BOE Meeting: Bridges Academy, Foley Field and Dotoli's First Day

By Pamela Weber-Leaf

The Dec. 13 meeting of the Bloomfield Board of Education was an occasion for celebrating one new relationship, and for ending another before it even started.

Board members at the Tuesday meeting at Demarest School officially introduced Nicholas Dotoli as the district’s new director of human resources/labor relations. Dotoli, an attorney who previously served as an outside counsel for the board, will now handle an estimated 90 percent of the district’s legal work from the newly created staff post. He received a warm welcome in the form of unanimous board approval of the modified attorney contract.

But efforts to entertain a business venture that would have moved students at the district’s alternative high school into existing space at Bloomfield High were rejected as BOE members were unable to reach a consensus. The plan would have entailed leasing the space housing Bridges Academy at Forest Glen to an unnamed third party that approached district officials. Ultimately, board members could not garner enough votes for a resolution to prepare bid specifications for the lease.

Bridges Academy currently serves between 28 and 31 students from grade seven through 12, in the Davey Street building being eyed by an outside business. But with one board member not present for the vote, the eight in attendance were split 4-4 on whether to pursue the opportunity.

Voting to accept bids for a multi-year contract were Shane Berger, Joseph Lopez, Maribel Perez and Dianna Fuller, who noted after the meeting that the issue had piqued her interest. “It’s a shame [we couldn’t investigate],” she said. “I just don’t see any harm in drafting something for them to review before we sent them away.”

“If we can accommodate these students at [Bloomfield] high school, impact is not the issue,” added Lopez of the Bridges students, who have not fared well in a traditional school setting. The Bridges program, including staff, would have remained intact upon transfer of location. 

Countering Lopez’s argument were Catzel Bumpus, Emily Smith, Dr. Paula Zaccone and board president Mary Shaughnessy, who noted, “It’s possible there’s a study that would show this [to be a good idea].  I need full consideration before I can either take a step in that direction or not.” 

Bridges opened its doors in 1995 and is currently an option for residents of Nutley as well as those from Bloomfield. 

For attorney Nicholas Dotoli, the evening was not entirely a homecoming. One resident questioned whether the district was overpaying the attorney for work he’d previously done as outside counsel for Bloomfield schools.

“Almost every meeting I go to, there’s a new position being created,” complained Matt Yar, a frequent critic of the board and a former member himself. “The guy’s great – there’s no doubt about it. But next thing you know, we’ll be having another superintendent and paying him, too.”

Dotoli started his job earlier that day, having resigned from the Whippany law firm that was counsel to the board. His new responsibilities combine the functions of assistant superintendent, central office director and general counsel – a move that Shaughnessy applauded as cost consolidation. 

“The transition [thus far] bodes well,” said Dotoli, who has an extensive record serving in advisory positions to senior New Jersey education officials. “The warmth with which I’ve been greeted has really been remarkable.” 

Also at the meeting, board members unanimously approved a revised agreement for Foley Field to be leased to Bloomfield Township. The board applauded the reopening of the beloved landmark, where outdated concrete bleachers were demolished earlier this year. The sports complex became available for use again in September with the start of football season following a two-year-long renovation; temporary bleachers are still to be replaced, officials said.

To kick off the meeting, the board and attendees were treated to an array of award presentations to district students including the Bloomfield High School cross country team, a pair of award-winning chess players and an after-school poetry club at Demarest School. The club, for fourth- through sixth-graders, was launched by Demarest parent and former Home School Association president Michelle Kelly. 

Demarest principal Mary Todaro had only the highest praise for Kelly.

“I love the idea of parents stepping forward to offer this type of enrichment,” she said. “It’s a great after school activity.”