Welcome to a meeting of the 10 Central Regional High School Board of Education. Please be advised that this and all meetings of the board are open to the public and the media consistent with the open public meetings act and that advanced notice required therein has been provided. Meeting notice was also
posted on the district website in the boardroom of the upper school campus sent to the New Jersey Herald tap into and sent to the clerks of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Burough, Rariton Township and Readington Township. the public will
have an opportunity to be heard as shown on the agenda. I also want to announce that board docs is down. It's been down all day. Um we have placed a uh PDF copy of the um all of the information, the agenda, and all of the attachments on
the website if anyone would like to look for it. Roll call. Miss Spitzer, >> Miss Bryce >> here. >> Miss Gong >> here. Dr. Halpern >> here. Miss Lacosta >> here. >> Mrs. Rothell,
Mrs. Santangelo >> here, >> Miss Wallace >> here, >> Reverend Williams >> here, >> and Mrs. Kellogg >> here. >> Please rise for the 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. The district mission statement. Hunteran Central is an innovative educational
community dedicated to the intellectual, social, and emotional safety and growth of all students while fostering curiosity and promoting wellness. We aspire to create per powerful learning experiences, establish strong partnerships, and serve as contributing
members of society. Um, may I have a motion to convene into executive session? >> Motion to convene into executive session. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Do we need a roll call? >> No. All in favor? >> Okay. All in favor?
>> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Uh, we'll be in executive session for approximately an hour and we'll return at 7 o'clock. Say goodbye. Testing, testing, testing. Yeah, I did.
You go to LAN. I can connect through the Epson thing. There we go. All right. Let's see. manual. >> Yeah. >> Is that 086?
>> Okay. Auditorium. >> Sweet. Thank you, man. Amen. If you flip over your microphone. Oh. All right. I'm gonna ask for a motion to reconvene into open session. Um, I'd also like to let everyone know that
board docs is down. So, um, there is a link to a PDF of the agenda and all of the attachments on the, uh, district website if anyone's looking for it. Um, so can I have a motion to return to open session? >> Motion to return to open session. >> Second. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I >> I opposed. Okay. Um, can I have a motion to approve the March 23rd and April 14th minutes? >> Motion to approve the March and April
minutes. >> You want Do I have a second? >> Second. >> U, Mrs. Spitzer. Roll call. >> Miss Gong. >> Yes. Dr. Halpern, >> yes. >> Miss Lacosta,
>> yes. For one, abstain from two. >> Okay. >> Mrs. Santangelo, >> yes to March 23rd, no to April 14th. >> Sorry. Um, Miss Wallace,
>> yes to March and no, abstain to April. Uh, Reverend Williams, >> yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> uh, yes to March 23rd, abstain on April
14th. Okay. So, item E is correspondence. Um, and that is a list of the correspondence that was received this month, and it is on uh file with the office of the board secretary. Um, and we'll move to item F, the
president's report. Uh, the board of education is a link between the community and the district, encouraging engagement and transparency. In the past month, we've had a lot of input from the community. Hundreds of people came out to support strategic
planning. We developed several aspirational goals focused on supporting health and wellness of our students and ensuring that they are prepared to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and changing world. That vision intersects with the fiscal realities that we've also heard concerns
from dozens of community members about the 2026 2027 district budget and the long-term budgeting strategy. As you will hear tonight, the administration is recommending some adjustments to the budget in response to the concerns raised at last month's meeting. These
adjustments are not anticipated to impact our ability to to impact day-to-day operations for the 2026 2027 budget year. but they may limit our ability to maintain our long-term budgeting strategy and may require
prioritizing necessary maintenance projects over strategic investments detailed in the long-term facilities plan as we work locally to balance priorities and make thoughtful adjustments. We recognize long-term stability on a funding structure depends
on a funding structure that reflects the true cost of educating students in New Jersey. We remain committed to being transparent about these challenges, responsive to community input, and focused on priorities that support students.
So, Miss Kangelosi hate, superintendent report. Okay. Thank you, Miss Kellogg. Um, tonight we have two important presentations. The first is a presentation to highlight our partnership with RVCC and our work on magnet programs and dual enrollment in our biomedical sciences academy. The
second is our 2026 2027 final budget presentation where I'll provide an overview of the proposed budget and changes made since our tenative budget presentation. Before we move into those though, I want to highlight a few recent events and accomplishments. First, I
want to thank you all, our board members, as well as our students, staff, and community members who participated in strategic planning. At our last session on April 14th, we developed goal statements and corresponding objectives. These are all posted on our website, but I thought I would also take a moment to
reiterate our goal statements that came out of that meeting. Goal one on student learning experience. Increase student access to and ownership over learning, empowering students to maximize learning achievements and skills. Goal two, future ready. Create a
future ready environment that empowers students with the skills necessary to thrive in an involving in an evolving global landscape. Goal three, engagement. Increase engagement of students and families from K to 12 through school activities, peer
support, and community outreach so that students are fully committed and participating members of the school community and beyond. And goal four, health and wellness, increase communication with students to encourage consistent open communication and
improve slashmaintain their well-being. Our next step is for our leadership team to create action plans for each of the goals that crystallize the objectives into measurable and actionable steps. This will be presented to our board at our June 8th BOE meeting. This sets us
up very well to begin working on the goals and action plans this summer. Our strategic plan is not just a document. It will serve as a roadmap for our decision-making, resource allocation, and program development over the next five years. It will guide us in aligning
our efforts, measuring our progress, and ensuring that we remain focused on what matters most, providing meaningful, supportive, and forwardthinking opportunities for every student we serve. So, thank you again for your support in this important work. This past week, our district hosted a
bring your child to work day event where we had 73 children here learning about what it means to work in schools. This has become a really wonderful day as our staff's children are able to see what their moms and dads do each day. Additionally, our high school students
get to act in a mentorship capacity and work with the younger children on activities. One of the activities allows students to write a a letter about their day. And I wanted to share an excerpt from one of our younger visitors. She wrote, "Thank you so much for letting this day happen.
I love bringing bring your child to work day. I'm always excited for this day every year. So, thank you for letting us come. I cannot thank our staff enough for organizing this huge event. Um, and it really is a testament to the passion of our staff and I hope it also encourages the next generation of
teachers and school staff. Along the same lines of fostering our next generation of teachers, I wanted to thank our sending districts who recently hosted some of our education program students as guests in their classroom for a few day for a few days. This was a
our pilot year for the teacher cadet program in external schools and it serves as a meaningful bridge between our high school and K to8 classrooms. By spending time in elementary and middle school settings, our high school students gain authentic hands-on experience that deepens their
understanding of teaching and learning. At the same time, younger students benefit from positive role models who bring energy, relatability, and additional support into their classrooms. This partnership not only strengthens our school community, but also helps to cultivate the next
generation of educators by inspiring students to consider careers and education. So congratulations again to our students who participated participated and thank you again to our staff and our sending districts who work so hard to make this happen. So next I would like to ask our student
representatives Alexis Chen and Bronwin Downey to provide us with their report and I know they're going to highlight some of the truly awesome work of our students. Good evening everyone. Our names are Bronwin Downey, Bronwin Downey, and Alexis Chen, and we are your student representatives on this board of
education. Tonight, we'll be going over student news throughout the spring months. Alexis and I are happy to report that Central students had a muchneeded spring break from Friday, April 3rd to Sunday, April 12th. Before a break began, however, Central held a workforce and career expo on April 2nd in the
Commons, and they met with local businesses and organizations for summer job and volunteering opportunities. And once back at school, many community members, students, teachers, and families attended HCRHS's third and final strategic planning session to create district goals for the next five
years. Our juniors celebrated their own hard work their three years at Central with the junior prom at the Fuge on Friday, April 17th. Also, our 10 central youth and dem youth and government delegation attended the annual state conference over the weekend. This year,
HC is proud to have Jason Pies as the youth governor leading the conference as well as three other state officers. Special congratulations to Ion Jane for being part of the winning crisis co-op team. Shelby Manning for being awarded premier advocate and selected as a conference on national affairs alternate. Xander Dogba, Alexis Chen,
and Jason Pi for being the Kona delegates. And finally, Alexis Chen on being selected as the premier state officer for the 2026 school year. Unfortunately, no matter how well these delegates did, freshman and juniors will still have to take on NJSLA testing this week and AP exams will commence right
after. Hopefully, these facts will not be mentioned at the seventh and eighth grade open house on May 5th. Finally, our Red Cross cross will hold another blood drive in the hours before the May board of education meeting on May 18th. At the end of March, I'm pleased to share that both our band concert and thespian showcases were successful for
our instrumental music and theater programs. As fun as the band concert was, nothing was as energetic as the Thespians Battle of the Genres event, which resulted in the pop team taking the gold. And last Friday's competition showcase event with award-winning acts and songs from society members. Two
weeks ago, our jazz band, jazz lab, and jazz combo collaborated with Sunning District Jazz groups to put on the District Jazz Band concert on April 16th. In case you missed them, there will be a jazz and pop concert on May 6th where these students will be joined by members of Central's choir, band, and
orchestra programs. And if you just can't get enough of our musically inclined students, the Trian Music Honor Society's through the decades performance will be on May 1st at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater. And then finally, in more theater news, underclassman students will be performing in this
year's 910 play Sense and Sensibility on May 15th and 16th with the matinea performance at 2 p.m. that Saturday. In our athletics world, our spring sports are now in full bloom. Our girls flag football team is off to a strong 4-2 start with most of their wins coming
in with over 30 point leads. Other teams finding success have been our boys tennis team who are currently 5-2 and I believe just finished a match against Somerville. girls lacrosse who are currently playing at Shaunie High School as well as our boys and girls track and field teams who recently competed at the
annual pen realize and just celebrated their senior day. This month we also met with some of the students who had attended the strategic planning meetings. As Miss Kangelosi Hay mentioned, the 10 central community developed four broad goals for the incoming year. Student learning
experience, future ready engagement, and health and wellness. Within each of these goals and their subsequent objectives, students discuss further input on what each of these steps can look like from a student perspective. For example, one of the objectives under student learning experience and
engagement was mentorship. So ideas like having under and upperassman pairings modeled after current mentorship programs like team PEP and RDA were suggested to best welcome underassmen as well as provide upper classmen with leadership roles.
Once again, thank you all for listening to our report tonight. We hope everyone is having an amazing spring and we're excited to continue sharing the passion students have for Central in the last few months of the school year. Thank you so much, Ramen and Alexis. Um, okay, we'll now move into our first presentation. So, I'm going to hand it
over to Dr. Matt Hall, our director of curriculum and instruction. Just go in your email and my computer literally stopped working. >> You got it. Okay. Good evening everyone.
At long last, we've had to reschedu this twice. I'm I'm a little bit surprised, honestly, that it didn't snow again today, right? We were snowed out the last last two times, but it's worth the wait. Good news. Um,
here we are. and I'm I've been excited for three months to talk to you all about this program. Um, so it's time. So again, my name is Matt Hall. I'm the director of curriculum. I'm joined tonight by Jason Rothman, our supervisor
of science, and two of our partners from Riden Valley Community College, um, Shay Were and Drew Stapleton. So I'll launch us, or I think Shay's going to launch us off. >> Okay. here.
Is that good? All right. Thanks, Matt. Um, so good evening everyone. Um, Dr. Stapleton and I are really happy to join all of you to provide an overview of our partnership with Hunan Central specifically on the oneplus 1 dual enrollment pathway. This
is a partnership between Ryan Valley Community College and our district partners designed to give eligible high school students a head start on an associate degree. Through this pathway, students follow a guided sequence of courses both at the high school and RVCC
and can earn up to 30 college credits before high school graduation. Courses are offered in two ways. Concurrent enrollment where courses take place at the high school during regular school day and then through our early college credits program where eligible
students take courses on campus. So students can take an advantage of both of those different programs taking courses at the high school and then on campus at RBCC as well. Specifically under our partnership with Hunter and Central students can earn up to 33
credits towards the associate in health science through the concurrent enrollment program and then metriculate directly to RBCC to complete out the remaining requirements. There are many benefits to this particular pathway, but we want to
highlight a few of them. It's intentional, and what I mean by that is that students are strategic about the courses they take, ensuring every credit counts toward a meaningful degree pathway. It eliminates guesswork so students
avoid taking random dual enrollment courses that don't align with their goals or accumulating credits without a plan. It saves time and money. Concurrent enrollment courses are offered at reduced tuition, so students that take
courses through our concurrent enrollment program are saving money and it expands access. The structure we've built with Hunan Central ensures that all eligible students can participate and not just a selected few.
So it truly opens a door for as many students as possible who are interested in pursuing as many credits as possible towards this very intentional pathway. So we're very excited about this partnership and I'm going to give it to Matt to continue.
>> Okay. So, I'd like to talk a little bit about our vision for this opportunity. And it really um I like to think of this as an enhancement to our magnet program, our biomedical science magnet program. And we're even starting to look at um
some of our other magnet programs for some additional oneplus 1 pathways. But the one we're going to launch with is our biomed science pathway. So, there's really no downside to this. This is something that our students in the
biomedical science academy can opt to take advantage of, but they families who aren't interested in this don't have to take advantage of this. So, it's a it's an enhancement to the dual enrollment opportunities that we've already put
there. Um but what we're looking at now is really a mo more coherent pathway through the four course sequence to um bundle if you will the uh concurrent enrollment courses into a package that
one-year head start on an associates degree package. So, as an advantage um for our students, th this is an opportunity for them to experience college um coursework while
still here in high school with all of the supports and um from their teachers, administration, and their peer supports that we have here on campus. They don't need to go anywhere else. This isn't something that happens after school or in the summer or anything like that. It
also allows our students to do a deeper dive into um a career. So this career exploration idea um and as um Miss Wadier mentioned it has potential financial benefits to the family because
the students and families would be able to take advantage of these opportunities at a discounted tuition rate. I'm going to pass it to Dr. Stapleton. Thank you. Uh from from the colleg's perspective, really the things that Dr. Hall and Sheay have mentioned are the
same perspectives, right? The early access, the support structure built in from the high school environment, that transition from high school to college. Um building that, strengthening our partnerships, expanding the opportunity that's already existing. This just
builds on what's already being done and does it in a, as Shay said, an intentional bless you. Uh, bless you again. An intentional pathway so that we're an intentional process so that we're really trying to gear students for what might be next, whatever their
choice might be. Um, as the only institution of higher education in Hunter County and Somerset and Hunter counties, we are the pathway. We're the best opportunity for our students in these areas. We want to be the partner.
We want to work with Hun and Central. U and this this opportunity really has been it's been fun to work through the process both both with our faculty on campus and with the folks here. Um health sciences inherently is interdisciplinary. It is the entry point
for our programs into nursing occupational therapy assistant as a secondary admission policy or programs at the college. It's also the entry point for careers such as potential careers, physician assistant, physical therapy, athletic training, respiratory tech, a multitude of healthcare clinical
professions, entry level with an associates degree or with technical training before the associates degree. It's also a transfer pipeline, a transfer pathway if interest students interested in careers in public health. Um I mentioned athletic training,
physical therapy, other research type degrees as well that come out of that. So what we see here is the general four semester plan for our native students and what we have worked with um with college and with with Jason is to get to
a plan where we can streamline that into courses. I'll go back for one slide here that many of these courses are taken ahead of time allowing that transition to completion of the associates degree and metriculation to RV at a later date.
and I'll turn it over for the rest. >> All right. So, what does that look like for Central? What courses could we take from that associates of health science that you just saw on the last slide? And how does that translate to our biomedical science program? So, we have
these are in red. You can see all of the courses in this one plus one program. Again, this would take half of the traditional associates degrees and pull it into 100 central and they would finish off a year early if they metriculate into RVCC. So, you can see
in 9th grade, our intro to biomedical science course is equivalent to RVCC's health 105 and health 100. So, you can sign up for dual dual enrollment. You get four credits for completing our ninth grade intro to biomedical science. You can see below uh biomedical science
2 and three counts for human biology. So we have um and then you can see below that biomedical science 3 counts for health 150 medical terminology. You if you might look squint a little bit and say okay why is it biomemed two and
three we were creative here in making sure that our curriculum uh is the equivalent to RV's course offering. So overall, you take those two courses and you'll get those two um course equivalent credits. So if you take biomeds 2 and three, you'll get biology
120 and dual enrollment credit health 150 for medical terminology. You can see the core of the coursework is either biomedical science, our four biomedical science courses, and then um some of the
uh elective courses that that can fill in to make sure that you qualify for an associates degree. So, this is what it would look like as a student. In ninth grade, you take our intro to biomedical science as as an academy member. 10th grade by you take
biomedical science too and 11th grade and 12th grade is where we start to bring in and accelerate the program experience for these students. All right. So our our chemistry for biomedical science is a special course we're developing for the program. It
would count for your chemistry um for your chemistry that all students take in 11th grade. We've got honor sociology and statistics in 11th grade. 12th grade, you'd still take the biomedical science for our senior English courses and one of our most popular um enrolled
courses in AP psychology. So, this is what going through your four years. You would qualify. You take all of these dual enrollments, you come out with 32 dual enrollment credits, you can then metriculate into RVCC um and graduate in
a year. And I'll pass it on to Dr. Stapleton to talk a little bit more about the next uh steps. So that final year then at RV or that one year at RV would look like what you see you see the courses that are laid out here. Um with some electives built
in. This is the existing major I think the key part here is the the support structure that's built in throughout the four years at the high school preparing the students to transition to college. So the the the metacognitive skills, the study strategies, the how to be a
student, if you will, in a safe environment, for lack of a better description, that allows that smooth transition to be successful in metriculated RV and complete the degree and then launch to wherever the student wants to go, whatever the student's
personal and professional goals may be. Where do our students go after they complete our degree in health sciences? This is just a few of the transfer institutions or local employers that are hiring students with our health sciences degree either through additional training through our nursing program or
OTAA, our medical assisting program or with the health sciences degree overall. Just a smattering of them. Again, somewhat local, but also statewide. Many of these or if not all of these courses transfer to our four-year partners, allowing that seamless transition. We're
basically a train stop. We want students to come have the experience of being at a college environment, have the experience of being a college student, saving money, saving time. Those are critical important things. And then be able to launch to wherever they want to
go, whatever their next steps might be in a flexible, safe, supportive environment. And just in closing, I I want to point out that one of the challenges our families face with taking advantage of dual enrollment opportunities is
anticipating where their child will ultimately end up going to college and whether or not that institution will accept the credits um that they earned in high school. So, probably the largest benefit of this, in
my opinion, is once those credits are all bundled into an associates degree, it's now a degree that transfers and transfers to um a college versus that that um college they wind up in
going through a transcript and choosing which courses they'll accept and which ones they won't. Um, which is just phenomenal. And with that, we'll wrap up and uh take any questions that the board has. Miss Laccasta,
this view is fantastic. As a parent, it would make it very easy for me. Um my two questions is on our side, I guess. How do we get student awareness like coming from eighth grade, right, that this is available and how do we get parents on board early with it is my
first question. And then my second question is I know the biomedical science seems to be its own track. The other six over here like if I if my kid didn't want to go the with the biomedical science stuff, they still have the opportunity for the other ones. Is that accurate? >> Okay, so two-part question. So the first
one is how do we make students aware? And that's something we've already started to do when we went down and met with the eighth grade students and talked to them about that transition to high school, scheduling courses, making sure everyone is aware of the
opportunities here at Hutton and Central and where students will sort of get onto the OnePlus 1 um program would happen um at the midpoint of their freshman year.
Okay? So they would choose that um it basically for second semester even though they would be part of the biomed program early. Part of this is we're we're utilizing PSAT data and things like that um to to make sure that
students are placed correctly. Okay. Um in terms of remind me your second question. >> The chart shows very clear line. Yes. >> Are the if I don't want to go that route, but are these other courses available to me?
>> So, all of those courses that would be options for students to take advantage of for dual enrollment, the entire sort of bundle into the associates degree right now is only is sort of exclusive
to students in the biomet academy. Although, um I think I I teased this a little bit. I'd love to have sort of a liberal arts path and a arts path as well as the STEM path eventually.
Other questions? Miss Kellog, >> how many students are participating right now in this program? >> This will launch next September. >> Okay. So are there can existing students take advantage of of any of this to
advance their associates or um I mean I I know that obviously it helps to start in in nth grade but are there ways that we can adjust it so that that >> so all those dual enrollment courses will be available to them. it it just wouldn't be bundled, you know, it's it's
just an artifact of having to start someplace. And the ninth graders, that ninth grade opportunity was one that we did not have in place until um next September. So, the current ninth graders
will have missed that that course, that particular course. Other questions? All right. Great. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you all for the presentation. Thank you. >> I'm going to come
All right, let's see. So, now you're disconnected, right? >> I'm disconnected. >> So, let's unfreeze and find the Okay, we'll go this way. Hold on. Let me go here. Okay.
Okay. Uh, you all do have a printed copy of this so that you don't have to turn around. Um, Brawin and Alexis, there is one right in my folder if you wanted to grab it. Um, okay. So, good evening everyone. Um, tonight I'm proud to present our proposed budget for the 2026
2027 school year. So, as our budget is always created with our students and programs in mind, I wanted to take a quick moment to highlight some of our recent achievements over just the past few months. Um, these may be repetitive from what we just heard from Alexis and
Bronwin, but I think it's worthwhile to highlight them again. So, we had two National Merit Scholarship finalists. We honored them last month and one is sitting right up there at the table. Um we had two s or excuse me we were as a school awarded the silver AP school
honor role award from the college board. You just heard about our onetoone dual enrollment partnership with RVCC for the biomedical sciences academy. We have two students who made the New Jersey Allstate trouble choir. Our robotics team just qualified for worlds and very
exciting and they're going there I think tomorrow. That's an action item on tonight's agenda. Um, our girls winter track was the group four state champions. Our cheerleaders were the group four state champions. Our dance team were state champions and state
champions again for our girls pole vault and girls diving. So, it's a wonderful set of accolades and accomplishments and we're really just so proud of our students and our staff here. So, as I noted last month, our priority is our students, and I believe that's
everyone's priority up here as well. Um, our district obligation is, of course, to ensure that students meet or exceed the New Jersey student learning standards, but we do go well beyond the New Jersey student learning standards in our programming here. So, I'm proud to say that our proposed budget maintains
all academic programs that we currently have. And in fact, we're able to enhance some programming without a fiscal impact. So, for example, we're adding two magnet programs, our education and performing artsmies. And as you just heard, we're adding the one plus one pathway for the students in our
biomedical sciences academy so that they're a year ahead towards earning an associates degree. We have a large program of studies which enables our students to pursue their passions and it's important that we continue to support this. Um, in fact, I believe we heard about this as a strength through
our strategic planning process as well. In addition to our academics, our budget supports the academic assistance and resources that students need to meet the New Jersey student learning standards. We continue to fund academic support and interventions under our multi-tered
system of supports as well as our counseling and mental health support and supports within special education. I'll also note that this became an important cornerstone of strategic planning as well, ensuring that we continue to offer tiers of support for all students. And
additionally, we are very happy to say we're continuing to fund our co-curricular and athletic offerings for the 2627 school year. Again, this was also noted in our strategic planning process as a strength for Central and we're very proud of what Central offers
um and co-curricular activities as well as athletics. So, there's a lot of moving parts in the budget, which I know we all know. um we've we've discussed them quite often, but um you know there's rising health care costs, rising utility costs. Um it feels like all
costs are rising. Um just like you feel in your everyday lives, we're feeling it here as well. Um so while we still await the final demographic study results, we are conservatively budgeting with some of those unknowns. So we want to be sure we can continue to prioritize our
students and our programs for years to come. So since our tenative a budget was approved on March 23rd and subsequently approved by our county superintendent, we received new information on prescription plan estimates and we're
recommending the following two changes for the final budget. First, a change to the prescription plan provider which will result in approximately $250,000. Additionally, we're able to utilize emergency reserve funds to account um to
offset, excuse me, some health benefit costs. That's approximately 192 or excuse me, $191,000. Um so with these two changes, we are recommending a lower tax levy going from 3% to 2.27%.
Um again, as I noted, I think last month, we're eligible for 5.73% tax levy increase. So this chart is just showing that um Hunter and Central has continually kept the tax levy increases minimal. We've
only gone above the 2% cap two times in the past eight years. I'm recommending this again for next year so we can mitigate the 18% increase in our health benefits while keeping all of our programs and the staff needed to run those programs.
One last comment on the tax levy is that we're the second lowest tax levy in the county. Um, and we're recommending the lowest among the county high schools as well as our sending districts. So, one reason we've been able to do this and how we've been able to maintain
a lower tax levy increase is because of our consistent budgeting strategies. How we budget for expenses and staying within our means has helped us cover all expected expenses as well as unexpected ones such as special education students moving into the district or maintenance
issues. This strategy has prevented tax spikes for residents as we have consistently used surplus to reduce the amount we need from local taxpayers each year. This is what is commonly referred to as tax relief. It is not a refund to the
taxpayer, but rather it is a budgeting strategy that allows the tax base to remain stable and offset the impact on taxpayers in a future year's budget. As mentioned last month, we utilize our capital reserve account to fund our
major facility projects. The capital reserve account is linked with our longrange facilities plan as it cannot exceed the estimated cost in the facilities plan. Currently, the long-range facility plan includes 80 projects over a five-year period
following an amendment approved by the board in November 2025. The plan includes all types of projects from infrastructure to curricular to safety upgrade. These are necessities for our buildings as well as strategic investments. If the capital reserve
account is not consistently funded, projects from the long-range facilities plan will need to be removed. With our aging facilities, school districts are faced with having to complete large facility projects that cannot fit within the regular operating
budget. So districts can either fund large projects through a referendum and loan or through a capital reserve account, which has been central strategy for about 20 years now. We have not had a referendum since 2003. So what is the difference? With a referendum, districts
must take out a loan which brings with it debt service that is added to the tax levy for the length of the loan to pay the interest. It also is timeline dependent since it requires a loan. With a capital reserve account, the district benefits from the
interest generated. For example, we earned revenue of over $1 million last year, which goes back into the capital reserve account and allows us to do more enhancements within that long-range facilities plan. The account must be in line with the long-range facilities plan
as I just noted. Additionally, if projects qualify for 40% funding from the state grants called rod grants, which we talked about last time, the capital reserve account allows the district to show our 60% share of funding, which is required to, excuse
me, to apply for these funds. For these reasons, our budgeting strategy has included funding the capital reserve account instead of taking out a loan to complete the large facilities projects. So, now let's talk about the numbers.
revenue, expenditures, and tax rates. So, we'll start with revenue. Um, this chart showcases that our district's budget, like many in the state, is funded almost 80% by local taxes. Unfortunately, with the state's school funding formula, we do not receive much
in state aid. Um, only 5.8, yes, excuse me, only 5.8%. The capital reserve piece of the pie that you see there is a deposit from our capital reserve account to fund 12 project from the long range facilities plan in 2627.
So it shows as revenue as I mentioned we do not receive a lot of money from the state and in fact revisions to the state the state's school funding formula have reduced our state aid by 13.73% since 2017. Um and that's what's shown
on this chart here. And moving into our expenditures. So, um, like all other school districts, 75 to 80% of our expenditures come from salary and benefits. So, we like to say, and I think you've heard us say it before, education is a people business.
But the reality is the biggest chunk of our expenditures is salary and benefits, as is every school district. So I wanted to do an expenditure comparison because as we mentioned at our tenative budget presentation, we are reducing staff um as we've done over the
past few years. Luckily again, we've been able to capture this through attrition. Um but I wanted to show some reductions. So um these are the areas and this this will be um part of the the user-friendly budget that you'll see. Um but they're in you'll see the reductions
in regular instructional programs. You'll see it in instructional support services, administrative expenses, and facility maintenance, custodial grounds, and security. Um, where you see some increases are the the big ticket items that we know are impacting our budget.
So, the largest being our employee benefits, which we've talked about a lot here, as well as our special education programs and tuition increasing. And then um because we are amending the the tax levy, the recommended tax levy, I wanted to show a new tax rate estimate
for next year. So this chart shows the specific tax rates for each of the five municipalities within Central's regional district. Um the tax rates fluctuate each year as we heard last month. Um this is based on property values and enrollment from each municipality. So,
we also showed the change over the last five years in tax rates per $100,000 in each municipality. And one final note um that I want to make about taxes is that our high school district is a piece of the pie um in
your total property taxes. This is just one municipality example. It's about 23.5%. The K to8 district makes about um 40% of your taxes and municipal taxes about 20%. Again, this varies depending on your municipality, but in general, the
the tax breakdown follows this trend. So, just in closing, um like I noted last time, this has been one of our most challenging budgets to prepare. Um that does include substantial cuts. Um, but the it is the budget that I'm recommending as superintendent of the
district and it does maintain all of our curricular and co-curricular programs. Um, it also addresses our aging facilities while keeping the tax levy increase low. Um, this presentation and our user-friendly budget will be available online within 48 hours.
Actually, I think the presentation is online now due to the fact that board docs went down. Um, and thank you for your time. So, I think I'll come sit back down and we can take questions if that works. Okay. Are there any questions for Miss
Canelosi Hay from the board? So I have a question. So first I just want to state that the board member's fundamental right is to ask questions and provide oversight. So the budget is our fiduciary responsibility to ensure that we are
providing a checks and balance. So um my first question is the same question I had last month. Um I had submitted questions prior to the budget retreat. I submitted questions uh prior to this meeting and I asked questions at the
meeting. I did not get any answers. So with regard to capital reserves and I we talked about this last month that it's at 29 million. So what is the intention of putting additional monies in before June 30th in the capital reserves and
what is that amount? So there is no money going in before June 30th. We I believe we have to wait until the audit is complete until we have our final numbers um and know what a surplus is to determine what goes in and then the board actually votes on
that what goes into capital reserve. >> So just to clarify, so are you saying no money's going in or some monies or we're not sure yet? >> We go ahead. >> No money is going into capital reserve during the school year. goes in once a
year and it's voted on in June. Any ins and outs, as was explained in the documentation that was sent to the full board, has to do with either projects being initiated or projects that have been completed. Once it's been designated into capital reserve, it has to go back into capital reserve.
>> Okay. And you're saying just to be clear that you don't know what the amount is, correct? >> Of what? >> What would go into capital reserves >> in June? >> Yeah, >> that is correct. >> Okay. I had another question. So, I know I
asked about the um with regard to the fiscal cliff with the 5-year projection on the health insurance. I know you provided an answer um with regard to what the percentage increases were, but you also acknowledge that there's swings
in that. And so, I don't see any specific data that supports a doubling of health insurance in 5 years. So, I'm not sure we can actually claim we're moving towards a fiscal cliff, but can you clarify?
So, I believe our estimates were 15% when we showed that slide. Um, and I believe I explained that that was due to an essentially what's kind of an in between number of what the increase was last year versus this year. Um, I think
I also shared that in the county of the superintendent who shared what their increases are. um we're seeing between 18 and 35% um this coming year. There are definitely swings um but we do need to be prepared. So I think no matter
which way um the when we hit that so-called fiscal cliff, right, the timing will depend on those swings, I agree with that. Um but what we know for sure is that our staff increases are roughly 3%. um they're trending um
statewide at 3.5% or higher. In addition, health care costs continue to increase. So, we know that those increases um even if healthcare increased only 10%. That's not a 2% tax levy is not enough to cover those 10%
increases or the um the 3 to 4% increase for salaries. But I think the thing is, right, the projections, you know, they're not always realistic, right? And so it's hard to project out that far. Um, which
is why we kind of talked about maybe projecting out a year or two, which would be more realistic, right, than showing something at five years. Do you agree with that? I think it's so unknown right now that we it's hard to project even what our
increases will be next year for this time next year because I don't think we knew last year at this time when we went up 9% is that last year I don't I don't think we would have predict predicted that we were going to be at 18% this year. Um so it's very difficult. I agree
with you. We're just trying to take an a conservative approach to see you know make sure we're covered. Um but the timing will vary. I also agree with that. Um you know I think when we originally showed that slide that fiscal cliff it was in maybe four or five
years. It might be seven. If we go up 35% like another school district it might be three. It's really hard to know because there are those es and flows and healthcare is so unpredictable right now. Um with chapter 44 sun setting soon that will be another concern. So I think
it is hard to predict. I agree with you, but just doing the sort of um simple math of it um is 2% tax levy is not going to cover the 3% that we're seeing with salaries and then
the even if we estimated 10% on health benefits. >> So what can we do to offset then the salaries or the increases? Maybe that's where that needs to be looked at because again and I also just want to go back to so the five-year projection doubling health insurance I don't think is
accurate or I don't know if we should be even using that because it's so subjective. So I think it's a good question what can we do? Um, I don't want to um I don't want to
recommend we don't have a good increase for our staff because then we'll lose our really talented staff. Um, I think it's something and I I may have said this in a committee or to a group of you um that I think the state has to to step
in at some point. Uh we might have even heard that at a public comment um at last month's meeting, but there is definitely an issue with the state funding formula. Um the the health care costs are crazy. And I know schools just aren't the people. We're not the only
people seeing it. I know those of you sitting out there that have corporate jobs are the corporations are also seeing healthcare increases. I But I know the difference is they pass the cost on to the employee. We do not do
that. we cannot do that. Um, so there has to be some reprieve somewhere. I just can't say what it is. Um, I don't think it's our district solving it on our own. I think we need to join with other districts. You know, we need to do
something um as a body to come together and look for some change at the state level. >> Okay. I think one more question. Sorry. >> That's okay. Um, so the health insurance cost, did we see any cost comparison
between Shiff and the Heartland Fidelity? Did we see that? >> Between Shiff and our new provider. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Um, I do, if you give me a minute to pull that up, Lisa, I do have that.
And I believe the growth was um the increase was slightly less, but I want to pull it up for you. Okay. Did you share that with the board? Had you shared that with the board? >> Uh, no. This is a letter that it
actually went to Miss Spitzer, but I was copied on it. >> What was the date of that letter? >> It was March 26th. >> Okay. So, so April 8th, I asked for that information to review. This is more of an internal letter for us to make a a
decision on a vendor. Um, but what I can share with you is um, they said the average three-year rate increase has been 18% for prescription versus the shift average for the same time frame
has been 22%. Did he show data to support that? I didn't get any data. I just this is literally a sentence that I I got from the letter. >> Okay. >> I don't know Miss Spitzer, did you get any data on that? It was just the letter. This is from our our brown and
brown. It's statistical. >> Okay. Again, I mean it would be helpful, right, to for the board to review that and verify that and understand that. Um so that's why I had asked for it, but Okay. Uh yes, just on the health benefits, I I
think uh yeah, the world is uncertain. We also have inflation, although I'm not sure that the board can actually verify um increases either. I think we'd have to really sort of do research, but again, I'm not sure that's the board's
responsibility to do that research in terms of trying to anticipate, you know, a three to five year increase with health benefits, right? >> Yeah. No, I understand. I'm just saying if you're going to use that though as a gauge to claim that there that we're approaching a fiscal cliff um then I
would want to see that research or that supporting data, right? So now we're saying no, maybe it's shifting. It maybe isn't that. So again, that's fine, right? But I just want to know what the what the information is. So when we're going to use that as a claim um to
justify going 3% then that's concerning, right? And so this is where the scrutiny is coming from. So now that's not maybe the case and so maybe we don't need to raise uh the tax levy. That's my point because we don't really know. So I guess
is is there any reason to believe that our broker who's an expert in insurance costs would not be giving us accurate information? >> No, I don't. Not from my perspective. That's that's what we pay them to do.
But do we also get I'm just curious, right? Because that makes me think about do we get competitive bids? Do we get comparisons because maybe other brokers offer different information? >> Yeah, they do. They go through that. >> Okay. But we didn't see it though,
right? So well again are this is this is not the time to well are there any other specific questions on the budget presentation because there will be time later for us to debate the um actual budget. Mayor Stella,
>> my question is is we're talking about keeping staff salaries down and not giving increases. >> Oh no. I've honestly I've never seen a district where more employees live in the district. So, it kind of leaves us
at a point of we're not we want money in your pocket, but we're not going to give you a raise, but we're going to do that with tax relief. So, we're just we're stuck because employee everybody wants more money. I I mean I I maybe not
everybody, but most people want more money. >> They need more money. So, it's almost like a push. If we're not going to raise salaries, then people are going to have less money in their pocket. >> I don't think >> if we're going to raise t taxes, people are going to have less money in their
pocket. So, there has to be a balance somewhere. And I'm not sure where that's going to come. And but I don't think cutting staff salaries or employee salaries is really the way to do it to keep the standards at central that we are used to. Yeah, I would just add that
>> I'm sorry, is this a question? Because again, we will debate the it's a budget proposal later. Okay. For Miss Kangela or Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, I would just ask did you take into consideration the 10-year decline in enrollment because that's a real stat,
right? And so that speaks volumes in terms of you know do we keep everything status quo while our enrollment has gone down year-over-year for the past decade right so I mean that's something I think are you considering that
>> yeah we um we have been actually since I arrived in the district which was in 2019 we have been um eliminating positions that we don't need through attrition um and that's a great tool for us to be able to use because it gives
dignity, it gives grace to our staff. And so it's a it's a good way to eliminate positions without like leaving somebody feeling unemployed. So that's through people resigning or retiring. Um so we have been doing that. We are seeing the enrollment start to
stabilize. Um and those are those unknowns because we are still awaiting the results of the demographic study that we don't know. We know, we hear from our sending districts, their enrollment is going up. We need to know when is that going to hit us um before we cut too much and we can't bring it
back. Um but right now, you know, next year we did eliminate 20 positions. Um most through attrition thankfully. Um but we're in a place now where we believe we're stable in terms of our staffing. Like you know our I don't see
our students suffering. we're able to maintain the good programs that we have. Um, and and it's a it's a good method to use, but I am just fearful, like I said, if you do that simple math of like 2% tax levy cap and then 3 to 4% increase
for staff and then, you know, even if we moderately estimate for health care, the math just isn't working out. And, um, that's no one's fault in this room, in this community. Um, but we need to it's something we need to look at for sure.
>> Last question. What what would you say to the person I I think there was somebody that raised a question last time that said there were, you know, 238 teachers, right? And I personally don't advocate letting go of teachers, but there was like 30 and something non-teer
staff, so administrators, etc. Um, and they thought that was too topheavy. and would you consider um adjusting that? >> Yep. Um it's a very good question and it's a fair question um for people who maybe don't understand all that we do
here. Um we're one of the largest employers in the county, certainly in our township. Um so we don't have um I'm going to say just teachers and I don't mean that insulting to our teachers because you guys know I love you. Um but and I support you and I'm so grateful
for you. But we have um administrators, we have support staff which includes secretary, par profofessionals, um all some required. Um we have a a larger security staff because our we have 72 acre campus and many different openings.
Um we have roughly 50 bus drivers, 50 custodians. So we have a quite a large operation here. Um, and some districts you don't see that because they outsource, but I'm really proud that we don't outsource. Um, that we're able to
keep our staff employed and that um, they take such pride in making our district what it is today, what you look at, but it it's definitely a fair question and I appreciate you asking it because um, it could be on other people's minds too.
>> So, you'll see just a comment All right. You don't have a comment. >> Are there any other questions? >> I I do have a question. Um the for the last uh several years, the tax levy has not supported the capital reserves uh
correctly. Am I correct? In other words, say for instance, next year that the 1112 million that we have in capital reserves, none of that uh is uh is being supported by the uh by the operating uh
by the tax levy, if you will, that's all coming out of our capital reserve account. >> I is your question. The long-range facilities plan um the funding for those projects comes out of our capital reserves. Correct. So that money is in
there and we can only use it for our capital reserve projects. Um if we get to a point which I do believe we're we're moving in this direction where we'll have less surplus uh maybe a little bit less deposit into the capital reserves. You know the longrange
facilities plan um has 80 projects. It's about $66 million. We don't have $66 million. Right? That's when um we need to meet our admin team needs to meet to review the projects to go what are the absolute necessities and where our strategic
investments that we can delay or make smaller. um we haven't really had to do that, but that you know should we put less in capital reserves that will that's what we would do or there's the referendum option um which we haven't
used in over 20 years but that is an option to to every school district. >> Quick question. So I think tying his question to Alisa's question, my understanding is and you had said we'll go through some sort of assessment after June 30th and if there is a surplus at
that time then the board then has to vote on whether or not that goes into capital reserve. So I think to answer your question there is a chance that money coming from this 2.27% could absolutely produce a surplus just
the way it has in prior years. And then we would have to make the decision of whether or not we voted into capital reserve to raise that bucket even more. Am I getting this right? >> That's correct. If that's I wasn't sure I understood how the question was being asked, but all of the money at one point
before it got into capital reserve was an operating budget. Once it goes into capital reserve, it's capital reserve forever. And any interest earned on it is capital reserve forever. So at one point the money that was in capital reserve was at one point generated
surplus in our existing budget. >> What has been the history of the ratio of uh funds from the surplus uh to going to the capital reserve uh and budgeted fund balance? >> So so it's not necessarily a ratio.
Traditionally um it's always been um the goal was always to replace what you took out, right? So if we did $3 million worth of projects, you wanted to kind of replace that our tax relief or our our has always been
the same. You want to keep that as the same because if there's big bumps and jumps in that number, you have to adjust it the following year. And I think that's what the objective was originally when we talked about slowly adjusting those three pieces because eventually
you cannot generate you will not be able to generate the same levels of surplus just because of the economy and the things that are changing. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to generate surplus hopefully and if you do it strategically it will have the least
amount of impact on taxpayers in that moment in time. So, if you do it strategically, you shouldn't see 10% increases. Maybe you see a 1% or a 2%. Hopefully, you don't even see that. Hopefully, the state comes through with more funding. But until that happens,
the goal is to stay stable. And there it's educated guesses. Um, that's that's the only thing it can be based on historical data, based on trends, based on what's going on in the market. Um, those are the things that we look at.
So yes, at one time anything that's in the maintenance reserve, capital reserves or we just use the emergency reserve that's been there for a very long time. At one point that was a surplus that was generated from the operating budget and at the time those
were the decisions that were made on where to put it. If that was your question because I was I wasn't ask one more question about that scenario. just ask one more question just about that specific scenario. So the board decides they don't want to put that into
capital reserves. What happens to it? >> It's it goes to what's called 10303 which is budgeted fund balance. You can see it on your um right on the user friendly budget. And all of a sudden that number will go up. So it's been 39
to4 million every year year over year over year. it's going to start coming down as the surplus change. But if you give all of capital say I I'll use this as an example. Um say we typically and I I'm not using real examples. Say we
generate $10 million in surplus and we typically budget to return to the taxpayers. What I mean by that is it's called the budgeted fund balance. You want to keep that flat or pretty clear, pretty close to where it has always been. So you don't have big
swings up and down. And what happens is, so we try to keep it around $4 million. Say I'm just picking a number. The balance, what did I say? 10. The balance is six. You've got to decide what to do with because if you give back $10 million, and give back is probably not
the right word. It's just the honest thing I'm trying to say. If you give out $10 million in one year, that goes to a revenue line in your next year's budget. This year it was $3.92 million.
Last year it was $415 million. So what happens is that surplus that's generated from the audit before it automatically goes through our recapitulation of balance and becomes a line item on the budget as a revenue. So if it goes from
4 to 10, you have a $6 million hole the following year because even if you do, what if you only generate 8 million, right? You've got a $2 million hole if you
continue with that same philosophy or the same technique. That's why we've talked about capital reserve. That's why we've talked about the tax. Those buckets all work together. So if you do a little bit at a time, it's going to have less immediate impact
on the taxpayer. So it's a $1.78 per 100,000 instead of, you know, $117 per 100,000. That's how those things work. Does that make sense? >> Yes. Thank you. >> I was just curious whether or or
actually what the reaction is. So, we submitted a budget in uh March to the executive county superintendent and then we said uh we've got to revise our numbers. So, what was the sort of
reaction or response? >> You mean from our county superintendent? He knows that I'm proposing a reduction, so a revised final budget. Um I am personally not comfortable sharing what he shared with me uh because I don't want to reveal his information. Um but
he did he approved the the 3%. And just to add it's not unusual for a budget to change I'm sure anybody that especially in today's um climate if you will because there's still a lot of unknowns. I got, you know, we did a
revenue a prescription change when the budget was already submitted to the county basically. >> So, you know, you've got school districts that have later budget meetings maybe or or things like that. We we are one of the earlier budget hearings, if you will, for the
preliminary as well as for the tenative. We're probably one of the earliest. So, no, you know, when you try to budget really tight, I mean, it's risky, but at the same time, if as long as it makes sense, um, it's not unusual for
preliminary numbers to change. I can tell you in 22 years, this is my first time, so I wasn't an expert at it. I had to do it, try it a couple times, but, um, we we we did get it done. I had to learn how to do it. But, it's not I don't think it's unusual as unusual as
it sounds. All right. Any other questions? Again, these are questions. We'll be able to debate the budget um motion later. Okay. Thank you, Miss Kangali. Hade, Miss Spitzer.
You've got more. I promise we're almost done with the report. I just wanted to before we move into the next section of the agenda, I just wanted to make sure I noted that the there is a Hib and suspension report on the agenda and I want to be clear the Hib um action items reflect the Hibs from executive session
last month in March 23rd, not the ones that were covered uh just an hour or two ago. And that is it now for my report and I'll pass it back over to you Mrs. Kellogg. Thank you. Um, so now it's time for the first residence forum. Um, can I have a
show of hands of how many folks are planning to speak? One, two, three, four, five. Okay, so I think we can we can keep the five minutes. Um, I just want to note that the board welcomes public comment and values hearing from the members of the
community. Public comment is provided for the purpose of informing the board and is not a dialogue or a debate. The board will not respond to all speakers at the time of their appearance, but will strive to follow up as appropriate. Speakers will sign in um and preface
their comments with their name and municipality, address their remarks to the chair, stay within time limits, and conduct themselves in a respectful and orderly manner. Speakers are expected to refrain from knowingly presenting false information or making misleading
statements. This is a public meeting and both the meeting recording and the minutes constitute public records. So if anyone would like to come up to the the podium, please sign in and make your comments. Good evening. Uh Maryanne Rampulla from
Raritan Township. U I wanted to start by thanking the administration for taking a second look at the budget and finding savings that will lower this year's tax increase yet maintain the instruction and services for our students. As a taxpayer, I appreciate that effort. As a
taxpayer, I also want to commend the administration and especially Miss Spitzer for her stewardship of Central's finances. It's a testament to her approach that we are not facing the same kind of tax increases that other other districts across the county and the
state are imposing on taxpayers. And while nobody wants to see their taxes go up, it's clear that the headwinds of economic factors are not in our favor in 2026. So to have a budget that doesn't cut student programs in this environment is amazing.
It's my hope that the board will vote to approve this budget tonight. And furthermore, with Miss Spitzer heading into a well-deserved retirement, I urge the board to be thoughtful in finding her replacement. Financial planning for the district cannot be cannot rely on a
wish and a prayer. The next business admin administrator must plan for the long term and maintain the excellent education that Central offers. It's a tall order, but I trust the board is up to the task. Sandra D'vour, Raritan Township.
After last month's meeting, I was left with several unanswered questions about the proposed budget. I raised those questions publicly, and I'm still waiting for clear, direct responses. What's troubling is that this reflects a broader pattern. Members of the public are asking reasonable, substantiated
questions about the budget and those questions are not being meaningfully addressed. I was also very concerned by the conduct at the last meeting. Business administrator Heather Spitzer and Superintendent Canderosi Hay responded to questions in a manner that
came across as dismissive rather than informative. There were visible reactions, including laughing inside comments, while valid questions were being asked. This is inappropriate and undermines public confidence. This is a serious matter. The budget is one of the
board's most important responsibilities, and the public deserves transparency, professionalism, and respect. The administration works for this community, and engagement with the public should reflect that responsibility. I also raised my budget concerns in a letter to
the editor and tap into over the past several years have central's budgeting practices consistently produced year-end surpluses that are then transferred into capital reserve. Available data appears to show a recurring pattern in which expenditures are overestimated or
surpluses are underestimated resulting in excess funds. If this pattern holds, it raises a fundamental question. our current taxation levels appropriately aligned with actual operating needs. The April budget presentation outlines a
potential 66 million investment in capital projects over the next 5 years. How realistic is this projection? Historically, how much of prior capital plans has actually been executed and how well do the proposed projects align with
demonstrated student and district needs? The February budget presentation shows a projected increase in health care costs from 12 million to 24 million over five years as a potential fiscal cliff. At the time, the strategy presented is to steadily increase the tax base now to
mitigate future impact. What assumptions underly this projection? For example, what annual growth rates, plan changes, or contractual factors were used to estimate a doubling of costs given the significance of this claim. and greater transparency around the methodology is
essential. Finally, while the April presentation states that Central aims to maintain a stable surplus, recent figures suggest that the surplus has been growing. Approximately 7.5 million has been added to the reserves in the past two years and roughly 14 million over the past eight years. What is the
target level for reserves and how does the current balance compare to that benchmark? At what point does the surplus exceed what is reasonably required for fiscal stability? Thank you. Good evening. My name is Ron Levy and I
live in Delaware Township. I'd like to begin um my brief remarks with a brief remark complimenting the board, the 10 central administration, the teachers, the students, and the community on the very productive
strategic planning sessions that were held during the past few months. I know it's a little bit off topic, but I'm only going to be 10 seconds. Um, I attended the first two strategic planning sessions and I was very impressed with how collaborative the participants were and how productive the
discussions were. My understanding is these strategic planning sessions are scheduled every 5 years and I would encourage the administration and the board to consider holding these planning sessions more frequently. Secondly, I want to comment on the topic
of the night um the budget planning and approval process. Basically, I want to in the strongest possible way support the comments I just heard a little while ago um and the recommendation of the superintendent.
I wasn't present for last month's board meeting. My understanding is that there was a proposal under discussion to approve a 3% increase in the budget in order to pay for in inflationadjusted costs. Following that meeting, a revised
proposal has been put forward tonight which calls for a 2.24% increase. While I would support a 3% increase, the 2.24% increase also seems reasonable to me as a um uh way to
balance um different uh interests in in this process. um the the community taxpayers, the needs of the school. Um so I I do support the recommendation of the superintendent. Um this uh amount um
recognizes the unavoidable effects of inflation on the costs to the high school next year while also recognizing the need to preserve the capital reserves for needed capital improvements like for example roof repairs and replacement which is estimated to cost
almost $2 million. If money that should be reserved uh for needed repairs in the future um is spent on recurring costs like health care and salaries, it will be necessary in the future to pay for these essential repairs and similar items by me
mechanisms which will be much more costly to the community. I'd like to end my brief comments by noting something about the ROD grant program, ROD. What is that? Well, I looked it up. Um, and
um, Hunter Central participates in this. Um, ROD stands for regular operating district grant program for New New Jersey school districts. and um um those districts which commit 60% of funding
towards approved capital improvements uh needed by the school from their their capital reserves receive 40% matching funds from the state. It is a very advantageous program for Hun and Central to take advantage of the rod program and
it is another reason why the capital reserve should be reserved for items listed in the capital reserves worksheet. So thank I want to thank the professionals administration and the board for all of their work on the budgets and thank the present thank the
superintendent for her presentation this evening. Good evening, Suzan Bokage, Raritton Township. Um, I appreciate the meeting. I appreciate the discussion and I appreciate that I think all of us um
have realized that we maybe need to push back a little bit and now that we have more information. Um the first thing is at this point we don't know how much there's going to be left over from the budget. We're not
going to know that till June 30th, right? So we don't know how much there is that can either be decided to be returned to the taxpayer or go to capital um reserves of which we have currently 29.1 million.
I had heard that um I guess the 10303 account that's an option if it doesn't go to capital reserves if I'm understanding correctly it goes to the 10303 which then becomes revenue for the next budget year.
So um I would wonder why or if that can be split. I mean, does 100% have to go to capital reserves or does a 100% of that have to go to the 10 303? I think that's something worth
questioning or looking into. Um, also um yes, I understand that we need um we need support staff. Um we have a great teacher student ratio which um statewide
is between 11 and 14 students to one teacher and we have 10 to one. So great I'm glad we have teachers. I do question all the support staff that we have 355 people.
Okay. 50 bus drivers, 50 custodians, security staff, I don't know, 10, 20 people, par professionals, not sure what that is. I think those might be um aids
or counselors. And then we have secretaries. So, where are the other 150 to 200 people? What are they doing? I'm saying this because I think going forward,
regardless of the budget, which my I would say the money should be returned to the taxpayers, but going forward, I think this board and Hunter and Central needs to have additional or fiscal
responsibility and accountability to the taxpayers that pay for this school. Um, we are funding the school and I would even suggest that we have an independent audit come in to see how our
school is run in terms of support staff and the jobs that are being done. I mean, corporate America does it all the time. And so that's all I have to say. Thank you for your time. Rebecca Peterson, Raron Township.
I keep hearing that we don't want to see the big fluctuations that we're seeing in other districts, but we don't see them because we've been budgeting in excess of what we've needed for many years now. We've we've seen those tax increases year over year over year. And instead of putting the excess into a
line item budget, and we don't want to put it into capital reserves and have it become an amount that we have to deal with next year, why not just budget for less of a a cushion? Currently, we have a significant cushion. We always do year over year over year.
Now, the district highlights decreasing state aid. However, decreasing enrollment numbers far outpace the decreasing state aid. And every year the enrollment consistently comes in between 1 and 6% underneath under under the estimates. The students aren't coming here.
You claim that the students are the priority, but let's look at the numbers. From 21 to 26, enrollment went down 16.6%. The cost for instruction increased 7% 7.6%. Total administrative overhead increased
23%. General administration increased 31.7%. And central services administration increased 32.5%. So let's look at the patterns over the budgeting years. You claim consistent
budgeting. I see years of over budgeting that has given us a fat cushion that we could dip into at this point. The budget has consistently sandbagged uh revenue projections. Extraordinary aid is always budgeted at zero. Um and for the last eight years, the district
has received every single year without exception somewhere averaging $77,000 annually. Um with $810,000 on average over the last three years. It will almost certainly come again and yet it's not budgeted. Capital reserve interest
is budgeted at $120,000. The district is sitting on a $29 million capital reserve. Last year's actual interest income was1,8641 $1,86,484. Even if the reserves uh dropped significantly over summer projects, $120
$120 uh,000 is indefensible. Likewise, the rates have not dropped anywhere near the pre2022 levels where we're risking that much interest being lost. Combined, these conservative documented adjustments represent approximately 1.4 $.4 million in revenue that the district
is always having sit on the table and not in the budget. The long range facilities plan, which claimed to be $66 million, is a wish list. It is approved by the state, but it is not a legal spending obligation. Projections can be deferred, redesigned, or removed. The superintendent claims
those projects need those $66 million in capital reserves, but that number ignores that some of those projects are rod grants, which we've heard about. And it also ignores the fact that a 25% cushion is added to each project for contingencies and soft costs. So, the board should be asking which one
of those $66 million in remaining projects are genuinely necessary for a school district that has lost 600 students and is likely to lose more. Is it the multi-million dollar upgrade to the administrative suite? The capital reserves has grown from 20.1
million to in 2020 to 29.2 million in 2025. And that's with spending significant amounts in capital reserves in those years. Despite the district projecting a large down draw downs every single year, the reserves has grown.
So the district presents a $4 million annual budgeted fund balance as evidence of fiscal discipline. But when you look at the total surplus, the fund balance plus the reserve transfers, the budget routinely generates eight plus million dollar extra in unspent funds annually on a $70 million budget. That is how the
tax levy, Mr. Williams, actually does include uh does actually go into the capital reserves and the projects. That's how the excess balance has been enough to carry the projects and put an extra 4 million, 6 million, 8 million into the capital reserves
year-over-year. That's not conservative budgeting under pressure. That is budget padded by design year after year that consistently overestimates expenditures or underestimates revenues or both by roughly 11 to 12%. For the people in the audience who are or who are listening at
home, pay attention to the fact that the increase not spent is banked. That means that next year they're going to come and say that they can use it all again. Unless some changes are made on this board or in the administration, these unnecessary raises will return. Pay very
close attention to who is actually representing the taxpayers. Particularly listen to what Miss Gong from Ron Township, Miss Kellogg from East Amwell, and Miss Santangelo from Readington have to say and how they vote. Should any of them choose to return this year for reelection, be aware of the impact of
your vote. Thank you. Hi, my name is Ed McLaclin. I'm from Delaware Township and um I might ramble a little bit so I wasn't really uh going to say anything tonight, but I um I had a few thoughts coming here. One, uh coming into this auditorium, what a
fabulous fabulous space. Maybe it needs some repairs. Who knows? But but what a fabulous uh uh place this is. This auditorium, the school itself. Um my boys uh both performed up here on these stages and in the pit band and in the in
the plays here year over year over year for I guess I guess about six or seven years we were coming here for it. So um so I'm just reminded of what what a what a fantastic institution this is. Um, and uh I want to thank you uh Miss
Spitzer for your your decades of of uh service here to the school and to uh and to your work to keep a a stable sane budget over all of those years and uh and superintendent as well. I want to thank you for your your effort and uh
for helping to you know shepherd this budgeting process. Um, for the folks who are coming up here with so many questions about this budget, I I guess my question to you is what problem exactly are you are you trying to fix?
Like is there some record here or some some evidence of fiduciary irresponsibility that that is has come to the four recently? What I see is year after year of this school uh and and this
administration and and prior prior uh uh you know boards here doing the right thing time after time after time and coming up with sensible budgets. Uh this budget looks no less uh sensible than any of the other ones that I have that
I've that I've been involved with or understood about or read in in the the last almost 30 years that I've lived here and I've been paying taxes. So I'm not quite sure what the problem is that you're highlighting through this and calling out members of the board and and
you know campaigns and such. Um there's uh there's been nothing I think from a budgeting perspective but um but responsible and thoughtful thinking. This capital expense, you know, the capital fund that we have, you have two
choices if you want to pay for an 11 million new roof, for example, and one is to tap into your your capital reserve budget. Uh that is there that it's your it's our savings account. So, one option is to tap into that and to use the money
that we've been saving to pay for an 11 million roof or $7 million office upgrades, whatever it might be. The other option is to uh burn that capital budget down to zero and be in a position where you have to borrow money in order
to do those things that you will have to do. $66 million worth of potential capital uh projects. Yeah, sure. Some of it's a wish list. Some of it is absolutely a necessity. There are things that we are going to have to pay for. So the basic home economics say that if I
have been saving and I have a savings account, far better for me to to take money out of my savings account and pay for a necessary repair, far better to do that than to put it on a credit card. It's it's it's simple mathematics. And the fact that we have a capital reserve
account, the fact that we have it and that actually it actually makes money for us every year is to me uh I mean prof profoundly u um uh what's the word I'm looking for?
It is just uh it is it's admirable. It's the way any of us should be running our home economics. It's the way you would want any school to be running their their budgets. It's the way any organization should be running it. should have a capital reserve. You should budget such that you have some amount left over at the end of the year
to go back into your capital reserve. If you pulled out millions of dollars to pay for a new roof, you want to replenish that capital uh reserve. The same way if you if you pull thousands out of your savings to pay for something to repair your home, you want to build your savings back up. It's it's just
plain logic. So there's nothing unourred. There's nothing nefarious. There's nothing there's nothing happening with this budget that is not plain to see that is not transparent and that is not you know exactly the way
that you would want a budget to be managed. So again I ask what problem are we trying to solve? Miss Santangelo with your questions about have we seen the data. These folks are experts in a way that nobody else on this board is this
administration and the people that we hire to uh to guide us on these things also experts. They have the data. So where the the lack of trust comes from I don't understand. But I'd love to understand what what problem really underlies what you're you're trying to
to solve here. So thank you very much folks. Hi, Sean White. Raren Township. All right. Um uh my wife and I, we moved here about four years ago. I love the community and I must say I I really do appreciate the um the effort that
everyone puts into this. Thank you. And um having a capital reserve amount obviously is incredibly important uh that it makes us money and um that we're being, you know, fiscal fiscally responsible that way. I but with with the cushion that we do have um you know
it is important that we can pull like the gentleman before me was saying pull out of our savings account and pay for the things that need to be paid for. The problem that I have is that when you start dipping into my savings account and the community savings accounts that's when it's it's you know things
are tough and things are tight right now for so many people and every year our taxes are going up. Um, and when you have enrollment that is declining over a decade, you've got the you're the smallest graduating class in the history of the school from what I understand.
Um, grades have been declining. I'm I'm I'm having trouble seeing how our tax dollars are actually helping students. And so, um, I, uh, I understand from LA last, uh, the last board meeting that I went to last month, I, I forget who it
was, one of you said that it's impossible for, um, there to be 15, you know, to spend $15 million on um, facility projects in a single year. Um, and when you combine that with the availability of the ROD grant, which
from my understanding reimbures approximately 40% of eligible projects, um, it it just it to me it just seems very unclear why we are increasing taxes. And so, um, I I I mean, I've got
four kids. Um I I you know raising taxes yearbyear I I mean I understand it's it's it is it's an incredible facility that you guys here have. I understand that there are um you know I oversee a few facilities as well and the you know the the money that's needed for upgrades
is incredibly important. That's it's obvious. Um but uh with a with a cushion what we have now, the cushion that you guys have now, I I just don't understand how you can um continue to raise taxes when there's something to dip into and
still have so much left over. And so, thank you for your time. Clock's set. All right. Good evening. Um, I'm going to go off a little bit of my original script that I was going to read off of because so much has been said. Uh, and I
just want to say, um, I admire everybody who comes up to this podium and speaks. I think all public opinion, oh, I'm sorry, Scott Cohen, Raron Township. Uh, I appreciate all the comments because this is obviously the
most important part of what this board does. And so all the questions are valid. All questions should be discussed and thought through thoroughly and I know this board will do that. But I did want to begin by thanking the board of
ed, the board of ed student reps in the administration, everyone who made the three-part strategic planning series possible over the past several months. What stood out most was the energy, commitment, and shared sense of purpose across the central community. It was
clear that this district is deeply invested in its mission, not just for the students sitting in classrooms today, but for those who will walk through these doors in the years ahead. A mission that prioritizes all students
and ensures each has the opportunity to succeed. At the same time, we've been we've seen months of transparent and thoughtful presentations and had in-depth questioning and challenges around the 2026 27 budget. Hutter Central has long
demonstrated a disciplined and effective approach to budgeting. I don't believe anybody's looking to swindle the taxpayers. One that has served this district well for many, many, many years, decades in fact. But like the
families the school serves, the district is facing increased financial pressures. All districts are. I've been hearing about a fiscal cliff in other districts that have happened 15 years ago. So this fiscal cliff is real. It's happening in
different districts. You can look at Montlair. You can look at our own internal district here at FRSD and what's happening. Rising costs in health insurance, special education, infrastructure maintenance, and energy are converging.
At the same time, the state aid and federal title funding are shrinking and disappearing. On top of that, the school is navigating a more competitive landscape, particularly with the expansion of four-year Polytech programs across the county. And yet, despite all
of this, this district has continued to deliver. They have maintained exceptional staff and I think it's real dangerous that we start having conversations in this space about teacher salaries. We're in contract negotiations. There are unions. That
conversation doesn't belong in discussions at this place at this time. They have expanded programs. We heard about RVCC's onetoone program tonight, including AP courses, dual enrollment
opportunities, AC Academy programs, and the Achieve program to name a few, while preserving strong studentto faculty ratios, which we've come to expect for our students growth and development against the mission of this district.
doing all this while keeping departmental budget growth relatively flat year after year. That is not accidental. That is the result of a disciplined forward-looking financial strategy and administrative stewardship.
However, as been shared in prior meetings, the pressure aheads are real and they are growing. As we move forward with the development of the district's five-year strategic plan, it is essential that we strike the right balance. doing our fidiciary
responsibilities while also delivering on what the community has clearly said it values and expects from Hun and Central. When we start talking about looking at opportunities to cut staff, the administrative staff is here to do that. They will look at the
organizational design. It's not in our interest to start giving input on how staffing should be done. As a parent of a child with special needs, the moment somebody says paraprofessionals, go after them, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
We're not doing that. All right. Our students need supports. So, it looks like I'm coming to my end of my time, so I'm going to jump ahead, but say that now is the time to continue making discipline forward-looking decisions so that we preserve both the quality of
education and the financial stability that the district has worked so hard to achieve. I ask this board to vote in favor of the final budget delivered tonight so the district can move forward and only hope it is sufficient to keep the guard rails on
for expenses that lie ahead. I do not want to be here 5 years now from now where uh the district and board are facing residents and explaining why are they asking for a much higher tax increase because we were unwilling to commit today. Thank you.
an hour. Okay. So, Mrs. Spitzer, just so I understand, we need to move these two items separately. Correct. The first one has >> Okay.
Um, can I have a motion then for items I1 and I2, the tenative budget adjustments and the budget adoption? >> I move I I motion uh to approve um uh I1 and I2 the tenative budget adjustments
and the uh adoption of the new budget. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Okay. At this point, we're going to have discussion um or not discussion, debate on this issue. If you would like to um make a comment, please raise your
hand and I will acknowledge you. Miss Gong, >> thank you. Um I think our administrative team and superintendent have done a someone has said an admiral job in terms of doing a revised budget and getting us
to a tax levy of 2.7 2.27%. Um it was difficult you know when I heard the new number I actually wavered teetered on do I asked them to push it down more you know below 2.27%.
But when I looked at all of the documents and information that the board was given, I said, "No, they've really they've really tried really hard to get to 2.27% to listen to our constituents from the last board meeting." There were many people who spoke at the
podium, sent emails, and we've listened to them. But that's also to be sort of balanced with the constituents who came to the strategic planning sessions who want us to bolster our programs, improve
the academic environment and educational experience for our students. So you've got folks who yes are hurting uh I'm a taxpayer in Raridan Township, but you've also got the other folks who say, "Well, let's see if we can do more." There was
a comment from a student that I remember that said uh make sure the facilities are future ready. Um and again the students did come to this to the strategic planning sessions and had some great ideas about the district.
I appreciate the work that the committee has done uh for the budget. Um, I was on, but I've learned quite a bit this year um, in terms of capital reserves and the interest that's earned from our capital reserves. I didn't realize that
the interest actually has to go back into the capital reserve account. So, that's one reason why the capital reserve account actually does grow. I also learned about the emergency reserves that we are depleting in order to get to 2.27%. So, we are depleting
our emergency reserves. I think it's now down to zero. Um, and I just assume that our administration and superintendent will figure out if we do need emergency reserves how to get it. Um, because as I said, it's down to zero.
So, the 2.27% continues the strategy that this district has used in terms of planning for the future, using interest, and not having a tax referendum go out to the taxpayers. I am curious as I think about this and I
read the articles in the chronicle or the hundred in review or actually look at the other board meetings that their constituents actually haven't stepped up to the podium. You know FRSD is at what 7.2%
tax levy. Uh Readington is at 3.6% tax levy. North Hunter and Voyhees is what at 4.2% tax levy. you know, F FRSD um also mentioned that they would go out with a tax referendum. This is after a
10.1% tax levy on us on my pocketbook last year. So, I'm I'm just really surprised that with our 2.27% that um we've gotten so much push back where the other districts realize that with health benefits increasing that
they've got to go above the 2% tax levy. And NJSBA is not um advocating 2%. They don't know what the number should be, but they certainly aren't telling the districts to go for 2%. You know, the other thing about F FRSD
is that they don't have capital reserves. So there you go. They've got zero capital reserves. And so how do they manage to do their infrastructure or repair things? They actually have to have debt. They have to have loans and they have to pay interest on those
loans. So, um, you know, maybe our capital reserves after we do certain projects will be lower than what we have now. Uh, but I certainly don't want it to be zero and have to do a tax referendum back to our districts.
The other thing, um, you know, again, the different tax levies that are in the districts, I believe that Readington actually went out for a bond referendum of $38 million last year. Come on. $38 million. A bond referendum.
Central has not had a referendum go out for I don't know how many years. Longer than I can remember. So, I encourage my board colleagues to approve this revised budget with the tax levy of 2.27%. Thank you,
>> Miss Lacosta. So, I do want to say that, you know, when there's a challenge or push back, I I do want to clarify that it it is not with lack of appreciation for the work and effort that has gone into things, especially with the fact that there was a first review and there was still
movement from 3 to 2.27. 27. Um, so I just want to acknowledge that. Um, and there's still going to be a matter of opinion. I think someone referenced, you know, your your household budget. We we all have different points of view on what is worth what. And, you know, where
I sit, I'm going to bounce around a little bit because some of my questions that are tied back to the budget are on a later item, but like if we talk about, you know, the two saving items, I guess, that got you guys from the 3 to the 2.27, right? One of it was the prescription piece and in other
scenarios as a year has unfolded we've come across fees I'll call it that we don't know that we were 100% clear on so I was left with the questions of you know this broker it's brown and brown correct like do they make commissions on their
recommendations and do we have that factored in Miss Lacosta this is for debate on the motion this is Not qu So this that would have been a question to ask during um the question and answer period. So this is a statement that you can make either in
support or um against this motion but there's no discussion about it and there won't be any questions answered. >> Okay then I will leave it there. >> Are there anyone anyone else like to make a statement or a comment on this?
Miss Santangelo. So, a couple of things. Um, so again, I mean, I think the budget is disproportionate with the number of students we have. I don't think we can ignore the decline for a decade in students. Um, so I think we are
topheavy. It's unfortunate, but I but I think that is true. I think our district goal was set for 2%. Uh, and going over that I think sets a bad precedent. Um, so I'm not in favor of that. Again, the
fiscal cliff, you know, people talk about that, but we haven't seen the data that supports that. Um, I think the distinction with the other districts is that they don't have the capital reserves we have. And I'm certainly not saying we should deplete it completely, but I certainly don't think that $66
million in projects are necessities and all priorities. So, I think there's a lot of wiggle room there. And I think we do have the benefit of the ROD grants with the 40% reimbursement. And what we're saying is 50 we we received lots
of comments. 58 comments I think I I correspondents counted a lot of people came out and a lot of people though sharing that they're hurting financially. We are in a position where we don't have to do this. And I think that was said last month. We don't have to do this because we are in the
position we're in. And so that's what I I I'm listening to the taxpayer and if we can give a little relief and not really affect what we're doing, I think we should do that. I think the other thing I will say with regard to the prescription provider, I'm not
comfortable with not getting information to review. So again, data is important and sometimes people make mistakes. When we provide checks and balances and oversight, that is what the board of education is here to do. So again, if we
question something and you're doing it properly, no harm, no foul. But if you're not, and sometimes that happens, and I'm not saying it's bad intention, but it has happened. We fix it. And the district is that much stronger for it. So that's the process. That is what
we're called here to do. And I'm not going to say that people can't do that. If they choose not to, then they choose not to. But I'm here to do that. And so um with regard to the prescription provider, there's a couple things, right? So that we watched the presentation, it talked about our
medical usage report and it showed um we were stable pretty much year-over-year. So that's different than talking about the market projections and the validity. So we weren't seeing that. The other thing about the broker presentation was that with regard to the switch over now
to Heartland, they were still in the middle and underway with regard to seeing final reports, quotes coming in. So I don't there's a gap between that and where and now we're switching to them. So I have I've not seen any of that data. And then the other thing is
and it's worth noting and this is public record, right? In 2024, we there was a performance audit issued by the New Jersey office of the state controller on central 10 central. It was released June 26th, 2024. They identified quote
specific material weaknesses in procurement practices and the district's reliance on its insurance broker end quote. So again, when when we're looking at relying on them, that that could be dangerous, that could be risky. And again, we're supposed to take a look at
the liability. So, I'm not sure there's a savings there because we haven't seen it. So, again, my recommendation um and and I don't want I don't like the fact that I would have to decline the budget, but and that's why I made a motion last
month and I'm I would like to move to amend the motion that the board of ed would amend the proposed budget to revise the tax levy. And I'm willing to compromise to say 1.5% and further that any funds currently designated to be de deposited into the
capital reserve fund by June 30th, 2026 be applied to offset the tax levy and provide direct tax relief in the 2026 2027 budget. And I would like to get a second on that amendment, please. >> I would second it. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Okay. So now we can debate um the amendment proposed by Miss Santangelo or someone can um move the question and we can just vote on it. So what is >> I move the question. >> Is there a second to move the question?
>> Second. >> Okay, Miss Spitzer. So this is basically well I think we have to vote on moving the question and then we vote yes or no on the 1.5. Okay. So this is whether or
not we want to close debate and move to um >> the question. >> Move the question. So yes would be to move on to voting. No would be to keep debating. >> So >> correct. A yes is to move on to voting
on the amendment. A no is to keep discussing the amendment as proposed by Mrs. Santangelo. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I think there's some confusion. So could you just repeat that please? >> So Mrs. Santangelo made a motion. Um it
was seconded by Ms. Lacasta and we would have had debate on that amendment except that the question has been moved. So when the question is moved that is to basically cut off that debate. So we have to decide to cut off debate and
then we can vote on the question. So if you vote yes it means we're no longer discussing Miss Santangelo's amendment. If you vote no you want to continue discussing Miss Santangelo's amendment. Correct everybody? Everybody good?
>> Sorry. I'm gonna ask for clarification. >> Yeah. >> Yes de vote on whether or not you agree with the amendment. So yes is let's not debate. Let's vote. >> Correct. >> No is let's not vote yet. Let's debate.
>> Correct. >> Miss Pisser. >> Yeah. >> Miss Bryce. >> Yes. Miss Gong, >> yes. >> Dr. Halpern, >> yes. >> Miss Laccasta,
>> yes. >> Mrs. Santangelo, >> no. >> Miss Wallace, >> yes. >> Reverend Williams, >> yes. >> And Miss uh Mrs. Kellock, sorry. >> Yes.
>> So, the majority are yeses. So we will move to vote directly on the amendment. >> Correct. So now we are voting on Miss Santangelo's amendment. Um and that would be a yes or no vote to either yes accept the 1.5%
um budget increase or no to go back to discussing the initial um 2.27 increase. >> So this is on the amendment. >> This is on the amendment. Miss Gong. No, >> Dr. Halpern.
>> No, >> Miss Laccasta. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Santangelo. >> Yes, >> Miss Wallace, >> no. >> Reverend Williams, >> no.
>> Miss Bryce, >> no. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> no. >> The amendment fails. >> Okay. So, at this point, is there anyone else who would like to make a comment on the initial motions um as written in the
agenda? >> I would like to make a comment. >> First, I want to thank Superintendent Kangelosi Hayes and Mrs. um Spitzer, our business administrator, and their team for preparing and presenting a budget uh
for fiscal year 20 26 2027 that is forthlooking, responsible, and demonstrates that the district has heard its constituents in reducing the tax levy from three uh to 2.27%. The second lowest in the county and the
lowest among high schools in the county. While having to make the hard decision to eliminate 20 positions mostly through attrition, the budget minimizes the impact the impact on taxpayers while maintaining the quality uh of academic
programming Central students deserve and need. This is all done in the backdrop of rising costs in particular rising health benefit costs for Central. This year it's 18.6%. The administration has held several budget reviews uh budget retreat,
tenative budget review and now a final budget review as well as uh budget reviews during uh uh the various committees uh uh in the past few weeks. This ensures transparency of the budget including the explanation of capital
reserve account. The district has done a great deal to educate the public on its budget going forward. It is going to be important for the board to truly grasp and understand the work of Mrs. Spitzer in ensuring we have a steady budget fund balance and what
that means for taxpayers and how that benefits you. Finally, I want to thank Miss Spitzer for helping the board and the public to understand how surplus is generated uh in a good faith budget. And thank you, Miss Spitzer, for working uh diligent with me to to bring me up to
speed on how the budget works. Thank you. All right, Miss Spitzer. Um, roll call. Dr. Halpern, >> I'm I'm sorry. We are now voting on the bud on the amendments as written. So,
this is the motion to move I1 and I2, the tenative budget adjustments and the budget adoption. Yes, >> Dr. Halpern. >> Yes, >> Miss Lacosta. >> No, >> Mrs. Santangelo.
>> No, >> Miss Wallace, >> yes. >> Reverend Williams, >> yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. >> Miss Gong, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Okay.
>> Thank you. Um, I will move items J1, the HIB reports, um, and HIPS 22, 23 and 24. Do I have a second? >> Second.
>> Any discussion? >> Okay, Miss Spitzer. >> Miss Lacosta. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Santangelo. >> Yes. >> Miss Wallace, >> yes. >> Reverend Williams, >> yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. >> Miss Gong, >> yes.
>> Dr. Halpern, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Dr. Halpern, you have a report out for student life and program. >> Hello. So, we had three items on action items from student life and program. Um,
NJIT provided a um, uh, contract, I guess, a contract um, discussed approval of a partnership agreement with the New Jersey Institute of Technology to provide dual enrollment opportunities for students. I'd like to add to that the a sentence, we heard today about
Raritan Valley Community College, which is offering a pathway to a um, associates degree. This partnership with NGIT is a little bit different. Um, and it involves that while taking the college level courses, students will be considered non-metriculated enrolled, meaning that they are taking classes,
but they're not actually a full-time student there um semester by semester basis, but has not been accepted as a regular student pursuing a degree at NGIT. So, the partnership does not involve pursuing a degree at NJIT. However, students who successfully complete coursework receive college
credits that appear on an NJIT transcript. These credits are generally transferable to most two and four-year colleges in the United States. So I I feel that this is a a very positive uh addition to our curriculum. Um uh number
two, an overnight trip by the speech and debate team. The committee receive reviewed a request for an upcoming overnight trip for the speech and debate team to the NCFL National Catholic Forensic League Grand Nationals Tournament in Washington DC from May 22nd to 25th, 2026. and an overnight
trip of the robotics team. The committee discussed an overnight trip for the robotics team to attend the first robotics championship in Houston, Texas from April 29th to May 3rd starting this week. Um, this approval is proactive as the team will only attend if they
qualify, which they do. Um, and and so I move these three action items. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any debate? Miss Spitzer, roll call.
>> Mrs. Santangelo, >> yes. >> Miss Wallace, >> yes. >> Reverend Williams, >> yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. >> Miss Gong, >> yes. >> Dr. Halpern, >> yes. >> Miss Lacosta, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> yes.
>> Motion carries. >> Reverend Williams, operations and transportation. The T committee has uh several items, eight to be exact, items to uh be moved and um action to be taken on. Uh L1 through uh L1 through three
are standard board items for the financial reports, invoices, and transfers. L4 is a capital reserve fund where we're moving um the refunds to uh back to the capital reserve uh unused uh allowances and cap and contingency for
three completed projects. L5 change group um changing the group prescription drug uh insurance carrier uh as recommended by our group insurance broker of record uh Brown and Brown effective August 1st, 2026 to make it
the allowing uh the following changes to the prescription insurance carrier terminate its group prescription drug insurance policy with schools uh with the school's health insurance fund. Select H Heartland Fidelity Insurance Company, Binart uh via public employer
trust. Desi designate Brown uh and Brown uh as the board's broker of record and benefits risk manager for our new Benard group prescript prescription insurance program. L6 uh um um L6 a donation by
Robert Novak uh which we want to accept with gratitude the donation of $6,113.35 uh from Mr. Novak Novik uh to the central regional high school curriculum and instruction department for their field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. And then L7,
food service provider renewal, approve the resolution to renew Pmptonian food services as our food service provider for the 2627 school year. And then finally, L8 2025 uh 26 professional service providers uh where we're moving
to approve the resolution for the professional uh services for April 28th through June 30th, 2026 by Montro's environmental services for the contracted amount of $9,250 per the superintendent. Therefore, I
move to approve items L1 through 8. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. Any debate? Yes, Miss Lacosta. >> Um, so this bleeds into the questions I started earlier in terms of the prescription drug insurance carrier
switch with the broker. I guess what I'm trying to wrap my head around, like I get it, their broker, going back to the comments as far as them being expert in what they do, but are there other costs we need to be aware of?
And the answer might be no, but that might come back at us that isn't factored into the savings in terms of are there is there a commission increase on their part that would hit us in some way? Um, sure, they can come make recommendations, but was there just no
bid, right? Like it seems like they said, "You're with X, we think you should go with Y." And we just said, "Sure." without any level of investigation or give me three options or, you know, help do a comparison for us. And then I believe, you know, there
was something, and forgive me because this is where some of the language is Greek to me, um that they would be empowered with a certain level of decision-making moving forward that just felt not great in terms of stuff that would normally come to the board for vote. So, I'm I'm trying to
get a grip on that particular topic. So, in general, that would be a point of inquiry, um, which you're welcome to make, and I won't make you repeat all of that stuff. And that point of inquiry would either go to what would go to Miss, um, Kangelo Hayden. You can ask
Miss Spitzer to help answer. So um to answer your question I I'll start with the first one is the um the broker of record is paid by the insurance company and actually he um he lowers his rate because of our our big
account if you will. Um I think the other question is it appears that he has authority. He doesn't have authority. He's identified as the broker of record so that he can oversee. Um, so for example, if we have an employee who needs to go directly to to them for
help, they don't have to come through us. Um, in terms I I'm sorry, I don't remember all of the questions. Um, those are two that >> the the I understand they're a broker and them having a level of expertise,
but did they was the process literally you are currently using X, we say you use Y, and we just went? >> No. Typically what happens because we're a member of the shift um we have a three-year contract with them. We're elig we have to be in for three years. This is the third year I
believe of our second cycle with them. So we actually had to go through shift first because they could have charged us a penalty to pull out within the three years what he does. So that's why our our um since being part of the shift our
health insurance has been very under control. Um we've we've been very successful. Um this was the first year that we saw a double digit. Um prescription and health benefits were rolled together there. He saw an
opportunity with Benard to possibly save um money for us. We had to first get permission from Shiff to pull out without penalty. They provided that. Then he went out to other prescription plans. Benard happened to be the best
one. It's not that their rates didn't go up at the same level as everybody else. Their starting point was less. Very similar to when we went to shift, I believe in 2021. Their rates, our starting point was lower. That saved us 9%. So that's why
he made the recommendation that he did. We need to notify Shiff and give Shiff um 90 days notice. That's why we can't start until August 1st. The notice will go tomorrow with this motion. Does that answer your question? >> Thank you.
>> Any other debate, >> Miss Price? >> Just on a a different item on uh number six, the donation from Mr. Robert Novik. Um I have no idea who that is, but it sounds like an individual, and I'd just like to comment that's a really generous
donation. Um, I've seen donations on previous agendas for maybe a couple of hundred dollars. Um, but this is pretty significant for a really important learning experience for our students.
So, I would just like to say an extra thank you um, even for that that gesture. >> May I make >> I actually think uh that u Mr. Novik has
made that donation uh at least for the last couple of years that I've been on the board just for your information. So it really is very special. >> Any other debate, Miss Santangela? >> So I think what the wording that Leslie was looking for in the resolution states
that the broker acts on behalf of the board in all matters. So I am concerned about the wording of that. I did legal weigh in on that. I I don't think we can give over our fiduciary duties over to a
broker in all matters. I looked up other resolutions in the past and we have not used that wording before. Um so that is very concerning. Again, he's negotiating deals. It there appears to be a conflict of interest with some of the commission
structure. um it was flagged in an audit that you know we may be going down that road again. So again I I would want to clear this with legal before we approved a resolution that has that wording in
there. The other thing with regard to the public employer trust um Benard is being accessed through a public employer trust intermediary. That resolution is completely silent on that entity's fees or ungovernance. There's a layer of cost
between the district and the carrier that isn't accounted for in the savings claim. So that 25142 savings claim appeared after the public hearing and appears to be being used tonight to justify draining the emergency reserve and reducing the levy.
And so the underlying analysis was repaired by the party that profits from the switch. So taken together with permanently deleting uh I'm sorry, depleting the emergency refund reserves to fund what may be a one-time introductory rate, the board is making a
structural budget decision on a very thing uh conflicted evidentiary basis. So I think I again it feels like this is a rushed type thing and I think it's I think we need more time. So, I would propose to amend the motion to propo to
postpone this resolution regarding the transition from shift to Heartland Fidelity Insurance Company until the next regularly scheduled board meeting. If I could get a second on that. >> I second. >> I think we I think we should I'm not I I don't think you're making that motion
correctly. Um, is that >> So I I think the motion you're trying to make is to table the um I guess what is that L8? >> Well, >> L L7, which would mean that we would not
be voting on it. >> I I'm actually um I'm not asking to table it. I'm asking to po postpone it till >> which which is the same thing as tableabling. >> You want to the end of the meeting or to the next? >> No, not the end of the meeting because I think we need more time again because I
would like legal to look at that wording. >> Essentially, I think >> so. Is that the motion that she makes? >> Yes. She wants to send it back to committee and postpone it. Yeah, >> it's L5, correct? >> Yes. So, so the motion would be to send
item L5 back to committee and not vote on it tonight. And Leslie, you're still good seconding that, >> correct? >> Okay. >> Yeah. And I I recommend legal look at it. >> Just a point of information. So if we
table this um motion, what does it do to the budget? So that is included in our budget, the the change and this the roughly $251,000 um savings. Um
so that's that is problematic. So, the budget, the problem is the budget was already approved and it includes this um and you see it in the user-friendly budget. So, now we're in this place um where we have to figure
out what we're doing with the $251,000 that would then be missing essentially from the budget. And perhaps this gets approved next month, but I it's a very unsure place to be. So, point of inquiry, um, are any of the
concerns, do you share any of the concerns that were raised by Mrs. Santangelo, um, about this motion? I do not um I think the I think I heard and Miss Santangel,
I apologize because I I think the microphone broke up at that exact moment. Um the emergency reserves are being used to offset our health care costs because we can use them but that is separate from the um savings we're projecting or we calculated that we're
going to get moving to the Ben Carter heart um heartland fidelity. Okay. And I think I think my first point though was the actual wording right >> giving the broker to act on behalf of the board in all matters. Again, I
haven't seen a resolution with that exact wording and I don't feel comfortable acquiescing our responsibilities. I don't even know if that's legal to be honest. I that's why I think we should check with legal. So, I don't know how you do that, but I
I would highly recommend that it may be safer, but I don't again I don't make the motions um to come to some agreement on the amending the sentence so we can take the vote on the motion since it's already accounted for
in the budget. Um, so I hear what you're saying, Miss Santangelo, about all matters. That seems scary. It seems like, well, what does that mean? Um, is it the board or is it like the district as the entity, which we call the board, and I understand that. So, I would just
encourage you all to think about that. and um but I think we do have a motion a motion on the table so we probably have to vote on that and then consider something else. Sorry to complicate. >> Can I just add one comment based on what
you were saying is this is also why when I started asking the questions earlier I did have in my head this feels like the wrong order of operations in the sense of having a potential concern over a cost that's later in the agenda that is tied to something I had to vote on earlier like which is why I wanted to
ask some of them. So, I'm more pointing it out for a go forward as we build agendas. Like it's troublesome that something later you don't have voting rights for lack of a better phrase because something earlier trumped it if that makes sense. >> Yep.
>> Thank you. >> Is it possible to add a sentence about legal oversight or something? So it so the where where we are right now is we are de discussing debating um
Miss Santangelo's motion to uh table this. So we have I guess we have two choices. If she'd like to withdraw her motion um then we can put in a motion to remove that sentence um stating that they're authorized to act on behalf of
the board in all matters. um or we can if she'd like to move forward with voting on her um motion to table, we can do that and then propose an amendment to um to the language.
So I am okay with with withdrawing that amended motion if we can remove the statement in number three that says Brown and Brown is authorized to act on behalf of the board in all matters related to these programs because we don't know what that means. That's not
defined. Yeah. So, your motion is to remove um the second sentence. So, the first paragraph of number three stating that Brown and Brown Metro LLC is authorized to act on behalf of the board in all matters related to these
programs. Is there a second? >> Yen. >> Sorry, Dr. Halper. >> So, Mrs. Santangelo. >> Just need to get this in order. Mrs. Santangelo withdrew her amend or motion.
>> Yes. >> And now she made a motion to remove the last sentence from item number three. >> The last >> on L I'm sorry, it's L5. Correct. And it says Brown and Brown Metro LLC is
authorized to act on behalf of the board in all ma matters related to these programs and it's been seconded by Dr. Dr. Halpern. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Is there any debate on that motion
or can we vote on it? >> Okay. Miss Spitzer, can we have a roll call? And this is on removing the sentence from item L5 number three as >> Mrs.
>> Oh, I'm sorry. M Miss Ms. Brace, Mrs. Bryce, >> I'm sorry. Just one thing to clarify because I see um there's three small paragraphs there under item number three. So, we're talking about removing
>> we're talking about item first. Sorry. Item number five, number three, the second sentence >> in the first paragraph. >> Yes. But if we remove that um if you look at the second one, it lists out the responsibilities
and that which they include, do we need to somehow say uh that Brown and Brown is authorized to act or are we okay just completely striking out that one sentence that we're talking about? Well, it's still it
still designates them as the broker of record and risk manager for these for this program. And then I think the second paragraph identifies what that is, which means negotiating annual renew rates, marketing and group insurance plans, and aiding staff and resolutions,
enrollments, and claims. And then it talks about their commission and that it's tied in um to the um paid by the benard. So I think that sentence is taking it out doesn't impact the
meaning of the entire paragraph. >> Correct. >> And technically doesn't it remove something that maybe we're not comfortable with that if in the future if it goes back to committee and we get clarification and it's discussed and we f by decide by the next meeting there's something to add it can go on the agenda for the next meeting. We could revise
it. Absolutely. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, roll call vote on amending item um I5. >> Sorry, >> Mrs. Santangelo. >> L5.
>> Just to be clear, right? Is that just that sentence? >> Yes. >> So, yes, >> Miss Wallace. >> Yes. >> Reverend Williams. >> Yes. >> Miss Bryce. Yes, >> Miss Gong. >> Yes, >> Dr. Halpern. >> Yes,
>> Miss Lacosta. >> Yes, >> and Mrs. Kellogg. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, now the motion is amended and the sentence is no longer there. So, we still have the original >> um motion for all eight on the table.
>> Correct. So, we we are still debating. Is there is there any additional debate on the motion for items L1 through 8? Is that all the items? Yes, that is all the um let me just finish up with the
prescription provider. So again, I think there's a lot of missing information to make an assessment. So I would just I don't feel comfortable with that, but I'll leave it. Um the other thing I wanted to bring up was invoice. There's
a check in the amount of $6,2910, right? I think we've talked about this a couple months ago. So, it's invoice number 1291294 um submitted by Shank Price for services rendered back in October of 25 um
related to an ethics complaint. So, the invoice reflects hours build by Kate at 200 per hour, but that was not the approved rate at the time. And then there's an additional 13.2 hours built by EIB at 385 an hour.
So again, there's I thought we were fixing this. This is not accurate. The board hasn't authorized that. So I think this is we we should first of all, we shouldn't be approving it. And
second, there still remains the whole unresolved issue about authorizing using that firm in the first place. But I'm more concerned about the $6,000 check. this bill list. >> So, I think I think we should again
tease this out and try to reconcile it and understand it, but those hours I mean, unless you can show me a board resolution that approved a $200 an hour rate and a $385 for an associate, I think that I think the numbers are like$185 and 190, not
200 and 385. Never seen that before. >> Yeah, but not 385. So my understanding, Miss Santangelo, is that the $200 rate was approved by Udica for use of shank price in the ethics
complaint and the $385 rate is being resolved by Udica with the firm. Am I correct in that? >> That is that is correct. But the confusion is that there there was a conflict of interest with using that law
firm and so right they we switched to methle because of that. So again I would want to see some documentation that Udica I mean I don't remember the board approving that or seeing anything related to that. Um so at the time, this
was October of last year, um the advice given by board counsel, was that if we had a contract with the the law firm, in this case, Shank Price, that we did not need a separate board approval to pay
invoices to that that law firm. So >> I don't think that's correct, D. I think because it's when it's an ethics complaint, it's it this is not we're contracted to use them for certain things, but this this is separate. This is an individual board member, so it's different and the rates are different
and we have to make sure we're getting reimbursed. So, I think there's a lot of issues around this check and and it's obviously because it's been delayed since October. I would like to see this pulled and and just I mean I again right like this stuff is frustrating. It's on the fly.
We have no information. I've asked for this by the way. I never received an answer. Um I explained it in detail and I never get any answers on this and now here it is. It's appearing on the bills list. I don't think that's okay. I'm asking you for the proper documentation
to support what you're saying. I I I believe and and we should check this, right? I believe we should have authorized as a board uh using that for that purpose. I I think that's correct. So I again deal six months we can it is
my understanding. It is also Miss Kelsey Haye's understanding and Miss Spitzer's understanding that we that the proper procedures were filed or followed. Um, and since ethics complaints are confidential
until they have been found to have probable cause, this is not documentation that is provided to the entire board. >> I'm talking about the documentation with regard to Udica's approval and the reimbursement. >> Well, you again, it's all part and
parcel of the ethics complaint. >> I completely for the record disagree with that. It's challenging. >> Okay. Are there any other items that folks would like to debate?
>> Can I ask a question? >> A point of inquiry. Sure. >> Sure. um with this if there's a portion of it that is under review UDICA looking into I mean if it's technically not accurate
then what is the path forward for voting on it >> okay so they need to make a motion to take it off >> or just vote on So I think
>> I'm sorry I wasn't using the microphone. Uh so everyone has the option um just like any other motion really to um remove that check or you could vote no to it as well. And then um if a majority
voted no, the Spitzer will get in contact with them. Um and then you know you you may see it again in a future but it does give time you know um to look into the concerns because we want to do our due diligence too.
>> Yeah. So are you recommending a motion to postpone it? Is that what you're saying? I think it either or you can postpone it or you can just vote no to that particular um that particular
invoice number. >> True. But I like >> it's one check number. >> Yeah. I like the idea though of postponing it because then we can resolve it >> as opposed to saying no, then what happens? Like if people say no, it's not going to get paid. But you know what I
mean? I don't know. Yeah. If we postpone it, I think regardless if we postpone it, it comes it'll come back next month, right? >> If we vote no, it may still come back next month. So, I think it's just a matter of preference, you know, whatever
everyone is comfortable with. Um, I think either way kind of accomplishes the same thing. So, if it and I just if it's a no vote, we're still going to look into it. So even if you know if you prefer to do the no vote instead of postponing it, we're
still we'll still follow up on it. >> So which check number are we talking about? >> I think 278 >> 85278. Okay. >> Yeah. 85278. It's on page one three from the bottom.
>> Okay. Would someone like to make a motion to either postpone um that check number or are we >> postpone? Second. >> Okay. >> I'm sorry. Who was the first?
>> You voted to postpone. Okay. Roll call vote. Um was Mrs. Wallace Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes.
>> Yes. >> Abstain. Okay. Are there any other items to be debated under L1 through L8? I just have one quick question. I just I probably know the answer to this, but with regard to transfers, I did notice
that other districts use a um generated system report and we use an Excel spreadsheet. So I just want to confirm that this report is complete and accurate each month and so we have 12 transfers on to this month and that's what the board has asked to approve. So
is that um complete and there are no other transfers that are occurring outside of what is being presented? Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other items for debate? Okay. Um, so we are now voting on items
L1 through L8 with item five as amended to remove that sentence >> and postpone check >> and the postpone check in um item two under invoices.
Miss Spitzer, Mrs. Santangelo. >> So, I'm going to vote no to items one, two, three, and five. One, >> two, three, >> and five.
>> And five. Mrs. W. Miss Wallace. >> Yes. With the previous mentioned amendments. >> Reverend Williams. >> Yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. >> Miss Gong, >> yes. >> Dr. Halpern. >> Yes.
>> Miss Lacosta. >> No to one and five. Yes to the balance. >> And Mrs. Kellogg. >> Yes to item one. Under item two, I'm abstaining from check number 85506,
82,85277, and 85279, but yes to the rest. Um, and yes to the remaining items as amended. Uh, Miss Gong, personnel committee.
The personnel committee u met on April 21st. Um, the meeting was attended by Marisella Wallace, Lisa Santangelo, D Kellogg, David Bailey, and Jessica Kangalloce Hay, and myself. This is the time of year when we have the largest number of action items under specific
categories. Um the 16 action items that have been recommended by the superintendent. Again, please note that a few items have already received interim approval by the superintendent. The reason for that is when an approval was needed prior to a particular board
meeting. So that is uh the case for some of the items. We have our standard personnel action actions on the agenda and I just want to highlight the retirement of Gan Mance who had 15 years of service with the district. So we wish
her well in her retirement. Item two includes four position changes. We received one question from a board member that the superintendent responded satisfactorily to one of the position changes. Uh we actually had two questions this month. There was another
board member who asked a question and there was a correction that was made by Mr. Bailey. Items three, four, and five include appointments for substitute positions, curriculum writing, and chaperones. Items six and seven include professional development of staff. Item eight is for
a stipen for the girls soccer head coach. Items nine and 10 are for unpaid volunteers. Item nine is the superintendent solution to a concern raised last meeting by the some of the parents of the robotics team. Items 11
and 12 include recommendations for stipens, bus driver, and bilingual Spanish endorsement. Item 13 is for two internship observations. One is for a school nurse, which is uh unique, but that's also excellent for us, and the other for
social studies, which is also very good for us. Item 14 seeks approval for leaves of absences. Item 15 is for amendments to dates of leaves of absences that needed to be corrected or changed.
Finally, item 16 is seeking approval for 16 different groups of staff for the 2026 to 2027 school year. And I will go through that. So we have um teachers tenur, teachers non-tenured,
par profofessionals, custodians, there are 28 custodians listed, maintenance, operations stipens, mechanics, technical staff, secretaries tenur,
secretaries non-tenured, administrators tenured, administrators non-ten tenure, unaffiliated support staff, unaffiliated supervisors, unaffiliated central office administrators,
and finally bus drivers. And with that, I'd like to move items 1 through 16 from personnel. >> Second. Second. Any debate on any of these items? Miss Spitzer roll call.
>> Miss Wallace. >> Yes. >> Reverend Williams. >> Yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> I have one item to abstain on. Uh it's M6 line item number four. Yes. To everything else. >> Miss Gong.
>> Yes. >> Dr. Halpern. >> Yes. Miss Laccasta, >> yes. >> Mrs. Santangelo, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> yes. >> Just to be nerdy.
Um, Miss Laccasta, make a motion for a point of personal privilege to excuse yourself from the table. >> Oh, >> so you want me to make a motion? No, I just want you to >> You just need to say point of personal privilege. I need to leave the table. >> Okay.
>> Point of personal privilege. I need to leave the table. >> Have a good night. >> All right. Miss Bryce, policy committee. >> Yes. Um the policy committee met on April 15th. In attendance were Ms. Rothell, Miss Wallace, Reverend Williams, Miss Kangalloy Hay, and
myself. The committee is continuing to re uh review the 8,000 section of the policy guide uh for the April meeting. We did intentionally keep the agenda a little light because there's been uh so much work with the budget. Uh additional
policies and regulations in need of minimal updates to align with the Strauss Esme versions were identified as well as a recommended policy that is missing. Uh the committee did not receive any questions or concerns about any of the items listed under N1, N2 or
N3 of the agenda. The committee has four items for approval on first reading. Regulation 8420.6 accidents to and from school and uh policy 8431 preparedness for toxic
hazard and regulation 8431 toxic hazard preparedness. Um these first two items simply change the term pupil to student policy and regulation 8451 control of communicable disease. Uh the policy rec
references our current practice of staff referring students to the school nurse and policy 8454 management of pediculosis also known as lice. Uh it is important to note that the district does not have cases of lice often, but in the
event that we do, we thought there should be a a policy in place. The committee has seven items for approval on second reading and two items to abolish on second reading as detailed at the March 23rd board of education
meeting and as listed under items N2 and N3 of tonight's agenda. Um, and I'd like to make a motion to approve agenda items N1 through N3. >> Second. Any debate on any of these issues or any
of these any of the items moved. Okay. Roll call. Miss Spitzer. >> Reverend Williams. >> Yes. >> Miss Bryce, >> yes. Miss Gong, >> yes. >> Dr. Halpern,
>> yes. >> Mrs. Santangelo, >> yes. >> Miss Wallace, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Kellogg, >> yes. >> Is there any additional business committee member liaison reports?
Miss Bryce, >> I have a couple for um as the liaison to the parent engagement committee meeting. Actually, since our last board meeting in March, we have had two parent engagement committee meetings. Um, the first one was on March 25th, and Lori
Livazy from prevention resources gave a current or gave a presentation on the current trends in substance use among teens. Uh, following the presentation, Miss Maggala emailed district parents and guardians, a PDF of the slides, and
a video recording of that presentation. And then just on April 22nd, um again, parent engagement committee meeting, Mr. McIac and Misspina led an interactive presentation on AI in education. Uh then
attendees reviewed the four goal statements and objectives developed during the third strategic planning meeting and discussed areas where parents and guardians specifically may be able to engage. Um, and up next, I
think our student representatives mentioned it very briefly, but we have an open house for seventh and eighth grade students and parents on Tuesday, May 5th from 5 to 7:00 p.m. >> Thank you. Any other reports or
additional board business? Uh, >> yes, additional board business. The next uh bus driver negotiation meeting will be held on April 29th. Thank you. >> I have something I'm sorry for new business. I just wanted to um request
that the Aspire program be added to discussion in SLMP. And my reason is again, so I want to be careful here. Right? This is I'm concerned about parameters of the program. And the reason why I say that is I know that the superintendent
had confirmed that this program does not fall under special ed which leaves a number of important questions unanswered. So specifically I'm concerned that if students are being educated in a separate setting or with group counseling therapeutic activities
during instructional time that the program may be functioning as a de facto alternative placement without a formal board approved policy framework. And so that's what I'm looking for is that framework. So for example, are um and I could send an email on this, but um are
students being removed from core instructional time for therapeutic services? Raises questions under the law 6A16 regarding the delivery of student support services. are students who present with academic, behavioral, or emotional needs being appropriately
reerred and evaluated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rather than supported through informal mechanisms alone and whether students with qualifying conditions are being afforded protections under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Um, so I
know that they use an individualized program plan, uh, which I confirmed is the case, but that's not formally recognized under New Jersey law. So again, I'm concerned about consistency, parental consent, procedural safeguards for these students. So um, this issue
goes directly to program classification, student rights, the board's fiduciary responsibility to oversee those instructional programs. I'm not saying the pro programs are bad. I just want to make sure that there's the proper safeguards and we're doing the right thing. So, I think um that's worthy of a discussion and I'd like to request that
for SLMP. Yep. Thank you. I was going to ask if we can follow up with you just to make sure we capture everything. >> I'm going to Yeah, I just I'll forward it to you guys. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Um, if there's no additional business, now we'll do our last
residence forum. So, this is um for public comment on any topic that the the public is interested in speaking on. Uh, you'll have five minutes. We'll put the timer up. Um, can I have an idea of how many folks are looking to speak? One,
two. Okay. It's okay. >> Okay. >> It's getting late and I know everybody wants to get out of here. >> Okay. Scott Conr and Township. Um, if you'll indulge me for a minute, uh,
tonight I want to speak about Paul Robeson who was a proud New Jerseyian who whose life offers a powerful example of what our students can aspire to become. Paul Robeson was the definition of a Renaissance man. He excelled across an
extraordinary range of fields, intellectual, artistic, athletic, civic, and civic. He was a scholar, a standout athlete, a lawyer, a world-renowned performer, and a passionate advocate for
justice. But what truly set him apart was not just the breath of his talents. It was how he used them. Robersonson combined excellence with purpose. He was deeply educated, spoke multiple languages, and engaged with
cultures around the globe. And he used his voice both literally and figuratively to advocate for civil rights, workers rights, and human dignity. His life represents something
larger than individual achievement. It reflects the ideal of a fully developed person, someone committed not only in personal success but to contributing meaningfulness to society. So you may be wondering why am I
speaking about Paul Robersonson at this board meeting tonight? Well, it's about our students, the mission of Hunton Central. We started this board meeting, interestingly enough, with a presentation from RVCC,
and I'm almost closing it with one form another speaker coming up behind me. Uh, as a member of the Ron Valley Community College Paul Robson Advisory Board. As a member of that board, I want to
share that last week at the Raron Valley Community College, we hosted our 35th annual Paul Robersonson Achievement Awards. This event recognizes middle and high school students across Somerset and
Hunter counties who embody the very qualities Robeson stood for. excellence, leadership, service, and character. The selection process is rigorous. Students are nominated by their schools
and their school counselors. Students are evaluated not only on their academic performance, but also on the contributions to their communities, their leadership, and the strength of their character. That's why it is especially meaningful
to share, if you're not aware, that 300 Central students were recognized at last week's ceremony. Christopher Davis for community service and they don't know I'm here tonight doing this. Uh Sierra Martin for the arts and Regginal Oay for
athletics. These students represent the very best of what our district strives to cultivate. Not just achievement in a single area, but well-rounded individuals who contribute to the world around them.
In addition, students from JP Case Middle School were also recognized, which is great because Hunan County has been under represented in these awards in prior years. But it's a reminder that the spirit of excellence and engagement
is already growing amongst our future central students. In many ways, these young people carry forward the legacy of Paul Robeson. They remind us that education is not just about preparing students for careers,
but about preparing them for lives of purpose, impact, and leadership. Thank you. And congratulations to those students. So, this is the uh one time I'm going to say I'm glad that Miss Kellogg is the president because this is going to be addressed specifically at you. The fact
that you can sit up there with a straight face Rebecca Peterson Township >> and Township for Thank you. Okay, knock yourself out now. The fact that you can sit up there with a straight face and talk about how ethics complaints should be confidential until there's a decision made would be laughable if it weren't so
disgusting. Especially after what you did in 2023, the last time that you were in leadership. Aside from your self-serving double standards, you continue to step in it. You seem to have found out about the existence of Robert's rules. Once again,
your authoritarianism runs well ahead of your knowledge. Your Sparks Notes version of Robert's rules is not going to help you here. It is clear you're trying to silence certain board members. I'm sure that the board members who dare to ask questions are faced with passive aggressive emails about building bridges
and finding a consensus because those are your signature lines. But you aren't seeking consensus. You're expecting people to get in line. And you belittle people who don't fall in line with you. In fact, you try to publicly humiliate them.
It's clear that you're working to decide that there's going to be no questions during the budget vote. You decided that you're just going to stifle open debate. Everything you and your gang of five said last year was projection. I thought it was all about the open
debate. The rules only matter when you're in leadership. I guess when you're out of leadership, you email attorneys without authority. You toss surprises at the table and you engage in discussions for which you are clearly conflicted.
Who gave you the authority to suddenly decide that you are going to force the Robert's rules today in a way that doesn't even follow the actual Robert's rules? That was really nice how you tried to humiliate Miss Laccasta who was trying to quietly leave the meeting. It was also really cute how you called
the question tonight. Everyone got in line really fast. Everyone knew their marching orders. Fortunately, Miss Santangelo was able to speak before the motion and no other board member was seeking to speak. However, be advised that you cannot use
that little trick to stifle debate. You cannot call the question before everyone who wants to speak has had a chance to speak. So, I hope I don't see that in the future. And it does require a two-thirds vote, not just a majority. You cannot close debate before everyone's had an opportunity to speak.
In Robert's rules, the small board rules protect even is even more protective of informal discussions. And this is a small board. This is not a 100 member delegates assembly. This is a small board. They have different rules.
And those rules don't include having to ask for permission to speak, which I saw you doing today. It's painful that you don't know the difference between a motion to table and a motion to postpone definitely or a motion to postpone indefinitely. You're trying to suddenly change the
entire history of the operation of this board to follow a set of rules that you are wholly unfamiliar with. If you spent a minor fraction of the time that you have been on this board either learning the first thing about the ethics code or trying to understand your role as a board member, which is not to be a Ptorian guard for the
superintendent, by the way, these board meetings wouldn't be the complete mess that they are. Perhaps a little bit of self-reflection would go a long way, but I'm not sure that you're capable. Thank you. Any other public comment this evening?
Okay, since we have already done our Oh, board comments. Are there any board comments this evening? One last comment. I had the opportunity to attend uh Meg Donhauser. I don't know if she has her doctorate or not. So,
it's I don't know it's doctor or Mrs. but uh I attended two AP research presentations. They were excellent as usual. I think this is my third year attending these students and they do a great job with graphics research and coming up with a summary uh while
they're being taped. So, it was really really a fun um uh experience, but it's also very difficult to pick out what sessions to go to because they're all so interesting. So, I appreciate that and
uh kudos to those students. >> Miss Bryce, >> um yeah, I will echo that also like Miss Gong. Um I sat in on three of the AP research presentations. This was a first experience for me, so I didn't know
exactly what to expect, what I was walking into, but I was so impressed by how wellprepared those students were. Um, how well spoken they were, and if
it's any indication, our future is in good hands. We've got some great students coming out of here. Um, I did have a couple of other shoutouts just since our last meeting. Um, I continue to try to engage in our students activities in various school events. Um,
our student reps mentioned a few of them, so I will skip those. But I do want to mention um, robotics. It's new to me. And after the robotics parents came out at the last meeting and expressed their concerns and they
reached out to the board and invited us to one of their upcoming competitions. and I grabbed my oldest son and on a Sunday we went out to Montgomery High School and took them up on that invitation and holy cow there it was so
much more than I could have imagined. There were three students in particular that um gave us kind of a backstage tour of their pit and explained the entire operation and all of their sub teams and
the responsibilities of each of those sub teams. Um, I don't think I'm getting them all here, but there was electrical, mechanical, CAD, which is the computer assisted design, um, programming, business and outreach, and the theme of
the robotics competition this year is basically robot basketball. And team 3637, the Dollex, that robot they built this year far surpasses any basketball skills I could ever hope to have. So
great job. I was really blown away. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> I just have a quick comment. So I have sent and I mentioned this earlier several emails um since March and I haven't received responses to them. So
I'm asking you um with respect to answer those emails. So Vernon, for example, I sent you two emails to your as a chair of did not receive a response to those. And I go I I research a lot of information. I go in great detail to substantiate what I'm asking and why I'm
asking it. So I would appreciate a response to my emails. Thank you. If there are no other comments, do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? I
>> I any opposed?