuts for districts that cannot waive; no separate motion to rescind or modify the waiver was recorded. The approvals carried with recorded roll-call votes and one noted absence (Board member Jennifer Herold).
