Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waterford Township Board accepts audit with no findings, approves personnel actions and $1.59 million in bills
Summary
At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Waterford Township Board of Education accepted an external audit with no findings, approved personnel changes (including a retirement and new hires), cleared field trips and policies, and approved bill lists totaling about $1.59 million.
The Waterford Township Board of Education on Feb. 11, 2026, at Waterford Elementary School accepted an external audit with no findings and approved a series of routine education, personnel and business actions, including bill lists totaling roughly $1.59 million.
Board President Matthew DeNafo called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. and recorded seven members present. The board briefly moved into a closed session at 6:52 p.m. and returned to open session at 7:02 p.m. DeNafo led the Pledge of Allegiance; Dr. Michael A. Nolan, the superintendent, and district staff then presented student recognitions and district reports.
Why it matters: Acceptance of the external audit closes the district's fiscal review for the 2024'25 year without corrective findings, while the bill approvals and personnel actions authorize near-term spending and staffing changes affecting operations and school programming.
The board approved routine business and the Superintendent's monthly reports, which included a Fire/Security Drill Log and an enrollment report showing 962 students in 2025'26 (up from 914 the prior year). The suspension report recorded seven out-of-school suspensions at Waterford Elementary School for the reporting period.
Education and student-related approvals included acknowledging Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) investigations, approving the 2026'27 school calendar, authorizing the submission of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights self-assessment to the New Jersey Department of Education, and approving field trips for kindergarten and Grade 2 students (Diggerland, USA on May 29, 2026; Cape May Zoo on May 7 and Aug. 7, 2026). The board also approved first reading of policies on resource and library materials.
On personnel matters, the board accepted the retirement of Elizabeth Friedman, Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant, effective July 1, 2026, and approved the resignation of Michael Gant, custodian, effective Jan. 22, 2026. The board added a noncertified substitute school bus driver rate of $25 per hour, appointed substitutes and support staff (including a paraprofessional appointment and the hiring of Jason Kalusa as a custodian, pending required documentation) and rescinded an earlier offer of employment to a substitute candidate.
In business items, the board certified the district's December financial reports pursuant to N.J. statutes and rules, and approved the payment of the bills lists: Bills List #1 $1,474,861.75; Bills List #2 $4,518.95; Bills List #3 $58,795.40; Nutri-Serve $46,979.92. The board also authorized contracts and tuition agreements, approved cooperative purchasing participation, and authorized submission of a grant application to the New Jersey Learning Acceleration Program (High-Impact Tutoring) for May 1, 2026'May 31, 2027.
The board voted to accept the external audit performed by Bowman & Company (also noted as PKF O'Connor Davies) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, with no findings or recommendations recorded in the auditor's report.
Several board members provided brief oral reports to conclude the meeting. The board opened the floor for public comment twice; no members of the public spoke. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m.
Key documents referenced at the meeting included N.J. statutes cited during financial certification (18A:17-9) and N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10 (financial reporting/certification).
