Nov. 20, 2024, minutes

Date: November 20, 2024

Kind of Meeting: Regular

Place: Herkimer Middle-High School Library

Members Present: Brian Crandall, Michele Gilbert, Joseph Lamanna, Robert Mihevc, Scott Petucci and Aleksander Verenich

Members Absent: Diann Fischer

Others Present: Superintendent Kathleen Carney, Chad Hess, Gina McKernan, Zachary Abbe, Maria Lindsey, Nicole Crandall, Renee Vogt, Cristi Paragi, Michelle Ploss, Correne Holmes, Staff, Students and Community Members.

President Crandall called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was said. 

Public Comment:

Nick Saunders addressed the board regarding a past incident.

Approval of the Agenda:

Mr. Petucci moved, and Mr. Lamanna seconded a motion to formally approve the consent agenda as submitted.  All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0

Board Recognition:

Artwork displayed from Middle/High School.

Approval of the Minutes:

Mrs. Gilbert moved, and Mr. Mihevc seconded a motion to approve the Board of Education regular meeting minutes from October 23, 2024.   All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1

Curriculum Council Summer Project Presentation

Approval of Financial Reports:

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Carney, on a motion made by Mr. Lamanna, seconded by Mrs. Gilbert, the Board approved the following financial reports:

• Treasurer’s Report – October 2024
• General Warrant – October 2024
• Internal Claims Auditors Exception Report– October 2024
• Extracurricular Summary Report – October 2024
• Budget Transfers under $5k – October 2024

All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Mr. Hess provided updates for the Business Office

Resolution – Resignation of Board Member:

Mr. Lamanna moved and Mr. Mihevc seconded the following Board resolution:

“BE IT RESOLVED, the Board of Education of the Herkimer Central School District does hereby accept the resignation of Mrs. Michele Gilbert from her Board of Education seat effective November 30, 2024.”

All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

STAFFING RECOMMENDATIONS:

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Carney, on a motion by Mr. Lamana, seconded by Mr. Verenich, the BOE approved the following personnel actions as presented. 

All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Amendments:

Scalise, Elena – Substitute Lunch Aide – Amend salary from $15.25 to $15.50 an hour

(BOE Meeting: 10-23-2024)

Non-Instructional Appointment:

Name:                                     Gilbert, Michele

Position:                                 District Treasurer

Location:                                District Office

Effective Date:                       December 1, 2024

Salary:                                    $69,863(prorated)

2024-2025 Winter Interscholastic Coaching Appointments*:

Name:                                     Judd, Ryan                           

Appointment:                         Boys Varsity Volleyball

Salary:                                    $3,500

*Conditioned upon a sufficient number of schools participating to merit a season with sufficient student participation to field a team

2024-2025 Winter Interscholastic Unpaid Coaching Appointments:

Posey, Tekitha                       Boys/Girls Indoor Track Unpaid Volunteer Assistant

Resolution – Appointment of Board Member:

Mr. Petucci moved, and Mr. Lamanna seconded to table this appointment.  All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1

Resolution – Change in Re-Organizational Meeting Appointments:

Mr. Petucci moved, and Mr. Mihevc seconded the following Board resolution:

“BE IT RESOLVED, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, that the Board of Education hereby authorizes the following changes that were previously approved at the July 10, 2024, Reorganizational Meeting:  Authorization: – change Official Bank Signatories from Chad Hess to Michele Gilbert; Designation of Appointments: – change Records Access Officer and Records Management Officer from Cristina Chilelli to Michele Gilbert effective December 1, 2024.”

All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Resolution – Creation of Scholarship Account:

Mr. Lamanna moved, and Mr. Verenich seconded the following Board resolution:

“BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby authorizes the creation of a Scholarship Award in honor of Jill Lovenheim”. 

All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Waiving Reading for Adoption:

WHEREAS, the BOE wishes to adopt several policies recommended by the Policy Committee,

Mr. Petucci moved, and Mr. Lamanna seconded the following Board resolution:

WHEREAS, it is customary practice of the BOE to have three readings of a policy prior to its adoption; and

WHEREAS, the BOE wishes to adopt several policies recommended by the Policy Committee,

• Policy 2104     Duties of the Tax Collector
• Policy 2105     Duties of the Classroom Activities Funds Central Treasurer
• Policy 2106     Duties of the School Attorney
• Policy 2107     Duties of the School Physician, Nurse Practitioner
• Policy 2200     Legal Qualifications of Voters at School District Meetings
• Policy 2201     Annual District Meeting and Election
• Policy 2202     Absentee Ballots when School use Personal Registration

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the BOE hereby waives the BOE’s customary practice of three readings prior to the adoption of policies, and adopts the following policies, incorporated by reference in the minutes of this meeting.

All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Resolution – Return of Unpaid Taxes:

Mr. Mihevc moved, and Mrs. Gilbert seconded the following Board resolution:

RESOLVED, that Brian Crandall, President of the Board of Education of the Herkimer Central School District in the Town of Herkimer, County of Herkimer, NY, be and hereby is authorized, empowered and directed to sign on behalf of said Board of Education of said District, the Certificate of the Board of Education of said district attached to the “School Collector Return to County Treasurer” of unpaid taxes of said District, which return is for the unpaid taxes assessed upon the lands in said District in the tax list made out and delivered to the Collector on the 21^st day of August 2024, and which return is dated and made on the 15^th day of November 2024.

All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Superintendent Carney provided updates for the District

Administrative Reports:

The reports of the Administrators were reviewed with the BOE.  Discussions followed.

 

CSE/CPSE Program/Placement Recommendations:

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Carney, on a motion made by Mr. Petucci, seconded by Mr. Mihevc, the BOE approved the Sub-Committee on Special Education, and the Committee on Preschool Special Education program/placement recommendations as presented.

All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Election of Vice President for the Board of Education for the 2024-2025 School Year:

Vice President– Mr. Petucci nominated Mr. Lamanna for the position of Board of Education Vice President. There were no other nominations for Vice President.

On a motion made by Mr. Petucci seconded by Mr. Mihevc, Mr. Lamanna was elected as Vice President for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. Motion carried 4:0:2

Future Meeting:

President Crandall reminded the Board the next scheduled meeting will be on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

On a motion made by Mrs. Gilbert, seconded by Mr. Petucci, the BOE entered Executive Session for the purpose of legal and personnel issues. The Board may take action in public session after the Executive Session ends and the Board returns to public session. All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0.

Executive Session:

The Board moved into Executive Session at 8:42 p.m.

The Board exited Executive Session at 10:23 p.m.

Appointment of Board of Education Member:

Mr. Lamanna moved, and Mr. Mihevc seconded a motion to remove from the table the Appointment of Board of Education Member.

All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1

Mr. Mihevc moved, and Mr. Lamanna seconded the following Board resolution:

“BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Herkimer Central School District hereby authorizes the appointment of Matthew Collis to the vacant position of the Herkimer Central School District Board of Education for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year from December 1, 2024, to May 20, 2025.”

All voted in favor; motion carried 5:0:1; Material filed in the supplemental file dated 11/20/2024

Adjournment:

On a motion made by Mr. Lamanna, seconded by Mr. Lamanna, the BOE adjourned the public meeting at 10:27 p.m.  All voted in favor; motion carried 6:0.

                                                                                                ______________________                                                                           
Gina McKernan                                                                                                   
District Clerk