On the BOE agenda for May 3.

A few highlights from the agenda for tomorrow night’s Board of Education meeting:

First of all, there are really two meetings tomorrow night. First we have the Reorganization meeting, which is when Michele Lenhard and Charlie Reilly will be sworn in to their three-year terms. Then the Board will elect a President and Vice President. And then the Board will go through a long list of approvals, which are required by law to take place at the Reorganization Meeting. This includes adopting the Policy Manual and the NJSBA Code of Ethics, appointing our architect, auditor, general counsel, Board secretary, etc., etc. We also approve the complete list of textbooks and the schedule of BOE meetings for the 2010-2011 school year.

After the Reorganization Meeting, we will hold a Regular Public Meeting. Some of the highlights from that meeting include:

Approval of summer programs. Remember, this isn’t summer school at the high school, which was eliminated last year. But we do still offer a summer program for preschool special needs students, K-5 special needs students and the RIse program, an elementary enrichment program (fee based) and the Summer New Players program (fee based).

Staff changes for 2010-11. We will approve the renewals of non-tenured staff and will approve the abolishment of positions which have been cut as part of the budget process. There will be approval of a few new positions, which are the result of positions being combined due to budget changes. We will also approve the termination of tenured employees due to Reduction-in-Force, and changes of assignments and transfers of staff to different positions. There will also be a list of resignations and retirements, and the usual type of changes of assignment and supplemental pay due to extra-curricular activities, field trips, etc.

New medical insurance provider. We will (finally!) be approving the contract with our new medical insurance provider, Cigna HealthCare. The Cigna contract represents an overall average increase of 17.4% vs. the 29.51% proposal from Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield. This means that list of restored cuts in our proposed budget will no longer be “tentative” – those items (Full-time librarian staffing, Public Information Officer, Middle School music teacher, Middle School assistant principal, Elementary instrumental music, high school library and learning disabled teachers) will be restored.

The full agendas for both meetings are available now on the District website (click here). You can see more detail of the things we’re approving for the new year, including staff changes and salaries.

As always, the meeting will be viewable on Channel 77 or live on the district website. You can also view the webcast later at this link. And, of course, you are welcome to join us at the Ed Center, 3rd floor, at 7:30 p.m.