Superintendent McCartney started the August 11, 2009 Board of Education (BOE) meeting by asking Mr. Brett Charleston to come up. Mr. Charleston presented a plaque to the owner of Walt’s Primo Pizza for supplying 100 pizzas at cost, allowing $2000 to be raised for the coaches’ scholarship fund, and for all the support he has given over the years to varies causes in the district. Curt Erlandson then received a plaque for donating 2 weeks of his time to build the new ticket booth at the High School, saving the district around $8000.

            An update on all the construction around the school district was then given by Mr. Brian Dunlevey. As of this meeting, school will open on time.

District Wide for all schools:

• Security camera projects are on target and will be completed by the start of school.
• Air Quality Installations are on schedule and will be done prior to the opening of the new school year.

High School:

• Phase I is on schedule and will be turning over the following spaces for the beginning of the school year:
  • Gymnasium floor
  • New Science classrooms in B and C sections
  • New generator in the boiler room which is capable to run all systems on emergency power.
  • Curbing and paving are completed at the side by the school for student drop off.
• Phase II
  • Is still approximately 49 days behind schedule but there is a recovery schedule in place to bring it back on target.
  • K-Wing is under construction in the loading dock area along side of the cafeteria.
  • Steel is being set in the auditorium area and other areas.
  • Masonry is continuing in all areas to secure the building prior to cold weather setting in.
  • Completion date is to be around March 2010.
• Stadium Project
  • Is to be ready for the Thanksgiving Football game.
  • All contractors have been given notice to proceed
  • A minor application for the Track, Bleachers and Lights submitted to the Pinelands Commission was to be voted on 8/14.
  • Additional engineering studies requested by the Pinelands Commission for the Turf Field are in the works at this time.

Fernwood Ave. Middle School:

• Punch list is 90% complete for the roofing, solar panels, and security camera project.

Alder Ave. Middle School:

• Solar Panel Project is complete but the contractor is awaiting monitoring screen for the library. BPU approval is needed yet to go on line to sell back Solar Energy Credits to the utilities.
• Gym floor has been refinished.

Davenport Elementary School:

• Heating and domestic hot water system is completed. The gas main has been installed and is waiting for the Gas Co meter to be set.
• The Solar Panel Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of September. The continuation of this project while school is in session will not significantly impact the student population or staff. ( It was pointed out by Dr. McCartney that other solar projects were started in the spring without impact when this was questioned by one of the BOE members)
• New gym floor.

Swift School:

• New Domestic Hot Water System
• Solar Panel Project was awarded at the 7/14 BOE meeting and is scheduled for completion by the end of November. Again, there will be minimal impact if any to the students or staff.

Slaybaugh Elementary:

• The new roof will be completely installed by the opening of school to insure no fume issues.
• Solar panels installation will begin once the roof is done, and a time schedule will be developed at that time.
• Boiler replacement is ongoing and scheduled to be completed prior to the heating season.

Miller School:

• Solar Panel Project is to be completed by November as just awarded by the BOE at the 7/14 meeting.
• The gym floor has been redone and refinished.

Transportation Fuel Canopy Project:

• Due to the time needed to make a decision on using the existing tanks or having them replaced, this project is 3 weeks behind schedule. The tanks were found to be tight when tested. Temporary tanks will be used to fuel the buses until the project is completed which is scheduled for the end of September.

There were no comments from the audience during the public session.

The new student representatives, Nick Drago and Connor Mosley, were introduced to the BOE and members of the audience.

            James, if the article is going to long, Personnel can be added for next week’s article.  Please just put an sentence in saying so if that’s what you’d like to do as really want to include Freshman orientation.

Personnel:

• Glenn Robbins, High School Principal, went from a 10-10 day position to a 12 month position.
• Jodi Beck transferred from Slaybaugh Primary School LDT teacher to Davenport Primary Pre-school teacher.
• Christine Cursack transferred from a 5^th grade teacher at Miller to a Title 1 teacher at Davenport.
• Matthew Carey is replacing P. Brandt who resigned as an assistant Principal.
• Kevin Fricke, Assistant Principal at Alder Ave. Middle, replacing T. Gilbert-Floyd who transferred.
• Kevin Stetser is filling a new position at the High School as a Special Education Teacher.
• Erik Clark, High School Math, a new position.
• Karrie Augustine, is filling the Spanish position created with the transfer of A. Pecchia at the High School.
• Daniel Ratty has taken the High School Social Studies position as R. Thomas chose not to join the EHT staff.
• Joseph Lucchio, High School Special Ed. Teacher, replacing J. Decker who resigned.
• Corinne Alberghini filled the High School Science position left with the resignation of K. Purich.
• Leslie Hough, Family and Consumer Science at the High School, replacing T. Byrnes who retired.
• Elizabeth Corry, 5^th grade at Miller, filling the position created with C. Cusack’s transfer.
• Carli Mell, Davenport Primary Teacher of the Handicapped, replacing T. Lively who transferred.
• April O’Neill filled the position opened by J. Burke’s resignation as a Speech Pathologist for the Davenport School Complex.
• Andrew Ludwig is replacing Z. Palumbo who transferred as a Special Ed. Teacher at Fernwood Middle School.
• Tamika Gilbert-Floyd, Assistant Principal at Alder Middle School is on maternity/child rearing leave from 11/13/09-3/16/10.
• Fran Woolbert, Nurse at Davenport, is to return on 9/14/09 from her medical leave.
• Laura DelPrete, maternity/child rearing leave, from 11/16/09-2/22/10.
• Larraine Fixler, Fernwood Middle School, will be on medical leave from 9/1-11/2/09.
• Peter Brandt, High School Assistant Principal, resigned.
• Jordan Burke, Davenport Elementary, resigned.
• Kristen Purich, High School, resigned.
• Gina Shaw, High School, resigned.
• John Decker, High School, resigned.
• Julie Blandino, Assistant Field Hockey Coach at the High School, resigned from that position.

Freshman Orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2009. The schedule is as follows:                

                        2:00                 Students arrive at Fernwood

                        2:00 – 2:15      Students directed to Fernwood Auditorium

                        2:15 – 2:30      High School Administration Introduction

                        2:30 – 3:15      Guest Speaker – Dr. Mike Hall

                        3:15 – 3:30      Students dismissed from Auditorium / Head to Buses

                        3:30                 Buses Depart for High School

                        3:45 – 5:00      Students run through schedule

                        5:00 – 6:00      BBQ @ Baseball Field

                        6:05                 Buses Depart  

            All students will report for an abbreviated day on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. Thursday, September 3 is also an abbreviated day while the 4^th will be a full day of school.

            High School students who wish to add/drop courses should go to the Miller school the week of August 25-28. The guidance department can be reached by calling the main number to the High School at 653-0100 for any questions.

            There will be a BOE meeting on the 25 but BOE members will be interviewing for the Athletic Director’s position, so most of it will be in closed session. The BOE meeting may open for the public if a decision is made.

            The next BOE meeting will be September 8, 2009 at 8 PM in the BOE room of the Alder Ave. Middle School.