Franklin Lakes Board approves large consent agenda, moves district calendar out of consent

The Franklin Lakes Board of Education met Feb. 11, 2025, at Franklin Avenue Middle School and approved a broad consent agenda that included financial reports, bills lists, payroll approvals, contracts and a series of personnel and facilities actions.

The board approved the consent agenda votes for resolutions 1525–1559 with a unanimous recorded vote of seven board members: Ms. Elisa Billis, Ms. Kathryn D’Agostino, Mr. SeWhan Kim, Mr. Ryan Richman, Ms. Carolina Severino, Mr. Scott Loia and Mr. Ari Donio. An earlier separate vote on resolution 1524 (affirming a non‑HIB finding in Investigation No. 284326) recorded five yes votes (Mr. SeWhan Kim, Mr. Ryan Richman, Ms. Carolina Severino, Mr. Scott Loia and Mr. Ari Donio) and two abstentions (Ms. Elisa Billis and Ms. Kathryn D’Agostino).

Why it matters: The consent agenda consolidated routine but high‑dollar items — including bills lists and payroll — and several facilities and personnel approvals that commit district funds or change staffing. Grouping these items into consent expedited board action while preserving the option to pull items for separate consideration.

Key financial approvals and contracts The board approved the bills list for January 2025 totaling $7,345,290.47 and a February 2025 bills list to date totaling $1,916,219.86. It also approved actual payroll for January 2025 of $2,321,511.42 and estimated payroll for February 2025 of $2,200,000.00.

Facilities and professional services The board approved professional services proposals from DiCara Rubino for HVAC upgrades. For Colonial Road School the fee schedule included a $2,500 NJDOE project application fee, $25,000 for construction documents, $2,500 for bidding and award work and $5,000 for contract administration. DiCara Rubino’s proposal for High Mountain Road, Woodside Avenue and Franklin Avenue Middle School listed $132,000 for construction documents, $2,500 for bidding and award, and $25,500 for contract administration; funding sources were specified as General Fund and Capital Projects Fund where applicable.

The board authorized change orders on window replacement projects: Panoramic Window & Door Systems at Franklin Avenue Middle School (Change Order #1, $11,220 for storage containers and temporary fencing) and multiple change orders for D&E Window and Door at Woodside Avenue and High Mountain Road schools adding $57,482.04 and $61,968.96 respectively to those contracts, producing revised contract sums as recorded in the meeting materials.

Student services and health evaluations The board authorized a psychiatric evaluation at a rate of $850 for student #8173 (provider listed as Dr. Michael Lienhard) and an educational evaluation at $450 for student #6787 (Scott Bagish Educational Services), and approved payment of $400 for a fit‑for‑duty clearance evaluation for employee #5367.

Personnel actions Personnel items approved included extended medical leave using accrued sick time for employee #4383 (new anticipated return April 9, 2025) and employee #1835 (return moved to March 3, 2025), an unpaid medical leave for employee #6142 beginning Jan. 13, 2025 (return date not specified), appointment of Maite Arocena as a long‑term substitute PreK teacher for Feb. 24–June 30, 2025 (with emergent application to the commissioner per N.J.S.A. 18A:6‑7.1c), and several stipends and stipend revisions for paraeducators and teachers.

Programs, donations and state filings The board approved a donation from the Woodside Avenue School PTA of $5,800 for welcome mats and door signs and authorized the chief school administrator to apply for a waiver from NJAC 6A:23A‑5.3 to opt out of the Special Education Medicaid Initiative (SEMI) for 2025–26, citing the district’s projection of fewer than 40 Medicaid‑eligible special education students.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 1524 (affirmation of no HIB offense, Investigation No. 284326): Yes 5 (Mr. SeWhan Kim, Mr. Ryan Richman, Ms. Carolina Severino, Mr. Scott Loia, Mr. Ari Donio); Abstain 2 (Ms. Elisa Billis, Ms. Kathryn D’Agostino). - Resolutions 1525–1559 (consent agenda items covering finance, personnel, contracts and programs): Yes 7 (Billis, D’Agostino, Kim, Richman, Severino, Loia, Donio). Note: The transcript records motions to postpone Resolution 1523 (approval of minutes) to March 18, 2025 and to move Resolution 1527 (2025–26 district calendar) out of the consent agenda for separate consideration; the transcript does not record roll‑call tallies for those specific motions.

What the board did not do The board moved but did not record a vote in the public transcript to postpone approval of Resolution 1523 (minutes) to March 18, 2025 and moved Resolution 1527 (district calendar) out of consent; the transcript does not show the final disposition or vote totals for those two procedural motions in the public record provided.

Process and next steps Board members noted several brief committee and PTA liaison reports and offered board comments near the meeting’s end. The board recessed into a private work session to discuss personnel and legal matters and adjourned the public meeting at 9:03 PM. The next regular meeting is scheduled for March 18, 2025, at 8:00 PM.

Attribution: Meeting proceedings and resolutions as recorded in the Feb. 11, 2025 meeting materials and the board’s public minutes. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period; no direct audience quotes were recorded.