[Music] Yes, absolutely. [Music] [Music] That's bad. So, could you next month? Can you focus in? I got you. All right. Good evening.
This is a public meeting of the board of education Clark Public Schools. Adequate notice of this meeting has been given in accordance with PL1975 chapter 231 and that a special notice was made in conformance to section 13 of the act. Motion to go to public
by Miss Harrison. In favor if we could just rise for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. You get a roll call, please. Mr. Slunes, here. Mr. Bena, here. Mr. Breedy. Miss Harrison here. Miss Guerrero here. Miss Hickman here. Mr. Lewis here. Mr. May
present. Mr. SMR here and Mr. Dunker here. Having nine board members, we have a quorum. Thank you. Next go to you. Yeah. Okay. Mr. Grand. Good evening everyone. This evening we're going to acknowledge our
validictorian and saludiatoran, our top two ranking students coming out of our Arthur El Johnson High School this past year. And to present on them will be Mrs. Olivera, high school principal. So technology is not my friend today because my phone is spinning and the
power is out at the high school. So I couldn't print my speech. So, unfortunately, I'm going to be a little bit more brief than I normally would, which if you know me, I'm not a really brief person. Um, you know, being the I'm going to start with Christa Steiner. Uh, being the top ranked student in your
class and having that uh GPA for most your entire high school career is quite a feat and that's just what she accomplished three days ago when we graduated from Arthur L. Johnson High School. Uh in her time at ALJ, Christa can be applauded for uh not only her academics but her involvement in many
different aspects of our school. While attending ALJ, she served as, and these are the notes I do have, uh president of the National Honors Society, co-president of the student council, as well as a member of our cheerleading squad. In the fall, she is going to be a proud member um of the University of
Tennessee when she becomes a volunteer. Christa, we are so proud of you. You better come back and visit us and uh good luck in your future. [Applause] Next, I'm going to speak about Braden
Weber. Uh Braden Weber again, three three nights ago was noted as our saludiatoran. And Braden again had so much poise on stage. The way that she spoke in front of our graduating class and our families did not go unnoticed by her peers. And she's carried that poise
with her throughout her high school career. In her four years, she's been a student visionary uh for cancer research through her support of the leukemia and lymphoma society. And that passion has transferred over to the student movement against cancer at our school. We're
really proud of all that the Smack Club has done for our building and for the community at large. Inside the classroom, Braden excelled in most of our uh challenging curriculums and our advanced placement courses and our dual enrollment classes. Help me congratulate uh Braden and wish her best of luck in
her next steps. Again, thank you so much, girls, for everything that you've done uh and the contributions that you've made to our high school. You will be sorely missed. Good luck. [Applause] Thank you, Mrs. Oliver.
And next, we'd like to acknowledge Aiden Maza. Aiden, your job this year that you performed as our student board rep was beyond commendable. The public got to see what you did each month at our meetings, but the preparation that went behind your
reports. I was copied on the emails and you were always ahead of time getting information from the principal so that you could report out to the public in a timely fashion. You're articulate, you're clear, you're detailed, um while balancing a number of extracurriculars,
um a very tough schedule. I know you're involved in Donaldson's AP research and seminar programs that require a lot of work and we know next year when you're studying environmental science you're going to do such a superstar there job
there also congratulations and thank you [Applause] would you like to come forward for next honor Good evening. Normally you see me at the deis as the representative from Garwood,
but I'm standing here before you um today as the president of Union County School Board Association. um in May at our annual end of the year meetings, we ha this is a time that we celebrate board members for their um
achievements if they've achieved certain certifications within New Jersey School Board Association as well as milestones um which is time spent in the service of the students of the towns where they represent by being on the board of
education. So it's my privilege tonight to present three milestone awards. Um the first one is to Mr. Donerloot. [Applause] Congratulations. [Applause]
This is presented from the New Jersey School Board Association milestone award to Steven Donkerloot in gratitude for 10 years of dedication to the children of Clark Township, the school district, Union County, and the state of New Jersey. Congratulations.
[Applause] The next uh milestone award I have is presented to Mr. Tom Lewis. [Applause]
New Jersey School Board Association Milestone Award is presented to Thomas Lewis in gratitude for 20 years of dedication to the children of Clark Township School District, Union County, and the state of New Jersey. Congratulations. Aiden, you crushed it.
I appreciate you. Um, and my last uh award is presented to Miss Lorraine Akalonus. [Applause] New Jersey School Board Association
Milestone Award is presented to Lorraine Aklonus in gratitude for 30 years of dedication to the children of Clark Township School District, Union County, and the state of New Jersey. And in addition, the the school board does give um these milestones are are at five-year
increments. And by the time you get to um the 30 years that Miss Lacalonus has has been a member of the board of education, um not only do you get a citation, but you get a very lovely plaque. So congratulations.
[Applause] Well, after 30 years, I think I uh deserve a couple of minutes of your time just to say thank you. Um it's been a pleasure and an honor to serve the uh community, the students, the faculty, uh
serving as a volunteer to help the Clark schools become one of the best in Union County and maybe the state. Um I enjoy working with our board. We have a very good diverse board. We listen to each other's um comments. We all have
differences of opinions, but we always come to a consensus, which is always best for our students and our school system. So, I thank you. Oh, yes. And working on the board is made much easier
because of our wonderful superintendent, Mr. Ed Grande. He is the best. I I just have to say that. uh he's become a friend and I hope I continue serving on the board and again I thank you for allowing me to do so and
I can't believe it's been 30 years. Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. [Applause] Congrat Congratulations to all tonight's recipients. All right. So, thank you for that. But
congratulations really to the to the students here, Christa, Brilen, and Eden. So with that, we'll get uh an approval of minutes from the last month and previous. Can I have a motion? Miss Hickman, followed by Mr. May. Any questions or comments on those? Can a roll call, please?
Miss Aonus, yes. Mr. Benoa, yes. Miss Harrison, yes. Miss Guerrero, yes. Mr. Sickman, yes. Mr. Lewis, yes. Mr. May, yes. Mr. Smurl, yes. And Mr. Duncan, yes. Motion carried. All right. So, at this time, we're going to open the floor
to the public for agenda items only. There's only 152 items to choose from if you'd like to ch talk about one. If there's no questions or comments about those 152 items, we'll move to the next part. So, on personnel, we have items 1 through 81. Can I get a motion? I see
Miss Akalonus. Miss Harrison. Questions or comments? Roll call, please. Aalonus. Yes. Messing. Yes. Miss Harrison. Yes. Fero. Well, um I abstain on numbers 2 through 6, 8 9, 11- 16,
18- 20, 24, 26, 33, 36, 46, 48, 49, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 62, 63,
67 71 to 76 and yes on the rest. Should I read that back? Sure. All right. Just make sure we have it correctly. Two 2 through 6 8 9 11- 16
18- 20 24 26 33 36 46 48 49 52 53 55 56 57 62 67 and 71- 76 also 63 63 Thank you Sikman. Yes, Mr. Lewis. Yes, Mr. May.
Yes, Mr. moral abstaining on number 33. Yes to the rest and Mr. Dougl. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Yeah, I I want to make a comment on the personnel side. Um
we basically had some educational retirements uh that were fantastic master teachers. Uh, we start with June Curry, a nurse at the high school. Mary Joe Baker, Mike Sheridan, Amarie Estes, Jackie Hendris, Margaret Rosener. These
are pros. Don't ever think it's so easy to replace great teachers. They have given a lot to the district of Clark. It would be remiss if I didn't thank them, congratulate them for the hard work. Um, we're the district that we are because
of our staff, our teachers, administrators. So those particular teachers I know in particular really put enormous effort into educating and making Clark Arwood the best school it could possibly be. So congratulations to
those staff members. Thank you Mr. Lewis. Any other comments? Seeing none, we'll move on to curriculum and education. We have items 82 to 85. Can I get a motion? See Miss Hickman and Miss Ekalonus. A roll call, please.
Mr. Yes. Mr. Bena. Yes. Mr. Breedy. M. Harrison. Yes. M. Guerrero. Yes. Miss Hickman. Yes. Mr. Lewis. Yes. Mr. May. Yes. Mr. Samurro. Yes. And Mr. Dun. Yes. Motion carried.
We then have policy number 86. A motion. Mr. Betsga. Followed by Miss Guerrero. Any questions or comments? Roll call, please. Saconis. Yes. Mr. Bena, yes. Miss Harrison, yes. Guerrero, yes. Miss Hickman, yes. Mr. Lewis, yes. Mr. May,
yes. Mr. Smoro, yes. And Mr. Dunker, yes. Motion carried. Follow that with board governance items 87 to 102. Can I get a motion? Not all at once. Mr. Bena, Mrs. Harrison, any questions or comments?
Roll call, please. Michael, yes. Mr. Bena, yes. Miss Harrison, yes. M Guerrero, abstain on 89 90 95 96 98 99.
Yes. On the rest. Thank you, M. Hickman. Yes. Mr. Lewis, yes. Mr. May, yes. Mr. Sorro, yes. And Mr. Duncan, yes. Motion carried. We then have finance items 103 to 152
and agenda item number one for finance. And before I get a motion, agenda one is a board resolution for the September 16th vote for our board referendum. Can I get a motion? Mr. Small, followed by Mr. May. Any questions or comments on
that? Roll call, please. Cyclones. Yes. Mr. Bessingo. Yes. Miss Harrison. Yes. Miss Guerrero. Abstain on 114, 115, 148, 149 and the addendum.
Zikman, yes. Mr. Lewis, yes. Mr. May, yes. Mr. Smurl, yes. And Mr. Dunkers, yes. Motion carried. Thank you. And at this time, we'll hand it over to Mr. Grandandy for this report of the superintendent. Good evening and thank you, Mr. Dunkeroot. Once again, congratulations to Christa and Braden.
Many thanks Aiden and congratulations Miss Clonis, Mr. Mr. Donut and Mr. Lewis. The retirements that Mr. Lewis spoke about, the large majority of them were accepted at previous board meetings, but on this evening's agenda was the retirement of Miss Jackie
Hedrickk, 27 years, her last position being an ALJ mathematics teacher. And many congratulations to Jackie on her next life steps. Now, the other end of the spectrum, we have new um administrators and teachers coming into district. Congratulations to Mrs.
Donaldson and Mr. Tempen. And I'm looking forward to working with both of you in your new roles. I see you both in the audience this evening. If you'd like to just stand up and put a name to the a face to the name. Kevin,
you want to say a few words? Yeah. So, good evening. I'm Kevin Tenney and first I would like to say thank you. I want to say thank you to the superintendent, Mr. Grande and the entire Clark Board of Education. I'm extremely excited and I can't wait to be
a part of the Clark team. So, thank you. [Applause] Hi, good evening. Many of you know me. Uh for those of you in the audience who don't know me, I'm Joy Donaldson and I'm the newly appointed administrator supervisor of the Clark preschools and
I'm really excited. Um I wish to express my gratitude for this opportunity. My own son went through the Clark preschool when it was a tuition based program and he is now ready for high school. I believe that he's ready for high school in no small part to the preschool
experience that he had. So I wish to replicate that for you. I'm excited to work with our students and families as they take their first steps into the C Clark Public School District. Uh my life has been committed to providing students the best educational experience and
that's not going to stop as I step into this new role. And congratulations Miss Aalonus, Mr. Dun, Mr. Lewis. Congratulations Aiden, Braden, and Christa. Thank you. Want to make a comment? Well, yeah. I just like to say um over the years I've
had the opportunity to know both Miss Donaldson and Mr. Tenpenney and um I know that they've done fine jobs in their previous uh positions that they held and I have all the confidence in the world that they're going to do really really well in their new positions. So, welcome on behalf of the
board. Welcome to both of you. [Applause] Thank you, Mr. Smarl. Uh moving on to the report of the committees. I more Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Guys. You're good.
We have some additional new appointments this evening, which places us in a good position heading into the summer. I believe Mrs. Shannon Boyce, who's our special education teacher at Carl H. Comfort is with us this evening. Welcome, Shannon.
[Music] [Applause] Lauren Laapour, who's going to be our new grade three teacher at the Frankie Henley School, [Music]
and Brianna Gots, who's going to be our new security receptionist at the ALJ preschool site. [Music] Congratulations, everyone. Summer is a busy time with such things as curriculum writing, school counseling
and child study team work, extended school year, Ortonham Gillingham training, camp invention, and Clark connects to the past along with summer building projects. It's nice to see the heartbeat of the district being kept up and us getting ready for our students return and our staff return in
September. On this evening's agenda is also a number of support staff reappoints such as par profofessional aids, lunch aids, um different positions that are non-certificated but hold an equally important place with our children's education.
The approval of our new three-year comprehensive equity plan is on this evening's agenda and many thanks to Dr. Austin and her team, Mr. Kikas being one of those team members. Once again, the board of education will be reimbursing
any costs in excess of $250 for our college courses taken while students are here at ALJ, provided that the students receive an A or higher. One course in grades 9 and 10, one each year, and then two courses in grade 11 and 12, again, two each year.
We would like to thank the Frankie Henley and Valley Road School PTAs for their donation of summer reading books along with a $1,000 check for ALJ educational opportunities and resources for students at ALJ by Exxon Mobile in collaboration with P&J Fuel, Inc. under
Exxon Mobile's Educational Alliance program. And the past couple of weeks, we've been at a number of different award dinners and ceremonies. Um, last week was our week of promotions, graduation, and again, just getting to see our students recognized for their
good hard work is really heartwarming. Thank you and have a great evening. [Applause] Sure. You're done. Okay. All right. So, moving on to the report of the committees. Do we have any? Seeing none from there, we'll do unfinisher new
business. Seeing none there. One last time, we're gonna hand it over to Aiden for a student board member update. Thank you and uh good evening. I'll keep my report brief tonight with uh things winding down at the schools. I'll begin my report with events at Arthur L. Johnson High School. June was a big
month for seniors from the exciting senior trip to the Pocono Valley Resort to the celebratory senior dinner. Looking towards Kh Middle School, students had a fun last week with a bagel sale on Wednesday the 18th. Looking towards the future for COMF, a camp cougar program is running to
prepare incoming sixth graders for middle school which will be hosted on August 21st, 22nd, 25th, and 26th. Over at Frank Henley and Valley Road School, students had exciting close to the year with fifth grade pool parties celebrating students moving up to the
middle school. Alongside this, the schools got some outside fun in the sun with their field days, giving students chance a compete to compete in various outside activities. Finally, June 20th was the last day for all students in the Clark Public School District. On June
20th, graduation was held and it was no doubt an emotional day for students of every single grade. I know for all the seniors here at Arthurell Johnson, graduation marked the close of a very important chapter in all of our lives and I look forward to seeing where it'll take all of us. And besides from that, I
just want to thank the board, Mr. Grandandy, all the staff at ALJ. It has been an amazing opportunity to go to the school for these four years and to be the um student representative to the board and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. Thank you very much. Thank you.
[Applause] I just want to thank our principal who's here, Tara Alivera. Katrina Pasque. I think our graduation was just downright fabulous Friday night. I don't think it could make it any better. Uh it was an
advertisement to basically be in the Clark schools. It was one fantastic night that I know the work that they put into it. So, I would not take a blind eye to probably the best graduation in Union County. I want to thank
uh basically Mr. Grande, but most important the teachers, the maintenance, the administration that made that work. So, Tara did a fantastic job. Congratulations. [Applause] [Music]
Thank you, Mr. Lewis. All right. So now at this time I'm going to open the floor to the public for non-aggenda items only. Come up. Please state your name, your address. Uh Gus Kas, 51 Woodland Road. Um, as many of the board members obviously
know, and I'm sure many in the audience already know, um, friend, coach, educator, and board member, Mr. Tom Lewis recently retired from the Rawway School System after 52 amazing years in
education. Um, while the Union County athletic directors did do something to honor Mr. Lewis and all he's done for Union County, I was approached last week by some of our very own student athletes to ask if there was something they could do to honor him. Behind me, you see members
of the girls basketball team and the boys basketball team, which to say the least are Tommy's uh he's very passionate, let's just say, about both of these programs. Um so in order to honor Tommy, all that he's done
for 52 years, and especially all that he's done for our student athletes at Arthur L. Johnson High School, the girls and boys wanted to come up, present him with something, and say a few words. Mr. Lewis, we represent all of the student athletes at Arthur Johnson High
School and just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for all of us and present you with a plaque to thank you. We love seeing you at our games and always look forward to your passionate speeches, whether they are in the locker room, awards ceremonies, or just when you run into us in the hallways of
Arthur Johnson High School. Congratulations on your retirement of your 52 years in education. And we know that all that means is that you will have a lot more time to come see our games next year. Thank you. The plaque states with great appre with our greatest appreciation the student
athletes of Arthur L. Johnson High School would like to thank Mr. Thomas Lewis in recognition for your passion and commitment to Union County athletics and the student athletes. Tommy, if you could come down here so we could present you with this plaque.
Congratulations right here. Lewis [Applause] I just want to thank Mr. Kicus um the
students it's very humbling um to have passion and there's other board members as well but believe me this is very very appreciative I enjoy every minute of it and I just can't thank them enough for coming out tonight thank you so much for
this award thank you thank you so at this time the it's open to the public for any other non-aggenda items only. If you'd like to come up, state your name, your address, and you have three minutes per topic. See? Okay,
Mr. Dre, did you just pull the microphone back towards you? Yep. Here you go. Bill Draggy, 47 Post Road, Clark, New Jersey. Um uh the last time I came I requested uh
uh well the board or the or superintendent to state whether they would follow Governor Murphy's uh law that says um a transgender student that wants to change sex
uh and disagrees with the parent that the parent would have the have the last say and I was given the answer yet by uh Superintendent Grandandy that that would be true.
Uh but the main thing is it would have to be the the board would have to also go along with that I believe in order for that to be true. Is that correct? Yes. And the board supports that stance also. I'm sorry. Yes. And the board
supports that stance. My hearing isn't too great. Uh what was that last phrase? You're yet you're correct. The board would have to be in agreement and they are. And they are. Yes. But don't they have to vote on it? We voted on a policy for transgender
students when the policy originally came out maybe two or three years back. Yes. Yep. And but they had to go along with it then because it it puts the rights the way we adopted it. It puts the rights with the parents
that policy. Yes. Yep. Okay. Um and also the the another part of the law of Governor Murphy, sad go evil Governor Murphy is that you must also uh teach abortion
uh ideas to the students which is probably coming from Planned Parenthood or something. I would I would think. I can never find what is actually being taught on that. And that's even worse than uh the transgender stuff. And I would hope that
that should be just left up to the parents they shouldn't get into it at all in school. Parental guidance is the main thing. And if there if the child is told in class about whether they should have an abortion, if they had a baby or something, it should not be anything to
do with the school or the state uh telling them what to do or even giving them information on it. It should be just coming from the parents. That's all. All sex should be kept out of the classroom. And it's it's really the main
the main thing is if the parents should be be the last ones and the ones to actually give them the guidance, not the state as Governor Murphy's states. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Judy. Any other comments about non-aggenda
items at this time? So, seeing none, we will close that portion of the meeting out and we'll move on to a motion to adjurnn. All in favor? Oh, can I just uh wait before everybody agrees? Before we adjourn, I just want to state that uh I wanted to piggy back on what
took place earlier with Mr. Thomas Lewis. Um I've known Mr. Lewis for the 52 years that he's been in education. And I want to just state that he has not just changed the lives of the people that you saw here, but over the course
of his career, he's changed the lives of so many people, including myself. if I was a Roy High School student when he first started. And um I just want to really let everybody know that he had a phenomenal career. He touched so many lives and he was an inspiration for so
many people and his legacy will live on for a long time. And there was a quote from Eugene O'Neal which said that we can always leave the the world a better place than we found it. And he's a perfect example of a man who will leave this world a better place than it was
when he got here. So, I'd like to just like everybody in the room to know that. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Agalonus. Yes. I would also like to thank Mr. Lewis. Uh, I worked in Elizabeth in the beginning of my career as a teacher and
supervisor. And then in 1988, I decided to come to the suburbs and start working in Rawway. And I have to say, I was the newbie in Raw. I didn't know the groundwork. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't
know who the players were. But I have to say that I can thank Mr. Lewis who befriended me and watched over me. He took me by the hand, guided me through the ins and outs and the tunnels and the closets with the skeleton so to speak.
And I learned what I had to do. And ever since then he well he continued to mentor me and he became my friend and even after I retired and became um board member with him he has just been one of
the most gracious loving and warm-hearted people that I've ever known and I am blessed to know him. So thank you Tommy. So, um I've had the privilege to know Mr. Lewis now for close to 50 years. And
um for those that know him know that in addition to him having enormous passion for the school district and for the kids and their success, he has unbelievable energy. If you see him, he's going 100 miles an hour all day. What I would like
to tell you though is we're really getting the scaledown version of him. I played high school basketball here at Johnson when Mr. Lewis was coaching at Rawway. If you think he had has energy now, you should have seen him back then. He was off the charts. But he's had I
consider him one of my closest friends. Um he's just he's he just has such a big heart. He cares so much about this district and and the people in it, whether it's the teachers, the administrators, the students, and I think he shows it day in and day out. So, I congratulate him on just a
spectacular career. Mr. Rose, I I also I also just want to a quick shout out um on behalf of the athletic committee. The girls softball team won their second section state title this
year, which is just a spectacular accomplishment. Uh unfortunately, they were beaten 5-4 in the semi-final game, which was a heartbreaker, but they had a spectacular season. And so on behalf of the board of education and the athletic committee, just want to congratulate
them. And I just also want to give a quick shout out to Brody Goldman, uh, Johnson baseball player who was named to the Quad County underassman All-Star game, which was played last week. He pitched in an inning and he did real well. So congratulations to him as well. So, thank you.
[Applause] I I want to close tonight because I want to thank everyone. Uh truly truly I appreciate it. Um I think they're talking about somebody I don't know, but I just say that I didn't pay these
people. I if I sat out in the audience, you would think that I came in with $5,000 and gave everybody money, but uh I appreciate it. And most important thing that I think that you could do in life is care, root and support people.
Okay? You know, uh, the famous May West said a line that I'm sure Kevin has heard it 5,000 times. She turned around and said, "You only live once, but if you do it right, you only need to live once." And I just say one thing. I'm so
thankful to be involved in support. And I thank the board of education and this community because there's so many things that we're going to accomplish. We're gonna make Clark number one. We're gonna work together. Energy, passion. So,
thank you so much for all the comments and I just want to close by saying God bless everyone and thank you very much. Just to be clear, he's not retiring from here. That's right. Just be Just be clear. So, with that, can I get a motion
to adjurnn? All in favor? Thank you. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey,
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]