Tabernacle board accepts audit, sets tuition rate and approves personnel, trips and grants

At its Feb. 18 regular meeting the Tabernacle Township Board of Education approved a slate of routine but consequential items: it accepted the audit for the 2023–24 school year by Holt, McNally and Associates; set the general education tuition rate for 2025–26 at $7,500; approved field trips, extracurricular coaching appointments, leaves, a bus driver hire and minor grants and contracts.

Field trips approved in the education section included trips by Tabernacle Elementary School and Olson Middle School (examples in the packet: a kindergarten trip to Storybook Land on May 23, 2025; a grade 3 trip to the Philadelphia Zoo on April 16, 2025; and a grade 5 excursion to the New Jersey State Museum and Planetarium on May 9, 2025). The board also approved extracurricular coaching appointments for the 2024–25 school year, listing head and assistant coaches such as Thomas Crilley (head baseball) and Brittany Murro (assistant baseball). The minutes record approval of professional development reimbursements and staff payments for nighttime kindergarten and preschool registration.

Financial actions approved included certifications required by N.J.A.C. and N.J.S.A. that no budget line was over‑expended as of Dec. 31, 2024; acceptance of the secretary’s and treasurer’s reports; approval of line item transfer adjustments; acceptance of the audit; and approval of multiple check runs and payrolls (examples in the packet: check runs of $161,650.72 on Jan. 29 and $556,982.49 on Feb. 11; payrolls of $379,778.48 on Jan. 15, $379,921.90 on Jan. 31 and $381,022.92 on Feb. 15). The board also accepted a $1,000 grant from ConnectSafely.org for Safer Internet Day programming and approved a contract with Brookfield Schools/Virtua Berlin for home instruction at $50 per hour for up to 10 hours per week for a specific student (student #4829).

Personnel actions recorded included approval of FMLA and NJFLA leaves for employees (employee #4889 and employee #4350 with dates specified in the minutes), and approval of Kellyann Cash as a bus driver for the 2024–25 school year at a prorated salary of $18,000. The minutes record that motions approving items #1–21 passed following a motion by Dr. Kevin McCloy and a second by Mrs. Amy Lepsis. The board accepted the February 18 HIB report and conducted first readings of several policies.

Later in the evening the board unanimously adopted Resolution 25‑016 to move into executive session under N.J.S.A. 10:4‑12 to discuss matters including safety tactics and anticipated or pending litigation and/or contract negotiation. The board reconvened and adjourned at approximately 10:20 p.m.