Bogota Board of Education

15-July-2020
    On Tuesday-14-July the Bogota Board of Education held their first meeting for the month of July.  In his Superintendents report Mr. Damian Kennedy talked about the planning to start the opening of the Public School for the 2020-21 school year. The district's goal is to have the Students start their school year after Labor Day and have the Staff arrive a week before in-order to learn the plan to teach classes in a safe manner.  He added that the school district was still waiting on the State of New Jersey to provided their guidelines for opening.    Mr. Kennedy added the district is forming a “Road Back Committee”  with members of the public and local officials to create criteria on how to opening schools safely. His goal is to have a plan in place  by the end of the month, so that a town hall meeting can be scheduled for in-put from Parents and the community.  The District is also seeking official guidelines on what the procedures are if a Student , or staff, test positive for covid-19. This would included any contact with a person who has also tested positive.  
  Mr. Kennedy included the information that starting this week  fall sports practice can be held out doors with limited contact. Using football as an example; players would only be allowed to practice in small groups, and maintain distance from other groups.  This is in accordance of NJSIAA phase 1 regulations. All Students and staff  must be screen, with a temperature check and having their own personal protective mask, & gloves along with personal drinking bottles. For phase 2, in late July or early August, teams would be allowed to run plays and learn formations with more equipment.
 When the time came to vote on the agenda, all items were passed. Most by unanimous vote, some by a 5-2 margin with two trustee absent for this meeting. Items of note:
 -Were to accept a grant to provide training, coaching, and feedback to promote Social-Emotional Competency in preschool students using the NJDOE approved Pyramid Model. 
-To approve the collaborative Service Agreement between the Bogota Board of Education and Bergen County Special Services to provide services for the Bogota Learning Lab for the 2020/2021 school year. 
-Approve the agreement with the Bogota Education Association and the Bogota Board of Education, for 2020 – 2023 
 -Approve a grant submission to  Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Program to replace existing  passenger diesel school bus with all-electric, zero-emission, new school bus including charging station. The old buses would need to be scrapped and rendered inoperable.
- Approval Authorizing the Reimbursement of Costs in Connection with the acquisition of property at 390 Palisade Ave. 
-Approve the selection of Honeywell International Inc.  which will provide an Energy Savings Plan to upgrade the building system at all District school to become more energy affection. 
  The Board then planed to have another meeting in July. This would be a special meeting that would include a Town Hall for comments on a reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year. This is tentatively being schedule as a virtual meeting, with details to follow. 
  The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday-25-August at 7:00p This would be a virtual meeting with information on how to view this meeting will follow. Updates and announcements from the Bogota Board of Education will be available at:    www.bogotaboe.com

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