WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=ALfGcxZasQQ

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: ALfGcxZasQQ):
- 00:04:48: Call to Order, Flag Salute, and Mission Statement
- 00:06:50: Athletic Successes, Student Initiatives, and Rockfest Preview
- 00:09:17: Exciting End-of-Year Activities and Superintendent Search Update
- 00:12:31: Public Comment: Sue Triforus on Central School Renaming
- 00:20:50: Public Comment: John Cole reads Weda Harding's Letter
- 00:23:54: Public Comment: Jane Stewartwald Reads Harding's Letter
- 00:27:45: Public Comment: Bob Shoemaker and Nancy Peek Speak
- 00:29:59: Public Comment: Carolyn Muser Supports Renaming Initiative
- 00:31:39: Discussion and Recap of the Renaming Process
- 00:36:45: Formal Motion for Renaming and Board Discussion Begins
- 00:38:56: Board Discussion: Cohen on Superintendent Hire and Renaming
- 00:40:47: Board Discussion: Parlamis Passionately Supports Renaming
- 00:44:05: Board Discussion: Hayward Opposes Renaming, Proposes Statue
- 00:48:28: Board Discussion: Stevenson Supports Hawkins Renaming
- 00:51:27: Board Discussion: Tang Not in Favor of School Renaming
- 00:53:55: Board Discussion: Continued Renaming Debate - Part 1
- 00:57:34: Board Discussion: Continued Renaming Debate - Part 2
- 01:00:10: Board Discussion: Cost of Renaming & Funding Sources
- 01:04:12: Board Discussion: Commemorative Resolution for Thomas Hawkins
- 01:05:50: Board Discussion: Support for Statue, School Name, Curriculum
- 01:11:18: Board Discussion: Renaming Approval & Successive Meeting Policy
- 01:12:38: Roll Call Vote and G1 Through G7 Resolutions
- 01:13:55: Personnel Resolutions & Gan Delia's Retirement
- 01:16:16: Delegate Assembly Report and Liaison Information
- 01:23:30: Public Comment: Sue Triforus' Continued Support for Renaming
- 01:26:50: Public Comment: Artist Opposes Statue, Supports Renaming
- 01:27:38: Clarification on Renaming Policy & Closed Session Motion


Part: 1

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All right, Mr. Canalis, if you can call roll, please. >> Mr. Cohen, >> here. >> Mr. Corey >> here. >> Mr. Hayward >> here. Miss Parlamus >> here.

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>> Dr. Pooie Bender >> here. >> Miss Stevenson >> here. >> Mr. Tang >> here. >> Miss Calves >> here. >> Dr. Robinson >> here. >> We have a quorum. Just one second.

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All right. All right. Um, Mr. Haywood, are you able to lead us through the flag salute? >> My pleasure. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation

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under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of meeting in accordance with the open public meetings act PL1 1975 chapter 231 as amended by PL 2025 chapter 72. Adequate notice of this

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meeting was provided on March 3rd, 2026 by posting notice on the Glenrock Public Schools website where legal notices and advertisements are listed. The website is posted. Um mission statement for our school district. The Glenrock School District, founded on principles of

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education in partnership with the supportive community, provides an exceptional education to all students to cultivate resilient, responsible, and engaged global citizens. All right, Hudson, are you able to update us, please?

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>> Yeah, absolutely. Uh, good evening, everyone. I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the summerlike weather. Uh, so just get right into it. So, uh, so many of our sports teams have been very successful as we move into the later portions of this spring season. Uh,

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including the baseball team at 17 and 5, girls lacrosse at 13-3, tennis at 14-2, and boys golf at 52-1. Uh, most of the teams, uh, have already started are soon beginning county and state tournaments, and we wish the best of luck to our

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Panther athletes. Um the student for service club launched their vending machine initiative last Friday uh which is run by students and will help generate funding for student clubs. Uh in its first four hours of operation, the machine already sold out three rows.

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Uh there there are a few things coming soon including a website for students with healthy snack recommendations and pre and postworkout options as well as a wrapping of the machine which will be completed by the end of the school year. Uh in other updates, AP testing week

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concluded last Friday, which marks an exciting time for students as we begin to wind down towards the end of the school year. Uh this includes fun events for students like both proms, senior activities such as yearbook signing and award ceremonies and as I mentioned my last report, Rockfest, which I'm excited

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to announce is happening tomorrow. So, the event will take place tomorrow afternoon on the football field for all high school students, and will include food trucks, spikeball, and pickle ball tournaments, field activities, raffles with prizes and performances by student bands. In addition, we'll be partnering

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with the police department to provide an activity that will highlight the dangers of driving under the influence. And we'll also be partnering with the wellness center as part of the smash the stigma initiative to promote awareness and openness surrounding mental health. A huge thank you to the administration as well as the student council advisors,

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Mr. McGowi and Mr. Hughes for all their help throughout the process of bringing this event to life and we're excited to have that tomorrow. And yeah, the overall feeling of the student body's excitement overall as the weather gets warmer as I mentioned and you know many

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of the funny fun end of year activities are upon us. So yeah, thank you. >> Thank you so much for the update. Thank you. Um, >> okay. I'll keep it brief. Um, for once, Hudson didn't have all of the things that I was going to say. So, that's

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great. Um, no, it is an exciting time of the year. Um, lots of lots of things happening. Testing is wrapping up and now all the fun stuff happens. Um, some of us, I imagine I'm not alone in uh our college kids are coming home for the summer, which is which is awfully nice to have have some folks back. and uh you

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know then we'll maybe be glad again once they go in August because it's nice to have my house to myself, you know. But anyway, it's lovely to see these changes. Um some of the fun things coming up that that I think uh kids in the district look a lot look forward to a lot of the year, we have fifth and eighth grade pool parties. We have field

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days at the elementary school. We have graduations and moving ups and spring concerts and art shows. Um, one of the other thing that's happening soon, end of the month are all of our kindergarten orientations, which is our our next round of kids coming in, which is I mean just they keep coming uh every year got

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more of them. Uh prom is coming up for them. Um and uh the senior seminars are kicking off in June, I think. Is that correct? Yeah. And uh then final exams and we're done. So uh there's a lot that that comes comes by in this next month. It's it's a busy and fun time. So that's

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where we are. >> Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you both. Um before we uh open our first set of public comments, I just wanted to um reiterate uh uh the superintendent search portion of our website is available for people to kind of check in

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and see what the process is that we are looking uh to do. Um right before this uh meeting, I did have a chance to speak with Miss Telawa to ask her kind of like how's it going with in terms of the responses and I figured I could just share it out here. Um she said actually

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so far over 244 people have um actually submitted the survey. There's an online input survey. Uh for those that won aren't able to attend the session on May 21st from 6:00 to 7:30 right here in the cafeteria. Um you're able to pro uh to

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provide your input um on online. Um and it's had 100% participation so far. Um and um on May 21st, yes, uh if you are able to attend in person, please do. Uh the session begins at six o'clock and again it's just with Miss Helib who's a

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third party um person um that we have contracted with to hire to help us through this process and um you'll be able to talk directly to her so that you can get an idea of um one what the process looks like as well as give input as a you know stakeholder in the

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community whether or not you have children in the district um just being a member of our community we encourage participation and all of that information is anonymous And uh she does submit to us a full det when I say detailed it's you know a full summary a robust summary of the

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information that you provide her so that it can help to inform uh the search. So, if you want to u participate in the um if you want to participate in the survey, please just go on to our website and you'll look under the superintendent

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search link that is kind of like right at the top there and then um it'll take you to the survey which um we encourage participation. Now, on to our first set of public comments. Um, please state your name, your address,

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and you have a full three minutes at which time you will hear uh a little bit of a ding go off just to ask for you to wrap up your comments. Um, we'll open at 7:12. Good evening. I'm Sue Shri Forest. I live at 11 Forest Road in Glenrock. I'm

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a Glenrock resident, a former Glenrock Board of Education member, and a former Central School parent. Um, I write better than I speak, so please indulge me while I read my statement tonight. As a former Glenrock Burough historian

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and as a former member of the Glenrock Board of Education, I'd like to make three points about the request to enhance the central school name by adding the name of Thomas L. Hawkins. Point number one, tradition.

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Tradition is important, but it can also result in stagnation and missed opportunities. Central School was the third school building built in Glenrock following Burough Incorporation in 1894. It was built initially as an elementary

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school, but after just a few short years, it became Central Junior High School. It served as Central Junior High School until 1939 when the Glenrock Junior High School building went up on Harristown Road, at

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which point Central reverted to Central Elementary School. The first two schools here were rather unimaginatively named school number one and school number two. School number one was demolished when the junior high school building on

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Harristown Road opened. It stood where the central school parking lot is now. School number two has an interesting story. Many years after it opened, an aviator hero caught the attention of the country and the Glenrock Board of

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Education decided to rename school number two in his honor. School number two became the Richard E. Bird Elementary School. Admiral Bird had no connection to Glenrock. He never even set foot in Glenrock. He did send a nice letter to

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the town fathers thanking them for the wonderful honor. So there is precedent for adding a new name to an existing school building here. In fact, there is precedent for that name to be of an aviator hero like Thomas Hawkins.

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There is also a tradition in Glenrock to name elementary schools after actual people. Richard Bird, Clara Coleman, Alexander Hamilton. Of these people so honored, only Clara Coleman had an affiliation with Glenrock as she was a beloved teacher here, although she did

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not live here. She retired from teaching in 1947, two years after Thomas Hawkins was killed in action. Clara Coleman's name in history would have long been forgotten had not the elementary school been named in her

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honor in 1950 when by the way the elementary school was opened as a wing in the Glenrock Junior High School building. My guess is that the name of Richard Eird would also be missing from Glenrock's collective consciousness in

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2026 if not for the renaming of school number two. We need reminders like these so that our history is not forgotten. Why name why not name an auditorium or other smaller space as a way to honor Thomas Hawkins? I was part of the

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central school HSA when longtime principal David Skinner retired in 1993. At that time the HSA received permission from the board of education to officially name the auditorium there in his honor. In 2026, there are likely few

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Glenrockers outside of Central School who remember Mr. Skinner's contributions to Glenrock's education, whereas Clara Coleman's contributions are still at the forefront. Point number two, and these are shorter change. I just that alarm was just

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unusual, but it was the three-minute alarm. Okay. Uh change is hard for many people. I was a member of the Glenrock Board of Education when the decision was made to move the sixth grades out of the elementary schools and into the Glenrock Junior High School building. If a survey had

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been taken at that time, I guarantee that the overwhelming desire of the school parents and the elementary school staff would have been strongly against this move. Community surveys are important, but they should not be used as an excuse to not do what is right. My

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two oldest children were in fifth and sixth grades in central school at that time. So both moved into the junior high school building in the same year. In a very short time, the parents and staff who were hesitant about the change realized that the move was a good one with a more appropriate middle school

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level curriculum for the sixth graders, replacing the previous elementary level curriculum for them. And at the same time, the board of education officially changed the name of the school building from the Glenrock Junior High School to the Glenrock Middle School with new

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lettering replacing the old on the building itself. Did residents still refer to it as the Junior High School? Of course they did. Did it matter? Of course it didn't. I just have to ask to um just to summarize. >> Okay. Just can I I have like three paragraphs. Is that Thank you.

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In the 45 years I've lived in Glenrock and through raising and sending three children through Central School, the middle school and through the high school here, I have never heard anyone call Central Elementary School. When Central celebrated the 100th year of existence,

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the flags along Maple Avenue said the Central School. And I heard from many people who were upset about that. But really, what people call it makes no difference. It is the honoring that is important. My final point, point three, character. Courage, resilience,

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patriotism, leadership, perseverance, personal sacrifice for the greater good. These are character traits that a Glenrock education hopes to instill in its students. Thomas Hawkins embodied all of these. Hawkins was raised in Glenrock. He was educated at Central

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School. When Hawkins graduated in 1942 from Ridgewood High School, as did all Glenrock students before the Glenrock High School was constructed, he was accepted into Temple University's School of Podiatry. Just think about that for a minute. 1942,

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an African-American young man, reaching toward his future. He put that dream on hold to enlist in the Army Air Force where he became one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. In 1945, Thomas Hawkins was killed in action in Italy during

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World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen were an elite group who persevered through racial segregation at home and in the military to make an immense contribution to American history. And Thomas Hawkins was one of them. The airmen served the country so well that in 1948, President

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Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces almost two decades before there were any federal civil rights laws on the books. In 2007, President George Bush the Elder honored the Tuskegee Airmen by awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal. And Glenn

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Rock's Thomas Hawkins was one of them. Tonight, the Glenrock Board of Education has the opportunity to also honor one of our own in aviator history who was an important part of American history. Thomas Hawkins character was a direct result of his parents Rebecca and

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William Hawkins of his church, the Mount Bethl Baptist Church on South Broad Street and of his education at Central School. I ask you to approve this motion to enhance the school name to Thomas L. Hawkins Central Elementary School. You

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will be honoring the man and the education he received here. He is a mostworthy role model to be remembered and emulated by the citizens of Glenrock. Thank you. Thank you so much. And I would say I I know I don't like to

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ever, you know, cut anybody off or anything like that. So I just ask if you all um can consider just the three minute time frame. Thank you. >> John Cole, 57 Young Road. The following is an abridged version of a letter from

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Weda Harding, Central School class of 64, Glenrock High School, class of 70. I'm a product of Harlem, New York. But my parents were determined that my siblings and I would not become a statistic of the New York Board of

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Education, even to the point of every week we commuted from Harlem to Broad Street in time for school and then back to the city. From 1953 to 77 when my brother graduated from the high school,

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my parents became citizens of New Jersey solely for that purpose that we would obtain our education from the Glenrock school system. We're first generation north in our family. It's because of their insight and their experience with

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segregation in the United States that we are where we are now. My brother's a retired Army staff sergeant, having voluntarily fought in Afghanistan. I have one sister with retired Air Force, another sister who chose the Army National Guard while metriculating

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through a double master's degree program. During our time in elementary education, all persons of African-American descent from Glenrock entered the training system by way of Central School. I know of none of my Hugh who attended any other elementary

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school. Therefore, the thought of Central School carrying the name of a black man from Glenrock, Thomas Hawkins, is not unimportant to me. It says something. Now, I must say Glenrock was not without its problems. I distinctly remember being shunned from attending

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the prom celebration, the after prom celebration, because my racial classification was negro. I was not the right color. I remember one of my sisters coming home before meeting time was over because as a Girl Scout, her service to the community was to clean a

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toilet at a white family's house. Sorry. I even remember a white schoolmate coming to me devastated because he heard our fifth grade teacher call us the n-word. He was more devastated than I

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was because to a certain extent for me it was no surprise. But then there's the other side. Imagine how I felt being asked to come home to participate in the filming of the documentary Banded Together the Boys from Glenrock High a few years ago. I remember being voted

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vice president of the student council while in junior senior high. People, it is not beyond us to set a model example of the things we share instead of the things that divide us. Thank you. >> Thank you.

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Hi everybody. My name is Jane Stewartwald. I live at 570 Young Road, Glenrock, New Jersey. And I'm a class of 1970. I had the honor to um be in school with Wedita Harding, who wrote some this

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beautiful letter that I will complete because we're keeping to a three minute thing. So pretend that I'm Weda right now, not myself. To be clear, while admirable, a plaque

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or the naming of an auditorium, though meaningful, does not carry the same weight, public acknowledgement, or educational impact as naming the school itself. Adding Thomas Hawkins name to Central

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School, adding would not only honor him and his family, but would also demonstrate to generations of students what it looks like to make a difference in the world through courage, service,

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sacrifice, yes, and the elimination of the foolishness that separates us. A school named after a black man from Glenrock. Almost unbelievable that it got this far. Can we make it happen? Your vote

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will tell. As a product of Glenrock, I received my very first official music lessons outside of my home from Ms. Wifred White House. I studied with her, too, by the way. She was the central school music

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teacher. And at her recommendation, the Glenrock Women's Club paid for my music lessons from age 9 to 16 with Mr. Manfred Deia because, in her words, she couldn't take me to the next step that I

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needed to go. That foundation was central to my becoming now. The music director who led Houston, Whitney Houston's mother, to her first Grammy. That was Weda Harding.

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My parents at one time considered taking us out of the Glenrock school system and moving us to another area that was predominantly African-American, but they decided to stay in Glenrock because they knew we were going to have to learn how to get along with people

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who did not look like us. As a result, I've been able to teach people in Moscow, Japan, Germany. I've even had students from South Korea come to study with me. And now I'm introducing my basics in music. What I

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learned in Glenrock in Ghana. I enjoyed living on Broad Street and I loved it even more when people who did not look like me came over to play or invited me to their homes. Strange, but

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Glenrock is what helped shape me to this very day. Yes, Glenrock laid the foundation. So, having said all of this, what would it look like to share the name of our beloved Central School with a person who

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shared in laying the very fabric of our freedom, beginning with our corner of New Jersey, an honor which everyone in Glenrock could share. This is something our town could probably could proudly stand behind. Therefore, I support this

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initiative in honor of Thomas Hawkins and in honor of Glenrock. And this letter is from Reverend Weda Harding, Doctor of Worship Services and a major US Army retired. And it was my honor to

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read and to share her voice with you. Thank you. >> Thank you. My name is Bob Shoemaker. I live at 54 Waldron. I moved here in 1971 and both of my children went to Central School

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and uh I was always very happy because there were a sizable number of black students at Central School. My wife and I really appreciated that fact. And it's probably just coincidental, but both my children have ended up working with uh

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uh for my son with homeless in San Francisco, my daughter working for the Harlem Children's Home. So, I am uh delighted and I think it's just wonderful and way overdue to recognize uh this person. I'm support the motion.

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Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello, I'm Nancy Peek. I have a house at 10 Boulevard in Glenrock and I also live at the Senior Center in Glenrock. Uh so I'm a Glenrocker twice over. Uh on trips

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to Florida, my husband and I would stop in South Carolina where the some of the Tuskegee airmen trained. And it's a fabulous um memorial to them there and it tells

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all the terrible problems they had getting their training. And I was amazed when I came back to Glenrock and Sue Traforus had undertaken the uh study of some of our great um

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uh um uh citizens and she came up with this uh that we have a Tusiki airman in Glenrock and I think it would be wonderful if we had his name on central school. I hope you will do that. Thank

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you. Thank you. My name is Carolyn Muser. Uh I live at Glen Courts. Uh lived all my children graduated from central school and went through this the

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district. Um the uh and I just want to let you know that the six of us quite with no planning we are unanimous in favor of the ch addition of this gentleman's name to the building. I

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think I can remember vividly when we were searching for a home in the early 70s and the realtor found it necessary to tell and that he the realtor realized we were particularly interested in the house in the central school district. He

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made a point of telling us that this is where the black children go to school. I hope that is long long stopped. Thank you very much for even considering this.

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>> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you all for your comments. Um seeing no additional members of the uh public for comments, uh I will close the comments at 7:31 p.m. Just hold on, let me bring up the

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All right. So, before before we get to the resolutions for G1 through G7, um well, actually, hold on. Yeah. Um it was the the part of the reason of how

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we got here today. just to kind of like do a recap. Um this request, you know, came through a board of education email from a member of the community and um a former member of the community. And you know like we wrapped when I say wrapped

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it in process we wanted to make sure that if this is a bit atypical for um the board to make this kind of decision at least in our recent history. We just wanted to make sure that we had a formalized process and uh like a way for

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us to make sure that we were considering this decision in equity. Through that process, we developed um a policy and then carried out that policy looking at uh a committee being formed and then our goal was to have the

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committee make a recommendation. As of our last meeting, we see that uh you know, we got the readout on the information from the committee. Um we know that the committee did not make a formal recommendation but um decided that it was still in the best interest

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of the board to uh make the decision based on the information that was collected. So here we are today um when it was time for me to you know formalize the agenda and you know considering all of the emails that uh have come through

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all of the personal commentary just my my daughter does go to central school. I actually live on High Street right around, you know, the Dean Street, Broad Street area. Didn't know that I was actually surrounded by um so much black

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history in the area until I after I purchased the house actually. And it was just ironic. Um it's just ironic and that's a you know like a personal story but um you know looking at the emails that I

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received the the conversations that we've had amongst each other as a board members um you know like the feedback from the public comment uh the public session that um that was uh carried out by the committee uh even local parents

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actually coming to me and and expressing their either their hopes for consideration or their wishes that we don't do this. Um, so I it's it's it's interesting because there's sometimes like and I'm just telling my personal

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story to Molly and this is coming from me and how we got to the agenda and then when we actually have a more formal discussion once the motion is made to the floor then you'll also hear from the rest of the board members as well as what we decide as a board to do. Um,

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it's been interesting getting some of the information from people personally as well as via email and it it's it's it's really split from my opinion. Some of the information that has come to me has been split. Um, so that has made it, you know, difficult for me to come to a

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personal decision as to what what we should do that might be separate from what Demali Robinson wants to do. So my hope um right now is that we actually just have a um formal discussion. And I put it on the agenda because I feel like

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at this point we have enough information to either recommend something to approve it to decide not to to decide to table it and do something uh else um you know like there there we are at this point

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where I think that we've had enough um process and enough discussion that we just need to formally determine which direction we're going as a board. And so me putting it on on the agenda was that was the goal. That's the

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goal. Okay. Uh so the motion like as the agenda states um with G7, it states um be it resolved that the Glenrock Board of Education approves slash does not approve the renaming of Central Elementary School to Thomas L.

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Hawkins Central Elementary School. Um, and so when I read um, you know, and I and I get a motion for G G1 through G7, I'm reading it as, be it resolved that the Glenrock Board of Education approves

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the renaming of Central Elementary School to Thomas Elh Hawen Central Elementary School. Um, and this is just for formality, which is why I'm saying it this way. Um so that if you determine that you either want to make the motion or don't want to make the motion um or

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when we go into the u motion that's on the table or whatever that that is the motion that you're considering and then you then we're going to open it up to discussion and we're going to have discussion and then you know go from there. Does that make sense? Any questions? Okay.

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All right. So, I need to make a mo um I need someone to make a motion to approve resolutions G1 through G7 as listed below. Again, uh G7 um is going to state, be it resolved that the Glenrock Board of Education approves the renaming

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of Central Elementary School to Thomas L. Hawkins Central Elementary School. All right. I have a motion um from Miss Parlamis and a second from Liz Calves. All right,

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everyone, please discuss. >> We don't need to formally say to approve. >> Oh, I did. I Yeah, I I did. Mhm. >> I I I spelled it out um on G7. So, I mean, I I put out a whole bunch of

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information there and I would say like while it would have been very helpful for um any additional processes to have come from the committee that would help us make a a a decision. Um I was also

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reassured by members of the committee that they didn't really feel like there was anything else that they could do to garner um increased you know participation um by either members within the school um itself or within uh the community as a whole especially

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people that are actively um living in the community. Not that we don't value um those that are no longer living in the community because they've all cons uh contributed to the fabric of Glenrock as well as Central School. Um it it's also balancing all of that as a board

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when you know we're here we are a representative uh group of the uh current you know current Glenn Rockers yes with history but current Glen Rockers and um so that does just need to be taken into account. Um but I don't want to hog this conversation. I really

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want it to be open and Mr. Coleman as well. I I just want to acknowledge that you're there and I you're to my back so I can't really see if um you have something to say but anybody can feel free to Okay. Yes, Mr. Cohen, please.

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>> Oh, were you were you raising your hand or were you just saying hello? >> Sorry, the video is um a little bit in delay with my side. Uh just um I I know the the highlight of the meeting is G7, but I just wanted to mention on on G2

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that uh I'm going to vote no on it. Uh my belief is that uh since we are hiring uh a new superintendent uh we should uh let him or her decide on the team and and decide on the structure of the

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organization and I think it's uh too much premature to um hire a replacement until the until we hire the the superintendent. Um and and G7 uh I I think me and Damali are the only ones

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who have kids in the central school and uh as Damali mentioned uh we both got a lot of u feedback positive and negative from uh parents uh at the at the school.

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Um, so it is not u an easy uh decision and uh I honestly uh did not know what I will do until uh uh now. But um I I do think that I'm going to support

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uh this uh motion to change the name. >> Thank you Christine, please. >> Thanks. Um, I I just want to say we've received so many emails about this and um, yes, some are against it, some are for it, but those that are for it are

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passionately for it. And I I couldn't help but be moved so much by some of these emails. Um, they really speak to how much, you know, this means to a community, how much can it be to inspire. Um, to me, this is a nobrainer.

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This is our opportunity that we have few in life to do the right thing, to do the something worthy, something that makes a difference. And Central School is one facet and one part of this town. And

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it's this you you go through Central School for six years and then you become a citizen of Glenrock for the rest of your life. Um or a past citizen. So you know just it's a that's 8% of your life that you if you go through central

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school. So when we did that survey results those results were um 2 to one supporting this name change and yes at central school it was the majority did

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not support it but that was a very slight majority. In fact there was 56 people that answered that survey as opposed. if you remove six people, it would have been favoring it. So that's that's how small of a swing it was based

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on the survey results. But when you took the whole population uh that was queried, it was it was stat statistically significant and it was strong support for that school change name change. And I also just want to say

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I spoke about this at the last meeting. Bergen County in Bergen County 70% of elementary schools are named after someone. However, in the whole county of Bergen, only two are named after minorities. We have the chance at this table tonight to increase that small

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little count to three. Um, and I I want to thank Mr. Cole for everything you've done. It takes a lot of gumption. It takes a lot of work to make something happen out of nothing. You know, you've been very tireless in this effort. I think, you know, the community should

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thank you. Um I don't know how the vote will go. I I don't know. But I will say that um we are temporary bodies in this in these seats. We created a we created a policy for naming and you have the

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right after three years if if it doesn't go in the right you know in the direction you you want you can reintroduce this in 3 years and I hope you will um if it doesn't go your way. I'll also tell you that MLK day is a

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holiday that we don't question today. Um nobody questions it. We celebrate it and it was voted down not once, not twice, but 15 times before it was passed. I'm voting tonight. I didn't used to have the right to vote. It's the 19th amendment. It took 40 years for that to

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pass. So just, you know, if it doesn't go the way, but I hope it does. This is such a this is such an emotional thing um to see happen and I just think it what a beautiful thing to celebrate and uh you know, I'm I'm passionately voting

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yes tonight. Thank you. Go ahead. >> Okay. First, thank you all for coming in and uh I appreciate everything you're saying. Um I wrote down everything I want to say, so please let me get through the whole thing before you uh uh

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react. Yes. First, I want to express my deep respect for the legacy of Thomas L. Hawkins. His service as a Tuskegee Airman and his roots here in Glenrock make him a figure of immense historical significance. There is no question that Mr. Hawkins is a true hometown hero who

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deserves to be honored by our community in a lasting and meaningful way. However, after careful deliberation and reviewing the extensive feedback from all stakeholders, I will be voting no on the proposal to rename Central School. My decision is based on several

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fundamental concerns regarding our schools and our community. The first, preserving our school's identity. Central School is currently approaching its 100th anniversary. As we just talked about, over the last century, it's bu has built a distinct identity that is woven into the history of Glen Rock. An

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institution's name is more than just a label. It represents the collective memories of thousands of alumni and staff. I believe there is a significant value in preserving that historical continuity. Second, internal and versus external change. In my view, a change of this

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magnitude, one that alters the very essence of a school's brand, should ideally originate from within the school community itself. When such a proposal is driven primarily by external groups, it risks feeling like an imposition rather than an organic evolution of the

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school's culture. For a name change to be successful and embraced, it requires the buyin of the current students, faculty, and parents who live in work uh within those walls every day. Third, lack of universal support. It has become

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clear through our correspondences that this proposal does not have universal support. We are a small, tight-knit burrow, and a move like this risks creating winners and losers. Our goal as a board should be to foster unity. Forcing a change that has that a

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significant portion of the community opposes, regardless of the merit of the name, creates a division that could take years to heal. As an alternative, I would like to offer a more grand vision and possibly a townwide tribute. To view

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this strictly as a school project, in my opinion, is a little myopic. Thomas Hawkins is a hero for all of Glenrock, not just one neighborhood or one building. I have conducted initial research into a more inclusive alternative, the commissioning of a bronze statue to be placed in a

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prominent location within our central town. I propose we form a townwide committee with the goal of raising $200,000 to commission a 7 foot to 8ft tall bronze sculpture of Mr. Hawkins on a granite pedestal complete with plaque detailing his heroic history. By placing

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this monument in the heart of our town, we ensure that every res resident and visitor, regardless of which school they attend, can re reflect on his bravery. But we can go further. Recently, the governor of Massachusetts signed an act establishing the fourth Thursday in

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March as Tuskegee Aramman commemoration day. I believe that we should advocate for that in New Jersey. Between a permanent monument and a state recognized day, we could create a platform for all schools in Glenrock to honor these heroes. Our elementary

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students could take field trips to town to see the statue, while our upper grades would have a formal platform to study the airman's legacy. This creates a much deeper level of recognition and appreciation than a name on a sign ever could. This is a project the entire town can

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get behind. Turn a potential point of division into a shared mission of celebration. Thomas Hawkins is a hero who deserves more than just a school naming. He deserves a permanent prominent place in the heart of our community. Why don't we choose a path that honors him while bringing our

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entire town together? And I'm more than happy to help with that initiative if that's what we choose to do someday. Thank you. >> Thank you. Miss Stevenson. >> Thank you. I also wrote down what I uh

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wanted to say this evening. I want to thank everyone who has spoken at the board meetings, emailed the board, and participated in the work of the naming committee. Glenrock is a community deeply rooted in tradition. Traditions we value most are not just ceremonies or symbols. They are the values we pass

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from one generation to the next. Service, courage, perseverance, and a commitment to something greater than ourselves. Thomas Hawkins was shaped by those traditions. Raised in Glenrock, he carried the values of this community with him throughout his life. He

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demonstrated extraordinary courage and conviction and he ultimately gave his life while an active duty in service to our country. Adding adding the name Thomas Hawkins to Central School is not only a recognition

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of an individual, it is a reflection of the values Glenrock strives to instill in all our students. Placing his name on the outside of the building is especially meaningful because it allows the entire community to learn about him. If a space such as an auditorium were

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were renamed, only those who entered the school might see it. But placing his name where everyone can see it sends a strong message about who we are as a community and whose stories we choose to honor. I also appreciate the supporters of this effort who effort who have

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already expressed a willingness to fund raise to help cover the cost associated with the renaming. Thomas Hawkins story reminds us that the traditions of Glenrock can shape people who go on to serve, lead, and sacrifice for others. I support this initiative.

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>> All right. Yes. Can I make one statistical point of clarification? Um I keep hearing we're very divided. The survey that we saw had um 71% strongly supporting it. Um so I just

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want to clarify that I don't know if it's a you know straight divide that we're talking about. It it was a clear two to one that that I saw out of the statistics from the survey. I'll also clarify when I said the feedback that I had received it was also

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encompassing other feedback that's not captured in the survey just to be you know like for clarity but I think that that many of us like sometimes we have overlapping people but oftent times honestly we don't um so I would assume that that's going to be the the scenario

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for other people but I do agree that the data that was captured that we could get um uh is reflective of of of the numbers that you you stated. Any other I I just wanted to give you all the opportunity if you wanted to say

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something. >> I didn't prepare remarks, but I'm impressed by everybody who who did. Um I think I spoke last week, our last meeting briefly. Uh I'm I'm not in favor of changing the name of the school. I'm

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incredibly moved by the efforts and the awareness that has been brought about by this process. Uh what what I'm what I was looking to see and understand by while sitting on this committee was that the that all parts of the community was in support of this and I think that to

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the people in the crowd your credit and everybody who supported that you have started something but I don't know that this process means that we are there. I I do like other ideas that I'm hearing. And I think by picking one idea, we're we're set on one idea. Um and I'll I

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take every opportunity I can to to share the story of story of Ben Holt. Um a person that I knew personally who was a survivor of the uh Pearl Harbor attacks in Hawaii. Um as a young man, a Nashvilleian, he was uh the only job he could get as a young black man in 1941

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was to join the Navy and he was a cook. And it didn't matter what you did on that day in December 7th. there was a there was a matter of uh service that people came behind and supported and stood. Um and the irony of it all was that he was reported killed in action. Uh and they named a school in a park

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after him and they unnamed the school in the park after him when they found out he was alive. So there's been a lot of interesting things in our history. Um it that's definitely impacting my uh my process here with with hearing all of

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this. Uh, and I wish there was a way that we could see um see how to inspire the youth that are in the school right now. And I'm a bit concerned that we're not achieving that goal. That's the only goal that we all have. We all sit here and and decide how are we achieving that

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goal. And I think we're on our path, but I do not think we've hit our destination. So that's my judgment on it. >> Okay. So I I do recognize that Boaz has raised his hand, but I just wanted to give everybody um an opportunity to speak

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before we go um we want to go you were seated. Okay, Boaz, please go ahead. >> Yeah, I just want to mention just one thing about the policy. The the policy says that we have to vote it twice in two successive public meetings. So, uh,

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irregardless of the, uh, vote tonight, if it passes, there there's another opportunity to, to have an additional conversation and and another. That's all. >> Absolutely correct. Um so according to the policy that we um

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agreed upon last year uh because of the gravity of of a name change um we said that you have to vote yes like or majority twi in two consecutive meeting or two meetings I I don't know that they have to be consecutive but just to make

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sure that the board stands. So if if you vote yes today or you vote no today in another and it still passes at a second meeting, you still have the opportunity to cast your vote again one way. >> Yeah, the Yeah, the the policy that we

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created specifically for this naming to kind of wrap it up and to figure out how to proceed. >> Okay, thank you. I wasn't sure being on the board now in January, I wasn't aware of of that past uh event with the policy. I do want to say how moved I am

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by the outpouring of um learning number one for me. I'm in town 50 years. I came here in 1976. It'll be 50 years in in August. And I never heard of that gentleman. So, I

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think that it is a um a great thing that this has come to light and I want to thank everyone that has an outpouring of emotion because the the emails have just been incredible. I think that uh this outpouring of

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emotion and uh bringing it to light is for our students to sit here and hear all these things about an individual that came from Glenrock schools. However, the educator in me, the administrator educator in me, I sit here and I'm questioning um the

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technicalities, not the deservingness of the individual. Please do not make any mistake by thinking that the no vote would be uh to uh say lesser of the individual. My questions are we haven't

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contacted the county, the state. It is such a complex thing. It's no longer back in the day when you would just say, "Okay, we're gonna slap a new sign on a school." There's the database. Everything is now electronically driven.

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That it's it's a more involved process to name a school, to change the name of a school than it is or has been in the past. So, um, again, I really like Ed's idea. Thank you for putting so much

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thought into it because you know when we say that he was a graduate of uh Central School, no really um while he may have been the graduate of Central School for I guess then it would have been seven years if he started in kindergarten and went through sixth grade if I'm correct at

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that time. Um he really was a graduate of Glenrock as a whole, not just of the one school because he lived in town. we just didn't have a high school and had we had had a high school we might be having a different conversation um had

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he attended the high school right I don't know which we don't know that would have been up in the air what to do then so I'm on um I'm I'm reserved on my my decision to say no it will be no but it is not without heartfelt um uh being

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torn on yes or a no it is very I am very torn over that but I have to lean with with the um administrative side of it. >> Okay. Do you want to do you have anything the two of you? >> Yeah, I don't I didn't prepare >> Yeah, it's fine.

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>> speech, but um I'm absolutely a yes. What are we even doing here? This is such a hero. I'm just Yeah, I I don't You can always find a reason find challenges. There's always challenges. There's always reasons to

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not to do do something. We have this opportunity to do something about it. I say go for it. Yes, 100%. >> Thank you. >> So, I did not prepare remarks um because this is another decision where I feel

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like there isn't a very clear-cut answer um and coming into this um yeah with a lot of emotion. And again, thank you to everyone in the community and to those of you who are present tonight um for advocating for this. I do understand um why this is important to you and I agree

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that Mr. Hawkins deserves recognition. Um and I really do like your idea, Ed. Um of something that's bigger and broader and more central. Um because for me I think it's um also

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looking at the administration of it and considering like some of the other aspects of this. I guess I would just be concerned. Part of my role is fiscal responsibility and I am concerned about where would we find the funds. I mean we're having

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conversations about very specific line items. So, I'm cognizant of that. And then I I feel like I'd want to have more information about how we could effectively make this happen. And as um

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as a parent of three graduates of Central School, I think it's lovely to think about honoring Mr. Hawkins. Um but I got to say there is something for me traditionally about it being Central School. Um, I don't know that that would

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prevent me entirely. I think you in some ways that's why I didn't prepare because I was like I could be swayed um to move beyond that. But I think as I sit here I just recognize that there's a lot of other things that I would really want to be able to understand before I could emphatically say yes to this. Thank you.

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>> Uh yes, I actually well well two things before you make your comment. Um uh with with regards to the the the cost because that was one thing that I was going to say after everyone had a chance. Um I know that

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there was discussion about fundraising. The board itself is not a fundraising body, right? So we know that we're not necessarily doing fundraisers um on behalf of anything that we need in in the district. Sometimes we partner with um at HSA or even uh get donations and

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anonymous donations and things like that to the school district. So I don't think that we would be able to say that we're going to fund raise for this kind of item. But I do want to know um when the committee discussed kind of like the funding source and what what like what

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what came out of that? Like if we're voting yes for this today, does that mean that we're voting yes to um adding this line item to our budget or like fund like how how what what could that look like? Um you know, just yes or no

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like but I figure that the yes is really the the the question like how how would we theoretically fund it? So, if yes, we would follow up with those that suggested that they would fund raise and see where we can get with that and um start looking into more specifically

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exactly what the costs would be. Um the other piece of it that is is costly but not necessarily in in financial terms is just the leg work that Dr. Dr. Puchi Bender was talking about all of the the work that needs to be done with the state with the renaming

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with the you know the internal things that you know it's not just a financial cost for administration or for the district to do it's a it's a human resources cost to spend the time um doing that. So so I don't know that it's necessarily going to be a line item but

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it would be something that we would have to assign tasks to and delegate this work. >> Thank you. Thank you. um only because those are the kinds of things that were going through my head as well. And I know that it's not it's not even like, oh, okay, yes, we vote yes twice and

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then all of a sudden we're just like the next the next day the name is changed. There's other aspects that would go in if that was the decision that the board made. >> And Dr. Robinson, we're talking about $12,000, correct? For the >> according at least I mean 12,000 plus

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>> our estimate, but we we don't have a hard hard number on that. But you're right. Absolutely. And and to be clear, administration will will get it done if this is what the board decides to do. But we do believe this is a a board decision, right? This is a community decision, a board decision. So if if this is the direction the board wants to

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go, then by all means, we we will get it done. I hear >> um but uh just answering your your question as far as what what are the resources required. >> Thank you. >> No, I'm I'm not certain of how you came up with the $12,000. I I thought it

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would have in my mind I was envisioning a lot higher um or unimaginable you know like undetermined. >> Yeah. Mr. Canels did some research on another district that had a renamement also and that's that's the ballpark figure that they used and and so we used

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it from there. So we >> How far back was that? Do you know? >> Four years ago. >> Four years ago. Okay. So not not so not so fairly recent. Okay. I also can I take this moment? I also um was thinking

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while this we're having all this discussion that I think that it would be really important for our students. I don't know if you we could also do um like a proclamation where we have in

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grade four since we um talk about well we talk about the state of New Jersey in in the fourth grade maybe there could be something developed in our curriculum where he comes out to light and it's studied across

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the grade. I was going to actually um one regardless of what the board decides to do tonight, make uh a recommendation that we put a resolution on um the agenda for the board and to see if there was support here for that um to

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commemorate either a a Thomas Hawkins day which coincides with the u the the fourth Thursday in in March which is the Tuskegee Airman Day and make it a school district thing. Um, and I think that that's something that we could, you know, that has one no cost that we would

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be able to do and make it like a school district like a proclamation. And then how how that day gets commemorated by any um individual school or operation the operation side of it would be you know >> because I think that it's it's such a

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great opportunity to embed it into our curriculum um that it's it it's you know a no-brainer right I mean we have a community member and I'm sure that there are others that we that the students could then investigate to find out who

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else may have been involved in in some efforts that uh are worth recognizing, right? So, he could be the the gentleman that spear is the spearhead for that reason of that that portion of our curriculum. Just a thought.

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>> Thank you. Thank you. Just a couple of thoughts. I believe that the honors history class does something similar to that. The honors history classes, I believe it is. I don't know. Do you Did you take honors history with Miss Walter? She I believe does some sort of a project where the students interview

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veterans in our town. So that that something like that has already been started. >> So that's high school, right? >> Correct. >> So maybe we can bring it down to the elementary school as well. So >> Right. And listen, that's a great idea. Your statue is a great idea, but why can't we do all of it?

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>> That's a great point. >> I mean, we can do all of it. and and if it's a if it's a lot of work or it's going to take time to change it, we're we're talking about honoring somebody who made the ultimate sacrifice and we're here sitting talking about oh it might be a lot of work for but you

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know we're talking about somebody who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. >> Thank you. >> I know my idea came from left field but um I I really like the idea of a statue. I I spoke to a a sculptor from New

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Jersey today who's reasonably famous, works around the world um for bronze statues and and was really excited when I sort of explained the discussion. I told him the whole thing. We're thinking about naming a school versus the town versus this. And uh I I I really think

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that the school side, we're educators. Everything you were just talking about, we should build it into the education, build it into the curriculum, and that would bring it to life for all the other schools. Right? If we rename one school, that school will have their hero. But if we build something in town and obviously

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we'd get the council involved and everyone else because it's no longer it's sort of we can't really have that conversation here because it wouldn't be a school thing but it it would be a much more universally accepted project and I I I I honestly feel we could raise the

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money pretty quickly. Um I know uh you know scale of 10 difference on the costs but uh between a gofundme and the right advertising and the history of it I think that we could get it done. So that's my take.

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>> Yes. So I know one counsel one board member here expressed concern about the cost but um you know yes it is 10x what >> well it would be town funding it would be donations right that that's >> and and many other donations for the

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school for 12,000 if we want to make it contingent and say >> when we did the survey you know when you remove even people said are are you upset about the cost it wasn't that strong actually um of a of a response on the cost, but I have a hard time

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hearing. Yes, we have um the possibility of raising $200,000 to possibly do this in town and have somebody, you know, maybe do this or we can have a definitive something to walk out with tangibly here today. Um, you know, we we

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just our body only handles the schools. We don't handle the town >> and and we have the we have the power to make a decision on the schools. we don't have the power to do anything with the town. Um, so I I admire what you're saying. >> I'm suggesting we dream bigger. >> Um, you know, we can do this. Yes.

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That's one way to recognize it. I think, uh, you know, a seven or eight foot statue on a pedestal with a plaque that explains his history, spells it out right in front of you would give more information and more recognition. >> I actually feel a school name is for me

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would be higher recognition than a statue. Um, I I think people might see it differently. So, I know that you feel that that's a bigger townwide visibility, but for me, a school can't you can't get bigger visibility than that in town. >> That's that's just >> I'm sorry. I thought that we left the

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last meeting that we were going to have conversation with the the town council. No, there wasn't there a mention. >> So, we mentioned that that that is a possible venue. Um, and I don't know that

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that part because again it it it's more it's not to say that we can't have that conversation, right? I I don't know that um there was time in terms of like the the cycle, but either either way just kind of like what Miss Parliament

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stated, we still have to then we're charged with making the decision about this part. So even regardless of of what the board decides to do today, we still have the other path that can be taken one as citizens in Glenrock, you know, but that's kind of like a separate

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initiative than what we have to determine based on our policy. So, you know, because wasn't there a resident who even came out and suggested um maybe I read in an email or I don't know uh about even the library having

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the name? I I don't >> and that was through the town. That would have been a town function. So, if we haven't had a conversation or um brought to the T I don't know. Okay. I I just wasn't sure. I think we don't have enough >> that was in the conversation last time,

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but we didn't I don't think it was >> we moved forward with it or had any discussion. >> Do we need to table this? >> I was going to point out that >> can I make a motion to table this until the next meeting so we have an opportunity? So we one we have we have a

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motion currently on the floor so we we can't put another motion on top of the motion. >> So that is that is that is >> an issue here but also regardless of whatever we do today we still have to do this again. >> Okay. So

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>> so I would say that that not to stress out about it for anybody here regardless of what we do today we still have to vote it for it again. >> Okay. So then I okay I will support it >> um because it has to go through twice and this will give us my personal I'll

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be able to investigate more on what happens >> um and with the council and community. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. >> And at the same time can I segue to G2? I think no G3.

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>> G3. Sure. Let me just refresh my >> G3. >> G3. Yes. Um, I want to thank all of the donations from the donors, but I especially want to um thank Perry's and uh the Chamber of Commerce for the DECA. That is really important to me as the

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business teacher at heart. That'll always be Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. >> Sorry. Um >> sorry. Go ahead, boss. >> Yeah, the policy does say two successive public meetings. So we do have pressure

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of time like if if we vote today then we have two weeks to figure everything out. >> Um and and then just to to to talk to about uh what um this is mentioned we we did speak about reaching out to town to

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ask them about maybe potentially renaming the street from Maple to uh to Hawkins or or or section or or different area over there. So So that was the that was the suggestion that we talked about last time. Agreed. Thank you.

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All right. Um, if we can call roll, please. >> Mr. Cohen. >> No to G2 and yes to everything else. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. On G.

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>> Mr. Hayward. >> Uh, yes. for G1 through six. No on G7. >> Miss Prolamus, >> yes on everything. >> Dr. Pooie Bender, >> yes on one through seven.

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>> Miss Stevenson, >> yes on everything. >> Mr. Tang, >> yes. Are they >> Miss Calves? >> Yes, except for G. >> Yes, except for G7.

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Dr. Robinson. >> Yes. >> All motions pass. >> All right. Can I get a motion to approve resolutions B1 through B18? >> Uh, Miss Stevenson, seconded by Mr. Hayward.

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Any questions or comments regarding our B items? All right, if we can call roll, please. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes.

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>> Mr. Hayward, >> yes. >> Miss Palamus, >> yes. >> Dr. Pooie Bender, >> yes. >> Miss Stevenson, >> yes. >> Mr. Tang, >> yes. >> Miss Calves, >> yes. >> Dr. Robinson, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. Uh, could I get a motion to

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approve resolutions P1 through P11? Mr. Hayward, seconded by Dr. Puji Bender. >> Yes. Uh, first for the personnel resolutions, I'd like to congratulate Gan Delia for her retirement. Jean is my assistant and uh, she was in the

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community school before she became my assistant uh, six years ago. She is a a real partner as a professional. She's my confidant. She's just a positive force in my life right now. So, I'm really going to miss her. >> We thank her for her many years of

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service here. Thank you. >> Yes. >> I will add the same sentiment I did when Miss Babin's uh resolution was on the agenda. You do not have to vote yes. >> I hear you. All right. Seeing no other questions or comments,

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um, we can call roll, please. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes. >> Mr. Hayward, >> yes. >> Miss Palamus, >> yes. >> Dr. Fucci Bender, >> yes. >> Miss Stevenson,

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>> yes. Except I believe I am. I'm sorry, I lost >> my page. >> Traveler. >> Yes, got it. Mr. Tang, >> yes. >> Miss Calves, >> yes.

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>> Dr. Robinson, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. All right, we have our vandalism suspension and hip reports. And uh for old business, um I wanted to give Miss Stevenson the opportunity. She represented us at the delegate assembly

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that uh just occurred this past weekend. And if you could just tell us a little bit about the experience. I learned a lot about Robert's rules. I will say there um so the beginning of the delegate assembly,

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we heard from um Dr. Tim Pernell who is the director for the New Jersey school boards. He just went over a lot of what they have done. Um they've instituted mentoring, leadership development. They have a a monthly grounds and a monthly

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newsletter. They have the free policy manual. They offer crisis communication. They train 3,320 board members this year. The uh New Jersey School Birds workshop that a lot of us attended in the fall, won four

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national awards. They had 300 plus attendees for the women's leadership conference. They also now do electronic meeting notices as unfortunately print papers are going out and capital watch

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which is emails that we get and I really suggest everybody read those because there's great information there on what's going on in the legislature. Um and as we all know the health care cost affected everybody so look out for anything that might be in there. Um they

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are going to have a labor summit to prepare for collective bargaining. They are going to offer a lot of uh free resources to enhance our work. And he gave a quote and I'm sorry I did not get the person where he took it from, but it said, "The future isn't something we

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enter, it's something we create." And I just thought that was really interesting. Um so there were six resolutions that came before the delegate assembly. Um and again these are just policy belie uh that goes in

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policy but just beliefs for the school boards. It doesn't mean anything that goes in there going is going to become law or becomes anything. It's just a belief system. So the first couple were controversial. There was one on rank choice voting. There was one um with

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ICE. There was one for the pilot program where a lot of towns are it was started off as industrial. I don't know Dan you might know more about this. um industrial growing building and now it's gone on to residential where the they're

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offered incentives. They don't end up paying property taxes but they give the town money every year and a lot of time well most of the time none of that money goes into the school and now that there's residential it's a big big issue in a lot of towns. I know Hoboken actually came to agreement with with the

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town and they do get some money so just advocating for better services with that. the county um Hudson County Technical School was somebody was not there but they wanted a resolution about funding. So by the time we got to me, I

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think everybody was tired, but our resolution passed 94 to six, I believe it was. Um, but it was it's always very interesting just like seeing how things are maneuvering and people from all over the state coming and just listening to

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what other districts are going through because we are a big state with a lot of different school districts. >> So they do two meetings a year. The next one will be in November. >> Yes. And I know um I actually got an email um and I I believe everyone should have gotten the email. They're looking

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at changing it instead of to two instead of two delegate assemblies per year to one per year. Um and so you all have the opportunity to weigh in. They talked about um a potential for cost savings, but you just have to weigh that with regards to decision-m because I think we

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haven't really um taken full advantage of it in the past. And so I I I love to hear that we're really getting involved and and and trying to influence either policy, bylaws, changes, and things like that at our state level in addition to like I know we didn't really speak much

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about it, but uh before um is a resolution that everyone can take a look at because it talks about the impact that the school employee health benefits program has on on us here. And you know, this is an effort for us to advocate with our state

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legislators that represent this district as well as across the state to show that we really are are feeling that burden and that we're um encouraging and and practically begging for them to act on it. So, thank you so much. I actually

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had breakfast when I had breakfast there were people from other everyone was saying the same thing with the health costs and we are really actually one of the few districts that is not having any staff cuts if you look around the state. So I think that's a good thing. Um there's a county meeting I believe is

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next Thursday in Elwood Park. So if anybody wants to sign up I believe we have to email Colleen. Correct. Um those are actually fun to go to too because then you we meet people from our county and there's always some sort of I don't know what the talk is going to be on this year but it's a chance for Elwood

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Park to um show us what they have over there. >> You said it was next Thursday. >> Okay. Thank you. >> The meeting usually begin like six I think you can get there and then the meeting starts about 45 minutes later because they give you time to have dinner. Dinner is provided.

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>> Great. Thank you. And is the heroes like unsung heroes. Yeah, >> I think so. I think so. Yeah, I think so because it might be the last one for the year. Okay, great. Thank you for that update. Um any other new business or

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liaison information or anything like that? >> Yes. >> Uh I have I have a question for new business um for Mr. Van Nest. Um, as we're on upon graduation season, I wanted to clarify at graduation the

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students that get recognized. Um, currently it's my understanding that students that serve at ROC do not get recognized. Is that accurate? Am I do I have that correct? >> So, I did see your email this morning, but I haven't had a chance to confer with administration about what what the

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policy is for that. Um, so if you could get us those things, especially before the agenda, so we can have it on new business for the agenda, I'd be more than happy to be >> for the benefit of everyone else. What I'm talking about is my understanding was students traditionally at Glenrock graduation that are enrolled in one of

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themies, the military, naval, air force, the coast guard, the merchant marines, they are recognized at graduation. My understanding is those that are ROC are not. Um, and so I would love to see if we can just have them added to the list if that is the case.

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>> I I'll double check and get back. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, our next meeting date is June 1st and I'm sorry. Okay. Okay. Um All right. And um we'll

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open our second public comments section at 8:23. just state your name, your address, and then you'll have three minutes and then Yeah, that's it. Thank you. Hello again. Um, my name is Sue

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Triforest. I live at 11 Forest Road in Glenrock. just wanted to make a couple of comments from listening to the discussion and to thank you all very much for I know this is not an easy decision and I appreciate that um you understand the importance of what you've

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been asked to do or what you are asking the communities to support. Um you mentioned a central monument would be really nice. Well, what's more central than central school? I mean it's right in the middle of town. It's called Central School because it's central to

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the district. Um, and I think in the year 2026, uh, when you're looking at an expenditure of raising $200,000 for a statue, which is a lovely gesture, versus $12,000 to accomplish an honoring

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of someone who all of you have said is worthy of being honored. Um I I I that just kind of floores me. Um besides, as you had mentioned, I I think Miss Parlamus had mentioned, you can't tell

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the burrow to give property to build a statue. You can only control what the board of education and what the school district can do. And you have central school. You that's under your purview. $12,000 is easily achievable by this community. Easily. No problem. Whether

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you decide to do it through your multi-million dollar school budget or if you plan to do it through community fundraising, not a problem. I promise you that right now. The leg work on this project cannot start. You have questions on, well, what do we do about this? How we do, you know, what's the next

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process? Where do we go? You can't start the leg work until you move forward. And the only way you can move forward is to either agree to enhance the name of Central School by adding the name of Thomas uh Hawkins to it or not to do

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that. That's that's your first step. Um Dr. Pooie Bender had mentioned that, you know, if if possibly he had gone through the high school, maybe there'd be a different conversation. There wasn't a high school here. Um he went to Central School. He went to school number one and then he went to central school and

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central school was central school junior high school. School number one was demolished 1939. It's not here. Central school is still here. It still has a connection to him. Um and someone else had mentioned that,

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you know, it'd be great to have, you know, heroes for the schools. Well, three of the four elementary schools are named for heroes. You've got Richard Bird, you've got Clara Coleman, and you've got Alexander Hamilton. Why not Central School? Why can't Central School

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have a central school hero to emulate? Um, and then I just have a question on to clarify the policy that you had talked about um with two you need voting in two sec consecutive meetings, correct? In order to pass this. What

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happens if you have a yes vote tonight and you have a no vote at the next meeting? Is that the end of it? Or then do you do another one? And then if you have a yes vote after that, is it keep going until you get two yes votes or two no votes in a row?

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>> I I'll I'll comment after. You know, >> I'm that's it. I'm done. Okay. All right. >> Um >> I listen to your bill this time. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um I'll if I want to keep the public comments section open. So if there's another comment then okay

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>> I'll and then I'll answer your question. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Uh I'm an artist and unfortunately statues are kind of p now. It's very hard to have a wonderful statue without

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great expense and a great artist designing it. So, I don't think that's a good option for Glenrock. Thank you. Thank you. All right. All right. So, seeing no

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additional U public comments at 8:27, um I would say that and this is just, you know, Demali speaking adlib. Um the question with regards to the policy is a valid question and it is something that I

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think I only thought of more recently as we are like pending this vote like what happens if there's a change in the direction of the vote. Um, and I think that, you know, like our goal is always to operate from a sense of honesty and collaboration and um, and I anticipate

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that we are going to that it's not going to be a friction point for this board, right? like that's that's where I'm working with that we we will figure it out in terms of you know making sure that um that there is a sense of collaboration where even you saw it here like actively tonight that

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there was still like people personally feel one way or another but yet we still moved um as a majority to to answer the question at hand. So I would anticipate that that's the same thing that's going to happen and if there's an element of the policy that we need to

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adjust you know like for future based on the feedback of this process um this board will definitely take that on. All right. Um I will say now um so I need a motion to return to close session to discuss uh

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personnel matters related to the CSA search. No action will be taken um will be attended uh when the board returns from the close session. So we have Miss Calve seconded by um Dan Corey

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and if we can call roll all those in favor I >> I any opposed. All right we are in we're returning to close this public