Northvale Board approves hires, field trips, calendar and routine budget items

At its regular meeting on Feb. 11, 2026 in the All Purpose Room, the Northvale Board of Education approved a set of personnel, curriculum and finance items presented by the superintendent and committee chairs.

The board voted to approve personnel motions P-1 through P-5, which included an approved chaperone list for the fifth-grade trip to the Bronx Zoo, an increase in work days for Special Education Aide Lisa Lathrop from four to five days per week at her current hourly rate of $20.42 beginning March 2, 2026, and the hiring of Natalie Torres and Jasmin Urgovitch as Special Education Aides for the 2025–2026 school year at $20.42 per hour (pending completion of required paperwork). The board also approved a stipend appointment for Rose Zara to facilitate monthly after-school Literacy Team meetings for the remainder of the 2025–2026 school year. The personnel slate was moved by Mrs. Venditti and seconded by Mrs. Sposa and is recorded in the minutes as approved by roll call.

On curriculum and instruction, the board approved CI-1 through CI-5: the 2025–2026 sports schedules for baseball and softball; a Grade 2 field trip to the Health Barn in Ridgewood in May; a Grade 4 trip to the New Milford YMCA in May; a Student Council spring dance for grades 5–8 in May; and a schedule of Community-Based Instruction trips (including grocery shopping at Northvale Shop Rite, multiple bowling trips at Montvale Lanes, a lunch at Closter Plaza, and a visit to Closter Nature Center) across February–May. The CI package was moved by Mrs. Sposa and seconded by Mrs. Venditti and approved by the board.

Under administration, the board approved the proposed 2026–2027 district calendar and the conference/travel requests listed on the agenda. The calendar approval was presented by the administration and adopted by roll-call vote.

The Finance Committee presented F-1 through F-7. The minutes list the February bill list and related payroll and agency disbursements, including several payroll entries and warrant totals recorded in the minutes. The board authorized January 2026 budget transfers “in compliance with NJS-1701 Regulations (10% cap)” as shown in the minutes and accepted the Board Secretary and Treasurer reports for the period ending Dec. 31, 2025, citing N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10. The board approved participation in the Special Education Medicaid Initiative (SEMI) program for 2026–2027 and two special-education tuition contracts: a Valley Program contract for student ID#9826225517 at $81,519.62 (Sept. 1, 2025–June 30, 2026) and a TIP Program contract for student ID#5504356829 at $58,725.94 (Sept. 1, 2025–June 30, 2026). The board also approved appropriation of $83,195 in 2024–25 extraordinary aid into the 2025–26 budget for Health Benefits-Medical/Rx (account 11-000-291-270-050-51). All finance items are recorded as approved by roll-call vote in the minutes.

All routine items in personnel, curriculum, administration and finance were moved by committee chairs and approved by the board according to the roll-call records noted in the minutes. The board also recorded approval of facilities items (a January 30 security drill and use-of-school-property applications subject to required insurance and non-interference) and scheduled use of the north-end soccer field by the Northern Valley Soccer Club (Mar. 15–Jul. 1, 2026).

The board noted upcoming winter recess (Feb. 16–20, 2026) and the next regular meeting on March 12, 2026, which the minutes identify as the tentative budget-approval meeting. The public meeting adjourned after executive session; times and vote outcomes are recorded in the official minutes.

Notes on ambiguous minute text: the minutes list a line item “December 22, 2026 Agency Adjs” in the finance section that appears inconsistent with the reported Dec. 31, 2025 reporting period; I have preserved the minutes’ wording rather than changing it, and the board’s formal acceptance pertains to the Secretary/Treasurer reports for the period ending Dec. 31, 2025 as cited in the minutes.