SOMSD BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE

The District will share a monthly newsletter with the SOMSD community to keep you informed and to provide a recap of key action items discussed and approved by the Board of Education during their monthly regular Public Session meetings. The BOE meeting recap newsletter will be shared within one week from the date of the regular session BOE meeting (and will only be provided for regular-session Board meetings).

The school board meeting is a business meeting in public and not a meeting with the public. Oftentimes it may appear to members of our audience that the Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote. Before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the Administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator (CSA). If the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education, it is then referred to the appropriate Board Committee. The Members of the Board Committee work with Administration and the Superintendent to assure that the members fully understand the matter. After the committee discusses the matter, it is presented to the full Board for discussion before any action is taken. Only then, is it placed on the agenda for action at a public meeting.

• Donaldson Hearing
• Agenda and Attachments
• July Board Recognitions

• AIE Artist in Residence Grant - Seth Boyden Stepping Team Presentation (Click Link to View: https://youtu.be/vsLFOhBBR98?t=3045)
• Fall Reopening: We are keeping a close eye on the Delta variant; the Fall reopening task force and their sub-committees are continuing to work on the details of reopening. A high-level reopening presentation will be shared with the community in early August.
• The Taskforce for Combatting Sexual Assault will be me convening for their next meeting this week (as per previous Board resolution)

• Welcome to new board member Chris Sabin, who was appointed to fill the BOE vacancy at the July 12 special session meeting
• A reminder that the deadline to file to run for the SOMSD BOE is Mon., July 26. All interested parties should visit the Essex County Clerk website for information.
• Now that Board is back to nine members, committees will be slightly reorganized to: accommodate the new board member, to honor the Board's desire to convert the C&I Committee to a BOE meeting of the whole and to accommodate two new ad-hoc committee's that are being created.
• No student representative report was presented at the July BOE meeting due to the transition of the newly elected CHS student reps Noah Morros and Vanessa Previlon who will begin their terms at next month's BOE meeting.

• Full list of action items and associated resolutions is available here.
• Abolish and Adopt Policies 4174 A-F

Approved Resolutions:

• 4167: Personnel Resolutions
• 4168: Appointment of Substitutes and OOD Coaches
• 4169: A) 2021 Extended School Year Out of District Placements; B) 2021-2022 School Year Out of District Placements; C) 2020-2021 School Year Out of District Placements
• 4170: Financial Reports; Work Related Travel And/Or Workshop Expenses; D) Related Service Providers For The 2021- 2022 School Year; E) Use Of Vendors; F) Contract to Provide Education Services for Students Who Are Visually Impaired; G) Agreement for Managed Print Services; H) Agreement with Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office for Lease of Photocopy Equipment, Maintenance And Supplies; I) Collaboration Agreement with Equal Opportunity Schools; J) Contract With Seesaw Learning Inc.; K) Contract with Mcrel International For Professional Development; L) Contract with Fiedeldey Consulting; M) Contract with Imse for the 2021-22 School Year; N) Apply for FY 2022 Federal I.D.E.I.A. Basic Part –B and Preschool Handicapped Funds; O) Apply for Federal FY 2022 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); P) Approve Transportation for the 2021-2022 School Year
• 4171: Book Adoptions
• 4172: Affirmation of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Investigations for the Month of June 2021
• 4173: Confidential Special Education Settlement Agreement
• 4176 SOMEA Grievance

• 1643 Family Leave
• 2415.05 Student Surveys, Analysis and/or Evaluations
• 3431.1 Medical and Family Leave (Repealed - Refer to Policy 1643)
• 4431.1 Family Leave (Repealed - Refer to Policy 1643)
• 5111 Eligibility of Resident/Nonresident Students
• 5124 Internal Student Transfers

There were first readings of four policies:

1. 2414 Programs and Services for Students in High Poverty and High Need School Districts (Policy Abolished)
2. 2415 Title 1 Services: No Child Left Behind Programs/ Every Child Succeeds
3. 5350 Student Suicide Prevention
4. 9322 - Drug-Free School Zones (Policy Abolished)

• Thurs., August 5: BOE Meeting - Board Retreat @ 6:30 pm
• Mon., August 16 : BOE Meeting, Public Session @ 7:30 pm

The mission of the South Orange Maplewood School District is to empower and inspire each student to explore and imagine, to pursue personal passions, and to collectively create a better future by creating a learner-centered environment through multiple pathways; reimagined structures, systems and supports; innovative teaching; partnering with families; and maximizing community expertise and resources.

Email: info@somsd.k12.nj.us
Website: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/
Location: 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ, USA
Phone: (973) 762-5600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somsdk12/
Twitter: @SOMSDK12