Plumsted Township board approves $6.99M custodial contract, personnel renewals and multiple grants

Plumsted Township Board of Education members voted unanimously May 13, 2026 at New Egypt High School to approve a slate of contracts, personnel actions and grant acceptances that the board described as routine business for the 2026–2027 school year.

The board voted to award a five‑year custodial and management services contract to Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership for $6,998,912.40 covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. The three proposals considered listed five‑year totals of Aramark ($6,998,912.40), Pritchard Industries ($7,203,035.49) and S.J. Services, Inc. ($7,705,104.77); the board selected Aramark on the motion adopting the finance package.

The board also approved renewal of the district’s food‑service management contract with Nutri‑Serve Food Management, Inc. for 2026–2027 at a flat fee of $28,125.00 and a projected total contract cost of $429,586.98. Other approved service agreements include: Burlington County Special Services School District for special‑education services; RWJBarnabas Children’s Specialized Hospital for licensed therapy consulting services; Frontline Education services (IEP Direct, RTI‑Direct and 504 program management, and Applicant Tracking/Recruiting) for the 2026–2027 year with stated costs in the agenda packet.

Personnel actions approved included an FMLA/NJFLI leave for an instructional aide and multiple new hires effective Sept. 1, 2026 (for example, William Spector, Middle School Multiple Disabilities Teacher; Emma Pascarella, Kindergarten teacher; and other listed hires), plus renewals of tenured and non‑tenured administrative and certified staff, contracted paraprofessionals and summer program staffing. One personnel sidebar agreement (item B.9, to resolve a longevity issue for employee #4711) was tabled until the June 17 meeting; that item recorded abstentions from two members.

The board accepted several grants and program approvals, including a New Jersey Department of Education FOCUS grant for $3,030 to support K–3 universal literacy screening and a Department of Community Affairs grant of $64,200 for playground updates at Dr. Gerald H. Woehr Elementary School. The board authorized multiple required plans for 2026–2027 (Emergency Management, Indoor Air Quality, Biosecurity, Integrated Pest Management) and approved the first reading of Policy 9700 (Special Interest Groups).

Administrative designations and delegations were adopted for the coming year, assigning roles and signature authorities to district officials (for example, Business Administrator/Board Secretary Sean Gately was designated School Funds Investor and assigned claims‑auditing/prepayment authority as provided in statute). Several agenda items referenced attached lists and documents (staff lists, job descriptions, field‑trip attachments and detailed bid/proposal documents) that were part of the meeting packet.

All recorded roll‑call votes on the packaged finance, personnel and other motions were recorded in the minutes; most motions passed unanimously. Where the minutes record abstentions, they are noted next to the specific agenda item (for example, abstentions recorded on certain renewals and the tabled B.9 item). The public portion of the meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. and the board entered a second executive session to discuss personnel matters.

What’s next: Many approved items reference attachments or contract documents (bid proposals, staff lists and contract exhibits) that contain implementation details; several approvals (notably the tabled sidebar agreement) will return to the board at a future meeting.