Board Dedicates Garden to Ginsburg, Clears Three More Bullying Complaints

The Glen Ridge Board of Education's July meeting opened with a dedication ceremony for "Betsy's Garden," honoring Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg's 23 years of service, and a National School Boards Association gratitude award presented to Mr. Campbell for 10 years on the board. The board also found three more Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying complaints (GRHS #25, RAS #12, and RAS #13) not substantiated; all votes were unanimous among the eight members present, with Mr. Bonnett absent for the full meeting. Board attorney Jennifer Osborne told a resident during public comment that a separate HIB matter had been rescheduled for discussion in executive session in September.

In personnel actions, the board hired Jennifer O'Connor as a high school nurse at $74,556, Lori Mundy as a middle school guidance counselor at $66,122, Danielle Purciello as a teacher at $105,798, and Malik Mosley as a night custodian at $47,261 plus a $500 stipend, among other appointments for the 2023-2024 school year. It accepted the resignations of aides Michelle Szwed and Cristina Jerolimic, teacher Sandra Gatsch, substitute John Loconsolo, aide Kiara Black, and assistant football coach Robert Rollo, and approved salary-guide advancement for more than a dozen staff members based on additional coursework.

On finances, the board approved bills and claims of $353,565.13 and ratified payroll of $4,922,613.53; Ms. Ginsburg abstained on that combined financial-reports vote. It approved several costly out-of-district special-education placements for the coming year, including two students at Cornerstone at $100,975.60 each and a New Beginnings placement carrying $78,624 in tuition plus a $50,960 one-to-one aide. The board also accepted a FY24 IDEA grant of $394,346 (plus $14,347 for preschool) and a federal ESEA grant totaling $123,044, renewed an Edmentum digital-curriculum license for $31,546, and agreed to accept 25 HEPA air purifiers and 150 replacement filters worth roughly $50,148.52 through a state Department of Health distribution program.

Following the regular agenda, the board held a public retreat session on school culture and climate: Superintendent Dirk Phillips presented on student experience, academic support, staff, facilities, and parent outreach at each school, and Rutgers University psychology professor Dr. Maurice Elias, director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, presented on social-emotional learning.

What to watch

• A separate Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying matter raised by a resident was postponed for board discussion until September.