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Votes at a glance: Hillsdale Board approves safety plan, MOA with police, labor sidebar, Title allocations and program partnerships
Summary
At its Oct. 13 meeting the Hillsdale Board approved the 2025–26 School Safety and Security Plan, an annual MOA with law enforcement, a sidebar agreement with the teachers' association, amended ESEA Title allocations and multiple personnel, program and facility-use items by unanimous vote.
The Hillsdale Board of Education on Oct. 13 approved a slate of routine but binding measures by unanimous vote, including the 2025–26 School Safety and Security Plan, student fundraising activities, an annual memorandum of agreement with Hillsdale law enforcement, and a sidebar agreement with the Hillsdale Education Association.
Education committee items passed by consensus included adoption of the district’s School Safety and Security Plan and Statement of Assurance for 2025–26 and approval of a list of student charitable fundraising activities across district schools. The board also approved home instruction arrangements and an 8th-grade Washington, D.C., field trip set for April 15–17, 2026, and a roster of field-trip locations for the school year.
The personnel slate approved substitutes for the 2025–26 school year, multiple leaves under FMLA and NJFLA with health-benefit payment clarifications, approvals for staff to cover additional periods and appointment of volunteer mentors from Pascack Valley High School to support the First Lego League at George White School. The board approved a package of professional development days for staff and authorized the school business administrator to execute a sidebar agreement with the Hillsdale Education Association covering terms set out in the annexed agreement.
On finance and programs, the board approved the September 2025 bill list totaling $1,481,083.65 and authorized E-Rate Elite Services, Inc. as the district’s E‑Rate consultant. The board approved contracted special‑services positions (for example, Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) and assistive-technology services for specific students, and approved participation with Montvale as lead agency in a Title III consortium to obtain $3,553 in FY2026 Title III funding; the minutes also record $10,000 in Title IV, Part A funds reallocated into Title II to bring total Title II funding to $25,742.
The board approved an employer acceptance agreement to partner with Ramapo College for a TA-to-Teacher apprenticeship program for 2025–26, and authorized school participation in an FIEIT grant submission to support the Italian Language Program at George White Middle School, pending final award from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Public comment touched on security staffing and community events. Resident Ed Grill suggested the district investigate private contracting for school security, citing a Paramus contractor that costs about $40,000 per year; Superintendent Robert Lombardy and Business Administrator Sacha Pouliot were asked to follow up. Other residents praised recent community events and sought updates on an OPRA request; a question about a delayed opening at Smith School was answered by the superintendent, who said the delay was not related to boiler problems.
Most motions were adopted by consensus vote (5–0). The meeting adjourned at 6:21 p.m.
