Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Closter Board approves contracts, capital transfers and grants for 2026-27
Summary
Trustees approved May financials, vendor contracts, construction awards and reserve transfers: IXL license $71,795, West Bergen mental-health services up to $93,800, Northern Valley phone upgrade share $80,967.37, capital reserve deposit authorization up to $2.5M, and multiple construction awards.
The Closter Board of Education on June 25 approved a broad slate of finance and facilities items for the 2026-27 year, including vendor contracts, capital project awards, and routine finance motions presented by the Finance and Physical Plant Committee.
Among the contract approvals were a multi-year license agreement with IXL Learning for math and ELA (Grades K-8) at a total site license cost of $71,795 and an award to West Bergen Mental Health Care for mental-health support and counseling services for the 2026-27 school year in an amount not to exceed $93,800. The Board also approved its share of the Northern Valley-wide phone upgrade project at $80,967.37 billed to Closter and payable to Northern Valley Regional High School District as lead agency.
Facilities and capital items approved included the award of the Gymnasium Wall Pocket Tables and Benches project to Nickerson NJ LLC (base bid $92,282.75) and the Sidewalk Replacement Project at Hillside Elementary School to S. Batata Construction, Inc. (total contract amount $433,050, including alternates and a $10,000 contingency). The Board rejected a defective bid for the Interior and Exterior Door Replacements project and authorized rebidding. The Board also approved renewal of the Snow Removal Services contract (two-year renewal) with Green Meadows Landscaping Inc. and finalized the roof replacement project closeout (final project cost reported as $902,722 with $3,540 retainage withheld until required bonds were received).
On year-end finance motions, the Board authorized transfers and reserve deposits: a plan to retain up to the state-mandated 2% cap plus $615,000 as excess surplus for use in 2027-28, a deposit to the Capital Reserve account not to exceed $2,500,000 and a transfer to the Maintenance Reserve account not to exceed $500,000. The Board also approved the application and acceptance of ESEA grant funds for 2026-27 (ESEA total $103,694 with Title I $43,185 and other allocations noted in the agenda), and retained Lerch, Vinci & Bliss LLP as auditor for FY 2026 at a fee not to exceed $40,000.
Trustees voted unanimously on the packet of finance motions and awards. The Board's Business Administrator was authorized to execute contracts and shared-services agreements as required to implement the awards.
What's next: Vendors are to furnish required bonds, insurance certificates, and required project paperwork before contracts are executed. The Board will present year-end accounting and project closeouts at subsequent meetings as documentation is finalized.
