Good evening everyone. We're going to get started. Welcome to the May 2025 Hoboken Board of Education meeting where we will also adopt the 2025 20226 budget. Thank you all for being here. If you are joining us this evening to speak on agenda or non-aggenda items, please
use the signup sheets located down front. Miss Lopez, can you read the statement of compliance? Yes. Good evening. This meeting is being held in conformity to the Open Public
Meetings Act, NJSA 104-6. Proper public notice of the meeting was published in the local papers on January 14th and January 16th, 2025. If any board member or member of the public in attendance believes that this meeting is in violation of the open
public meetings act, the Hoboken Board of Education requests that they make a statement at this time. The board wishes to make those in attendance aware that this meeting is being recorded on video and will be broadcast by the board at a later date
on CATV channel 77 and FiOS channels 46. The full meeting recording will also be made available on board docs which can be accessed through the district homepage. The Hoboken Board of Education is committed to preserving the decorum of the public process and is mindful that
we live in the electronic age of computers, cell phones, and other electronic communication devices. Nevertheless, we respectfully request that all meeting participants kindly silence their electronic devices during the course of the meeting and if use of
the device is necessary, we ask that you please leave the meeting room if you need to conduct personal business. Thank you, Miss Lopez. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Miss Lopez, can you please call the role? Miss Angley, here. Miss Katamatori here.
Missa here. Mr. Delator here. Mr. Graa here. Miss Connor, Mr. Cloff here, Miss Norwood here, and Miss McGer here. We are going to begin our meeting this evening with the recognitions for
our April students of the month. And at this time, I will turn the meeting over to Assistant Superintendent Sandra Rodriguez Gomez. Thank you. Welcome to the very busy month of May. We will begin by acknowledging both the Jewish American
and the Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities as we honor their profoundly impactful contributions to our country. We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our students in grades 3 through 12. as
they are in the second week of NJSLA testing. They are showing up both ready and confident and super excited to share all that they know. We are so delighted to welcome all in attendance, those watching from home,
members of our board of education, our superintendent, Dr. Johnson, administrators who are with us this evening, faculty members, students, and their special guests, their families. In a few seconds, I will introduce our talented principles and they will take
the podium to share detailed information and wonderful stories about the students being honored here this evening. We acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of our students of the month for the month of April. You will hear about their unrelenting effort and powerful
results. These students were driven to succeed and their efforts have certainly paid off. We are proud of each and every one of you and can't wait to hear about your academic journey and your plans for the future. We will begin with the Joseph F.
Brandt principal, Mr. Bartlett. He will then introduce the Connors Elementary principal, Miss Addie, and she will follow this pattern, introducing principles Dickerson, Sorphine, and Pika Petra of Wallace, Hoboken Middle, and Hoboken high schools. each will
celebrate their school's selections and of course pause for a picture opportunity. Again, thank you for being with us this evening. And with that, I would ask Mr. Bartlett to come to the podium. Thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez Gomez. Good evening, Dr. Johnson, members of the board, and our guests here this
evening. At this time, I would like to ask Logan Tesler to join me at the podium. Congratulations to Logan Tesler, the brand school student of the month for April. Logan was nominated by fifth grade staff members Miss Doler and Miss O'Brien. Miss Doler and Miss O'Brien
said they nominated Logan because he works hard, is kind to his classmates, supports everyone, and comes to school ready to learn with a positive attitude each and every day. Miss Douler said, "Logan is a great asset to our class. He is always willing to learn and he is
helpful to every classmate." Having known Logan for his entire time at Brandt as his principal, I am grateful for the quiet leadership he exudes on a daily basis. As he's grown, I'm grateful for the little conversations he and I have from time to time. when he stops to
have a quick sportsbased chat with me, or he perhaps might dispute a call I make as the umpire during the very competitive handball games during recess, or even perhaps to beg to play handball despite his broken wrist. He is always respectful and polite. Throughout
his time at Brent, Logan's earned a spot on the honoral as well as the art award, the positive attitude award, and the proud of you award. Miss Dolder went on to reiterate that she is proud of Logan for his work ethic, being inclusive of others, for being a positive role model,
and completing all of his work diligently. Outside of the classroom, Logan's hobbies include hockey, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and baseball. And that makes it sound like your mom and your dad have no time to themselves on the nights and the weekends. His
favorite subject is math. Logan's favorite musical artists at the moment are Kendrick Lamar and 30 Seconds to Mars. Logan has a dog, a mini golden doodle named Tessa Tesler. He is a very good hockey player. His position is rightwing and he plays for the King
Cobras. His favorite sports teams are the Jets, Rangers, Yankees, Knicks, and the Red Bulls. Logan would like to attend UCLA to play hockey, and he hopes one day to be a professional hockey player or a sports attorney. In true Logan fashion, when told he would be
recognized here tonight, he didn't make it about himself, but instead offered some advice to help others. He said, "Always listen. Listen to your teacher and teach people the way you want to be treated. Include everyone because they could turn into your friend." This is one of those moments where I feel
incredibly proud and I'm reminded of why this job can be so wonderful. When students echo the lessons they've been taught, specifically always being willing to help others, it is the best reward. Thank you, Logan, for echoing those lessons. Your future is 100%
bright. Please join me one more time as we celebrate our brand student of the month, Logan Tess. At this time, I'd like to welcome to the podium Mrs. Juliana Addie, the principal of the Thomas G. Connors Elementary School. At this time, I would like to call up
Noah Fab, our Connor's student of the month. Noah is a first grade student in Miss Veta's home room who has truly earned this recognition through her incredible hard work, determination, and bright spirit. This is Noah's first year at
Connors. She attended kindergarten in Israel. And when she arrived here, she faced significant challenges adjusting to a new school, a new environment, and even a new language for reading and writing. But Noah didn't let anything stand in her way. Through her dedication
and perseverance, she quickly caught up to her peers and has continued to thrive. What makes Noah so special isn't just her academic progress, but the warmth she brings to our school community every day. She greets her
classmates with a positive attitude, treats others with respect, and brings a welcoming spirit to her classroom. Noah quickly mastered Miss Veta's classroom rules and routines, becoming a natural leader who helps show others the right thing to do. Noah Noah's love of
learning shines brightly. She especially enjoys reading to her classmates, often sharing her favorite fairy tales and non-fiction books about animals. And when friends struggle with tricky math problems, Noah is always there with a
helping hand, encouraging them to keep trying. Her classmates describe her best. Julian says, "She makes friends laugh." Red shared, "She's kind to everyone." Shaniah added, "Noah always
helps me think of ideas when I'm writing." And Nelly said, "Noah cares about everyone." When we asked Noah how she feels about being student of the month, she said, "I feel really good because I do really well in class and I get compliments. I have lots of friends.
I'm nice, too, in school and outside of school, too." Outside of the classroom, Noah enjoys art, especially painting, and practices karate. She even runs a monthly bracelet stand with her sister, who's one of our Connor's third graders.
What truly stands out about Noah's journey is her incredible growth in reading. working with our reading specialist MCO Franchesco. Noah started kinderg at at Noah started kindergarten at a below a DRRA level and she's now
progressed over the past 7 months to a DRRA level 10 and that's truly amazing. Her determination has helped her grow over this full school year. It's a remarkable achievement that shows what's possible with grit, supportive parents,
and dedicated teachers. Noah, you are a true example of how combining perseverance with a positive attitude can lead to amazing success. We are so unbelievably proud of everything you've accomplished, and we're so excited to see all the wonderful things you'll
continue to achieve. Congratulations, Noah. You truly deserve this honor. Please join me in a round of applause congratulating Noah Fing. At this time, I'd like to call up Mr. Steve Dickerson, principal of Wallace.
Good evening all. I am very fortunate to have the pleasure of announcing the Wallace student of the month for April, Thomas Migado. Thomas is a fourth grade student in Mr. Fagan's class. He comes to school every day eager to learn and excel at the
highest level possible. His effort on all classwork, homework, projects, and assessments is truly remarkable. He has been awarded first honors for each of the first three markup periods and is flourishing in the CTY gifted and
talented program. Thomas treats all of his teachers and peers with the utmost respect and works very well with others. His favorite quote is, "Give me liberty or give me death by Patrick Henry." I like that
one. A few of the comments his classmates have shared were, "He is a great kid and I'm proud of him." And Thomas is smart, fun, kind, and a nice kid overall. When Thomas is not in school, he enjoys reading, eating delicious cuisine, and
traveling the globe with his family. He also enjoys volleyball, coding, and reading. When asked how he feels about being the student of the month, Thomas humbly said, "I feel excited." His true asset, he is a true
asset to the Wallace fourth grade community and has extremely bright future ahead of him. All of his teachers will miss him greatly next year. Congratulations, Thomas. And now I would like to introduce the principal of the middle school, Ryan
Sory. Good evening everyone. At this time, I'd like to welcome to the podium Hoboka Middle School student of the month for April 2025, Amari Bruno. Stand right over here. Okay. Amari was nominated by his eighth
grade teacher, Miss Burke. Miss Burke shares, "Amari is truly one of a kind. Kind-hearted, thoughtful, and always ready with a smile or a helping hand. He is a wonderful friend to his classmates, someone who encourages his friends, and brings joy to those around him. Amari's
memory for facts is nothing short of amazing. Whether he's sharing a fascinating fun fact, recalling a detail from a story read months ago, or offering his vast knowledge of movies, he keeps the class engaged and inspired. He's always curious, asking insightful
questions that spark discussion and deepening the classroom's learning. In his free time, Amari is a passionate movie enthusiast. He enjoys watching films from a variety of genres and thoughtfully writing reviews that reflect his key eye for storytelling,
character development, and cinematography. His reviews often spark conversations in the classroom and showcase his ability to think critically and express himself clearly. He even writes his own scripts. When he's not immersed in the world of film, Amari
enjoys spending time on his computer, exploring new interests, and researching upcoming shows and movies. His excitement for entertainment, media is contagious, and he's always eager to share what he's discovered with his classmates and friends. Over the past 3 years, we've
watched Amari grow in so many ways, academically, socially, and personally. His growth has been a joy to witness and while we're so proud of his of the young person he's become, we know we'll miss him tremendously. His classmates have shared a few words for you,
Omari. Chase shared, "Congratulations, Amari. Great job. We I will I will we will miss you next year. Keep up keep us updated with all of the new movies coming out." And Alex wanted to sh let you know how much he truly appreciates all the help you gave her this year as a
new student. Amari, as your principal, it has been such a pleasure getting to know you and your family. I'm truly going to miss you at Hoboka Middle School, especially teaming up to Thank you, Omari. Especially teaming up together on our morning announcements
and watching you light up the stage during our Tigers Got Talent assembly. I know you'll continue to shine at HH HHS and I hope you come back to visit us as often as you would like. Congratulations, Omari. Your kindness, curiosity, and bright spirit make you
truly unforgettable and a perfect example of what it means to be a Tiger. Amari, don't forget to live each day with tiger pride and always. You got it, buddy. Please. Thank you. At this time, I would like to invite to the podium Miss
Pikatra, the principal of Hoboken High School. Good evening everyone. At this time I would like to call up senior Christopher Atkins, Hoboken High School's April student. So when we do these things, we always
reach out to people to get their feedback on um the student and overwhelmingly it was the same message I was getting back from each teacher. So today I looked up what it means to be a gentleman and this is what I
found. Exhibiting high standards of politeness, respect and good manners. It involves being courteous, helpful, and considerate, as well as demonstrating qualities like honesty, trustworthiness,
and keeping keeping one's word. Essentially, a gentleman strives to excel as a person and treats others with kindness and respect. This pretty much sums up this amazing young man, Chris. You are a true
gentleman. He never fails to say good morning, hold a door, or ask you about your day. Miss Weaver shared that I have known Chris since he was a freshman. I have had the pleasure of working with him in various classes the last four
years. He has matured from a student who tackle who lacked confidence in his abilities to one of the best participants in class. Mr. McKenzie who has Chris in statistics has said Chris
has shown great effort in statistics class this year. He has been an active participant in our class discussions and always willing to offer insight in the lesson. He also has known Chris since his freshman year and he has shown great
tremendous growth and maturity in his four years. Of course, I would have to reach out to his cornerstone at Hoboken High School, and that would be Miss Strong Bull. She shared, "She has known Chris since he was a baby. In fact, I've
known his mother since she was a young girl. This family is near and dear to my heart. I was excited when Chris enrolled at the high school. As a ninth grader, Chris was easygoing, sweet, and always respectful. And as a 12th grader, he
remains kind, polite, and compassionate. Academically, Chris worked hard to attain and maintain his grades, conscientious of how they would impact college acceptances. Socially, Chris has made
lifelong friendships that he values and nurtures. He always has his friends backs when needed. As for be him being a student athlete, Chris has shown tremendous dedication on both the field and the mat. He is a team player and
honors the rules of the game. Perhaps most commendable is Chris's commitment to family. He is a fierce protector of his mother and his siblings. Chris is steadfast in achieving his goals and makes us all proud. Congratulations,
Christopher. Miss Ellis also shared she has seen your growth from Wallace as have many of the people here and she is so happy to see the gentlemen you have grown into. She and we are so proud of you and
wishing you so much success and joy in your next adventure. This coming fall, Chris will be attending Springfield College to play football and study sports management. According to Chris, he wants to pursue
sports management so he can be around sports his whole life. Even if he's not playing, I could help others perfect their craft. Always know that we are here for you at Hoboken Schools. No matter what age or stage you may be in, thank you
for serving as a role model for so many. We look forward to hearing all about you as you rise to the challenges in your next chapter. And before we end, Miss Drumble also shared in a text, but she didn't put it in her write up. She goes,
"Robin, add this. I used to love when Chris I miss him coming in for his protein bar snacks." So, Miss Drumul, could you bring the boy his snacks? Congratulations, Heat. Heat.
Congratulations to all our students recognized this evening. We are so incredibly proud of you. Next, we are going to hear from our student representatives from the middle school and the high school. First, I'd like to welcome Miss Avery Battles to the podium on behalf of Hoboken Middle School.
Good evening, Dr. Johnson, Miss Rodriguez Gomez, Hoboken Board of Education, and all others in attendance tonight. My name is Avery Battles, and I'm an eighth grade student at Hoboken Middle School. It is a privilege to stand before you this evening to represent Hoboken Middle School and share the exciting events and programs
from the month of April. Hoboken Middle School's classroom without walls visited New York City on April 11th. Students visited Alexander Hamilton's grave. Check out the famous Wall Street Bull and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Students also toured the 9/11 Museum and Francis
Tavern Museum. Students had a wonderful time experiencing new learning and adventures. We can't wait to hear all about their next trip. Hoboken Middle School hosted its Tiger for a Day event for Brandt Elementary, Wallace Elementary, and Connors elementary schools throughout the week. HMS
Ambassadors welcomed rising sixth graders who got to spend time learning about HMS, attending sixth grade classes, meeting teachers, and even practicing how to use a locker. Future Tigers also checked out the living lab, and learned about our athletics program. Hoboken Middle School is excited to
welcome our future Tigers in September. Our current sixth and seventh grade students had the opportunity to learn about Hoboken Middle School's new course offerings for the 2025 to 2026 school year during advisory last month. Students completed a course selection
form during advisory to select their world language courses. Students currently in seventh grade also were able to select which preap classes they would like to take in 8th grade. On Thursday, April 24th, HMS's students attended the spring dance sponsored by
the HMS PTO. With the assistance of HMS student council, students voted on a movie preparer theme. Students had a wonderful time dancing the night away and even won some pretty neat prizes. Thank you to the HMS PTO for organizing this event. Hoboken Middle School is
incredibly proud of our athletes this spring season thus far. Our teams include softball, baseball, and co-ed track and field. Our student athletes have been demonstrating remarkable dedication, balancing rigorous practice and game schedules with their academic commitments. We encourage all HMS
students and families to stay tuned to the Tiger Weekly for upcoming announcements about fall sports, which includes tackle, football, girls volleyball, boys soccer, girls soccer, and co-ed cross country. Hoboken Middle School would also like to congratulate
our eighth grade eighth grader, Felicity Silara, on being named the winner of the 2025 Hudson County Law Day poetry contest. Felicity's original poem was inspired by this year's National Law Day theme, the Constitution's Promise. Out
of many, come one. Fifi was honored at a formal ceremony held at the Hudson County Courthouse last week. Hoboken Middle School proudly celebrates the remarkable success of its junior thespians at the 2025 New Jersey Junior Thespians Festival held on May 3rd at
the Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools Grunin Performing Arts Academy. The festival brought together middle school students, theater students, and educators from across the state to participate in a full day of workshop, performances, and competitions designed
to uplift and showcase theater arts education for students in sixth grade through 8. Their performance stood out among all attendees, earning an impressive six superior thesp awards, the highest level of recognition at the festival. Superior Thespie Awards are
Monologue, Magnus Purka, Bria Wong, Crochet Chug, and Samuel Leon. Duet acting, Madison McKuan, and Molly Lamb, Mea Gregory, and Senica Perry. Congratulations to all our junior thespians. As the school year is coming to a close, there are some important
dates to be mindful of. The district's musical production of Newsies will take place this weekend from May 16th to May 18th at Hoboken High School. Hoboken Middle School and Hoboken High School spring concert will take place on May 28th at Hoboken Middle School as well.
Our field day is on June 11th and grade 8 moving up ceremony is on June 18th at 11:00 a.m. Thank you Hobok and middle Thank you Hoboken Board of Education for allowing us to speak before you tonight and we look forward to seeing you next month. Until then, remember to live each
day with Tiger Pride and always enjoy the ride. Go Tigers. Thank you, Miss Battles. I'd now like to welcome our student representative from Hoboken High School, Miss Jenna. Good evening. My name is Jenna Serio and I'm the Hoboken High School student government representative and
thank you for having me today. Hoboken student government celebrated National Student Leadership Week on April 25th with a big breakfast as well as giving away free ice cream to the entire student body. New t-shirts were also distributed. Family math game night was held Sunday, May 4th, in which families
participated in fun math games in the high school gymnasium. We have an upcoming self-defense class presented by Fabulous and Fearless at Monday, May 19th from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. It's $20 per person for all those that wish to attend. The class of 2025 is having
their national signing day celebration and ceremony on May 28th. Senior prom will also be held on May 29th at the Wateride in North Bergen. As AP season is coming to an end, we wish all of our Red Wings best of luck on their final AP exams. And good luck to all of our
Redwing sports teams entering the HCAL county playoffs. And finally, please give a round of applause as we congratulate Amalia Battle and Madison Malia Peters for being named Hoboken High School's validictorian and saludiatoran respectively for the class of 2025.
Both students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to service throughout their high school careers. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. And as always, go Red Giblings.
Thank you, Miss Cerio. And thank you both so much for providing such wonderful in-depth reports. I feel like it always keeps us well up to speed on what's happening at both HMS and HHS. I know that some of you may have folks with slightly earlier bedtimes, so we
will not take offense as as we move into the business portion of our meeting. If you want to slip out the door or remain with us, we'd be more than happy to have you hear our committee reports. We are going to move into our committee
reports. Miss Lopez, do you have a business administrator's report this evening? No. All right. So, we will go straight to curriculum with Miss Norwood. Sorry. Thank you. The curriculum committee met on Thursday, May 3rd. In attendance were
Dr. Johnson, Miss Sandra Rodriguez Gomez, Miss Angley, Miss Cabinator, Mr. Kpull, and myself. There are five curriculum items on the agenda and the committee recommends all for approval. Uh 9.01 is approval of assemblies. 9.02
is the acceptance of an NJDOE computer science high school grant in the amount of 41,497. 9.03 3 is the approval of a submission of the Hudson County Arts and Education Program Grant and an amount to be determined based on um
allocations. 9.04 is the approval of Deote's uh community service project at Brandt School and 9.05 is the approval of a variety of field trips. Um, for any parents, you are well aware that NJSLA state testing started the week of May
5th um through the elementary grades and continues through May 23rd for the high school years through 9 and 11. Advanced placement testing, as stated earlier, um is uh ongoing um in over almost two
dozen subject areas. The students are being tested starting um back on May 5th and continues through May 16th. As described during our last meeting, there was a family math night uh that occurred um on May 4th. Um and
approximately 200 attendees uh came and enjoyed math games of all kinds. School-based puberty lessons will take place the week of May 19th during regularly scheduled PE classes for grade 5 students. The presentation will be shared with all families um about the
the basics of the program which is uh uh health-based uh in nature. Families will be given the opportunity to opt out of the lessons. The administration took the initiative to reach out to families via
school newsletters um regarding summer assignments. They've received 221 responses to date and they're looking at um potentially reinvisioning the summer assignments. Um some of the responses that they've received back are uh providing optionality, additional book
choices, and reducing digital um and and screen time. Uh splash camp enrollment is higher than last year and we're look forward looking forward to uh that to ensure there's no backslid and students participating. Um, Steamworks will be
renting space to hold a camp at Hoboken High School for 3 weeks in August after the splash camp ends. The district will be running a summer algebra 1 readiness program. Um, and that will be uh run by Mathnasium ahead of the school year uh
starting in September. Um, finally, um, the John's Hopkins CTY program, there's been an increase in the amount of students that will qualify for next year, and there will be a parent meeting held regarding some changes to the
program, particularly related to math instruction. So, thank you very much. Thank you, Miss Norwood. Mr. Gr, do you have a facilities report for us this evening? Yes. Thank you, Miss McGherk. The um the facilities committee met on
May 8th of 2025 and in attendance were Miss Delara, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Caligie, Miss Mcgherk, Mr. Club, and myself. Um there are there are three items that will be presented for the consent agenda
facilities. Um and is this time of year that we're usually in very administrative activities. So 1301 was approval of the fire and safety drill reports. Um 1303 is the submission of the 2025 safety grant program funds to
New Jersey schools. And 1302 is the approval of facilities request of which there are three and has been sent to you previously uh for Hive athletics, for Zog sports and for Hudson Way volleyball. Um there is a fourth item. We received um an
update from Schneider Electric from time to time. Uh we do receive updates from Schneider with whom we engage in an energy efficiency program. With aging facilities and new technology changing all the time, we are constantly looking for ways in which um uh technological
changes and the investment in those things actually bring down our long-term operating costs. So right now the program is into items that will cost recover meaning that the implementation will be recovered by the cost savings.
Um and that section uh we also recommend as a facility uh as a facilities committee for approval. That item will be presented for vote under the consent agenda from the finance committee. Thank you.
Thank you Mr. GRA. We'll now move over to finance with Mr. Klep. Uh thank you. The finance committee did meet on uh last Friday on uh May 9th. Uh with me were Mr. Delator, uh Dr. Johnson, Miss Lopez, uh Miss McWerk, and
uh Miss Sullivan. Uh the committee did review all agenda items and recommend all for approval. Um just two contracts uh 11:08 uh for a renewal of uh two existing services at -ate consulting services and oncourse
which is the district's uh student information service. Uh 119 is uh uh three uh professional service contracts. One for uh uh legal services or accounting firm and architectural
services. 11-11 uh is an increase to the 2425 uh architectural contract. Uh we had a not to exceed amount um for this past uh fiscal year which is uh ending in which we're coming uh close to exceeding. Uh
so this extends the uh uh the amount for the the remainder of the school year. I'm told that there's no way we're going to spend the approval amount, but it's uh just in case an amount. 1112 is uh what Mr. Grana just referred to is the
uh approval of proceeding to the next phase of our energy costs and savings audit. uh and uh 11:14 11:15 of course are the uh uh significant uh items the approval of the
202526 uh budget and use of bank cap. Uh as of uh last Friday's meeting there were no public questions or comments or emails as a result of last week's uh uh public
hearing. Um, and finally 1303 is uh uh was also mentioned uh the uh submission of a grant uh which I'm told $5,94 for I'm told is uh uh probably sidewalk repairs. Thank you. Thank you,
Mr. Klep. We'll now turn to Miss Katamator for governance. Thank you. Governance committee met on Thursday, May 8th. In attendance were Dr. Johnson, Miss Norwood, Miss Angley, Mr. Dr. Klefell and myself committee discussed the agenda and recommends all agenda
items for approval. As is typical, we have a number of agenda items related to faculty and staff, including acceptances of re resignations and approval of modifications of various appointments, including on mass renewals for next school year as we approach the end of
this school year. You also see various items related to trainings and workshops, all of which are detailed on the agenda. Today's agenda includes, among other things, the following items of note. 10.05 approves the appointment of Steven Dickerson as acting principal for Wallace Elementary for the remainder
of the 2425 school year while Principal Shannon is out on leave. 2.0 10.04, 10.09, and 10.10 10 approved the appointment of staff for the 2526 school year, including a new chemistry teacher at the high school, as well as our fall
sports coaches and theater and music department faculty and staff and their related stipens. 10.07, 10.08, and 10.11 approved various faculty and staff for some of our summer programs and their related hourly rates. 10.12 approves volunteers for the theater and music
department during the rema remainder of this school year. We thank these volunteers for their time and support. 10.14 through 10.22 cover the annual approval of appointments of the district's current various non-tenured and tenur
certificated and non-certified staff and faculty as well as hourly and atwill employees for the 2526 school year. 10.25 includes the acceptance of various scholarships for our 25 2025 graduating seniors. We thank these families and
organizations for their support of our students as they move out into the world as Red Wings and are so proud of all of our graduates. Um, not on the agenda, but a few a few things of note. Um, as I'm sure everybody knows, there were various versions of uh the district's
strategic plan survey that went out to the community as well as to families, uh, parents, and to the staff. All those surveys have been closed out at this point. We received 714 total responses to the survey. um and are looking those
over and putting them together. Um as part of the strategic planning that we are doing, we'll be coming up with a few dates and times to host community roundts. Um and those will be coming out soon and everybody will will be notified of those. Um in addition, just wanted to
uh report out on some of our registration numbers. Uh last month we held our registration for prek 3 and 4. Uh last during the registration week we had 515 prek3 students registered and we had
36 new prek4 students registered together with our already enrolled rising prek3 students. We will have 501 prek4 students. Um keep in mind as with everything else this number sometimes moves around and shifts. So that will be
the estimate for where we'll be uh at the beginning of next year at this point. In addition, kindergarten letter letter placement letters went out um and have been received by everybody. And that is my report tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Katamatori. Miss Delara,
do you have a wellness report this evening? I do not. Thank you, Miss Delara. So, we'll now move into my president's report, which I'm going to keep very brief because the advantage in going last is that um everyone gave such nice robust committee reports this evening. There is virtually very little
for me to talk about. I would like to um but I do have a few things to talk about. I'd like to remind everyone about Newsies this weekend, which will be taking the stage Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. This is the district-wide
kindergarten through grade 12 musical. And if you haven't joined us for one of these before, I strongly encourage you to come out and see what is exceptional theater performed right here in Hoboken with a giant, incredibly talented cast
uh encompassing everyone from the youngest folks in the district to seniors who will be making their last appearance on the Hoboken High School stage. So, if you're there on Sunday afternoon, definitely be prepared for what will undoubtedly be a wonderful performance and an emotional afternoon.
I also noticed, and she has left, I think that we had a um resignation for the purpose of retirement on the agenda tonight, which is Miss Patty Drumul. We'll have to honor her appropriately at our meeting in June, but I just want to say she is someone who has brought so much heart and soul to the school
district over her tenure here, and she will be greatly missed. that I know that she will have a fun and fabulous retirement. Um, speaking of fun and fabulous, um, we'd really like to thank all of the donors who are on the agenda this evening for scholarships for the
graduating class of 2025. And as I was thinking about what was on the agenda this evening, you you see two forms of investment in the Hoboken public school district. folks from the community reaching into their own pockets to make the transition to
college a little bit easier for graduating seniors and the investment that we will be making for the 2025 2026 school year uh in terms of a budget. And you know, these are two forms of investment, but smart measured tax
increases over time are really the fuel that enables a school district like ours to grow. And when I think about the kids who will be walking across the podium on the 18th of June to receive their diplomas, you know, back in 2012, they
were many, many of them were kindergarteners walking into Wallace, walking into Connors at the time, walking into Calabro, and uh many of them walking into Brandt as well. And I think a lot of those parents might not have thought at the time that their kids would eventually be walking across the
uh the podium at JFK Stadium and receiving their diploma from Hoboken High School. But wise investments over those years have allowed the district to invest in programming in teachers and co-curricular activities that have allowed this school district to become
the shining star of public education in Hudson County. The class of 2026 is really emblematic of that and that's why we are seeing increased enrollment across this district in elementary school, in middle school, and in high school. I'm so proud of our
superintendent, our business office, and our administration for crafting a budget that invests in teachers, students, and program all while achieving a tax impact of $20 per month on the average assessed value here in town. It might be the best $20 a month anyone in Hoboken winds up
spending because they are investing in who will be their future police officer, who will be their future physician, who will be their future board of education member, their mayor, their city council person, their doctor, their cancer researcher. When you look at the things that this graduating class is going off
to do, so much of that is the result of, you know, the funds from the city of Hoboken, from the people of the city of Hoboken that have gone into opening up opportunities, opening up doors, helping these students form connections and enabling them to get to, you know, where they're going to get to once they leave
us, which will be incredibly bittersweet, especially for two of our members up here. But we are so excited to see what the class of 2026 will do. And we are grateful to the people of Hoboken for placing their trust in the nine of us to come up with a uh a budget that will support all the future
students that are coming through the doors. And that's my report for this evening. We're now going to move into public comment on agenda items. Uh, as a reminder, as we open for public comments, over the years and most recently, the board has been asked why it does not prohibit or stop comments
about school district employees from individuals who speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. The short answer is that the law prevents the board from censoring comments made about district personnel. The board does not condone, nor is the board a party to comments as such. However, just because a speaker may have the right to say what
he or she feels, it does not absolve the speaker from liability for any comments that could be viewed as defamatory by an employee. Should speakers say something that subjects them to a civil suit, the responsibility falls squarely on the speaker and not on the board. Board policy requires that all speakers please
state your name, municipality of residence, and business affiliation if any. Speakers are allowed 5 minutes and Vice President Angley will quietly motion when the speaker has 30 seconds left. Please address all comments to the chair. Board policy states the board welcomes comments on matters of interest
to the board, but this is not an opportunity for dialogue or debate between speakers and board members or the superintendent. Miss Lopez, do we have any speakers? No. Well, there we have it. We'll be moving on to our consent agenda. Do I have a motion? Second.
Second. Miss Lopez, when you're ready, could you please call the role? Miss Angley? Yes. Miss Katamator? Yes. Miss Delera? Yes. Mr. Delator? I'm abstaining on 6.02, but yes on everything else.
Mr. Gri, yes. Mr. Cliff, yes. Miss Norwood, yes. And Miss McGurt, yes. Motion pass. Thank you, Miss Lopez. Do we have any public comments on non-aggenda items?
No. No one wants to speak. All right. Um, so we're not going into executive session this evening. Um, do I have a motion to adjurnn? Motion. Second. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Thank you. And we will see you in
June. Heat. Heat.