Tiger Talk
Welcome to Tiger Talk! This newsletter is intended to keep our community informed of important information and upcoming events in our school. Highlights of this month's issue include a Class III Officer Update, Linking with Leadership dates and topics, information about recent grants, and a Board Member Recognition.
Dr. Nicholas A. Diaz, Superintendent
Mrs. Preuett, Business Administrator, and Dr. Diaz, recently met with the Hunterdon County Sheriff's Department, specifically with Sheriff Brown and Undersheriff Cordero. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an agreement for Class III officers. To share some key points:
- Financial Aspects: The department proposed a fee of $55,000 per officer, excluding any administrative charges. This presents a savings of $10,000 compared to our initial plan.
- Substitute Officer Provision: In instances of an officer's absence, the department assured the provision of a substitute officer. This is a significant advantage over our initial plan, which lacked this flexibility, potentially leaving us short-staffed.
- Candidate Evaluation: We forwarded the profiles of two candidates previously considered for hiring through Franklin. The sheriff's department expressed its intention to conduct interviews with these candidates.
- Agreement Drafting: The department is preparing a draft agreement, which we intend to have reviewed by our attorney.
- Implementation Timeline: Our goal is to have at least one officer in place as soon as possible. With the ultimate goal of having both in place shortly after.
The first Linking with Leadership Meeting of the year took place on November 28th. The focus of the meeting was “Core Academic & Enrichment Programs”. As a reminder, the purpose of "Linking with Leadership'' is to provide a forum where school community members can interact directly with leadership on important District initiatives. For those interested in revisiting the November content, the presentation slides can be found here.
Please mark your calendars for future sessions:
January 23, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. - School Policy and Governance:
Focus: School Safety and Security
March 26, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. - Student Well-being:
Focus: Student well-being & Anti-bullying Initiatives
May 23, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. - Community Relations:
Focus: School-Community Partnerships & Home-School Communication
Preschool Expansion Aid Application
Our district submitted an application for preschool expansion aid. Initially, our application did not receive approval in the first round of notifications. We collaborated extensively with the Department of Education, submitting a revised application a few weeks back. The Department is currently reviewing our application. They informed us that the outcomes of these reviews were forwarded to the Assistant Commissioner of Education on November 27th. We expect to receive an update on our application status shortly. The Department also indicated that, should our application be approved, our proposed start date in January 2024 might be delayed due to the timing of the potential approval.
All meetings are held in the Union Township Elementary School Library, located at 149 Perryville Road, Hampton, NJ, and begin at 6:45 pm unless otherwise noted. A virtual link, if needed, will be posted on the district website by 6:00pm on the day of the scheduled meeting.
Meetings are open to the public and formal action may/will be taken at all meetings. The Board reserves the right to go into Closed Executive Session during any/all of the above meetings.
- Monday, December 18, 2023
Click here for a complete list of board meetings.