e e e e e e e e e e
e e e e e e e e okay good morning everybody technical issues apologies for that so thank you
to Amanda here for letting me use her laptop um welcome to a regly scheduled Board of Ed meeting um written advance notice of this meeting was provided at least 48 hours ago such notice was provided the time time date and location of this meeting
um in included the agenda to the extent it was known at the time notice of this meeting has been given in accordance with law minutes are being kept by the board secretary and will be made available promptly to any public requesting them from the board secretary at 25 Leen Lane heightstown New Jersey
minutes will be provided at cost and in accordance with board [Music] policy are there any board members present who who believe this meeting to
be in violation of the open public meeting act there being none we may proceed in compliance with the fire code of the state of New Jersey I call your attention to the emergency exits for this room which are located
behind you and to both sides of the cafeteria okay please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States America the for it stands
Nation indivisible for all item [Music] C having received the material having read the materials received I move the agenda be approved to submitted okay
hold the board please Miss concepion yes Miss Drake yes Miss laruso yes Mr lvy yes Miss Patel yes Mr weeks yes Miss
Lans yes item D be it resolved that the East Windsor Regional School District May hold two closed sessions at this meeting these closed sessions concern Personnel minutes of these closed sessions will be made available to the public when the
need for confidentiality no longer exists second pull the board please miss concepion yes Miss Drake yes Miss laruso
yes Mr Larry yes Miss Patel yes Mr weeks yes Miss Lance yes now move on to our student representative report um good evening everyone it is a pleasure to see all of you and we are thrilled to share some of the recent school
happenings before we go any further we would love to Echo our praise for all of the Educators in the district some of who have been our teachers in the past who will be honored with the governor's educator of the Year award tonight it is a well-deserved honor and we are so proud of all the ewrsd staff receiving
this distinction congratulations once again we would like to share some updates on our sports teams here at heightstown our cheer team that recently won at the national level was awarded as state champions at the NJ War City c-ad level this is such an amazing achievement and
we are so proud of our Cher team our boys and girls basketball teams have a double header matchup this Thursday night so be there to support our basketball student athletes as they continue their successful Seasons many members of our track team will be competing at the state level soon which is such a great way to represent our
school as the top runners in the district additionally within our wrestling team Cara Rees became the first girl State qualifier in school history five Boys wrestlers will be moving on to the region 6 tournament with Chris cines earning the district Champion award additionally coach Russo
is coach of the region next we would like to highlight um an exciting event happening next Friday from 5: to 8:00 P.M on March 7th the heightstown girls volleyball team and the senior class of 2025 are hosting the second annual student versus staff
volleyball tournament we encourage students to grab their friends to form a team for this very much anticipated event especially since prizes will be awarded to both the winning team and the team exhibiting the most school spirit if any student have any questions please reach out to misso or Mr BCI but if not
fill out the registration in the form found in the daily announcements for our student athletes please understand that we are two weeks away from the spring Sports season beginning at this point you should have already registered for a sport on the parent portal which is now closed and you must now submit a physical by the
end of the week with zero exceptions to the nurse's office follow the daily announcements to understand what is happening with tryouts for your teams and good luck to everyone we would like to take a moment to highlight and commend all of our students whose artwork was exhibited at
the Hickory Corner Library this P this past month the incredible 3D compositions created by both our middle schoolers at Melvin H KBS and high schoolers here at hdown have been admired by our entire Community we strongly encourage you to visit the library and see their work which will be
displayed until the 28th a huge thank you to our talented artists that concludes the end of our report thank you everyone for listening and we look forward to seeing you again at the next meeting great thank you so much for that report does anyone have any [Music]
questions okay we'll move on to our student um to our presentation of the even for the Governor's education of the Year award Mark so good evening everyone uh my name is Mark Daniels I'm the very proud superintendent of the East wi Regional
School District uh you are very calm and controlled tonight it's good to for you to be here I imagine most of you were here tonight for the Governor's educator of the Year recognition if you are could you put your hands up please all right make sure you're in the right location
so before we get started I'm going say a few words but I just want to make sure we do a quick roll call to ens sure that we we have the uh very deserving recipients here with us tonight so just want to make sure you're here so uh H Yu are you here let me see a hand okay
all right Jackie O'Keefe okay Caitlyn Stevens all right Patty togens okay Nicole coochie all right Amy Hines great Michelle Randall all right
Laura Lynch Angie Williams Marissa I like what you're doing right because we be about to do that I like that I like it I like it Marissa omali okay Kimberly roas Rosas okay and uh Eden
Edinger okay so let's give our recipients a huge round of applause to us okay so I'd say it's an honor to welcome you to this special celebration of excellence and education this evening uh for our annual Governor's educator of
the Year recognition this evening We Gather to acknowledge the heart dedication an impact of some of our District's most outstanding professionals education is not just a profession it's a calling one that requires passion resilience and a
continued commitment to students the outstanding individuals we recognize today embody these qualities so on behalf of the East winter Regional School District I extend my deepest gratitude and conrat and congratulations to each of you thank you for all you do
for for our students and i' say most importantly thank thank you for continuing to choose the East Windsor Regional School District as your professional home so without further Ado we're going to transition into the recognition portion before I call some folks up I just want to share a little
background in terms of process here you know we have about 600 certificated staff members and about 300 or so other staff members in the district so this is no small feat uh for the 12 individuals that we are highlighting tonight I should also acknowledge that look we've
got a host of other individuals who could also be here tonight being recognized um but I think it's important for us to make sure that we we certainly celebrate and highlight the individuals who are deserving of this recognition this evening from a process standpoint um you know there's a
nomination period where members of the community can submit uh their nomination form regarding who they think is deserving uh expressing kind of some rationale to to why uh the the main criteria that we used to kind of score and determine who we think will rise and
and Elevate to being that deserving recipient based on a few factors mainly uh someone who serves uh as an exceptionally skilled and dedicated educator uh someone who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn someone who
demonstrates leadership and innovation in and outside the classroom someone who has the respect and admiration of students parents administrators and colleagues and someone who plays an actor role in the school Community uh so with that said I'm going to begin things
this evening by starting with our eth mcnight school I'm going to ask the principal Mr Nicole folks to come on up and we will begin uh by recognizing Jackie o'keef good evening it is my great honor to
recognize Jackie O'Keefe as eth eth mcnight Elementary School's Governor educator of the Year Mrs o'keef embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator dedication passion and creativity as a physical education teacher she is committed to the health and well-being
of every student ensuring that all children feel valued and included regardless of their athletic ability her Innovative and adaptive approach makes physical education engaging and accessible for all she not only teaches fundamental motor skills but also
instills confidence teamwork and a love for lifelong Fitness beyond the gym Mrs O'Keefe is a role model admired by students families and colleagues alike for her ability to inspire and connect with those she teaches Mrs O'Keefe's
impact on our school Community is immeasurable and we are so proud to celebrate her as our Governor's educator of the year please please join me in congratulating her on this well-deserved honor are we you know I forgot to mention at the end of this okay all the
recipient stay for a moment so we can take a group picture are we doing individuals right now just check figuring out the process okay all right um Mrs u h u there you
are all right it is my privilege to recognize H you as Ethel mcnight Elementary School's Educational Services professional of the year as an educational assistant Mrs U exemplifies dedication intuition and a true eagerness to grow though still
early in her career she approaches each day with the skill and in Insight of a seasoned professional she takes the time to truly understand each child as an individual adapting her support to meet their unique needs and fostering both academic and social emotional growth
Beyond her core responsibilities Mrs U is a constant source of support in the classroom always ready to step in wherever needed to create a positive and productive learning environment her adaptability collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment to our students make make her an invaluable part of our
school Community Mrs U's impact is lasting and we are so fortunate to have her at emk please join me in celebrating her well-deserved recognition as our Educational Services professional of the [Music] Year okay moving right along we are
transitioning to Wal to C black I'd like to call the princip principal Heather glowski Heather glowski okay I'd like to welcome Amy Hines up to the podium she's our educational specialist of the year come on down Amy hin serves as one of our speech
and language pathologists and that's her little daughter Eleanor back there her dedication kindness and expertise have made an incredible difference in the lives of so many children Amy approaches every situation
with a positive attitude and always manages to find the light even in the most challenging moments her optimism is contagious and her ability to lift others up is something we all admire she's the type of person who is always willing to help and is always
finding creative ways to support those around her Amy takes the time to really get to know each student and creates individualized plans to meet their unique needs Amy is a huge support to families as well she keeps parents updated offering guidance so they can
support their children at home Amy's dedication compassion and commitment to helping others makes her such a valuable part of our school Community congratulations for this well-deserved honor um now our teacher of the year Nicole
coochie Nicole coochie is a basic skills teacher at the Walter SE black school she has been part of the East Windsor Regional School school district for 24 years Nikki goes out of her way to make sure every student feels supported and ready to learn always finding ways to
make learning fun and effective her use of creative strategies to help kids learn their letters and sounds and her motivational techniques that include small rewards are just a few examples of why she's an exceptional teacher Nikki is a valuable resource for her
colleagues always willing to share tips ideas and various materials she is a seesaw Ambassador and she is enrolled in the Wilson training program to become a foundations's coach finding ways to enhance instruction using edtech like the Seesaw program is a passion of hers
and she willingly shares this knowledge with others additionally she spends much of her own time learning how to help teachers with phonics and literacy instruction showing her dedication to supporting our young students as they develop into readers Nikki is a familiar face at our school events she builds
strong relationships with her students and ensures parents know how their children are doing in school and how they can help at home she is an incredible teacher a supportive colleague and a true asset to our school Community congratulations on this accomplishment okay moving on to GNR I'd
like to call to the podium the principal Lori Emerson okay Kaitlyn Stevens nurse Stevens's nurturing nature and dedication to student well-being make her an invaluable part of the G&R Community she is a compassionate
advocate for students and families with medical needs and she ensures every child receives the care and support they need nurse Stevens goes beyond treating minor injuries and illnesses she works closely with families to help them
navigate health challenges and access essential resources whether it's connecting parents with Community Services or providing ongoing support for chronic conditions she always promotes the health and safety of all students in
addition to her work with families nurse Stevens has developed a strong rapport with students creating an atmosphere of comfort and Trust in the nurse's office her approachable and empathetic demeanor helps students feel at ease knowing they are in good hands nurse Stevens is also
a key resource for staff ensuring everyone is informed about procedures for handling Medical situations her dedication to educating and supporting the entire School Community has made a lasting impact making her more than deserving of the educational services
provider of the Year congratulations and Mrs toan is our teacher of the year come on up Mrs toan's dedication to her students and the teaching profession is unmatched
she is committed to creating a nurturing and inspiring learning environment and is especially passionate about teaching reading and developing students foundational reading skills she works tirely ly to ensure each student builds a strong literacy base helping them
develop the phic awareness fluency and comprehension necessary for lifelong learning going above and beyond she provides one-on-one support and tailor her strategies to meet individual needs and fosters confidence in her students
so they take the risks they need to learn to read and become readers beyond the classroom Mrs toin plays an essential role in supporting her colleagues she frequently provides professional development focused on foundational reading instruction sharing
Innovative methods and best practices that enhance literacy schoolwide as a member of our school's intervention and referral services committee she offers suggestions and strategies for teachers to use with their students who are struggling
readers always available to help her colleagues she is a trusted Mentor who offers guidance and encouragement whenever needed her unwavering commitment to Excellence and her supportive nature have made her an invaluable leader in the G&R School
Community truly deserving of the governor's educator of the Year recognition Okay moving on to per Drew school i' like to welcome to the podium the principal Jasmine Allen good evening everyone could I
please have Miss Laura Lynch come to the podium Laura Lynch is a remarkable educational assistant who embodies empathy adaptability and a commitment to Student Success Laura Lynch's dedication to her
students is truly inspiring she has an innate ability to connect with each child on a personal level understanding their unique needs and strengths whether it's academically socially or emotionally Laura creates opportunity
unities for her students to thrive she listens with genuine care offering a safe space for them to express themselves while also providing the support they need to succeed her compassion and dedication go far beyond her official role she is truly invested
in the success and well-being of every student that she works with Laura's ability to make quick decisions and find solutions to challenges has a tremendous impact on the classroom environment she is known for her upbeat energy and
always strives to create a positive and productive atmosphere one that benefits not only her students but our entire School above all what stands out about Laura is her deep care for everyone she interacts with from students to staff to
families she has a unique ability to inspire and Empower those around her making a lasting impact for all who are fortunate enough to work with her Laura you play an intrical role in plld success and it is an honor to work with
you I'm so excited that to see you recognized as Perry L Drew's educator service professional of the Year congratulations can I please have Miss Michelle Randall come to the podium
Michelle is also celebrating her 25th year in education as a whole this year so it's a great achievement for her Michelle Randall is an exceptional educator mentor and leader within the Perry L Drew school though I've only had
the pr the privilege of knowing her for just one year it is clear that her impact runs deep Michelle is more than a teacher she is a guiding force for her students a pillar of support for her colleagues and a trusted partner for parents one of
the most inspiring things about Michelle is her ability to connect with students Beyond academics this year she provided unwavering support to a new student struggling with personal challenges at home she not only gave this student a safe space to share and heal but also
equipped them with strategies to build resilience and self- advocacy this is who Michelle is an educator who teaches not just lessons but life skills instilling confidence and strength in her students Beyond her work with
students Michelle is a mentor to her colleagues and a trusted voice for parents she has a way of making everyone feel supported around her and heard whether she's helping a fellow teacher navigate a challenge guiding offering
guidance to a student going through a difficult time reassuring a parent with thoughtful advice or planning an unforgettable fifth grade event Michelle leads with compassion and wisdom she doesn't just do her job she invests in
the success of those around her always striving to lift others up Michelle you are the kind of educator who makes a lasting impact not just for the school year but for a lifetime it is with great pride and admiration that we celebrate Mrs
Michelle Randle as Drew School's teacher of the year congratulations okay moving right along uh we're at the middle school we've left the elementary school so now we're at Melvin H KS Middle School I'd like to call to the podium um I think an assistant principal
tonight uh Mr Rodney pointed sure oh thank you good evening uh I would like to call up Angela [Music] Williams Miss Angie Williams is the Melvin H creps middle school specialist
of the year and she embodies all of the characteristics of an outstanding staff member and Works closely with our sixth grade students as a grade level school counselor she supports students to ensure they are getting the support they
need both academically and social emotionally to be successful in their classes in addition she is a team player and loves children she can be found eating lunch with her students helping them with their lockers and walking them
to class Miss Williams makes strong connections with her students and families in her nomination letter a parent writes she has shown me the bright side of dealing with a guidance counselor she provides support both to students and
parents she follows up and follows through on things she is knowledgeable and has the life experiences and education to match she has a warm and welcoming disposition from the first day of meeting her she makes you feel like
your old friends she makes you feel like she is worthy of your trust and all she wants to do is help Miss Williams is kind and passionate of others she also values the greater MH mhk Community she
is a member of oural committee and is dedicated to the mission of the committee which is to help students connect to mhk and Infuse social emotional learning into all courses at craps Miss Williams is also one of the
advisers of our eighth grade peer leader program she promotes leadership and mentorship with our students Miss Williams hasn't been at mhk very long but she has already made a meaningful impact on her students and the
school she is well respect she is a well respected staff member and a very deserving staff member of this honor congratulations Angie mhk is lucky to have you supporting our
[Music] students I'm sorry okay next I'd like to call up Marissa Ali Mrs om Ali can be seen welcoming students into the building every day her morning duty is the front School of the
building she is the perfect person to serve in that post she is positive and greets students with a great big smile she has served the students of East Windsor Regional School District since 2018 at Melvin H creps Middle School
Miss Ali has spent her time in the district as a special education teacher over the years she has taught a variety of science courses including in-class support outof class replacement and lldd classes she enjoys working with this
special population of students over the years her colleagues supervisors and administrators have commended her for the following designing creative lessons that meet the needs of her students meeting with students during her lunch and academic support to provide them
with extra help and reteach Concepts serving on the intervention and referral services committee she volunteers her time to be an advocate and Mentor for mhk students she is an asset to the committee and
comes up with various ways to help students being inclusive of all students and staff at MH K working with new staff members as a mentor her work ethic is truly unmatched and her commitment to Student Success is
evident in every aspect of her teaching practice Mrs om Ali is a valuable member of the mhk community she cares about her students and goes above and beyond for the Greater Community we are lucky to
have her serving the students at creps Marissa we are proud that you represent mhk at this year's Governor's teacher Year [Music] Awards okay moving right along here last
but not least we are at the high school Heist Town High School principal Dennis Vinson thank mros thank you and congratulations to all the award winners this year heistan high school is Overjoyed to announc that Miss kimly Rosas has been named height
sound High School's Governor support staff of the Year Kim is an invaluable member of our child study team whose professionalism dedication and innovation has made a lasting impact on our students families and school Community Kim goes above and
beond to ensure every student receives the support they need her deep understanding of special education laws and best practice allows her to advocate for students academic social and emotional success she Fosters trusting relationships with students and families
creating a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued Kim actively collaborates with teachers administrators and support staff to implement targeted Innovation strategies her ability to analyze data and provide actual insight has led to measurable
improvements in her student outcomes she also serves as a trusted mentor to her colleagues guiding them in their professional growth Kim approaches every challenge with compassion and problem solving Insight she inspires those around her to embrace a culture of
inclusivity equity and aligning the values we uphold at height sound High School whether man managing challenging case loads navigating complex parent inter inter actions and addressing departmental changes Kim handles every
situation with professionalism and Grace her unwavering commitment to the students never falters even in the face of adversity Kim actively engages in professional development community outreach staying ahead of emerging Trends to better serve her students she
also supports our out of District placements and collaborates with the community therapists to provide comprehensive care Kim understands what it means to be a dedicated profession professional in education her passion for her work her kindness and her
support for our students and staff make her a very important part of he Sound Community congratulation Kim well deserved uh last but not least here at height sown High School we're thrilled to announce Miss Eden Edinger as the height sound High School Governor's teacher of the year
edting embro embodies everything that means to be an exceptional educator dedication creativity and profound commitment to our Student Success Eden as a teacher of the AP Language and Composition dual enrollment English Eden it goes beyond simply delivering curriculum she invests in her
students growth often taking the time to provide individual support whether it's brainstorming an essay reviewing or reviewing a college application material eating brings Learning To Life by integrating cultural events personal interests real world application and
their lessons from a reading challenges to collaborative writing exercises her students are not only learning but they're inspired to think critically and creatively Edan is build a classroom environment where every student feels valued and supported her ability to provide constructive feedback and
encouragement self-reflection help students develop academically and personally eating goes beyond eating's impact is beyond her students she plays a vital role in mentoring new teachers and fostering collaborative collaboration among her colleagues her willingness to share her expertise and
support exemplifies her dedication to the teaching profession Eden also ask her student Eden has asked her students often describe her as a role model she even as as a trusted friend many her former students continue to seek her guidance a testament her lasting impression she makes on everyone Ian's
passion for teaching coupled with her humility and self selfishness makes her a shining example of Excellence in education we're extremely proud to celebrate her thank you Eden on your well-deserved honor okay well unfortunately that concludes our Governor's educator of the
Year recognition so why don't we give a one large round of applause to this year's recipients well done so um a couple of words in closing didn't mention this at the beginning so um our recipients this year are
eligible uh to um be considered for the Mera County uh educator of the Year recognition that process uh begins uh pretty soon so um they can take it Beyond The District level which I think is is pretty cool um a few thank yous
from from my end today I I'll begin by just thanking our Educators our professionals um you know we don't take lightly the work that you do just listening to some of the ways that you've been described by folks uh within the district speaks volumes in terms of the work you do each day and um I'm just
thrilled that you're here and and on behalf of our students I will humbly say thank you for for being such dedicated professionals okay I also want to thank uh the folks who support you and and those would be your family members and who are here tonight and Friends potentially but I'd say family is
important and obviously based on some of our families in here to some of our families are well represented and I love to support us here I think you do your best work because of the support system that you you have at home so thank you to our families give it to the families
give it up for those families thank you um I want to I want to thank our principles and administrators who uh took the time to um write those kind words for each of our recipients tonight and be here to to share those words so
thank you to our principles and our assistant principal from the Middle School I also want to thank um the human resources department they do a lot of the organizational work connected to making tonight happen as well as L Gonzalez my Administrative Assistant
definitely want to thank her also want to thank uh ewea who uh they were bearing gifts this evening so as thank you for their support and um with that said I'm going to turn things over to Tina Tina you have any any words of of
uh joy for these amazing educ absolutely it's a joyful occasion I just want to congratulate you all and thank you for your tireless endless work I know all our all of our employees but our teachers and our Educators and our educating assistants and our support
staff they all go above and beyond I know you work during hours I can't officially say you work after hours but from personal experience I know you do I know you put a lot into this so thank you so much and congratulations okay so last thing that you need to do right now so we we'll
probably take a five minute Hiatus little pause but before you go if we could just have our recipients just gather here in in front of the podium and we'll do a brief picture te you want to join us Tina if you want to join us for the
picture all right and then oh you know what the plaque wow I mean I'm not going to tell them no they can't bring the plaque e e
e e e e e e e e e e
e e e e e okay okay we'll begin again our next step is um our superintendent report okay uh good evening again uh
just a couple of quick announcements this evening I'd start I'll start with the budget we're kind of in budget season so um couple of things just to to bring to everyone's attention so tomorrow we have
the governor's budget address uh at 3 P.M I believe it is I thought it was 2 p p.m. is it 3 p p.m. is it three okay it's tomorrow afternoon typically two days after the governor's budget address school districts across the state receive uh
their state aid uh numbers uh last week the New Jersey Department of Education shared with districts across the state and I think they did this um to be supportive and to be somewhat transparent in terms of a somewhat of a
projection in terms of what what state a would reflect but they indicated that school district should not anticipate a receiving uh greater than a 3% reduction in state aid compared to the amount that they received for the
202 4 25 school year so on on one hand you know we we could you know we could be um appreciative of that however uh if we were to uh be reduced by 3% compared to uh the current Year's budget that
would equate to about $1.5 million less state aid than we received last year so uh I'm hoping that that's not the case for us uh We've budgeted we've planned for a budget uh with flat aid for the this year anticipating that
we're going to get a comparable amount um that we received last year so uh we'll we'll find out in short order uh regarding uh the budget another update for tonight just in terms of the the Middle School principal position um we've been in the
process of uh interviewing uh candidates started with a poll of well we had about over 60 applicants but I screened about 12 applicants we brought in uh eight individuals to meet with a
committee uh last week excuse me um the next phase in the process is to invite about three or four individuals back in um to identify final candidates so the goal will be to have uh a recommendation for the board at the
March 10th uh meeting and with that it concludes my report thank you okay thank you Mark um next up is our first opportunity for board member comments I just wanted to um thank all
of the teachers and staff that were at the high school um conferences on Thursday the weather was terrible so um thank you to everybody who came out and also I wanted to say thank you for the the new signs in high school that were helpful in trying to
find your way around so thanks and thank you again to all the congratulations to all the recipients of the governor educator of the Year award I too want to congratulate all the all the teachers the governor uh educator recipients um so great to be
honored that way and I uh also want to thank for the signage that got me to the counseling office where I usually get lost so thank you okay if there's no other questions we'll move on to our first opportunity for public comment if any of the members of
the public wish to speak okay there being none we'll move on to exe executive session and we'll be 15 to 20 minutes about 15 to 20 minutes thank you e e
e e e e e e e e e e
e e e e e okay we are back um next up on the agenda is old [Music] business so we're looking those are our
dates of the committee meetings um and today there was a curriculum committee meeting Michael do you want to do not okay thank you Michael will summarize for us right now or during comments you do it
down um so the uh uh curriculum meeting or curriculum committee met tonight uh with the supervisors and we went over um the
[Music] um the uh program study sorry uh went over um generally the roles of counseling staff um and how they support academic advisement and scheduling uh we
went over graduation requirements um State versus uh what we require here in the district uh State requiring 120 credits and in District we have 130 credits required then over the course levels uh
standard um academic which is main main stream uh course of study uh honors AP and dual enrollment uh over uh ESL and SEI course uh offerings sheltered
classes uh special education um student appeal process relating to uh opportunities for students to challenge their recommended course levels either to
um move into a higher level than they were assessed for or to drop back into a lower level we whenever requirements for athletics then jsia AA um participation uh we went over course of
requirements and electives new course offerings which are pretty exciting there's a uh new English offerings with uh children's literature an updated version uh an epic Tale class which was a student request uh
poetry the art of language which was also driven by student request there are a couple of um excellent And Timely Social Studies classes being offered in the district uh that are going to tie into the election cycle in the fall um
related to New Jersey specifically but also uh Civics related to the uh separation of the different branches of the government um there is a new offering in computer
science uh for at the intro level um for uh programming in c and uh we learned that they're going to be keeping um the computer science classes out of an AP track so that as many people as possible are able to enroll
and participate in those classes uh there's also two new performance uh performing arts classes there's now a high school orchestra thanks to the growth of that program over the years since it being introduced um and now we also have an
advanced rock band two sessions spring and fall or uh fall and Spring right um we're also expanding the business curriculum um with an intro intro to financial lit in n9th and 10th
grade intro to business which I think that's what is they're splitting that to be a full year between the intro to financial literature and intro to business um there's personal business finance for 11th and 12th graders and then um they're changing the intro to
excel class to be an intro to spreadsheets class to ensure that people are covering off on all of the available um spreadsheet tools out there Google uh Google Sheets which is being used in the
in the district so um we also went over uh the roller coaster planning they're using uh for electives because of concerns over the number of electives we have the O the the uh opportunity for
there to be not enough students enrolling in an elective each year if it's offered every year so they're doing an odd even schedule so people are able to plan two two to in some cases three years ahead
um to take the electives that they want or or need for uh what their course of study might be when they move into a secondary education and I think that's about
it there's a lot of information again um that that wasn't directly covered but in general um we also did talk through the uh science and math requirements both from uh um
primarily around the uh the uh acceleration process so accelerated uh math um trajectory or double accelerated math trajectory from Middle School uh there will be increased communication to parents
regarding what that track looks like um once a student does move into this uh uh a double advanced level of math that impacts the classes they'll be required to take as they progress into high
school um so they're aware of the of the of the difficulty level and the increasing amount of uh complexity that they'll be facing and then we also went over the
um the science curriculum and the uh and there that there have been we brought up there were concerns regarding the uh chemistry and physics
requirements once you were at that AP level um and that uh because we're treating this as a comprehensive district and that other schools are looking for people with a wide science-based approach that's been
the approach that we taken as a district historically uh and missing [Music] anything no I'm looking at my notes I think you've got it all the only notation I did have that might be I'm
sure the people affected by it um the dual enrollment courses the cost is increasing from 150 to 240 um 220 220 was 17 was 170 to 220 I think it was like a $50 increase 15 to
220 so I my apologies I wrote it down around 150 to 220 20 and that's all the extra I have any any questions okay so I have a question you mentioned something about um the physics class some track that
they have to do uh for the Cod study right now it's saying they take a bio first uh which is on page 47 of the program studies uh they take first then they have a chemistry or physics or chemistry physic and elective is it a
requirement to take a physics on the accelerated path on the yeah so to to graduate if you are if you are accelerator to become out of Middle School having completed an
um earth science and physical science in middle school at an advanced level you will start on biology you will then move into either chemistry or physics plus un elective okay in sophomore year you then have to take
chemistry or physics whichever one you didn't take but is it a why are we requiring to take physics why can't they take another in the policy District policy 5460 three credits five credit each
first via bio SL Life Sciences the second course can shall include chemistry enir Al science or physics and H okay so you don't have to to graduate so let and one additional uh
lab inquiry based science course as an elect okay so we good right we are up to the yeah we're good not not every student needs to take physics but if you're on an accelerated path that is the that is the trajectory that you follow don't take physics uh they would
take another elective right let's say they take bio first then they take chemistry The Accelerated path okay okay and that the third year would be elective let's say they don't want to take physics because they're not on that track because physic would be someone
who's doing that type of expert that skill set they would need in college year some like my kid wouldn't need physics because she's going to the business track yeah on the Exel cated path um it's for middle school starting in
middle school all the way through High School although we can checkpoints there's checkpoints along the way the student has a choice um in continuing in the high school um being a comprehensive District the
colleges and universities out there are asking for are looking for and that there's a better chance of getting into more have more opportunities with a well-rounded Science Background instead of zoning in on one facet like biology
or chemistry so that's the premise behind it um again it's been said we as a board can discuss this if we want to change anything but it's been this way for quite some time and our students being accepted to colleges and universities have increased over the
years a lot based on what our exceptions rates were before we put this into place as a district so that's kind of the history behind that so it ties with our district policy then it does because the district policy is at least yes the
district policy states at least there are students who are on an accelerated path so there's a different trajectory for them I have a question I thought if you came in taking bio if you take biof freshman year sophomore you would take chemistry or physics and then junior
year you would take whatever you didn't take sophomore year so you do have to take physics yes right no that's what the accelerated path option is well you don't not everybody takes bio the first year right but if you take bio if you're coming in freshening you're taking bio
that mean that means you're on that accelerated track because you took the physical science and CPS so then you're coming in freshman year you're going to take bio sophomore you're going to take chemistry or physics and then junior year you would take
whatever you didn't take so if you took physics or you would switch it so you do have to take chemistry or physics depending on the if yeah yeah I guess we said physics because most people are having the an apprehension of taking physics but yeah on the traditional path
it's chemistry or physics so if you want to take physics you can take physics but you don't have to if you on the traditional path because you're taking earth science and physical fresh your bio it's only that accelerated path that it's the issue mhm
okay any other questions so if you are not on accelerated path if you just take biochemistry then they can take any other twool since they're not on that track correct and it doesn't disturb that graduating requirements of number
of credits they need for science to graduate correct is that what you're saying yes okay thank you that is my understanding Sandy I'm sorry can you come to the mic thank you if you are not on the accelerated
track freshman year you would take half a semester I'm sorry one semester of Earth One Semester of physical science sophomore year you would take biology junior year you would take chem or physics of your choice or whatever you want it at that point so that's why so if you're accelerated you
would have biofresh me if you're not accelerated you would have earth physical freshman year I just didn't want to make sure on the record that we weren't saying accelerated was both bio as well as non accelerated for biof freshman [Music] year okay next we will move to to the
item 7B the 20 2025 2026 [Music] budget that's really just as reg youting what I shared during my superintendent report just for the mere fact that it's
timely and the broadcast that the doe shared last week regarding the uh communic ation connected to no more than 3% reduction compared to this year's current state aid allotment um just wanted to make sure
that the board was fully aware of that so it could be a non-issue for us but if there will be a reduction it will not exceed 3% um compared to the state aid that we receive for the current school year all right and the other information on it is
connected to the the governor's address um state aid um uh uh assignments that will come out 48 hours later and then March 10th will be the early initial adoption of our budget so that'll be our budget presentation at night Paul March 10th
yes so so March 10th board meeting we'll um will'll be our initial presentation regarding the 2526 budget any questions uh yeah I have a question uh let's assume um they are doing the reduction of the 3% I'm
assuming not how does it affect our budget that we have already projected like what would be taken out or what would be reduced or do we have excess reserved to cover our deficit I'm just saying
what if with lot of stuff happening right now we just saying what if what happens to us so so um if there is a 3% reduction that we would have to identify uh the $1.5 million that we've
already kind of allocated for the budget so there's a few things we can take a look at as it relates to some you know we've got some proposed Staffing positions new FTE positions we've got you know cost savings that may come through attrition with people retiring
and then us determining whether or not we need to replace those positions so um it will be an exercise in determining what that will be and um you know we've we've taken a preliminary look at it but it'll be you know most of the money is
connected to Staffing obviously we don't want to we're not in the in the business of reducing staff uh obviously we're looking to avoid any uh negative implications to classrooms but you know we'd have to look at some some you know everything
everything on the table to to determine uh what we can do to to to get that cost saving so you know there's some um there options for us I mean I'd like to think that um you know I'd like to avoid having to do that but it I don't think
it's going to have a significant impact but I will say it's not a sustainable model as we move I think we can work it for this year as we fast forward to next year then it begins to have a negative implication regarding our instructional program so I'd like to avoid that so
we'll let you know thank you Mark can I just add one point to your question on Reserves right now we're we we've had an excellent track record where we do not rely on the kind of reserves that you're referring to because they're not recurring so what we try to do is align
our recurring expenses with reoccurring revenues which is really just two things state aid and our tax levy so anything outside of that we try to stay away from because you can get in a tight Jam because you might have reserve one year you know funding teachers and salaries
and then the next year that Reserve is gone and then you're caught in and you know in in trouble so we've had a very good excellent record of staying away from that kind of stuff even when uh we had all of this Co money flowing through here we did not rely on that for reoccurring Revenue it was kind of one
shot expenses so when that special Revenue went away the expenses went away and we weren't necessarily harmed for that thank you any other questions okay we'll take our second opportunity for board member
[Music] comments there being none will be our second opportunity for public comment anyone from the public wish to speak okay there being none we'll move on to item number
nine motion to approve routine items by exception having read the materials received I move that the board approve the routin agenda item routine agenda items as submitted a staffing for February 24th 2025 B HIV report from February 10th
2025 C approve remote board member attendance D approve new field trip sites for upcoming trips e approve heightstown High School science league uncompensated club F approve HHS thespian Society
uncompensated Club G approve HHS Triathlon uncompensated Club H approve travel and related expenses virtual and in person I approve HHS overnight trip Universal Studios Orlando Florida April to May of
2025 J approve HHS program of studies 2025 to 2026 K approve approval competitive RFP process L out of District placement M Co-op purchases n board meeting minutes
for February 10th of 2025 o executive session board minutes February 10th of 2025 P Bill list of February 24th 2025 any [Music] questions
second pull the board please miss conception yes Miss Drake yes Miss laruso yes Mr lty yes Miss Patel yes Mr weeks yes Miss L
yes being there's no need for a second executive session we are Jed