By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – Special counsel for the Millstone Township K-8 School District has been appointed by the Board of Education.
During a recent meeting, the board appointed the legal firm Porzio Bromberg and Newman, of Morristown, to serve as the district’s special counsel for the 2016-17 school year at a rate of $335 per hour.
Board President Margaret Gordon, Vice President Kevin McGovern and board members David DePinho, Melissa Riviello, Billy Hanson, Cynthia Bailey and Sal Casale voted yes on the appointment. Board member Amy Jacobson voted no. Board member John Sico was absent.
Attorneys Vito Gagliardi and Kerri Wright of the firm handle matters associated with Millstone Township’s send-receive relationship with the Upper Freehold Regional School District and legal claims in this regard, according to Superintendent of Schools Scott Feder.
Students of high school age who reside in Millstone Township can attend Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold Regional School District. About 600 students who live in Millstone attend Allentown at a cost of about $12,000 per pupil per year.
In April, Upper Freehold Regional filed legal action against Millstone. The action concerns the Millstone board paying tuition for Millstone residents who enroll in specialized programs at Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver. Upper Freehold Regional claims the payment of that tuition is unlawful, which Millstone contests.
In other recent action, the board approved a contract for Business Administrator Bernard Biesiada that will be effective from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. Gordon, McGovern, DePinho, Riviello, Hanson, Bailey and Casale voted yes on the contract. Jacobson abstained.
The board approved student meal prices for the 2016-17 school year of $2.85 at the Millstone Township Middle School and $2.65 at the Millstone Township Elementary School and the Millstone Township Primary School.
Finally, the board passed a resolution authorizing the disposal of vans and buses that have been deemed surplus property. According to the resolution, the property is no longer needed for public use and will be sold in an “as is” condition without express or implied warranties.
The sale will be conducted online at govdeals.com. Successful bidders are required to execute a hold harmless and indemnification agreement concerning the use of the surplus property.