On Monday night, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education discussed new committee reports, workshop opportunities, staffing considerations due to budget concerns, and upcoming retirements.

At the start of the meeting, BOE President Gini Varghese addressed the new Governance Committee for the PVRHSD, which oversees the Board and its actions. She stated they met recently to begin this process and wrote down the proceedings. 

BOE member James Stankus spoke on the Curriculum and Technology Committee meeting that took place for the first time this year. He reported supervisors’ feedback and New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) data. Reportedly, the district’s test scores improved–compared for English and math in ninth and eleventh grade, respectively. The PVRHSD had a compliant curriculum and the county superintendent praised the district for QSAC scores. 

“The school is extremely proactive and extremely ahead of the curb,” he said. 

Under finance, BOE member Michael Weaver thanked the Borough of Montvale and Hillsdale for Special Law Enforcement Officers Class 3 (SLEO3s) that ensure the safety of students at both schools.

Under old business, Superintendent Sarah Bilotti discussed an upcoming Hills-Valley Coalition event in partnership with Bergen County for the Alternatives to Domestic Violence workshops offered to schools. The workshop will be hosted at Hills on May 8, titled, “Building Health Relationships: A Parent’s Guide to Recognizing and Addressing Teen Dating Violence.” 

Additionally, Billotti updated the Board on the referendum, locker room renovations, cell tower updates, and budget changes. On the topic of budget along with the implication of renovations, Weaver raised concerns about non-finance-committee board members’ awareness of budget decisions, proposing a presentation of information and a Board vote. 

Bilotti responded to the staffing budget by addressing student engagement concerns regarding enrollment decline in French, Italian, music courses, and electives like accounting.

“We are looking at student need and student desire…Frankly, it’s not a great experience for a student to only have five students in a class,” she said.

Concerning employment, under human resources, the board regretfully accepted the resignation of Paul Zeller, Director of Technology and Communication, effective June 30, 2024, and the resignation of Lisa Tracy, Region II Behaviorist, effective May 10, 2024.

In regards to new ventures at Hills, Erica Franceski was approved as a voluntary advisor for the probationary Muslim Student Union Club for the 2023-2024 school year.

There were no comments from the public, so the meeting was adjourned.