Franklin Lakes Board elects Ari Donio president, approves organizational consent agenda

The Franklin Lakes Board of Education elected Ari Donio president and Scott Loia vice president and approved a package of organizational resolutions at its Jan. 7, 2025, reorganization meeting at Franklin Avenue Middle School.

Ari Donio was nominated by Scott Loia and seconded by Kathryn D'Agostino; the roll-call vote recorded Ms. Billis, Ms. Cardella, Ms. D'Agostino, Mr. Richman, Ms. Severino, Mr. Loia and Mr. Donio as voting "yes." Kathryn D'Agostino nominated Scott Loia for vice president; the minutes state no second was needed and the same seven board members were recorded as voting "yes."

The votes complete the board's annual organizational business and allow the newly elected leadership to assume their duties. The minutes show motions offered by Mr. Loia and seconded by Ms. D'Agostino on several items.

As a consent agenda the board moved to approve a series of administrative items numbered 1 through 9. Those items, as listed in the minutes, included approving a revised organization chart; setting copy fees (listed in the minutes as 0.5 cents for letter size and 0.7 cents for legal size); re-approving TD Bank as the district depository and confirming check signatories; and approving a list of tax-sheltered annuity vendors, including AXA Equitable; Corebridge Financial (AIG); Franklin Templeton; Lincoln Investment; National Life Group; Orion Portfolio Solutions (FTJ); Tax Deferred Solutions; Valic; and Security Benefit. The board also re-approved existing petty cash funds per Board Policy #6620 and re-designated The Record and The Suburban News as official newspapers.

The minutes record that the board will follow newly revised Robert's Rules of Order (Bylaw 0164) and adopted the New Jersey School Boards Association Code of Ethics; the minutes state that each board member signed documentation acknowledging receipt of the Code of Ethics. Separately, the board approved appointment of the superintendent as Acting Board Secretary for emergency purposes; the superintendent's name is not given in the minutes.

On public participation the minutes include both a motion line to "waive Public Comments" and, in a separate portion of the public-participation section, the standard rules for opening the meeting to public comment (sign-in, three-minute limit, requirement to state name and address) and a motion to close the public comment session and re-enter the regular meeting. The minutes do not include the names or remarks of any individual public commenters in these segments.

The board set its next meeting for Jan. 21, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. and adjourned at 7:15 p.m.; the adjournment motion was offered by Mr. Loia, seconded by Ms. D'Agostino, and recorded as "All in favor." The minutes were submitted by Dina Messery, Board Secretary.

Items of note for follow-up: the minutes list a copy-fee schedule and the superintendent's emergency appointment but do not supply the superintendent's name or further details on implementation; those items may appear in staff records or future minutes.