Rumson‑Fair Haven board approves personnel slate, $75,953 cafeteria flooring and multiple policy updates

The Rumson‑Fair Haven Regional High School Board of Education on May 7 approved a package of personnel, finance and policy items affecting the 2024–25 school year and beyond.

Board President Mrs. McGinty opened the regular meeting in the Learning Commons at 6:32 p.m. and read the statutorily required Open Public Meetings Act notice. The board then approved prior meeting minutes on a motion by Mrs. Thompson, seconded by Mr. Page; the roll call was unanimous among members present, with Mrs. Whitehouse recorded absent.

Most of the meeting consisted of routine but consequential approvals recommended by Superintendent Darren Groh and School Business Administrator Sean S. Cranston. The board approved multiple personnel items including non‑tenured and tenured administrators, faculty gaining tenure, appointments of non‑tenured and tenured teachers, paraprofessionals, maintenance staff, secretaries and other unaffiliated positions. The packet lists individual salary/guide/step details for each appointment; Superintendent Darren Groh is listed among unaffiliated positions with an annual salary of $223,686. On a motion by Mrs. Kiley, seconded by Mrs. McCabe, the board approved Personnel Items 2–15 by roll call (Mr. Grant Yes; Mrs. Kiley Yes; Mr. Page Yes; Mrs. Halcrow Yes; Mrs. McCabe Yes; Mrs. Thompson Yes; Mrs. Hickey Yes; Mrs. McGinty Yes; Mrs. Whitehouse Absent).

The board also approved finance items including the Board Secretary’s certification that no line item had been overexpended for March 2024, the Board Secretary’s report and cash reconciliation items. The May 2 bill lists presented showed General Fund payments of $659,429.05, Special Revenue $15,566.26 and Food Services $105,762.24 for a subtotal of $780,757.55; payroll runs of $599,658.19 (04/15/24) and $597,249.13 (04/30/24) were noted, with total expenditures for the period listed as $1,977,664.87.

Among capital or facilities purchases, the board approved a contract with RFS Commercial to supply and install Nora rubber tile in the cafeteria at a cost of $75,953.41 to be paid from Cafeteria Funds under NJ State Contract (Interface 22FOOD‑47763). The board also approved the enrollment of two nonresident tuition students for 2024–25 (one from Locust at $19,828; one from Atlantic Highlands at $9,914) and authorized additional hours for New Age Behavior Consultants, LLC to provide a Registered Behavior Technician at $80 per hour not to exceed $2,000 for extracurricular student support. Finance Items 16–24 were approved on a motion by Mr. Grant, seconded by Mr. Page, by roll call (members present voted Yes; Mrs. Whitehouse absent).

On education matters the board approved multiple field trip requests, fundraising activities and professional development/training for staff, as well as a calendar revision that removes May 28, 2024 as a student day and designates it as a professional development day for faculty and staff. The board also adopted a new textbook for AP statistics and voted to affirm two HIB investigation recommendations previously reported to the board. Education Items 25–31 carried on a motion by Mr. Page, seconded by Mrs. Thompson (roll call vote with Mrs. Whitehouse absent).

The board approved the second reading of a set of revised policies including Policy 1140 (Educational Equity/Affirmative Action), Policy 1523 (Comprehensive Equity Plan), Policy 1530 (Equal Employment Opportunities) and related regulations addressing equal opportunity and complaint procedures, bilingual education regulations, and guidance on sports‑related concussion prevention and treatment. Policy Item 32 was approved on a motion by Mr. Grant, seconded by Mrs. Thompson.

An addendum item approved home instruction services beginning 5/13/2024 provided by Rumson‑Fair Haven faculty at $55 per hour for 10 hours per week (item approved on a motion by Mrs. Kiley, seconded by Mr. Grant). During open discussion Mrs. Hickey raised a facilities upkeep issue about grass maintenance around the building. The board then moved into executive session at 7:15 p.m. to discuss student matters and attorney‑client privileged matters and reconvened the public meeting at 8:48 p.m.; the meeting adjourned at 8:49 p.m.

The district’s mission statement included in the minutes reads, “Our mission is to empower all of our students with the tools to find their passions and thrive as knowledgeable, confident, resilient, creative, and compassionate citizens of a global community.”