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Califon Board reorganizes: Keiser elected president; Reaves sworn in and board approves 2025 designations
Summary
At its Jan. 8 reorganization meeting the Califon Board of Education elected Christopher Keiser president, confirmed Michael Reaves as vice president and administered Reaves’s oath; the board approved its 2025 meeting calendar, official newspapers, bank depository, professional appointments and routine administrative resolutions.
The Califon Board of Education reorganized on Jan. 8, 2025, electing Christopher Keiser as board president and confirming Michael Reaves as vice president. The Board Secretary administered the oath of office to Charles Michael Reaves after the board secretary presented Nov. 5, 2024 election results showing Reaves with 354 votes and Christopher Keiser with 337 votes.
The leadership votes were recorded by roll call; the minutes show Mr. Keiser received three ayes, zero nays and zero abstentions in the president vote and Mr. Reaves received three ayes, zero nays and zero abstentions in the vice president vote. The board then approved a slate of organizational motions by a motion introduced and seconded consistent with the agenda.
By motion, the board adopted its 2025–2026 regular meeting calendar, setting meetings generally for 7:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month, with an April 30, 2025 public hearing and the reorganization meeting scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026. The board designated the Hunterdon Democrat as the official newspaper, with the Hunterdon Review, The Express Times and The Courier News listed as alternates, and named Peapack-Gladstone Bank as the official depository of record.
The board re-approved all current written curriculum and textbooks for 2025 and re-adopted existing board policies, by-laws, job descriptions and contracts now in force. It appointed annual professional service providers and district officers, including SSP Architectural Group as architect of record; Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP as attorney of record; Balken Risk Management as insurance agent; Ardito & Co. as auditor; Hunterdon Family Medicine at Hawk Pointe as school physician; CDK Systems for accounting software; R&L Payroll Services for payroll; and Strauss Esmay for policy services. The minutes also list specific administrative designations, such as naming Business Administrator/Board Secretary Matthew Herzer as School Funds Investment Officer and Student Activity Fund Disbursement Agent.
The board authorized purchasing authority under New Jersey statutes and appointed Matthew Herzer as purchasing agent, with authority to award contracts under the cited bid-threshold rules and to utilize state contract purchases as allowed by law. The board also authorized the Affirmative Action Officer to develop a three-year Comprehensive Equity Plan and conduct required training, set annual business travel limits and reimbursement rules consistent with state regulations, and approved the appointment of Michele Kooger as a substitute teacher for the 2024–2025 school year pending background clearance.
During the public comment period, Mrs. Smith informed the board that the Borough has hired a new clerk, Kaitlin Houglin, that a deputy clerk is being hired, that Borough Hall hours will be Monday through Thursday, and that Borough Council meetings will be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. There were no board comments recorded. The meeting was adjourned at 7:18 p.m. following a unanimous vote to adjourn.
The board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 22, 2025, according to the approved calendar.
