The NJSBA Board of Directors met on Friday, March 3, 2017, at association headquarters in Trenton. The board took the following action:
- Approved the 2017-2018 NJSBA budget.
- Approved the ACES grant request from ELFNJ in the amount of $50,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017, to cover the costs for the county school board association meetings through June 30, 2017.
- Approved the lead agency resolution authorizing NJSBA to offer services from its TEC (technology for education and career) program competitively through its cooperative pricing system.
- Approved the open session minutes of the Jan. 20, 2017 meeting.
- Approved the legislative committee appointments.
- The executive director’s update addressed the impact of the school aid numbers for 2017-2018; our increasing relevancy with the leaders of the state Legislature, the commissioner and the State Board of Education; NJSBA’s meeting with the New Jersey Department of Education and representatives of the state Legislature on New Jersey’s plan to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act; two technology partnership initiatives, Future Ready Schools – New Jersey (with the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the NJDOE ) and Finding, Buying and Saving Technology for Schools, which will identify and seek removal of bureaucratic obstacles to acquiring technology; and NJSBA’s regional leadership program, which drew 250 board presidents, vice presidents and other members.
- The executive director also announced that the commissioner of education approved an adjustment to the previously granted waiver for Workshop 2017, which will allow for an additional day of training. He also informed the BOD that the commissioner has approved waiver requests for Workshop 2018, 2019 and 2020, which also allow four days of training.
- The Workshop update focused on the new workshop website at http://workshop.staging.njsba.org, the new badge printing system for 21 counties, and program highlights.
- The advocacy update included a report on the impact of the flat funding; the proposal from the governor that the Legislature develop a new school funding plan within 100 days; and recent federal actions and their impact on local funding.
- Received an update on activities from the NJSBA president, vice president for county activities, vice president for finance, vice president for legislation/resolutions, and immediate past president.
- Recognized the following new members: Sheli Dansky, new alternate member representing Bergen County; Sandra Mordecai, new member representing Essex County; Gregory Stankiewicz, new member representing Mercer County; Anthony Messina, new alternate member representing Mercer County; and Maureen Byrne, new alternate member representing Union County.
- Recognized retiring board of directors member Bruce Young, alternate member representing Bergen County, for his commitment to the children of his district and his dedication to the work of the New Jersey School Boards Association.
- Recognized Kevin Ciak for his election to NSBA President.
- Discussed how to efficiently and cost-effectively implement special education programs in the district.
Information items included association financials; legal case summary; NJSBA president’s and officers’ reports; and the nominations for officer positions from the NJSBA Nominating Committee.