The Rundown: Tuesday's School Board Meeting

The Manasquan School Board at its Tuesday meeting accepted the resignation of two board members. 

The board also approved the contract for the Elementary School boiler replacement project, but decided to hold off until the fall on the school's data wiring project. 

The varsity boys soccer coach is asking to move the team's home games to the Atlantic Club because their current fields are in poor shape, he says. 

And the board also discussed whether to accept the donation of breathalyzers to use at school dances. 

Here's the rundown: 

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Jim Smith and Trisha Brown submitted their letters of resignation to the board, which were read publicly Tuesday night by Board President Michelle LaSala and Superintendent Geraldine Margin, respectively. 

LaSala commented afterwards that both resignations were for personal reasons and said they "should not be interpreted as anything more." 

Smith, who stepped down as board vice president earlier this year, served on the board since 2010. His term was to expire in 2013. 

Brown has served since 2009. Her term expires at the end of this year. 

Neither former member was present at Tuesday's meeting. 

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The board awarded the contract for the Elementary School's boiler replacement project. 

The winning bid came from DeSesa Engineering Company Inc., of Livingston. 

The base bid to engineer the project was for $357,500. 

Board Member Thomas Bauer said the total was $7500 over the district's budget, but his Buildings and Grounds Committee recommended awarding the contract anyway. 

The board also took bids for replacing a hot water heater, but LaSala said she would prefer to wait on that project until the district receives word on any available funding aid.  

Bids for that project came in between $20,000 and $99,000. 

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The High School roof repair project is set to begin once school breaks for the summer, Bauer said. 

The project cost has been at $1.5 million. 

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Since the district received only one bid for the Elementary School's data wiring project that was much higher than anticipated, the board decided to wait until the fall to send out another round of requests for proposals. 

The bid came in at $180,000 -- much more than the district had budgeted, Bauer said. 

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Manasquan's varsity boys soccer coach is asking the board to allow the team to play its home games at the Atlantic Club in Wall. 

The coach says the conditions of the fields at the Sea Girt Army Camp are in "poor condition," according to a letter read by Board President LaSala. 

The team's parent organization has volunteered to pay the $100 per game fee for the team to play at the Atlantic Club. 

Manasquan's Athletic Director Ron Kornegay has OK'd the idea, but some board members wanted more information from the Atlantic Club regarding insurance and other legal issues before signing off. 

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LaSala said she had the draft of the school's proposed 365-day student conduct policy, which would hold students accountable for their out-of-school behavior all year including summer. 

The ad-hoc Code of Conduct Committee, tasked with designing the policy and its enforcement, can now be dissolved, LaSala said. 

Look for more on the policy at the board's next meeting. 

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The board approved by a 5-2 margin the appointment of Johnson Realty Service to perform an appraisal of district property on Sea Girt Avenue. 

Jack Campbell and Christine Muly voted against the measure. Michele Degnan-Spang, a sending district representative of Spring Lake Heights, also voted no, but her vote was only symbolic. 

District officials have said they want to get an assessment of the land before exploring any options regarding what to do -- if anything -- with the parcel. 

Board members have said the district has received a few offers for the stretch of land, but officials have not said that they are planning a sale. 

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The William S. Nixon Foundation has offered to provide the district with breathalyzers to use at school dances and other student events. 

After some discussion regarding the legality and accuracy of using breathalyzers at student functions, Board President LaSala told members to sleep on it for the next meeting. 

Board Attorney R. Armen McComber said there are several court cases challening the accuracy of the use of breathalyzers. Training is also required to operate the equipment, he said. 

Margaret Hom, the district's business administrator and board secretary, said the school district had run into administrative problems several years ago regarding the use of breathalyzers. 

LaSala said the board should consider whether to use them next school year. 

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And that's the rundown.

Check back throughout the week for more developed stories on some of these tidings.