the broken chair the trick chair again it's leaking all right okay already feeling the summer buzz anyone this heat I'd like to call the meeting to order we have a roll call Mr Kia here Dr Liston Mr Peters here Mr slotman here Miss Williams gallano here Dr Wilson here Dr Lou have for wonderful thank you the New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed or acted upon in accordance with the provisions of the act the hopal Valley Regional Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having dates the date time and place thereof communicated to the hopal valley news in the times on January 3rd 2023 this meeting notice was also sent to Comcast cable and Verizon bios the board does reserve the right to enter into executive session during all meetings of the Board of Education the meeting is being recorded for the purposes of Board review future reference participation of preparation of the minute and viewing of on you excuse me and viewing on you to Bulldog TV and the school district website hdsd.org meeting U members of the public who intend to participate in public comment we ask that you sign in prior to speaking at the podium this will assist us and uh with our other recordkeeping that said please join me in a flag salute I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all okay can I get a first and second for approving the minutes for the uh May 20th meeting second all in favor any opposed or abstaining okay minutes are passed um I'm going to uh pass on my report Dr T if you have any notes report I'm just going to say a few words to um say thank you to my um my administrative Team all my administrators my teachers all our support staff for getting us through another great school year everyone's gearing up for summer we have um as a matter of fact we have some folks missing tonight because we are double bookwood senior Awards tonight um but we're very excited uh to have uh a class of 2024 graduate tomorrow on the uh turfield hopefully weather permitting although the field is very hot right now I'm hearing hopefully we'll be able to do that um but just we've had a great year and I want to thank our parents caregivers also support a long report tonight because us work but again I think all the folks that showed up for that as well it's very important that we have kind of ourselves in room staff MERS I wanted to have all folks have I know we're all very very very bu [Music] had okay can every I guess you can hear me so thank you thank you for being here tonight and for welcoming me tonight and um thank you all for being here as well I see familiar faces of people who were at the Strategic plan so I facilitated the strategic planning process along with Mark banavani who was helpful um in the three different meetings and um I know he was going to try and make it tonight but I'm guessing that he might not have been able to so what strategic planning really is it creates an organizational wide mission and vision that really directs and motivates your stakeholder groups and inspires all members of the educational Community to work together for the common good and so not everybody does not every District does a strategic plan and when a district does in embark on a strategic plan it's really to make sure that they are asking for all of their stakeholder groups to have input and then the important the most important part in that is not only to ask people to have input but then to listen to what they have to say and so that's what strategic planning does so strategic planning goals provide a waterfall effect and they will inform the district goals that and board goals that are done on an annual basis they're usually developed over the summer and then administrators goals and building goals Department goals student growth objectives staff professional development and all of that flows into improving student achievement for all students and we call this our strategic planning pyramid and the commitment on going up the side of the pyramid is the commitment of the board again to not only to have invited their stakeholder groups in but to listen to what they have to say so the first meeting we had an information we had information on the state of the district the state of the schools by Dr tce and then the small groups developed strengths and challenges identified strengths and challenges and then reported out and then we had um we devel identified common themes as the large group the second meeting was vision and initiatives and we asked people to consider that they had moved away from Hell Valley and Hopewell Township and they had come back 5 years from now and had stopped at aaha and to get gas they went in to get coffee and they saw that hopwell Valley School Regional School District was on the cover of Time Magazine and it was the title of the article was schools that succeed so what would create the kind of programs and vision that you all would have that would put you on the cover of Time magazine in 5 years so each small group came up with vision a vision statement and initiatives and then we all reported out we also came to consensus on the um common themes from that at that meeting goal um goal areas were identified and in the third meeting you were able to go to whatever goal area you wanted to work on and goals and objectives were identified and then from that each small group reported out we had consensus on those goal areas and objectives and after that the administrative team took all of the information from all of the different strategic planning sessions and put those together and developed strategies and action plans and so tonight is the culmination of all of this process but it's only the beginning because now the action plans will go into effect so again we had the state of the schools report in the presentation identified strengths and challenges the first meeting develop vision and initiatives and goal areas at the second meeting third meeting developed those goal statements and those objectives for further the action plans are were developed by the superintendent and the administrative team the Strategic plan is delivered to the board that's what's happening now the board will adopt this the final strategic plan they may do that tonight or at an upcoming meeting and then the once they've adopted the the final strategic plan the action plans will be implemented by the superintendent and the administrative team and the Strategic plan really does become a framework where everything that's going to happen in the next 3 to 5 years by the board and by the district your planning meetings you had a fabulous turnout and if we had had the January meeting which we had this we had to cancel because the school was closed because of bad weather we probably wouldn't have dropped to 40 participants on April 9th and I think we probably would have had we had 67 people participate on February 6th which was a fabulous turnout I believe it was raining that night I think on March 12th it was also raining and there were 60 participants that attended that so the weather didn't keep you all from coming out and then April 9th we had 40 participants that was a wonderful turnout and Board of Education members the superintendent administrators teachers staff students parents and community members really volunteered their time and contributed to the development of this plan and as I said I can't say enough this plan will literally guide the board and the district with everything they do over the next 3 to 5 years so your mission statement is the Hopewell Valley region School District strives to Foster excellence and education by empowering our students to positively impact the global Community through a commitment to responsibility respect and kindness the goal areas that were identified were student learning autonomy facilities and finance health and wellness for student staff and families communication and Community Partnerships and we're going to take those a little bit further this was what was identified and developed on that third meeting so student learning autonomy the goal is to empower students through a rigorous education to develop skills for a lifetime of self-directed learning the objectives are to provide students with opportunities to explore a variety of curricular Pursuits particularly in Middle School increase experiential learning especially in the primary grades create opportunities for ecoliteracy and Outdoor Learning strengthen and various student supports to increase their mobility and access more with and access more advanced class courses and develop student competencies in digital literacy critical thinking and problem solving the second goal is facilities and finance build and Implement a fiscally responsible budget that supports student wellness and learning and Facilities that can adapt to a change in climate and the objectives are to identify the top three cost drivers and investigate cost-saving Alternatives and I know that the district does that on a regular basis through the business administrator include Green Building options and Roi return on investment for any future facilities improvements in new construction increased funding for curricular writing and planning for cohesive instruction throughout the building and the content areas prioritize a cohesive district-wide effort to expand and maintain Outdoor Learning spaces and employees in a costeffective way and build and improve buildings to provide reliable and safe infrastructure for daily operation the third goal is communic ation to evaluate and modernize communication methods to generate more interactive engagement between students parents and community and this will be accomplished through the objectives which are to increase opportunities for student to students to Comm communicate offscreen Workshop Socratic and discussion reassess traditional Communications for the 21st century Effectiveness example back to school night student Le conferences and student newspaper evaluate the capability of AI generated communication for personalized output streamlining various current Communications example Friday Focus website School individualized Pages teacher pages and sports page and the question was can there be a way to possibly combine those and develop a communication style guide for the district the fourth is health and wellness and to develop a community of Health develop a proactive health and wellness program that integrates the full spectrum of Community well-being increase physical health of all through integration of community members through healthy eating proper exercise and sleep increase digital awareness and health use utilize digital literacy curricula social media health and offline communication skills prioritize mental health through District quiet initiatives to go outside lesson screen time and regularly and frequently connect with nature prioritize and celebrate Community connectivity and unity Financial Health learn about responsible spending saving and giving and celebrate the Arts through social collaboration by way of community and Family Partnership to develop a community of health and the fifth goal area is Community Partnerships and this goal is to bridge students and residents of Hopewell through Community engagement and services to enrich student learning and opportunity through the objectives of hiring a paid Community liaison to Foster and create reciprocal relationships between the school communities and individuals schol entities businesses nonprofits and universities increase engagement with the alumni engage Community experts in area including but not limited to healthy Tech use sustainability and Eco and social justice and career development recast schools is a community Hub not just for students but for all residents and create opportunities and locations for unstructured play in Community Connection needless to say these are five very specific goal areas and the objectives are very far-reaching this is going to be a gigantic strategic plan for you all to accomplish and the administrative team and the superintendent put together the action plans which are actually in the board presentations that you have and so what will happen next is that the board will review and adopt the Strategic plan the administration will implement the plan and then you'll have updates on the progress towards the completion of the Strategic plan both at board meetings items on the board agenda an annual state of the Strategic plan report which we highly recommend to happen every year it can be at this point in time in June or it can be in September and then the final plan will be posted on the district website following the board approval so that everybody can follow along as well because with the action plans everyone will be able to see what's happening next and what has already happened and so will the board and that will also be pointed out in the annual state of this of the the strategic planning report and I do want to make sure that everybody's aware that the action plans actually belong to the superintendent and the administrative team you can ask questions about them but you should not become involved in changing those action plans or directing the superintendent to change those action plans because remember you're going to be evaluating the superintendent Every Spring and part of that is going to be on how the superintendent accompl es the district goals which will flow from the strategic planning goals so you'll see those strategic planning goals and action items within the Strategic plan in your annual District goals and that's what you'll evaluate the superintendent on if the board were to become involved in changing those action plans you can't hold the the superintendent accountable for completing those action plans and getting to the desired objective which is the completion of those goal areas and those objectives okay so I'd really like to thank everybody these are your kids um thank you for participating your time and your talents and helping to create the Strategic plan for the hell Valley School District and if the board has any questions I would be happy to to take those any questions from the board I know we had quite a lot of participation at each meeting meting and I feel like we got a a a diverse representation of board and community at um each of the meetings so thank you thank you thank you so much for your leadership through this process your firm voice was warranted and needed um because these are big things that uh take on and I know that the the end result is we had not only strong participation but I'm I'm affirming that people felt well represented in the end result and I think you had students that were involved you had people from all different aspects of your community and I think that that really helps to develop that community plan and it's also the reason why and I know some people didn't particularly enjoy this for that first and second meeting where I gave you assigned tables to be at it was all completely random but the goal there was to have you not necessarily sit with people you came in with people that you know who think and and feel the same way and have the same opinions that you do but to be exposed to other people within your community who may have different opinions and then you still are able to come to consensus at the end of that evening with the outcomes for your table and then by sharing those with the rest of the larger group because if you just if you come in with four or five other people and you all sit together at one table you're not really hearing what other people in your community are representing what their views are what their opinions are what their um vision is for the district and for your students so in that way as difficult as it is and I often say to people I promise I've never lost anybody in a strategic planning meeting nobody's ever fallen apart because they couldn't be with anybody um and kids are usually the best because a lot of times the parents come in and they like I'd like my son or daughter to be with me and the student usually says I'm okay being someplace else and you know it exposes them also to what other people think and I think that's a wonderful F thing that really allows you to see the full flavor of your community and this plan really does represent what everybody came up with everybody's views and opinions and what was decided by the larger group as a whole and I think it's going to further improve the district it's not that you're a struggling District in any you know by any stretch of the imagination but we've seen strategic plans transform even the best districts into even better District so that's what I anticipate for you I look forward to working with you through this plan and being your I'm hopeful to be your field service rep throughout this plan so hopefully this is not the last time that I will see you so thank you thank you so much have a great evening have a good graduation tomorrow night I hope nobody melts and have a wonderful summer I want for yeah yeah it it is very challenging to uh take a group of 40 to 60 people and convince them that they don't don't need as many goals as they think they do so I know I know we we negotiated an extra one usually it's four somebody negotiated five I think what I said was this is have we don't do four and I so the reason that that we don't want you to have more than five goals is because the superintendent and the board need to be laser focused on those areas when you have more than five and I may have shared with you when I first started at New Jersey school boards I had just come off of my board of education and our superintendent called me when I was driving into Trenton and to the Trenton office and she said we did goal setting last night and I said oh did you have Kathy who is the field service rep from Mammoth come in and do your facilitate that and she said no the board president wanted to do it and I said how did that work out for you because I knew who that person was and she said well I now have 35 goals I said you can't possibly have 35 goals and give each of those the laser focus and operate the district on a day-to-day basis because remember your superintendent has to be laser focused on these goals but also has to operate the district and so I said to her try and take a look at all of those they're probably not goals they're probably more objectives see if you can put them into four five buckets and then create an overarching goal for those and she did that she called me back the following week she said I now have four goals I can breathe again I can sleep again and the board is happy with that so that's why we always talk about and the three to five came well before me at New Jersey school boards but I like to give that example because people don't really understand that the superintendent is in charge of having that laser focus on all of these goals but also has to operate the district and and so you can't do that when you have 36 or 35 or whatever that number is so aw thank you for bringing that up thank you good night everybody good night um I just wanted to add um that on uh in our next board meeting July 15 the uh carola McGrath will be coming with our Eco Warriors and all our our friends that have been working on a plan for uh sustainability that is going to be its own separate thing um so if you didn't see all the things that we have been talking about for the past three years as board members and students and and and uh community members have said on that you will see it but it will complement a lot of what we're doing here so thank you on facilities thank Maran wonderful thank you so um to move us through our agenda we're going to move into public our first public comment members of the public are invited to address the board on any matter for the a maximum of 3 minutes during this portion of the meeting you are asked to state your name address and municipality in response to your comments the Board of Ed May uh respond or direct the superintendent to do so the board may also opt to take the matter up at a future meeting so that the matter is researched by District administration members of the public who intend to participate in public comment we ask that you sign in prior to speaking at the podium this will assist us in our record keeping um do you have any time directives yes so I am the timekeeper so you have three minutes as uh Miss Williams gallano said when you have 30 seconds left I'll hold up the yellow sign and then when your time is done you'll see a red sign thank you public comment is now open good evening uh ridgley Hutchinson 50 m Ary Village Road Lambertville New Jersey I'm here as president of trueu heart Productions and executive producer of the price of Silent documentaries I'm here today to thank the board for approving the addition of our documentary to the high school history curriculum from the beginning when we established our nonprofit organization we had two goals one was to get the film added to the programming schedule of public television and the second one was to get the films added to School curriculums across impurity you have helped us complete our mission at a time when throughout our country and even in New Jersey there are not only individuals but entire organizations working to limit students knowledge of our nation's history you have made the Bold step of doing the exact opposite I'd especially like the to thank Dr tce for her Keen Eye in recognizing a quality film with a topic that is worthy of the board's consideration and Dr Vicky pus for facilitating the process and helping to move it forward surely most of the district's residents would agree that the school system is in good hands and very fortunate to have your leadership I'd also like to thank Darren lean Leslie Silverman and Jeffrey Newman from the history department for their hard work and professional approach to developing the lesson plans that will be The Guiding Light for the students to learn this important segment in our nation's history and lastly if you don't mind and I can see I have time I'll take just one more minute of your time the board's approval of these films is very meaningful for me on a personal level I grew up just two blocks away from here on SK Street my father was an English teacher here for 43 years when he started teaching when he moved here from Trenton taught here and was able to go home for lunch and be back in time for his next class so I'm certain that if my father was still with us he'd be especially proud to have been part of this school system thank you for your time [Applause] sorry wonderful thank you hello my name is ma carcel I live in Hopewell Township um I'm non-binary my pronouns are they them I'm currently a senior at the high school and the student adviser of the high school's gender and sexuality line Spectrum I'd like to start by saying that pride is a yearound experience and in the words of lgbtq plus activist Harvey mil all young people regardless of sexual orientation or identity deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential Spectrum Works year round to create these safe and affirming spaces spaces for career youth at school and I'm so grateful to have had a staff adviser and school administrators that work with us on this goal and I am also extremely grateful to have had a district that supports the hosting of events like lgbtq 301 and spectrum's yearly Pride Celebration that promote diversity inclusion and acceptance of all members of our community it is so important that we have conversations about the lgbtq in all areas this includes the perspectives of parents schools Faith spaces and many other facets of life we deserve to be included in those spaces and it is important that schools are supportive of each aspect of a student's identity regardless of any other identities they may hold support in all areas saves lives and the discussions held at lgbtq 301 address these Topics in a way that was inclusive of diverse beliefs and backgrounds and I really appreciate the district for letting us hold this event at the high school it is also extremely important that schools hire accepting Educators and administrators and support them in creating these safe spaces at school I attended the educator panel at lgbtq 301 and many of the speakers there shared that they feel supported as staff here at Hopewell in both their lgbtq identities and in having conversations about them according to the Trevor Project 41% of lgbtq Youth had seriously considered suicide in the past year which includes nearly half of non-binary bisexual and trans youth this number increases significantly among queer youth of color and disabled queer youth supportive in affirming School environments can reduce suicidal ideation by nearly 40% compared to non-affirming environments and I cannot express how thankful I am to be surrounded by adults that show their support so openly and so proudly there are so many queer kids across the US who should still be in school doodling on their math tests and stay up late studying for them there are so many queer youth who should be graduating with me this year but are not because of the horrible things happening in other school districts many schools across the country have become hostile environments for their lgbtq students Banning books that talk about people who love each other or telling students they're not allowed to use the bathroom or place sports or outing them to their unsupported families I I think we should encourage positive interactions between people of different perspectives and pass along opportunities to grow and learn all of the various ways are to exist these kids deserve to have positive experiences with their with sorry these kids deserve to have positive experiences with diverse beliefs and perspectives and they should be allowed to love and express themselves as they please all Queer people deserve to have positive experiences with their identities in school [Applause] hi everyone uh my name is Kristen bradick I am um a parent to children in the district I am a licensed mental health professional and a co-founder of ecop PTO uh I just want to reintroduce EOP PTO we are a districtwide group of caregivers community members and School District Personnel passionate about taking care of the earth and taking care of each other our mission is as follows ensure students in the district receive a public education that prioritizes ecojustice within the curriculum and within the school day said more simply we use the term ecojustice anonymously to again taking care of the earth and taking care of one another a primary motivation for this non-traditional PTO group came as a result of the surgeon general's mental health advisory released in 2022 in conjunction with the 2023 advisory on the EP epidemic of loneliness and isolation in both reports he highlights the need for a whole of society approach and states that schools and communities have a strong role in making things better for our youth just as McKenzie shared our mission is supported by research that proves time and time again that learning to love nature and connect with the out do is what actually improves students Mental Health social well-being physical health and academic success what a bang for our buck as a new organization however and one different from the traditional PTO Eco PTO is very much still learning how to communicate and engage with the district to successfully partner together on such important matters I want to thank Dr T for taking time out of her day last week in an effort to ensure we are we are being most effective in our communication with the district personnel and our overall strategy is positive and to thank everyone here tonight and Beyond uh we or to everyone tonight and Beyond we thank you for such a unique opportunity and we are excited for you to join this ambitious yet rewarding Journey any other comments seeing none you have any notes I do um first I want to thank uh ridgley for one letting us use your film um he let us use I saw the film a screening of the film over at the theater in hope well I was invited um by Beverly uh Mills in El um uh Beverly Bill and Lan Buck who are historians and they also have opened the um first African-American Museum in Mercer County the only one in merer County um they and several other very um prominent historians were were featured on the film uh we saw the screening here at the theater and he said he approached me and said would you mind screening the film I'm like yes of course I would screen the film uh if you haven't got an opportunity to see it it was screened in two parts on um PBS and I believe that you can still access it can you get it online yes get it on the website as well um and you're working on your next film which we're excited to be a part of and we're our teachers were so pleased to be able to help you with the unit of study which we have adopted as a district and we'll be using um the film as well I learned a lot about the history I had no idea of the um the extensive uh nature of slavery here in New Jersey and that we were the last state in the north to give it up well beyond the other states in the North um that was that was history that I didn't know and I learned a lot and so did our teachers so we thank you and value of the partnership moving forward um for Matt thank you so much for your comments did I pronounce your name correctly it was Matt right yes I'm thank you so much for your comments and of course we're going to continue to partner with you when I was studying uh for my doctorate one of my assignments was to go somewhere where I was a minority right so I was like well where is that everywhere I go I'm a minority and I thought really hard about it and I saidou know what I'm going to go to a pride fair so my husband and I looked online and it was of course after New Hope and all the ones here so I had to travel to Reading Pennsylvania yes there uh for Pride to happen and so we went out there and um it was such a moving experience for my husband and I the young people that were there and this was years ago uh the high school was just becoming a safe haven for students that identified as m of the LGBT community um they uh some of the students had dropped out because it was so bad um and they couldn't even talk to me because I was walking around interviewing students but what was most powerful was there was a group of folks called guardian angels that were not members of the LGBT community it was started by a mother who attended a funeral and she went to the funeral and people that were protesting um someone who had died a member of the LGBT community were actually protesting at the funeral and she was so turned off by it that she decided to start this group and they basically came to any Pride event um for free and they would all come with rainbow umbrellas they would face they would make a circle around the Pride Celebration turn their backs to The Pride Celebration and open the umbrellas and they would just engage in um positive interactions with the protesters to say you can't come in this space um so from that moment on I decided that if I were ever permitted to be in this seat that that was going to be a priority of mine because it's something that I honestly hadn't really thought of as being something I needed to be a champion for until I until I had to experience that um so that's that's my commitment because I I want to honor everyone who's here both not just students but some of our parents as well and and there's not one of us that doesn't have a family member right um so I it's the right thing to do and I'm glad that we have a board that that is in support of that and then finally to miss brck and our e Eco PTO I'm so excited to work with you and we've decided to schedule regular meetings so that we can work together um because they are non-traditional outside of the box from the way a lot of our pto's work um so we're we're definitely looking forward to make sure that we're staying on trap on our Eco Mission so thank you awesome thank you with that said we will close our uh first public comment and thank you all for um lifting your voices uh moving on I would ask for a first and a second to approve the consent agenda items on the agenda anybody anybody motion second okay all in favor I any opposed or abstaining gotcha okay so sorry a little uh conversation here on the agenda we're going to go out of order on the agenda briefly because we um have a unfortunate announcement to make at least I will personally say I'm I'm sad to hear the announcement but I will um turn it over to Dr Lydia louu and um you'll understand my disappointment momentarily um and I'll have comments following that okay good good evening everyone um dear board president Miss Williams gallano Dr Tris the rest of the board members District uh administrative leadership team and our community I wanted to share that I turned in my resignation as of last Friday as a board member our family is moving to another town and therefore I'm no longer eligible to serve as as a board member on our um School Board in our district over the last 18 month I've had the incredible honor truly incredible honor to work very closely with a group of amazing board members Dr TR and your leadership team and the entire Community the learning is tremendous on my part I get to understand understand all the thoughtfulness and delicate balance that goes into the creation of the academic programs the selection of contractors the development of District policies and also the Art and Science of walking in the academic um calendar every single decision looks not that complicated on its own but when it needs to be made considering the constraints of budget compliance with State mandates strategic priorities of our district and most importantly the interest of our students every decision every decision then becomes complicated and difficult I truly applaud the administrators and Educators in our district for always putting our students needs first in the spirit of making a great District even better there are two things I was hoping to to raise as opportunities for growth one is on diversity and inclusion we are doing an amazing job but there are places where we could do even more for example as our student body gets more diverse let's think harder about how to serve their needs if they don't come to us are there ways that we can be more proactive and reach out to them looking sometimes in our board meetings I always look at the audience and wonder why don't we see more representatives from our Asian Community because it's a we have a growing Asian population in our district are there things we can do to attract more participation in the public activities anything that we can do to encourage the students to come to the podium and share their thoughts and hopes anything we can do to encourage more parents to come to our meetings and share the issues that matter to them um one thing that we can think of is every may we have the APA um Heritage SE celebration month are there activities we can sponsor to make sure that the community especially the Asian Community feel engaged and appreciate it and offer opportunities for us to recognize the Asian uh Heritage and cultural conventions the other thing I wanted to bring up is how to double down on the strategic planning to make sure our kids have the skills they need for the future um I was really happy to see strategic planning and also maran's presentation academics are still very important but also critical thinking collaboration communication and I was very happy to see a lot of the 21st century skills got called out in the strategic planning um I'm very happy to see the discussion of increasing Hands-On projects real life learning because all these things are important to set our our kids up for success in the future economy um I also hope to see all the factors that lead to a successful implementation can be sufficiently considered such as the teacher professional development Community engagement and also sharing our lessons and learning at State and even National platform I know we can do that um it's a lot to ask and it's harder done than said but let's not let the sometime dull realities and constraints thought our pursuit of the North Star is really the Bold Vision that will make a eventual difference um when I was in London for a work meeting back in February an American attendee had a comment about her school board a bunch of people who have nothing else to do and of course she didn't realize that I I I am a board member um so I laughed and said well that's definitely not our board our board is full of successful professionals very busy moms and dads and grandparents and young Rising politician we have everything else to do the only reason the only reason we are here is because we care and after today I will still care a lot about our community our family spent the last 16 years in Brandon Farms so I will find ways to keep the connection with our community and I truly know that our district is in great hands I also urge members of the Asian and Pacific island backgrounds to apply to fill the vacancy I loved as we have so much to contribute to our board and Community finally I would like to thank all of you in the room and out there who voted for me supported me and guided me over the last 18 month I would also want to thank my husband and two boys for making things work at home when I cannot be around due to board duties um I will see you around and truly grateful for everything thank you [Applause] while Dr Lou is um making the rounds I just want to underscore uh a particular Point um in her departure and that is that I know we we all work really hard to um pave the way for our personal lives to be able to contribute here on the school board and I know in speaking with Dr Lou that her family had some pretty challenging decisions about um why they wanted to leave the district and um I I only want to say because you know she made her statement but when we say we want to leave space for all our children we mean it and we want to consider who we are to the folks who um move here for education for personal reasons for work for whatever brings us here when we are not a welcoming Community we lose people so I just want to underscore that Dr Lou your family will be missed and we cannot allow ourselves to um not leave space for people thank you [Music] okay all right moving on um we're going to go ahead and um move past old business but move on to community uh committee uh updates who's doing Finance SM gotcha finance and Facilities all right great thank you all right good uh good good morning good afternoon and good evening um so just to write some notes back from our finance committee meeting uh we talked about four or five different items uh first item we talked about was just the ongoing discussion after we rounded out the kindergarten PA professional coverage issue I know we've already addressed it so we don't spend much time on it but uh I think the one big takeaway there is as we as a community as we as a district as we as a board are thinking about per pupil costs and that discussion um these types of tough decisions sometimes come about and play a factor into what that per cost ends up being um we talked into uh we transitioned I'm sorry into another discussion on how the state collects data whoops sorry about that better okay um we transitioned to another discussion about how the state collects data on a whole plethora of topics relevant to uh districts and cost structures class sizes things of that nature um after we learned about the data we realized uh while there is a lot of data available it will be a tall task to pull it together but uh the finance committee is looking at uh potential options on how we can do that over the summer which we think is going to be good as we're talking more broadly to the community about costs and the costs that we incur whether it be on a per people basis or other means um we talked a little bit about uh the board meeting agenda including a large number of the administrative reorganization things that we're already talking about that are going to be on the agenda tonight um we talked about some cost items important to us um some are optional um many are going to Warrant a lot of discussion uh discussion that we're going to all need to have as a board all need to have as a community uh as we move into this very tight budget year I think for those of you who follow the Board of Education meetings closely uh many of us on the board as well as Rena Administration have talked a lot about this and uh this is going to be something that we need to to uh be more considerate of moving forward for all the reasons we discussed one of the things we did talk about um was uh a discussion we want to have with the climate action committee where when we think about certain uh programs that the district has um what sort of potential cost incurment that is and rather than it be a it costs something therefore we're not going to do it we were thinking about this rather as hey let's be strategic let's try to be complex thinkers that if we want to do something we have to think as well as what the cost is for us to be able to do it which I think is a really good opportunity for our students and the student population just become better thinkers along the way on the facility side of things we talked about some AC issues in tolgate um which I think are being addressed um we talked a lot about uh items like uh hope old Township forcing us to remove 40 trees uh under threat of fine which we're going to have to do if we haven't already um we talked a little bit about uh sewer uh sewer line repair excuse me at the Timberlane school and uh good news is hopeall Elementary the chiller is up and running which is a positive so there we go um other than that I think I hit everything happy to answer any questions that anybody may have is this is this loud or no it's I'm usually loud you have to put it right I guess I'm going up real close okay yeah I'm just if you could quickly clarify the HVAC issue that just popped up so much like what out and burned and smoked up the whole office in the school and we had to evacuate the kids had a little Adventure but we don't have air in the in the um main office at bear and some of the other um areas are limping along but luckily school is out tomorrow so you know we'll get through the half day and of course it's the hottest day in in the in the history but we'll get through it the kids thought it was a lot of fun though they got to see yeah doesn't want yeah we're done with the fire truck um does anyone have any additional questions for finance facilities okay wonderful thank you um moving on to you again Mark for personnel let's try this again there you go look at that okay so uh we met prior to this meeting as we normally do um going to keep this very brief uh this is the time of the year where we do a lot of the uh normalized appointments and approvals and agreements so as you take a look at the board agenda we'll be going through them um we also had some other ancillary discussions about some of the appointments but overall all of this will be taken care of here in the next couple minutes any questions that's quick that is very quick so there there are a lot of items in the many pages um in the uh actual agenda so for the audience you can certainly reference there but we need a first and second to um pass the Personnel items and we'll take a roll call vote following don't move second call Mr Cal Mr kapadia yes Dr Liston yes Mr Peters yes Dr Resnik Mr slotman Dr Wilson yes M Williams gallano yes motion car thank you to go to paper list yeah if this is any right okay I'm going to go ahead and move us on to our policy um items oh sorry let me edcom sorry couldn't get past all that personal stuff there M Smith all right um I'm GNA give the report for edcom um that Dr Lou had shared and I just want to say thank you again for all hard work she will be missed um so we had uh this the elementary teacher leaders um present about a a year to review their first year in the district and their focus was really in three areas professional development resource management and curricular revisions they've continued to do um a successful and effective job in the elementary world and we are very excited to have those positions and we talked about um next goal next year's goals with them specifically um focusing again on those three areas especially uh bringing in more professional development to our faculty um Mr wilfing the principal in charge of stem came to speak about the new steam exploratory um which is going to be a interdisciplinary course that focuses on literacy math science and social studies with technology um we are going to be utilizing the Next Generation science standards framework and we're going to identify elements and objectives that are um overarching to bring in the the the different interdisciplinary connections um I I spoke about a um Ed reports contract that I was proposing to approve um we we would like to work with Ed reports who is a non-bias organization that reviews materials to see how they are aligned with standards um it's an unbiased process and we wanted to bring them in to help us to vet and look at um Elementary language arts programs for next year we will be using title to funds to support this and we this would be a 9month contract hopefully starting in July or August um and at the end we will hopefully have selected a uh the ELA program that we fit meets the needs of our district and then finally we had we we talked about the board approval of just um some items that the NJ doe require including the three-year language instruction educational program three-year plan um the ARP safe return to school plan and the remote learning plan thank you thank you Dr say any questions from the board thank you all right moving on to community relations Dr Wilson yes right um the meeting uh last Thursday I guess it was yeah um was uh it started out with the U fellows from the finance committee talking about how the community was doing with the um with the referendum and some of the concerns that we had um so we're going to be working through those and providing the kinds of uh FAQ and and training stuff that we need to get it get it straightened out the rest of the meeting however was where I'm I'm really interested and that that's in terms of not that I'm not interested about the re referendum but the idea of empowering students is really really a I think a very primary focus for me and uh we we did a little bit of talking we know we have a lot to do in that but with the community is going to have be a big part of our understanding that and being part of of how it plays out in our our uh roll out of the whole whole essentially the the five goals that we're we're going to be dealing with this this in the coming years uh I there's a list on in our I don't know if you have it back there but there's a list of um of uh possible ways for us to think about it uh we'll be talking about it during the summer and certainly getting for example um self-determination Theory self-awareness Mastery orientation locus of control seal self-direction decisionmaking constructive and social constructive learning the list goes on um but it will be a I think an exciting time and I think it'll be a beneficial time in terms of what we can do for the school the children in the school district thank you thank you Dr Wilson any questions from the board at large fin there was no arm wrestling in that meeting I promise that was a good meeting okay with that we'll go ahead and move on to seal um and you will be representing the yes hi everyone so at our SEO meeting we actually had um two two guests our first guest was um Miss Suzanne horley who is one of our she's our Wellness teacher goldgate um she spoke to our committee about um her process with facilitating groups uh group leaders um to help coordinate plan and coordinate field day and she talked about how this experience starts with the fifth graders in September and culminates at their field day and then um last well right before our secl meeting these group leaders um the groups came in and talked about their experiences in working together to plan and to problem solve um and it was a true example ofcl at its best um as far as working together to um to create a really great experience for the other students in in the school so that was really wonderful um we talked about um Dr Beth Hoffman came she leads our seal District committee um just about the things that we've accomplished this year and also looking towards next year some of the planning that's in place that includes um continuing implementing character strong curriculum throughout uh kindergarten through eighth grade nurtured heart uh training for parents and staff um leadership core at the secondary level team building through our Wellness um activities uh support groups through our counseling um involving grief divorce anxiety and social skills um and we're going to be exploring diversity groups through Affinity um continuing our collaborations with Comprehensive Mental Health um RSM psychology and also recers are Samantha aala record clinician um and I think that's it thank you thank you any questions from the board I just had a comment to add because I really appreciated Miss horley's presentation and I think one of the things I found most impress about it was how she really engaged the fifth graders to role model these skills for the younger students and I thought it was just such a beautiful example of these older kids really internalizing and demonstrating these skills when they're asiz to the occasion so I just I I really appreciate her coming to speak to us about that I'm G to tell I'm G to suggest that to to um to miss they they present and they they engaging on the panel awesome okay um moving on to um policy Dr lilon okay um so the policy committee met on Friday June 14th we have two policies up for first reading one policy and two RS up for first reading abolishment and then four sets of policies and regulations up for second reading uh so can I have a motion in a second to move policies 2421 Career and Technical education 5841 secret societies for first reading and regulation 2421 Vocational Technical education and policy and reg 5538 drug uh random drug testing for first reading abolishment motion second okay great um so the two follow policies up for first reading these are both revised policies and you saw that there were just minor revisions here um so for 2421 this is Career and Technical education and this policy really just ensures that the school district makes a program of Career and Technical education available to its students in accordance with state code um so the idea is Career and Technical education can offer interested students a pathway to really build practical job oriented skills this was last revised by the board in April 2009 um so if you look at the document we've just made a few minor revisions to this policy so we've replaced the term vocational with career throughout um revisions provide additional detail regardless regarding the purpose of offering Career and Technical education which is really to provide students with opportunities to explore and prepare for different career paths different career options um on page two I'll just draw your attention to the area where we have to do a little check um so we're required to indicate the mechanism through which we as a district offer Career and Technical education and we've selected option three here because our School District offers both County vocational school options and local Career and Technical education programs and we've also indicated that our career and technical education programs are open to students in grades 9 through 12 any questions concerns additions from the committee members nope okay so we'll move on so the next policy here is 5841 secret societies and so this policy prohibits secret societies um which are Def Sounds a little old school but really it's just student organizations that aren't approved by the principal or their designate and aren't open to all students um per state code uh so this was also last revised by the board in April 2009 so there's just one minor revision on this policy which removes the list of protected categories and replaces the list with the expanded list citing back to state code okay so moving on to the policies up for first reading abolishment so first we have regulation 2421 which is vocational technical education um this sort of Moves In tandem with the policy we just discussed so we're recommending that we abolish this per guidance from Strauss Esme um because the details uh in this regulation are not required and then next you'll see here policy and regulation 55 38 random drug testing so we're moving this for first read abolishment um we actually discussed this policy and regulation in depth during the march policy committee meeting and then later during the full board meeting so we're bring us bringing this policy and regulation for abolishment now to align with the end of this school year um so again just a brief overview here these were adopted by the Board of Education 2018 so in the past school year currently all high school students who participate in athletics co-curricular activities have been granted parking permits for on Campus Park parking or who elect to participate with parental consent are eligible for random drug testing um and these testing procedures are implemented by uh thirdparty vendor um so the policy committee decided to revisit this policy and regulation based on external societal shifts um that we've been experiencing as well as our own internal data about the effectiveness of this program program so I think the first thing that I'll note here is that since this policy was first implemented we've actually seen the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey and really a corresponding change in attitudes towards marijuana um we have seen sort of a corresponding increase in positive test results over the past several years but every student but one has tested positive for marijuana or THC use only um these students are often testing positive at really low thresholds likely indicating that it's infrequent recreational use um as opposed to a more severe substance use disorder so what this means operationally is that we're really seeing time and resources like counseling diverted from students who have more severe substance use disorders to those who are using marijuana infrequently or recreationally um in order to comply with the language and the regulation um I think the second thing to note is that while the IAL intention of this program was to identify students in need and to really connect them to Supportive Services the district has found that they're more successful in identifying students with severe substance use disorders through other means like self-referrals and referrals through teachers and friends and our Student Assistance counselor shared with us that the vast majority of students who were identified through the program that have a significant need for substance use disorder services um had already been known to the school last I will say that the evidence base around random drug testing in schools has built over the past few decades and since we implemented this policy and I think the research is really telling us that these types of programs have very little or no impact and actually deterring substance use and the American Academy of Pediatrics has opposed random drug testing of students since 2015 based on the lack of evidence so with input from The District's drug and alcohol committee and other stakeholders the school district really has been shifting towards a more educational and supportive approach to preventing substance use among our students um we've completed a full audit of our substance use curriculum and we're addressing areas where we think that there might be gaps in the curriculum and we know that positive school climats from the research are protective factors against substance use and our district continues to put a lot of focus and energy on building a positive School environment so taking all this into consideration we are proposing to abolish this policy and regulation so I'll just stop there and see if any of my policy committee members have anything to add I've said it in uh several uh board meetings before um but as a sitting member of the policy committee um I'm really grateful for us moving in this direction as a district um our random drug T test testing policy costs us money it is not working for our students um and to be frank in the way that it's implemented it's coercive to our students it it infringes on their civil liberties by holding parking over their heads by limiting their ability to participate in extracurricular activities and other activities that would effectively deter drug use we saying you have to opt into this program or you can't effectively be a part of our hbsd community um so I'm really grateful that we're moving in this direction um Miss Lon talked a lot about the studies and the research centered around the ineffectiveness of random drug testing um so it's not only anecdotal that we're seeing here in hopeall it's across the nation um and it's it's a step in the right direction for our for our district any questions or concerns from my fellow board members is Alex all right so uh I'll keep it brief since I'm over the phone um I am going to be voting for abolishing this policy and um I know that when it comes to a lot of the policy votes that we take a lot of them can be fairly routine I just want to highlight a folks that this is a very principal vote for me I felt pretty much since the beginning since way before I was on the board that this was a misguided policy uh We've since had data to show it I did have a much longer statement prepared but not going to attempt to read it over the phone and for folks are interested I'm very happy to share the reasons why I think it's misguided but I did want to highlight that um I know that this is an issue that people that some people will disagree with me with and um I do respect their opinion for me this is going to be a very very principle V to abolish this policy thank you Alex um Mark did you have a comment yeah thanks uh Dr Wilson thank you uh I think for this particular topic you've helped educate me quite a bit and thinking differently about it um very very challenging uh vote for me com up here uh I am a little bit torn on this one for a whole plethora of reasons um I think that the conversations we've had as a board conversations we've had as a community uh when it comes to data when it comes to the quantitative the qualitative um I think there's a lot of new that still exists in this particular topic um I can appreciate the opinions that have happened about this uh topic especially given a lot of the recent legalization ation of things in our state on a federal level schedule changes other states um I've shared this with the board I'll continue to share with the community um I think that uh when it comes to drug legalization in general we do not yet know what we do not yet know and that is a scary thing for a lot of reasons um I came on the board uh with the sole intent and purpose of trying to be able to create an environment that is as good as it can be for the children for the kids um that means sometimes I'm going to probably be uh a voice that may disagree with folks on certain topics this is one where I probably will disagree that I don't think that the abolishment of this is probably the right move um I would hope that maybe we consider instead of an abolishment of some sort of amendment that can be more in tune with your feedback which I think is really great um but uh I just want to share that publicly uh but more importantly Dr Lon I appreciate just you being able to educate me a lot more along the way so thank you thank you any other all in favor say I I any thank you any opposed or abstaining oppos go policies and motions pass okay okay um now moving on to Second reading here can I have a motion and second to move policy 1523 comprehensive Equity plan policy 5550 disaffected students regulation 550 disaffected students uh policy 5116 education of homeless children youth and regulation 5116 and policy and regulation 511 one eligibility of Resident non-resident students uh for second reading okay great so we'll be uh we'll be brief here um because we we discussed these uh in depth at our last meeting but I did just want to point out some revisions that we made to two of the policies between the meetings so Dr Wilson I want to thank you very much for the comments that you shared Dr Wilson said comments on the comprehensive equity plan policy as well as the disaffected students policy and so you'll see some revisions there that are highlighted um under the comprehensive Equity plan we updated the language to indicate that the needs assessment should review barriers to achieving equity in the learning environment in addition to educational activities and programs and we also indicated that the C should focus not just on achievement patterns but also positive and Equitable social emotional outcomes um for 550 uh the current language in the policy I think your note was that it's a bit it's deficit focused and so we wanted to shift that to the extent possible and where you'll see revisions in that policy we've clarified that when a disaffected student is identified and referred to the intervention and referral team they're required in collaboration with the teacher to really develop an asset-based support plan um that's focused on promoting self-awareness self-management relation ship skills social awareness and responsible decision making does anybody have any questions or comments about the policies that are up for second reading okay because it's final sorry thank you Mr Peters yes Dr Resnik he said yes Mr slotman Dr Wilson yes Dr jovy yes Mr kapadia yes Dr Liston yes Miss Williams gallano yes Mo care can I add just one more update from the policy committee maybe um the only other update I'll add is that we did discuss the dress code policy um the school does not currently have a dress code policy for teachers and staff we decided to table discussion of that policy until the fall when we can engage teachers potentially an Advisory board or focus group of teachers um to help advise us on that matter and to ensure that their voices are heard and incorporated into the policy so look for that in the fall thank you so much um with that we're going to go in to Second public comment all right um change of of written agenda so uh are there any new business items other than candidate right so just uh as a continuation of the last month's new business um there will be uh five open board seats on the uh ballot this year uh there'll be one three-year term in Pennington burrow there'll be two bear with me here two three-year terms in hopo Township one two-year term in hopel Township and one one-year term in hopel Township I'll say it again two three-year terms one two-year term and one one-year term in hopeful Township um anyone who's interested um needs to fill out a nominating petition that can be obtained in my office or at the Mercer County um election office downtown uh petitions must be to that office not my office by July 29th 2024 at 4:00 p.m. to be uh eligible to be placed on the ballot for the November election that includes L position that we she just vacated okay the board and again on the a new new business uh the board will be um coming up with a date to interview candidates to fill Dr lose position um from now or from whatever appointed until December 31st when that uh position would expire that person would actually it if they wanted to continue would have to be placed on the ballot uh through a nominating petition um the board now has 65 days from uh the date of I the date of Dr L's letter to the board to fill the position I have a question on that one if we just look at if we just look at the calendar we're going to be asking folks to apply for a board position for one or two board meeting Cycles um [Music] having been on the board and sort of having been a new person on the board and having experienced how long it takes to kind get into the swing of things right and start understanding all the intricacies of what's going on I don't see anyone being highly effective in one or two meeting Cycles or or or even medially effective right so I don't know if we have any flexibility to fill that position or not but if we do um then I would actually put it out to the board members to see if that's something we even want to do because 60 days from now is going to be uh you know we're going to be in the fall we're going to be two months from the November election understood unfortunately there is no flexibility the 65 days is your flexibility so you must you must appoint you must follow your board policy and Aver vertise and interview and AO um we could do it you know we don't have to take 65 days that's the maximum you're allowed so you know we'll get the ad in the paper and we'll you know collectively we'll come up with a date to interview um and and go from there we have to do it we have to do it and you know hopefully we have folks who are not just willing to join the board for a couple of months but who will but who'll also then have their names on the ballot for some of the open positions out there because um so so that we can get some continuity in that position yes that's what we will um hope spr the word all thank you Alex I don't want to step up over any other comments regarding that um okay uh before we move into public comment we'll just um ask for a first and second for um June and July calendars before we do all our meetings so move Mark John we got John oh John second okay all right okay meetings uh well I guess we'll start with Finance the 8th the July 8th work people away July 8th meetings on the 15th that's sure love it okay what doing Zoom you want to zoom it sure okay 8 a.m. on the 8th 8: a.m. I think Mark has a conflict in the evening that's where we're you know we're gonna alter it for this [Laughter] month you heard it there you go thank you all right we got uh we'll do Personnel six 615 on the 15th that what you want six or six six well you have on the calendar already on the 10 uh 13th 11: a.m. oh 10th oh okay 10 11: a.m. 7 10 at 10 10 all right come 11 11 yeah 11 on the 10 no all right all in favor all right any opposed or abstaining you wanted to join okay calendars pass for June and July now we will go back to um public comment our second and final public comment for the evening members of the public are invited to address the board on any matter for a maximum of three minutes during this portion of the meeting you're asked to state your name address and municip ality in response to your comments the Board of Ed May respond or direct the superintendent to do so the board may also opt to take the matter up at a future meeting so that the matter is researched by The District administration members of the public who intend to participate in public comment we ask you to sign in at uh prior to speaking at the podium this will assist us with our recordkeeping and as always our timekeeper is over to my left thank you okay good evening Kate cam uh Pennington New Jersey you all know that I am no stranger here but I felt compelled to speak after the Strategic plan presentation Dr Lou's announcement and your comments president Williams gallano but just a brief word on something mentioned by you Mr Peters while I understand the need to be fiscally responsible and the decision to alter the use of kindergarten assistance it goes without saying that the supports provided by these individuals at the start of many youth's education contributes to the uniqueness and success in this District My Hope Is that the door is not closed to the possibility of revisiting this modification should the need arrives as stated by the field representative the goals and objectives in the Strategic plan are lofty yet attainable a couple pieces caught my attention goal number two facilities and Finance My Hope Is that access to our buildings and grounds is universal and Equitable it's no secret that I often comment about the not easily accessible and small venue we have here at the board office in her parting comments Dr Lou referenced seeking more participation and attendance from the community maybe a larger and easier access venue might be a way to start goal number four health and wellness I believe that the development of a proactive health and wellness program as it pertains to mental health includes arming the community with knowledge and having the ability to provide supports and resources in a recent published today article the numbers released show an astounding increase in ER visits for youth this data is from a 2022 survey young women ages 15 to 17 have visited the ER twice as much for self harm since 2009 but visits for young women ages 10 to 14 have incre increased by five times as much almost 7even years ago Mercer County superintendents came together and a call to action due to an increase in the loss of Youth lives while the pandemic curbed and delayed progress It's My Hope to see an increase in resources and support reports available to our youth their families and the community to follow up on your comments president Williams gallano it is important for our community members to not only feel seen But to be heard it is vital to hold space for all community members everyone's input is valuable while Dr Lou's plea was to having the Asian-American Community seen I would direct your attention to include other communities not always seen and heard that includes our single parent families our families of varying socioeconomic backgrounds and our families of individuals with differing needs my hope is that you the board and the administration are willing to walk the talk and not only hear what the community has to say but also listen as hearing and listening are two different things the other public comments hi folks my name is Gabriel Dominguez I'm a father of two kids at Hell elementary school and I have recently moved to New Jersey from Utah in the San Francisco Bay Area a couple years ago and I've been really excited about the amazing um natural wonders you have here the Delaware River the Jersey Shore is such a huge deal to me I'm into it um and I was also really heartened to move coming from Utah where I was educated as a kid to a school district that had an environmental stewardship statement on its website that is a huge uphill battle where where I grew up and so to to see that you guys are committed to mobilizing our students staff and The Wider Community by providing them with the Knowledge and Skills to Envision and create an environmentally just and sustainable future I was just like this will would never be written uh on a website in orm Utah where I grew up and I love orm and I love the people there but it was it was heartening and then to hear that there's a climate change education mandate in this state that this state is trying to lead the way in sounding the alarm and helping our kids become acclimated to a climate that is in crisis um it was encouraging to me so as a co-founding member of the EOP PTO I want to help in I want to help uh fan the Flames of positivity uh in this regard for social justice for ecological Justice and um I know we're all really excited in the EOP PTO to continue to recruit more people School Schoolboard members anyone who feels like we need to be uh prioritizing the existing budget finding more resources finding drawing from the talent the amazing talent in this uh in this in this amazing area to enact our our mission which is I'll State again as Kristen said earlier to ensure that hopel Valley Regional School District students receive a public education that prioritizes ecojustice within the curriculum and within the school day and what does ecojustice mean uh justice is as Dr Cornell West would say is just what love looks like in public and if there's one thing that we need more of in this world it is love in public and that's ecological and that is social um we we want to Avail our community and our students of the healing powers of nature um of the many career opportunities uh that are available through saving the world and they're not always paid well but they are the most important jobs that we could be working on and also encouraging students to find their own initiative and their and and Fanning their own personal Flames uh Mike Wilson we're always appreciating that they're autonomous Visions for what a more beautiful world looks like thanks good evening uh board members secretar administrator I just wanted to stand today and offer gratitude to school board to the Educators and administrators in this district for your support of a recent initiative that we've heard about earlier tonight called LGBT 301 for those of you who may be new to this conversation mic check for those of you who may be new to this conversation and may not be familiar with this initiative um it was actually born in 2020 um I sat on a panel as a graduate of graduate of this school district that was facilitated by Dr tce um I sat there with my daughter I sat there with Dro I sat there with theer um and several other folks um both currently enrolled at the time and graduates of the district having conversations and these are all folks who were seated in some manner of diversity and there it was a beautiful conversation about the ways in which Educators can be impa impactful particularly for those kids um and we all sat up there offering lots of counsel and advice um and after that I felt really convicted because I asked myself as the mother of a trans daughter what was I actually doing like what was I actually doing besides caring for my child um and I realized in that moment that preparing my child for the world was not going to be enough that I needed to be working really hard at creating a world that was prepared to receive my child we have now been at this this was the third iteration of this event I have been grateful for the support of the district the support of the municipal Alliance um and the ways in which they have made this process smoother for me than my friends who were doing this work in other communities so I also wanted to be clear very clear about what the mission is for this event it is centered in lgbtq advocacy and it is centered in informing the public about the issues faced by quer you that's it that's what it's about it's about supporting those children and the people that love them and so I thank you for all the ways in which you did that by supporting this event and the ways in which you do that on a regular [Applause] basis any other comments okay oh um Kristen Brader here co-founder of EOP PTO um I don't have anything prepared per se but um I just I I want to use this as an opportunity um specifically a learning opportunity for myself um but I recently found out about a change um in a so Ruckers University provided a um funding opportunity for and and I the board had agreed to a one-year pilot program um it was an americore member and she was teaching um for the year on climate action and food waste and I'm not here to um ask for a change or to challenge the decision per se for the for the role to return but I do feel compelled to um share just some interesting facts that I found out through um just being more curious about this role uh because at the end of the day it is um a person that didn't cost any money financially I know that there's a lot of resources that go into having to supervise um a more novice person um in our district but I just what I found out I thought was really interesting that we were the out of eight schools that had signed on to this pilot program we were the last ones to sign on which essentially meant we were the last uh District to to choose someone for that role and so um my encouragement is that if if there is an opportunity to reconsider having this free role um that will support the sustainability and climate action plan and even potentially support the um steam exploratory role that um there's an opportunity to potentially to not only interview the person for the role but um have it be someone that is more skilled and com able in a classroom setting um that I think we just you know last last one at the at the um at the ball game um I I think I think we could maybe have a second chance here thank you any other comments okay seeing none uh Dr anything you would like to cover speaker uh the first thing is um there was um I thank you can maximize our budget to meet the needs that we know that we have in mental health and Pa of professionals which we we need lots of um and and we talked about the larger venue um you know moving that space working on our sound system in that space in this one so that we can hear to and we definitely want folks to come out to our meetings um and um also if you are very busy and you can't we're hoping that you're viewing our meetings and we do put the recordings up for those um who can't attend um because daycare is tough for folks as well when you have these meetings at night uh but we value your feedback as a community please please email us if you ever have a question and you see something on a board meeting um that you really want more information on really looking forward to partnering with the the ecop PTO where you are going to be a huge help is as we put these things in which we've spent a lot of money over the years that we're recruiting parents to maintain them so we don't have to tear them down um that is where we're finding the biggest Gap is uh we build these outdoor spaces and the maintenance of them have becomes prohibitive um but we are going to continue to work with you and um also uh Jennifer um Moore with um free and open space who is talking to us about some of our facility choices as well um and maybe even working with helping us find some funding for that which I'm very excited about and then finally uh the recers of americore teacher I'm not sure where we came in when we were offered it we jumped on it um the agreement was for a year um because our steam facilitators are coming back so I Neo and we were offered a year they were able to find more funding and add on another year but the plan was always only a year it was approved through the education program committee um and I negotiated um not only the teacher working with us who was a very new teacher and you don't get to kind of interview them you get who's available um and sometimes they leave for for for new jobs um and she worked very hard and she helped us because she did leave for new job and she worked very hard with us with writing grants and was able to get money for um Stonybrook and um Hall Elementary which is the two places we piled the uh curriculum and we negotiated access to the curriculum for free so now our Sim facilitators have that curriculum to use and Ruckers got the data they needed to Pilot the curriculum which was the initial intent yes absolutely I just wanted to say something about um the hiring of that position and um it wasn't because as we were late to the Ball Game it was just that there were hiring constraints with people who had interviewed for the position and just the distance uh that it was to Hope well U and from where they live so that was a huge constraint and so that was probably why we were um one of the last ones to hi find the the americore volunteer that actually worked out so it wasn't anything from the district being unsure I just wanted to make two quick statements um firstly to Mr Dominguez point I think it's great that we have a more focus on ecojustice in our district um I think investing in green infrastructure and making sure that our students are able to learn outside I know that was something that was brought up in the March strategic uh planning meeting just something as simple as that can really go a long way in making sure that our students succeed and are healthy both physically and mentally um so I'm really excited to to collaborate with the EOP PTO in the coming months and see how the work get fleshed out um and to address Miss former Hogan's points about the lgbtq 301 event um I really do just want to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the students parents and organizers who had the courage to to put that event together um it was a great success I mean the the courage it takes to create a space for open dialogue and supporting our lgbtqia plus students often goes unthanked and unseen and I I really do commend the student we had I know Matt spoke earlier in the first uh public comment that you know that that it takes a lot of character a lot of strength um and a lot of Bravery um so I really appreciate the work y'all are doing and I think we got to we got to keep moving the needle forward we got to keep pushing things and you know hope Wells we're we're we're getting to a point where we're at the Forefront on a lot of these issues and we definitely have our shortcomings but we're getting there and I I'm I'm really grateful for all the work that our community organizers do so thank you so much and just know that as long as I'm on this board you will always have an advocate an ally and a supporter for all of your events thank you here here and I would like to second that um the the work of the community around making sure that all of our students feel welcome is so greatly appreciated um and the board and myself in particular considers myself not only an ally but as a mother of a queer child personally invested in making sure that this community in this district is a welcoming place and so there's uh several allies on this board and keep up the good work um so um before we close out public comment I just do want to address a couple of items one is seconding the seconding or thirding the acknowledgement of the 301 um but I I want to kind of broaden the opportunity to comment on any event that the school board might uh sponsor or hold a space for um we do this for all of our kids right this particular um event had our students centered um community members uh leading the way as advocates and support for the structure um and our hopeall youth Alliance absolutely brings a really broad perspective of different facets of the community that's how they the whole idea of the alliance is to bring all stakeholders who care about our youth to the table on a monthly basis and so they particip ated in the sponsoring the 301 activity and they uh as of the two years been under the district two or three it used to it used to be a part of hope uh the hope well uh Alliance used to be a Township uh role and two or three years ago it was brought Under the Umbrella of the district so there are a lot of different sponsors and advocates for this event in particular but I want to say that giving our students power to inform to educate their community and declare how they want to be treated in the O their in their Community is really some of the things that dror Wilson really is is talking to us about right like having them um self- Advocate and so it is sometimes difficult to reposition ourselves as not individuals of that um Community but allies of that community and be in the listening seat right um and so I I think the you know the lgbtq 301 challenged Us in multiple fronts to reposition ourselves as listeners um so in in other ways too in other diversity positions U so so just continue to listen for how we hear our students allow them to raise their voice and be a receiving not the controlling end of the message so here here to the work being done but just really really proud of our students both uh Alum and others who um were vulnerable and and were part of that agenda um the second thing I want to acknowledge is um Miss ham uh comments I'm sorry I lost um you know really about holding space and absolutely we hold space the important thing in acknowledging Dr Lou was really as as a model right like we had an opportunity to have someone um who is from the agent population to sit on our board and that's a model for how we want to see all of voices show up so for single parent maybe they don't have uh time to be on the board but we absolutely want to celebrate and listen for them to be on committee and or um participate or put their hat in the ring to participate um or be elected onto the board so we we I personally am committed to hearing all voices and I would hope that we have both Eco economic diversity and different parent and family structures represented on our board so um I I believe we will continue to give space to that and I know you will draw attention to us if we're not but I I hear you and absolutely want to encourage um any model of which we show a minority representation here part of the policy and conversation at the board so um just want to acknowledge that part of your comment for our single being part of the board is is a um single parents PTO that is tries to to accommodate all the different schedules that that involves and they have representation and their board president and their PTO president sits on the District Parent Council and we meet monthly okay any um other comments from the rest of the the board before we close public comments okay thank you with that said public comment is now closed and um I believe we will be taking a first and second to move into executive session so move second all in favor I any opposed or abstaining okay with that the board moves into executive session thank you again to the community for being present for those who are starting their uh are getting that summer Vibe we'll see you in September but hope to see you all through the summer as well take care minut