share with me their reports. So, um I will read these uh for the board. Um from uh Pippa. Hi everyone. I apologize for my absence at the previous meeting
in this one. However, I still wanted to provide a report for the board for me to read. March started off with six Governor Livingston baseball players that held their signing ceremony with friends and family. This includes Zach Girtzma, Michael Noatne, Michael Basile,
Keith Man, Reed uh Basil Bazidlo, and Jaden Fernandez. They all signed their letters of intent to continue their baseball careers at the collegiate level. On March 11th, Governor Livingston hosted the Harlem Wizards against the Berkeley Heights
teacher and staff. Uh, this was through the BHF. Uh, this was an exciting night. It had a tremendous turnout and there were fantastic energy and endless smiles in the gym and halls of GL. The Highlander BA Highlanders baseball team
also received new uniforms which can be seen on the GL Instagram. On top of that, there are some new additions to the hill regarding posters for the baseball team near their their fields, including their state championships won the past two years. Uh, our athletic
director, CJ Hendrickx, created a winter sports varsity highlight reel for the 2526 season. Check it out if you haven't seen it. The heart of the Highlander recipients were also selected and rewarded for their achievements. This group included Owen Hernandez, Thomas
Denorio, Noah Abdala, Alec Natne, uh, Philip Galab Galabek, Isabella Drayton, Lillian Arts, Matt uh, Rivicker, Stephanie D. Pasquali, and Carly Feifer. Miss Rei
also named staff member. Miss Rei was also named staff member of the month. Mrs. Rei is an instrumental figure in the athletics department who does a tremendous job providing for student staff and Mr. Hendricks. This is a great achievement for her.
On top of that, I was named and that's Pipa, not me. Pippa was named Valerico Highlander outstanding athlete after career best season. She has been a four-year varsity swimmer on the Governor Livingston swim team and her final meet she completed her lifetime
best performances putting an awesome end to her career and she said thank you for listening and good night. And then um Howard is also not here tonight so he sent me his uh report to read as well. Um that's not his.
Good evening everyone and happy spring. This is the eighth edition of Happenings on the Hill. I'd like to begin by apologizing for not being there in person tonight. I am currently in Raleigh and will be touring Wake Forest University tomorrow. Additionally, before I start, I'd like to congratulate
all the recipients of educator of the year. Your dedication and impact on students does not go unnoticed. I also want to take a moment to thank Mrs. Bartlett, our assistant principal, who will be leaving Governor Livingston next week. Thank you for your support and for helping me get to where I am today. I
wish you the best in Milbourne. Last week, students participated in NJ GPA testing, which took place Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with a one-day adjustment due to the delayed opening on Wednesday. I spoke with multiple students to get a consensus on their
experience, and most felt the testing was manageable. Personally, I think the math and writing sections were well timed, while the English section could likely be shortened and still be effective. Over the past two weeks, AP Physics students have been collecting and analyzing data through two realworld
labs, a traffic study determining whether a local intersection is safe and an egg drop experiment calculating the average force required to crack an egg using homemade airbags. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the Hilltop players presented their spring
production of Urine Town. Uh Howard attended the Saturday performance and had a fantastic time. Thank you to everyone involved both on stage and on stage and behind the scenes. You all did an amazing amazing job. Tomorrow marks the last day of the third marking period
as well as the start of spring break, which he's admittedly begun a day early. Looking ahead, April is an important month for many students as it marks the end of the AP curriculum and transition into AP exam prep. Additionally, continuing with that College Board
theme, results for the March SAT will be released tomorrow, and he'd like to wish everyone the best of luck. Uh he'll end tonight with a quote from Helen Keller. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. This reflects how a positive outlook can shape the way we
approach challenges and opportunities alike. The glass is half full, not half empty. Thank you. Um, we just came from our celebration of educators of the year. Uh, so congratulations
to all of them. Again, GL's Highlander Robotics Team, FTC10785, made history at New Jersey First Tech Challenge State Championship on March 15th, uh, finishing third in the division in advancing to the National
Championship FTC Premiere. This marks the first time in school history that a GL robotics team will compete at the national level. The Highlander Robotics team is now preparing for FTC Premiere, which will take place on April 17th and 18th in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
We are very proud of the growth and success of this team. Um, this field trip is also in your addendum because they just found out, so we added it. Um, our next meeting is the 16th. though. As a reminder, due to the power outage on
March 17th and the unexpected closure of the Columbia Middle School, Columbia Middle School will have an early release day of school on March 30th. On Monday, March 30th, CMS will operate on an early dismissal schedule with no lunch served
and dismissal will take place at 12:45 p.m. Even though in Howard's report, we said the marking period ends tomorrow for the middle school, the last day of the marking period is Monday, March uh March 30th. So, they will be following
marking period 3, day two of their class schedule. So for those of you who know what that means. So all right and uh at this point we will transition to the report of the business administrator with the preliminary budget presentation
that Jen and I are going to co-chair. So good evening. Um, for those of you in the public who may not know who I am, I'm Kim Felchy, the superintendent of schools. This is Jen Nicholson, our school business administrator, and we're here tonight to present the preliminary
budget presentation. Um, this budget is a result of months of collaborative work and represents a combined effort for our district's continued excellence. So, you're going to have to can't hold and Yeah, there we go. So, our work is
always guided by our core mission to include, to inspire, and to empower. Um, this is not just a logo. It's a standard we use to measure the value of every dollar we spend. As we dive into the numbers tonight, I want to reiterate our
commitment to you, the board, as well as the community. In this budget, we committed to supporting student learning and academic excellence as well as supporting and retaining high quality staff. In addition,
>> In addition, we are committed to having safe and functional facilities and transparency and fiscal responsibility. So budget adoption and oversight uh where we are so our costs are outpacing
um our revenue growth. We have a 2% cap um that limits us right with the levy. Um we have a reduced one-time funding in our budgeted fund balance which we've discussed um as per the certified audit
and we have ongoing structural pressures things that are happening in the buildings things that we have to maintain constantly. So our approach in this challenge is developing it through like a collaborative process. the process that includes administrators, the process
that includes communication, it includes the the board committees and the board members. And what we're really focusing on are realistic assumptions, um key cost drivers, and we are building a
balanced budget that we can that's sustainable and that we can maintain. Once we've done that, the goal is to once we've adopted it, we will continuously monitor our spending, uh, revenues, expenditures,
and regular reviews to ensure alignment with approved budget and our priorities as a district. And then adjustments made as needed through our board processes that we've established. So here you have a breakdown of
expenditures, right? So we have a total budget of 63,396,297. And your breakdown in percentages, you have 58% salaries. Um health insurance, that's another big those are two major cost drivers. um we had to add in our
projected bond repayment uh because the referendum passed and we have our first payment next May 2027. And then you see our other costs, special services, transportation, maintenance, custodial, energy, uh other insuranceances
and athletics. And then you have your instructional other which consists of our professional costs, legal audit, uh supplies, textbooks, licenses, subscriptions, um office supplies, memberships,
professional development, utilities beyond energy such as water, sewage, trash, communications. Those are included in your other So major cost drivers. So across the state, I think we've all
heard that a lot of districts um and everybody uh are facing have been facing this health insurance increase 30 40%. When we originally quoted we were quoted at 17%. And we were like wow that's not
bad. Think about that. That's not bad. That's terrible. All right. When it fell down, when it went down and settled at 11%, which again I feel like we're really fortunate for when I listen to the stories of everything happening out there,
um it was somewhat of a relief, but it still presents a very large increase on one of our larger cost drivers. And then other insuranceances kind of fell into suit with that, right?
Although their amounts are not as high, they don't make that kind of gigantic impact that a health insurance increase can make, you're still looking at 10 to 15%. And then much like your own homes, which I hear everybody's, you know, I'm seeing, everybody that I talk to is
seeing, your energy costs are increasing. Well, our energy costs are increasing. Look at the size of our buildings. We're almost at a million dollars and that is for gas and electricity
annually. So, with those those those present challenges to the budget, major challenges. So let's look at our revenues in a historical manner, right? And we'll look
for it's a snapshot over the last three years. Every each year, year-over-year, we've taken 2% tax levy, right? State aid, uh, we had a, you know, a reduction 2425, but we did have a slight increase this
year that was relieving other income. Um, and if you look under the lines, we have our tax levy proposed for 2627. And then I'm taking I'm adding in the first increase due to the referendum passing.
And then you have other income broken out. So other income, tuition in rents, royalties, interest, uh our relationship with our Mountainside students, uh deaf and hearted hearing program,
those type those are other the 16 million 1.6 million that we're looking at is anticipated conservative estimate of interest we'll earn on the bond money during the first year to offset that. Now facing the challenge.
So like I said when we started this process we realized we had a $2 million gap. Our budget because of the use the budgeted fund balance in this year's budget
when you added the 2% tax levy in digest this was lower than last year. We had less money to work with last year. We have we're facing an increase in costs of health insurance, energy costs,
and other costs that are rising because rarely have I seen a contract that didn't increase less than 2% come across my desk, no matter how big or small it is. So, we had a couple of open-ended questions,
right? First of all, um, let me just take it back a step. The first thing that Dr. Feltree and I did was we sat down with the administrators and the supervisors and we had kind of like a jam session, but not necessarily one where you're really excited, but we
were working collaboratively to reduce that $2 million gap. What can we possibly do without to make up for this gap? and people sat and they thought and one
by one would come up and say you know I think we might be able to not do this this year or maybe we didn't need this right so they they volunteered that reduced that ended up reducing our gap to about 1.4 four million. Okay,
that collaborative effort, right? It was wonderful. Now, we're still waiting on what's going to happen with state aid. We have a new governor. Governor says, "Okay, well, we're not going to do our address till March." And March 10th, so we won't know our
state aid until the 12th. March 10th, we have a referendum vote. I felt like everything was happening in my life on March 10th at that point. So March 10th, the referendum passes. Thank you to the Township of Berkeley Heights
and the residents for supporting that. And March 10th, Mikey Cheryl gives her address. March 12th rolls around. We find out that our state aid increased about 284,000. During that week, our insurance broker
said, "It's not going to be 17%, it's going to be 11." I felt like it was the best holiday I'd ever celebrated that week because that was one piece of good news after another. That further helped to close our gap. So the the referendum passing allowed us
a little bit of flexibility to reduce those capital costs in our budget and put them out towards the referendum because those projects were covered in them. Things like security cameras, we can now take it. Security cameras you have to replace. They're not working.
They can now they were part of the referendum. They can now go out of our budget. They were going to have to be done no matter what. We did a healthcare review, made a couple of adjustments, further saved money there, and we're looking at how we're earning
interest on our operating accounts, the accounts that maybe we're not going to use for a few months to determine if we're getting the best banking rates on them, and optimizing the interest we could be earning for the district as a source of revenue to offset some of
these rising costs. And as Jenn has said multiple times, we are really grateful to the community for passing the referendum because that $50 million uh referendum that was approved on March 10th allowed us to help uh move
some things from our, you know, operating budget uh to be done there. And we are moving forward. The next step right now is um to sell the bonds in the middle of May. And there will be a financial input impact to the township
which you kind of alluded to but you've broken down here. So let's talk about tax impact. That's the question everybody's asking, right? What's going to happen? So our prior year levy was 47,698,129. We have an allowable increase of 2% per
year. That increase is $953,963 for the adjustment for the bond. This year we will take $489,69. Now what does that look like? So for the basic tax levy 2% and this is
based on the current ratables which are set to change according to the town the first week of April. So there might be a minor adjustment in this, but you're looking at $212 a year based on the 2% tax levy bond only impact $109. I know
everybody's saying, "Wait, we said 250." Well, this next year we will do we will make up for the remainder of the 250. Next year we'll be bringing it up. So that 250 that we talked about during the referendum process will be completely
done at that point. So total combined impact this year $321. Total increase if you take the 2% that's the allowable increase plus what we took for the bond increase the
referendum total increase 3.03. And again the township's expected to update the tax list on April in April 2026. I believe it's during the first week. I'll be following up with them. So, it's going to it's going to cause a slight variance, but this allows us to maintain our
allowable increase of 2% while also updating our facilities. Very positive. So they're in a survival year, right, where we find that we have some challenges that we had to come across to
get this budget balanced, right? So the budget with the with the bond payment increased it from last year 62.5 million to 63.3 million. This year was 1.1% 1.18% increase.
We achieved this despite those significant cost drivers and it's been a result of the extensive collaboration. I can't say it enough because it has been everybody working together. It has been administrators,
it's been supervisors, Dr. Beltry, myself, board members, but always with the focus remaining on protecting the students, supporting the staff, and minimizing the taxpayer impact.
It's been a strong fiscal discipline in a very high pressure environment. So, survive is intentional. this this this year we are surviving but we are surviving in a way that we're not just treading water but we still want to invest in our students and maintain our
curriculum. So some key investments that we're investing in uh in our curriculum includes K to5 literacy materials and an updated middle school French instructional materials. We are also fortunate enough through um uh
generosity of the BHEF in order to expand student opportun opportunities such as the drone program at the CMS. Moving forward this year at in our survival mo mode, we are continuing to emphasize and support the use of data
informed instructional tools to promote responsive student centered instruction as well as provide staff in leadership targeted professional development to enhance teaching, leadership and learning. The this builds on the work from this year and we are committed to
creating a budget that continues to support and sustain these efforts to ensure highquality curriculum in order to promote academic excellence. For years, our staff has worked miracles to keep aging systems running. Seriously. But
we've reached a point where systems aren't just aging, they're failing. This leads to an unpredictable uh this leads to unpredictable instruction and costly emergency repairs. I walked into this exact situation last January um with
water cascading from right behind me, you know, in the GL cafeteria uh due to a burst healing uh coil on the rooftop. uh also the failing fire panel at CMS. Uh even before I started, I was
called because of uh exploding heating coils in uh the classroom that pretty much gutted the classroom and we had to repair. Significant, you know, crash course for me. Then the typical maintenance repairs, lighting in the
basement of this building, PA systems, boilers, security systems, uh toilets, etc. While we have aging facilities that require the referendum to aptly address our needs, we still continue to enact repairs as needed. I have to turn my
page, especially with regards to physical education and athletics. I want to remind the community that the following projects were completed recently. We had district-wide exhaust van upgrades. We had drainage improvements at Mountain
Park. We had prek toilet upgrades at Woodruff. We had roofing repairs and upgrades at both CMS and Woodruff. We had gym floor upgrades at CMS and GL. I believe that's all four of the gyms. And I think what we're the most proud of
because we walked into it, you know, as it was already in progress and it was a labor of love for Jen is the press box, you know, here at GL. So the we're we're in the surviving mode and doing all of these things within the operating budget, but the referendum allows us to
finally shift from reactive firefighting to and then yes, that's a nod um reactive firefighting to proactive investment. And I do have to say at this time that our custodial maintenance staff have been such a valuable resource to the
district in keeping our main our facilities going. Um like to mention that we have certain head custodians and custodial staff that will stop here on a weekend even though they're not being paid for it if they're concerned that their alarms might not be going off and it's very cold and they want to make
sure nothing's burst that you would find on a Monday that happened on a Saturday. So that kind of thing and that kind of dedication that they have to our facilities and to the district uh shouldn't go unnoticed. So in recognizing and revival of the
budget, you know, we have to look at revenues, we have to look at relationships, we have to look at what we're taking in and making sure that things are equitable, right? We're not looking to be a corporation where we're earning money hand over fist, but we also don't want to take losses.
And one of the areas that we've been exploring and Dr. Feltree and I started out with a conversation with the township was, you know, asking if there's anything that can be done with the pilot revenue. I know there's legislation that's going through the works and sometimes that takes quite a long time. Um, so we've been working and
having discussions with the township about the pilot revenue. Recently the negotiations committee has stepped in to uh assist with that effort and so we're hoping that we can find an equitable solution and that could be like another
source of revenue for us. Um just something maybe not maybe in cash but in services you know something. Um, and then we look at our other sources and things that are coming in. And those are all very important that we look at because at the end of the day, these are
our students who are benefiting from us entering in to fair and equitable contracts. So, who owns learning? We all do. And ownership drives outcomes. In planning beyond the budget, we are
reviving all stakeholders to position us for optimizing student learning. We want to move from surviving to reviving. And that's why we've been having ongoing conversations about uh strategies that we can enter into
that take us from year to year to long-term planning. So again, what does revive look like? Well, it looks like careful spending and oversight. It looks like
m maximizing revenues and opportunities, responsible planning for referendum projects. For a lot of people who might be expecting us to replace all the roofs and the parking lots this summer, it's not going
to happen. And the reason is is that the referendum just passed. There are certain aotments for going out to bid for these items. And that would put us maybe at June to be able to have those bids in place. Everybody's already scheduled the contractors.
And if you want somebody to come in over the summer when your schools are closed, you're going to get the absolute highest pricing possible. And we want to be responsible with the referendum dollars. So the projects that we can do over this summer, this first summer will be worked out responsibly.
And then we'll look to the fall to start scheduling some of those larger projects in years two and three. what the buildings and the grounds can sustain and we can get done with the minimal interruption uh for our students.
And then we're going to continue to address structural pressures on the budget, continue to look at the budget line and be very keen at what's going through our district. with the community engaging with us in the fall for the strategic plan. This is
also a critical component of our revive um strategy, if you will. So, just as a refresher, there's a three-pronged approach to the strategic plan with regards to the goals and objectives set forth by the community. Whole child development, academic excellence and
lifelong learning, and family and community engagement. So, as we're planning our revive stage for the next three to five years of planning the budget, we will be keeping this in mind in order to make sure that we're are we're fiscally responsible in
maintaining uh academic excellence while staying true to uh strategic planning. Revive again buildings and construction. So, we have The voterapproved referendum that shifted some capital costs out of
the operating budget reduced the pressure on the general fund. Our projects involve mechanicals such as HVAC, air quality upgrades, roof building envelope improvements, electrical infrastructure upgrades, classroom instructional space
enhancement, security upgrades. I'm pretty sure everybody's very well-versed in this right now. Uh and the outcome will be to address deferred maintenance, fewer emergency repairs that'll impact the budget and the those bad surprises,
safer modern learning environments environments and long-term financial stability on buildings that we can depend on being in good condition, working condition for our students.
Finally, we want to look towards thriving. So, we're in the survive mode. We want to revive and ultimately we want to thrive. Instead of working from year to year in alignment with the strategic plan, we aim to engage in a multi-year financial and operational planning. In
doing so, we'll better position ourselves to be able to um be in the financial and operational position to support the instructional resources and learning environments that are needed to promote our academic excellence that
we're trying to achieve. And we're also going to be doing that through structural sustainability. We're going to reduce reliance on one-time revenues such as the uh budgeted fund balance, which we don't really have anymore anyway, so we don't have a choice. Uh stabilizing budget through
responsible planning, maintaining long-term costs, maximizing revenue sources, evaluating programs, services for cost recovery, and exploring partnership and shar shared services with our surrounding towns. Cut down
cost So to summarize, this budget stabilizes our district today. It strengthens us for tomorrow and builds for our future and the future of our students. It's a responsible plan. It ensures
we're stronger tomorrow and built to last. So this is the key takeaways. We're we're adopting the survive, revive, thrive so that we can make sure we are responsible today, stronger tomorrow, and built to last, which I think I
echoed. So, and I would like to thank the administrators, the supervisors, the community, the board members, the board member committees who've been so actively involved in asking questions and having meetings with us. Um, I can
tell you that the the support is very much appreciated. the interest, the knowledge, um the communications that you take out of your committees to other people certainly have been helpful during this process and well appreciated. So, thank you.
>> The insights and the questions um were critical for uh helping guide and get us to a balanced budget. So, thank you. So, I wanted to thank um the administrative staff,
um BJ, Jen, Kim, the principles, everyone, um the finance chair, Miss Jolly, the finance committee, and the rest of the board members. Um you worked very hard
on this budget. I know that it was really ups and downs and a challenge and I want to um commend you on the efforts that you all made. I know it was difficult and I think it's remarkable that you were able to actually stay
within the 2% cap. Something you should be very proud of because most of the surrounding districts in this area were not able to do that. So, congratulations. Um do you want to say anything about that? >> No. Um I concur. So it was um a very uh
you know we had access we asked very detailed questions um and to the point about being able to stay within our 2% budget I think it's you know the effort was there also recognizing and being um you know cognizant of the fact that the
township was going to face um a tax impact because um due to the referendum. So recognizing and you know and that um we there were some tough decisions um made but I think that um it was a collaborative effort and just just as a
point of reference you know in other townships that recently published their budgets in and around our um area you know I I just made a note of a few and they might be slightly off because I was just reading from reports but um you know so Westfield with a 5.97% increase
over 4% of that was due to healthcare um uh through the healthcare waiverss that they took. Um Milliburn 5.65% again 3.65 of that due above the 2% cap due to health care. Um New Providence
5.02% 3% again due to healthcare. So the fact that we were able to contain our um you know 2% cap without you know going into the healthcare waiverss was a significant achievement. So, thank you.
>> Does anybody else want anything? >> All right. I just wanted to ask you a question. Um, on your slide where it's revenues, uh, historical look, I think it's like maybe slide six or seven. Um, it's just a question. I noticed that
under the other income from the 2425 to 2526, there was a reduction of about $4 million. um what did that come from? >> So that is a prior administration
um thing, but I can certainly get you that answer, but I'd have to do analytics between both budgets to see where that difference was. So follow up with me on it. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Does anybody else have any questions, >> Carrie? Yeah, I think I've asked this
question and so I I hear that our neighboring districts have passed at a higher percentage, but we are very much similar to New Providence except for the two key differences being they don't provide busing and they are I think one or two buildings short of us. Their
overall budget is 53 million even with a 5% tax levy. when you look at the total number of enrolled students, we are at pretty much the same. So is there something that we can do between now and April um so if you add the total cost of
transportation which you said would be around 2.5 to 3 million and maintaining a building we should even if we added it up to 5 million 53 plus 5 we should be in the $ 58 million range. I'm not asking you to cut three millions like
don't or five millions but I'm saying some of the uh you know health care expenses or whatever percentages that you have calculated for is there any possibility to firm them up between now and April
>> the health care percentages like are you asking if there's a chance that they could go down? No. No. And we really really push. So I know a lot of times that that you know people start in high and then they don't follow up maybe until after budget season to see where they land. We did not do that. >> Okay.
>> We we we were on top and and our we were very from the beginning we were very much with our broker uh with the expectation following up. Um she was very responsive. She actually met with the finance and facilities committee but we landed at 11%. It's not going to go
down more. So I think I think maybe for the final budget we always have a slide where we say this is what was projected and this is the actual over the last five years. We will have that slide >> if you'd like it. >> Yes. Thank you. >> So um my question is on healthcare
expenses we all so you're budgeting 11% but our actual spend is always in single digits right? >> No. >> No it's in double. >> No. >> Okay. Yeah. Um I think maybe historically that that's what it was where we got the initial rate and then
the final rate. And so this year the initial rate was 17 and then the final was 11. So whereas in the past that final was a single digit this year >> it might like I said I hate to say that 11% was a relief
>> compared to what I'm hearing happen to other districts. Got it. >> Any other questions? Okay, >> please. >> Okay, go ahead, Mr. Dylan. >> I'm seeing two different numbers, so I I think it'll be
beneficial to explain to the public the comment that we're staying within the 2% cap, but the clear call out that there's a 3.03 increase to the tax levy, right?
>> Correct. >> You want to just >> Yes. >> differentiate why there are two different numbers? Yes. Let me see which slide it is slide. So, let's look at that. We're unallowed
on an increase of 2%. Now, a lot of the other districts that are increasing over 2% are using their bank cap or health insurance waiver to increase their levies up over that 2% to compensate for the healthcare increases
and other increases that they're facing. So, when we went out for referendum, the thing was if you if both questions pass, it's going to net out a $250 increase per household. That's based on the average home. Uh, so
it's based on the average assessed home. It's the ratable base of 1.44 billion in town, right? Like that's the one that I mentioned. It's going to fluctuate slightly when they come out with their new numbers in that you're not seeing a
$250 increase the first year. You're seeing a $100 increase. And the reason for that is they were able this year to project to be able to earn enough interest on the money to offset that to kind of relieve a little spending. Now,
you're asking about where that difference comes because we're saying, "Oh, 2% we stayed in the allowable increase." We did. We also had planned for an increase due to the referendum. So that 1.03% that's the increase based on the money
that we're taking towards the bond. Does that make sense? >> Makes sense to me. I just Yeah. I think I would feel more comfortable with just being upfront and saying this budget is
a 3% increase over the >> right but in doing that when you're saying that it makes assumptions that it's your general operating budget driving the increase. So the way it's stated, we have a 2% increase for our
allowable levy, which is our general operating budget. The bond is a separate voter approved that's driving it up another 1.03%. So we don't necessarily want to combine
those two funds because it gives the wrong assumption, right? We also want to make sure that we're doing what we said we did with the referendum as well. So breaking those two number apart is a system also of checks and balances.
>> I just disagree. >> Both are right. I guess. Yeah. >> I just have a quick follow up on that. You said none of the projects are starting this year, right? We're bidding them out. So why will the 1.03% hit this year? >> I I did not say none of them were.
>> Okay. >> No, because No, you said none of the larger projects. So, our larger multi-million dollar projects, >> if we go out for them after passing in March, getting funded in May, then we have 30 days or a certain number of days
that we have to go out for bid. We're not going to hit where we can get them done over the summer. We'll get the worst pricing you could possibly imagine. So, we go out for them in the fall. We'll do our other projects that we can do in the interimm and have designed security cameras, other projects. Why? because we're going to be
funded a bond uh believe beginning of May. That's the estimate. We're going to have our bond funded. Our first payment is going to be due May 2027. >> Oh, we start paying in May even though we
>> Yeah. And it's interest only. >> Okay. >> With the timing, we don't get any state aid next year, but we'll get two infusions of state aid in fiscal year 28. Right? So our goal then is okay, we're not using these
funds. We're going to maximize how much interest we're earning on them. It's kind of a fun task to go to banks and say, "Hey, how what can you give me on 50 million, right? What can you give our district?" Um, so we can offset that expense and do the best job we can possibly do
with that money in there for our taxpayers. So the portion that we're estimating can will not be covered because our first estimated payment is coming in at 2,89,000. This is based on a bond of 4.15%. Okay? So that's what they're projecting
for us to get. We do a conservative estimate on interest, you can say we're going to get 1.6 million. So the difference there is that $489,69. And that's what's impacting that difference for the tax levy. That's the
bond portion of that. >> Miss Stanley. >> So, um I just want to say that the finance and facilities committee is actually going to meet with was it the bond uh >> yes >> group right to get more information at our next finance meeting. Um because I
think we we had a lot of questions on how this is going to impact our future um budgets, right? And how right how because if we're if we're doing less than the 250 this year, how is it going to affect next year? So we want to get a a good idea from the bond um people to
understand how it's going to impact next year's. But I think the key takeaway for me this year is that we're kind of saving uh the taxpayers money this year. um which is a nice thing. I just it's hard because I know you're going to feel it next year. Um right where this year
you're not going to feel it as much, but we're actually saving the taxpayers money be by using all that interest we'll get in the beginning because we have 50 million and we haven't spent it yet. Um so you're you're really getting a nice savings at that 109 this year instead of the 250. Um, but we do want
to we will have more hopefully information at the final budget presentation on exactly how this is going to impact you, not just this year, but next year as well, so everyone can be prepared for that. Um, I I know comparing us to other districts
is good in many ways because it helps you see where you are, right? But it is very hard to compare districts when they're not apples to apples, right? So we have a deaf and heart of hearing program that's about a million dollar program right so we it costs us money to
run but it also brings in close to a million dollars right so I think we have 10 kids this year they're paying money to come in right and it's about a million dollars so while our budget numbers sometimes are higher than other districts it's because we also are
running programs that are very different than other districts right and I think it's hard because when you just look at building to building you're like well their high school and our high school but that's not They're not apples to apples always. Um I differ than some of
my other board members where I I I am in favor of taking some health care and cap benefit this year because I worry about the future. Right? If we're cutting things this year and we continue to ask our principles to cut their budgets every year, I know that's
teachers and students who are getting right not getting the things that they need. And luckily we have PTO's and BHFs that usually make up a lot of that. Um, but it is hard, right? It is hard to say no to our teachers and our students because those are the ones that we want to support and it's all those little
things that keep get coming back year after year. Um, so I think this is a balanced budget and I think it's a good budget and I think everybody worked really really hard to get here and I think we are really lucky that our health insurance is where it
is. Um, but I do continue to worry about all these cuts that continue to be made year after year because they're going to keep catching up to us and they caught up this year, right? So, two years or three years ago, we had the fiscal cliff, right? We're hitting kind of a fiscal cliff this year and we're making those big cuts, but it's going to be
hard to bring them back, right? Because every year you only go up 2% and everything else is going up 11 and 20% and 30% and uh, right? Like I think we didn't put it in here, but what is it? The retirement is going up 15% as well,
right? The retirement fund, right? So all of that stuff, right, adds up every year when you can only take 2%, right? Where's the rest coming from? It's coming from everyone else. Everyone else's budgets, they're small budgets. So, um I know it's really when you look at the
budget, it's it's it's high. and we have a small district um where other districts have more households spread it over, but we're providing a pretty amazing education um for the amount of students we have. So, and I think when we did the survey last
year, I was looking at last year's budget presentation and you had done a survey and they said they want small class sizes, right? That's why they moved here, right? They moved to Berkeley Heights for those things and I think that this budget accomplishes that. So,
Any other comments, questions? Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Moving on to comments from the public on agenda items only. During this portion of the meeting,
district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on agenda action items only. The board requests that individuals state their name and town of residence or school of attendance for the record. Additionally, all inerson public commenters are asked
to sign in. All comments should be directed to the board president and depending upon the nature and complexity of the question. It may or may not be answered during the meeting by the administration. If so, the response would occur after this public portion of the meeting is concluded. Although the
board may not respond to all items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are
discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility nor will be liable for any comments made by members of the public. Please note that if any member
of the public becomes disruptive, the board president may terminate the participant statements. Discontinued dis I'm sorry, continued disruptions may result in removal from or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker's statement will be limited to three minutes in
duration. Um, and I just want to let people know, I don't know how many people are on, but um, I just want people to know that all questions will be recorded and may be able to be answer may hopefully be answered tonight. Um, we may need to reach out to you directly with the answer in the near future if we
don't have it. Um, I will take in-person comments first and then online second. Doesn't look like anybody's here. So, can we move on to online? Are there any online folks?
Uh, can you hear me? >> Yes, please go ahead. >> Hi. >> Hi. How are you doing? John McGuz, uh, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. So, um, this like sort of small delayering of the budget over several meetings um,
doesn't feel really helpful. I sent the board an email and there's a few things I kind of want to talk about. Like, we're talking in small numbers. It almost feels like we're hedge funding it and there are simple solutions within our budget to sort of address costs. Number one,
comparing schools on per pupil costs is valid. And I I agree with, you know, Pam that it's not like a complete apples to apples, but it's close enough that we we can get good information on where we're going south. And you know some of the things that are
striking to me like we've the administration and the board hasn't answered a single question as to where we are price per pupil why we're deviating so far in some areas and then what ends up happening is I'll finish
the comment and then there's no back and forth and then there's like a statement made. So the fiscal cliff that occurred two years ago was manufactured. there really wasn't a fiscal cliff and that became evident as it was sort of peeled back. Um, let's talk about the things
that I'd like to hear about that might be useful. We spent $400,000 in security last year. Why? Where did that go? What why are we spending more per pupil on security in one of the safest community? Where's the
evidence, Dr. Feltry? Like, could you give me the empirical research? How does that sec how does that connect to student outcomes? Right? How much of it is the budget we're second right? How much of it is
connected to security theater? Like I've asked time and time again for outcomes and evidence to support that level of spending. So I definitely get heart of hearing completely support that. That's where our money should be going. second out of
seven on administration. First out of seventh on athletics, first out of seventh on general administration, second out of seven on administrative IT, second out of seven on legal services. I've asked the finance committee, one of
the finance committee members of the budget, they passed me on to the superintendent and the business administrator didn't hear back. What's the state secret? Right? like these conversations that you're having aren't meaningful. There isn't a crisis here. There are
some clear decisions that could be made. And not only can we make cuts, we can make cuts and redirect that money to to places that are better used like remedial, like tutoring, like things that actually help students. And it's a wall of silence for about six
months. Give me the evidence to support $400,000 in security spending, please. I've asked for it for two years. And don't wait until I'm off mic. I'd like to hear it.
>> Are you done with your comment? >> Well, I'm waiting to hear a response. >> You We have to close the comments out first. >> Why? >> Because that's how it works. >> Are you done with your comment or do you have any >> I'd like to hear a response or do you you guys want to have the last word? Put
out something that isn't true and then I have to deal with it tomorrow. That's it. Have a good night. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, we can certainly get back to you in the future with your respon with your answer. Let's move on to minutes.
Resolution one. All board members. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Miss Bradford's first. >> I'll second. Miss Jolly. A second discussion. >> I thought the exact session minutes were well done. I don't know.
>> No other discussion. >> Agree. >> Ready. Madam Secretary, please do roll call. >> Miss Bradford? >> Yes. >> Miss Stanley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Morales? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jolly? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dylan? >> Abstain.
>> Miss Sakiri? Yes, >> Dr. Forger. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Terrarero. >> Yes, >> finance. Resolutions 1 through five, all board members, resolution six, uh, Berkeley Heights only. Do I have a motion? >> So, move.
>> Miss Stanley first. >> Second. >> Miss Bradford second. Um, let's move on to committee reports. Finance and Facilities Committee. >> Sure. So, the finance and facilities committee met on the I believe we met
twice um on the 20th and the 24th um leading up to this um preliminary budget presentation. So, obviously the main topic um was the review of all the expenses, the revenues um the budget cuts for balancing items and the tax
levy. Um as uh was mentioned in the presentation, our tax levy in the context of the operating budget was 2% and an additional approximately 1% for the um to for the bond interest payment for a total of 3.03% tax levy. Um and as
uh Miss Nicholson explained the interest uh only payment of almost of approximately 2.1 million would be offset by um 1.6 6 million of interest income earned on the 50 million that we will get from the bond sale. Um
sorry, we also discussed um briefly the letter on behalf of the negotiations committee to the town council regarding uh some temporary alternatives for consideration to help the district uh manage costs. Um and we also touched upon um the the baseball fundraiser and
um and discussed that the athletic director CJ will connect with the booster club to understand um the items that are being uh sought. Um so in uhformational items um so as uh Pamela mentioned um we will be getting some uh
additional information regarding the um the referendum. Um so but just to start off first of all our um general from a banking perspective our general fund accounts are being moved to Carney which was um the the organization the bank
approved um the last meetings we are getting putting in CD for 4%. um at uh financial resources and that has been funded um in process. Currently based on the projected um draw down schedule for bond funding and related
projects um we've been in discussions with banking institutions to determine the highest rate of return available on these funds. So, um, with respect to the referendum, so on March 30th, um, we will be meeting with Went and Phoenix adviserss and
they'll be presenting to us a bond resolution to review. Um, 30 pages long, so we, um, need to have a fairly quick turnaround on this. Um, April 10th, um, Phoenix Advisors and Wens will present at the facilities and finance committee
meeting. So, that's the time where we will, um, as the finance committee will be asking questions. with on those 30 that 30-page resolution. Um there is that's April 10th. April 16th is the board meeting uh where we would appro where we would
approve this um resolution. April 17th there's a ratings call um then April 30th is the tenative bond sale. Miday is the bond funding into established account. Um with respect to financial reports, um
our February financial reports will be um on the agenda for April 16th and the March final reports will be in the April 30th agenda. Um so that's uh my update. Any question?
I have a I think I have one or two questions. One is you said the negotiations committee sent a letter to the township. I thought when when we form negotiations and when we decide I think we have to formally the board has to agree that we
are like you know we're forming a separate negotiations committee or an outreach to the township because as of now I think on the calendar for negotiations are only two negotiations one is the head custodians and the other is the teachers so did we formally
decide that we are going into cont because there is no contract there is no shared services there's nothing that's being discussed So how did we decide that we can make an outreach? >> So what I would say to that is that yes, this is an initial conversation. There
are no specific contracts that we are looking at and um you know so this is just to propose to the township some alternatives um to pilot revenue. um just again start of a conversation there's nothing that we are negotiations
we just want to understand um I guess what the township might feel about the proposals and to kind of clarify so when we did the committee structure we created two ad hoc committees one was for the mountainside send and receive and the other was for the c the head
custodians contract and the actual negotiations committee which happens to be handling the negotiations with the ba um the actual negotiations committee are the same folks that are working on that. >> So my question is so tomorrow there
could be something else that's coming up and then the negotiations committee can decide hey this is something that we want to start negotiating and we'll make the outreach. >> Well there's no negotiating that's going on. So let's just make sure that that's clear. Um it was something that we kind of threw out as a as a a discussion
point for them. So there's no negotiating that's going on. >> Yeah I hear you. Like my only request is going forward if there is because it does seem like when the letter goes out from a negotiations committee or any committee under the board does feel like
the entire board was informed or like is on the same page on this like I wasn't I was informed after the letter was signed and sent out. So that's where my concern is like going forward if there is any outreach happening I would respectfully
request that the entire board is informed ahead of sending those letters. >> Any other questions? >> Okay, let's move on to the athletics and co-curricular. >> Sure. So we had a meeting on uh March
23rd. Um the primary topics uh were from a constructions and facilities perspective. We got a an update on um the press box, where it stood, when we thought it would be fully operational,
um ongoing kind of remaining items that needed to happen before it was open. uh and the um anticipated branding and wrapping that will be happening on it uh soon. We also discussed um some repairs that were done
to the blue gym uh here at GL uh the floor specifically. Um upcoming work uh that is anticipated in the wrestling room. Uh and then also um something to just have the entire board
think about um the expiring use of our turf field. Um it will be coming to its end of life uh in the 2728 time frame. Right? So as a future
uh priorities and facilitations perspective, right? That was something that will need to be addressed in the future. we aligned as a group um on how we would be receiving any feedback when it comes
to coaching evaluation. So, we're now through a fall season and a winter season, right? And we just wanted to make sure that we knew uh how the coaches were being evaluated um and how that would be shared back um all the
great work that that coaches are doing. Um and we discussed of course the kind of what was you know in the student reports right that all the spring sports were
kicking off um couple of line items that just you know what we expected um the various teams that would be participating um potentially how do we um maybe put the calendar together better sort of when we I know that there are
big events here like for example we host the Union County or the conference track championships which would be every uh school in the county here at the same time. How do we potentially minimize jazz uh events or board of event
meetings all happening at the same time? Right? So just trying to get smarter at our calendar uh which um on a positive note that that's all going very well and a lot of the interruptions that happened last year are not happening this year. Uh so it was very much a uh a positive
feedback uh to all the administration that are involved in that. Um and then the last thing was just um to highlight for the public uh this year again there'll be another Highlander golf golf outing uh that'll be occurring on June 19th. Uh forsomes and individual golfers
are on sale now. So if you go to the social media site, I know I've seen it on RGL. Um if anybody's interested in participating in that golf outing uh to raise funds uh for the athletics um you can go there and
find out more information. >> That's it on my end. >> Okay. Any questions? >> Yeah, sure. Um when there there was a proposal from uh recreation commission in Berkeley Heights to
uh put a turf field down at lower Columbia and they eventually gave up on that because it was not a suitable site. But the environmental commission for Berkeley Heights uh did a study on these turf fields and found they're not very good for the environment and they came
out opposed to the turf field. Um and they had some they have a report and I think they also obtained reports from other other sources. Uh these things are really not so great for the environment. So I don't think we should be um just
I don't think we should assume that the next field there would be a turf field. It might be better to just go back to natural grass. Uh but we should consult with the environmental commission in Berkeley Heights. I think they have a they have the reports.
Um Okay. >> Yeah. So, I'll I'll take it. So, I don't disagree with you. Um I didn't mean to in I didn't mean to say that we were definitely going to replace >> No, I know about the existing, but all all options should be >> I didn't realize it was coming up so
soon. >> Yeah. No, all options should be on the table, right? In terms of what will happen to that space when >> that turf comes to the end of life, which will be 28. Yeah. How long has it been in there? >> 10. It'll be >> 10 years now. That's about the life. Yep. Yeah. So, you're talking about a
million dollar expenditure every 10 years >> possibly, right? And and I think, you know, we we just started to brainstorm a little bit, right? But then >> while you have that turf up, what else potentially may need to be done underneath? For example, if we ever
wanted to prep it for electricity, for lights, or anything else that we kind of >> thinking over the last 10 years, what would we have done if we kind of had the foresight, right? So, >> yeah. Well, >> I you know, I think your million dollars is a is a good estimate start. Yeah. Be honest with you,
>> maybe low. Uh as far I don't I don't like to mention this but you know the uh there are pipes already in place for the electrical wiring that was put in when they did the field the first time.
Remember there was a big re when we took over the uh high school 90 about 97 there was work being done to rebuild that entire field. It was a real mess, but at that time they they put in the uh underground pipes to run the electrical.
>> We'll make sure. Right. >> Good to know. >> Yeah, we when we're in the planning process, we'll definitely >> No, it should it should be there. >> Yeah, >> I remember. >> Wonderful. >> I remember it. >> Um Okay. >> One other thing I think on the turf, like even the state's green acres
program is no longer funding for replacing with turfs. I think for the lower Colombia, it was originally mentioned that we need to get into this agreement and then give this land to the township because only a township can apply for green acres. But there is new
legislation and green acres program itself is no longer recommending or funding for artificial turf. They will only do natural grass. And I think they quoted injury rates or you know environmental impact. I think those were the main
concerns. >> I don't know if that turf field over there is actually falls under green acres though. >> No, not I'm just saying overall the dynam I think in the state there were a lot of um turf field projects that were
going to be funded by green acres but they're no longer doing it. So if we are planning to replace maybe that's another data point to look at. >> Any other questions? >> Can I ask about the wrestling room? Sure. >> What's what what are we doing? What's
the progress? Because I know it needs some work. >> Um the PO's been issued for the work. >> Yeah. So, I think that there was a a request that had aged a bit um
specifically around there's an office in there um and how to make it more usable, right? So, not necessarily the work I mentioned wasn't necessarily making a bigger wrestling room, right, or changing the footprint, but there is an office in there that uh needed some
floor work done and they were waiting for the approval to start that work. >> Yeah. So, last I heard, right, it was the flooring that needs to >> This specifically was the flooring that they're addressing. >> Is it the flooring for the whole space or just for this office? >> Not for the whole space.
>> Okay. So on wrestling I want to ask like there was like a big uh amount that was collected through the I don't know the booster club and I think the specifically said in that you
know pitch or where they made students send those texts with their pictures saying so they were going to build a new facility or a wrestling facility and that is when I questioned um where and how and doesn't so basically If we are
planning about replacing the the floor that is being funded by the board of ed correct it's not the booster club or whatever money that they have collected >> right and actually the office that they're replacing it >> it used to be a closet so it's a very small piece it just it has to be
replaced >> okay but these are >> I think you're talking about like the mats and stuff is that what you were talking about >> no they they're I can forward you what was sent the I got couple of my friends kids who like you know asking me to donate it specifically says the funds
are being collected for a new wrestling facility at GL. So the question is if we are replacing the floor what's happening to the funds that were collected I think um so the there's as as Mr. Dylan had said there's two different spaces.
There's the office >> and then there's the actual wrestling room. >> And what I would say is it's most likely what they were fundraising for was the physical wrestling room, not the office is is what I'm guessing. The physical
wrestling facility where kids will wrestle. But that's also the floor that we are talking about replacing. No. Okay. >> Okay. Is that right? Correct. Okay. Um any other questions about um for that report? Okay. Um and then we have one
more. The technology and communications. >> Ah thank you. Uh technology and communications met Monday, March 23rd. Uh we had full attendance. We talked about gaggle
and we talked about a replacement. I'll just read them some of the minutes here. The district currently utilizes securely aware. It's a free version as its automated student online activity monitoring tool. This service is separate from the district's web filter
and is used to identify potential safety concerns in student digital behavior. Securely has announced that the aware free version will be discontinued on June 30th, 2026, requiring the district to select a replacement solution.
Securely aware, that's what we have now, provides automated monitoring of student web searches, student email, staff email for student related concerns, and writing and typed content across Google Google Workspace. The system flags
content related to self harm or su or suicidal ideiation, grief and emotional distress, bullying or harassment, violence, weapons, and gunrelated terms. Alerts are sent in
email to designated staff members who are then responsible for reviewing and investigating each flagged event. The system also assigns a quote likelihood score unquote to help prioriti prioritize concerns. While securely
aware has provided baseline monitoring, the system has several significant limitations that impact its overall effectiveness. The volume of false positives, creates substantial noise, and increases staff workload. Alerts are delivered only through email, making
timely responses dependent on staff availability and attention. Students also frequently attempt to bypass or disable monitoring features, reducing reliability. I guess if I were a student, I'd try to
do the same thing. In addition, securely aware offers limited escalation pathways and provides no after hours coverage, leaving critical gaps in its in student safety monitoring. Finally, the system lacks
any human review component, meaning all alerts, accurate or not, must be interpreted and triaged by district staff. With the discontinuation of the free version on June 30th, district must transition to a more a new monitoring solution. The proposed replacement
product is uh Gaggle safety management. Gaggle offers a more comprehensive and proactive student safety monitoring system that is designed to reduce staff burden, improve response times, and provide continuous coverage.
Agle monitors student email, Google Workspace, web searches, AI based conversations and chat tools. All flag content is reviewed by trained human safety specialists all located within the United States.
Um, I did a little research on this company. Uh, these people can work from home and they get about $10 an hour. Uh, Gaggle provides a multi-layered escalation process. 247 human review of all alerts.
Phone call escalation for urgent or high-risisk situations. During school hours, calls are made to the district's designated point person. After hours, Gaggle uses Power School contact information to notify the students parent or guardian.
The district receives follow-up notifications for all escalated events. This model ensures that critical concerns are addressed promptly even outside the school day. Additional benefits, students are generally unaware that gaggle is running and reducing
attempts to circumvent monitoring. I guess that means the students are not paying attention to what the board is doing. Human review significantly reduces false positives, provides a more
reliable safety net for self harm, violence, and crisis related content. Reduces the burden on staff while currently who currently must sift through automated alerts. Now, to implement Google districtwide,
it would cost the district a one-time setup cost of 3,000. The annual subscription cost is 17,500. This cost reflects a shift from a free automated system to a fullervice human reviewed safety monitoring solution with
247 coverage and active phone-based escalation. Uh with security aware being discontinued and the limitations of the current free version already impacting effectiveness, the district must adopt a new monitoring solution by July 1.
Gaggle provides a significantly more robust and proactive safety framework including human review, continuous monitoring and direct installation procedures. While the cost is higher than the current free tool, the enhanced safety coverage, reduced staff burden, and improved response
capabilities represent a substantial increase in student protection and district liability mitigation. The district will still be using securely for the filtering portion. Gaggle doesn't have a web filter. We'll also continue using the securely
classroom management tool. This tool allows teachers to have their own black blacklist block list are stu i.e. students during their math homework in a different class. It also helps teachers monitor what websites the students are
utilizing during a lesson. The teacher can also push a website to all the student Chromebook devices to immediately pop up. Uh we currently pay securely the following. Securely filter $9,033.50
securely classroom 8,673. Um in other words, both products provide a service that allows spying on the communications and web searches of our students and faculty. There you go. >> Go ahead.
>> So, just to be clear, like this is software that would be on the Chromebooks and only monitoring like the school email addresses or it goes beyond that. >> It's not a software on the Chromebooks if I'm not mistaken. I think it's like something else that's I'm not really
quite sure. >> It is actually installed and it runs in the background on all your searches. So at work we have something similar. It is a you have to install it. That is why there is the 3k district-wide installation fee. It will also I don't know if the technology committee has
looked into it. When you install something like this especially a paid version it does impact the the Chromebooks um you know it becomes slow or draggy. And one of the red flags that I heard from Tom's report was they don't
do anything after hours. So be if I think they're only monitoring if the school is open from 8 to 3, they're only actually monitoring between 8 to 3 for any searches that are done by students. And I think it also said staff email, staff email which is related to
students. So it's not just actually looking at students Chromebooks, it's also looking at every any employee. If you have a district issued Chromebook or a laptop, it is going to be running on the background. So it is not just the te
teachers. I think it'll be on any district issued, but it's up to the you know Jeremy or whoever to decide which devices get it and which don't. But usually it is if it is districtwide, it's districtwide. Um my other concern was if it's not doing after hours but
the we have a Google package which is for a school district. So Google the suite that we get I won't before we go ahead and decide I don't know have you made a decision to buy this yet Dr. Feldry.
So let me just clarify one thing. Um it it doesn't mean that it's not monitoring 24 hours a day. The difference is the alert system. >> Yeah. So it monitors 24 hours a day, but what happens is during the school hours, you would get an immediate active
notification to the school appointed person. When it's after hours, what they're actually immediately monitoring are serious risks. Got like if a child is on a website and they're in a suicidal type of a situation,
>> um that kind of an emergency alert would go out to the parent in the immediate basis and the school would get an a notification the next day in some kind of a report or something that that's how it was described to us. So if the decision is made to buy it, I just want to say we
already pay for the Google suite which has these monitoring and parent like you know features. So most districts when they buy the Google suite because we have a Google suite that we have purchased right most of everything is on Google and um that comes with these
particular features which the securely is offering. You might want to look into that. >> Sorry. So some additional questions. So um the current um technology I guess it was said that there's a lot of false positives, right? So it creates a little
extra work. Um do we know like from has this been tested, piloted? Do we know what the false positive you know rates are here? Because I almost feel like like Raptor also had like a lot of false positives. Like how do we know how effective this is going to be with
respect to false positives? I asked about false positives. I don't think we got a number on on this miss. What is a false positive in this situation? You know, >> well, I guess like when it flags something as critical, but you know,
when you're actually reading or I I mean I I don't know. And the other the other question I had was um you said we have to get it. Is this something that the district is required to have? >> Okay. No, there's a I don't know if I maybe you should answer this, but keep
the word SIPA in mind. >> And I'm not talking about SIP club at Panera. SPIPA. All right. The Italian Sipper Club, but uh apparently there's a federal law and I
can't remember the details of what they want us to be doing, but but there's something uh We have to do something but I'm not sure exactly what. >> Any other questions?
Okay, moving on to roll call. >> Well, hold on. No, because I need to let everybody >> um discussion actual discussion on finance now. And I think um so we are >> um I think that we I'd like to make a
motion um >> in finance to table um check number 214073. >> I second that. >> Where is the table? >> It's in the bill's list. >> 21473.
>> Does anyone have any questions discussion? What's the number again? >> 21473. >> Under resolution one. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Roll call. Madam Secretary. Miss Bradford. >> Yes. >> Miss Stanley.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Morales. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jolly. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dylan. >> This is the table of the check. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kiri. Yes, >> Dr. Forger. >> Yes, >> Mr. Terrarero.
>> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> I have one uh item to discuss. It's a check number 214077 and I did send it to Jen. I got some Thank you, Jen, for sending the supporting information. Um I'm not
trying to table it or anything, but I just want us to be cognizant. It's the It's 214077. It's a check on the bill list for $4,318.14. So, it says professional services and architect/engineer
services. And my specific questions were on the hourly rate that is being charged, the hourly rate, the $135 uh for client meetings or meeting/communication. And um I think it was almost like 2,000.
So, there were three-hour meetings and then there was one hour meeting and then there was some email communication. So, I believe it's in the contract that they can charge us $135 an hour uh for any any form of communication. It could be a phone call, it could be an email, it
could be, you know, coming here or maybe a WebEx meeting. So my concern here is given that we've just approved the referendum, it's a the scope of the projects are is huge and it's multi-year.
So is there any possibility that we can like what I really don't understand and I think one of the answers was who determines the need for a meeting. So it could be determined by the professional services the architect or it could be
determined by an engineer or it could be determined by anybody that hey I need a meeting. So every time they get on the clock um I know consulting services are high but we are not a fortune 500 company where we are paying three triple digit like I'm sorry to say this like
when I worked in New York I think this is these are some of the hourly rates. So cognizant of the fact that we are a public entity, we are a public, it's a school and we're going into this big multi-year projects, is there any
possibility to revisit or negotiate some sort of ground rules on meetings will be initiated based on the need. Maybe they going through the business office. Jenna and Vijay, I'm looking at you. So, I'm
gonna I'm going to get a copy of that contract and let you read it before we go that far because I don't I think there's a very defined scope >> of what constitutes a charge. So, I think that needs to be clarified to you further. I just wasn't able to get all that information to you at 3 p.m.
>> Yeah. So, I'm okay with it's a $4,000 amount, but before the next meeting or if the finance committee can take it as an agenda item to clarify and come up with some sort of, you know, one single point of contact like how we have for legal services or something. I think everything goes through Jen and through
Dr. Feltry or Dr. Mah for these projects. Is it going to go through because we have multiple buildings and these projects are spread all over. So, how are we going to come up with it? That's food for thought, but >> construction projects are typically
managed by the business office. >> Awesome. >> Yeah. >> So, it'll be UNBJ. >> Yeah. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> And I know just to add to what Merry said, um I don't know if maybe because the referendum projects are much larger if maybe we can have one like flat
negotiated rate per for a particular project or >> Right. That was kind of what you were. I was thinking like come up with let's say for the for all roofing projects we are going to need 100 hours or 200 hours of meetings and bring that triple digit
$135 to like maybe $50 like I'm I don't know but something in double digits and have like a not to exceed number that because over 50 million and all these projects I don't want to see after 3 years that if I went to if I went and
asked you like how much did we spend on meeting/communication at $135. I don't want it to be like half a million dollars. And then there is also $175 per hour for um I think designing
or redesigning um a GL logo with a mountain or I think it's a 3D graphic image. So my my question to Debbie was >> No, no, no. I you you what you're saying makes sense because you know we want to spend our money on the actual projects.
Yeah. Right. So, but we're not there yet. Right now, we're doing the bonding, right? And finance and facilities will discuss the referendum and the projects and how those projects are going to be once we have a proposed schedule. And
those are conversations that, you know, you can bring to your finance and facilities chair to kind of communicate through that way. and and I'm sure that you could probably come up with more concerns too like in the interim. So those will be things like addressed at
that step which we'll get through the bonding process and the 30page uh resolution you all are going to have to study starting next week and then go there >> where I'm coming from Jennis like the last time I don't think it was not that long ago where the inspire empower uh
logo was changed it it is I think maybe seven or eight years ago that we changed the logo. So when I saw like a $1,700 thing to regraft and logo in GL and I was like what's wrong with the current logo and we I've never heard about it. So these are the kind of things that I
think we need to be cognizant of. Thank you. >> Great. Great point. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay, let's move on to roll call, please. >> I have a comment, please. >> Sorry. Go ahead. >> Yeah. So, uh, before we vote on the budget, uh, number five, I will be
voting no. And I just wanted to give my explanation as to why. Um, looking at this, uh, the budget for next year of 63,396,297 just doesn't do enough to address the ongoing rising costs at Governor
Livingston. I sit here as a mountainside representative. Uh I have the luxury of isolating a school building verse building and the trend has just been the facts will show it. The costs there are rising significantly above the overall
cost of the district. So more costs are rising quicker at GL than they are in any other building here and quicker than they are at the entire district. Right. I I I appreciate the time that's been spent with me to go through it. I see progress is being made. I just don't think we're
there yet. And therefore, for that reason, right, I think the amount that we're asking for is too much because it's enabling more spending at Governor Livingston without really getting to the core as to why are these costs going up at such a high rate.
I concur with Bill that if you look at the enrollment at GL I think the latest one was 835 and we moved into this town about 13 14 years ago we were above thousand we were like thousand students or 1200 students
so my concern is the same and I've raised this multiple times to Jen Dr. of Elry with a declining enrollment. Do we need the kind of administrative like you know cost per pupil at the high school? That was the only thing. Thank you.
>> Any other comments or questions? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Yes. >> Miss Bradford? >> Yes to all. >> Mrs. Stanley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Morales? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jolly. >> Yes. Mr. Dylan.
>> Yes. On one through four, no to five. >> Mrs. Aerry. Yes. On one through four, no to five. Dr. Forger. >> Uh, yes on one and three. No. On two and four.
And uh yes on five. >> Mrs. Terrero. Yes to all. I'd just like to add one thing. Um, for Dr. Borger and Mr. Kerry, they did not vote on 10 through 12, >> I think. I think. All right. So, let's
let's No, no, that's okay. We'll clarify. Mr. Carrie, you're yes on all uh with the exception of number five is an A. Correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Doc six. Sorry, there's resolution six also. >> Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I I'm sorry, I
missed it. Six. Yes, on six. Yes on six. So Dr. Forger, just to repeat, you're yes on all with the exception of two and four. Is that correct? >> That's correct. >> All right. So motions pass. >> Merry needs to vote on number six also. >> I'm a yes on that. I didn't see that. I
thought you clarified she was she clarified she was yes on all except for five. >> I jumped to personnel before, by the way. Sorry. >> Sorry about that. >> Um Okay, so now we're on personnel. Uh for resolutions 1 through nine, all
board members, resolutions 10 through 12, Berkeley Heights only. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Miss Bradford's one. >> Seconded. >> Mr. uh Morales is number two. Committee report the personnel committee. >> Uh the personnel committee met on
Monday, March 23rd. Uh from 12:00 to 1:00. Board members were present and Dr. Feltry. Uh the agenda items were due to confidentiality in the minutes. It is uh um not detailed but confidential discussions on projected personnel
impacted by budget cuts was discussed. Confidential discussions on projected non-renewal positions in district. There was an update on the GL interimm assistant principal hired for April 3rd through June 18th uh 2026. That's on the agenda tonight. And there are continued
discussions on two assistant principal positions at Governor Livingston High School. The recommendations and the action were that Dr. Dr. Felty will compile job description of the duties and responsibilities of an assistant principal at Governor Livingston. Uh meeting was adjourned at 12:27. The next
meeting is on Monday, April 8th. >> Questions? Okay, let's move on to discussion on on anything else. >> Okay, roll call, please. >> Miss Bradford, >> yes. >> Miss Stanley,
>> yes. And I just sorry I didn't get a chance to sit up. Um I just wanted to thank Mrs. Olrich for her year here um at CMS. She is a great teacher. My daughter is devastated that she's not staying in the district. Um so I thank
you for all your time here. >> Mr. Morales. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jolly. >> Yes. Mr. Dylan. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Akiri. >> Yes. >> Dr. Forger. >> Yes to all. >> Mrs. Terrero. >> Yes. Motions passed. Education
resolutions one and two. All board members. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. Yes. Miss Bradford one and Miss Jolly who? Oh, >> I'm sorry. Merry second. Bradford. >> Uh committee report on curriculum.
>> Uh we did not meet. The last one was the one about dissections. Nobody took my offer on free frogs and water. >> You don't have any earthworms or anything? >> No. Next one. I'll give you the fun like Z came up with like two buckets of
earthworms um discussion. Yeah. My only comment on the calendar like I feel we we talk about being equitable and everything. There's a lot of grief from middle school parents and middle school
students. A lot of um I just hope I know this was a calendar that was approved by the parents before Dr. Felry. Food for thought going forward if we are going to do snow give back like you know if we h if we arrive in a situation like this it
does feel a lot of parents have already made plans maybe the staff has already made plans and now by us putting a half a day just for middle school and if you just sent a survey to the middle school students or you know anybody at the half
a day usually an early dismissal day they're either watching someformational documentary tree or a fun whatever. I feel like um it feels if parents have already made plans, it kind of feels by us opening only one school because of
their it it almost feels like uh some sort of a punishment for one school to be open while the rest of the schools are closed and I don't know you can look at the attendance I don't know how many students are going to show up and about the staff. So maybe it's a planning
thing for next year for our calendar. If we do have to give back, maybe not do the first day of the spring break or some other day. >> How else would you do it though? >> That is in BHA negotiations. So if you want to change which days get given back, that that was part of what's in
negotiations. So you have to change that. I didn't have a choice. I >> mean, they did get a free day that the rest of the district didn't get. So they do have to make it up. Your point's well taken, but I didn't have a choice. And until that changes, the board is you don't have a choice either.
>> Also, it's on the calendar when we approve it, which days are going to be taken back if we go over, >> right? But that's based on the BHA contract, >> right? It's based on the BHA contract, but then also um we maybe I want to say
a year a two years ago maybe, we took away a snow day, right? We went from four snow days to three snow days, right, in the calendar. No, no, I know. Yeah. So, um, so that's part of it, right? So, we need to decide if we want
to do go back to four, right? And if we do that, that's going to change how we do our calendars, right? And you're going to be in school longer or come before Labor Day, which nobody likes. So, um, my question though is there's there's some like thing out there that
we have to get a certain percentage of children to show up otherwise it doesn't count. Is that accurate? >> It's 60%. >> I'll go to you. >> Right. Um, I don't know. I would have to contact the county.
>> Okay. >> So, >> uh, just to remind heard that, but I'm not certain that that's >> I'm not certain either and I I haven't looked into it myself. But um a reminder to parents, if you are around, do you know the answer to that? >> I don't, but I could find out. I I think I've heard that as well. I think if
you're open, you'll get your 60%. But yeah, I I will find out. >> Yeah. But to parents, if your kids around, just send them in. >> I because I know some parents are like, well, they could just stay home. It's not a big deal. But it is a big deal. So, we do want to make sure that your your kid comes if they're available. Um
but obviously we know people also have made plans so we get it. >> Quick a quick quick AI search would say there is no minimum. Yeah, >> but that's not >> that's your I think it's that you're open for business for the for the day and whether people come or not is really
up to them. >> Yeah. I I don't know where this >> Yeah. >> coming from board members though. >> Yes. So, I want to just make sure it's accurate, but let's just Okay. Um, any other discussion? Madam Secretary, roll call, please. >> M. Bradford?
>> Yes. >> Mrs. Stanley? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Morales? Sorry. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jolly? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dylan? >> Yes. However, on item one, there's only one that's relevant to GL. So that's
that'll be the one I'm voting on. The other three I'll abstain from. >> So yes on one only. >> Yes on both. Yes on both. However, >> obtain from those three CMS. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. He can't vote on the CMS hips is
what he's saying. >> Okay. >> Yes to all and then you figure it out. How about that? >> There you go. >> Thanks, Mrs. Does it carry? >> Uh, I'm a yes to two and I abstain on one.
>> Dr. Forer, >> yes to one and two. >> Mrs. Turo, >> yes. Motions pass. Negotiations. Um, >> yes. The ad hoc committees for Mountainside, um, and for the head custodians did not meet. There are no
updates. >> Thank you for the negotiations committee. Um the negotiations committee continues to work on the contract for the BHEA. Um and hopefully we'll have
something soon for them. Um and then I will share because it was already brought up that uh the negotiations committee did send a letter to the township which we will share with you all later and in exact. >> Great. Um liaison reports.
>> Go ahead. Okay. Um, the Berkeley Heights Town Council met on Tuesday, March 16th, 2026. The community was informed of budget requests from the Department of Public Works, wastewater treatment, police, fire, and engineering. Updates were discussed on the recent state law
regarding ebikes. The Complete and Green Streets Committee and the Berkeley Heights Police Department are proposing an ebike ordinance specifically for Berkeley Heights. There's more information to follow from the town, but they were working to get it done before school ended. Um, also, Mayor Angie
Deanni informed the community that she will not be running for reelection this year. The special education parent advisory group met on Wednesday, March 18th in the Columbia media center. Um, the CPAG leaders gave an update on recent meeting information. The district
administration, Miss Rush and Mr. Moore, gave an update on district initiatives. The district website for that has been updated by Mrs. B. Del Beardino. Um, special education Thomas P. Hughes and meeting participants were able to view the newly organized website and it is
looking really good. Uh, parent shared questions administration. The website link is in the minutes that I'm going to submit. U want to thank the board for allowing me to attend the new uh New Jersey Schoolboard Association Women's Leadership Conference that last
Friday, March 20th at TCJ. Um the conference provided statewide information on generational differences and commonalities to improve communications within the school district staff and personnel. And I also included a link of a recap of that conference in the notes. That's all I
have. >> Thank you. Any other leazison reports? No, I just wanted to comment. Um, so at the town council where you know we were um there was um going to be um an exact session with the town council um to
discuss um the pilot um letter I guess or the you know the communication with um the board of ed but due to um two council members not being there and two that needed to abstain there was not enough quorum to go into exact session. So um that's been postponed.
Anything else? Moving on to comments from the public on any topic. During this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on any item. The board requests that individuals state their name and town of residents or school of
attendance for the record. Additionally, all in-person public commenters are asked to please sign in. All comments should be directed to the board president and depending upon the nature and complexity of the question, it may or may not be answered during the meeting by the administration. If so,
the response would occur after this public portion of the meeting has concluded. Although the board may not respond to all items raised during the public forum, all comments will be considered. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when
speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility nor will be liable for the comments made by members of the
public. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the board president may terminate the participant statement. Continued disruptions may result in removal from or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker statement will be limited to three minutes in duration. We
will take in person first and online comments second. I see no one in person. So I see we have somebody raising their hand for online. Tim, can you please promote them? >> Can you hear me?
>> Yes. >> Okay. Hi again. John McGuirez, Berkeley Heights. Uh the gaggle thing. uh kind of a surprise. I I don't like so what struck me and what so a couple things concern me. The first is like
this land on one conclusion while there's other products out there and I think it would be helpful for the public to hear what other options there are. I did a quick search uh managed method for example doesn't allow information does not leave the district. I'm worried
about student information. So I I I mean as I don't know if you could tell but I'm not really a fan of the surveillance state stuff but I I can understand it within a school district to some extent and
my kids information going to some dude sitting in his boxers in Alabama like is not you know something I'm feeling comfortable with. So you know managed method keeps the stuff in house. That's I don't know if that's ideal. I'd be willing to pay a little bit more. I
mean, you know, personally, a a a more expensive solution that respects student privacy and takes a more nuanced approach to civil liberties, uh, even if it's a bit more expensive, uh, would be um would be
something that I' I'd like to hear about. You know, I I don't like these things where I mean, it's a big decision and and you land on one choice without there being a discussion about what was reviewed and the pros and cons. This isn't a small vote. It's a it's a big deal. Um the second thing I'd like if I
I guess you could follow up with me on I'm not as annoyed with this as I am with the sec the budget. Um I you know I haven't heard about the strategic plan that's important to me because I I want to see what the plan is for improving
um proficiency. Uh you know the last strategic plan was not in my opinion good. Um, you know, we we put out the, you know, a lot of marketing for the referendum. You got your 50 million. We got this budget, you know, more money.
You know, I'd really love to see what the district is going to do on a very concrete level to sort of improve um outcomes and what goal, what specific objectives it's going to commit to. That's all. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. Go ahead, Tom. This is kind of an interesting question that occurred to me while he was talking. Uh, does students have fourth amendment rights? I mean, why are we allowed to just search their emails?
>> U, so they do, but you are you are they are you are standing in as their parent. We can talk about it offline, but um they don't have an expectation of privacy in their emails and you are in loco apparent the students while they're in the school. So, um, that's why if you're going to search a student's
locker, you don't have the the school, uh, you know, officer do it. That's a different situation, right? Versus a administrator, um, who was standing in as a parent. So, happy to talk about it offline. We can chitchat for sure. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yes, they're limited.
>> Um, and I think, uh, like it was a good point, right? Let's, uh, I, and I'm sure Jeremy did his analysis, we just may not have heard of it, um, to land on the product that he did. So, it would be good to just, you know, maybe bring that back and see what other um options were
discussed. But I also like and I'm guessing because there's a law, but like I I would be very surprised if kids are using their school devices, you know, to search for things that are, you know, that would be, you know, scary. You never know. But um like
considering everybody has a phone that um you know I I'm just wondering like yes if we have to have it in place we'll have it in place you know and it's certainly another I guess layer of protection but um you know I'm just wondering how effective it really is. Well, I think it's also important to
note that starting in September, their phones are going to be taken away from Belltobell. So, we might see an uptick of their Chromebook usage because they're not going to have their phones to be able to look at or check anything. Um, I think you also have to think about
the age level, right? Because, um, our elementary school kids do not have that smarts yet and they are using their Chromebooks. But then you have our middle school students who some of them do and some of them don't. But you know the the principal had to have a conversation with the the middle
schoolers not so long ago just reminding them that they can see these huge message chains that they have on their Google forms and that they really shouldn't be having these conversations on their Chromebooks
during their class time. Um so but I think the bigger thing here is a lot of this has to do with catching suicide right catching children who are struggling. Um and I think that is really the important part here is that
you know there are students who go through things that you will never know right if you look at them they look like they're put together they look like they're doing well and they are struggling um and I think that you have to remember that that's also there and I
I appreciate that New Jersey especially has made a big deal to try to help um these children and get them help before it becomes um a disaster. Um my my only thing with the Gaggle program is
so our teachers kind of use some of the tools in Google Classroom to kind of like check um the work and whether it's like AI generated and whatnot, but I've run into a couple situations where it's like they're like, "Oh, I think you plagiarized, but it's just like copy and
paste, right?" And it's just their own work being copied and pasted. And so I'm just wondering like is this does Gaggle also include this kind of monitoring or all of that's done through the Google the Google um okay so yeah I think you
know maybe even in policy we need to look at how you know or curriculum if they can look through that how that's being used right at at the different age levels um before we just say plagiarism you know and how do we actually find out
is it plagiarism or is it just a copy and paste situation. So that's a that's a really great point and that's one of the um tenants of professional development we're working on providing for the teachers because it is new for everyone and so finding a middle ground and understanding um what
is AI generated what is copied and pasted and then how to go through that GL's been working on an implementation guide we're working on constructing a district committee so we can really bring that work prek to 12 >> yeah because I think right like it's it's hard because you it's a great tool
but not if not if it's your own work, right? And I I think all students learn differently, right? And and I know I use my text to talk on my phone and then I email it to myself and then I copy and paste it into a Google doc, right? So I
want to make sure that we're not limiting our students but also making sure that, you know, we are following up on, you know, AI generated stuff, but if we can do it in a way that makes sense. So thank you. Any other discussion? Okay.
>> And what grade does a student receive a Chromebook? >> Sixth grade. >> No, second grade. >> Well, >> to take home is sixth grade. >> Well, let's say within the school, what do they >> they they use them in school? Well, they
can use them. Do we have Chromebook carts? I think K to 2. >> Um, yeah, carts. Carts. >> Yeah, I think I think we they have access K to 12. Yeah, >> but they don't use them every day. Um, they probably use them more 3 to five than they do K to2.
>> K to2 though is it iPads >> or did we move away? >> iPads are typically um I don't think it's >> No, we have devices in K to2. I know many years ago my daughter got her first Chromebook and she was very happy in second grade. She thought her teacher
was the best. And I actually showed up at my first board meeting to ask why like is there any way parents can say I do not want my child to get it because my daughter couldn't even sign her name >> and she was using Chromebook in the school more than 4 hours but she was
elated. So in second grade and above definite and I know we do give them devices in K2 but you can check >> but not to take home. >> Not to take home. Yeah >> right. But they use them, you know, YouTube searches, music, it's all over the place. >> Yeah.
>> Anything else? >> Okay. Adjourn to executive session. Where is the Berkeley Heights Board of Education seeks to adjourn to executive session in full compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act NJSA10 col4-6. And whereas the public meeting act
provides that the public body may exclude I'm sorry. Yes. The public body may exclude the public from that doesn't sound right. Is that right? Is that a typo? Okay. Sorry. From the portion of the meeting at which it discusses matters related to those identified
below. Matters rendering confidential by federal law, state law, or court rule, individual privacy, collective bargaining agreements, purchase or lease of real property if public interest could be adversely affected. Investment of public funds if public interest could
be adversely affected. in um tactics or techniques utilized in protecting public safety and property pending or anticipated litigation, attorney client privilege, personnel, employment matters affecting specific prospective or current employees. Be it resolved that
the Berkeley Heights Board of Education adjourns to executive session to discuss matters related to students, personnel, legal, and negotiation matters. And be it further resolved that the minutes of the discussion of any of these items will be disclosed to the public when matters have been determined and
confidentiality is no longer applicable. Can I get a motion to enter an executive session? >> So move second. >> Okay. So Miss Jolly and >> Mr. Dylan. >> All in favor.
>> Okay. We're going to enter an executive session at 9:41. ing from executive sess. There's no action afterwards. So, you're adjourning from executive session. >> No, no, no. But you're letting the public know we're not coming back out. >> Okay. So, we're not coming back. So,
okay. Hold on. >> You have to come back. No, you can't do anything against you. >> We can takes a resolution motion. You can't you must vote on it. That has to be done in public. So, can I do a motion for
adjournment? Is that what you're saying? >> At in executive session, you can. >> Okay. So, we can't do it here. >> You're telling the public that you're not going to do anything. So, you can go in there and meet and then close from there. >> Yes. So, just the way we planned. >> Okay. >> So, then I'm done.
>> We are not coming back after executive session. >> Taking any action. >> There's not taking any action.