Just Say When...: Update: Did the Board of Education Organize?

On January 6, 2022 @ 7 PM, the Englewood School Board will assemble and reorganize. The School Board will go through the motions of electing a new President and Vice President. This will probably be discussed and decided in the Closed Session Meeting taking place at 6 PM the same day. The formal vote will take place Publicly in the Zoom meeting at 7 PM.

Update: Well, I missed that one. It wasn't discussed in close session. We had to watch that. Dear Board of Education. Do that in closed session. I don't think we have a Vice President. I have not heard so many well-placed abstentions in a long time. We shall see what comes of it. While they figure that out, WE have to keep our attention on the important things.

Link to the Agenda containing Reorganization Meeting Zoom Link.

Link to the Text of the Oath of Office for School Board Members

There are other positions that the Board of Education should Appoint or Reappoint during this meeting. 2 of these positions are extremely important to Residents, Students, Teachers and Staff. These positions are Medical Inspector and Psychological Examiner. We should question whether or not these positions are filled and if these persons are working with the Health Staff of the District.

We are still in a Pandemic. Who are the members of our Pandemic Response Team? Do we have a centralized Pandemic Response Team or does a Team exist in each school building? Is our Medical Inspector involved in this team? Is our Psychological Examiner involved in plans to remediate Mental Health issues that may have arisen because of isolation, overuse of technology, or feelings of anxiety among students?

At the last School Board Meeting, the Interim Superintendent apologized to the Public for not being a Medical Professional. Okay, apology accepted. Now use the Policy below to support the Appointment of a Medical Professional who will work closely with the District Nurses and Administration while consulting with the local Health Department and reporting directly to you. We are in the middle of a Health Emergency. We need to see that more is being done. We want to be able to trust that the Board of Education and the Superintendent are willingly putting forth an effort to develop a centralized District Health Office that will make sure that protocols are created and followed consistently. We want assurances that previous existing acute illnesses, such as severe asthma are not being ignored, because our nursing staff is overwhelmed with covid responses. We want our nurses to feel confident that they have PPE that is comparable to that used in ICU across the country. We want our Health Professionals to feel confident that they are safe while working with our children.

Below is Policy including statutes pertaining to the appointment of District Health Professionals. More than ever, we must demand compliance in this area.

District Policy

0153 - ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS

Section: Bylaws

Date Created: February 2002
Date Edited: November 2019

The Board of Education may annually appoint the following positions:

1. A Board Secretary,
N.J.S.A. 18A:17-2, 17-5

17-3 Tenure of janitorial employees
17-4 Reduction in number of janitorial employees
17-5 Appointment of secretary of board of education; terms; compensation; vacancy.

2. A public school accountant,
N.J.S.A. 18A:23-1

3. A medical inspector,
N.J.S.A. 18A:40-1

18A:40-1. Employment of medical inspectors, optometrists and nurses; salaries; terms; rules
Every board of education shall employ one or more physicians, licensed to practice medicine and surgery within the state, to be known as the medical inspector or medical inspectors, and any board, not furnishing nursing services under a contract pursuant to section 18A:40-3.1 shall employ one or more school nurses, and it may also employ one or more optometrists, licensed to practice optometry within the state, to be known as the school vision examiner or school vision examiners, and the board shall fix their salaries and terms of office.
Every board of education shall adopt rules, subject to the approval of the state board, for the government of such employees.

4. A psychological examiner,

N.J.S.A. 18A:46-11

18A:46-11. Psychological and other examinations
Each board of education shall separately or jointly with one or more boards of education employ a psychological examiner, who acting jointly with special education personnel approved by the commissioner, shall administer the procedures for diagnosis and classification required in this chapter, or, in lieu of employing a psychological examiner, it or they may contract to use, with or without financial reimbursement, the psychological or other services of any clinic or agency approved by the commissioner.

5. A member to serve as delegate to the New Jersey School Boards Association,
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-46

6. An attendance officer(s),
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-32

18A:38-32. District and county vocational school attendance officers
For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this article, the board of education of each school district and the board of education of each county vocational school shall appoint a suitable number of qualified persons to be designated as attendance officers, and shall fix their compensation; except that if a county attendance officer or officers are appointed for any county, any district board of education of such county may be exempt from the appointment of a local attendance officer if such exemption is approved by the county superintendent. Each board shall make rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this article and subject to the approval of the commissioner, for the government of the attendance officers.

7. A Treasurer of School Moneys,
N.J.S.A. 18A:17-31

8. A member to serve as delegate to the Bergen County School Boards Association;

9. An attorney

10. An insurance broker(s)/agent(s).

Adopted: 28 February 2002
Revised: November 14, 2019

A lot of lip service has been given to the concept of isolation and mental health problems connected with children learning at home in Virtual. We must force them to do more in the District to protect our children's health since they have chosen to force them back into school while the Board of Education and all other City Boards, Committees and Commissions meet virtually. The Superintendent is running the District remotely. Put them to work creating the very best protocol possible for keeping everyone safe.

Additional Appointments or motions to be made during the Reorganization Meeting. How many of the following actions are included in the consent agenda of the current Jan. 6 reorganization agenda?

District Policy

0154 - ANNUAL MOTIONS AND DESIGNATIONS

Section: BylawsDate Created: February 2002Date Edited: February 2002

The Board of Education shall make the following designations at the organizational meeting:

Designate one (1) or more depositories for school funds;

Designate those persons authorized to sign school warrants;

Designate the official newspaper;

Designate a second newspaper for the publication of Board meeting announcements; and

Designate the day, place, and time for regular meetings of the Board.

The Board of Education shall adopt resolutions for the following issues at the organizational meeting:

Approve the curriculum for all grades;

Readopt existing bylaws and policies for the Board’s operation and the operation of the school system; and