BOE Completes Training Following HIB Concerns

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August 28, 2025

WESTFIELD — The Westfield Board of Education met Tuesday to complete a board training from the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), and to review the results of a self-administered NJSBA survey. The training was led by Field Service Representative Jeanne Cleary, who explained what the association sees as best practices for their roles and responsibilities. Leila Morelli was absent from the meeting.

The training and survey review was the culmination of a nearly year-long dispute among the board over how issues related to Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) are raised in board discussion and handled in committee. In December 2024, Board Member Julie Steinberg attempted to raise concerns over the handling of HIB, but was told the cases discussed were closed due to attorney-client privilege. Then, in January of this year, Ms. Steinberg stated she felt the board needed an independent audit of its “HIB operational process, policies and procedures, training, roles and responsibilities.” Ms. Steinberg and fellow board member Charles Gelinas both voted ‘no’ to HIB-related agenda items at each of the board meetings they attended throughout the 2024-25 school year.

Following the initial concerns raised by Ms. Steinberg at the December 2024 meeting, board member Mary Wickens stated in January 2025 that the district’s Policy Committee had reviewed the concerns and felt the board was in compliance with its handbook. The board later agreed to the completion of the NJSBA self-guided survey with a deadline of June 2025.

The board ranked itself highly overall in categories like policy, accountability for student achievement, resource management and oversight, but gave themselves lower ratings in area team relationships and accountability. Ms. Cleary said Tuesday that the board shows “an openness and willingness to grow.”

Much of Ms. Cleary’s presentation on the roles of school boards centered around the idea that when the board does not act as a whole, “it undermines the confidence the community has.” When it comes to voting on board actions, Ms. Cleary said, “if you’re in an environment where you feel heard and understood, you should act with the majority.” Ms. Cleary explained that the NJSBA discourages individual members from speaking out on behalf of the board, reminding them that all communication to the public should go through the president and superintendent.

When discussing the results of the survey and best practices for communication Ms. Steinberg asked for “suggestions on how we can give and receive feedback?” Ms. Cleary responded that, “there should be a clear process of how we ask the superintendent or board president to get something before [the committee].”

Ms. Cleary also added that concerns “might be something we raise at a public meeting, to say ‘we have a majority who are concerned about this and maybe we put it before the committee.’” Ms. Steinberg and Mr. Gelinas both voted ‘no’ to the current round of HIB cases, which include 39 reports from May and June 2025. All other members present voted ‘yes,’ to the HIB cases.

In wider district news, the board announced its contract with Legacy Construction Management to serve as construction managers for the upcoming referendum projects. The company will receive $185,000 for the pre-construction phase, followed by $21,500 per month for the construction phase. The closeout phase will cost $15,000 per month for an estimated four-month timeline. Superintendent Raymond González, Ed.D., said Tuesday that engineering surveys and programming reviews were completed over the summer.

The district also confirmed it will receive roughly $1.6 million in grants from the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), which were delayed due federal budget issues. Another anticipated grant funded through the Elementary and Secondary School Act is still delayed.