The Moorestown Township Board of Education held its reorganization meeting earlier this month at the William Allen Middle School, where incumbent members Maurice Weeks and Brooke Mailhiot and new member Jaclyn Barnes were sworn in.
Following that order of business, board members Mark Villanueva and Cheryl Makopoulos were reelected as president and vice president, respectively.
“Mark has performed the functions of the office of president in exceptional fashion, and I think he’s been a good, steadfast leader for the board,” Weeks said. “And I would like to see him continue for another year.”
Villanueva then took the chair and emphasized how he looks forward to serving in his role for another year.
“I do think that we have a very strong board with very helpful, strong and steadfast opinions that don’t always align that sometimes lead to lively debate, both inside and outside of our committee meetings, but I think that is healthy,” he remarked. “I think we have a lot to learn from each other and I look forward to seeing us continue in that process this year.
“While we all may have different perspectives on things, I’m confident that everybody up here has a common goal to do what’s right for the students, for the kids and the young adults that are in the hallways of the Moorestown schools,” Villanueva added. “Thank you again for the vote of support, and I really do look forward to working with everybody this year because there is a lot to do, so thank you.”
Appointments on the agenda were then approved by the board, effective Jan. 2 through the next reorganization meeting. They included James Heiser as board secretary and qualified purchasing agent; Thomas Merchel as treasurer of school; Carole Butler as affirmative action officer; and James Heiser as public agency compliance officer, among others.
Routine matters for reorganization were also approved, included depositories, bank signatories, readoption of district curriculum, textbooks and board policies, cooperative purchases, designation of superintendent and chart of accounts. Other items on the agenda that were approved included the New Jersey School Board Member Code of Ethics, establishment of petty cash funds and professional services.
Interim Superintendent Joseph Bollendorf praised the board in an earlier edition of The Sun, and like Villanueva, he looks forward to seeing what can be accomplished this year.
“In my career, I’ve had the fortune of working with many incredibly great board members, and Moorestown is no different,” he noted. “I think that the community is lucky to have people living amongst them that are willing, at a volunteer level, to commit themselves to the amount of time and effort and energy that it takes to be a good board member.”
“It’s clear to me that these people have put themselves out there (and) ran for these (board) positions because they just want to do the very best that they can to help our kids and to make our education system the very best that it can be.”
