Wallkill Valley board approves contracts, transportation agreements and personnel hires; tables bus-driver rate

Wallkill Valley Regional High School Board of Education members on Oct. 29 approved routine financial reports, vendor contracts, transportation agreements and personnel appointments during a 7:00 p.m. public meeting in Hardyston Township.

The board certified that, as of Sept. 30, 2024, no line-item account was over-expended under N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10 and accepted the Board Secretary’s and Treasurer’s monthly reports showing a cash balance of $2,636,847.76. The board also approved budget transfers for Sept. 21–Oct. 25 totaling $198,043.73 and a manifest of bills for Sept. 21–Oct. 25 totaling $1,690,655.11 (Cynthia Rock recorded an abstention on the register vote).

In finance actions the board approved two joint transportation contracts with High Point Regional High School for the 2024–25 school year. Wallkill’s listed shares were $52,224.16 for routes CHP-8/VT4/VT8 and $177,196.43 for a second set of routes, for a combined Wallkill portion of $229,420.59 as recorded in the minutes. The board also approved several special-education placements: student #2425017 to High Point Regional (total cost $50,778.00, including $23,222.00 tuition and $27,556.00 for extraordinary services) and student #2425018 placements to Sparta (an extended-year placement at $7,393.00 and a regular-year placement totaling $88,693.36, with OT/PT services billed as needed).

Operations and vendor contracts approved included a boiler maintenance agreement with East Coast Combustion Specialists, Inc. for $4,217.00 (11/1/24–10/31/25), renewal of an elevator maintenance agreement with Mid-American Elevator Company, Inc. at $3,450 for 12 months, and a physical-therapy services contract with Miriam Skydell and Associates at $120 per hour and $450 per evaluation. The board noted Change Order #10 on the Auditorium Renovations project — an exchange of 10 dimmers shown as a $1,125.00 change with a remaining contract allowance of $32,344.94 — and authorized purchase of a personalized wrestling mat from Coaches Corner for $13,650.00.

On personnel matters the board approved Personnel Items 1–8 in a roll-call vote. Appointments included Kevin Armstrong as track coordinator ($4,744 stipend) and Alyxx Mangine as girls’ basketball assistant coach ($3,777 stipend). The board approved hires of paraprofessionals Gary Andolena (at $25.00 per hour) and Lisa Deutsch (at $20.00 per hour). The board approved the contract for Joseph P. Hurley Jr. as School Business Administrator/Board Secretary with a total salary of $144,010 ($141,510 base salary and $2,500 longevity). The board also approved hiring Michael Boffa as a part-time resource security officer at $25.00 per hour. The minutes record that Ms. Jacqueline Elmo voted no on Personnel Item #2 (the hire of Gary Andolena); the remainder of the personnel slate carried.

Policy and curriculum actions included approval of Policy Items 1–6 (the 2024–25 School Nursing Plan, field-trip requests, the adoption of revised policy P 5841 on Secret Societies, the 2024–25 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan and acceptance of the NJQSAC District Performance Review for 2023–24 under N.J.A.C. 6A:30-3.2). The board approved revised curricula in multiple subject areas including business, math, science, English, world language, visual and performing arts, industrial arts, computer science and health/physical education.

The minutes record that during committee reports the board discussed Finance Item #13, a proposed extracurricular bus-driver rate of $40.00 per hour (two-hour minimum); that item was tabled during committee discussion and is shown in the minutes but was not adopted at the Oct. 29 meeting.

During public comment David Dreifus of Hamburg addressed the board on the Sussex County Band. The board then moved into executive session at 7:23 p.m. to discuss student personnel and returned to open session at 7:41 p.m. Two Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) reports (incident #242501 dated Oct. 17, 2024 and incident #242502 dated Oct. 18, 2024) were presented as addendum items; the minutes state no action was taken on those addendum items.

With no further business the board adjourned at 7:49 p.m. The minutes were signed by Joseph P. Hurley Jr., School Business Administrator/Board Secretary.

What happens next: many of the approved contracts are effective on dates recorded in the minutes (examples: the boiler and elevator maintenance agreements), staff hires are pending required paperwork and background checks as noted in personnel items, and the tabled bus-driver rate may be taken up at a future meeting.