Board approves bids, contracts, special‑education placements and staffing actions

The Board of Education approved a package of consent and action items including bid extensions, contracts, special‑education placements, staffing recommendations and donations.

Motions recorded in the meeting minutes include: a motion to extend bids for groceries and non‑food items; approval of BOCES contracts for records management and related services; acceptance of special‑education placements for about 132 students for recommended services; staffing recommendations including retirements and new appointments; and recognition of local scholarships and donations from PTAs and other groups.

Several motions were made and passed by voice vote. For example, the grocery bid extension motion was moved by Mary Fleming and seconded by Naomi and passed by voice vote. The BOCES records management contract was moved by Naomi and seconded by Andrea; the special‑education placements motion was moved by Augustus and seconded by Andrea and passed. Staffing items including retirements (Christine Harper; Thomas Harrow; Lorraine Ketchum; Elizabeth Pascua; Amy Wong; Donna Zaveri) and appointments (including a new special‑education administrator, Sherilyn Baraci) were approved on motion. Donations and scholarship recognitions were also approved; a board member requested clarification later about the distinction between donations and scholarships and how the items are presented on the agenda.

District staff explained that some contracts use a typical state reimbursement rate (about 60%) depending on the nature of the work, and that records will move to the Maxwell site when appropriate. No separate roll‑call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript; the minutes show motions, seconders and “All in favor” confirmations for each consent item.