Kinnelon Borough School District board meeting, Aug 18, 2026
1 h 03 min
This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 03 min.
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Kinnelon superintendent outlines process to fill vacant Board of Education seat 4:01
- The superintendent gave an update on the process to fill a vacant board seat, summer facility projects, elective enrollment and proposed district goals. 4:01
- Board committees reported on finance, personnel, education and policy matters, including a projected healthcare benefit increase of up to 30% that Jean Donaldson said would be about $2.3 million for the district. 21:51
- The board held a roll call on a block vote for agenda items A, B, C and D as revised. 35:08
- Several speakers at public comment addressed Policy 9125, and others raised busing and vaccination questions or thanked the board. 38:58
Item by item (7)
- Opening and approval of minutes 0:22
- Superintendent's update 1:57
- The superintendent said high school enrollment is 476 for the '26-'27 school year against a capacity of 774, and that the district would hold another demographic study and explore taking on its own transportation. 4:01
- The superintendent said the district would advertise a vacant board seat, close applications by September 10th or 11th, and interview applicants in executive session at the September 22nd meeting before a public board vote. 4:52
- The superintendent said Phase 2 of the high school auditorium upgrade would commence September 14th and that Chromebooks would no longer go home in grades 3-5. 9:09
- Committee reports 21:51
- Jean Donaldson said extraordinary aid for special education was down by $250,000 from last year and that the committee recommended the finance agenda items for approval. 21:51
- Carl Myers, PhD said the committee reviewed the list of high school clubs and activities with a view to reprioritizing them and looked at lead teacher job descriptions. 26:56
- A speaker giving the education report described student handbook changes, a 6th grade reading pilot, donated yoga classes and the high school becoming an SAT test center. 27:56
- Agenda items and block vote 34:06
- Jean Donaldson asked for a motion to rescind an appointment under B5 number 4 and then for a roll call on a block vote for agenda items A, B, C and D as revised. 34:37
- Jon Eisenmenger asked whether $160,000 for an out-of-district placement was a typo, and a speaker said it was within what was budgeted. 35:33
- Jean Donaldson said the number of students in out-of-district placements had gone down over the last couple years. 36:07
- Correspondence 36:41
- Jean Donaldson said the board received several emails, including concerns about Policy 9125, support for the goal to reduce technology, concerns about busing and an objection to starting school before Labor Day. 36:41
- Public comment 38:58
- Several speakers at public comment said they opposed Policy 9125, and other speakers thanked the board and administration. 46:53
- A speaker at public comment asked the board to consider bus monitors or bus rules, and a district staff member said aides or bus observers would be added if needed. 50:41
- A speaker said Policy 9125 is about transparency with parents and was not intended to exclude anyone. 55:30
- Board and superintendent comments 59:45
- Jean Donaldson thanked the departing board member for that member's research and work, and asked for a motion to adjourn. 1:01:43
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Other meetings of this board
Video: posted by the district as “August 18, 2026 Board of Education Meeting”