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Northvale board accepts 2024–25 audit, approves personnel actions and routine spending
Summary
At its Jan. 22 meeting the Northvale Board of Education accepted the district's 2024–25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, approved personnel motions including chaperone lists and a retirement, authorized Title I-funded after-school classes for more than 100 students, and approved routine disbursements and contracts including $13,600 for Teacher of the Deaf services.
The Northvale Board of Education on Jan. 22 accepted the district's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the year ended June 30, 2025, and approved a slate of routine personnel, curriculum and finance items during a 6:30 p.m. regular meeting in the All Purpose Room.
Board President Mrs. Venditti presided as the board voted to accept the audit and the Auditor's Management Report submitted by Suplee, Clooney & Company LLC. The audit acceptance was presented to the board by Bill Swisher of Suplee, Clooney & Company.
The audit acceptance and related finance items were part of a package (F-1 through F-5) that the board approved by a recorded vote of four yes, one absent. That package included authorization of monthly disbursements (the Jan. 22 bill list totaled $184,752.03), acknowledgement of the Board Secretary and Treasurer reports, and approval of December budget transfers in compliance with applicable regulations. The board also approved a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing services agreement with Bergen County Special Services School District not to exceed $13,600 for student #6210173971.
Superintendent Michael Pinajian updated the board on curriculum and safety initiatives. Pinajian said the district held Phonics First training for kindergarten through third-grade teachers on Jan. 12 and 14, and that more than 100 students are enrolled in after-school learning-acceleration classes running through April. He also said district staff met with representatives from Englewood Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services to discuss training and to obtain quotes for "Stop The Bleed" kits that the district plans to purchase and install throughout the school and annex.
On personnel matters the board approved items P-1 through P-9 on a single motion moved by Mrs. Venditti and seconded by Mr. Sullivan. The personnel approvals included the bi-annual statement of assurance regarding paraprofessional staff use for 2025–26; lists of chaperones for upcoming sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade trips; acceptance of Lauren Syre's resignation for the purpose of retirement effective June 30, 2026; addition of Madison Tracy to the substitute-teacher list; extension of a leave-replacement preschool-teacher contract through June 30, 2026 (paid at MA Step 2, prorated, no benefits); a roster of after-school ELA and math instructors to be paid $70 per class funded by ESEA Title I; and acceptance of the resignation of paraprofessional Ginna Lopez effective Feb. 15, 2026.
Curriculum and instruction items (CI-1 through CI-3) were approved on a motion by Mrs. Sposa and seconded by Mrs. Banzaca. Those approvals included a date change for the Bergen Brain Busters meet, authorization of several SDL Outreach programs across grades, and the addition of a Valley Program student as a supervised library intern up to eight hours per week for the 2025–26 school year.
Administrative items approved included submission of the Student Safety Data System (SSDS) for Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2025; a resolution recognizing January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month per the New Jersey School Boards Association; and routine conference/travel requests.
Facilities actions authorized use-of-school-property applications (subject to insurance and non-interference) and recorded a fire drill conducted on Jan. 22, 2026.
All recorded motions that appear in the minutes were approved by a roll-call vote reported as four yes, zero no, zero abstain, one absent. The minutes do not identify the absent member in each vote record; the board roll call and subsequent vote summaries list five seated members: Mrs. Banzaca (vice president), Mrs. Horgan, Mrs. Sposa, Mr. Sullivan and Mrs. Venditti.
No members of the public addressed the board during either the agenda-specific or general public-comment periods. The board noted upcoming dates, including the next regular meeting on Feb. 11, 2026, and adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
Reported authorities and references in the meeting record included the district's Bylaw #0167 governing public comment, N.J.S.A. 18A:23-1 cited in audit-related language, and N.J.A.C. references regarding board financial reporting.
