Oakland Board of Education approves contracts, $2.3M in bills and $138,370 withdrawal for electrical upgrades

The Oakland Board of Education at a regular meeting on Aug. 19, 2025 approved multiple personnel and contract actions, authorized payment of $2,302,894.80 in bills and voted to withdraw $138,370.94 from Capital Reserve to cover added electrical work required by Orange & Rockland Utilities.

Board member Ms. Shelkin moved the primary motions throughout the meeting; Ms. Kilday seconded many of them. The board recorded a July 2025 certified payroll of $372,922.70 and approved payment of the attached list of bills for $2,302,894.80. The motion to approve the minutes from July 15, 2025 carried with Ms. Kilday abstaining; other roll-call votes reported in the minutes passed unanimously among board members present.

On special education and student-support services, the board approved a settlement and contract with Barnstable Academy for one out-of-district student and a related transportation contract not to exceed $11,543. It also approved a suite of mental-health services from West Bergen Mental Healthcare: assessment rates (LSW/LCSW/LAC/LPC/psychologist at $230; advanced practice nurse or psychiatrist at $400), counseling at $150 per hour, and a partnership to provide one licensed clinician for the 2025–2026 school year at a total cost of $72,800.

The board approved several other special-education contracts: a Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired contract not to exceed $2,541; educational audiology services not to exceed $4,875; and Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing services for four students not to exceed $27,200. The board also accepted a signed contract with Dr. Eric Rozenblat, BCBA, to provide applied behavior analysis services for the school year.

In finance actions, the board approved final financial reports for the 2024–2025 year, budget transfers, and accepted ESEA allocations of Title I $40,587; Title II $18,951; Title III $5,401; Title III Immigrant $1,052; and Title IV $10,000. The board approved original Chapter 192/193 nonpublic allocations totaling $9,989 with the listed line-item breakdowns.

On capital projects, the board approved Change Order No. 001 for TSUJ Corporation for electrical upgrades at Heights Elementary in the amount of $52,229.64 (revising that contract to $406,002.64) and Change Order No. 001 for TSUJ Corporation at Manito Elementary in the amount of $86,141.30 (revising that contract to $328,318.30), and authorized a withdrawal from Capital Reserve of $138,370.94 to fund the additional scope required by the utility, with credits noted for non-installation of fencing and bollards.

The board also approved routine items including the Equivalency Application Waiver for the 2025–2026 school year to use the Marshall Evaluation Instrument under NJAC 6A:10-4.4(c) and (d)3; adoption of Highly-Effective evaluation options from the July 2025 guidance; Valley Middle School fall sports schedules and official assignments; a Grade 7 overnight trip to Frost Valley YMCA (Oct. 8–10, 2025); and the list of field trips for 2025–2026. Donations to Heights and Valley schools were accepted as presented.

The board approved the first reading of several revised policies and regulations, including P 5112 (Entrance Age), P&R 5533 (Student Smoking), P 5339.01 (Student Sun Protection), P&R 7441 (Electronic Surveillance In School Buildings), P 8561 (Procurement Procedures for School Nutrition Programs) and P&R 9320 (Cooperation with Law Enforcement Agencies). No members of the public spoke during the audience participation portion, which the minutes record as "None." The meeting was adjourned at 3:41 PM.

What happens next: items recorded as first readings will return for final adoption at a future meeting per board policy; contracts and budget actions take effect as recorded in the minutes and appropriate administrative agreements.