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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=nqkUXg0s2vA

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Mr. here. Thank you. At this time, I'd like a motion to executive session as I don't know what happened. Test test

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I would like to resume this meeting of the EAM Township Board of Education. Please rise as we say the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

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republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Thank you. >> At this time, Miss Bucher Mowitz will read the mission statement.

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The mission of the Eve Sham Township School District is to promote excellence in an environment that engages students in meaningful learning experiences. In partnership with students, dedicated, staff, families, and community, the district provides a strong educational foundation that will empower our

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students to achieve their unique potential. embrace self-directed lifelong learning, develop the skills necessary for appropriate risk-taking and responsible decision-making, respect themselves and others, problem solve individually and collaboratively, become contributing members of a diverse global

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society. Thank you. We'll start the evening off with a presentation from Mr. Justin Wright from New Jersey School Boards Association. and he had facilitated our strategic planning sessions that we had

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three of them in the fall. And tonight he's going to present the results of those planning sessions as well as some action plans for our district moving forward. >> Thank you.

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And one of the things that I was um able to do was to have the honor and privilege to partner with Eveam Township School District um on their strategic planning. So, first I just wanted to say thank you to um each board member here tonight. Um even the uh previous board

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members, there were some that are not on the board anymore that got the process started. Um, and I just I appreciate your your partnership, your work, your hospitality. I think we had about 60 members of who so you had 60 people um

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different representatives um parents any types of stakeholders from the community that came out and had a voice in this process. So part of really just to um to recap um we wanted it to be a very open and transparent process.

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Um each of those results along the way were posted online. So part of my role is just recapping the process and how we got to the finish line and then I'm going to kick it over to um Dr. Smith to really get into the nuts and bolts. So again, I just put that out there just to make sure um that there was a big thank

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you. I I gave each board member a booklet. Um there's a couple of binders that will be on file in the central office. There's a whole acknowledgement page. Every single member of the community's name is in there. Not that anybody did it to get their name in a booklet, but it's really important to honor the people who helped shape this

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really important document. So, reasons or purposes behind um if you don't know this, always a good reminder for the public and for the board. The board is responsible for the strategic direction and vision of the school district. They are the

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visionaries in tandem with the superintendent. the school board is they are the ambassadors of the community. And what's really great about strategic planning is it it's supposed to bring the community together. You know, sometimes just being honest as someone

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who used to be on a school board and just a member of the public, sometimes it's hard to get enough opportunities where voices are heard. And the strategic planning was a great opportunity, especially in these times um financially and otherwise right now. We know we're in a a very tough era. Um

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it was a great opportunity um to kind of have a a reset and kind of a new direction. Okay, this is where we are right now. Where do we want to be in the next 3, four, five years? And we need to do it collaboratively collaboratively and that's part of the purpose of strategic planning. Um great stakeholder

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participation. Again, you know, you always want to have more people come, but the 60 who came um they were the ones who really got to to shape this document and really get to shape um the direction that IM's going to go over the next three, four, five years. And I

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really appreciate that. One of the great things and I think as you're learning that um with the budget um we're entering an era where you're expected to do more than ever before with less than ever before. And what this process will help do is really give the school board and the

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district, okay, here is a northstar document that we're going to try to follow and adhere to. While we we we know we have limited resources and the resources that we do have, we are going to do everything in our power to ensure that they are going to support this new

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strategic plan over the next 5 years. Because inevitably, as time goes along, there's a lot of voices in town. There's a lot of ideas. There's a lot of opinions. Some want to go left, some want to go right, some want to go in another direction. And this document is going to be something that the board can say, "Hey, we partnered with the

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community. We put a lot of work into it. This is something that we're going to really see through." And it really is the responsibility of the school board to ensure that it is followed through over these next few years. Some of the components of it, um, the the first night back on September 15th, it feels

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like a very long time ago already, the beginning of the school year. The first night we had the community out. Dr. Smith gave a great kind of like state of the district. Um gave a wonderful overview of just all of the happenings, a lot of the numbers, the inside look from the staff to the the children to

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the great programs to the budget and whatnot. And then we had a conversation of where are we now? And we had a wonderful conversation where we're able to talk about what are the strengths of EAM uh school district and what are some of the challenges that we're facing. Then we moved into meeting two a month

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later in October. We want to give the process a few weeks to breathe to be able to work on the information. After meeting one, there was a report that went out was posted online. And then we had a discussion over some visioning and looking ahead of here's where we are

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now. Um where do we want to be come 2031 and how do we get there? Meeting number three, we had a deeper discussion surrounding around some big area goals and writing out some objectives. And then after we were done that meeting, that information, that's kind of where the the board and the public, if you

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will, that's where their job ended. And that information was handed over to Dr. Smith and his team to be able to work on the how I kind of call it like the battle plan. How is this going to be carried out daytoday, week to week, month to month, year to year over the next three to five years. One of the

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things that we put in there, I would hope you have seen this before. If not, we put this in all of our presentations, and I am going to read it, but I'm going to move fast. You know, this is the kind of the guiding beacon of of ESHAM. Every day when we the the students and staff show up, here is the mission of what

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we're hoping to have happen to promote excellence in an environment that engages students in meaningful learning experiences in partnership with students, staff, families, community. The district provides a strong educational foundation that will empower our students to achieve their unique

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potential, embrace self-directed lifelong learning, develop the skills necessary for appropriate risk-taking and responsible decision-making, to respect themselves and others, to problem solve individually and collaboratively, and to become contributing members of a diverse global society because that was a great mission

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statement. And so, as we were working on a strategic plan, we wanted to make sure that we captured the essence of that mission statement as well. Um, I know you can't read that. All of this information, just so you're aware, this whole presentation will be posted online. Correct, Dr. Smith? This will be posted online. So, you'll be able to in

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detail go online and read all this, even the fine print. Alls I was doing right there was giving you some snapshots. And that was just a little piece of the information. Dr. Smith provided much more information to that at that meeting. um and he'll be getting into that a little bit later on, but those were some of the highlights for the

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people that came to meeting one to have an understanding of the things that had been happening before we dug into the strengths and challenges. So, meeting number one, they worked in in groups after we heard the the state of the district. I think that night there was about seven different groups and each

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group was able to come up with um what they believed was the top 10 strengths, the top 10 challenges and then we had to have a conversation to then whittle down all that information into um a final consensus agreed upon top 10 strengths

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and challenges for each. That was just a little snapshot. Again, the full information is online so you could see every single idea that was shared and then how we kind of whittleled it down. Meeting number two, just to get people to think cuz sometimes I know it's um I

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don't know, maybe some people are just natural visionaries where they're able to dream and think. Some people are just more concrete like me. Sometimes it's very easy to live in the day-to-day. And that's one of the traps of a school and a school board. It's easy to get so focused on what's right in front of you today and next week and what's happening

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right now. And it's really important to be able to dream a little bit while yes, realizing I joked around with them. It'd be awesome if uh we had a a billionaire drop in and and wrote a blank check and said, "Here's all the money and you could do everything that you wanted to in the entire world, but you also have the understanding of you have finite

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resources, finite staff, finite money, but we still need to be able to dream and kind of create a picture of where we want this community and our students to be in five years and what do we want to provide for them?" So we would do an activity you know you were we did not

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create an actual podcast but let's say New Jersey came in and said Eve Shim it's the year 2031 we think you were this blue ribbon star school you have done phenomenal work what were the things that you have done over these p past 5 years to get you to where you were in 2031 to be this model

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award-winning school and it allowed kind of to break down the walls a little bit so people get away from the whole idea of like well we've done that well we can't do that well we can never do that and it tried to just break down the walls a little bit so people could just freely share ideas of wow what would it

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really look like if there wasn't these barriers while realizing there are very real barriers and try to dream a little bit of what that would look like and so based off that um we would work in groups and I you know had them come up with a little fun name there was one

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group just a little snapshot one group named their podcast excellence and echim and they came up with in the year 2031 for us to be this award awardw winning school. Here were some of the things that that particular group thought that would be some of the wonderful things from SEAL to the early childhood

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foundation for all passionate staff that's invested in um a ton of extracurricular activities. There was something for every child in this in this town and school district. You know, beyond the classroom experiences, STEM innovation, modernized facilities, strong community partnerships, and

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comprehensive curriculum content. So, as you can see, that's one snapshot. A lot of really good ideas were shared in that. And so from that when you had say information like this and you had all the different groups there and say okay based off those ideas what are some of

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the like the big bucket ideas where this can really flow into because that was to really help us set the table for meeting three where we were going to actually create goals and objectives. And out of that meeting, we came out and said, "All right, here's the big five over the next five years that we're going to really

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hone in on. Culture and climate, mental health and wellness, curriculum, student achievement and success, and communication and community collaboration. I'll get into that a little bit more and Dr. Smith will get into it much much more. But over the next 5 years, um, no matter what

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happens, and again I will say this, it is a living breathing document. So, you know, things do happen. There are changes. No one can predict the future, especially in this uncertain time. So, the document is a living, breathing document. It's not rigid of like, nope, this is the document we can never shift

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because if there was some kind of massive change that heaven forbid happened, for better or for worse, the school district would have to be able to pivot. That being said, these are the five main areas that you're going to really see time, money, training, you name it. this is where the the little

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sliver of the pie that is left anymore is going to go to drive the district forward in these areas. So they at meeting three they they were able to come I had five tables set up based off of these five categories.

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Somebody could come and say oh I want to work at the culture and climate table. They sat and they worked with a small group of people and then they were responsible. I came in I coached them. I talked through here's what a strong goal statement looks like. uh here's what objectives are, you know, because we

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needed to give some specifics to Dr. Smith and his team without um getting into the day-to-day. There's there's very um strong lines, a delineation of what the board can and can't do and then what Dr. Smith and his team is responsible for. So the board is responsible for the what what are we

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doing, where are we going, and then after that directive is given, then Dr. Smith and his team is responsible for coming up with the the the daily battle plan, the action plan, the day-to-day, the actual how it's going to be carried out. And then it's going to be up to the board to hold the superintendent

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accountable to ensure that those goals are being hit. So when we were in this group time, the first group created a goal statement that said they wanted to cultivate a safe and collaborative environment where students and beyond feel connected. And then under that um we create objectives because I call it

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like kind of giving feet or legs to the goal because the goal you read that and go wow that's really really vague. So we have to then give some objectives specifics without actually telling Dr. Smith and his team how to do their job because they're the educational experts

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that the board has to rely on. So you can see under that there was four we recommended between three and five. Um this group did four and they said under that culture and climate we want to have a focus on valuing um individuality fostering a sense of district-wide

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connection. You have a really big district with a lot of different staff in schools and getting them to be basically you know uh one eam one Marlton school district and pulling in the same direction creating environment where people want to be involved and then expanding um opportunities.

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The next one was mental health. Not surprising. That's a big topic in education right now, uh, for good reason. Um, and this group said that their goal statement was to enhance opportunities to positively impact student mental health and wellness in an effort to promote self- advocacy, belonging, and student success. They put

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seven. So, they were they were not good rule followers. I'm just kidding. That was fine. They they put a few more, which was totally fine. Um, the reason we say, you know, three to five goals and three to five objectives because if you had 20 different objectives, if everything's important, nothing's important and there's only so many

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directions that you can go and it's really best to keep it to a limited amount and really make some deep inroads. Um, they mentioned maybe having, you know, a district-wide screener, you know, uh, and expanding their tiered supports, training opportunities, targeted social skills instruction, um, and so forth.

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Curriculum. Again, there's a lot of information there, so I won't read it because it's online. But this new next group, and when I walked over and I saw this, I said, "You, a lot of you at this group are teachers." And they all shook their head. I said, "I could tell by what you wrote." Um, it was very, very well written. But this group wanted to

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focus on developing and strengthening cohesive evidence-based curriculum that's data-driven, grounded in research designed to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs, ensuring every child is supported, challenged, and inspired to reach their full potential.

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And then you see under there, they have a pretty intensive list of objectives that Dr. Smith and his team had to work through and create an action plan on. The next one was student achievement and success. We're hoping to create more equitable and inclusive educational opportunities

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that attends to diverse learning needs and provide strong educational foundations to promote promote student success. Um and some of the objectives was a focus on special education um using data and analysis um to support

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student learning and everything pointing to student success. And I would just say I I'm glad that's one of the categories because the reason we're here tonight, the reason that everyone does the work that they do, everything should always be pointing how is this going to help the students. All of the work, even down

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to the mundane, even when you're talking about budget and all the different topics that can be strenuous work at times, the reason this work is being put in is because everyone wants to see every single child succeed in this school district. And the other one was

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communication and community collaboration. And their goal was to improve communication across all group groups, non-school community as well, internal, families, school community. I tell schools no matter what um whether it's in the strategic plan or not, that

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even if communication is excellent that you can always go higher. You can always improve communication in this day and age cuz as you know no matter how hard you try, someone feels left out or they weren't heard and you have a lot of different stakeholders across different backgrounds and different ages and you

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need to try to go above and beyond to try to communicate um the great things that are happening in this school district. So after that we we had we passed it off. I told everyone thank you for the work. We had the last meeting. We've

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done all that we can. um by providing the what and then there was specific directives and then there was a few months that was needed by Dr. Smith and his team to go through and really till through the information and figure out how we were going to carry that out. So

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there was a lot of things to consider. What was already in progress? What resources do we have available? What funding is there? So there that is true. There are very specific um I don't say handicaps, but things that are in place that can be prohibitive, but they had to

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problem solve and work through that and find out ways how can we achieve these goals based off of the staff that we have, the spaces and schools that we have, and the dollars and cents that we have coming in. So, they they did a really great job working through that and you'll hear more about that in a

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little bit. Something for you to just uh more of like an FYI. As I told you, there's I'm going to shut this off. I'm going to talk loud. I know it's buzzing, so it's probably annoying everyone. So, this last part is Thank you, sir.

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>> Thank Thank you. And I don't get to say this often. Thank you, Mr. Wright. Right. So, you get way more mileage out of that than Mr. Smith. So, uh just great. But Justin, thank you. Um and uh thanks Mr. case for getting the

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microphone back. Um, so we're moving on to the action plans. The um I'm going to talk a bit and then I'm going to pass the microphone over to Miss Mculik and then Dr. Bland and then back to me. And this is picking up where

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uh Mr. Wright just left off with uh the action plans piece. Um our approach here as an administration and and all administrative hands and heads were involved in this. Um we split into two teams

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with some overlap. Some administrators were on both teams and then from there uh split into sub teams. Each sub team had two or three members worked on a designated object. the different committees working in is

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that there was some overlap or redundancy among the um the goals and the objectives and to make it um more successfully manageable. We we polished out some of that redundancy, kept the meat. Um, which you can see this all

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this is going to be on our website tomorrow. So, uh, for anyone who wants to go in there, there's a crosswalk showing, um, you know, the, uh, objectives and how where they ended up in the

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wording of the, um, the polished objectives as well as, um, in the action plans themselves. Since as uh as administrators, we were working to make sure that um the the the wording and the

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u intent behind the objectives was um baked into the action plans. So there were two though that we um weren't able to really develop. Um the uh establish reasonable class sizes based on research

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to maximize student success and hire certified mental health providers to provide direct support for staff and students. uh that those are tough just because they're so budget dependent that it's um it's it it's just not um a feasible uh

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plan to base something on such a um dynamic variable as um budget resources. So, and then I'm going to pass it over to Miss McGull to talk about goal area number one, student achievement and success.

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>> Okay. Um, so as Dr. Smith said, we did kind of look at all the different goal areas, objectives, everything that was developed and really saw one overarching umbrella as it related to uh, student achievement and success. So we really capped that as like the one big goal

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area and then came up with kind of a statement about that really to increase student achievement, enhance overall success in order for students to reach their unique potential because every single one had flavors about that. And as Justin said over there that we wanted it all to be about kids, right? So

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within that five different objectives were fleshed out into action plans. The first objective connected with curriculum instruction and really related to the overall core programming. Um so again the objective in that area strengthen curricular programming in all

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areas that were inclusive of state and national standards, best practice and data analysis which was reflected throughout. The second big area was related to MTSS. So where kids aren't or having struggles with some of the core programming, now we're going to take a deeper dive and look at so how can we

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help them prior to any kind of special education. So that's our multi-tered system of supports. So the objective for that particular one build capacity within the MTSS process to deliver data-driven evidence-based interventions that are monitored and responsive to the

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different student needs. The third one was connected to technology and not necessarily technology as it relates to curriculum but just that whole idea of creating that safe, ethical and age appropriate learning environment where technology and AI which is something that's just so

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big in education right now in the world um in order to authentically integrate to enhance and extend student learning. The fourth one because it can't just be all about academics student achievement and success is based on the social emotional side as well. So that idea of mental health. Um so we looked at and we

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combined SEAL as well as that experiential learning meaning what are the opportunities that we can expand for kids rel related to both SEAL and academic content promoting those experiential learning and fostering that collaboration among schools and

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community partnerships. And then the last one is specific to special education. So creating appropriate inclusive learning opportunities and least restrictive programs for students with disabilities within their home school whenever feasible. So just again brief, we won't go line by

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line, we promise. Um so this just kind of shows you and I'll talk through the first one and then kind of show you the rest. So the goal area is at the top. So again, that broad goal area for us is student achievement and success. The first one we're talking about is those curriculum and instructional core

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programming and then the objective which I already read and will not read to you again I promise. So if you look at this is just a couple parts of that action plan but the action plan kind of fleshes out if you look from left to right. So what are the steps? Who are the staff that are responsible for that? What are

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the resources they're going to use? What are the timelines? What are indicators of success? And then as we move through these next three years, you could kind of keep track and mark that off as you continue to reflect and modify and change. So the two things I wanted to highlight as it relates to all

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curriculum areas is really how we start our process. So that idea of developing a needs assessment survey. So we're looking at what's currently being done, identifying strengths and needs from there looking at different research, administering that assessment, talking about best

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practice. So that kind of starts your process to go all the way through to make stakeholders feedback work in the summer revising units of instruction. So it kind of outlines that. The other thing I put on here just to kind of highlight because ELA is a little bit different. So we do have in addition to

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what we did with all the revisions three or two years ago now, um we also have an audit being done which we've heard at our meetings a couple different times. So, we fleshed in there the idea of we're using that ELA audit is being done now. That's an outside um consultant

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who's doing that. She's in phase three of her process. Um and then really she'll be making and presenting some recommendations as well. But we also put in there the idea there's different things that we've been talking about as a committee, as a curriculum department that we've been doing this current year

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as well. So, the idea of we did different things with I Ready this this um year. We did different things with decodable text this year. So the idea of looking at what we've currently done, looking at the audit, and when that's done, what are the other things that she's recommending? And then we would go into that next stop step in the process

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moving forward. So that's a quick snapshot of that. Um, in the second one, so this one was the one that was connected to MTSS. So again, this one has 12 different action steps. We just put up there that first main one to kind of talk through. So, we're looking when we talk about

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MTSS or supports for students who are not or struggling in the classroom or might have challenges. It could be academically or it could be socially. Um looking at different pathways in literacy and math. Looking at um updated resources that they're using based on

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the path a child needs. Uh looking at we were able to add some additional resources on the mental health side through an ERS team and how are they supplemental services? How are they creating their case loads? Um and then looking at different interventionists. So we have a literacy interventionist

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and a math interventionist in terms of really supporting phases two and three. So again that kind of same process, action steps, staff, resources, timelines and success. Um the next one was technology. This one

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is really tied to the long-range technology plan. So every three years we have a long-range technology plan. We are due for revision. So we are finishing up the final year. that will be this June. So we'll start the long range technology plan and it will kind of work in conjunction with the strategic planning. So the idea there'll

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be surveys involved. They'll be um looking at different goal areas, something connected to students, something connected to infrastructure, something connected to staff and working through the process of these 12 action steps through that. The fourth area um so this one was again

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that social emotional and that experiential learning. So we just were highlighting some of those experiences in terms of the first uh action plan. And so wherever we can write something that's you know going somewhere or doing something with authentic audience in the curriculum we do that. That's kind of

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like talked about in the resources. The second one was connected service learning. Um so for that one as we revise social studies we have a we have a service learning project starting in preschool and every grade has one but are we revising or how we're changing that over time? Field trips. We were

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super excited to be able to bring back elementary field trips this year. Um, and looking to extend that next year to continue. Um, so again, those opportunities for doing things not just in school, but outside of school as well. And then this one will flesh through. It'll also talk about responsive classroom that we used in all

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our elementary schools. It'll talk about um engagement and what are some lessons we're going to create around that social emotional piece. And then of course the mental health piece is there as well. So, those are a couple quick highlights as it relates to the first four and then the last one I'm going to turn over to

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Jen. Okay. As it relates to special education, the last part of of the of our student achievement goal area, you'll see that there are six action steps. And what was most important for us as a district as one of the largest special education districts in in in the

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county uh was to really build our capacity to meet the needs of our students in in their home schools. And often the perception is that that's the sole responsibility of of special education teachers and related service providers. So, we're really working hard

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to kind of shift shift that mindset and build our capacity to meet the needs of all of of a greater percentage of our students in the general education classroom on the front end. Um, by incorporating the principles of universal design for learning, considering how students best access

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their learning, how do they express their learning needs, and just uh in planning for more variability on the front end. And even though if you're if you're wondering, does that take a lot of time? Yes. Is it time better spent on the front end than the back end? That's an absolute hard yes. And that's not to

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say that uh a placement in the general education classroom is is necessarily the least restrictive environment for all of our students because one thing that we're really proud of in our district is the range of specialized programs that we offer. So to that end, with respect to space and just the sheer

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number of students that we have, it really it is impossible for us to have every specialized program in in every building that we have. Of course, we would love to be able to do so, but that's just not a possibility for us. So, so this is where we really wanted to

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focus our focus our efforts on building the capacity in the general education classroom and and really focusing on what is special about special education. uh a disability or or a diagnosis alone doesn't necessarily mean that a student is eligible for special education and or

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related services. That the line in the sand or the or the difference is is really the the extent to which a student requires specialized programming to access their their educational program in in the public school. So that's where we're going to focus our efforts and and

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also building our capacity to incorporate different programming in the general education classroom. So what that is going to look like on our end is increased opportunities for professional development focusing on what does co-eing look like? How do we really make

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a difference when we it's it's so much more than just having two professionals sharing space together in the classroom. So, incorporating ongoing professional development and and support for for our teachers as well as support with lesson

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planning, curriculum design, uh expanding our inclusion support to also um as as Miss Mcgulic mentioned, we are in in the middle of uh an audit of our language arts curriculum. We'll also be expanding our uh inclusion support for teachers to encompass word study this

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year um as well. Oh, Jen, I'm gonna need that. Thank you, Dr. Bland. All right, we're going to move on to goal area number two, the the four C's, culture, climate, communication, community. These words threaded through

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all of the goals within this area. Objective 2.1, valuing individuality. Value individuality through exposure, education, and acceptance. Objective 2.2, Two, communication. Improve communication among staff, parents, and

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administration, including by implementing direct communication means, for example, for emergent transportation related matters. Objective 2.3, involvement, foster district-wide connection and involvement among students, schools, and staff via multim

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multiple means, including increasing communication, eg social media, website, email. So just again not to go through every action step but just to give you a few here for uh objective 2.1 value individuality

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we have in there um increasing the ability of our libraries to reflect our students reflect our community. So increasing the diversity of books by authors from historically underrepresented groups and have classroom libraries reflect the

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demographics of the school population. And just like we saw with the first goal area, we've got the staff involved, the resources, the timelines, and the completion status columns. The uh the second action step just to

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give it another sample is to um emphasize visual displays representing the school population. We and and as Mr. Wright said earlier in his piece like sometimes we can be talking about things that we want to that are ongoing but we want to improve

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on you know when it comes to communication we can always improve. So we do we do have both of these elements. We just want to get better at them. continue to get better. Objective 2.2. So we this is about improving

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communication among stakeholders. We had uh seven action steps for this. Just going to highlight a couple. Identify a new and improved website platform for district and school web pages and a new communication platform. So we are looking at that right now.

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That's a very exciting process. We do anticipate in the summer making that move from um our current website to the new website which will also bring a move to a new communication platform. We currently use school messenger. Um I am

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excited about this. Um very excited. School messenger for example only enables uh PDFs to be sent which is a little limiting. Um second row there highlights student achievement positive stories and community impact

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events in part by converting similar content across multiple platforms. So the new website we're moving to has the capability to connect to social media. We want to try to um kind of ameliorate the ability to

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with in a with a time efficiency get the same info out in multiple ways. right now we don't have that sync between our website and Facebook. I do want to thank our board for their encouragement of us to to sort of dust off our Facebook. We had a couple recent posts on there. Um

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that's always that's it's it's always an interesting thing because you know I think there's there's so much room to grow there. So much room to grow. Um and uh the um I would say just just as a little example there like um even as

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we've been working on the strategic plan I have noticed it's left its fingerprints on me for example um you know go back to February I think in one of my updates I sent out um sort of a description of everything our school a

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sampling of what our schools are doing for Black History Month and then in March did something similar for read across America. Um today update I had a school spotlight on me and the naturalization ceremony. Amazing that that they hosted earlier this week. Um

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so those are just some examples of like concretely what that could look like. Only imagine it pollinating exponentially. You know there there there's really no ceiling with that. Uh objective 2.3

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five action steps for this one. And you can see even, you know, as we tried to uh create a more um efficient wording, there's still some overlap. Like this one has social media as well highlighting the joy. Good phrasing. Um

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and uh to you know, it has the indicator of success, a quantification of that success, which would be one new post per week to the district Facebook. Um and then similarly in that next row um about

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um using social media in the newsletter to get more information out and it's got um also the the quantification of one district and one school highlight per week. Next step beyond here. So we we have a little radio button on our homepage

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called associate planning. We've used that in the past. This fall we used that. We were sharing out Mr. Wright's um summaries of the different meetings. We will add a dashboard to that. You can kind of see probably, you know, where the dashboard's going to go. It's going

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to have um that completion status. It will will be the uh kind of the matrix for it. And it'll be very fun to update that as um different pieces are accomplished to continue to show growth in those areas.

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Um, and I would just uh as a a last thought I was having and again just coming back to something Mr. right said in his remarks um when he mentioned CSA goals and different things like that and I thought um in terms of the timing of this

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I think there there there is a lot of potential for a superintendent search in the strategic plan because it does provide some raw material for questions interview questions for um work samples

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work um kind of demos that that a person could do that would provide data on how that person's vision can align with ours in in the strategic plan. Um lastly, I just want to thank um all our administrators

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for their work and the action plans. Thank our board for not only their time in uh the process but their vision going back about a year initial conversation. Mr. Mr. Peeleman and I had that led to

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some other conversations that led to meetings over the summer, community engagement committee that led to um connecting with Mr. Wright and NJSBA which led to um interest forms in the fall, three meetings,

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work on the action plans, and then tonight. And then the work continues. The work always continues. Um, and then the last thank you would be to all of our stakeholders who came to those meetings. Um, I emailed all the people who RSVPd for those

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meetings um to share the information about this um strategic plan and uh so hope that they will either be watching online or check out the uh final product online. And um we continue to welcome

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ideas. I going to mention the living document aspect of this um and and I would define that as but living in two senses. One that there can be variables external to our district that may impact aspects beyond our control of this

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strategic plan but then there are also internal intrinsic ways that we may see we want to adapt and add to and further articulate this plan as we move across three years. 3 years is a long time, right? One year is a long time and um

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excited to see where that story goes. So, thank you everybody. Any questions? It'll come back. There we go. All right, we're going to move on to budget.

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U Thank you. Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you. Final budget presentation. district mission. Just as with strategic plan, this is our northstar. I'm hearing the echo from the

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strategic plan description of it, but that is true. Northstar, true north. It's what we follow and what we steer by. Budget goals. These remain true year-toear. The work on the 2728 budget. Can't believe I'm

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saying those words. Y 2K feels like yesterday, but the work on that next year's budget starts. It's already ongoing, but it officially starts tomorrow. So, budgetary context. This is this is one of my drums to beat.

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So people here, we talked about this in our testimony before the state assembly budget committee, before the state senate budget committee and uh that was everybody here is in that everybody there was in this room. So Mr. Madison, Mr. Dearcy, Mr.

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Whiskawitz and myself um and uh because the state needs to understand this. There are districts that spend twice as much twice per pupil what we spend and are 99% funded by the state. So

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I'm sorry 99% funded by by the state meaning yes meaning partly funded by ESIM um seventh leanest there's so much data there anyone can go look it's it's a rabbit hole very interesting and very important to

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understanding where we are and I'm going to pass it over to Mr. All right. Thank you. Good evening, everybody. Uh, so we'll get right into it. Thank you. So, um, this changed slightly from our tenative. There were some

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changes. We, the board held a work session, um, in a couple weeks ago. At that work session, some of those changes where we were restoring late busing to its full capacity. We're able to do that by um increasing our revenue target on clubs

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and activities by accounting for some breakage. Um and let's continue. So final budget total next year 102,395,600. And here we can see our revenue yearover from fiscal year 26 to 27. Won't bury

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the lead. We're looking at local tax levy with an increase of 2% or just about $1.8 million next year. Um, some highlights here. You all can see those. I won't go through them line by line, but tax levy incentive aid, that is the

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aid that we received last year as a result of taking the additional tax authority. So, the state said you can take uh your 14.2 million roughly, then we're going to give you $710,62 to go along with that. that represents a

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fiscal cliff for us in this year because that money is not available to us. It is not aid that we are receiving in the fiscal year 27 budget. Um and oh, extraordinary aid. I wanted to highlight this one for a second. We are

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budgeting extraordinary aid at $700,000 to budget to balance the fiscal year 27 budget. And um you might say, why did you increase it over the prior year? But if you look down at the bottom, you can see that our actual extraordinary aid received from fiscal year 25 was

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$780,000. Um, we typically don't want to budget extraordinary aid that high or close to actual. Um, I would prefer to for this number to be much less, but we do need it to balance next year's budget. And we do have a withdrawal of capital reserve of 1,23,000. We will go through that

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project list a little bit later. Some revenue highlights. Um projected revenue is going to show an increase of 1.47 million or 1.47% on a hund00 million budget. Our state funding did increase this year 6%. It was capped, however,

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but for us that represents about $430,000 from the prior year and then local tax levy is increasing at 2%. Okay. Um so here we have state funding. What I wanted to show in this slide was just funding by category, going back to

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fiscal year 2017, and comparing it to what we are receiving in the current year, fiscal year 26, and what we're expected to receive in the subsequent year, fiscal year 27. Um, some of these categories we still receive aid in, the majority of them we

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do. Other aids we used to receive or school districts in New Jersey used to receive um various state aids. One of them would be called the park readiness aid. Um the park was an assessment that is no longer um provided for schools in New Jersey, but that was other aids. So

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when you see 130,000 there, that is what that was referring to. The big takeaway for me um on this slide is that if you look at our enrollment going back to fiscal year 17, you know, 4,452 kids per the ASASSA,

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our application for state school aid, fiscal year 27 next year, and that is based on our October 15th count from this school year, 4,439 students. So our our enrollment has remained relatively flat. you would say,

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but our state funding has been reduced by about six and a half million dollars over that same time period. So flat enrollment, but state funding reduced almost in half. Miscellaneous revenues, this is a little bit hard, challenging to see, and I

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apologize for that. Um, but miscellaneous revenues is a big category for us that we use to um help balance our budget. So, some of these major categories are um building leases and facility rentals at the top there. So,

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we do lease the Evans um school. As we're aware, we did have some lease space this year that we won't have next year in MMS and DMS. Um and we do receive facility rentals. So, uh the MRC rents um facility space from us and and several other organizations around town.

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Um we do sell surplus assets. So things like school buses can be used to offset or include in this kind of catch-all category of miscellaneous revenues. Bank interest continues to generate uh significant revenue for us. We earn over

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$500,000 a year from banking interest alone. Uh and then clubs and activities fees help to offset the cost of those programs. And then insurance surplus also helps to offset the cost of our insurance premiums. We are members of the BCIP GIF. So it's pulled insurance.

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So we pull our risk with many other districts across the state. Um when the uh the collected premiums exceed the total output, that's called a surplus. And the GIF will return surplus back to the member districts.

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And here we have our summary of appropriations from fiscal year 26 to 27. Then our dollars and our percentages on the right. Um nothing particular here that we haven't already discussed. Uh you will see that staffing has gone down

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2.5 million. That is not in uh actually staffing reductions. That is partially it that is really reflective of the state having us put the tax levy incentive aid directly into salaries and benefit programs uh last year and that happened in um July that notification

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from them. Um big major category increase for us is benefits. So that's going to go up about $4.2 million next year and that's on a 25% projection for the six months. Um all indications are in the state employees health benefit

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program that they missed the uh actuaries missed their targets. They came out with their report um at the beginning of April. So the state employees health uh benefit program is uh audited by AON. That's the actuarial

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company and AON released their midyear report. You'll remember at several of our meetings we've talked about how the premiums increased over 31% for us in January of this year. The their goal was with that 31% increase was they wanted

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to restore the reserves for the state. So the reserves are meant to be 2 and a half months of total premiums in reserves. They were down to less than two weeks. Um, so they had a massive premium increase in January for all member districts and that was over 31%.

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The midyear report they just released, they said they missed that target. They should have increased it by 18% more. So, um, they were hoping to have, I think, uh, don't quote me on this, but I know it was 120, um,

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million dollars in reserves or 160 million, and they were only able to achieve about $40 million in reserves. So, we're expecting massive increase in the state employees health benefit program next year. We don't know what it's going to be. The state doesn't tell us, and we won't find out until six

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months into an approved budget. Um and then just our kind of general increases across the board. You will see that uh curriculum that curriculum personnel and technology that line item is going up but that is reflective of a

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new math program. Thank you. All right. And then where does your tax dollar go in eam? Again this is hard to see so I will fix that and I apologize everybody. Um but you can see that I've chopped the dollar up based on the major categories. So you can see it broken down in dollars

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and cents, but uh the big takeaways about 75 to 80% or let's say 75 to 80 cents of every dollar goes towards the salaries and benefits for our staff. Benefits alone count for about 22 cents of every dollar. And then all the way on

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the far right where it says schools and it's pointing to a little less than one cent schools. Our schools in Eve Sham on a hundred million dollar budget have less than 500 thou $500,000 combined. So that's like our principal's budgets in schools. That's like our true

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discretionary spend. That's 50 basis points of $1. So our schools account for less than 1% and that is our kind of true discretionary spend. And then our key expenditures. So we've we've already talked um about health

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benefits. you know, that's a 30 to 40% increase for us. Um, when you combine it over the course of the entire year, our salaries annually increase by about three and a half to 4%. Transportation is going to renew at CPI. It's the state

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designated consumer price index for transportation in New Jersey. That's 3.58% for us next year. And then special education, we continue to see mandates without funding. um highlighting all of these things, 3.5% 30 to 40% on health increases, 3 to 4%

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on salaries. We don't know what our out of district tuition rate increases are going to be just yet. Um our tax levy can only increase at 2%. So as a percentage, we're exceeding that before we've even started. Uh tax levy for us

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is 1.7 or $1.8 million. That's the true number that we can control to increase. It is our largest revenue source, but it is not 100% of our budget, but our benefits alone are going to account for $4.1 million. And then, of course, we don't do nothing

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about it. We do have cost savings and energy me or uh efficiency measures always. We're always looking for how can we become more efficient and how can we save in the district. We do have energy savings initiatives. So, we are exploring the idea of an uh energy savings improvement plan or more

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commonly referred to as an EIP for long-term utility savings next year. And many years after that, we participate in the direct install programs that um uh South Jersey Gas and uh PSENG offer. And

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we're members of the ACES. So, we participate in um leveraged energy savings. It's similar to how we join the GIF. We joined the ACES to capture um gas and electric with member districts. Operational efficiencies, we're always

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looking for is there a way that we can be strategic with our full-time equivalencies through restructuring. Maybe we have an a retirement and that retirement for us might trigger a way that we can become more efficient. Um and we're always reviewing our staff to

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see that uh we are aligned to our enrollment and our program needs. technology and software review. Annually, we're looking at the softwares that we are using and the technology we're using. Is there something better out there at a competitive rate that makes us more efficient? Transportation

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optimization. Can we restructure our routes? Can we utilize our vendors in a better way every single year? Um, and that work goes on constantly. It's not just an an like a one-time thing. I can tell you that our transportation department is constantly looking at route restructure. Um and then

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purchasing and procurement controls. So we will leverage cooperative pricing. So we'll go out to organizations that have already done the solicitations on a broad scale to reduce cost and or using state contracts. Um,

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we prioritize preventive maintenance always for our districts, for our excuse me, for our buildings. And I, as I indicated, we are participants in the BCIPGF that pulls our risk with other districts, helps to stabilize our cost and reduce long-term exposure to

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significant claims. Um, and then continuous budget monitoring. That work is constantly going on. And you know, as you know, as school district, we don't have the luxury of not opening the mailbox. So our bills go out usually twice a month at this point. So we are

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early to the trends. And then let's talk about our capital projects for next year. So we're going to have some investment. That investment is going to happen through a withdrawal of capital reserve of 1,23,000. We're looking at security enhancements

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across uh multiple buildings, but we're going to upgrade some security systems and access controls. That work does kind of go on at each year. our annual toilet room renovations looking for improvements for functionality and compliance water flow standards. We will have classroom refur refurbishments

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across the district. Mr. Hoffman's going to be glad to know we will finally get that abatement he's been asking for, I believe. Um and then the big one that uh for this the big ticket item this year is going to be some paving projects in particular the Macy's staff parking lot

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that is in a state of disrepair. It is not at a point where we can patch and reseal it. It will need a mill and replacement. Um so we will be looking forward to undertaking that project. That work has already begun with our architect and engineer. And then uh WSHP

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stands for water source heat pumps and has been as has been exhaustively talked about. Our uh climate is controlled in each room in our district through the water source heat pump. And those water source heat pumps are aging and expensive to replace. So, we'll be we

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will be looking to replace many of them. I don't have a total number because it really depends on how the other uh projects really shake out, but we'll we'll do as many as we can. And then finally, the tax impact. What this looks like for everybody. I know this looks complicated, but if you bear

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with me, up in the top uh right there in the gray where it says NVT, that is net value taxable. So, um that is the total ratables of the town of Eve Sham, right? So, how much tax dollars can the town collect?

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You'll see that our ratables went up. So, when our ratables go up, that spreads out a tax impact across more people. Think of this like going to the pizza shop and you're splitting a p a hundred, let's call it a $50 pizza, um, which might not be unrealistic in

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today's world, but a $50 pizza with five people. You'd rather split a $50 pizza with seven people. So, that's what your ratables are. when they go up, it helps spread out the taxed impact. Um, and so effect effectually lessening that impact. Um,

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and then on the uh middle there where you see the yellow bar, that's your sliding scale. Property assessed values is on the left. The average assessed home in Eve Sham per the New Jersey Division of Taxation is $273,254. This is not the market value of a home.

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This is the tax assessed value of the home and that is what your taxes are based on. And then you'll see your proposed tax for 2627 in the middle column there. And then just to the right of that was the actual tax from 2526. That difference that's the annual number

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of our tax impact for the average assessed home. $89.39 annually or $745 a month. If your home is not worth the average assessed home, you say, "My home is valued at 600,000." This is a sliding scale. So, it would be

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a 32 or $33 increase for every $100,000 of assessed value. All right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Yates. So when we left off at the last budget presentation, which was the tenative

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budget presentation in mid-March, we had at that point we were talking about what's struck through in red there, which was eliminate late busing $55,000. and we said that we were continuing to have conversations as a board,

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continuing to work, continuing to look, talk, and we had a work session um special board meeting work session shortly after that in late March. The outcome of that meeting was the bullets in red that I'm going to go

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through there. But and I communicating until now to talk about that publicly, but I did share it out in the ETSSD update right after that uh work session meeting. So um to just talk through this. So this

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is the alternative path. So late busing then is preserved. Uh step one, we increased the activity fee revenue estimate. So not not increasing activity fees but increasing the revenue

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projection 150,000. There is a slight reduction to elementary late busing from four to three days per week. That will save 50,000. Um and those buses will run every day

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that extracurriculars run. So that means that the extracurriculars will be three days a week as well for elementary. Um the um um that still does though based on our data and from districts around the

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county um maintain a very robust by comparison a very robust um extracurricular programming here in Esham compared to districts countywide. um eliminate one an additional elementary gened teaching position

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through class size. That's one position. um utilize onetime revenue source addition out of district tuition credit 168,000 and then break it due to retirements since March 19th tenative

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budget uh 37,000 brings us to 505,000 our alternate pathway other steps and these are um have been on prior slides prior presentations right these are things we um continue to do. I just want to highlight like um the

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school resource officer shared service agreement with EM Township. We're grateful for that um as they take on the full cost of that very valued program and support. Um the presentation when post this all be posted on our website tomorrow. That

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link there goes to the testimony that I referenced earlier in this meeting. um that sparked about a 20-minute live conversation in the you know former state supreme court in Trenton with uh the state

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assembly who were listening and acknowledged that you know something has to be done so and hopefully soon um suggestion box lid tossed aside um you

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know we've been in this position for years. Um the additional tax levy increase was so important this year to prevent more red on this. This slide would have been

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multiple slides were it not for that additional tax levy. I am grateful for our board, for our community, for that additional levy. It is our mission

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for kids. We look at this mission statement. That tax levy helps us achieve that mission. So, thank you to everyone for that. questions.

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Thank you. I just want to clarify one thing that you said about the curriculum and the added cost for the math curriculum. You stated that it's a new math program. I just want to clarify that it's an update to the current program. Right, Danny? >> The newest edition.

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>> The newest edition. Okay. I just want to >> Right. Okay. I just wanted to clarify that for the people listening that it's not a new program because I think a revised addition to what we are currently using. Any other questions on the budget from

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board members? No, I have a question as I always do. Mr. Yates, you talked about the um Burlington County GIF. I didn't I didn't hear what you said. Are we getting a

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dividend? Do we we don't always get a dividend? I didn't hear what you said about that one particular topic. >> Yes, ma'am. We received a dividend. Um, and we're using that to offset premiums. And bear with me one moment. I'll tell you exactly what it is.

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$39,318. >> And uh, last year was $39,4001. >> Okay. Another question. You talked about that state health benefits plan and then now the actuary came back and said really we

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need another 17%. Is that like June July 1? I don't I'm confused about that. >> No, they they can't midyear increase the premiums. I shouldn't say they can't. It's the state they seem to do whatever they want. But um it's not our expectation that midyear they will increase premiums. We expect that to be

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baked into the January renewal. >> Okay. Okay. So, in the January renewal, they we should expect >> Yeah. >> about 17% or it's going to be more than that. >> Uh we've been told to anticipate. I've heard no. So, we we don't know, right?

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Our brokers don't know. The state does not release that information. The actuaries will make a recommendation. Um and in then I believe that happens in the late summer and then in the fall they release the rate information.

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We've I've heard numbers as high as 40%. >> Right. You were saying that. >> And then just for the record, you know, I have spoken publicly about this. I have delivered presentations. I have shopped our plan or I it's in other words, you could say I've gone to market our plan three separate times since I've

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been here. We've been in the state health benefit program prior to my tenure here in Ephesam. Um, and it was one of the first things I wanted to get out of my history, just my professional experience as a BA, I've experienced

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where the state will have um attractive premiums in their plan to try and attract healthy districts in. When I say healthy districts, I mean districts that have a uh less than one experience rating. Um, and an effort to offset the

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districts who can't leave the state plan. The state's plan is the plan of last resort, meaning they have to accept everybody. And so if you're a district like Eve Sham where you have nowhere else to go, you end up in the plan where there's it's filled with everyone else

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who has nowhere else to go. So um I've shopped this three times. All three times we've received the same response and that response has been that every major carrier has declined to quote us um because our experience rating is too high. experience rating being for every

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dollar you put in, >> how much do you pull out in premium, our experience rating is north of one and a half. So, and and if you remember my January presentation, of all the they they call it souls of all the souls that

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are on our medical plan, 32 of them account for over 50% of all premium claims. So I you know I don't I don't know what option Eve shamp has but I explore this is something I'm I'm constantly looking

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right for alternatives for >> Okay. Thank you. So seeing no other questions from the board now we will open it up to public comment on the uh final budget presentation for

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school year 2627. Oh, is anybody getting up? But before you do, I have to say this. We have um two public comment periods. We're having two public comment periods tonight. >> We'll have three. So, we'll have public comment on the budget, then public comment on agenda items, and then

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general items. >> Okay. What he said. So, So, um we there are no public comments referencing um student or personnel items or negotiations. We ask that you see the superintendent

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after the meeting. Since we do not discuss these matters in public, please limit your comments to three minutes per person. Please state your name and your address. uh 10 Halifax Court East. Um I'm here to talk about the budget. Uh first off, my

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question is last year you came to the taxpayer, you came to us taxpayers and said, "Hey, we have to raise uh the tax levy. It was $14.2 million and you know, you guys voted to do that. You know, the taxpayers are paying that fee." Um and for the average assessed homeowner, I

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believe it was probably around $1,000 last year. Now you're coming to us and again out of the 14 million it was uh presented to us that you know half would go to instruction and then the other half would be for capital improvements. I've been to this meeting in the when you did the tenative I went to your

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special work session and again I still am unclear where what happened to the 14 million because out of that I should have 7 million really to play with um for the tax increase that you're proposing for the 2% you're proposing to

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raise another 2% to the average taxpayer um to the taxpayer which um I just don't understand after you asked for $14.2 million. So that's my first point. Um the one issue I understand the state,

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you know, we have been short changed from the state regarding the 6% cap. Um I take offense to the one slide that had about we're talking about state aid back in 2017 or whatever it is versus now. The numbers have changed. Um the the

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formula behind the scenes. So the state actually is holding back $2.1 million or $2.2 $2 million in categorical aid, which is your special education aid, your transportation aid, etc. That is really on the table that the state should be giving us. And honestly, that

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is the only thing that we should be asking for. The uh equalization aid, honestly, we should not be applying. We don't really qualify for it without the three-year equalization, the averages of the property value and the equalization and income. So, categorical aid, we need

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to go to the state. Um the question I have is really in the presentation you're still eliminating staff programs or staff um for general education but yet we had the presentation ahead of us that really talked about adding staff um and class sizes and reducing the class

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sizes. So I don't see how that's jelling with you know your priorities. So I have a question about that. Um and again the state health benefits plan is staggering that we're spending so much money. I believe it was 12 million this year and I think you guys explained at the

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session it was about 15 to 17 million. That's a staggering amount of money and if you're a employee living in district you know you're paying your your premium and then you're also getting hit as a taxpayer. So I feel that we all should be going to the state health benefits

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plan and advocating for that. Um the other thing I want to say transportation I am a little lost. You know we went out to bid I guess two years ago. We outsourced transportation. We were supposed to have an $800,000 cost savings. However, transportation costs

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between 2024, it was 6.5. >> Three minutes. So, just >> Sure. I will just wrap up. And now we're at $7.6 million. So, between 24 to 27, that's about um a million dollar increase in transportation. So, that's

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staggering when we're supposed to have a cost savings. And the only thing I will just ask since you're doing paving projects, could you please fix the pothole at Rice. Thank you. >> Good evening. Brian Witz, president of ETA. Um, I'd like to start by saying we are

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appreciative that there are no major cuts to program or staffing. Um, but still even to see seven positions, seven elementary school positions, and I know it's not people or staff, but positions,

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but still with um raising taxes last year to see that is a little disheartening. And I'm aware of the state aid challenges. I was there in Trenton. Um, but still, just reducing those positions will put a strain on our current staff with class sizes. So

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again, with raising taxes, we thought we would be good. So that's all. Thank you. >> Hi, Patty Mer, 10 Blanchard Road. I'm a little perplexed um because last year when I sat well I watched it at home actually the budget presentation

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um and you vote v voted to raise it the full 25% with around I believe was $8 million of that going towards capital projects that we were told were emergencies. So now again I'm seeing heat pumps up there were any of those 700 heat pumps

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from last year that was an emergency have any of those been replaced yet? Does the board, you know, have you looked into that? Um, also the paving projects, Deacy and Rice specifically were mentioned last year to come out of

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the capital gains or capital projects, this $8 million. And apparently that hasn't been done. So why are we now where did that money go? I I don't understand. I think we were owed an explanation after raising our taxes 25%

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last year. You didn't have to go that whole thing. and and now you're asking for the same things again. So I I think we deserve an explanation. Thank you. Now we will go to the public comment

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period on I'm sorry. No h >> no I believe that comes later. >> Okay. Moving on to public comment on agenda items only.

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If you wish to comment on agenda items only, please step forward. Um, if your questions pertain though to student or personnel items or negotiations, we ask that you see the superintendent after the meeting. Since we do not discuss

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these matters in public, please limit your comments to three minutes per person. Is there anyone who would like to stand up and comment on any of the agenda items specifically? >> Oh, hello. >> Hello. Nice to see you, Janice.

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>> State your name and your address, please. Mrs. Everhard, >> Trish Everhard, 25 Derby Court. Nice to see you banging the gavvel there. Uh, congratulations. Okay. I'm I'm here to talk about um finance. Uh under the

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finance section of the agenda, there was a line item for awarding a contract for superintendent search services. So, I sat on the board and we did two superintendent replacements or um searches on our own.

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We didn't need to go out for bid. I would like you to consider the possibility of doing this on your own. I think maybe New Jersey school boards does offer the resource and ability to do that. Is that for a fee or is that

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for free? Um I would like to just have you consider doing this search. It can be done with the board without an outside fee incurred. So I just implore you to reconsider that. I know it's a daunting task and I wish Dr. Smith a lot

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of luck in his next chapter, but I I do think with the financial constraints that you have ahead of you that you would consider doing that. Boards have done it successfully in the past. That's it. Thank you. Thank you.

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Now moving on to the approval of minutes. I need a motion to approve. There's no No. Oh, I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry. I wanted to say one more thing. Did you already close public comment? I apologize. I just want to say something. >> It's not closed for you.

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>> Oh, no. I'm sorry. I just want to say I want to wish some retirees uh some good luck tonight. So, good luck to uh Dr. Smith on your next chapter. Uh thank you for your service. Also, Gateon Lucabella, I sat and worked with him on

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the board many years ago and I wish him a lot of luck in his next chapter. And I also want to wish this man here. Uh we go way back, sir. I came here to uh congratulate you on your retirement and to wish you the best of luck. We sat

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together uh me as a board member, me as a parent, and me as a PTA member under your toutelage. So, I'm going to miss you and I wish you a lot of luck in your next chapter. Okay. All right. Thank you. Good luck. Thank you. Okay. So, now we'll move to the approval

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of the minutes. I need a motion to approve items 6.1 to 6.3. Do I have a motion? Mr. Massen. A second. Mr. Fiser. Thank you. Do we have any questions or

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comments on the um approval of the meeting minutes? Seeing none, Mr. Yates, could I have a roll call, please? >> Roll call on the approval of minutes. Mr. Dearcy, >> yes. >> Mr. Fischer, >> yes. >> Miss Ionelli, >> yes.

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>> Mr. Peeleman, >> yes. >> Miss But Mowitz? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Null? >> Yes. >> That motion carries. >> Okay. Thank you. At this time, we'll move on to the superintendent reports. Do I have a motion to approve

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item 7.1 through 7.7? >> Uh, my apologies. I skipped Mr. Massen on the last >> Oh, did you? Oh, I didn't even notice. >> Yes. >> Motion still carries. >> Okay, great. Anyway, okay. We're going

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to move on to seven items 7.1 through 7.7. Do I have a motion to approve those items as superintendent report? A motion. Mrs. Ionelli, do I have a second, Mr. Massen?

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So, at this time, am I handing it over to you tonight? Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Null. Um, I will keep my superintendent comments very brief. We've had two presentations. First, I just wanted to share we

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recently received notice that our from our county office that our district has been designated as high performing by the New Jersey Department of Education in all five NJQ categories, including in the category of instruction and program

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based on our most recent NJSLA test scores from last spring. Uh, I'd also like to, you know, congratulations first to our students for that achievement. Um, and of course to the the the staff in all roles,

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classroom teachers foremost, who support them in all their achievement, including state assessments, although that's ultimately not what we're about, right? The greatest achievement is their success in years that we will in beyond

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the walls of any school. Um, also would like to congratulate Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Luchabello on their retirement. Um, I've known Mr. Hoffman since before I sat in this chair, um, many, many

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years and, um, just, uh, wish him health and happiness as we retire his shoes. You can't fill those shoes. Um, and then for Mr. Luchabello, um, wish him very well. It's uh it's been a pleasure to get to work with him and get

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to know him. Um and uh and then for me, this is my first board meeting since my retirement announcement. Uh I just like to publicly thank our board and our administration and all our staff as well as our students and families for their work to

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make our community so wonderful and special. It is has been and continues to be the deepest honor to serve that community as superintendent and thankfully the happy distraction the work continues

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now and tomorrow and beyond. So thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Smith. Let me just get back to the agenda here. Um, so at this time, do I have any questions or

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comments from board members on 7.1 through 7.7? Anything under the superintendence report? Any questions or comments? Seeing none, roll call, please. Mr. Yates.

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>> On administrative items, Mr. Dearcy, >> yes. Mr. Fischer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Elli, >> yes. >> Miss Ionelli, excuse me. >> All over tonight. Mr. Massie, >> yes. >> Mr. Pelman, >> yes. >> Miss Moitz, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Nol, >> yes.

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>> The motion carries. >> Thank you. We'll be moving on to item 8, curriculum and instruction. I need a motion to approve items 8.1 through 8.6. Do I have a motion from anyone? Miss

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Bucher Mowitz and seconded by Mr. Fiser. Are there any questions or comments for item eight, curriculum instruction? Anything under that? >> I have one. Janice, >> you have one. Okay, go ahead. >> I wanted just so under curriculum and instruction tonight. Dr. Smith did touch

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on this as part of the strategic plan, but I wanted to call out um 8.5 because I think it's going to be a big positive change for our district. Fact, we are proving tonight a new website design, a new communication system. I think

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ultimately entails a new phone system, messaging within the building, all the above. It will all be implemented some soon, some over some time. Correct. And I wanted to call out these gentlemen right here, Frederick and Mario and the IT department because they put in a lot

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of time to vet these systems and you know test them and figure out what's the best the best thing for Eve Sham as well as you know different stakeholder involvement. So um positive positive point of light Dr. Smith um on

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the agenda tonight. Um so we're excited to see some new revamps really soon >> and that will be rolled out in the fall. I think it starts in the summer. Yeah, I think the plan is in the summer. At least the website and some of the other communication pieces. Some of it will take a little longer.

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>> The PA system will take a little bit longer. >> Any other questions or comments on curriculum and instruction items? I have a question if nobody else has any. My one question and Miss Mculik,

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you have to forgive me because I don't remember everything, but can you please speak about the 8.4 focus grant? >> Sure. Um, so that's a continuation. Last year we received funding when we switched to the universal literacy screener in the primary grades. Um, we

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received that focus grant roughly for like more like 18,000. Uh, recently the state released the second round so that we'll have that for next year. to continue using I Ready in grades K through three. >> Okay, that's for the continuation of I

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Ready, specifically in K to 3. Okay. Okay, thank you. Seeing no other questions or comments, may I have a roll call, please? Mr. Yates on curriculum instruction. >> On curriculum and instruction, Mr. DeMarcy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Fischer?

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>> Yes. >> Missyelli? >> Yes. >> Mr. Massen? >> Yes. >> Mr. Pelman? >> Yes. Miss Bucher Mowitz. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Null. >> Yes. >> That motion carries. >> Thank you. Moving on to finance and operations. Do I have a motion to

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approve 9.1 through 9.17 Mr. Peeleman and seconded by Mr. Dearcy? At this time, do I have any questions? Does any board members have questions or comments on all of the finance and operations? Mr. Pelman?

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>> Yeah, I just wanted to point out that um based on conversations we had uh earlier, I just wanted to point out that based on conversations we had earlier tonight, if you had refreshed your uh agenda for the evening, 9.8 was taken off of it that we are not um uh

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selecting a superintendent search uh group today. So that's not happening today. >> I think it's 9.9 >> oh.9. >> Whichever it was, it's not there anymore. >> It's completely >> there is a new 9.9.

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>> So just wanted to point that out. >> Okay. Thank you. Do we have any other questions or comments for finance and operation items? including Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Hyonelli. Um, I just wanted to comment

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in regards to the budget presentation. Um, I just hope our administration team is dedicated to staying true to our mission statement and promoting excellence and ensuring that the environment starting at that educational

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foundation which is our elementary schools that we are continuing to look at the class sizes and making sure that it is achieving that excellence that we promote in our mission statement. So, I hope that we continue to look at the

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class sizes. I know that there was some positions for the elementary level, but I know that our team is dedicated and we'll continue to monitor to ensure that we have environments that are achieving the excellence that we're dedicated to in this district. So, I just wanted to

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comment that because that was discussed and and I think that we have a strong administration team that's going to look at that. So I know that they will do the right thing and ensuring that especially at the elementary level that we will

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continue to be dedicated to that excellence. >> Thank you Mr. Demory. >> Thank you Miss Null. Um first I just want to open up by saying thank you to everyone who went to Trenton uh about a

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month ago. Mr. Whiskowitz um you know Sean uh Justin um everybody was there. Uh, John, John, you were there, I think, right? Were you there? >> Last year. >> Last year. Oh, that's right. Okay. Had to jog the memory. Um, thank you. Um, every year I get on my soap box, and

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I'll spare you guys this year, uh, about how truly the only fundamental solution to education funding andor affordability in this community in the form of taxes comes through change in the school

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funding formula. And I don't think anybody's a stranger to that fact, but you look at how it operates where certain districts in New Jersey get some obscene percentage in state aid and then each we get the shaft with 7% um you

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know and and we're just kind of trying to figure out how our community has to face the burden of funding an entire system of education with countless employees. I mean, you know, it's you saw tonight 80% of our budget is

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salaries and benefits, right? I mean, and and that's money that ultimately has the biggest impact on any kid. I mean, you think back to when you were in school, you don't necessarily remember what kind of textbooks you were using. You remember your teachers, you remember the people, the personnel. And so it

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ultimately is a game of dollars and cents um of of just trying to balance the budget every year because of the lack of support we receive from the state. So again to Mr. Whiskitz, uh, to Sean, to everybody who was there in Trenton. Um, every time we go up there,

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it seems like we make a little bit more progress and just been in their ear, trying to get their attention. And it's not just us. It's a lot of other towns in the whole state of New Jersey as well, trying to communicate this that again, taxes aren't going to go down. Education is not going to have enough

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funding until they change the SFRA. It's not going to happen. and we're going to continue to have to sit here and have these conversations year after year. Um, I say this not happily. I think all of my fellow board members will probably tell you I'm probably, you know, biggest

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tax hawk on this board. I don't know if there's there's much of a much of a debate there. Um, but this year there was a significant amount of compromise. um UC, you know, not only just with the 2% levy, uh which I wasn't happy about

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from last year, seeing the massive tax increase we had, but we also, you know, had to get a little tightening of the belt. So, I think seeing both of those things show that we're looking forward to a future that tries to take multiple

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factors into account when meeting our budget obligations. So, um I'm I'm I'm happy with with with the product we came up with. Um, we're going to always continue to try to be as efficient as possible. I think that's very important, you know, for all future boards. Um, and that's ultimately what's going to help

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us saveave off, you know, the future challenges that the state's going to continue to impose on us. If you could go next year, please do. Uh, I look forward to seeing you guys there in Trenton. So, thank you guys. >> Miss N. Um, I just wanted to add to that as

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well. I know this exactly we we need little fuzzy thing on the end but um so when I decided to come to the school board our job right our mission is to make sure that the schools we don't run the schools we make sure they're wellrun right um and the work is not done the

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work is not completed and we said that before we said it during the preliminary budget and we're saying it now today that we're continuing to look at ways we can cost save cost share cost etc I want to appreciate and thank the members tonight. They came up and spoke about

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the budget comments. Um, all valid points and we're looking again to continuing to figure out what we can do right, what we can do better, what we can do to improve. Um, Aiden, your point was my first time going to Trenton, going to the state house. It was kind of a humbling experience walking through

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that and not just the new security center, but also all the way up into sitting at DAS. Um, and I thought what was amazing to me is I think all of us know we sat there for about 4 hours. They were about 2 and a half hours delayed and that was before sitting a day prior that they were two hours

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delayed on a Zoom call. So it was two hours delayed. We had Senate the first day and assembly the second day. Um and it triggered a dialogue for about 23 minutes, right? So you only have three minutes for those in perspective who never saw or watch it before. You're given a three-minute block. Whether you

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have one person speak or four or six, you have three minutes and the mic cuts off and you have to get out of the chair and keep moving. and our conversation collectively with the four of us with the ETA representation, the board members and Dr. Smith triggered about a 23minute dialogue from various members

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across the aisle, right? Um political allegations aside, it was a joint conversation about recognizing the issues we have, the challenges we have, and what do we do to improve? And it was just a very refreshing conversation I would say in my opinion um to have the

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facts and there were districts there and people there that did not have necessarily all of the information available and Dr. Smith for doing the homework and having the facts and having the knowledge and information. Um, I think was very helpful. Um, and it triggered a lot of conversations and I've seen a lot of things publicly since

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then about conversations of more people realizing in Trenton both state and assembly of what needs to be done in order to support our students because every one of us here is to support our students and support our you know our community and community thrive based on the school district and EAM is known

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well known for an amazing school district and that is not going to end today, tomorrow, next week or next year. So thank you Well said. Anyone else would like to comment? No. Okay. Um, for me, you know, going

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for 2% on top of what we had last year. Really, I felt nervous because of the health care increases that we're seeing from the state with Jonathan, Mr. Gates had explained and we don't know what's going to be happening next year with the healthcare premiums and we have to be

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very very careful and make sure that we have enough uh funding here for that and I'm just hope that something is being done at the state level. I know a lot of us have been elevating that concern that these increases are unsustainable. I

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know the governor knows about it, the legislature knows about it. So, I really hope there's some movement because it can't continue like this. It's unsustainable. So, um

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we're in contact periodically with our state legislators in discussions with them on how they can help us as well. So, um we will can keep you posted on that. >> Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Fischer.

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>> It's okay. I wasn't gonna say anything. Oh, go right ahead. Um, I ju I just want to say I'm I'm heard what everybody had to say um that in regards to classroom sizes and I have to say I'm still a little conflicted on that because if

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we're I'm just looking at you know go in um our strategic plan if goal number four is in there to establish reasonable class sizes based on research and if the research is saying that smaller class sizes equals greater student achievement

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I don't want that to get away from us. Um especially on those kindergarten through third grade when it is um I would say more important for them to get more attention. So um that you know I I

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hope that doesn't you know once this this is approved I hope that if that happens and we do see it that we can go back on that. Thank you. Thank you for that comment. >> Seeing no other questions or comments,

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let's go to a roll call, please. Mr. Yates, we have a very long list. Board members 9.1 all the way through 9.17. >> On finance and operations, Mr. Dearcy.

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>> Yes, Mr. Fischer. Ye yes to everything but 9.16. >> Is that a no? >> No to 9.16. >> Missionelli. >> Yes. >> Mr. Massen. >> Yes.

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>> Mr. Peeleman. >> Yes. >> Miss Bucher Mowitz. abstain from 9.5 and yes to the rest. >> Your abstension in 9.5 is noted. Mrs. Null. >> Yes.

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>> Motion carries. >> Okay. Thank you. We will be moving on to section 10 personnel. I need a motion to approve

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items 10.1 through 10.11. Do I have a motion from anyone? Miss Cyanelli and second, Miss Bucher Mowitz. Thank you very much. Do we have any questions on or comments on personnel

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items? >> Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Massie. Go ahead. So once again, I just wanted to personally congratulate Dr. Smith, Mr. Luchabelloo, and Mr. Hoffman. You're dressed very appropriately for your retirement celebration this evening. So uh just the

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work it's done to our administrators and all the teachers this year who have already um provided their retirement notices. It's a it's an amazing world of change as when new people come in and and the seasoned leave. um just really appreciate all the work

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that's done to the Eastern Texas School District and thank you for all your service of all the years. So, we really really appreciate it. So, thank you. >> And since they're sitting right here, I think we should congratulate Miss Kelly to her appointment to the director. >> Yes, we got to

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>> curriculum position and to Dr. Mars for >> Yes. Um taking over. Miss Nolan, just real quick, >> Marcy, go right ahead. >> I don't want to beat a dead horse and Mr. Masterson said pretty much everything I I could possibly say. Um,

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but Mr. Hoffman, you were my principal, so I just had to me. You were my principal. I remember walking the halls and I see him coming. Whatever you were doing, you straightened up and you were pretty good. So, he was pretty damn good at his job. So, um, just everybody who was retiring, Dr. Smith, Mr. Luch

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Bellow, Mr. Hoffman. Um, you know, just thank you for your years of service to to the district. Um, it it it it, you know, MMS community is, you know, we're losing a we're losing a legacy, but we got Dr. Morris coming in and it's going to be fantastic and she's going to do

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great. So, looking forward and excited to having you. Um, but, you know, it's uh this is a school my my my two siblings they tenure. Ken is graduating this year. Landon's coming in pretty soon and uh you know, we're just thankful to have you. That's all I

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wanted to say. So, thank you. >> Anyone else? No. I'll just say um congratulations as well to our retirees, Mr. Hoffman. I'm sure you'll be enjoying your retirement and thank you for your dedication to our

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district for how many years? 20 something now about that. And um also to Mr. Luchabelloo who is not here and I don't think I'm missing anyone other than Dr. Smith. I want to

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thank him. It has been what six years now and I want to commend you on number one coming in as COVID hit which was not easy. And you remember we were working side by side late nights

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trying to prepare to get the kids back in school. And that is something that um not a lot of districts were doing at that time. For example, my nieces and nephews up in Montlair, they did not go back until April of the following year. And you were insistent that our kids

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were going to be in the classroom in September. And I will never forget that. And also um you've implemented here our uh full day kindergarten which we did that bond um ballot question together

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people here in the community who helped work on that. So you know under your tenure there have been changes for us positively bringing preschool here to the district. And how many students are we now educating in preschool? Almost

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500 I think. Yeah. 500. >> Yeah. So many many good things and I want to sincerely thank you for your dedication to EAM Township. I know your children went through the schools and you lived here and you were happy to raise them here and here you did give

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back to us. So thank you. And um also on on that note, the board is still deciding at this time what direction we are going to go in terms of s searching for a new superintendent and more information will be made available once

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we make that decision. So I really um ask for your patience. We will move as fast as we can but September 1st um start date is not likely at this point. But we will give you more information. We will try

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our best to get somebody to come in here as superintendent September 1st. Um but it's not looking likely. So more information to be shared as we move forward in the next couple of weeks.

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>> M I just want to thank you >> me >> for your words. Yeah. And but and I and I just want to was going through my mind as you were describing the things that have happened in the past six years is >> so many and I left so many out. Well, and what I was all I was just thinking is uh it it only happens through team,

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you know, and and and like team Esham is an incredible team. Whoever is superintendent and uh that continues, you know, so I just think that's and and that person will will need the Eve Sham team a thousand%. So,

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>> right. And you you are handing off the baton with that beautiful strategic plan. So we do have that road map. >> So thank you. So I'm sorry. Are there any other questions or comments?

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No. Let me see where we're moving on to here. Got to get back to my agenda. >> Roll call on personnel. >> Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't have we didn't have a vote. Okay, we're done with questions and comments. Mr. Yates, may I have a roll call, please? >> Mr. DeMarcy. Yes,

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>> Mr. Fischer. >> Yes, >> sinelli. >> Yes, >> Mr. Massen. >> Yes. Abstension to 10.6. >> Your abstension to 10.6 is noted. Mr. Pelman, >> yes. >> Miss Moitz, >> yes. >> Mrs. Null,

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>> yes. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you. Moving on to policy. It looks as though we do not have any new policies to be discussing this month. And then we have committee reports. Do we have any committee chair that would

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like to discuss their meetings this month? Anyone >> Mr. Massen? Thank you. >> So Muchimoitz spoke a lot about the technology as chair of the technology committee. We sat through uh went and do

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a deep dive into what the new website would look like and how it's interactive and be able to be used by not only the parents and staff etc. but also students themselves um and have a multitude of ways mobile friendly um you and going back to an app-based system is very

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popular grab some quick information etc as well as a a comprehensive communication plan to be able to as Dr. Dr. Smith mentioned earlier uh and strategic planning to be able to quickly communicate um dire need situations and things of of importance as well as

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school closings and all the other alike. So no uh maybe one day no longer looking at the phone waiting for the phone to ring. Maybe it's going to come on an app ding or something else. But um as well as obviously security, safety, phone system, communications, as as most parents know, when you walk throughout a

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building, there's hundreds of rooms and hundreds of phones, which equal thousands of phones for a district. And be able to make sure everyone works, making sure that communication is spread throughout the building eminently uh in in the effort of um potential issues at

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the same point in time. being able to uh being communicate inside and outside the building effectively and properly is is critical. So, um those infrastructure improvements will definitely help all of us throughout the district. >> Well said. Thank you.

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>> I just wanted to follow up on the technology piece. Last night, Beer had their math and technology night and I was able to attend with my three kids and I just wanted to compliment curriculum and technology and math and all the teachers that were there. There

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was so many creative stations and the ideas. It was Olympics theme and there was a really good turnout. It also was bookf fair, family night. So, it was really amazing to see all the families, the the students were engaged and the

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things they had these little robots. The technology piece was awesome and my kids had a blast. I kept saying, "We have to get home. The flyers are playing." They did not want to leave. So, I had to peel them away. But shout out to technology, curriculum, and math. It was a really,

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really great night to see and attend. and also the teachers just going the extra mile with staying late night. Mr. Malman was working the bookf fair. So, it was really cool to see just the Beer community and and the curriculum department as well. It was just a

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highlight. So, I just wanted to note that >> it takes a lot from a hockey family to not go home to watch the game. So, >> it took a lot to get me there, but all three kept pressing. So, but go Flyers. very late.

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>> Thank you. Anybody else have a committee report? Seeing none, we'll go into old business. We don't have any old business. So, we will move on to new business, but we don't have any new business. I'm so

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sorry. She's like, at this point, we will move to the open public comment period. In case you are not aware, the I'm sorry. Uh the this public comment period is for any items that you wish to

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discuss. However, you may not discuss personnel items, student items, or negotiations. We ask that you see the superintendent after the meeting. Since we do not discuss these matters in public, please

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limit your comments to three minutes per person, please state your name and your address. Thank you. >> Hi, Rosemary Bernardi. Um, it is a personal comment, but I just wanted to uh make a note. I wanted to thank uh Dr. Smith for his uh service to the district

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and uh the retirements um with Mr. Hoffman. Um and also too I wanted to note you have a lot of personnel changing changes that are happening July 1. We have um a new preschool a director of preschool. We have a new director of

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curriculum. We have new leadership at MMS Rice Vanzant Deaci and Jagard. And we'll have a new superintendent come July I mean September 1st. So there's a lot of leadership changes. So um I don't know if 2027 is going to be the year of change. Um but I wish you all well. on

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how you move forward with that. So again, congratulations to the retirements and thank you for your service. >> Thank you. Seeing no other public commenters, we will move to board member announcements. Would any board member like to make an

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announcement? >> Yes, Miss >> Sorry, I know it's so late. I just wanted to comment about the strategic planning and thank Dr. Smith and Mr. Pelman for initiating that and working together. Um, I started it as a parent

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and finished it now seeing the finished product as a board member. So, it's really cool to see how that process started and being a stakeholder as a parent and now seeing this beautiful plan laid out for us. Um, it it's just really cool to watch that process start

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with Mr. Peeleman and Dr. Smith. So kudos and thank you for that because this was a really cool product to kind of have a say and a voice as a parent and now getting to see it laid out as a board member. So I'm looking forward to the action plans and seeing these

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amazing goals come to light. So thank you. >> Thank you. And it will be the board, not this board, but it will be the board who has to make sure to be driving this and making sure this is moving forward over the next what did he say 3 to five

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years. So it is our responsibility to make sure things are getting done. Just a reminder. So at this time if there are no other board me Oh, I'm sorry. >> Look this got to look this way. No. Um, so first of all, as I always do at every

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board meeting, I wanted to comment uh my abstension from 10.6 was due to to family conflicts, right? Uh with personnel. >> Um, now that it's official, congratulations to Miss Cam and Dr. Morris uh on their appointments.

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Um, and also I wanted to thank as well um Mr. Peman, Dr. Smith, etc. from the strategic planning to be able to have a living document to be able to um read on, look at, acknowledge, and also adapt as things change.

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>> So um with that being said, I think we're all set. >> Thank you. Anyone else for board member announcements before we move to adjourn the meeting? Miss >> Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. >> It's okay. It's all right. It's all right. We're making you jump around. >> I know you are. And

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>> I might get in trouble. I don't even know if I'm allowed to do this or not, but um we uh Mr. Brown uh he uh stepped down from the board. Uh he's serving our country right now. Um and so we just, you know, really appreciative for him for, you know, his sacrifices. Um but in

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the process, we now got to select a new board member. I'm good. Right. I'm not getting Okay. Yeah, it was public. It was public. All right. >> It's It was It's public. >> I figure I was like I didn't want to overstep. Um but congratulations to Mr. Andrew Wilson sitting in the front here.

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He'll be joining us. Uh so super excited to have you come and occupy this space next to me and uh it'll be good time. So So awesome. Let's do it. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> No other announcements. Um then I would

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like to have a motion to adjourn at this time. >> So moved. >> Do I have a second? Dearcy. All in favor? I >> I thank you.