SOUTH COUNTY: New school board starts doing business

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Public agencies like municipal governments and school boards routinely have capital and maintenance reserve accounts that enable them to have money on hand for major purchases and emergencies.
The fledgling South Hunterdon Regional School Board, established officially several months ago, set up those accounts at its June 23 meeting, which was held at Lambertville Public School.
The board unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the district’s business administrator, Kerry Sevilis, to transfer $600,000 into a capital reserve account and $400,000 into a maintenance reserve account.
The text of the resolution noted that the board had already determined "that up to $1,000,000 is available for such purpose of transfer."
The measure also noted that state law permits "a board of education to transfer anticipated excess current revenue or unexpended appropriations into reserve accounts during the month of June by board resolution."
Also at the June 23 meeting, the board approved annual tuition rates for the preschool program at Stockton School for the 2014-15 school year. Those rates are $2,900 for a district resident, $3,900 for an out-of-district resident who lives in New Jersey and $4,450 for a non-district resident who lives in Pennsylvania.
For users of only the program’s pre K-socialization lunch/recess hour, the cost for the year will be $500.
The board also voted unanimously to join the NJ State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Interscholastic sports for public high schools and middle schools have been conducted under the auspices of the NJSIAA for many years.
Hired as board attorney for the coming school year was the firm of Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein, Celso and Kessler.
Hired as special counsel for regionalization and contract negotiation was the firm of Porzio, Bromberg and Newman.
This is the firm the former South Hunterdon Regional High School Board of Education picked in 2011 to do the regionalization feasibilty study, which ultimately led to the Sept. 24, 2013 regionalization referendum.