Gottlieb, Graham and St. Auburn Sworn In as Ginsburg Reelected Board President
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The Board of Education opened 2021 with its annual reorganization meeting on January 6, held remotely over Zoom. Jocelyn Gottlieb, Duval Graham and Tracey St. Auburn were sworn in as newly elected board members after the November 3 school election, in which Gottlieb drew 2,457 votes, St. Auburn 2,485 and Graham 2,252, edging out challenger Larry Rudman's 1,588. The board then reelected Elisabeth Ginsburg as President by unanimous voice vote, elected Mr. de Leeuw as 1st Vice President and Mr. Campbell as 2nd Vice President.
Superintendent Phillips reported nine positive COVID-19 cases within the school community since the December break, combining students and staff, with roughly 50 students expected to need quarantine when buildings reopen January 11 -- about 90 percent of them tied to travel outside the district. He noted the town of Glen Ridge had recorded 180 total cases since the pandemic began, up from about 60 in early November. Pre-K and kindergarten registration was set to open the following Monday as a fully online process for the first time.
The board accepted, with regret, the resignations of paraprofessional Michelle Dawson, permanent substitute Emily Cordero and childcare employee Ruby Machado.
During public comment, resident Charlie Breslin congratulated the newly sworn-in and reelected members and asked whether the board could share meeting attendance figures. Ginsburg said 35 people were logged in, 12 of them board members, staff and the board's attorney, and recalled a peak of 365 participants on one night at the height of the pandemic.
The board approved $80,062.61 in bills and claims and ratified $2,145,027.51 in payroll and other payments, along with a separate $33,864.87 payment -- the final installment on the Central School renovation project. Following public session, the board moved into executive session for personnel, confidential pupil and negotiation matters and adjourned at 7:49 p.m.
- Elected Elisabeth Ginsburg as Board President, Mr. de Leeuw as 1st Vice President and Mr. Campbell as 2nd Vice President for 2021
- Accepted resignations of Michelle Dawson (paraprofessional), Emily Cordero (permanent substitute) and Ruby Machado (childcare)
- Appointed Jocelyn Gottlieb as NJSBA/Essex County delegate and Elisabeth Ginsburg as alternate
- Approved the final $33,864.87 payment closing out the Central School renovation project
- Adopted the district's Code of Ethics and the 2021-2022 Textbook List
Watch key moments
- 1:07 — Election results read aloud and Gottlieb, Graham and St. Auburn sworn in on camera
- 15:15 — Superintendent Phillips details the district's COVID case numbers and quarantine impact
- 30:38 — Resident Charlie Breslin asks about meeting attendance, and Ginsburg recalls a 365-person peak during the pandemic