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Wallkill Valley school board approves custodial contract, budget transfers and personnel moves; rejects proposed bus-driver pay increase
Summary
At its Nov. 26 meeting the Wallkill Valley Regional High School Board certified finances, approved routine budget transfers and a custodial contract through 2029, accepted two HIB reports and several personnel actions, and declined a proposed $40/hour extracurricular bus-driver rate.
The Wallkill Valley Regional High School Board of Education met Nov. 26, 2024, in Hardyston Township and approved a set of routine financial certifications, personnel appointments and contracts while rejecting a proposed pay increase for extracurricular bus drivers.
Board President Robert Carlson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. and the board confirmed compliance with the state Open Public Meeting Act. Superintendent and Principal David Carr reported on recent district events and announced Jesse Diribe as the new student representative to the board.
Why it matters: the board’s actions secure short-term financial housekeeping and staffing for the district and finalize a multi‑year custodial agreement; the failed transportation-rate motion leaves extracurricular bus-driver compensation unchanged pending further discussion.
The board approved budget transfers totaling $156,220.79 for Oct. 26–Nov. 25, 2024, and accepted the Board Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports showing a cash balance of $2,457,093.89 as of Oct. 31, 2024. The membership also approved the manifest of bills for the same period totaling $1,955,716.54; Cynthia Rock recorded an abstention on the bills vote.
On staffing and contracts, the board unanimously approved three finance items including a renewal with the Sussex County Educational Services Commission for Child Study Team and itinerant services and a contract with Dana Brogneri PT, DTP to provide physical therapy services from Dec. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, at $85 per hour (evaluations and re-evaluations capped at a three-hour/$255 maximum).
In negotiations, the board approved an agreement with the Wallkill Valley Custodial and Maintenance Association covering July 1, 2024–June 30, 2029. A separate proposal to set a $40-per-hour rate for two employees (Karl Klein and Ryan Kreher) to drive extracurricular bus routes (two-hour minimum per route) failed on a roll-call vote (Yes: Bonard, Jones, Carlson; No: Dressner, Elmo, Kabatra, Rock).
Personnel motions approved included coaching stipends (assistant boys basketball: Jason Marrero; track assistant: Matthew Lattanzio), revised 2024–25 salaries for specified employees as listed in the minutes, acceptance with regret of Barbara Petronaci’s retirement effective June 30, 2025, and the addition of Sidney Crum to the substitute custodian list. One personnel item recorded an abstention by Board member Thomas Kabatra where noted.
The board approved Policy Items 1–10, which included accepting a $100 donation from Tony’s Pizza & Pasta LLC, approving the Education–Law Enforcement Memorandum of Agreement for 2024–25, approving several field-trip requests, adopting the Multilingual Learners three‑year plan for 2025–27, and authorizing submission of the revised FY2025 ESEA application. The ESEA allocations recorded in the minutes are Title I $81,780; Title IIa $14,255; Title IV $10,000, and the minutes identify portions of three staff salaries to be charged to those entitlements (for example, Linda Matchett: $49,561 charged to Title I).
The board accepted the Superintendent’s Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) reports for incidents 242501 (10/17/24) and 242502 (10/18/24); both motions passed with Cynthia Rock recorded as an abstention. The board also declared a list of computer towers, monitors and Chromebooks surplus and authorized disposal consistent with district policy.
Public comment included thanks for the auditorium and a request from resident Gina DeSino that meetings be recorded or live-streamed and questions about drug-screening policy. “I would like the board to consider recording or live streaming meetings,” said Gina DeSino; Superintendent Carr said he would bring those questions back to the board in December.
Next steps: the minutes show no new business; the meeting adjourned at 7:41 p.m. Attachments to the minutes include a field-trip report listing trips on Dec. 10, Dec. 11 and Dec. 17 with chaperones and student counts.
(Reporting based on the Nov. 26, 2024 meeting minutes of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School Board of Education.)
