MJ for your report. >> All right. So, hello everyone and thank you for joining us virtually and being so flexible despite our rather inclement weather. Today, I'll be updating the board of education and the public about updates and the community average high
school. First, I wanted to give some shout out to our student government. We have been um utilizing our student feedback to approach a lot of these suggestions. We would also like to thank the board of education for taking our comments and inputs about Lunar New
Year. I think we covered it a little last month in December about maybe reconsidering our district calendar and then giving students a platform to speak about their experiences with the holiday. And I also see that um Evelyn has also joined the meeting. So, a special shout out to our student
representatives, Rupert, Evelyn, and Claire, who really took the forefront of this initiative to make Lunar New Year. Um, and other than that, we also met with Mr. Facult, who leads the facilities department to bring a lot of student suggestions regarding having air
fresheners, fixing certain faucet batteries, and suggestions on mitigating vandalism in school bathrooms. And we also greatly thank Mr. Facult for his receptiveness. We also reached out to Mr. Warner and the Bernards Township Police Department to station our
crossing guards until 8:20 in the morning. Right now, a lot of students arrive after the 8:15 mark. So, making sure that crossing guards are staying there for longer will lead to a greater feeling of safety for parents and students. The schoolwide government has also been meeting with class
representatives to ensure that every grade, especially juniors and seniors, have raised an adequate amount of funding. We are also planning to meet with Mr. Thompson soon to discuss if there are any ways to bring back like some form of wellness days for students
and potential incentives for students who to participate more in school spirit activities. In addition, I'd also like to take this time to update the public and the board on activities that happened within Rich High School. We recently had four school
records in our rich track and field team in our 1600 school record, our 200, our 300, and our distance medley school record. Our girls fencing team also got second overall at the Sentellis tournament, which is the largest high school fencing competition in the world.
In addition, our Ridge High School hockey team is now taking a moment to honor Dave Hansen, who is a dedicated coach who unfortunately passed away. We're competing against West Morris Central in the Dave Hansen Memorial Hockey Game on January 30th. I hope a lot of the members of the public can
join us on that day. We are incredibly proud of our sports team for using their athleticism to also commemorate and honor coaches like Dave Hansen who make our sports possible. In addition, our Rich High School has continued to fund, support, and showcase
the arts, especially through our recent winter dance showcase last Friday at the performing arts center. The theme of these dances revolved around Disney's villains and heroes. As a student representative for Rich High School, I also want to have a special shout out to
our celebration and commemoration of New Jersey Muslim Heritage Month. Last week, Ridge High School students took a moment to celebrate our cultural diversity and recognize the contribution contributions of the Muslim community. Thank you to all the families who brought in potato,
samosas, desserts, and other appetizers for this Muslim heritage celebration. In terms of academic achievement, our New Jersey math league's fourth contest just took place. Our school is currently tied for first place in the entire Somerset County. Our rich speech and debate
forensics team also placed highly in national tournaments like Lexington and Durham tournaments in addition to championing statewide tournaments like Hunteran and Freehold. I'm incredibly excited to see what we can accomplish as a community in our next few months. I'll
be more than happy to answer any questions in the duration of the meeting and thank you everyone for listening to our school updates. >> Thanks MJ and congratulations to you. I know you're part of the forensics team. Um I do also want to point out that um
because you brought up the uh calendar that for anybody who um is wondering that in at the February policy meeting that is when um the calendar and the lunar new year discussion will take place. And so I would say probably at
the by the second um meeting in February, we'll have more information. Does anybody else have any questions for MJ? Okay. Um, that brings us uh up to our superintendence report. We have five
items. Um, one also being our board goals. M. Marcary, is there anything that you want to share about any of the items? >> No, I I don't think so. I think um you know we had an opportunity to have some
discussion on the board goals u so we're in good shape with those uh the rest are standard items >> okay then can I get a motion Brett and Smearyy and then a roll call.
Miss White. >> Yes. >> Dr. McHune. >> Mr. Molinari. >> Yes. >> Miss Curado. >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw. >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbot. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Omalanic. >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohawk. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Lewitz. >> Yes. >> Okay. And that now does bring us to our first public comment on agenda items.
>> Miss White, we have two people with their hands up. >> Okay. I I only can see Do you want to call them? Because the way the tiles work, I can only see >> one put their hand down. So, we have Oscar Lou currently has his hand up. If
you'd like to unmute yourself, Oscar, >> I know it's Yeah. >> Oscar, you're on. You're up. If would you if you'd like to make a comment? >> Oh, yeah. No, no, nothing. It's fine. >> Okay. You mute yourself again then. And then there's two other people. We
have Ha Jiang. Would you like Hi. >> Hi. Uh three minute. Right. >> Sure. So, uh yeah, thank you everyone. Uh my name is Ha. Uh I'm a resident of Nar Township. I live in six Kar Way in
Basking Ridge. Okay. Both my kids go to the public school here. Uh I I actually moved here in 2021. Uh so since then I have been very impressed with many things about the district. It proves that my move to this
country was the right decision. So this being said, right? So one thing that I was not impressed with is the fact that the Luna New Year was not a designated school holiday here. Uh I mean to be honest I was a bit surprised.
Uh in my old township, Addison Township, it was a school holiday. So is with the entire many neighboring functions and I believe the entire New York state has Luna Luna New Year as a a school holiday
right so uh so why so many district has Luna New Year as a school there are many reasons right so so first and foremost because it is widely observed by many you know it is observed by almost 1.5
billion people across many countries in East Asia not just China but also countries like Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, right? And it is a a holiday that combines
many religions like Buddhism, talism and alo many philosophies like confusions uh across like 5,000 years of history, right? So in that sense for us you know uh as a AsianAmerican immigrant right
and we for us this is almost like a connecting tissue mentally right so no matter where we are you know during the dur the new year we want to get together we want to get home right so that's why making this a school holiday will really
mean a lot to us right so uh so for us Asian Americans right as a immigrant group we have developed into many healthy and vibrant communities across the country. So, Bernard Township actually is a good example of that, right? Where we have a generally highly
educated East Asian community and that is also fast growing and increasingly active in local affairs and politics. Right? This is a true reflection of America as a melting pot where diversity, inclusion and culture
understandings are acknowledged and separated. So this is I think a key reason that many school district across New Jersey and the nation have recognized this Luna New Year as a official school holiday. So here I am on
behalf of myself and hopefully uh many of my neighbors in the township I'm respectively asking the board to consider to take the important step that many other school district have already taken right to make Luna New Year a
designated school holiday. So, thank you very much everyone uh for your time and consideration and your continued effort to serve the district and the families of the district. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you. We have uh Charlie Zhu is also has his hand up for comment. >> Yeah, >> Charlie. >> All right. Um good evening everyone. My name is Charlie Shri. I live in 61 butter Atlanta and I'm a student at William Ann and in middle school here.
Thank you for this opportunity. I'm here to respectfully advocate for Bernardance Township to recognize Luna New Year as an official school break. Lunar New Year is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world observed by over 2 million people globally including me. Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. Here at home in Bernard's
Township, over 37% of our population celebrates it. And for these students and families, it is as meaningful as other major holidays such as Eid or Rash Rashashana where our district already has breaks for them. It's a time for ceremonial meals, traditions, and family
gatherings. Although some have questioned this recognition because Lunar New Year isn't considered a strictly religious holiday, it is important to note that it holds religious significance for Buddhists, Dowists, and Confucianists. More importantly, religion should not be the only measure for a school holiday because we should recognize holidays for
the profound cultural and communal significance and Lunar New Year deeply meets that standards. This is about fairness and representation. There's also a practical and educational case for this change. Neighboring districts like Bridgewater, Warren, and Summit already closed for Lunar New Year, and they did so because attendance was
consistently low, making instruction ineffective for students that day. So recognizing the state aligns directly to our district's commitment of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And it sends a powerful message to every single student that their culture, their cultural
identity is seen, respected, and valued not just in words, but in practice. The academic impact will be minimal. Lunar New Year occurs once a year and adjusting the calendar by calendar by one day would not disrupt the learning, but it would significantly support student engagement, mental health, and a
true sense of belonging. This isn't about specialist treatment. It's about reflecting the real reality of our diverse community. So by recognizing Lunar New Year's a school break, Bernard Tantra would take a meaningful step towards true inclusivity, respect, and educational equity. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Uh next would be David Ding has his hand up. >> David, you can unmute yourself. >> Yep. Can you hear me? Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. Well, thank you. Thank you everyone um for having this meeting for
allowing us to explain our opinion. So my name is David Ding. Uh I am at the 27 Vander Drive on the hills community and uh my daughter and my son are all at the school districts and myself is a professor at the Rock Griffin School in
supply chain management. So I think um as you well first of all I I really appreciate the board give us an opportunity to experience our opinion in terms of how we consider the Chinese world new year should be considered as official holiday for the school districts. So I do not want to repeat a
lot of things that other has been saying. I know Jennifer mentioned in the second week of the second meeting in February, we're going to have another discussion for this. But when we looking at um the school district, I did some just numeric numeric numbers studies. That's part of my specialty. And we were
looking at the percentage of Asian community uh within the Bernard versus Hillsboro, Bridgewater and Waring. So we are at a 37% and the other three are 36 30 and 23%. So the other school district being
business some s county already considered during new year as official holiday for school districts I think uh the definitely set example >> meeting agend >> for us to follow and also the state of New York as you know that the statewide is considered new year as the official
holiday for the whole state of course I don't think New Jersey at that point yet but I think they give us the kind of set an example in terms of you know what other schools are considered this and for myself as a faculty at Ruggers. I think Rug is one of the most diverse
university that we see all different type of populations from all the country. I think one of the aspects as educator myself is really want show respect for all the different religions and also different cultural backgrounds and uh uh giving the population as well
as um you know um uh the the Chinese New Year or the Lun New Year usually is just a one day holiday but back in China is actually two weeks official holiday for 1.4 billion peoples. So I I remember what I heard was was two kind of challenges. One is there potential
conflicts with the schedule with the school calendar and I think if I can propose I think it might be opportunity for us to swap it out with one of the service day and I did that many times for my school uh calendar within radars
because I as a department vice chair I helped manage over 100 different courses and a lot of times you know is opportunity for us to think about you know what other courses that we might be able to swap out if there's need to help, I will be more than happy to offer a hand. And another one what I
understand is that uh um there was a consideration whether this a cultural event versus a religious event. I think uh I think the boundary between these two is a little bit blur uh in terms of what we consider the history about the
Chinese Luna New Year from Chinese perspective actually is a event to celebrate the good versus um because year or in Chinese is considered as evil where when we going through the Chinese New Year a lot of times is the
celebration we wearing the red and we celebrating that that we as a country or the Chinese community myself that we cannot win over the evil and through that celebration but I think with that being said you know uh I as a parents
and as a residents I really would like to propose that the balance township would consider Chinese New Year for Luna New Year as the official holiday for the school district. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh Oscar Lou, your turn.
>> Okay. Yeah. My name's Oscar. I'm a freshman. So, okay. Let's cut to the let's cut to the chase here. Um I'm going to skip the whole significant speech. I'm sure we've cemented this idea very clearly. So, instead, I want to focus on my point of national president. Now, it is no surprise that
president is a spark for change. Revolutions and reforms sparked around the world all have roots in America's fight for independence. And right now, nationally, a national president is creif fighting discrimination against Asian communities. AAPI released new research shows an alarming surge in Asian hate online following the recent presidential election. In fact,
anti-Asian slurs in ranking increase by 67% and anti-Asian threats have increased 39% just from November, December, and 2025 alone. Fortunately, our school can help contribute to solving this issue gloationally. Our school has demonstrated to be a very diverse and inclusive community with many residents claim that this is a
welcome place with a strong sense of community where people are generally civil. This community also has a significant Asian population with a high concentration of Indo-Americans and Chinese Americans. These factors make us the perfect candidate for the fight on discrimination. Not to mention, our school has demonstrated this very well by taking off for many religious
holidays. By taking Luna New Year off, our schools is a present of a peacekeeper and protector of the people. And our high Asian population can solidify our sincerity. Recognition is critical for many great researchers of this area shows that systematic equality is key fighting systematic racism. Creating a safe place that people can
happily live as many benefits, not just an inspiring equality. For one thing, demonstrating that we care can attract more people lead to increased funding and donations that can put into more lavish projects and paychecks. Novak Education 2024 finds that inclusive inclusive schools have many great benefits for students and teachers. This
leads to higher grades and performance. This all ties together for great economic outcomes that greatly benefit our district. See, when more educated students are able to come out of the district, increases the school's national rankings, making it more decided for people, which obviously want their kids to get a good education. Asian households can also contribute to
national rankings. Our families are incredibly intelligent and heavily encouraged learning with our students. This is not hypothetical. For many Asian families in our district have a master's degree. This is the truth. You can literally ask any Asian parent here and they'll tell you they do. Enforcement education will lead to obviously the growth in national school rankings. This
attraction including from from the inclusivity attraction leads to more people moving to the area which ultimately leads to higher property prices and this especially benefits house owners especially ones with mortgages which will release higher home equity. This can be leveraged through equity loans, lines of debt and cash out
refinances to finance major expenses like home improvements, college tuition or debt consolidation. Higher property tax profits can be put into investment in things like police departments improving our schools and educational environment and funding which is crucial and beneficial to our school. Thus encourages a powerful president that
greatly benefit our school. I strongly encourage you to support. Thank you. >> Thank you Oscar. >> Thank you. Next is Anna Chang. >> Um so the rule says to state my name and address, right? >> That's correct. Yes. Um, so, uh, my name
is Anna Chang and I live in Basking Ridge, 40 Rididge Drive. Um, I do not attend Ridge, but I attended the the middle school before Ridge. I currently attend Rucker Preparatory School, but um, I live in Mass Ridge, so yeah. Um,
so I currently attend an out of district school, but I want to show my support for adding Lunar New Year to the Bernard's Township uh, school calendar. Um, and as it was said before, um, other whoa, other nearby districts like Warren and Bridgewwater, they already give the
students the day off for Luna New Year or other schools, they mainly celebrate Luna New Year. Um, I remember in WHAMS last year, we got a half day off, even if it was not the full day for schedule. We got a half day off for the ch for the students. We didn't have to stay the
whole day. Um uh Lunar New Year is a very important uh holiday because in China you have two weeks you have two weeks to celebrate. Um here most of schools celebrate but Ridge does not. Uh students usually have
off for Diwali for Easter other holidays a lot of students get off. Um uh my school uh we still provide celebration for Lunar New Year. And Lunar New Year is basically when
families gather, ch children are allowed to visit relatives because family is really important in Chinese culture. And I think including the the the culture would benefit the student, especially since there's a large population of a Asian students at Thank you.
>> Thank you, Anna. >> Thank you, Anna. Uh, next is Cayen Xi. >> Uh, yes. Can you hear me? All right. >> Yes. >> All right. Hi. Good evening board members, um superintendent and all the participants of of this meeting. Um I'm
here as as the same as many of the participants here um to advocate for adding the lunar new year as a school holiday. And I just want to start by quoting um our BOE president's uh uh was said in the last BOE meeting um which
really touched me. Um it was said that we as a board are equally committed to doing all that we can to support everyone and to ensure that our district stays as wonderful as it is. So the reason I'm here is is respectfully to
ask you to complete this commitment um by including Luna Union as a school uh holiday. And I wanted to say um begin by thanking you because I know our school district already recognized Yon Kapoor,
Dvali, Hayida, Fida. Right. By doing that, this board has already affirmed that when a significant portion of our community observes a deeply important day, our schools respect that. Right. This policy recognizes the reality. High
aptitism disrupts learning and more importantly it tells every student and their family and their face belong here. So I don't want to um uh replicate what has already
been said but I want to address a specific concern that I've heard in the past discussions. Um there was a a operational concern that was raised about needing to extend the school calendar by one more day. Um my analysis
of the next two decades shows adding Luna New Year would have a negligible impact on the school end day due to the existing flexible design of our calendar and I want to share that analysis with you tonight. Um there's there are
following key points. First is the high occurrence on weekends. So over the next 20 years, Luna New Year actually falls on the weekend six times nearly 30%. Meaning that it would not require an
extra extra school closure day. Second is the building buffer. Um the three holidays that I mentioned that's already recognized by the school district. In 14 of those 20 years, next 20 years, one or
more of those holidays naturally falls a weekend about 70% of the time. That means adding Luna New Year simply can use its existing unused flexibility most of the time. Right? Third point is
minimal extension. So in the handful years that an extra day may be needed and my estimate shows it's about 10% of the time and possibly in 2039 and 2042. Um the extension is minimum. Um this is
because it typically would fall uh add another single week day to the end of the year. It does not push the end date into a new week. Right? So in summary, the calendar mechanism I think our school district designed is very robust.
The data proves that the concern about s significantly disrupting vacation plans, summer camps or internships is not supported by the data. So I think we're left with one simple choice, right? We
can use the smart flexible system you have already have in place to affirm the inclusion of a growing part of a of our community or we can withhold that affirmation based on operational concern that the data has shown is not a real
barrier. You know I'm happy to share the analysis with the BOE members through email. Um, and I think this is the final logics logical step in your own policy of respect. You have the precedent. You have the data. Now, I urge you to have
the vision as well. Please give our Asian-American students the same respect you've already granted others and add Luna New Year to the school calendar. Thank you. >> Thank you, Cayenne. >> Thank you. Next is Kai Ni.
>> Hey. Hello, everyone. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Yeah. So, my name is Kai. I live in Basking Ridge at 11 Wellington Drive. So, yeah. Thank you very much. Uh, good evening the members of the board of education, Miss Marian, and all the
people joining for this call. Thank you for the opportunities. I'm here basically just want to respectfully request that the board to designate the Luna New Year as one of the official school holidays in our school district because this actually matters deeply to
us as a member of a diverse and growing communities right so in Bernard's Luna New Year it is just a date on the calendar for many of us like myself it is one of our most vital traditions so every year our family gather together
puts all the festival on decorations and prepared the feast. It's time for us to wish the good luck and a fresh start. It's about the family binding and the heritage for that. Right. So I think also this isn't just a who's those celebrate those kind of thing recognize
such a day is lesson for all respect for all our students so they can prepare for them. It's the world outside much larger than our current town and borders. So we also actually see the community support is already there. A recent partition has
gathered over 700 signatures from all the neighbors from all different backgrounds. This shows that our community really already respects those traditions. Now we just needed the calendar to catch that up. Right? So we have already heard the concern that the
school calendar is full but we are not asking for more days off. We just want to asking for a fair distribution of holidays we already recognize when that actually reflects the students sitting in our classroom in our communities
every day. Right? So at least we believe it is possible to do so without harming any academic goals. For example, we want to suggest placing the Luna New Year into the same culture holiday pools as all other observants. Right? If the
total number of holidays must stay fixed, then let's please rotate them. It's simply not actable to recognize certain culture holidays every single year while others are never recognized at all. So this is on behalf of my
family and all hundreds of others who share this tradition. I urge the board of um education to try to think about that and make this change. Let's create calendar truly belongs to everyone. Thank you very much for your time and your service to our children. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Kai. Next is Evelyn Zu. >> Okay. Yay. Um Oh, let me put my hand down. Hi everyone. Uh my name is Evelyn Shu and my address is 61 Butternut Lane and currently I'm a freshman at Ridge.
So today, like everyone else, I want to talk about Lunar New Year, which is a discussion that has come up in multiple board meetings recently. And so today in the past few speeches, we've already heard a lot of the numbers. You've heard the number of students that celebrate
Lunar New Year about other schools nearby that recognize Lunar New Year like and the logistics and how this would actually work in practice. And everyone's already done an incredible job of laying that all out and figuring out how to implement this reform. So I'm
not here to repeat that. And today I just want to talk about what recognizing Lunar New Year actually means because like of course Lunar New Year requires us to gather with our families even across long distances and start the new year with hope. But what I think could
be the most important factor here is respect. So um to prove my point, I would like to tell a story. I told this story at the first board meeting where I first brought up having Lunar New Year at a holiday and I'm going to tell again just so everyone else here can also hear
it. Two years ago when I was in seventh grade, New York passed a piece of legislation that mandated all public schools to recognize the new year. So two years ago I was following this development and I just happened to search search it up in class one day and
I was really happy to find out that New York passed the mandate. But I was completely shocked when this student next to me started laughing and she said mockingly, "Lunar New Year was already on a weekend this year."
So the thing is, I knew that that's not the reason that I wanted a new New York to pass the mandate. That comment has stayed with me for two years. Not because it was just cruel, but it was simply dismissive. And it made me
realize that this whole debate isn't really about whether I have the ability to celebrate Lunar New Year or not. It's about whether our culture is taken seriously at all. Because I'm a freshman in high school now. So even if the board
decides to recognize Lunar New Year this year, students like me and Oscar won't even be affected. And Anna, who spoke earlier, like she doesn't even attend our school yet. She's like she's still advocating for this which should tell
you that this isn't just about our personal convenience. It's about the principle of the thing where I shouldn't have to justify why our traditions matter and recognizing Lunar New Year is just choosing respect and choosing
visibility for the Asian students in our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> That's everyone with their hands up. Miss White. Okay, Mr. Marcarian, do you want to respond in any way? Denny,
>> I appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you for joining us tonight, being a part of our our virtual snowageddon meeting. Uh we really appreciate hearing what people have to say on any topic. Uh this one obviously passionate for for many
speakers tonight. So, thanks for sharing your thoughts. And as Miss White uh indicated, we are working on this question uh with our policy committee uh which tonight was just reformed for the
2026 school year. So uh we'll follow up reporting out to the rest of the board as we work on this. Thank you very much. >> Okay, that brings us to the approval of minutes. Can I get a motion on that?
>> I motion Dave >> Brett and Smearthy and a roll call. >> Miss White, >> yes. >> Mr. Molinari, >> yes. >> Miss Curado, >> yes.
>> Mr. Shaw, >> yes. >> Mr. Talbot, >> yes. >> Mr. Malik, >> yes. >> Miss Moan, >> yes. >> And Mr. Lewitz, >> yes.
>> Okay, we're up to finance and there are 17 items, but Dave, do you want to do the the report first from December meeting? >> Yeah, I'll mention a couple items and I'll do the report real quick. So, um, really three items I wanted to bring up
to everyone's attention. Um, I'll start with number nine is direct install. We got approved for that. So, very happy about that. That'll save us a lot of money. So, what that is is, and Jim, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think it's 14 rooftop units that we're
going to be able to replace. Total cost is 340,000, but as part of this program, um, we get an incentive of 196,000 that will be paid for for us. So, in total, it costs about 143,000. Um what the difference is
for this direct install from prior ones is that um it's actually going to be paid through JCPNL through the utility over five years I believe. Um and Jim correct me on that but um it'll pay paid for every single month throughout um
this um the term of this. Uh the next two items are awarded for contractors. So, one is number eight is the track. We that's been awarded to um at Sports at $840,000.
And then number 10, the Cedar Hill roof um redoing that um was awarded to TNT Construction for $2.4 million. Those two are both um awarded slightly under our budget. So, those are a win for us. Um, so I'll stop there for a second, Jim, if
any you wanted to mention before I go to my um report. >> Uh, no, all good. Only one thing is the direct install, the um fiveyear financing is at 0% interest. >> Thank you. >> For five years. >> Yeah, that's great. Um, and then as far
as um the committee meeting, so it was the meeting from December 12th that I'm looking at that was approved. Um, the first item we discussed was health costs, which we're doing every single month right now because it's really the biggest topic. Sorry, I just got to move
my camera thing here. Um, and November claims continued to come in about what we're expecting. But overall really the biggest thing we want to I want to mention and it came up again at this past meeting was that we are expecting
health care costs to increase about 15.9 16% next year. Um that is the biggest driver of our budget for next year and is really our biggest problem that we're dealing with. So we're really been looking at that um cost every single
meeting um to see what we can do about that. So, we continue to look at that and look at what the impact is going to be on our potential levy and increases for next year's budget. Um, the second item we had uh reviewed was a draft of
the audit. Um, the committee reviewed the draft for fiscal year June 30th, 2025. The revol results are a clean opinion. There was um a minor item that was noted related to the implementation of a new accounting standard for acrew
sick and vacation time. The ch this change impacts um financial reporting only and has no impact on the budget. And then there's two minor audit recommendations that were also discussed. One related to the application process for state school aid
and one related to documentation of county superintendent review of contracts. Uh both items have already been addressed and corrected and I believe they're one of the items we're voting on as well this time. Um the third item we discussed was Mashio's
sales compare comparison analysis to um last year's and the committee reviewed the food service sales comparison and noted that Mashio sales are tracking as expected and are slightly higher than Aramark's results from the prior year. So we're taking into account, you know,
how are sales going and do we think Mashio's is doing better or worse than error mark so we can look at that in future years. Um, next item. The committee continued its review of district reserves which remains generally consistent with prior months.
As anticipated, the fund balance is expected to be lower than the prior year due to its use in the current budget and will need to be addressed in the next budget cycle. The committee also discussed forward-looking budget planning, including identifying opportunities for additional revenues,
reducing or controlling expenses where possible, limiting position replacements when staff leave the district. Debt service considerations were reviewed at a high level. The committee is awaiting additional information regarding the timing and scope of future capital
projects before making further recommendations, which we got at this last um meeting that we'll I'll report at next time. Um and the last item, the committee discussed IRS noticed um 2024-02 and its potential implications for
employee benefit plans including requirements related to reportable transactions and tax shelter disclosures. The role of a third-party administrator TPA was reviewed including responsibilities related to compliance reporting and coordination with adviserss. Administration will present
an option for the district's TPA to ensure ongoing compliance. No immediate action was required at the time. And that's the report. >> Okay. Does anybody have any questions? Uh board members for Dave. Okay. Can I get a motion?
Dave and Keith in a roll call. >> Miss White. >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari. >> Yes. Miss Curado, >> yes. >> Mr. Shaw, >> yes. >> Mr. Talbot, >> yes. >> Mr. Omalanic,
>> yes. >> Miss Moan, >> yes. >> And Mr. Lewitz, >> yes. >> Okay, that brings us to personnel. Mr. S, do you have anything that you wanted to report out on for Miss McCann?
>> I can give a quick update on the I know the minutes from the December 19th meeting. >> Okay. So the personnel committee met on December 19th. Uh we first discussed as we always do this time of year the staffing picture for the 2627 school year. The beginning of course of that
conversation and uh we specifically discussed um looking at the upcoming retirements of uh BTEA members per the provision in the BTA contract relative to sick day payout. And so, as evidenced
on the agenda tonight, we do have um quite a few um members of the BTA uh retiring. I think we have nine on the agenda tonight. That represents more than we had all of last year. Um the next item we talked about was the track team and the track coaches and filling
uh the necessary track coach positions. Um the third item I can't report out on the fourth item um we talked about um PM supervision at Ridge. Um now that we don't have um the media center open to students, there is a one and a half hour
a day um staff supervision um need. So that was posted and we are um having staff for an hour and a half a day in the um cafeteria and the main entrance to Ridge High School who are monitoring
student behavior and making sure that we've got supervision. Um camp Jumpstart was also discussed. there has not been an increase for the um staff um in 15 years. Um so we did look at a slight
adjustment to the staff um pay for that program and so we anticipate a very small increase then for parents um around $20 um total uh increase for Camp Jumpstart as a result. Um and then that
is all for the December 19th minutes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Um All right. So, there are 29 items. May I have a motion? >> Brett and Mike and a roll call. >> White. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Molinari. >> Yes. >> Miss Curado. >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw. >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbot. >> Yes. >> Mr. Omalanic. >> Yes. >> Miss Mohan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lewitz.
>> Yes. >> Okay. We're up to policy. Um there is one item, but there's also um a report. Mike, do you want to give the report first? >> Yes. Um so we met on January 8th and um you
know some of the things we talked about was uh the policy uh R5530 for the substance abuse. Uh we kept the words district physicians but we're adding nurses uh to receive the reports as well. Um, we worked on the guidelines
for the use of sound systems and lighting on the BTSD athletic facilities, uh, facilities for BTSD, sponsored athletic and co-curricular activities, P7511. Um, it currently says students are never permitted to operate PA systems with or
without presence of school staff. We changed the wording to students are never permitted to operate PA systems without the presence of school staff. Uh, also added to the policy, the use of privately owned sound equipment during PTSD sponsored student activities shall be conducted in a manner that is
reasonable and considerate of neighboring properties and shall not generate excessive inappropriate and or disruptive noise. Um, the school year calendar, we're still in discussion. We'll be talking more about this in the February uh meeting and also the policy
alert for uh 236 um based on federal policy. The entire uh chapter NJAC fiscal accountability efficiency and budgeting procedures was recently revised and adopted by the state board of education. The revisions in NJAC 6A23A affect many policy and
regulation guidelines. Accordingly, minor language changes were necessary to update statutory references for the nepotism and CSA policies below. Uh the sexual harassment policy was completely redone to capture necessary procedures for federal title 9. Uh the old sexual
harassment policies are abolished. And uh so we'll be we'll be talking about um some more details uh you know at the next uh February meeting. But that's uh the report. >> Okay. Anybody have any questions for Brett? I'm sorry for Mike.
Okay. Can I get a motion? Keith and Smeary. And roll call. >> Miss White. >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari. >> Yes. >> Miss. Curado. >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Talbot. >> Yes. >> Mr. Omalanic. >> Yes. Miss Mohan. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Leawitz. >> Yes. >> Okay. We're up to curriculum. There is one item and there is a report. Janice,
you want to give the report? >> Um, did you say curriculum? That would be >> Yeah, I read out this is last. This my last one, Jen. >> Oh. Oh, sorry. >> Last one. >> All right. This is from January 9th before we uh put the new structure in.
But uh there are items for board agenda tonight. Um there one is a change in course title. It's dance uh one to uh dance one musical theater dance. It's really just a course name change with a large larger focus on the musical theater genre of music. Also honors
heritage Spanish speaker one. Uh Kathy Stler spoke to this at the meeting. It's for students who speak Spanish at home. Uh the course is in essence a Spanish literacy workshop uh for grammar, literature, etc. It was a CP course. It's now becoming an honors level course to reflect where the most of the
majority of students would place in a course. Um the course does require a placement test. Those are on the agenda. Um discussion items at the curriculum meeting. Um took some look at changes at a glance for 2026 to 2027. Uh Mr. Homer talked about mass seminar and
transitioning toward making it optional. Students collect to take seminar or opt in if or opt out, excuse me, if placed in the course. Uh there are updated entry requirements for AP computer science. Uh students in CP pre-calc can now level down to algebra 3
trigonometry. There is now a formalized option for students to double up geometry and enriched algebra. What this does is offer certain students an opportunity to end their high school career with calculus who otherwise would not have reached that level of mathematics.
Uh we talked about scheduling for 2026 to 2027. Uh the committee received a pre-launch view of the scheduling website which went live a couple days ago. Stephanie Smith reviewed academic planning schedule coming up and there was discussion around dual enrollment courses, the level of students enrolled
and the amount of effort that goes into working with outside institutions for dual enrollment. Uh opportunities for different categories of students to earn college credits was also discussed. Uh we covered the class size report for 25 to 26. Uh Cedar Hill is the only building with a significant increase in
enrollment. Discussion around options to alleviate um crowding at Cedar Hill included the flexible enrollment zone and the incoming kindergarten class. Overall though, class size averages are consistent among all elementary schools and well within policy parameters. Class sizes at Ridge and Whams did go up
slightly last year due in part to reductions. Special ed class sizes largely stayed consistent. We covered uh tutor.com and the usage report and usage on tutor.com peaked uh September to October, declined by December. The price is going to go up to
approximately $9,000 if the district wants to renew it for next year. Uh the district is negotiating this and there was discussion around ways to measure this program's effectiveness beyond just utilization rates. There was an updated mathematics criteria document. Uh Mr.
Homer spoke to updated math criteria in regards to accelerated math. Specific qualifying scores for accelerated math 5, accelerated middle school math, and algebra 1 will be updated. In essence, the district is shifting eligibility scores for enhanced math qualification
to maintain the same academic rigor from previous years due to ch changes in the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, the NJSLA, and the MAP assessment. qualifying numbers from previous years will not exactly line up with the new required scores, but the actual academic
qualifications have not changed. And uh that was the curriculum report. >> Thanks. Anybody have a question for Keith? Okay. Then can I get a motion? Janice Dave and a roll call.
Miss White, >> yes. >> Mr. Molinari, >> yes. >> Miss Curado, >> yes. >> Mr. Shaw, >> yes. >> Mr. Talbot, >> yes. >> Mr. Malanic, >> yes.
>> Miss Mohan, >> yes. >> And Mr. Leowitz, >> yes. >> Okay, we're up to wellness. Janice, that's you. >> That is me. I do have a report. This is from the December 18th meeting. Um, in
terms of elementary schools, we uh we met with the Mount Prospect Student Council. Uh, fourth and fifth grade students. Uh, among the activities students mo most enjoy there are games during indoor recess, intramurals, the
continental math league, and band and orchestra. Students also like spending time with their preschool buddies. Some of their suggestions for the coming year include meeting twice a month with buddy classes rather than once a month and
creating a Super Bowl soup collection in February to support local food banks. Students gave a thumbs up to the new cafeteria menu items offered by Mashios, noting the greater variety of foods available with lots of vegetarian
options. Theme days such as ramen day are very popular. They also like the wide variety of cookies and ice cream available. Fifth grade students are excited to learn more about William Adden. They asked questions about the school and are looking forward to
learning more about sixth grade in the spring. With regard to middle school, uh Miss Hudok presented the results of the William Anon School scheduling survey. Um it was a survey conducted of both staff and students on scheduling
including learning lab and Viking voices periods. Currently both are scheduled in the morning. Learning lab every Wednesday, Viking voices twice a month on Thursdays. Teachers expressed a preference for continuing these meetings in the morning as they have more energy
at the start of the day and students are more focused than in the afternoons. Teachers also would prefer to have a daily 20 minute session rather than 36 minute periods on a rotating schedule. Students who took the survey would like
to have learning lab time more than once a week. They currently use this time for a variety of purposes. 90% meet with teachers for extra help or to complete tests. 87% use the time for studying and some students choose to engage in more
fun movement based activities during that time. Discussions during team meetings help to identify students who would benefit from targeted instruction during learning lab time. Similar to the elementary what I need model, William
Allen will continue to offer the sixth grade executive functioning cycle class and staff will be rewriting that curriculum this summer. The school is again offering afterchool intervention this year thanks to federal funding. The Viking Voices staff committee is working
on revising their curriculum to make it more interactive and engaging for students. Scheduling will be a part of those discussions. In addition to questions about learning lab and Viking voices, the survey also elicited staff responses on sectioning, pull out
programs, team prep, and collaboration periods. The survey results will be shared with staff in their February faculty meeting. Miss Udok also updated the committee on the next phase of professional
development for WHAM staff who had not been trained in the use of restorative practices during the 2425 school year. Teachers who have been trained are leading this turnkey effort by facilitating faculty meetings as
community circles. Teacher trainers are developing a list of questions so that Greg Lucas of Joyroots can provide periodic support on restorative circles as they are implemented schoolwide at the high school. Uh Ridge principal
Dr. Lazik provided an update on the hello project talk kind. This is the second phase of the hello project. Talk kind was started in the first marking period this year to reinforce the use of appropriate language among students in
uh gaggle chats and messaging. Although students are very respectful when speaking with teachers and staff, some students are using inappropriate and hurtful language with one another. Ridge administrators want students to understand that they run the risk of
severe consequences at the college level, including being expelled if they are found to engage in the use of this type of language. Miss Howorth shared that the goal of the Talk Kind Initiative is to raise awareness among three groups, students, teachers, and
parents. Information on the TalkKind initiative will be shared through the Restoring Focus website throughout the course of the year. Um, there also was an update on artificial intelligence. Many parents have expressed interest in helping their students understand and demonstrate how
AI can positively impact their learning important for both college and career success. Dr. Lzik shared that a restoring focus parent evening on artificial intelligence will be scheduled soon and details shared on the Ridge website as well as through the
Friday folder. The committee also discussed inschool suspensions. Miss Howeth shared research indicating that inschool suspensions better support student education by maintaining academic engagement, ensuring access to
instructional staff, and allowing timely behavioral and counseling interventions. Research shows that compared to out of school suspension, inschool suspension minimizes learning loss while holding students accountable in a structured
supportive environment. The rigid administrative team is discussing the operational implications of possibly moving to include inschool suspension. More serious infractions will still continue to incur out of school suspensions at the discretion of the
administration. The committee is supportive of this effort and looks forward to hearing updates in future meetings. The next wellness committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 26th. Thanks, Janice. Anybody have a question
for Janice? Okay. Um I believe facilities and ops did not meet correct. Okay. And my hunch is that because of the it's start of the new year that none of the liaison um
committees have have uh reports yet. Okay. Uh so that brings us to um public comment on non-aggenda items. So if there's something that you would like to speak about raise I see a hand already. Miss Fox.
>> Yep. Dave Ystrosky raised his hand. Go ahead and unmute yourself Dave. Thank you. Uh, okay. This past weekend, the Ridge Forensics team hosted the 23rd annual Ridge Invitational, which turned out to be the largest one-day tournament in New
Jersey history, welcoming over a thousand students and 400 adults representing 61 schools from four different states. Ridge competed at the students competed at Ridge, Cedar Hill, and Mount Prospect. And this past December, we hosted the 21st annual
Ridge Debates, a two-day event which welcomed 600 students and 300 adults from 800 or from eight different states to Ridge and Cedar Hill. I just want to emphasize how these events are absolutely vital to the viability of our
team. MJ mentioned earlier that our students participated in three different states last weekend. uh New Jersey at Freehold, in Massachusetts, in Lexington, and at Durham, North Carolina, where our students achieved a
great level of success and notoriety. By hosting these events, the costs of attending these national competitions are significantly reduced for our families and school, and hence we're able to provide more opportunities for our students to rise to the national
stage. This is my 30th year serving Bernard's Township and in the my and my 29th year of directing the Ridge Forensics Speech and Debate program and we've been hosting events for nearly 25 years. I speak tonight to acknowledge the
wonderful support that our team receives from the entire Bernards Township school community when we host these events. Dr. Lazik, Missou, and Dr. Hosny have been more than hospitable and accommodating when I reach out to them every year
asking their them for rooms and space in their buildings. Their assistant principles and support staff have been phenomenal in coordinating the communication with their staff as well as our in their buildings. And speaking of, I cannot ask more from our Aramark
staff. In order to provide space for our guests to be comfortable, Armark sets up dozens of tables and hundreds of chairs in different configurations in gyms and hallways and in lobbies. In addition, they help us with the many deliveries
leading up to our events, including many boxes of trophies, concessions, and other hospitality supplies. In the buildings, we use virtually every space we can find. Our staff, including administration and guidance, security
and sachs, have always been welcoming and providing their offices so we can provide more space for more students to come to Basking Ridge and compete in our events. Our own teachers help prepare for our events by securing their classrooms, including some valuable
classroom items and making sure that the classrooms are ready when our guests arrive. But not to end there, our supervisors have also been helpful. Mr. Facult actually came in late on Saturday, so we were able to still use the lecture halls before the snowstorm.
Our supervisors have always allowed us to use their spaces and always offer words of encouragement as I pass them in the hallways. And when I speak to other hosts of events from other schools and districts, they do not receive the same uh support. As a matter of fact, they
experience hurdles, bureaucracy, and red tape that makes their work for their students even more difficult. I also want to specifically mention Mr. Mancino. Mr. Mancino has been so helpful in providing us the space in the gym so we can fit everyone. And this past
Saturday, the Ridge Track program actually moved their practice to 7:00 a.m. in the morning so we can be open and ready for business. Thanks to those students and coaches of Ridge Track as well as all the fall and winter sports along with Ridge Drama who modify their
schedule so we can host our events. Finally, while the rest of the world was out buying all the milk, bread, and peanut butter in our supermarkets, our parents and our students were at our schools judging rounds, selling concessions, serving our guests, cleaning up and straightening up so the
rooms are ready for class tomorrow. and they're making sure that every visiting student, coach, parent, bus driver, everyone who attends our events at Ridge leaves with an educational and amazing experience. Again, many of my colleagues across the state endure insufferable
bureaucracy when trying to raise the funds so their students can achieve their very best. Bernards Township's community, which includes this entire board of education and central office administration, have always continued to be so supportive of our of our program.
And I wanted to take this opportunity tonight to thank you and the school community for helping us train the next generation of great thinkers and speakers not just in the Bernards Township community but all across New Jersey and beyond. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Msky. Is there anybody else who has a hand raised? >> Yeah, there's one more. Okay. Um, Vasel Shadri. >> Hi. Um, this is Fasel Chadri. I live in 95 Woods
End. Um, first I wanted to just congratulate Mr. Molinari, Mr. Lefkowitz and Miss Moan on your election. Um, you know, good luck. Um, also to Mr. Yastraki. Sorry if I'm mispronouncing it. My kids are also in the summer
program. So it's a it's a great uh uh program for building self-confidence. So I really wanted to thank you and everybody for that uh opportunity for them to do it in the summer. My question is mainly uh out of curiosity considering that we had a snow day
today. Uh what is the u strategy for using u remote learning in such situations? uh considering that if we end up having multiple snow days, the risk possibility is that you may have to take away a
vacation or a holiday such as winter break or spring break. So I just wanted to understand uh what the thinking is around uh using remote learning as a tool to continue with education and have a school day. Thank you. >> Thanks Mr. Shadre.
There's anybody else for I don't see anybody but do you see okay >> sorry no that's it >> okay then I will close public comment Nick do you want to address anything >> sure so um as far as remote
or a snow day uh it's not something that we can do unless there are certain exceptional circ circumstances. Um the oneoff days are are not an option for us. So we do have um the one day at the end of the February break, which is
now going to have to be a school day because we had a snow day today. If we have any other snow days over the winter, we'll have to add them to the end of the school year. Uh and certainly I hope that isn't too many. Um with
respect to Mr. Stressky's comments. Uh, obviously I couldn't agree more. Um, he's very humble and did not mention his own incredible amount of work that he puts into this. So, in addition to uh
thanking everyone that he mentioned, I'd like to thank Dave. Uh, he's just unbelievable. I I I got a random phone call over the weekend um just singing his praises. Totally random. And um the
person was describing to me uh how amazing Dave is, how amazing the forensics team is, and looking forward to going to a competition where Ridge was not competing so they'd have a chance to actually win something. Um that was a a really funny phone call,
but uh they they were joking, but very sincere about um the forensics program at at Ridge. It it really is a a one-of-a-kind uh entity. So, thanks to Dave and and all the staff that really, as he mentioned, um you just can't pull
off those kinds of huge events without a ton of help. So, really appreciate uh the staff, the kids, the families, and what they put into that pretty special program. So, uh that's it. Thanks. >> Thanks. That brings us to uh board form.
I have two items. The first um I just want to point out that this was supposed to be a uh BT connect and so I MAR it's are we postponing it to February 9th. Okay. So we'll have a >> Yep. February 9th. That's the the topic
is AI. We were going to do it tonight but we just wanted to be able to do it in person. So we're going to push it back to February 9th. So, we'll do board business first and then we'll move to the um BT connect and it will be in the cafeteria. Uh second thing is we just
approved all of the committee assignments and I just wanted to just review things come up all the time. Um and you find that there's a meeting that you can't make. We have lots of board members willing and able to be
alternates. So as much as possible, if you know well in advance, reach out to the chair of your committee and the administrator associated with your committee as well um to let them know um and then hopefully we can get a
fourth person. But even if it's something that comes up the day before, still reach out because we can usually pull somebody um to get get you get get them fully with the four members that we can have. And because we do have some
relatively, you know, new or people who haven't had an opportunity to be on different committees, it it's a it's a great opportunity to be able to sit in something that you don't um belong to when somebody can't make it. So, never feel shy about speaking up and that you
have to make miss a a committee. Um, it's a it's a good learning opportunity for everybody else. Um, does anybody else have anything for board forum? Okay, then I will um ask for a motion to adjourn.
Smithy and Keith. Stay warm everybody. >> Have a good night. >> Good night. >> Right. >> Good night everyone. >> Good night. Stoping about that wondered position for a comeback. Wait to meet little cheese manic9
stops holding you back. You wear it down and for the first time in a while. >> You like the way your part is falling. That doesn't happen