Franklin Borough board approves personnel changes, $1.6 million in vendor payments and ESEA grant

The Franklin Borough School District Board of Education met Sept. 15, 2025, at Franklin Elementary School and approved routine personnel actions, vendor payments and grant submissions in a 27‑minute session that included no public comments.

Board members accepted resignations of two part‑time paraprofessionals and rescinded a prior paraprofessional appointment and an extra‑curricular stipend, on the superintendent’s recommendation. The board appointed multiple part‑time paraprofessionals and approved extra‑curricular assignments, including a split RTI Coordinator stipend ($2,617 combined) and an Art Advisor stipend ($3,690). The board also approved a $2.00‑per‑hour differential for paraprofessionals who provide higher‑level care and amended several paraprofessionals’ FTEs from .71 to .75 for the 2025–26 school year.

Administrators presented and the board approved additional personnel designations: Robert Hennessey was named the district Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert (WIRE); Nicholas Speer was approved for a $330 mentor stipend for mentoring novice teacher Alyssa Novak; and custodial staff were assigned Night Foreman stipends. The board approved substitute lists and authorized professional development requests with associated registration and travel costs.

On finance items, the board approved vendor payments dated Aug. 12–Sept. 15, 2025, totaling $1,604,889.21 across district funds. The Board Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports for July 2025 were accepted, with certifications that no appropriation account reflected an overexpenditure in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:23A‑16.10 and N.J.S.A. 18A:22‑8.1. The board approved required line‑item transfers for July 2025.

The board accepted Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) grant allocations for the July 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026 project period: Title I $119,824; Title II $15,574; Title IV $10,000 (Total $145,398). The board refused the Title III entitlement of $2,261.

The district approved two out‑of‑district special‑education placements for 2025–26: one at Celebrate the Children (tuition $94,598; extraordinary services $42,630; transportation TBD) and one at Windsor Learning Center (tuition $77,070; extraordinary services $56,700; transportation TBD).

Facilities‑use requests were approved for the Franklin Band winter concert (Dec. 5, 2025) and Cub Scout Pack 90 meetings with fees waived in the instances described in the attachments. The board amended a prior facility‑use approval for the Hardyston Historical Society (Dr. William Truran) to waive custodial overtime because custodians were already on site for construction; that event retained a $300 service fee. The board also approved two withdrawals from the Maintenance Reserve: $9,465 to install and connect annex bathroom fire alarms and $2,450 to replace a damaged BENQ whiteboard in the library.

The board adopted multiple policies by second reading across governance, personnel and finance (including P0143, P1620, P1636.01, P2422, P5111, P5117, P5339.01, P0173, P0174, P0177, P&R 1570, P&R 6111, P&R 6220 and P7510). Roll‑call votes were recorded for several items; the minutes note a recusal by Mr. Patterson on Item F.

Under new business, Kelly Mitchell presented proposed board goals and a student recognition; trustees discussed the scope of the goals, with mixed views about next steps. The meeting was adjourned at 7:27 p.m.

Votes at a glance: approval of prior minutes (passed Yes 5, Abstain 0, No 0); vendor payments and many other items carried by roll call (Yes–6, Abstain–0, No–0; Recused–1 on one item).