WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 2
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=Hk-L6pad0DY
Video-2: youtube.com/watch?v=y8lHbOz3eBg

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: Hk-L6pad0DY):
- 00:00:00: Meeting Opening, Roll Call, and Pledge of Allegiance
- 00:06:52: Superintendent Presents the 2026-2027 School Budget
- 00:25:41: Financial Data: Budget Development Process and Revenue Sources
- 00:38:04: Public Comment 1: Maria Loren - Budget Concerns and Recommendations
- 00:42:38: Board Member Moreno Praises and Compares Budget Positively
- 00:47:26: Board Member Jacobs Questions Kennedy Regarding Finances
- 00:58:23: Other Board Members Express Gratitude; Meeting Adjourned

Part 2 (Video ID: y8lHbOz3eBg):
- 00:01:59: Board of Education Meeting: Call to Order, Roll Call
- 00:05:46: Moment of Silence, Pledge of Allegiance, Pledge of Ethics
- 00:09:04: Introduction of Student Representative Adam Abousaid
- 00:13:25: Public Comment Guidelines and First Speaker
- 00:14:31: Maria Lorenz Comments on Hiring Practices and Transparency
- 00:17:38: Board Responds, Begins Reviewing and Approving Agenda Items
- 00:18:57: Personnel Report, Retirement Highlight, Tuition Report
- 00:20:57: Superintendent's Report, Student Achievements, Athletics
- 00:22:27: Tabling Authorizations and Award of Contracts to Private Session
- 00:24:10: Student Representative Adam Abousaid's Presentation
- 00:28:00: Negotiations Committee Meeting Information Read by Commissioner
- 00:30:32: Motions, Private Session for Personnel, Legal Matters
- 00:31:26: Private Session Discussion: Personnel and Legal Concerns
- 00:40:19: Private Session Discussion: Personnel and Legal Concerns
- 00:44:15: Announcements: Teacher, Nurse Appreciation, Panorama Survey
- 00:45:50: Financial Aid Nights, Excellence Awards, Senior Prom
- 00:47:50: Eighth Grade Promotion and High School Graduation Details
- 00:51:08: Student Assessments Update, Best Music Education Award
- 00:53:28: Hamilton Academy Student Awarded Amazon Scholarship
- 01:03:21: Private Session Discussion: Personnel and Legal Concerns
- 01:35:56: Private Session Discussion: Personnel and Legal Concerns
- 01:39:44: Private Session Discussion: Personnel and Legal Concerns
- 02:10:26: Board Reconvenes, Adding Additional Items to Agenda
- 02:12:19: Mr. Kennedy Adding Items to Agenda after Private Session
- 02:20:25: Review of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Report
- 02:21:50: Passing the Agenda, Board Member Comments and Adjournment
- 02:27:05: Final Comments, Appreciation, and Motion to Adjourn


Part: 1

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--------- Are we live? All right. Good evening everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. This is a public hearing on the budget for the school year of July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2027. Pursuant to New Jersey statue and the rules adopted by

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the board of education, notice of this meeting was sent to the star ledger and cable vision of Elizabeth on April 24th, 2026. In addition, this not notice is posted on the bulletin board of the lobby of 500 North Broad Street. And

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pursuant to this act, a copy has been filed with the city clerk of Elizabeth, New Jersey. I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone present for this May 7th, 2026 meeting of the board of education. This meeting is being

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recorded and will become part of the Elizabeth Board of Education permanent record. In order for that the recording to be accurately re reflect the proceedings, please refrain from talking while others are speaking. We ask that

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you silence the sounds on your electronic devices since it is legally mandated that these proceedings be accurately recorded. We may have to ask for order periodically should noise begin to interfere with our recording capabilities. We are pleased that you

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have taken this time this evening to join us here for our board of education meeting. Thank you for your interest in the Elizabeth public schools. We are here this evening to hear the public express views regarding the proposed 2026 2027 budget in accordance

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with New Jersey statute 18A 22-13 and I quote on the day and at the time and place so fixed the board of education shall hold such public hearings at which time Taxpayers and

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other interested people shall have an opportunity to present objections and be heard with respect to said budget and amounts of money necessary to appropriate and the various items and purposes for which the same are to be

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appropriated for the use of public schools in the district for the school year. There will be a public portion for citizens to address the public. Participants for the public portion must personally sign in prior to the start of the public participation portion so that

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they may have the opportunity to speak. The sign-in sheet states the name, address, telephone number, and reason that the person wants to comment, whether it is an agenda item or a general education. Mr. Kennedy, roll call, please. Barbosa

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Basilus Chevresz Clairvoyant Noel >> present. >> Jacobs >> present. >> Marina Ortega >> present. >> Pastana >> present.

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>> Rivera Carvalo >> present. At this time, I ask that everyone please stand for the presentation of colors. >> By Admiral William F. Hollyy, Jr., >> Health and Public Safety Academy, JOTC.

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>> She has muted. Are you muted? >> You can hear me. At this time, I ask board member Jerry Jacobs to please lead us in the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it

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stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Star Spangle Banner. Oh, say can you see

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by the dawn early [singing] light so proud we held at the twilight last stripes and bright stars

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through the [singing] fight or the rampart. We glare the bombs bursting in [screaming] gave proof through the night [singing]

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that our flag Does that star spangled yet for the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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Oh, no. Round of applause for William F. Howerin Jr. Health and Public Safety Academy, JOTC. Thank you. Please be seated. All right.

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I now ask our superintendent of schools to present the 2026 2027 school budget. Tonight we will be presenting the 2026 2027 Elizabeth Board of Education budget

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which sustains our recent educational improvements and supports continued strong academic progress for all of our students. Ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students depends on adequately

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funding all of our public schools so that they can offer a challenging curricula across all subjects, taught by skilled educators, and supported by dedicated leaders at both the school and district levels.

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Adequate resources are especially crucial for our underserved community. We have carefully developed a budget that focuses on protecting instructional positions in all schools and aligning our spending with our ambitious goals

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for education. This budget supports our instructional priorities, aligns resources with district goals, and ensures the continued progress for all of our students. I'd like to thank our board of

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education members and all of our administrators for working with me on the 2627 budget and for your dedication to our children. I would like to express my profound gratitude to our remarkable group of individuals, our Elizabeth Board of

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Education. These nine dedicated volunteers generously dedicate countless hours to ensure that every student in our district has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally. To our finance and accounting committee,

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together with Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Mahalra. I want to express my sincere gratitude for the careful planning that supports this budget and as a result will serve our community well. I'm going to now turn to our

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demographics. So, we continue to be the second largest school district in the state of New Jersey. We have a total of 37 schools comprised of three early childhood centers, 20 neighborhood schools, six magnet

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schools, and eight high schoolmies. Our class of 2025 representing a record number 2008 graduates with an 88.4% graduation rate. Our community here in

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our Elizabeth public schools comprised of 81.9 free and reduced lunch recipients. And we are very fortunate to have 4,190 team members that work collaboratively

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in ensuring the success of our students. Regardless of what department they may be in, we all contribute towards the success of our children. And then in terms of our student profile for the 2526 uh school year, go back for a

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second please. Thank you. We have uh 52% our students that are general education and that uh translates to 14,188 students. We have uh multilingual learners and that uh percentage is 34%

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and that represents um a total of 9,275 students. our special education students which really you learn about in two different uh categories. Our special education students uh 9.3% and that represents 2534

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students. And then we have the category where we have both our multilingual students and our special education students. So there are students that are coded as both multilingual and special needs. And that represents 4.7%

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and that is a total of 12 81 students. As we continue on to our next slide, thank you. The Elizabeth Public Schools has developed a culture of continuous improvement. And of course, this fosters excellence and equity because it ensures that all

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students and especially those from groups that have been traditionally underserved will receive an education and supports that are necessary to be able to succeed, to thrive. As you can see from the slide before you, our promise to our students and that is

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supported through college uh goal of college preparedness, career readiness for every child by implementing multi-tered systems of supports, professional learning communities and data consults. And all of these three

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areas, these key goals ensure that we are creating a data focused approach for continuous improvement across the district. I would like to recognize Governor Cheryl for her commitment to education.

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We're incredibly grateful to Governor Cheryl because she increased the budget for K12 from the current fiscal year. As you can see from the slide before you, right, the 2627 budget includes 12.4

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billion in K12 formula aid. And that's an increase of 372.1 million from the current year. And now uh it's important that I share our state aid revenue and Mr. Kennedy

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will have the opportunity to speak in depth with regard to the significance of this funding, but our state aid notice reflects funding that supports a maintenance budget. The state aid that we received allows us

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to preserve all of our district's initiatives, all of our district's programs. And as we know, we've experienced a challenge similar to what has occurred in many of the communities in New Jersey, a

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reduction in the enrollment of children. We carefully planned in the face of this challenge and as you can see from the slide before you, right, you see steady increase in state aid and essentially uh flat

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funding. But that is important, correct? Because last year when I presented to our school community, I shared with you that all of our programs, all of our personnel had been preserved. And I can confidently state to you this evening that all of our programs and all

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of our personnel is preserved despite the challenges experienced. So next slide. So this is a slide uh that shows the student enrollment from 2000 the 1617

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school year to the present the 2526 school year. Right? As you can see from the slide, our highest enrollment was in the 201920 school year, right? We had 20 we were serving 29,037

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students and what followed was a decline, right? Initially attributed to COVID. However, we experienced stability in the 2022 2023 school years through the 2024 25 school years followed by a sharp

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decline. where we are right at this present time based on our October 15th report submitted to the state department where we were serving 27,278 students right quite a difference from 28,449

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students. So I wanted to be able to share with our community this evening the enrollment trends when we look at the 2425 school year compared to our current school year 2526. So in our for our general education

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students we experience a decline of 10.6% 10.06%. For our special education population, we experienced a decline of 4.91%. However, we experienced an increase in

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our multilingual learners represented by a 2.61% and what I refer to as the surge, [laughter] as you can see from the slide before you, a 32.06% 06%

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increase in our dualcoded special education multilingual students and as a result this required important resources uh to be reallocated to ensure that all of our children are able to succeed.

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So while we experienced a drop in our general education students, we experienced an increase in our special education multilingual population. So it's a shift This evening, I will be presenting the five strategic pillars of investment. And this stems from our 5year strategic

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plan, the 2022 through 2027 strategic plan approved by our board of education and being able to show how it is that we align our resources to the strategic plan. So we begin with uh teaching and learning

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and we're going to move to pillar one enhancing personalized pathways to success. Our budget supports the enhancement of personalized pathways to success through a commitment in three key areas under teaching and learning. Our budget supports our instructional

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systems defined as our district developed curriculum, our advanced via individual determination, AVID, and the supports via the partnership with children's literacy initiative and Carnegie Learning and our own district school-based professional development.

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Our budget supports extended learning as evidenced by the summer summer, Saturday, and after school program opportunities supporting the academics, the arts, and athletics. And the education our children receive is further enhanced by the advanced

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coursework and career preparation, both serving to accelerate progress and building college and career readiness. Our budget supports dual enrollment opportunities in partnership with Kain University, NJIT, New Jersey City

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University, and the College of New Jersey. And to support career readiness, the partnership with the National Academy Foundation affords our students access to business professionals, career focused curricula, and work-based learning.

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And as we move now to social and emotional wellness and pillar two, supporting social emotional wellness for all. Supporting social and emotional wellness requires a comprehensive

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multi-tered approach that integrates mental health into the school culture. And this is accomplished through our dedicated personnel that include our guidance counselors, our social workers, our nurses, and evidence-based programs such as therapeutic learning connections

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and the nurtured heart approach. Active part partnerships with Robertwood Johnson Trinitas Hospital providing the youth enrichment service. and systematic monitoring and extended date programs that include the social emotional learning after school program

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at all sites. As we move on to workforce development, pillar three, the 2627 budget includes the infusion of 14.5 million reflecting the successful settlement contracts with

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multiple bargaining units representing the Elizabeth Public Schools workforce. Through the collaborative efforts of all bargaining units, competitive compensation served as the core component of the negotiations process that was achieved, thereby addressing

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both retention and serving as a driver for student success. This budget supports the hiring of 14 additional new teachers to support our special education program. We're pleased to note that the 2627 budget maintains

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current staffing levels and does not include a reduction in force. And I repeat, it does not include a reduction in force. As we move on to parent and community engagement,

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we have several structures in place in our district that serve to convene our parents and community partners. Our parent advisory councils play a valuable role in bridging families and our school leadership. Our families contribute insights,

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advocate for students, and help share decisions that positively affect education. We are proud to continue our work with long-standing partners such as Bill Colom and Earl Brown to offer year-round workshops that grow with our families.

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From helping parents navigate the transition into middle and high school to demystifying college costs through our financial aid forums. This budget ensures our community has the tools they need to help every student succeed. And our next pillar, organizational

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effectiveness. We have achieved significant operational milestones by prioritizing safety, sustainability, and student wellness. Elizabeth Public Schools is driving student success through a holistic investment in safety,

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health, and technology. By transitioning to electric buses and advanced surveillance, the district ensures a healthy, secure commute. Providing nearly six million annual meals, fosters food security, and supports

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performance and classroom focus. Furthermore, expanded Security infrastructure and crisis training creates safe learning communities. And our one-to-one device initiative and technology infrastructure bridge the

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digital divide, offering every student access to modern tools. Together, these enhancements modernize the educational environment, allowing students to thrive academically and personally. Alyssa Public Schools is revitalizing

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its learning community by prioritizing infrastructure that fosters safe and school pride. Safety, excuse me, and school pride. Renovations to entrances, fencing, and walkways create a secure, accessible environment for everyone

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inside of our schools. Internally, fresh painting and new flooring transform our schools into vibrant, clean spaces that boost student morale and academic focus. Sustainability efforts like new roofs and windows ensure energy efficiency and

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long-term protection. Furthermore, investments in playgrounds and remodeled bathrooms directly support wellness and physical health. All of these improvements that you see on the slide before you represent a comprehensive investment in the physical health,

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safety, and pride of our school community by addressing critical infrastructure all the needs of our facilities are addressed. We're ensuring that our buildings are not just functional, but they are environments that are inspiring

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learning and ensure student well-being. To be able to share a few of the academic highlights of our district, we have four schools that made the AP honor role. Elizabeth High School, Frank J. Academy, Hamilton Academy as platinum

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status, Dwire Academy, and JBJ Academy having received bronze status. 319 AP Scholars, 39% of our students that earned a three or greater on AP exams. 366 students that earned a seal of bi literacy last year. 34% of students that

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received college credit prior to graduation, 275 students eligible for the college board's national recognition program, 22 students earning the AP Capstone diploma or research certificate, 805 students earning dual enrollment credits, and the class of

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2025 was accepted to 283 colleges, universities, and technical schools. And it is my pleasure now to introduce Mr. Harold Kennedy Jr. as our school business administrator board

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secretary to present the financial data. Thank you, Dr. Humar, and thank you for the opportunity to present some of our numbers and the finances of the budget for 2627. What we have before us is a slide that

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shows how we developed our needs-based budget. Um, it's a little misleading in this picture and as I look out at the directors has a checkered flag and that seems to indicate it was a speedy process and a race to the finish hardly.

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It started back in November and continued on until the submission to the state in March. So, I would like to thank all the administrators and the board because they they were along with us on this journey. Not speedy but it

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was a it was a good journey I think this year. So phase one gather input from stakeholders. What we do is we initiate the planning process by gathering comprehensive input from school administrators and department directors.

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Building level leadership collaborates with staff to ident identify essential requirements for the upcoming academic year. At the same time, the administrative cabinet conducts a longitudinal analysis of spending

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patterns alongside current operational needs. That is a one-on-one interviewing process with every one of our school administrators. This phase pri prioritizes capital improvements, student centered upgrades,

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and determining compensation and benefits of employees. What we have to do is take all of our employees in the district um cost them out at um contractual rates which was complicated because we were in the midst of bargaining uh session too

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with all of our unions. So it required a lot of estimating and also um add on to the benefits of all those people to come up with the compensation and benefits number that is in our budget. Phase two is based on the October 15th

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enrollment that the superintendent um mentioned before. Um what we do based on that enrollment, we the directors and the building administrators conduct a class- size analysis. based on that enrollment. Enrollment reports are

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examined to develop trend line reports and and registration or enrollment projections are considered to determine grade and course section needs. How many teachers do we need to cover all of our um students and all their educational

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classes? Phase three, following the March 10th governor's budget address, it's kind of a it's kind of a weird project that we sit and wait until they announce what our state aid is going to be. And and that's usually

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about a six day wait before we get our final state aid numbers. Prior to that, we don't wait to develop the budget, but we um saw that enrollment was changing pretty drastically in our district. Um so the

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state had said that the maximum you could lose in state aid was 3%, the most you could get was 6%. So with our enrollment drop, we were kind of budgeting to the worst case scenario, which would have been that 3%

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drop. Very drastic in our district. didn't come out that way, thank goodness. Um, so based on the revenue that we received, um, we determined how we were going to spend that revenue based on our priorities and our, um,

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strategic plan. Um once that was done um excuse me we had uh the finance department had determined what our um budget was going to be that we were going to present. But

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it doesn't end there. It goes through a budget review process and we prepare our budget following instructions published by the New Jersey Department of Education in this um budget manual. And what that does in

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the state is those instructions ensure that budgets and information submitted for approval to the executive county superintendent and the county business administrator are complete and correct and they're uniform with all the other districts in the state.

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Um once that is done following those rules that are contained in the manual, the review doesn't end there. Um prior to submission, it goes through a pretty rigorous review by our finance committee led by Mr.

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Jacobs and um it also we we have an independent consultant who takes our um compiled budget and also does his review on it. Based on that, then we go to the March meeting, present it um to the

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board for um approval to be submitted to the county office. They get it and do their rigorous review and then um they allow us to advertise the budget based on their approval. The budget gets

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advertised. Um everybody gets a chance to review the budget from the public which brings us here tonight to our budget hearing. So, where does our um budget revenue come

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from? This year, our total budgeted revenue is $765 million 745283. And the biggest component of that is state aid 85.59%

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or 655 million. The next the next item is our local tax levy 59,813124. That tax levy has been the same since 2015 and

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2015 2016. We also get federal aid of $23 million at 3.09%. Our fund balance appropriated is $17.6 million and we also anticipate miscellaneous

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revenue of $9.2 million. One thing interesting in Elizabeth's is we get no debt service aid from the state and that's because our district has no long-term debt on its books. What do we do with that $765 million

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revenue? Most important thing that we do in our district is put it towards instruction where it should go. Our budget, our budget appropriations allocate 73.8%

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of the of the total budget, five65 million dollars. Next is operation and maintenance plant $82 million. Other which is primarily employee

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benefits $91 million and administration we spent 3.53% of our budget 27 million64390. We'll closer look at and structure what we spend that 73.9

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73.8% 8% of our budget on where does it go towards instruction ren regular gen ed 44.6 million support services which is tied to um

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emotional learning and special education um 62 million special education 43.8 8 million athletics and co-curricular activities, 4.1 million. We get grants from state and um the

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federal government where we spend $70 million. And our contribution to the running of our schools is 338 million 338.4 million. And we also have some special schools, $1.6 million.

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translating that budgeted appropriations to on a per pupil basis. The 2627 budget anticipates a per pupil cost of 24,233. Similar to the appropriations, classroom

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instruction 13,793, support services 4,103, operation maintenance plant 3,874. Our admin per pupil is 2,151.

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Extracurricular and other is $312. It's important to um focus in on our admin per pupil cost of 2,151 because the state only allows you to um have a per pupil cost

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that can't be greater than the region the northern region in New Jersey. So our 2,151 compared to our allowable amount of 2,773, we're spending less on our per pupil

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cost for administration than the New Jersey regional cost. Finally, um the board of education, we believe in an open, transparent budget process. All of our meetings are open to the public and agendas and meeting

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minutes are available at our website www.psnj.org. Copies of the 2627 budget are on file in my office at Mitchell building at 500 North Broad Street and a copy of the proposed budget will be posted online on

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the website after tonight's meeting tomorrow. the this budget presentation will be available and also um some of the required documents that the states say we need to post um be provided to the public.

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And with that, thank you very much for allowing me to um present some of our numbers. Certainly, Mr. Malter and myself, I'm up here presenting numbers, but it all happens. As I said before, it's a collaborative effort with our directors, our administrators, and

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particularly our review of all we do by our board of education. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. I think that deserves another round of applause. I mean, been sitting here for a while and um this is an amazing

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budget. Thank you. At this time, the microphones are open for public comment to those who have signed in prior to the session. I shall call individuals to the microphone based on the order of the signin. Each statement made by the participant shall be limited to three minutes in duration.

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The total time of the public comment shall be limited to 60 minutes. No individual is able to yield their time to another individual. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question board members individually.

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Each speaker shall comply in all respects with board board policy 9322. Copies were provided next to the sign-in sheet. The following rule shall apply. Time limits will be strictly enforced. No personal attacks on individuals or

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naming of individuals. No vulgar or indecent language. Any person addressing the board no more than once during a single meeting. Comments will not be debated. Any person in violation of the policy will be warranted and their

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comments terminated if needed. As a reminder, this is a meeting of the board and public, not a meeting of the public. Maria Loren, good evening. I feel to see how a budget that was submitted in March is being presented now in May to the public. When

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reviewing this 688 million operating budget, what stands out is the district attempting to navigate a severe federal fiscal cliff by masking structural deficits rather than implementing long-term sustainable solutions. We are

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facing a 25% reduction in vital federal entitlements and the complete depletion of pandemic era relief funds. Yet to balance this budget, the district is increasing its reliance on our surplus by over 61% using 17.6 million in

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one-time reserve funds to plug recurring financial holes. This is a temporary band-aid, not a strategy. And it threatens the stability of our educational programs. To keep the operating budget afloat, we are cannibalizing our own infrastructure,

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slashing capital outlay by 79%. Deferring essential facility maintenance will only lead to catastrophic emergency repair costs down the road. At the same time, we must look at how we manage our fixed costs and administrative overhead.

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Employee health benefits has skyrocketed by 16.5%. Furthermore, legal services have risen by 12.5% to 1.8 8 million. We need greater transparency regarding these rising compliance and litigation costs. We cannot continue to fund these

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increases while simultaneously cutting direct instructional supplies supplies by 28% and expanding central administrative clerical salaries. Further, as an advocate for robust student support services, the special

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education figures in this budget are deeply concerning. We're seeing a 5.3% cut to in district special education instruction. We cannot build an equitable, inclusive district if we shrink the very resources needed to

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accommodate our students. Furthermore, we're leaving critical federal funds on the table. While projected Medicaid reimbursement has increased, the budget explicitly notes that the district has not prepared a phase in plan for maximizing parental

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consent on the semi. Parents should be informed of data privacy concerns when this form is presented to them at IEP meetings. Establishing a transparent, compliant administrative protocol to secure this consent for medical eligible special education students is a basic

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operational duty. it could unlock substantial revenue without asking for a single additional dollar from local taxpayers. I urge this board to reject short-term fixes. We need a revised budget that demands accountability, maximizes our existing revenue streams

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and ensures that very dollar is every dollar is prioritized towards student rights, classroom instruction, and long-term equity. And why are our kids in portable autism classrooms? Please explain. >> [bell] >> Thank you. At this time, I close the

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public comment portion of this meeting. >> Madame President, >> Madame President, >> at this time, are there any questions or comments on the budget from our board members? Yes. Rosa Moreno. >> Yes. Um this time I would take the

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opportunity to speak a little bit longer. Thank you first. Good evening everyone. Thank you to be here tonight and for us our Elisa public school family uh mas Dr. M superintendent Dr.

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Julia Meyer madame president vice president and board members and the whole entitled school community is a moment to celebrate. Uh first I want to congratulate each one of you who support and development this budget.

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Everybody know we face five faces from ging information from our principles then evaluate the needs of our district evaluate the priorities review the process and our day community today

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budget hearing. We are happy to announce and I give you clear data and you can go online nj.com. Okay.

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May 7, 2026. NJ.com estate Patterson 39 teachers layoff. This is real data. Victim no certificate teachers lay off. 243

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position will be eliminated. This is from today. That mean I want to engage the community to visit uh online because right here we analyze through data.

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Now April 9, 11 New Jersey districts are facing layoff and tax increase. I don't want to read all the names because as a teacher and board member a

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sad moment for some district in this moment but I give you some information for record of our great community right here in Alisa New Jersey one of the best district Montlair

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Cherry Hills Lakewood Hackinson and I don't want to name one by one. But I want to congratulate right here because our budget will be maintain all

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our program programs and extend services. That's mean the perception is different from the reality. The perception is different for the reality.

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and our budget. I can say as a Elisa board of education member and also as a board because and one of the not everybody know Rosa IO Ortega is one of the board

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that represent urban district in Trenton New Jersey and will meet one time or two times per month in Trenton New Jersey and this is one of the only district I want to repeat I said only district like

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we can sleep everyone with a happiness in right here that mean I want to congratulate also I want to congratulate all our on the board member who dedicate um the time to work because everybody

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know we have different kind of committees and I want to congratulate uh that specific committee because it's not easy does that mean my community Always believe in real data. NJ.com May 7,

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NJ.com April 9. And our special education population is increased. Let me tell you, I can bring real data how many people can register children with a special needs right here in

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Elisa, New Jersey. Uh it's a happy day right here in Alisa, New Jersey. Thank you so much, Madame President. >> Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Moreno. And u we're all very excited with this budget. Any other board

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members? >> Madame President? >> Yes, sir. Commissioner. >> Thank you, Madam President. I have a couple of questions. Um my first question is to Mr. Kennedy. uh the per pupil cost of the 24,000, how does and I

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know you mentioned it previously, but how does that rank um within the region as far as where we stand with our perpetual cost versus other large districts, Nor and Jersey City who have billiond dollar budgets.

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I'm sorry. I can't I I don't know the answer to that without going and look looking up the data. >> But I think we can say is probably considerably our preer pupal cost is considerably less than other districts of that size. >> I'm I'm the kind of person unless I look

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I can't make this. >> I know that's fine. I just want to highlight that because I think that's a very important number because if you do follow education, you know that most pupil costs throughout the state are averaging or are running in the range of 25 30 $40,000 per pupil and for us to

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come in at 23,000 I think is a 24,000 is a commendable um achievement. Um, also you mentioned you mentioned the fact that our district and I noticed this as well has no debt service um has no debt service which means that we don't have

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to pay debts for bonds or things of that issue um over this time which I think is also a great attribute to the business office and under your leadership in making sure that we're able to uh ride the waves and and accomplish the goals that we need to accomplish of

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educating all of our Um, in my remarks, I'd like to again I Oh, here's another question for you, Mr. Kennedy. >> Sure. >> Um, because this budget also is a 0% tax increase. Um, is it been has it been

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what 11 12 years now with the 0% tax? >> 15 would be 11 11 >> 11 years 11 years that this board has kept the 0% tax increase which I think is commendable especially in these times of trying to keep things affordable as

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gas is almost up to $5 a gallon at this point. Um, and even though in this budget this Oh, my other question to you Mr. Kennedy because in this budget we uh experienced a 1.4 million reduction in state aid.

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>> Correct. When was the last time we had a reduction in state aid? >> I know. I'm I'm >> the only time we u we've never had a reduction. We were held flat back in 14

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>> 2014. Yes. >> Yes. We were flat. >> We've gone up ever since. This is our first year that we actually went down. So since 2014 when we were held flat for the past 10 years, right, 2015 to 2025,

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we've in we've experienced increases in our state aid. >> Correct. And that has some of the reason I think the philosophical reason of not increasing the tax levy to local taxpayers is because >> we've been treated very well by the state of New Jersey. it just seemed a

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little bit too much to um pass on the tax levy to the people of Elizabeth. >> Yeah. And I think we should echo the fact that yes, as Mr. Kennedy said, because that's something that's not talked about. Um the reason why one of the reasons why this board along with the physical guidance of the business

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office, but because of the state aid that we've been receiving these past 10 years, we felt it was more than adequate. So, we didn't have to pass on a tax increase to all the residents of the city. >> Correct. And the I'm sorry. The other

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thing um it was meant it was mentioned that we had a $17 million use of surplus this year. Normally, we've we've budgeted about $10 million in surplus. um because of the results of 2425,

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it generated $6 million that we were required by the state to um apply towards this year's budget. >> And and let's just be clear on that, too. The budget process requires us to carry a surplus balance as the budgeted balance every year. Correct.

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>> Correct. we're we were allowed to um carry a certain amount of surplus in our on our balance sheet. >> Anything above that is excess and this 2425 we generated about $6 million in excess unspent money.

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>> Um therefore which because was because of vacancies which generated excess back in that year. The state doesn't let you just um put that away and save it for a rainy day. They make you budget in in this case 2627

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>> which in years past was 4% but is now back to the 2% that were required before we even begin the budget process to make sure that those funds are included. >> That's correct. It was a change in um change in rules about how much surplus you could maintain. >> Thank you. Yes. Thank you for that

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clarification, Mr. Kenny. Greatly appreciate that. Um and even though we received uh this 1 $4 million reduction in in state aid. As Madam Superintendent pointed out, there

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were no cuts in programs, services, or staffs in this budget. >> That's correct. And um the other thing that that we received a $ 14 million decrease in state aid. When you

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look at that chart of um state aid, that includes grants too. And as you know, Mr. because we received some significant grants from the SDA which we are using to improve the environment in our buildings through air conditioning.

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>> Oh, and another thing I think that's not reflected in this budget but was also discussed is the fact that we this year we experienced um a decrease in our uh title one funds um as well in our reimbursement. >> That's that's correct. >> Which could be added to that 1.4 million

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that we had to make up the difference for >> That's correct. So even with all of these challenges um along with the reduction of our number of students which we know was approximately 1100 students from uh last October October 15, 2025 versus October

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15, 2026 um which also affects our state aid. We were still able to uh you were still able to produce a balanced budget that still meets the needs and requirements of each and every um child in the district. So I think that is really

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impressive that we've been able to do this when other as the second largest school district when other districts like the first and third largest district are receiving quite more aid and have quite bigger budgets than we have and I think that's a testament to

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the administration also to this board and the leadership that we've displayed in making sure that we have fiscally responsible decisions to ensure that our children are not left behind. Um the other issue uh that I wanted to talk

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about also is um what my colleague uh Commissioner Moreno Ortega um expounded upon is the fact that many other districts have been experiencing layoffs, cuts in services and programs,

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you know, and and it's not the usual amount. We we see a a significant increase in the number of districts that have been struggling. large districts, small districts and things of that nature. And I think under the um the leadership under the governance of this

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board with the expertise and um the expertise and leadership of the administration uh we were able to hopefully because July hasn't come able to avoid some of the health care costs and insurance that have plagued other

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districts in the past. Um so I think that that has also helped us as well. Um another thing I also want to point out is that uh you see in other districts and I think why it's becoming more evident. Um this was a storm that has

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been brewing for quite some time. Uh but when COVID hit and then we um received the ARP funds um that kind of delayed the storm for many districts here in New Jersey. Um now that those funds have been expensed and expended.

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Um they're they're they're facing the uh they're facing the the shortfalls that they have. Now I can say I can say being on a finance committee that uh we were successfully able to use our ARP funds to modernize our heating and cooling

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systems in all of our schools as well as work on programs and strategies to combat learning loss from the pandemic. Um, so again, I that's kudos again to Madam Superintendent, the staff, and you, Mr. Kennedy, in the business office in uh in following us in the right

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direction to make sure that we were able to capitalize on all monies that were that we were due. Uh last the other thing I also want to point out um with this budget we were all we also successfully um negotiated uh EA

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contract um keeping our giving keeping our teachers and our staff competitive salaries to be able to retain and attract um employee uh employees. I think that is also quite an achievement. Um, we were one of the first districts

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in the last contract to start offering our teachers 4% raise. We did that again in this in this contract. Um, so I I I think that's also an important achievement important um accomplishment that we need to recognize. Um, lastly, I

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want to uh thank Madam Superintendent for the excellent job um that was done in in crafting this budget and thank you Mr. Kennedy along with Mr. Multra in the business office for an excellent job. Our assistant superintendent uh Dr. Sado, Miss Judy Finn Johnson, Mr.

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Ralph Cortez, along with um our directors and our principles who we know are the frontline leaders in in crafting this budget and getting us to this point. Job well done. Thank you, Madam President. >> Thank you, Mr. Jacobs. Thank you. Thank

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you. Are there any other board members who would like to say a few words? So, um I' I'd like to say that um I've had a lot of sleepless nights in the last uh few weeks and uh I think I I text all of every night saying I I don't know how

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we're going to make it through this one. I really don't. Um it's been 11 years and we've never ever faced the challenges that we faced in this budget. And the only reason why we made it was because of the superintendent, the

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assistant superintendent, Mr. Quest in HR, Mr. Kennedy, Rajie Mahalddra, the directors and the principles. You all have a heart. That's what this budget is. It really

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is. This is heart. This shows us what Elizabeth truly is. When you turn on your TV, when you talk to your colleagues in other districts, they're closing down schools. They're raising taxes, they're dismantling classrooms,

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they're laying off teachers. Somehow, because you all have a heart, you figured this one out. Um, God bless each and every one of you. And I hope that everyone understands who's listening out there how hard they worked

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to make sure that no services are cut, that no jobs are lost, that the Saturday programs, the summer programs, all of those things that I believe that sometimes we take for granted in other districts, they're closing

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schools. and we this team has been able to come together and be able to put together a budget where we are whole and um I just I'm still in awe that it's it's happened. So, thank you for

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entertaining our insanity because I know we have been driving you crazy. And um at this time, >> Madame President, >> yes, >> I'm sorry, I forgot to thank you uh for which for your leadership as well as Mr.

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uh Qua and ensuring that there was no layoffs. Um that was a a a I know monumental task in getting it done, which should not be overlooked as well. Um I also need to thank u my commission my fellow commissioners on the finance committee commissioner Pistana uh

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commissioner uh Noel uh yourself madam president and commissioner bathless. Thank you madam president. >> Thank you. Um yes the finance committee I know those were heart-wrenching uh meetings. So thank you to everyone. This was truly a team effort and um I want to

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thank again everyone. So with that said, may I have a motion and a second to approve resolution 10, adoption of the final budget for the school year 2026 2027. >> Madam President, motion

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>> make a motion. >> Second. Motion has been properly made and seconded. Are there any questions? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy. Roll call, please.

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Chevresz come back to her. >> Clairvoyant. Noel. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> She came through. >> Mrs. Chevresz. >> Yes. >> Is that a vote? Yes or yes? You're there. [laughter]

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>> Thank you. Jacobs. >> Yes. Marina Ortega, >> yes. >> Concavas Pastana, >> yes. >> Carvalo, >> I proudly cast a yes vote. >> So, with those votes, our budget has

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passed for 2016. [applause] >> All right, don't go anywhere, anybody. >> All right. At this moment, I ask for a motion to adjourn the first meeting. >> I make a motion to adjourn our budget hearing meeting.

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>> Second. >> Has been properly motioned. Mr. Kennedy, roll call, please. >> Chevz, >> yes. >> Clairvoyant Noel, >> yes. >> Jacobs, >> yes. >> Moreno Ortega, >> yes. >> And Pastana,

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>> yes. Carvalo. >> Yes. We're going to take a 10-minute break.

Part: 2

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Mhm. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is a combined budget hearing and regular agenda business meeting of the Board of Education. Pursuant to New Jersey statutes and the rules adopted by the Board of Education, notice of this meeting was sent to the Star-Ledger and Cablevision of Elizabeth

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on April 24th, 2026. In addition, this notice is posted in the lobby of 500 North Broad Street and has been filed with the City Clerk in Elizabeth. We want to welcome everyone back here to School Number 51 and to our

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television viewers to this May 7th, 2026 meeting after we just passed our budget of the Board of Education. We are here to govern, provide management, oversight, and make policy for the district. The superintendent manages the district. This is a meeting of the board

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in public, not a meeting of the public. This meeting is being recorded and will become part of the Elizabeth Board of Education permanent record. And in order for the recordings to adequately reflect the proceedings, please refrain from talking while others are speaking.

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We ask that you silence the sounds on your electronic devices since it is legally mandated that these proceedings be accurately recorded. We may have to ask for order periodically should noise begin to interfere with our recording capability. There will be a public portion for

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citizens to address the board. Participants for the public portion must personally sign in prior to the start of the public comment portion so that they may have the opportunity to speak. The sign-in sheet states the name, address, telephone number, and the reason that

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the person wants to comment, whether it is an agenda item or a general education comment. We are pleased that you have taken time this evening to join us for the Board of Education meeting. Thank you for your interest in the Elizabeth Public Schools. Mr. Kennedy, roll call,

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please. Barbosa. Bathless. Chavez. All right, I'm Yes. Thank you. Clervoyant Noel. Yes. Jacobs. Marin-Ortega. Here.

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Encavas-Pestana. Here. Rivera. Carvalho. Here. At this time I ask that everyone please stand for a moment of silence. For retired personal assistant

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Bruce Reddick of Abraham Lincoln School Number 14. And Dennis M. Anthony, retired teacher from Johnny Dwyer Technical Academy. At this time, I ask board member Pestana to please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

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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. Please remain standing for The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott

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Key. Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early [singing] light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's

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last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous [singing] fight, or the ramparts we watched,

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were so gallantly [singing] streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, >> [screaming] >> gave proof through the night

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that our flag was still there. [singing] Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home

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of the brave. I have to say that that's always special because it's a rendering sung by one of our alumni from the Jefferson Arts Academy. At this time uh the pledge of ethics. Uh Claire White Noel.

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Everybody got a turn tonight. As a member of the Elizabeth Public Schools Professional Learning Community, I will treat people as I wish to be treated. To do that, I pledge to understand that the school community is a special place. Listen respectfully

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when someone else is speaking by paying close attention and not interrupting. Speak in a calm voice and use proper language. Dress appropriately for teaching and learning. Inspire the best in myself and others by celebrating

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successes and learning from mistakes. Care about others by demonstrating acts of kindness. Be a lifelong learner by taking every opportunity to learn from others. Thank you. Please be seated. At this time, I will have the

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Superintendent of Schools introduce our student representative for this month. Thank you, Madam President. Adam Abazed is a senior at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy who proudly serves as the student representative, a

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role that reflects his strong commitment to leadership, student voice, and school pride. He is a distinguished academic achiever, ranked in the top five of his graduating class, and has consistently demonstrated excellence across all areas

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of his high school experience. Born in Newark and raised in Elizabeth, Adam's background has shaped his strong sense of community, resilience, and determination to succeed. As a senior, Adam continues to challenge himself academically through a rigorous

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course load that includes two AP classes while maintaining an outstanding 4.6 cumulative GPA. >> [applause] >> His dedication to academic excellence is matched by his ability to balance a wide

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range of responsibilities, consistently demonstrating focus, discipline, and a strong work ethic. Adam is also deeply involved in the arts, where he has made a meaningful impact in both theater and the acapella choir. As a member of the award-winning choir, he has contributed

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to performances recognized for best overall ensemble and first place at Music in the Parks, while also bringing music homes and community events. In theater, he has participated in numerous productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Grease,

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Once Upon a Mattress, and Senior One Acts, showcasing his passion for storytelling and performance. In addition to his artistic and academic accomplishments, Adam is a member of the National Honor Society, where he exemplifies core values of scholarship,

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leadership, service, and character. Through the National Honor Society, he participated in Relay for Life, helping raise over $800 to support cancer research and honor those affected by the disease, demonstrating his commitment to service and community impact.

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Outside of school, Adam served as a junior camp counselor for the Building Future Leaders program through City Hall, where he mentored young students and helped create a positive and engaging summer experience that included educational and recreational trips such as Dorney Park and Waring in Park. This

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role further strengthened his leadership skills and his ability to positively influence others. Adam also expanded his academic interest to the environmentalist program where he conducted environmental research and competed at an international level. His work earned him recognition for best

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presentation highlighting his ability to research, analyze and clearly communicate complex ideas. Through his academic excellence, artistic talent, leadership roles and dedication to service, Adam Abousaid stands as a well-rounded and exemplary

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student leader. As student representative, he continues to advocate for his peers and represents Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy with integrity, purpose and pride helping to foster a school community where every student feels heard, valued and inspired.

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>> [applause] >> Mr. Kennedy, can you please include our student representative in the roll call to have the record reflect Adam Abousaid. Yes, thank you. Duly noted. Thank you. Welcome, Adam.

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Okay. At this time, the microphones are open for public comment to those who have signed in prior to the session. Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to 3 minutes in duration. The total time of public comment shall be limited to 60 minutes.

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No individual is able to yield their time to another individual. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question the board members individually. Each speaker shall comply with all respects with

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board policy 9322 provided next to the sign-in sheet. The following rules shall apply. Time limits will be strictly enforced. No personal attacks on individuals or naming of individuals. No vulgar or indecent language. A person may address the board

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no more than once during a single meeting. Comments will not be debated. Any person in violation of the policy will be warned and their comments terminated if needed. As a reminder, this is a meeting of the board in

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public, not a meeting of the public. At this time, I call Maria Lorenz. Good evening. I come tonight to speak on the subject of hiring practices, recruitment, vetting, and selection of qualified candidates for our school

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district. As a senior manager of human resources, I spend my days evaluating talent, managing complex organizational structures, and ensuring that hiring practices are not only equitable, but strategically aligned with long-term institutional goals. I also stand here

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as a resident who has consistently advocated for educational equity, student support services, and organizational transparency within our school district. So, I saw that we were filling an assistant superintendent for human resources. When the resume was over

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requested, we see that this individual lacks some labor relations experience among many others. So, I'm trying to understand because as a person that stands here with a master's, a PHR, and a SHRM CP,

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which are two very highly credentials for an HR professional, which I've been for over 10 years in the private sector. I want to understand, are we creating jobs to fit people, or are we creating jobs because we're trying to fill a need

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in the district that we verifiably have, that it's a bonafide need that we need to fill? Because it seems to me that we create positions for people, and that we adjust those qualifications and the experience to fit

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people, not the other way around. It is my experience that when you're doing organizational structures, you need to look at the need of the business. What does the district need? Not what is convenient because we want to bring somebody back. Just asking.

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Cuz to me, it seems like it's not very um clear or transparent to this community, and we've seen this time and time again where these uh positions that you're putting out there aren't being recruited for the need. It's being recruited for the individual to fill a

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need. And there's a big difference there, right? So, as an HR professional, I'm concerned about that. The other thing I want to also bring and add in here is that it came to my attention that a student representative that sits here and sits alongside you and the board, whenever they present to the to

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you, to the public, to the community what their speech is going to be, that it needs to be verified and vetted through the board before it comes to the public. So, it to be scrubbed, it needs to be sanitized before it comes out to the public. So, I would like for some

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transparency to come in that as to whether you're asking these student representatives to run their speech for your approval before it comes out to the public. Because my understanding and and my interpretation of what a student representative should be doing is

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collecting concerns and bringing them to the board and advocating for those students. So, it doesn't seem that that's happening. That's what I Mrs. Lorenz, may I ask for clarification? Did you make reference to the assistant superintendent for human resources? I don't know if I heard you

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correctly. Okay, that position we have not interviewed for that position. That position has not been filled to date. Thank you for your comment. At this time, we'll now review the agenda. Everybody ready? All right.

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Tab 1A, official and private minutes of the meeting of March 29th. Any questions? Any concerns? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add that to the agenda. Tab 1B,

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treasurer's report and the secretary's report from March 31st, 2026. Are there any questions from the board? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add that to the agenda. Tab 2A, personnel report.

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Are we Are we rolling out anything? Tab 2A? Mr. Questa? Would you like to share details regarding our personnel report for this month? Yes, I will. Love to do so. Thank you. Um it's a very brief report that I have

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tonight. Uh with some interesting items here. So, there are five changes of salary. As I've explained before, uh this is a result of the individual obtaining a master's degree or obtaining 32 credits uh beyond the master's. Sometimes when

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the individual obtains a doctorate. Uh we have uh four appointments. One custodian, one general worker 6 hours, one locker room attendant, and one teacher. We have

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eight retirements. I want to congratulate all those who are retiring after um long service and dedication to the district. And I want to highlight one individual whom I met many, many years ago. Her name is Deborah Cayallo. And Deborah is

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an assistant, a personal assistant at School 23. And when she retires July 1st, she would have served 52 years in our district. So, I definitely wanted to highlight that. >> Wow. Woo! And that is all. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. Wow. All right. If I if there's no questions on Tab 2A, personnel report, Mr. Kennedy, please add Tab 2A to the agenda. Tab three, tuitions report.

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Are there any questions from the board? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add Tab three to the agenda. Tab four through 4D, superintendent's report. Madam President, we have several items on for considerations. We have our

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principal from School Number 19 who will be attending the student leadership summit at Edison High School. We also have from Elizabeth High School, Mr. Cummings, who is sharing that his students will be participating in the Odyssey of the Mind World Competition and that is taking

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place at the end of this month as well as our forensics students that will be attending the national forensics tournament and competing in the month of June. We also have a recommendation from our director of athletics, Mr. Candelino, with regard to athletes

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uh our from our wrestling team that will be attending the wrestling camp and that is taking place at the end of June. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Superintendent. Are there any questions from the board? 4 through 4D.

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Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add that to the agenda. Tab five, authorizations report. Are there any questions from the board? Uh can I ask the board members for a motion to table this tab to take it into private? I'd like to have a

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conversation. Can I have a motion? >> a motion to table tab five. I second the motion. Roll call, please. Clairvoyant Noel. Yes. Jacobs. Yes. Moreno Ortega.

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>> Yes. Encarnacion Santana. Yes. Carvalho. Yes. Thank you. Thank you, board members, for supporting that. Uh tab six, 6A finance and accounting report. >> Any questions from the board? Hearing none,

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Mr. Kennedy, please add tab six and six A. Tab seven, award of contracts. Any questions from the board? I'm going to ask the board members to entertain me tonight, and I'd like to table this tab and take it into private.

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May I have a motion? Which tab? Six? Tab five tab seven, sorry. Motion to table tab five tab seven. Second. Properly moved, Mr. Kennedy, roll to call, please.

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Clara Bryant Noel. Yes. Jacobs. >> Yes. Marina Ortega. >> Yes. Encavas Pestana. >> Yes. Carvalho. Yes. Thank you again, board members. At this time, we'd like to hear uh from

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our student representative. Adam. Good evening, members of the Elizabeth Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Hugo Meyer, families, staff, and fellow students. My name is Adam Abousaid, and I'm a senior at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, and it is truly an honor to be

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here today at this as this month's student board representative. Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is not just a school. It is a community. It is a place where students come not only to learn, but to express themselves, to grow, and to discover where they belong. It is

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also a place where creativity is visible every day with art galleries and displays created by our talented students that add beauty, pride, and inspiration throughout our school. This year, we saw that spirit come to life. Our theater and film students demonstrated excellence in both

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performance and competition. Our theater students earned second place in the state for their work in theater design at the SkillsUSA competition. While our film students were in third place in the New Jersey State Film Challenge. These accomplishments reflect creativity, discipline, and confidence.

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Our drama department continues to uphold the tradition of excellence through productions such as A Wonderful Life and Fiddler on the Roof. Teaching us that success does not come from talent alone, but also from commitment, collaboration, and courage. Our a cappella choir has represented our

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school with pride performing at senior homes and earning first place at Music in the Parks. More than just performing, they have connected with people demonstrating the power of the human voice to uplift others. Our music program has grown tremendously through outstanding performances, an

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expanding concert band, and new programs such as Jeff Music Collective, which gives students a space to express their individuality and creativity. Students are encouraged to share their talents with confidence in an environment where they can truly be themselves. And that is something special.

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What stands out the most is our culture of appreciation. Students at SHS show gratitude by giving appreciation cards and flowers to teachers, directors, principals, security guards, and secretaries, ensuring that everyone feels seen and valued. Our commitment to service is also

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evident. Members of the National Honor Society participated in Relay for Life, raising money for the American Cancer Society and creating the Luminary Walk, a meaningful tribute honoring survivors and loved ones impacted by cancer. A strong community is one that continues

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to grow. This year brought opportunities for us to strengthen school spirit, improve communication, and enhance the overall student experience. Each conversation and effort reminded us that progress happens when people are committed to working together for something better.

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We take pride in knowing that when our ideas and concerns are shared, they are met with action and attention. While growth takes time, every step forward matters. Real progress comes from listening, responding, and learning. As student representative, my goal has

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been to help students feel heard and represented. What I learned is this, when students are willing to share their voices, positive change is always possible. That momentum can guide us moving forward. It can strengthen school spirit so that every student feels included,

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informed, and supported. I hope Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy continues to create spaces where students can truly be themselves. This is what makes our school special. Not just the awards, performances, or events, but the people. It is all of us.

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Thank you for trusting me to represent you. It has truly been an honor. >> [applause] >> Thank you. That was beautiful. Welcome to the our board family. Thank you. At this time, I'm going to ask Commissioner Jacobs to

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read the negotiations committee meeting information from this month. Thank you, Madam President. The negotiations committee met on April 27th of this year. The committee discussed finalized negotiations and proposals between the Elizabeth Board of Education

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and the Elizabeth Administrative and Supervisors Council, the Elizabeth Directors Association, and five trade unions, carpenters, sheet metal workers, plumbers, painters, and electricians. The next step in the bargaining process will be ratification by each of the bargaining units membership, and

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execution of memorandum of agreement for the contractual years July 1st, 2025 through June 30th, uh 2028 school years. Resolutions finalizing board approval will be will be presented at the May 7th board meeting. Thank you, Madam President.

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Thank you. Mr. Kennedy, please add tab eight to the agenda. Tab nine, claims list. Are there any questions from the board? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add tab nine.

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Tab 10A, resolutions, agreement with Essex Regional Educational Service Commission, transportation services for 2026-2027. 10B, Haitian Heritage Month. 10C, Portugal Day.

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10D, Cuban American Day. 10E, Union County Educational Service Commission, 2026-2027 special education tuition rates and other service agreements. 10 10F, transfer of maintenance reserve

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funds. 10G, resolution for the insurance coverage for dental insurance. 10H, education 10I, insurance coverage for prescription.

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There's more. 10J, renewal contract with Cream-O-Land Dairies. 10K, contract with Cream-O-Land Dairies for provisions of fluid juices and products for food services. Are there any questions on any of the

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resolutions from 10A to 10K? Hearing none, Mr. Kennedy, please add them all to the agenda. At this time, the president requests a motion to go into private session to consider matters exempt under the Open Public Meeting Act, specifically for

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discussion of personnel matters, specifically personnel contractual reports, bargaining union contracts, legal matters, specifically HIB appeal. The board will reconvene in public and may take formal

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action. May I have a motion and a second? Motion to go to private. Second that motion. The motion has been made and properly seconded. Mr. Kennedy, roll call, please. Clairvoyant Noel.

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Yes. Jacobs. Yes. Moreno Ortega. Yes. Goncalves Pestana. Yes. This is Carvalho. Yes. We are in private. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm.

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>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Good evening and welcome to the announcements for the month of May. We begin with a special note to all of our educators. A special thank you as we celebrated uh Teacher Appreciation Week

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uh the week of May 5th through the 9th. And also, this month we had uh National School Nurse Day that took place yesterday, May 6th. So, a special thank you to the dedication of all of our nurses for all of the love and nurturing that you provide our children and the

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health care that you continuously commit to each and every day. I now turn our attention to the Panorama Family Survey. Uh we have extended the deadline uh through our partnership with Panorama, we're offering family feedback

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and climate surveys so that we can capture the voice of all of our families and help continue to provide the necessary improvements to our strategic planning and decision-making both at the school level and the district level. I'd like to remind our families that the

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surveys are less than 5 minutes long and they are available in multiple languages. Uh once again, we've extended the opportunity up through Friday, May 15th for our families to be active participants in their children's education by completing these family

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surveys. So, please, if you have not done so already, we would greatly appreciate your feedback because it is in fact an important part of the information that we examine very, very carefully so that we can ensure your child's success.

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Returning now to our district financial aid nights and over the past few nights, our Elizabeth Public Schools Department of Student Services has hosted various scholarship and financial aid um completion nights. Our school counselors are available to assist our students

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with completing the financial aid applications for the upcoming scholarships as well as show students where they may find additional scholarship opportunities. We have one last financial aid night this school year that is taking place on Tuesday,

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May 12th from 5:00 in the afternoon through 7:00 p.m. Those attending to complete the FAFSA form should create a Federal Student Aid or FSAID prior to attending. Please students be sure to bring your laptops as well as

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your tax documents. Once again, this is the very last financial aid session that we are hosting this school year. It is taking place on Tuesday, May 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. And a special celebration, our 33rd

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annual excellence award dinner where we celebrate the top 100 seniors of our class of 2026. This special event will take place on May 20th. A special congratulations to all of our seniors, but especially to our

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top 100 students that will be honored on this evening. And now for the parents and guardians of our 12th grade students, our seniors, the senior prom will be taking place on Thursday, May 28th at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park. This is

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really a fabulous event, so a special occasion that will take place. We'll have our prom showcase earlier in the afternoon and those details will be shared with our families. Opportunity to be able to take pictures before you see your son or

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daughter go off to the prom that evening. And again, we've been sharing with our community information regarding our 8th grade promotion as well as our high school graduations. Again, our 8th grade promotion ceremonies for this school year will be taking place on Wednesday,

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June 24th and Thursday, June 25th at 9:00 a.m. All of our 8th grade students are required to attend school through Thursday, June 25th. And now I will share with you the schedule for those promotion ceremonies. So, as you can see on the screen before you, we have listed

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the schools that will celebrate 8th grade promotions on June 24th at 9:00 a.m. It is school 1, school 3, school 4, school 12, school 13, 14, and 16. And as we continue on, also on June 24th at

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9:00 9:00 a.m., we have schools number 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, and 29. And then for our ceremonies that are taking place on June 25th at 9:00 a.m., we have the schools listed for your convenience. And

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the schools that will be celebrating on the 25th include schools 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, school 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, and school 30. And once again, a reminder to

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our families, even if your child attends the 8th grade promotion ceremony on June 24th, your child will be required to attend school on June 25th. And I know that all of our principals are planning very special events on June 25th for our students that that have already attended

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their promotion ceremonies. So, please be sure to attend. And as we now turn to our high school graduation and our class awards ceremony, it'll be taking place on Wednesday, June 24th and Thursday, June 25th. These two days are going to be quite busy in our district. All 12th grade students are

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required to attend school through Thursday, June 25th. Once again, And I shared regarding our 8th grade students, seniors, I know our high school principals have some very, very fun events scheduled for those of you that are graduating on the 24th. So, here's the schedule for our families.

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Again, graduations will take place at the Thomas G. Dunn Sports Center, and on the slide before you, you'll be able to see the dates in which your senior will be graduating. Not only the time of the ceremony, but most important, the time that your child

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needs to arrive. So, as an example, we have our John Dwyer Technology Academy graduating on June 24th. That ceremony begins at at 8:30 in the morning. However, we require all seniors to arrive at 7:30 in the morning. Right,

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Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is also on the 24th. Although the graduation's at 11:30, all seniors must report at 10:30 in the morning. And the list continues with our JBJ Academy on June 24th at um that graduation will be at 2:30, all

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seniors arriving at 1:30. And you can see all of our other high school academies, their times uh for the graduations for our families to arrive and the times for our seniors to arrive. A very joyous occasion. Uh we want to make sure that we are organizing our

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seniors ready for the most important day um in their lives as a high school student, and we ask our families for your full cooperation. As we move on to our student assessments update uh provided uh through the College Board and our New

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Jersey Department of Education. We begin with our assessment calendar. With the administration of the Dynamic Learning Maps, the DLM, that assessment started on April 7th and will run through May 22nd. And this is for our students in grades 3 to 8 and 11. And

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this is uh the assessment for our special needs students in place of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment. For our advanced placement exams, they started on May 4th, they will run through May 15th, and this is for our high school students enrolled in AP courses. And of course, our new student

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New Jersey Student Learning Assessment in literacy, math, and science. We started the administration on April 27th, and that will run through May 22nd. And this is for our students in grades 3 to 8 and high school. And then our news from Central, Inside

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EPS. We have our EPS that was named the 2026 Best Community for Music Education by NAMM, and wonderful wonderful opportunity as our schools are nominated each and every year as one of the best

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communities for music education. We are one of more than 1,000 districts and schools across 44 states to be honored with this designation. So, a special congratulations to all of our music teachers for your talent, commitment to

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our students. NAMM is now in its 27th year, and it's held as a model for other educators looking to boost their own music education programs. Elizabeth was also one of four school districts to be presented the BCME

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designation, and that stands for Best Communities for Music Education Opportunity Award, which provides financial support to students demonstrating financial need awards up to $5,000 to help grow music education programs.

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Special congratulations once again to all of our incredibly talented educators. And we have a wonderful announcement from our Hamilton Preparatory Academy. Uh Our senior Shaon Shaquille was awarded the Amazon Future Engineer

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Scholarship. This is a very competitive scholarship awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and interest in computer science along with strong academic performance and leadership. Our wonderful Hamilton Academy student will receive up to $40,000 in

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scholarship funding to support his college education in computer science. In addition, he has earned a paid summer internship opportunity with Amazon following his freshman year in college and this will undoubtedly provide valuable real-world

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experience in technology. Special congratulations once again. And this concludes our announcements for the month of May. Thank you very much. Good evening and welcome to the announcements for the >> Mhm. >> Mhm.

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>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm.

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>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm.

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>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mr. Kennedy, please add the additional items to the agenda. Yes, I'm will be adding um

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tab number five, the authorization report. Tab seven, the award of contracts. We have a resolution of for memorandum of agreement with the Elizabeth administrative and supervisory council.

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July 25 through June 28. Memorandum of agreement with the Elizabeth Directors Association, July 25 through June 28. And a let and a memorandum of agreement between the Elizabeth Board of Education and the trade trade unions.

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We also have a resolution for increment withholdings due to performance and attendance of certified staff. Resolution for increment withholdings due to performance of certified staff. A resolution for increment withholdings

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due to performance of non-certified staff. Resolution for increment withholdings due to attendance of certified staff staff, 10-month employees. Resolution increment withholdings due to attendance of certified staff, 12-month employees.

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And resolution for increment withholdings due to attendance for non-certified staff. Those are the additional items that will be adding coming out of the executive session. Thank you. At this time, I'm going to ask the superintendent to

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roll out the HIB. Yes, thank you very much. Thank you, Madam President. Pursuant to board policy 5131.1, harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and New Jersey statute 18A 30 colon 37, the results of each

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investigation shall be reported to the Board of Education no later than the date of the next board meeting following completion of the investigation, and include any services provided, training established, discipline imposed, or other action taken or recommended by the chief school administrator. Since our last Board of Education meeting on April

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23rd, 2026 through April 30th, our school counselors and school based social workers have completed 30 HIB investigations. Of these investigations, 19 cases were founded for HIB as per New Jersey law. There were nine males, 25 females, 26 regular education students,

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and eight special education students that were the alleged victims. There were 32 males, 26 females, 51 regular education students, and seven special education students that were the alleged offenders. Of the 19 cases founded for HIB, two cases were founded based on

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race and national origin. One case founded based on sexual orientation. Two cases were founded based on gender. One case was founded based on gender identity and expression. Two cases were founded based on mental, physical, or sensory disability, and 13 cases were founded based on other identifying

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characteristics. Of the services provided and actions taken for these investigations, there were 11 skill development lessons, trainings, 26 counseling sessions, two behavioral interventions, eight referrals for outpatient mental health treatment, five changes of classroom, four administrative counseling sessions,

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12 in-school detentions, 19 parent conferences, and six out-of-school suspensions. The HIB statute further requires that at the next regularly scheduled meeting after board members receive the initial report of HIV investigations that the board issue a decision in writing to affirm, reject,

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or modify the superintendent's decision pertaining to the 34 cases that were reported to you at the last board meeting of April 23rd. In order for you to do so, the investigation summaries for those investigations which were reported to you at the last board meeting have been provided for your review prior to voting, and this completes this month's

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HIV report. Thank you. Thank you. At this time, I ask for a motion and a second to pass the agenda in its entirety. I make a motion to pass the entire agenda in its entirety. Second.

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It has been Motion has been made and seconded. Uh Mr. Kennedy, roll call, please. Barbosa. Yes. Chavez. Yes, we abstain from tab two,

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um page 14, and in the resolution MOA. Marin-Ortega. Yes. I'm sorry, miss Yes, Clervant Noel.

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I would like to abstain from tab two, page 14, and also the resolution MOA. And yes to everything else. Thank you. Goncalves-Pastana. Yes.

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Jacobs. Yes. And Carballo. Abstention from tab two, page 14, also the two MOAs between the EBOE and

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the administrators and the directors association. And a yes to everything else. Thank you. With those votes, the entire agenda plus the additional items that we added coming out of executive have passed this evening.

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Thank you. At this time, are there any questions, any concerns, any any of board members like to comment? Madam President. Yes, Commissioner. >> So, I'd like to due to concern our time, I'd like to wish

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all my colleagues a happy Mother's Day. All our staff um a happy Mother's Day and enjoy your day. Thank you. Anyone else? Yes, Commissioner Moreno. I just want to say thank you to our

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teachers. Uh this week was teacher appreciation week and only teacher, also nurse. This mean I want to say thank you for your hard work and dedication on this special week. Um um

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I we want to recognize the hard work and dedication behind the scenes. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Is that it all? All right. Hearing nothing else tonight, Mr. Kennedy, uh may I have a motion to

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adjourn tonight's meeting, second meeting? I make a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting at 8:53. >> And I second it. Two meetings in one night, Mr. Kennedy. Roll call, please. >> this 5:00 start time. It was rough.

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Barbosa. Yes. Good night, everyone. Chavez. Yes. Good night. Clairvoyant Noel. Yes. Good night. Jacobs. Yes. Moreno Ortega. Yes. Good evening, everyone. Goncavas Pestana. Yes. Good night. Happy

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>> Mother's Day. Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week. Happy Nurse's Week. Carvalho Yes, happy Mother's Day to everyone and congratulations on a great job passing uh next year's uh

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agenda. Thank you everyone. See you next month.