##VIDEO ID:6HGcoFQSa6k## I'd like to call this meeting to order would the secretary please call the role Anna Brun here Timothy Cummings here Jamie Falco here Luci veroa here Lori herck Lee wuhong here Lori LAX wber pan here and Heather gu here please 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 good evening the New Jersey open public meetings law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed and acted upon in accordance with the provisions of this act the East Brunswick board of education has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having the date time and place thereof posted at the Board of Education offices written notice was also provided to The Sentinel the Newark Star Ledger the home News Tribune and the alternative press of East Brunswick and the municipal clerk of East Brunswick all Board of Education meetings with the exception of executive session discussion are videotaped for later broadcast it is the policy of the Board of Education that videotaped meetings are not edited for any purpose individuals who speak at the board's public meetings should be aware of these videotaping rules all right okay good evening our agenda is a little different than usual we are going to go directly into the good of the cause for the public um after that we will be going into we're doing committee reports before that no we'll go right into executive session okay after that we are going right into executive session the time of which is expected to be three hours correct okay all right the Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of community interest in order to permit the fair and orderly expression of such comment the board shall provide a period for the public comment at every meeting of the board residents are welcome to speak up to three minutes timing will be kept by the board's secretary we would just like to request that when you step up to the podium you state your name and address unless you are a student is oh before we start I would like to say right now it doesn't look like it will run over an hour but because of the length of the closed session that we need tonight um we are going to if the public portion goes to an hour we are going to pause we will go into closed session and we will reopen three hours later we respect and want everyone to have their opportunity to speak we also have a massive amount of work to work on this evening which is all probably the content of why the public is here to speak so we want time to consider that just want it to be upfront that's kind of how the schedule's going to have to go um to be able to get done everything that we need to do all right that all being said is there anyone this evening wishing to address the board on up thank you Tim O'Neal 15 Carter Road uh first I want to address the fact that we are again here discussing Cuts due to alleged funding issues um I know a fair amount about school funding I'm an educator um and I've been at many board meetings discussing issues like this and I'm really confused about East Brunswick's current situation if you do a little research going back 10 years the district was getting eight about $18 million in state aid one of the two major funding areas um this year we're getting 38 million so we've had an increase over 10 years of $20 million in state funding yet again we somehow can't maintain what we've had in the past um even just last year we got 33 million in state funding and it increased this year to 38 and we made cuts um I can tell you in the same time my property taxes have gone up about 25% so the district is simply getting more and more funding but seems to be able to do less and less with it uh the issue here is that the problem isn't the funding the problem is the management of the funding um that seems clear based on the math um specifically I'm here to talk about the possible cuts to the sports programs so I'll apologize to the Bal Monroe Family so I know have a lot to say um but when you're looking at making cuts to middle school and possibly even lower level high school sports um you're looking at a group of students who all lost a full year of Elementary school to co which obviously is not the fault of the school district but it is the school district's responsibility to help them recover and in my opinion this is not getting the job done instead these same students um were some of them bounce to one middle school for a year and then to a junior high or whatever you want to call it now and put in a temporary structure and now year after year after a year they get hit with something new some other obstacle that they have to overcome instead of help getting back back to normal which is what we would expect from a school district with the reputation of East Brunswick so now the fact that you want to take away one part of their lives that gives them normaly that gives them socialization um is to me inexcusable thank you for your time thank you Tim M thank you my name is Neil Shaw I live at One Jennifer Court um I'm probably going to be repeating a lot what this gentleman here just said um good evening everyone and thank you for giving me the time to speak tonight I want to talk uh about something that means a lot to me and to so many families in this town and that's Youth Sports I know that we're here tonight because the district is facing some tough Financial dis uh decisions and I don't envy the position that you guys are in but I have to ask what happens to our kids if we are starting to cut School sports and raising fees on wreck leagues like Fast Break fast break basketball has been a staple in East Brunswick for 28 years so many of you and your children have gone through the program whether it was regular fast break or award-winning buddy ball program like a lot of parents in this town I was roped into coaching because they needed volunteers and somehow I've been standing on the sideline for the last 10 years two years ago I joined the fast break Board of Trustees to give back to the league that gave me thousands and other eie families so many memories including the emotional roll coaster of living and dying by one of my son's uh famous three-pointers if you know you know but here's the problem fast break like every other youth sports program is feeling the pressure of rising costs we do do everything we can to keep the fees low so that every kid can play this year after our season started we were hit with additional charges that has left us scrambling and trying to cover as I mentioned we all understand the position that the school board is facing but if the fees to F bre keep increasing significantly for the next year it would be a cost prohibitive for our taxpaying residents to have their children participate in the league I know cutting School sports won't magically solve the budget crisis and I know tough decisions have to be made but before anyone shrugs off raising wck league fees as a quick fix think about what's at stake Sports give kids structure confidence and a place to belong they keep kids active and keep them out of trouble and let's be real they keep them off their screens for an hour or to a day they help with mental health teaching life skills and even reducing substance abuse risk we all know that East Brunswick is a sports Town these programs aren't just games they are big part of what makes this community strong so before deciding how to balance the budget I ask you to think long term if we make Sports less accessible now what's the cost to our kids in our community down the road call of action to really be is that I know that moving a few budget line items here and there may make sense right now but in the future it really does hurt the community and we would hope that you guys all think really hard and long about what that decision today or in the future is going to do to our community long term thank you thank you Neil anyone else good evening Eric varer 37 clear viiew Road uh I apologize I typed something out for you guys good evening members of the school board administrators parents and students my name is Eric voger and I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of our students our families and our community regarding the proposed budget cuts to Middle School sports this is not just about Athletics this is about opportunity engagement and the overall well-being of our students Middle School sports are more than just games they provide a foundation for teamwork discipline and resilience qualiity that shape students far beyond the playing field for many sports serve as their motivation to stay engaged in school maintain good grades and develop leadership skills that will carry them into high school and Beyond cutting these programs would not just eliminate after school activities it would would take away vital support system that helps students Thrive academically socially and emotionally research consistently shows that students who participate in extracurricular activities including Sports perform better in school have higher attendance rates and are less likely to engage in Risky behaviors these programs also play a critical role in students mental health providing an outlet for stress teaching perseverance and fostering a sense of belonging in a time when we are seeing increased levels of anxiety and depression amongst young people removing one of their healthiest and most productive Outlets is not the answer additionally Middle School sports are often the first exposure many students have to organize Athletics for those who may not have access to club or travel teams due to financial constraints School sports are their only opportunity to participate cutting these programs would disproportionately affect students from lower inome families widening the Gap in access to extracurricular activities and further deepening inequities within our district I understand the challenges of balancing a budget I'm actually a school administrator myself I appreciate the difficult decisions you face however I urge you to consider the long-term cost of el limiting Middle School sports the benefits far outweigh the expenses if we remove these programs we we risk losing students who would otherwise find their passion their confidence and their sense of of purpose through Athletics tonight I ask you to think about the faces of the students who rely on these programs the young athlete who found no confidence through a baseball team the student who learned about teamwork and Leadership on the soccer field the child who looks forward to practice every day because it's their safe space let's work together to ensure that middle middle school sports remain a part of our District's commitment to the whole child education because when we invest in our students we build a stronger health and more successful Community for tomorrow thank you thank you ER Jim good evening Jim Logan 30 Myrtle Road East Brunswick uh I think both Tim and Neil and and Eric said it very beautifully so I'm not going to repeat that I'm obviously here to Advocate on behalf of all the Middle School sports not just baseball uh which I currently oversee with two other uh parents in terms of the baseball booster club I've been involved in this Township with youth sports for now 14 years and for the third year now overseeing the booster club and what I could tell you is while these children won't be out on the field at least playing real games for another two and a half months we're running twice a week indoor sessions right now at the high school and we've had over 40 participants uh we've done it three nights so far we just got started we've had over 40 participants each of the three nights and 2third of those participants have been seventh and eighth graders and the the passion the joy that you see in their faces the excitement uh I think Eric hit on it beautifully when he said the confidence Factor we're not talking about the students who do very well already playing a sport we're talking about the students who need that confidence who are trying to embrace a sport who are trying to learn and aspire to someday play on JV or varsity and I think it's also about a sense of community because while while you clearly understand everything we're saying right no one wants to be in this situation as I said a year ago under different circumstances and yes the the pain has to be solved from somewhere but I think fundamentally you want to maintain that sense of community that sense of pride of these players eventually playing for the JV playing for the varsity having those lifelong friendships and memories and the pride of playing for East Brunswick and if we eliminate these types of programs now unfortunately what we're directly doing is we're enriching the pay-to-play businesses in other parts of the community that are not East Brunswick so I really implore you just to try to take that into consideration we've got such a good ground swell at the middle school right now and if we eliminate that we're unfortunately going to push these young men and in other sports for softball young ladies and and basketball and all the other programs that have Middle School sports we're really doing a disservice to why we're here and that's to enrich these young men and young women's future thank you very much thank you Chim anyone else Michael msto 27 Colonial Drive so I stand here both as a parent of two kids and a mentor to many through my service as a travel baseball coach for East Brunswick for six years when I heard there was discussion about possibly cutting not just the Middle School baseball program but other activities within the middle school or freshman class I wanted to speak out this evening as a member of this community for almost a decade and a half it should be understood that these programs provide vital social skills for our students in their development of teamwork collaboration and creativity outside the traditional classroom setting further these programs help us continue to demonstrate the strength of our school system and be competitive in attracting and retaining families within East Brunswick so to put it in perspective when my wife and I when when my wife and I moved here prior to starting a family one of the main sources of an attraction was that East Brunswick was a Blue Ribbon School System both because of its academic and also because it's wide variety of programs available for our students cutting programs within the middle school or freshman grades does not help set our kids up for success in fact it removes a very critical Foundation that our kids need so they can help develop the skills for time management communication multitasking and many others that are required when our kids enter into High School in preparation for College I respect the fact that there are many challenges with the allocation of the budget and I understand that funding you know sometimes can be limited but what I urge the board to do is to try and stand up and petition for a greater funding allocation so that we are not faced with difficult decisions for the future of our kids and our community thank you very much thank you Michael anyone else bear with me I just got new glasses Danielle v23 Bradford Road dear board members I stand before you today acknowledging that this is not an easy time of year as someone also in budget season I don't envy the difficult decisions you must make but I also can't ignore the fact that just about a year ago we began learning about the unfortunate mistakes and perhaps the short-sighted decisions made by the leadership at this very table without accountability in response we started showing up and asking questions questions that in some cases still haven't been properly answered it's incredibly difficult to feel trust in this leadership when time and time again we uncover lies and Hal truths we can no longer ignore the fact that transparency and honesty have been in short supply it's hard to place our confidence in decisions when we see this pattern unfold so I stand Here Again reminding some of you at this table that you were once where I am now you had the same questions you had the same critiques you wondered if people were truly thinking outside the box you wondered if there was real accountability you wondered if elected officials were pushing back on those in paid positions as a Balman parent and as a parent who attended as many meetings as possible since April of last year I am asking you once again to take this process seriously all nine of you have a unique power a power that is both intimidating and invaluable and I hope you recognize that now if I put my professional head on and I remain objective I understand that closing Balman row and redistricting may make fiscal sense but as the people we elected I'm going to ask you to ask these tough questions tonight what has been done over the past year to address these issues proactively since April when it became clear that the stake funding were challenging what steps have been done to prepare for them are we just starting this conversation tonight and if so that's also short-sided this isn't about numbers on a spreadsheet if Balman R closes second graders today could face multiple moves once in fourth grade then again in fifth grade and Beyond the logistics let's not forget why you're sitting here on the table in the first place it's for the children and let's not forget that Balman R has an amazing heart a vibrant unique community that nurtures its students in a way that can't be easily replicated to diminish that would be a disservice to everyone involved closing balro isn't just a matter of numbers it's about a soul of a school that has been a Cornerstone for so many families so let's talk about that how will this impact their mental health how will this impact our teachers I can tell you firsthand that as it stands today our district does not have the capacity to handle behavioral challenges effectively with increased class Siz as I could only imagine how much worse it will become so I stand before you today and hope that each of you will evaluate question and push back the powers that be we voted for you for this thank you Daniel sorry hi Jackie pñ cavalini six metal Ro could you repeat your last name please sure paa cavalini thank you you're welcome I am here speaking for my B Monro child and The crucial importance the school staff and the bound Community have and continues to have in her education bound was a gift Sent From Heaven to us my child attended kindergarten at a Christian private school as a solution during Co not to have remote learning however it ended up being the first mistake my daughter encountered Boolean coming home after kids told her to go kill herself and STA and staff not protecting her or offering Solutions she transferred to a Charged school where not only face more bullying but also discrimination as well as falling behind academically and staff not communicate effectively to me finally she transferred to bound and she was not only welcome but they took the necessary steps to provide a safe environment to show her she's valuable to work at her Pace while effectively gaining her trust Mrs or Shack her second grade teacher shower her with kindness with actions show her value as a student as a human encourage her strength and work with her in the areas where she was driving and rewarded the areas where she excelled Mrs vaski utilized strategies to start raising her reading level and provided tips to work in conjunction at home Mrs kabaski encouraged open communication between staff family and my child's feelings doctor as she calls her her favorite therapist Miss Russo and her third grade contined where was started and recognized her strength and was able to continue a current building trust now in fourth grade Mrs who is last year's teacher of the year is amplifying her strength appreciates her personality and has provided a safe place that she loves to attend for the first time since preschool my child loves to go to school because bound is her safe place outside of home because of B my daughter is not a a statistic in the news from bullying or possibly suicide because of bound my daughter is striving and feels that she's accomplished yes we are the smallest school by comparison yes for you we are an expense in the budget however closing this school will create a terrible disservice to scatter our children across the district and the possibilities to lose such an amazing team of Educators and a wonderful sto principal Mrs Christina even though my daughter is about to graduate and go to hamers I will forever be grateful that they saved my daughter thank you thank you Jackie is that too far Jennifer Jennifer Figaroa 101 rosan I did not plan on speaking tonight but I came last week to the board meeting to speak on something um something wonderful that I had experienced at the PTSA meeting and as I sat in this chair here I could not believe the budget presentation that I heard I felt like I was back a year ago and my biggest question was in a year what had you done to prepare and plan for this year and I felt based on that presentation that there was pretty much no thought we got through last year and then that's it last year's cuts and budget problems were told that there would be the least impact on students this year's presentation I felt that it's going to have an amazing impact on students amazing in a terribly negative way right there on that screen it says East Brunswick Public Schools excellence in academics Athletics and arts and all I heard last week were cuts too academic Athletics and arts you might as well take that saying down and just put at East buwick schools we are average and I also would like to know why tonight there's an amazing presenter over at Hughes that is a district presentation so it's not it was one school or one sports team but a district presentation it was actually talked about at last week's meeting and here we are at this meeting tonight where you're taking people away from it I apologize cuz I'm going to walk out now because it starts at at seven and I would really like to see it he is an amazing speaker on raising healthy children so here I am spacing my time to come here and I'm listening and I'm just seeing that and every cut that I hear cutting a school closing a school down cutting Athletics cutting Arts I mean I don't even know if that's come up but last year it was a one-year forgiveness so this year I'm assuming that fourth grade arts program um music program is going to be cut because that's what it was told last year that it was a temporary forgiven for so this year I'm assuming that it wasn't talked about cuz it's already been a done deal I'm not even sure but I mean I find it to be a disgrace that it's excellence in any of those things that we're talk all we're talking about is cutting those things thank you Chen good evening Jeff Winston 44 fresh ponds Road East brunon New Jersey I appreciate some of the comments tonight uh president gu you started out this meeting I'm going to paraphrase you said uh their closed session will be for much of we are discussing uh here um that's interesting in the agenda it says the closed session is for attorney client privilege matters concerning employees employer rights and finances I want to quote Dr veski in the tap article uh where he stated in an interview he said the administration of Border are committed to transparency and sharing information with the community regarding the school budget uh which became the subject of controversy last year when I stopped at that paragraph I was extremely excited it looked like you changed your ways in terms of getting things out of secrecy followed by the following comment uh this is not an emergency meeting continued veski we are trying to make sure the board is information it needs before the next budget update on February 13th that's a far cry from an agenda item of attorney client privilege uh once again you're using your weaponized Clos session to keep things from the public the public deserves to hear everything you're going to say about bound everything you're going to say about Athletics arts and academics and everything else that goes along with that stop hiding in that back room and we have a right to hear from our elected officials their thought process as we make decisions on who we want as stewards to a $200 million plus budget so while you sit there stare at me blankly know that we're not going to tolerate the secret sessions anymore I'm looking forward to hearing and reading the notes from that close session meeting and if any word of budget or anything is placed in there you have violated uh njsa 10 col 4-1 12b 1-9 stop using closed session to have conversations that affect everybody in this audience you can't hide from your mistakes it is no secret that health care costs would have gone up that salaries would have gone up and you knew all of this last year when you went through the budget as Mr Juliana stares at his screen but the fact of the matter is you've done nothing to prepare for this there's been no measurement no accountability need I remind the candidates who are recently elected and some of you voiced your concerns on all of this speak up if you see something in closed do not let these people bully you to believe that it belongs there there are nine very distinct reasons why close session items exist attorney client privilege is a lie I call on legal counsel right now at to as repes representing our district to make sure that they stay in compliance this town deserves to hear every foolish lie that comes out of your mouth as we consider what happens next for this board of education and particularly the administration thank you thank you Jeff anyone else hi good evening Maggie georgees from Garfield East Brunswick um so last week um once again we we had a really fun presentation and I took the feedback that was given is contact your legislators I wrote an email I sent it out did a lot of research and um I couldn't believe the research I found I found that the last date for comments was January 17 did anyone from East Brunswick go to any Trenton meeting did anyone from East Brunswick advocate in the last year about our budget so all our emails that we're doing mean nothing they were supposed to be sent before January 17th and I found this out through a Monroe post manur has an advocacy committee and they're completely invested in sending emails hey guys you know Reach Out te Trenton let's go to Trenton they've been so proactive how have we been proactive this year we have not been proactive like we're s telling people to send emails to legislators and it's done it's done the budget is done for this year and what's even more frustrating is last week also it was said that brace yourself for next two to three years brace yourself so we're going to get Cuts every single year and all we're gonna so if we're just looking at a budget and just figuring out Cuts you know anyone can do that right anyone can do that I can look at a budget and say you know this month I'm not going to pay my mortgage because I don't have money all right it takes another level to figure out okay we're coming up with cuts how are we going to come up with Revenue anyone you know really honestly to manage a budget is really not that difficult you know you could just say I'm gonna cut this cut this especially if I'm detached to it I'm detached from B Andro I can easily just close down a school right how about you go spend a week there at Balman row and then tell me you're going to go cut it okay it's very easy to cut when we're so detached so I ask you what have you done this last year and what are you going to do in the next two three years but besides look at a budget that's given to you thank you thank you Maggie anyone else all right I'm going to close the public portion all right sorry need to find the all right we are going into closed session we have a need whereas the Board of Education must discuss matters which are not appropriate for discussion in a public meeting and whereas these subjects are within the exceptions to the open public meetings act and are permitted to be discussed in closed session pursuant to njsa 10-4-2 B and whereas the board of intent of Education intends to discuss matters as listed on tonight's agenda and whereas the length of the Clos session is estimated to be three hours no action tonight right no action after which no action will be taken can I have a motion for closed please all right Tim and Wilbur discussion all in favor I opposed exstension right motion carries we're inclosed