Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Consent Agenda topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin Lakes board approves consent agenda, including $355,000 ELA curriculum purchase and appointment of business administrator
Summary
On May 20, 2025, the Franklin Lakes Board of Education approved a consent agenda covering resolutions 1710–1727 that included a district ELA curriculum purchase not to exceed $355,000, several facilities and personnel actions, and the appointment of Dina Messery as Business Administrator/Board Secretary.
The Franklin Lakes Board of Education on May 20 approved its consent agenda covering resolutions 1710–1727, completing a package of curriculum, finance, facilities and personnel actions for the district.
Board member Scott Loia moved to approve the consent agenda; Board member Elisa Billis seconded the motion. The board recorded six yes votes—Elisa Billis, Lisa Cardella, SeWhan Kim, Carolina Severino, Scott Loia and Ari Donio—and the motion passed.
Key items approved included the adoption of new K–6 English language arts materials (Amplify’s Core Knowledge Language Arts for grades K–5 and Amplify ELA for grade 6) with associated professional development and subscriptions, at a cost not to exceed $355,000 from the 2024–25 budget. The board also approved a middle school algebra adoption (McGraw Hill’s Reveal Algebra) at a cost not to exceed $11,600 from the 2025–26 budget and a K–5 mathematics supplementary services contract with Conquer Math for $6,000.
On grants, the board authorized applying for the New Jersey FOCUS competitive grant (25-TL02-G3) with a Franklin Lakes allocation listed as $5,140 for the 2025–26 project period, intended to support universal literacy screening tools for K–3 as required by state guidance.
Finance and operations approvals included authorization for interim processing of invoices; acceptance of the May 2025 check register totaling $90,595.41; a contract with Bergen County Special Services for auxiliary services under P.L. 1977, Chapters 192–193; purchase of a 2024 Ford F-250 maintenance vehicle for $58,367.30; and district-wide tree removal and pruning services with Downes Tree Service for $37,525.
Personnel actions approved on the consent agenda included stipends for chaperoning and club support, acceptance of resignations from elementary teachers Kara Leenas and Alexandra Altdoerffer effective June 30, 2025, approval of staff stipends for the FAMS Future Innovators club to attend the Bergen County Science Fair, authorization to hire summer computer interns at listed hourly rates, and the appointment of Dina Messery as Business Administrator/Board Secretary for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. The employment agreement for Messery is noted in the record as submitted to and approved by the Executive County Superintendent under N.J.S.A. 18A:7-8(j).
The board set its next regular meeting for June 17, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. and recessed into a private work session to discuss exempt personnel and legal matters before adjourning at 8:54 p.m.
