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 media consistent with the open public meetings act and that advanced notice required therein has been provided. Meeting notice was also
posted in the board of the upper school campus sent to the courier news star ledger express times and the hunter county democrat and sent to the clerks of Delaware township eastwell township burough rariton township and readington township. The public will have the
opportunity to be heard as shown on the agenda. Roll call, please. Miss Bryce, >> here. >> Miss Gong, >> here. >> Dr. Halpern, >> here. >> Miss Laccasta, >> here. >> Mrs. Rothell >> here.
>> Mrs. Santangelo >> here. >> Ms. Wallace >> here. >> Reverend Williams >> here. >> And Mrs. Kellogg here. >> Thank you. I'll 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. >> Miss Laccasta, would you read the district mission statement, please? >> Sure. Hunter and 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 powerful learning experiences, establish strong partnerships, and serve as a
contributing members of society. >> Thank you. Um so I I guess just to give a little bit of context for the meeting today, we are meeting as a committee of the whole today. Um which essentially means that there are no action items on the agenda.
So everything that is discussed will be not everything that is discussed but all the action items will be voted on in on January 26th at our actual meeting. Um, but this is to give both all of our new board members as well as the public an idea of what type of information the
board receives from our staff um and the administration uh to make our decisions. So, we're going to start off this this afternoon with um a New Jersey school board's training by Kathy Poria um specifically on roles and responsibilities um of a board member.
So, thank you. So, thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you for having me. I guess just to introduce myself again, I think I've met most of you at this point. Uh my name is Kathy Porier. I am a New Jersey School Boards Association field service rep. We
support board members, superintendent, BAS, uh and I represent Hunter and Somerset counties. So, I'm new to the organization. I just started in September, but I was a board member for about nine years in Hunan County. I was a board president for about six years.
So, I'm hoping that my experience doing that can help some of you. I'm really really excited to uh represent Hunan Central and work with all nine of you. I'm local to the area and I do live in Hunton County and raise my children here. I know you have a wonderful school district. Uh so, today we're just going
to talk about what are some roles and responsibilities of school board members. And when I do these presentations and these trainings, I really try to take it from an educational perspective. Uh, nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. I
really believe that most of the board members that I work with are really well intended and sometimes you can just overstep your role inadvertently or you're trying to be helpful or you just don't realize. So that's the perspective I take it from. So, just so you know, as
we're going through this training, um, you know, learn from it and allow it to make you a better board member. Okay. Okay. Hold on. And I need a tech support.
Get my Oh, there we go. Okay. Got it. All right. So, sorry. So, first the role of a board member. So, every policy that a board approves, every action a board takes needs to be based on what's best for all the students in your school district.
So, that is really your guiding principle as a board member. Students first. uh you need to make sure that every child in your school district has the opportunity to succeed and you have thousands of students in this district. I have three children. They are all very
different from each other. You have thousands of students. Each student has unique needs and part of your role is to make sure that all of those unique needs are met and they're provided with um an education. uh your role is really really important
and there's some really good research that shows that being an effective school board really has a positive impact on student achievement. So I would encourage you after this presentation to go home and look up the lighthouse study as um there's some information there in one of your
packets, but it's a really great study. It's an older study, but still really relevant that shows how effective boards can positively impact students in their school districts. So who does what in public school public school governance this is really um kind
of a hierarchy of governance in New Jersey. So every student is entitled to a thorough and efficient education according to the constitution of the state of New Jersey. The constitution gives power to the legislature. they can um approve and create laws that govern
um schools. The legislature in turn gives that to the state board of education. Our state board of education is appointed by the governor. They set uh statewide standards, New Jersey student learning standards, mandates. Um the state board staff, which is the
New Jersey Department of Education, carries out the mandates of the higher bodies. They monitor districts through CUSAC. They implement the state board of education policies and issue guidance. Um, within the laws and regulations, local boards such as yourself can
develop your own policies covering issues that are relevant to your district. So, you may get sample policies. You can work with your attorney, make policies that represent the needs of your community, but they need to be within the laws. Um, laws
trump policy. So, all the policies you make have to be within the laws of the state of New Jersey. Um, and again, you need to demonstrate that it's what's best to meet the needs of all students in your school district. And lastly, you are volunteers, but
you're state officials. You are considered state officials. So, the board has four functions. The first two are policy and planning. So obviously you provide guidance through policy development in the areas of instruction, p personnel, general
administration, fiscal and business management, physical plan and community relations. So again you are um most boards work with a policy vendor. You're getting your policies, you're developing and approving those policies. um planning. So you provide for planning of
your curriculum, quality instruction for each student, strategic planning, which I know you have coming up, budget and financial planning, your facilities planning, your long-range facilities plan, things like that. So that's um planning and policy development.
Next two functions are oversight and appraisal and communication. So, your main way of appraisal is through the superintendent evaluation. Your role is oversight. Your superintendent runs the district. Your superintendent um implements the
policies that you approve and then you hold your superintendent accountable through the superintendent evaluation. That is your main way of appraisal. You also provide for two-way communication between the community and the board. So, you can hold forums. So you have public meetings here where you
provide for public comment and you listen. Advisory committees, surveys, newsletters can provide for two two-way communication between your board and the community. So set setting the stage. If you were with me at three Rs, you saw this
already. That's in your handouts as well. So this is a more detailed document that just demonstrates the role of the board and the administration. So, the board is the what. Uh, the administration is the how. So, I won't
go through all of these, but because we're in budget season, maybe we'll just look at the finance one. So, finance, the role of the board, the what would be you match goals. Um, make sure that your uh budget priorities align with your
district goals. uh you set budget calendar, you set parameters, you set priorities, you're looking at um budget financial documents and approving them every month. You look at your audit uh and you communicate that information out to your community.
The budget is actually developed by your business administrator and your superintendent. They're really the ones that are developing the budget, the line items in the budget, and ensuring that the budget aligns with the district goals that you collaboratively set. So, and as we go along, if you have any
questions, insights, feel free to ask. So, board members are policy makers, visionaries, goal setters, and communicators. So, your board members will be creating and adopting policies that set the direction for the district.
Uh the policies give your superintendent structure and authority that's needed to take action. Um, and also you have bylaws that you set. So if you haven't looked at your bylaws or you don't know what they are or you're new new to the board, definitely go and look at your
bylaws. Those cover how your how you function as a board. Um, your visionaries and goal setters. You should be setting high expectations, aligning your budget and your priorities with the district goals that you set each year with your superintendent. And
then again, you're communicators and you're providing for that two-way communication between your community and your schoolboard and your school district. So, the superintendent's role, so the superintendent, you will hear this over and over again. Your role as board members is not to run the school, but to
make sure that the school is wellrun. Your superintendent runs the school district. Um, she is in charge of every employee in your school district. You oversee the superintendent. Your superintendent oversees every other employee in the school district. So all staff report to the superintendent. She
is your chief adviser to your board, your executive officer, and your educational leader. So when we talk about policies, as an executive officer, she will be implementing those policies. So they're really important because whenever there's an issue or something happens within your school district, the
policies are the first place that your superintendent and your administration will look. Uh so she administers policies, runs the school district, provides polic uh progress update dates to the board, uh is accountable to the board and directs staff members. Uh and
also your superintendent is your educational leader, has most likely quite a bit of experience in education uh and has leadership that ensures that instructional practices evolve to meet the needs of every student. So she
should bring be bringing ideas to you um educational um practices, new ideas, things like that. So and this is just again an overview of the roles of the board and the superintendent just clarifies the
division of responsibilities between the superintendent and the board. So again board are kind of big picture items vision mission goals and policy. Um your board should be focused on the outcomes. Um and then your
superintendent is focused on the means like how will how will those things be done? Um your board votes and evaluates. your superintendent makes recommendations and implements. So, we have just a little quiz. Is this
a board responsibility? Yes or no. So, if you're comfortable, we'll go through and you can say whether you think it's a board responsibility, yes or no. So, you want the district to offer more STEM opportunities for
students. Is it a board responsibility? It's okay. >> So, yes, that could be like a district goal that you set if you want more STEM opportunities for your students or anything that would be, you know, a goal that you you could set together. So, want the district to offer more
extracurricular options for students. Again, yes, that could be a role of board. That's something you could put into one of your goals. So, want a specific course to be added to the course offerings? So, no, that's something that's too specific and into the weeds. That would be the role of
your administration. Uh, want a new policy regarding the use of AI? Yes. Board or policy developers. So, want to select class trips that each grade attends. No. Again, that's something that's too
specific. That's the role of the administration. I want to select a book that can be used within the English curriculum. Again, no. Now, your board is responsible for approving every book that's a required part of a course, but the selection of
the books is the role of the staff, although the board does ultimately approve it. Uh, want to remove a coach because of poor record and reported interaction with parents. Again, know that's a personnel issue. All personnel um issues come from the
recommendation of the superintendent. All right. And again, this is just a little graphic. To be uh most effective, you need to work together towards a common chair goal. And uh this just highlights the core idea behind successful school governance governance,
excuse me, which is working together with one shared purpose to advance student achievement. So, and this is a little recipe card that one of my colleagues made that just is another way to look at it. Superintendent's role. Um,
there is also research that shows that, you know, a relationship between your board uh and your superintendent really can also positively impact your district and your school. So, it is really important you want a good relationship with your superintendent to help your school district thrive.
So it's very important to operate within your defined roles and responsibilities. So board members have no legal status unless you are sitting at the board table with your fellow board members in a quorum. So you act with a majority. Uh you only have the power when you act with a
majority of the board. It takes a majority as you know to accomplish anything. So you're a nine member board. your majority is five. You know, depending on what you're voting on, some things need a twothirds majority, some need a majority of the members present,
some need a majority of the full membership of the board, but you operate as a majority. Um although you really want to find common ground on behalf of the whole community because each of you represents your entire community. Uh and common ground can only emerge when all
voices are heard and attended to and the minority opinion is respected. you can operate um you know as a majority but you really want to listen to all voices on your board and a board that runs roughshot over their minority board
member or citizens uh is headed for trouble. You know boards really function best when all viewpoints are heard. Uh you should allow for debate, ask the hard questions and then move forward. So community trust is built when residency respectful debate and thoughtful
decision-making. And sometimes they're looking at the process you took to get to that outcome. And sometimes that process can matter as much as the outcome. So always make sure that you're listening respectfully to each other, hear each other, vote, vote
your heart, and then move on as a board. So the role of a board member, I think most of you probably know all this. As individuals, you cannot make decisions for the board. uh you can't take actions individually for the board, speak for the board unless you're authorized by
the board to do so. Uh typically the spokesperson for your board is your board president, although you may authorize another member of the board to speak on behalf of the board for some other issue or um something that you have going on. Uh you cannot direct any
staff member or administrator individually and you cannot direct the superintendent. Your superintendent takes direction from the majority of the board, not individual board members. So, we have another little quiz, although you probably saw it already. So, an item will appear on the screen.
Decide if it is a board responsibility or a superintendent responsibility. So, approving the strategic plan that is board. Yes. that something you will be doing shortly. U okay oversee
instructional programs superintendent approve curricular material materials board recommend and implement policy. So it's actually the superintendent the
board approves the policy uh the superintendent implements the policy. So oversee district leadership. That's the superintendent. I think that's talking about like administrators and principles in your school. So they're employees, your BA, they're actually employees of your
superintendent. Uh administer contracts the superintendent. So again, you approve contracts, but your superintendent is responsible for the administration of those contracts.
So establish and adopt policy board. That's an easy one. And evaluate the superintendent >> board. Good job. So, ethics, I know you just had an ethics training, so we don't need to go over all of the ethics. Again, I don't
think uh they just, you know, they were put in place so schoolboard members can uphold, you know, the p the public trust of their communities because you're making decisions about the welfare of children and their education. That's really important. Uh we do recommend that you just keep a copy of the code of
ethics with you and keep them in mind. And those are just the ethics continued. So communicating with your community. We'll go through some tips for communication. Um you are your school's ambassadors to the community. So
definitely you know attend events. We encourage board members to go to school events, concerts, football games, things like that. I know that you have an absolutely enormous amount of talent in your school in many, many different areas. So, go out, see the plays, go to
concerts, sporting events, and things like that. Um, you know, celebrate achievements. I know you do that at your board meetings as well. And then you you are your community's voice on the board. So, communicating with community and
staff. So board members should not be contacting or communicating with staff directly and that is as a board member. If you are a parent, it is completely fine to communicate with your child's teacher to communicate as a parent. This is just as a board member. You should
not be emailing staff members from your board email, things like that. Um you should not be surveying staff on your own. I'm not talking about climate surveys. I know you do surveys and things like that. Those are totally fine. But as an individual board member, you shouldn't be taking it upon yourself
to go and speak with staff members and try to get their opinions on issues. That's really not your role. Um, community members and staff will come to you with concerns. If you are a new board member, that is something that you will probably have happen is people
think that you are their um answer to all of their problems with the district and answer to everything that's going on and source of inside information for the school. So, if a community member comes up to you or a parent or anybody and
expresses a problem to you, the best thing you can do is to redirect them to the chain of command, the appropriate staff member. or if it's a parent that would be have you talked to your child's teacher you know if they've talked to the teacher already then they would go to a supervisor and administrator all the way up you know to the
superintendent and the board so visits to the building and again I'm not talking about if you're a parent and you are here for something event with your child it's more like you hear of something and then show up at the building without notice so oftentimes
there will be facilities tours and things scheduled throughout the But board members shouldn't really be taking it upon themselves to just show up at the school building to investigate an issue. >> Yeah. So, a little bit more on that. So, I I have a child in the school and even
if I'm emailing from my personal email, I typically copy the superintendent just as best practice, but that can also throw the staff person off sometimes. >> Um, is there a best practice around that? that you retain all of your rights as a parent to advocate for your own
child. So in your parent role, it's okay to communicate with your child's teacher. So directly with them. So I would say no, you don't always have to copy. I mean, if you want to, but I wouldn't say you had to. Um, but you because like I said, you do retain all
of your rights as a parent. You can advocate for your child. You could take it, you know, all the way up to board level if you wanted to as a parent. you just shouldn't be, you know, showing up to a conference with your child's teacher and stating that you're a board member, things like that.
>> Kathy, just on that point, so maybe this is a an odd example, but so you're the parent of a child at Central and you're having a party with a bunch of kids from Central. And so you're a parent. You're
not really speaking as a board, but topics come up. How does a parent handle it? We just cover our ears and walk out of the room. >> Yeah. So you can provide information that's public and that's accurate. Um
you shouldn't be, you know, obviously confidential information cannot be shared with anybody even if your children know. And oftentimes children, you know, the students tend to know a lot. So Yes. Uh, but you shouldn't be commenting
on any confidential situations involving students or staff ever. But information that's, you know, like I said, public and accurate is okay. But again, if they're talking to you, looking to you to resolve an issue or a problem. Yeah. Say, you know, you don't have to
cover. is like you know it's okay to listen but then say well you know you need to contact you know this person in the appropriate chain of command to solve your problem. >> Thank you. >> So and again board of role of the board
member and this was another um little picture that one of my colleagues made but you do have a responsibility to listen to all the citizens of your community and explain the needs of the school system as a whole. So when we talk about active listening, we're talking about, you know, listening to
understand, listening to your fellow board members and your community members, listening to understand rather than listening to respond. So, and those are all the elements of active listening. So, and this kind of goes back to your point a little bit, Sander, but to
provide access to your public. So, your job isn't to run the schools, but to see that they are well-run. So when an upset parent or staff member approaches you, the way that you provide access to them is to direct them to the appropriate way to solve their problem so that they can
be resolved. And then if that problem, you know, typically you have a complaint policy and that outlines your chain of command. If that problem gets to the board level, then as a board member, you'll be able to address it, but you'll address it with your whole board as one vo vote if it gets to that point. Most
of the time it'll be resolved before it gets to that point because your staff members know what they're doing um and are equipped to handle most situations that come up with students and staff. So, what do you think? Um if you have
children in the school, how can you talk to their teachers now that you're on the school board? We went over this a little bit. You know, you talk to them, you stay in your parent role. It's okay. Uh is it okay to visit the schools? Again, if you're visiting the school uh for volunteering or any other reason than um
a parent, uh just let your superintendent know. We always recommend that if you know you're at the school for some other reason, just let your superintendent know. Uh and then how do you respond to parents calling and emailing about district staff or other concerns? Again, chain of
command. Always redirect to the chain of command. So, board communication tips. The superintendent is the spokesperson for your school district by policy. Your board president is a spokesperson for the board. That would be about, you
know, decisions you've made at a board, things that have happened at a board meeting, things like that. Uh, anything else in the school, other issues are typically communicated by the superintendent. So, just know and use your board's communication protocols. Different boards have different communication
protocols. I know you have a handbook and they seem to be pretty laid out in that. Uh, as far as email, so emailed information, email emailed information that's emailed to the full board should typically be oneway information only.
Uh, if you reply all under the open public meetings act, you can create a meeting if you have more than a quorum on the email. So, we typically advise, you know, if you get an email, you have a question, call the sender rather than emailing back and forth. Um, be cautious
with deliberative emails where you're deliberating back and forth, especially if other people get looped in because again, that could inadvertently create a meeting. So, just things to be mindful of. Yeah. Don't ever if you get an email that goes out to more than you know a
core more than four people or your full board, don't ever reply all to it. Again, some more communication tips. So, always use your district email address for all board communication and just be mindful that if you are forwarding
things out of your board email, like to your personal email, that could be over requested as well. social media. Just be very careful when you are posting to social media. We do recommend that you don't have a board
member social media account just because if you post something that can be viewed as being in your official capacity as a board member or be perceived as representing the entire board, that could create a an ethical issue.
Use a disclaimer. Uh there there's a disclaimer that the SEC recommends. It's on the next slide. Although the SEC will really look at the content of what you post, there has been a case where someone posted something and they did have the disclaimer and it was still an
ethics issue. So this is the disclaimer. Uh it's not, you know, 100%. So just again being mindful of what you pose, people look to you as a board member. Just be very careful of it. Um and just
be mindful that even if you do use the disclaimer, the SEC is going to look at the content of what you posted. Uh there was actually I don't know if you get um the daily clips emails. I know NJBA sends out a lot of emails, but just last week there was a uh an article
from Spotlight News about social media and the SEC and freedom of speech. You do retain your right to freedom of speech as well. You have freedom of speech as a board member, but what the SEC does look at is if that's perceived your what you posted is perceived as representing the board or in your
official capacity as a board member. But um we'll keep an eye on some of the uh things they talked about in the article. I would suggest reading it and see how that plays out. So, making it work, trust and communication. So, best practice for
both the board and the superintendent are to avoid surprises. So, you can avoid surprises at the board table by asking questions in advance. If you have a question about an agenda item, reach out to your committee chair, your board president, your superintendent, and try
to get your questions answered in advance of the meeting. And that always, you know, sometimes it doesn't always happen. You don't think of a question or you sit down at the meeting and you're like realize you have a question that you didn't have before. I mean, it's okay. We just try to avoid like gotcha
questions at a public board meeting. And then the superintendent should also keep the board informed of issues that come up and u anything that's happening and not surprise the board as well. So these are
>> if I could. So when you say the the superintendent can uh apprise the the board. So can the super how does the superintendent send an email uh to all the board or how does that uh >> so if there was an emergency or there was some issue or a legal issue or something that came up, you probably
have protocols in place like in some cases a superintendent will form inform the board president and the board president informs the rest of the board. So, I would just ask about what your communication and what your emergency communication protocols are in those situations and how your superintendent
keeps you informed in between board meetings. >> So, if the if if the board president do do they um would the email out to all everyone and would that comprise a quorum or >> No. So, if you send anformational, like if your board president were to send
just anformational email out to your board, um if as long as there's no replying back and forth and loop looping people in, it wouldn't typically wouldn't be a meeting. A meetings like if you're more than five people are like deliberating back and
forth over email or if your whole board is emailing back and forth, replying to all over email. Those are the kinds of things you want to avoid. So we have some scenarios here about is this your role you can make the call. So
read each of these scenarios and decide whether or not the actions describe appropriate behavior for the board of education or for individual board members. So why or why not? So the first one is a board member who runs a construction company begins visiting a school construction site
every day to speak to the manager and check on the progress. Do you think that would be a role of a board member? No, that was overstepping. So, at the beginning of the annual budget process, the board of education meets with the superintendent and
business administrator and sets parameters for the school budget. So, yes, that's actually a very good idea. So, a board member is approached by neighbors with a complaint about a teacher. The board member promises to
investigate the situation. Is that the role? No. A board member finds a potential error in a propo proposal in their board packet but decides to wait until the public meeting to point it out so the full board is present. So that's like a tricky one. It's it's a
it's not a best practice. Uh you could do it but it's just not a best practice. Again, just try to reach out and have your questions answered before the board meeting just to give your administration time to find an answer for you if they need to.
All right. A board member receives multiple calls about a staff member. She refers each caller to the chain of command and also calls a superintendent to alert him of the issue. So, yes, that's actually what we recommend. So, if somebody comes to you with an issue, direct them to the chain
of command, but let your superintendent know so they have a heads up and they're aware. A board member is a former staff member at the school. Because she knows they are more comfortable with her than the superintendent, she encourages current staff to come to her with their problems and concerns.
So, no. A board member decides to go to a school to question teachers and administrators about curriculum curriculum implementation to assure ensure it meets state standards. So no, you all know what you're doing. Uh a
board member concerned about math scores asked the superintendent to research a new math program and prepare a comparative report. So yeah, so from an individual board member that would be beyond their role because again the superintendent takes direction from the full board, not
individual members. But if you're a full board wanted to um direct the superintendent to do that, that would be different. >> So any questions from the board? >> I do. And I apologize because there was a slide a little more towards the
beginning. I don't know if you could go back to it. It's where you were talking about the what versus the >> Oh, the what and the how slide. Yeah. >> Yeah. But there was two of them. And one of them you had like in a chart the board on the left and I think the
superintendent on the right. >> Apologies for all. >> It's okay. I know all the little bubbles have to disappear. There we go. Hold on. this one. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, I guess my question might be
two parts in the sense of it might be part process. >> Uhhuh. >> And then it might be part role driven. Um, when I think about looking at goals and action plans, the way this looks on
a flat sheet of paper, I'll call it, is that the board is defining the goals and then the superintendent is forming the action plans based on those goals. And I'm assuming those goals are voted on by the entire board, right? To gain alignment, the majority. Okay. So I
guess from a process standpoint, my first question is so then are goals not formed by the superintendent? >> So your district goals, you're talking about district goals, I'm sure. Uh your district goals should be formed collaboratively between your board and
your superintendent. You also can have board goals and that's for like things that your board wants to accomplish and for the functioning of board. Those would be board goals that your board would set. But the district goals are set in collaboration between the board and the superintendent. Then your
superintendent would create the action items for those district goals because your superintendent is the person with her educational staff that's going to implement the goals and then you are holding your superintendent accountable for the goals through the superintendent
evaluation. So you should, you know, create the goals together. Your board ultimately approves the goals, but then your superintendent develops the action plans and then comes back and shares them with the board. That's typically the best practice of how it works. >> You organically answered my second
question, so thank you. >> Any other questions? Kathy, is it ever difficult for you because you've got kids in the district or at Central to do your role? I was just curious given what we just went over. >> Well, not so far because I haven't been
doing it very long. So, we'll hope not, but I mean, you know, you have an amazing school here and I know a wonderful school district. So, I'm actually really, really excited to work with all of you and I'll be back with Maryanne to help with your strategic planning. So, I'm very excited. But
again, just like you know, you all do when you separate your board roles and your parent, you know, I separate my parent role and my field service rep role. So, strategic planning, it will be my parent hat will be off. I have to say her excitement is genuine.
I was at an NJSBA workshop and um she walked up to me and said, "My kids at Central, I'm so I'm so excited." She was like over the moon. >> Yeah, you have a wonderful school district and a very high caliber staff. Any other questions?
All right, we'll have to go back to my enclosing slide now. Sorry, we have to go back through all of this. All right. So, we do really appreciate everything that you do. Uh, it does make a difference. It's a lot of time. It's a huge commitment and it is so appreciated
appreciated. We thank you for all that you do for the students of your community and what you do really does make a lasting impact. I think even more than you know as you're sitting here and approving agenda items every month and uh you know looking through financial reports. It really it does make a
humongous difference. So and just always remember to keep the students first and to keep student achievement at the heart of everything that you do. So I'm available to all of you. If you need me, call me. I do um have the respect of keeping our conversations confidential.
So if you call me, I don't run to your board president. If your superintendent calls me, I don't run, you know, I don't I keep things confidential. We really just want your boards to be successful and succeed. So thank you for having me. Have a wonderful meeting and I will see you uh for strategic planning.
You So, while Miss Kangalosi Hate is getting settled again, um before I turn the meeting over to her and and the administrative staff, I just want to remind everyone that we are not taking any action tonight. All of the items are discussion items. Um so, there will be
no voting on any of these items tonight. And as such, there's one residence forum that will be at the end of the meeting um that will cover all topics. So, >> I'm sorry. >> Oh, it's okay. >> Okay. Can everybody hear me? All right.
Thank you. Thank you, De. Thank you to you all, too, for your support. Um, we're in this together. This is a new structure for us. I'm excited about it. I was a little nervous, too, to be honest, because we've never done it, but I'm excited that we're on this journey. It's our opportunity to kind of show the
public what we discuss usually in committee meetings and the processes we use. So, thank you for that opportunity. You'll see I have some members of my central office admin team here. So we have David Bailey, our director of HR, DD DJ, our director of special services, and Ed Brandt, our principal. So they do
attend different committee me um committee meetings depending on what's discussed. So they're here because we're trying to make this as close to a a committee meeting as possible. So they'll jump in um and you'll see it throughout the evening. Um so we are going to we're when we're trying to
think of a structure and also think about time um we thought it would be helpful especially for new members to kind of go through um each committee kind of talk about what the work of in general the scope of the work of each committee the process that we use um for items and
then each admin will give kind of highlights of the action items um and you'll see each committee is a little bit different in terms of the specificity that we discuss in in committee meetings. So I will kick us off and the first thing on our agenda
under item D is organizational items and you do often see this on the agenda. Um this is items that are really not specific to one committee. They really help us as an organization in terms of our logistics. So the first one is simple. It is revising our 2627
calendar. Um, we are moving our um, one of the early dismissal days January 28th to January 26th. I can't believe I'm seeing the year 2027, but that is accurate. Um, and that is so that we have two early dismissal days at the end
of the first semester. So, it's a simple change, but just one that we do have to board approve. Any questions on that? Okay. Are we okay to move to student life and program? Okay. So, um, student
life and program or SLMP because we love our acronyms here in school districts. Um, SLMP is sort of a reinvisioning of what boards of education used to have as a curriculum committee. So, our SLMP does discuss curriculum and academic
programming, but it will also discuss other important components of student life. So, that's counseling, special education, um, athletics, co-curricular activities. So, you usually see a variety of those items. And um on on each agenda, you're going to see tuition
and transportation. Usually um are you might see overnight field trips. You might see clubs as you do on this um this agenda. You'll see um post-secary institution articulation agreements. You might see some work-based learning. So,
those are the sorts of items you'll see. And then usually I like to say this committee doesn't have a lot of action items but it does usually have a lot of discussion items. So usually the committee the way the format will break out is we spend about probably half our time on action and then half our time on
discussion. Um so the 2026 student life and program committee chair is Dr. Ellen Halpern and the members are Marisella Wallace, Nikki Bryce and D Kellogg. And then our administrator liaison is our director of curriculum Dr. from Matthew Hall. He is not here tonight. Um but
Principal Brandt and DD Deer are also here. Um they also participate in student life and program meetings because they're such an integral part of the items that come under under student life and program. So I'm going to pass it over to them first. D will briefly
just explain to you tuition and transportation. I know those of you who are on the board and have been on the board understand this, but for the new folks, I thought it was worth explaining. And then Ed will also give a highlight of these items because most of these items fall under him as athletics
and co-curricular activities. So Dee, I'll pass it over to you. >> Okay. Is this on? Doesn't sound like it. It's on. Okay. All right. Good evening. Um, so our role in special education is
really to meet the needs of all of our students that have IEPs. Um, and every student's needs and profile is different. So there are times when the supports that we offer here at Hunter Central are not enough to meet some of our students needs and we do place them at an added district school. That
decision is not done lightly. It is done by an IEP team which includes the parent, the teachers, the student, and the child study team members and the case manager. So it's a very big decision that's made for a student, but it is in order to meet the student's
needs. Um so when you see on the agenda items tuition and transportation it is the result of an IP meeting and the decision of a legal document and we are putting forth where a child's needs can best be met at that time. Those um conversations continue to happen and
progress has continued to be monitored with the out of district school and the case manager and the student remains a 100 central student forever. Um they will get a diploma from us as long as they stay within our region. um but they are our student and we take ownership of over them and that is a decision that's
made by the IEP team for that student. You will also see um work-based learning placements in this section. Work-based learning is an amazing opportunity for our post-secary students. So those are students that have already attained their graduation credits but are staying with us in order to complete their IEP
goals for vocational training um and life skills training. And we set up we have over 50 partnerships with um different um businesses uh locally and our students go with job coaches to get trained. So we do board approve um those placements and it is called work-based
learning. So you will see um a list usually we do a bulk of approvals um once and then during the year if we get are able to attain other placements you'll see them coming up more sporadically but usually we'll see a bulk of them done at one point. Um, usually in the summer you'll see a bunch of tuitions for all of our students um
for extended school year and then for the school year you'll so you'll see usually there's many more and then you'll also see our work-based learning. But as the needs of a students change, we can make decisions at any point and then we appreciate the board's support um as we continue to meet the needs of each of our students.
Questions? Okay, then I will hand it over to Mr. Brandt. >> All right. Very similar. um if we have a student who does not have an IEP, but we determine um in conjunction with counseling, administration,
uh the full team, including the families, that an alternative placement is a better fit right now for that student and their learning. Um we go through the same process. So, we do have an item on here of a general ed student also um requesting that they're placed
in Somerset County ESC u because they have a program there that we feel it just is a better match right now um for the student. Uh we also have overnight field trips. So, uh typical daytime field trips are not board approved. um
they still go through the process whether it's through curriculum instruction or um activities for example athletics still goes through my office finally um after a bunch of steps but overnight field trips then takes that
further step for approval for you from you. So, we have two field trips. One, our ski club, um, they typically do daily trips. Like this past Friday, they had one up to Blue Mountain, but it's just up and back, but each year they they request to have one overnight one.
So, they have an overnight one in February. I believe that's um that might be timing up with President's Weekend, but it's over a weekend up in Kellington, Vermont. One thing you'll note too, we um uh the
process for an overnight is is bit more detailed. Um you know it goes through vetting with already the students names to the nurse if there's any type of nursing needs things like that. Um also we look for at least a 10 to1 ratio
for chaperon uh or student to chaperon and you'll see there 44 to5. Um but also then we so that's the that field trip. Uh the dance team also qualified for the national championships down in Florida.
Um so they are requesting approval for their trip to compete down there in Florida. Um and I believe the cheerleading team already was approved and I think it's a pretty cool year this year. Both are going the same weekend. Typically it's off weekends. Um and this
year it's pretty exciting that both teams will be down there together. So those are the two trips and then also new clubs. So typically um we two times a year uh will will and basically just
from simple practicality points. A lot of times we have students um looking to form a club in the summer or coming into this new school year. So we usually have in June and December twice a year that we um
uh name new clubs and again that goes through a process and we're happy to have five clubs here that we're looking for approval this month >> if I I'm just going to jump in on that if you don't mind. So, if you all recall, and I think I sent an email
about this, you all in well, not you all, the board because the board wasn't the same in December, um gave approved interim approved my interim approval of club America, you know, pending finishing the paperwork. And so there
were also additional clubs that were in that same sort of process, that same pipeline of paperwork. So, in order to be equitable, I did give the rest of them interm approval as well. Um, and I know you all know that, but for the purposes of the public, I just wanted to I didn't want anyone to be alarmed like, wow, why did she have to give interim
approval to everybody, you know, we went through the proper channel. So, they are all interim approved now. Thank you for your support on that. >> Good. Are there any questions about SLMP or the action items? >> The one question I it's just really kind
of a curiosity. um the special ed and the general ed students, you know, out of a place out of district, do they ever uh uh have you had a a case where they come back? >> Yes. Uh definitely. Um and it it all and like DD mentioned too, some of the uh
circumstances are very specific. So sometimes it really does depend. Sometimes it depends on the age of the student too. Sometimes it might be ninth or tth grader. Uh after a year or two, we revisit it and look to come back. Sometimes it's it's a senior and they might graduate from that location. Um we
had a senior last year who was in a location and we gave them the opportunity to walk here but they they actually asked I'd rather walk with the group that they just finished with at that other school. So um I think that's that shows it's a success for the
student. just for the uh overnight trips I worry so I always worry when it's not over a weekend so they're missing you know x days of classes so the teachers so it's really up to the student to catch up and get all their assignments right >> yeah definitely and um you know they're
encouraged to to reach out to their teachers are there any assignments to do you know to make up um typically we try not to have any that they miss many days and I I think hopefully with the with the 8day structure too it actually works out pretty that even if they miss two days, they
miss each class only once. And I believe the skiing might actually off top of my head, yeah, it's right after school on Friday after dismissal. So, they're not missing anything. >> Most of the trips are really very cool. >> Uh what happens when a student can't
afford a trip or the fundraising doesn't cover a student's trip, but they're, you know, in good standing and they are a real part of the team. That's a great question and that's where that's where the booster clubs work
together. Most of these programs have booster clubs that and opportunities for the students to be part of the fundraising along the way where we have sometimes difficult conversations if it's a if a student doesn't participate
in that part also. Um and may and they and we try to map it out a year in advance. So, for example, we might have a student who goes I'm just making an example up here, but you might have a student who goes on that dance team um
trip and the booster club help cover that. Um and if it looks like going into the next year they might qualify again, that's where we have a sit down with a student to help along the way because yeah, we don't want to say no.
Anybody else? >> Can I add one thing to that? >> Yes, you can. >> Actually, I'll give you an example though with the dance team. There are some students who are part of the dance team but not part of the competition, part of the dance team. So, they might be on the dance team out here at the
football games um and and part of the program, but don't want to go that extra step either financially or just personally. They might be into other things as well and not be part of
the competition team that then goes on to compete. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, so SLMP has one discussion item on that came from um, I think you all from this past meeting or this past week it came up for an update
on our mental health services. So um, those of you on the board last year, you know, I've been sending you periodic updates. I've also reported publicly kind of where we are um, in the absence of the school-based youth services as well as Care Plus. So again, I thank the
board, last year's board for supporting the interim approval um and the quick reworking of the program so that we could get a social worker in. Um so our social worker began December 1st. Um we also, as you know, started working with NJ for us for tier 1 and tier 2
services. Um we have a little bit of a case of building the plane as we're flying it, but I say I'm grateful to have the plane. So um you that that's where we are. I asked um Ed, this so much of this is focused around Ed right now. I promise other people are involved
in the school. Um but Ed as the liaison for counseling um I asked him to give a little bit more of an update just so you can kind of see where we are and you know next steps and and when we can give you another update as well. >> All right. Thanks. So,
um, Jessica, like you said, we did, you know, we have the new position for the social worker and we have and we searched and vetted for what we thought were proper and best fits for outside sources like NJ4s, but that couldn't be done immediately. So the immediate move
that we did um coming into the school year was identify any of the students who were on the case loads of the previous programs and I and reach out to those families right away uh to inform them of the changes taking place um and
also match them up with either in internal resources for example students who have IEPs. some of those um some of those services may have been absorbed into the child study team members and the case managers here um or case
managers helped find other partners. Um same thing with um students who don't have IEPs who are seeing some of those programs um either our student assistance counselors absorbed some of them as well or again found either outside sources or other partners. Um,
and then while we're putting together the program, you know, so that was more in the fall there. I don't want to say it was uh there was a temporary fix for a while while we built up um up to where now we do have the social worker and the
partnership with NJ4s. So, some of those uh students are then being matched up with those new programs. And you know, um Miss Penna Herrera is here in our school. uh she's been a great um asset
and we're partnering her for example uh with the Aspire program um to work with many of the students there and also between all that counseling program looking for ways where for example NJ4s it will be running um uh group
counseling sessions if we have students that we feel like common needs u but aren't so um intimate and intricate uh that they can be in group. So, that's um that's where we are now again. And and
um you know, Jen Wagner, our new supervisor of counseling services, uh Dee and the and the whole team working very hard at this. Um as we do anytime. >> Thank you. >> Did I miss anything? >> Just a huge shout out to the child study
team. you know, I I started July 1st and here I'm coming in and I'm like, we we have a need to cover and I and I really want to thank the child study team for really stepping up and working collaboratively with counseling and it's been wonderful to see the collaboration between counseling and child study team and it really has made the difference I
think in the support of our students. >> Okay, go ahead. Yep. I think we're ready for questions. This is supposed to be discussion, so not just us talking. >> Okay. Is there going to be any way to quantify how students are doing this year without Care Plus versus when Care Plus was on
campus? >> Uh yeah, that's that is one of the things we will look to do. um uh both numeric you know base numbers um the number of students who are seeking those extra supports um but also um I don't
have data right now but taking a look at for example the number of referrals that have to go out to outside agencies partial hospitalization plans and things like that um clearances for uh suicidal ideiations and things like that um how
they compare to years prior. So right now um I don't have data to share but that those are definitely metrics we're going to have. Um and also like within I'll use Aspire as a as an example. So our one alternative program here that um
you know has tremendous rewards and uh for students. So we have some metrics from years previous and we'll look to compare moving forward. Is that data just going to come from students self-reporting?
>> No, I I think initially we you know we're only in January. This all kind of happened fast, especially as a new person. Um and Jen Wagner was new. We went into triage, right? Students needs first. So, we had to come up with solutions that would meet the needs at the time. Since then, um, Jen and Ed and
I have sat and talked about what data points we would want to capture, whether it is amount of the amount of referrals that the new social worker is getting, whether we're looking at how many referrals we're getting to the child study team, which is a data point, whether we're looking at how many of our students had to access outpatient support, whether through an inpatient or
a partial hospitalization program, and then we will use that information, and I we don't know whether that information was gathered previously. Again, you know, with something in place, you don't always are looking at the aggregate data, but now at least we'll start with baseline data now to see what the needs are and allow it to help drive what we
need to do moving forward. Did that answer? >> Okay. >> The uh NGA4S group uh uh counseling sessions that that you spoke of uh is that uh off-campus or is that on campus? If it's off-campus, do we provide transportation or is it up to the
students to to get there? uh it'll be on campus and I think they also have off top of my head I think some virtual um opportunities as well but we're looking them for them to be on campus. >> Can I just get clarification on what you
said earlier? So you can get data but you're not sure that we can cross reference it with past data because we don't have past data. >> So I don't know what we have from the past because I wasn't here. Um, so Jen Wagner is also new in her role as a
supervisor of counseling. So it's don't know what data was collected to kind of reflect back on, but it doesn't mean that it's not there. So I >> but we may not be able to quantify whether we're still meeting needs. >> I think it's something that right at this point we're looking at what points
we need to gather and what information we do have in order and I'm sure there is debt. I mean there's been a lot of great work done over the years. It's just a matter of taking what was there and kind of putting into some format that makes sense to do comparative pieces. so that it it's real data and it's not just fabricated pieces that fit into a box which is really important to
us to make sure it's accurate because the needs of our kids and our students mean something. There is um referral data. I think one big piece is I know the the counseling team reworked their referral processes this year. It was part of one of our metrics for our goals
too. So when we compare it's not going to be apples to apples and that's okay, right? We we just have to recognize that. Um, so I think like to summarize, you know, we're still building the program. We're we're hoping we're meeting a lot of the needs. We're still
analyzing. Um, and so, you know, we hope we can give more of an update as we move along more in the spring. Give you an update so we can see where we are with everything if we need any additional services. >> Can I ask a question just for like context?
>> Multiple people have referenced referral data. Can can you like give realw world scenarios of what referral data actually means? >> Essentially, it's a you know, if a a student usually starts with their their counselor more often than not. They're
they're like grade level counselor. Um it may be with a teacher though sometimes, you know, a teacher hears from something from a student, but usually then the teacher is referring them to the the grade level counselor if the student um is coming. >> Can I just interject real quick? So
again, I'm just creating a use case of like I'm a student and I'm having a hard time with fill in the blank. >> Yeah. It could be peers, it might be a relationship, it might be with parents, you know, it could be anything. Um, a difficult, you know, a difficult
situation that happened at lunch, whatever it may be. um if they're then it and it could be more serious things too, but I I want to maybe not talk as serious, but um if then they're they're they've routinely seen the counselor, you know, once a week or whatever else
and it's, you know, there's not they're not making progress, we want to intensify the supports, then typically you'd see a referral to the SAC to our student assistance counselors. Um and then they're meeting with the student. It may also be if it's a student with an IEP who has counseling in their IEP,
they're meeting with their their case manager. Um they might be meeting with their case manager and their counselor, but typically then it's really with the case manager. Um and they can also be referred to a sack. >> Sorry, >> just because it's a pivot point. So if I have a student that's going on this
journey, whether they're general ed or IEP could change the route based on what you just said of >> Yes. Usually the case manager will have a a closer um point of contact for the student with the IEP, especially if there's counseling within the IEP. Um
whereas for general education, the the grade level counselors there because they don't have a case manager. Um both can be referred to Sachs. If then that becomes to a point where the sacks say you know what you need additional supports or we've been doing this for you know four 6 weeks whatever it may be
then that's when they would be referred somewhere else and it depends it's can our social worker handle it is the social worker the right person do is it time now that we refer the family to an outside agency so that's kind of the process it's so individualized so you
can't say oh they're always going to the social worker and then we're referring them to 100 in healthcare or whatever it may be. It really just depends on the situation, the family, what their desires are, that kind of thing. Very personalized. I don't know if that helps
>> 100%. Just rather than terms, I was >> looking for context. So, thank you. >> Did I miss anything? >> Okay. >> Anything else? >> I just had a quick question. Go ahead. So, um I think I mentioned last time
before the new year that we ran into somebody at workshop, right? I had talked to you about and so I'm just wondering if um and this was somebody who's already servicing students at Central and she mentioned it was free of charge. So, I'm just curious if you guys are tracking how many of those services
you guys have available to you um you know and who they are and are you aware of all of them? I would guess is a good question. I would guess we're probably not aware of all the services available to everybody out there. Um that is one of the things
that our new social worker is doing is she's building sort of a repository of resources. Um, and she's also forming trying to form relationships not so that we're just not saying, "Hey, go to the website," but she can put a name or a
person with a particular organization or resource so that she can have that touch point then with families. Um, now one of the things that becomes difficult to track and and it's okay that it's difficult to track is whether or not families will use those resources or if
they use the free sort of wrap care like at night or on the weekends. We may not be informed of it unless they tell us. And again, that's okay as long as they're getting the support they need. But again, it's not something necessarily that we'd have a good ne like really good data point on.
>> But it's something you guys are looking >> Yes. >> for, right? Okay, thank you. >> Good. Okay. All right. I think we're going to move over to Oh, I'm sorry, operations and transportation again with
the acronyms. I have to watch myself. So, I'm going to kick it over to Maryann Stokes, our assistant business administrator, who's our our one of our chairs for Owens. No, not a chair, an administrator liaison for operations and transportation. >> Good evening. Our operations and
transportation committee members are Vernon Williams as our chair with also members Alan Ellen Halpern and Leslie Lcasta. Also attending committee meetings um are D Kellogg, Jessica Kangaluci Hay, Heather Spitzer, and myself. The operations and
transportation committee works very closely with the business office. The business office ensures that financial means uh to operate the school district are met in accordance with laws and administrative codes. This includes items such as transportation, custodial maintenance, contracts, procurement,
state reporting, capital projects, long range facility plans, food services, and a lot more. Um, so in regard to some of the action items that are on the agenda tonight, financial reports, invoices, and transfers will always be on the agenda.
The board secretary and treasurer reports must be board of ed approved within 60 days from the end of the month being reported. Board members um look at these reports to certify that no major accounts have been overdrawn. The invoices show all payments that have
been made in the month. As a board member, we ask that you please abstain from any invoice that is paid to yourself, such as a reimbursement or to any member of your family. One action item this month um includes the Hunter County vocational school tuition which is a revision from the
original number of students who were approved back in August. This number is based on discussions between our two districts on how to identify the number of students in these programs as of October 15th. The numbers are reported on our application for state school aid,
the ASSA report, which helps influence our state aid numbers that we'll get for the budget. the numbers of students de decreased going to this program from 167 to 156. We will also make um motions to move action items to accept some donations
and a grant. So, as you may know, we are currently in budget season and we'll regularly be updating the board on the budget process. As Katherine stated in her presentation before, we look to align um the district goals with the budget.
the board um moved to approve the budget calendar at the December meeting. And as you may know, we are working on moving to a new accounting software called SchoolFi for the next school year. Heather um our business administrator provided all the supervisors with budget
software within this new system to help identify their budgets for next year. This includes budgets for departments like English, math, science, social studies, etc. But it also includes items like professional development, furniture, employee benefits, insurance,
special education, out of district placements, counseling, security, technology, just to name a few. So it's a lot that goes into the budget process. The department budgets are currently being reviewed by the business administrator and the superintendent. This is currently where we are in that
budget process. going over the um department budgets that were submitted. The recommendations um of the superintendent and the business administrator will be reviewed with the operations and transportation committee at upcoming committee meetings. The governor will then give a budget address
in February or early March. Um and shortly with after shortly after the district will be provided with state aid numbers. The budget address is usually the last Tuesday in February. Um and the state numbers should be released within 48 hours. It is a new governor, so
sometimes that is delayed a little bit, but that's our expectation. At this point, we ensure the budget is balanced between the amount of aid that we're going to receive, what we anticipate the tax levy to be, and the total expenditures that we need for the school year. One challenge we have um as
a district is to keep our budget within a 2% cap. This is difficult to maintain as costs continue to increase. For example, over the last several years, we have been successful in keeping our health care costs just under 10%. However, this year, we are anticipating
a 20 to 25% increase on those costs for 2627. So, just as your costs at your home are increasing, um, so do costs within the district. So, once that budget part is completed, the board will adopt a preliminary
budget which has to be provided to the county by March 19th. In April, there'll be a public budget hearing and the board will be asked to adopt the 2627 budget. The public hearing will need to take place between April 24th and May 7th.
These dates are dictated to us by the state. Once approved, the business office will use have a user-friendly budget for um that will go on the district website and will communicate with the sending districts sending municipalities about the tax levy. So, that's an overview of the budget
process. Thank you. Is this on? Am I on? Okay. Sorry. Um I wanted to make a note. I know there was a question coming into committees and this is good. This is usually a process we follow. So thank you for submitting the question to the chair um about the contracts in the
professional service provider section. So we have typically not provided copies of the contracts. Um, these two in particular are for special related services for special education. So, we're really careful with providing anything that could give identifying
student information or information about a student that you all really shouldn't have. Um, but to give you a sense of the services, they're they charge per service. So, it it's things like a behavioral therapy. It may be >> an occupational therapist.
>> Occupational therapist. >> Therapist. it quantifies supporting our students in in different areas. So, they do usually offer related services or andor evaluation, specialized evaluations that we don't do here. So, let's say a child does need um an AAC and you know an assisted technology
device for speaking, we would need to go get an outside evaluation done because that's nothing that our team here is an expert in. So, we know what we can do, but what we can't do, we have to contract out. So, many companies will then cover that. These are not for AC, just for clarity. Um the two that are on
the board agenda uh support behavioral services as well as they will offer speech and language services if we do need for students and evaluations if the team needs to send any out for outside evaluations that we're not able to complete within our own team. >> Thank you. You're welcome.
>> Yeah. So I did ask that question. It was more related to what area were we covering and and were the costs like a lump sum or per service or whatever. So we get charged per evaluation or per service we provide and it is a descriptive number for that.
>> Good question and it it is covered in the budget you know when when we develop the special services budget there is like a related services area so to make sure that we're covering these sort of these sort of services for our students. Other questions about?
>> So, I also sent an email. I didn't copy you on it, but I sent it to Vernon, right? And I asked for a copy of the grant. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yes, I did. I'm sorry, I forgot about that question. Yes. Um, we're in the process. I have a copy of the application. So, this one is interesting
because this is actually our HCEA that applied for the grant from the NJA. So, um I'm actually looking at the language and it's something I have to talk to the HCA about and possibly the NJA. Um whether we're accepting a donation from
the HCA because they got the grant or if we should be formally accepting the grant, but I will work on getting the full grant. Right now, I just have a copy of the application they put in. Um to give you an idea of what this is, I mean it says it, but um we've been working I would say over the past couple
of years, but this year it's really been amped up for our students who are new to our district. It can be overwhelming because we're a bigger school. Um so some of Ed and his vice principles and the counseling team implemented a um new student program. So in this particular
case, we had a new student and families dinner and so that's what that was for. So, I'll work on getting the details to you, though. >> Okay. Thank you. And then the other thing um that came up last year with regard to professional services,
um I know a lot of districts usually will have a list of what the budget number is, right? And so, we kind of ran into this with the RFP for Care Plus, for example, right? So, it would be helpful um and legal services, right?
So, do we know when we reach that cap, right? And so I think it would be helpful for professional services to have those budget numbers when they're established so we know where we're at with that. >> And do you mean as a whole kind of like
where we are or reporting it? I mean I think it's hard to quantify exactly what the amount will be but do you mean just in general what related like the what the bucket is related services? So like for legal services, right? Whatever the budget is, right? We make sure because
the policy states if it's going to go over, right, there's certain measures that have to take place if we're getting close or we are over or how we ask for more money and that type of thing. So I think that would be helpful to manage that. Okay. Thanks. >> Thank you.
How does that balance between administering the district and and what the board does? Like should we be getting a monthly update on that or is that something that the administration will keep us apprised of as necessary? Like if you're tracking it and you get close to the cap, then you're going to
need to So to me it just seems like it's kind of on that line um of a of a more of an administration thing as opposed to something that should get reported to the board. share that. Kyle mentioned that several of the districts do that. So that's public information just in
terms of managing it. So >> yeah, and I do not personally track the related services, but I know that special services does and I know the business office certainly tracks it. So it's not information. I don't think it's too difficult to get the information because we're we're pulling it from
account lines essentially. Um so we'll work on that and kind of what it should look like. >> Yeah. So I would just say right just to if we used Care Plus as an example you're going out for an RFP we need to know what the bud if it's within the budget right so if they're going to charge us 300 grand and somebody else
comes in at 325 like is that over our budget or is that under our budget or you know where are we at with that so okay thank you thank you >> I actually also think though something D just said sparked in my brain as you're tracking against the budget
how was that report out to the board for from a progression standpoint? Because what popped in my head when she was talking about like walking the line was how do you or what processes are in place to if you're trending to go beyond
budget? H how do you pull that to the forefront or bring attention to it in a way that if you have proposed solutions that might need to be voted on like I'm bringing it back to if you need a vote of the board >> where there's enough time to do something about it, right? Like in my
own professional life, people have raised the flag when I've now got no runway to do anything about it. >> So I'm like from a process standpoint, I get where D is coming from as far as like where's our role versus not running. But I do also wonder I think it
also ties back to what Lisa is saying of like I call it the double clickin rather than just seeing the big number like what is comprised what are the subcategories that comprise of that so we can make educated decisions and with enough runway to actually have positive change
>> correct proper fiscal decisions. >> Thank you. The only other thing that I had was typically we've been getting a update of the OPRAS. So, will that continue? I know it's not here now. >> Yep. It's not here now because I didn't
think it was appropriate to put on a public agenda, but it will continue in February. And what I um briefly just talked to Vernon about today um is that I can send it to you all so that you have it. Um there hasn't been that much change since since December. I also need
to as you know I quantify the costs associated with it. So I also have to go through now that we have some additional legal bills go through so I that I can quantify some of those costs for you. Anything else on action items or would
we like to move into discussion? All right, I'm going to go into discussion. Um, so Maryanne did provide an overview of where we are kind of in the budget process and next steps. I left it on as a discussion item just in case anybody had any questions or needed
any clarifications. Um, so I'll open it up for for anything like that to you all. >> I think Maryann did a good job. >> Look at you Maryannne. Okay. Okay. Um, and then I know this was
requested. I think it was you, Sandra, at last week's meeting requested a discussion on or was it Sandra or did I make that up? Nope, I made it up. So, for the record, I'm going to correct myself. Somebody requested that we discuss um attorney attendance at board
of education meetings. So, I will open that up for whoever wants to open it up and then we can discuss. Is it on in the fact that there's consideration of not following what we've already been doing? >> Is it on because there's there's a sense
that we're going to discontinue it? >> I think so. >> So, I it it's it's on for discussion. Um I would say we we never had a board attorney at the table until what May or June of last year when when Kyle joined us. Um, and the board never made a had a
vote on whether or not we wanted to incur the costs of having a a board attorney at at the table. Um, and based on the review of the attorney um bills, you know, we were we were paying for travel time and for a significant amount
of time to have him at the table. Um I have spoken to him this week and he is willing to attend virtually in executive session to provide any guidance that we need um as opposed to physically traveling here and then sitting at the
table. So um and we also have the ability to request that the board council attend a meeting if there's a specific matter that we need his guidance at in person and in public. Um,
but I guess my my I wanted to open the discussion as to whether we would like to continue having the board attorney here as a matter of course. Um, and I believe Maryanne pulled some of the costs so that we have an understanding of what the what a per meeting cost would look like.
And I think given the questions about um you know o that just occurred five minutes ago, I think the board um you know is really focused on cost and trying to rein in cost. And so in 2025 we had Kyle here for whatever it was
more than half the year. But in my first year on the board, we didn't have an attorney sitting at the board. the attorney would show up at executive session via Zoom or in person uh when uh when we needed them. So, I can tell you that um the cost for
the the attorney to attend and prepare for the meeting, I only have data um from April through November, we haven't gotten the December invoice yet, is a little over $6,000, $6,396. So, in eight months, it was less than
$1,000 a meeting. I mean, I I looked at some of the bills and you can see that he says prepare and attend a meeting 9 something. Some of them were 1,01. So, um that is significantly
significantly less than some of our OPRA requests. Some of them are on the three and $4,000 a request. >> And and and I'm not arguing that we spent a lot of money on attorneys. I guess what I'm what I'm asking is does the board think it's worth $1,000 a
month which would be $12,000 for the year which we could spend on other things to have the board attorney sitting at this table during meetings. So technically also if you looked at it like a just for easy numbers the
thousand dollars a month it's not 12 in total because there still is a cost associated with attendance from a Zoom perspective to your point there is less overall time and less travel time right but as far as preparation and presence there's still a cost so even if we were
to make it simple and say it's half the cost it's still six grand a year at a minimum right for attendance It's again I'm making easy numbers just so we can have the conversation. Um I guess my other question is from a successful process standpoint
from the little that I've dug in it feels like the board attorney not being at meetings would actually be the exception in the realm of boards versus the norm. But I'm open for
>> So I did ask all four of the attorneys that we're currently working with. Um I asked Mr. Trent as well as Mr. Gioe, Mr. Roselli, and um who was the fourth one? >> Oh, Mr. Padulla. Um and all of them said
that it it really depends on the board. Um I will say that Mr. Trent was completely open to a remote um attendance as opposed to he he did not feel strongly that being here in person was would be particularly helpful um or was was particularly necessary. I I
should say. Um there were other attorneys that commented that they felt that having a board attorney here in person created a perception of adversary either with among the board or with the public. um that can not be helpful
depending on the topics that are being discussed. Um so I I think that the the my takeaway was that it really is what services the board and what services the district that there isn't a a clear one
way or the other. Um and and I will say like Miss Gong, you know, this this past year was the first year that we had had a board attorney at the table in the five years that I've I've served on the board. And I don't feel like we were less functional without a board attorney.
>> I I I think if he doesn't have a if the attorney doesn't have a role here at the table uh per se, then it should be okay to to have him in executive him or her in an executive session. Um I mean that that's an option. Uh it's been used
before. So if there's no particular role, I'm not sure why we would necessarily have that attorney at the table. You know, I wish uh Kyle were here, but I guess we're saving money. I know that sounds ironic, right? Um sorry about
that. But you know, there are times when and so I'll say this, Kyle, wherever you are, with all due respect, maybe he's listening live, that many times when I would ask him a question, whether it was executive session or in public session, he'd say, "Well, that's not my role to discuss that." I'm I'm sitting there
thinking, "Well, if it's not your role, why are you sitting there?" And it really with all due respect to Kyle because he has given us good advice. Um you know the other comment uh Leslie you had said that I should call you Miss M Miss Laccasta. Uh you said you've done some due
diligence. I mean do you want to expand on that in terms of boards with lawyers or boards without lawyers? >> I think I just heard you say that. >> No. No. What I was referring to I said the little that I've looked into it. So not a ton. um between uh other parents I
know in other districts from North Jersey to South Jersey and a few in between we're talking about like straw polling some people that every single person was like yeah there's the board attorney at our board meetings. I also, as we're talking about it, also question, do we need to make either a
sweeping statement or a sweeping decision? Because when I think about serving the public, I also think about there have been times that the public has asked questions that are 100% legal in nature, that are very black and white, that are the equivalent of 1 plus
1 equals 2, where as a board, we don't speak and answer the public because we are a unit, right? We don't none of us speak on an individual basis. and D is the representative. Correct. So like there are times he has been able to serve the public and answer in the
moment where we are not empowered to do so. And so I think there's been benefit that way. And it also to make a sweeping statement in one way or another of him not being here or the board attorney, whoever that person is, feels a little >> premature.
I I would even follow up and say that I think at almost every meeting he was able to to reflect, comment, correct things that were happening at the table. >> So, I would I would just add to that, too, because I think what we've seen in
the past is things that have been said that have been harmful to the district and have broken the trust um from the public, right? So, even even last year, you know, with all due respect, right? So you bring up a surprise at the table,
you read deliberative minutes that were not approved by the chair, you went into evaluative conversation and that puts the district at risk, right? Because if somebody files an ethics complaint and it turns out that you violated it, that
actually affects our CUAC points and our funding, right? So he stopped you from doing that and that's and that is a value ad. So, we've had a lot of um you know, board comments that were divisive
that you know, for example, right, if we go back to 2023, we had this board talk about um calling for the resignation of a board member, a dulyeleed board member based on an allegation and an anonymous post. So, again, I don't think the I
think if legal counsel was here, they would have advised us not to do that. That's not our role. That's the school ethics commission. And I think that caused a lot of divisiveness and a lot of u distrust amongst the board. I would also say last year uh you know on almost
everything that we did we were scrutinized right which is why we had Kyle here. So again you know using the reverend right. So Reverend with all due respect you insisted that Becky Peterson
had a conflict of interest when she didn't. Right. And so I I think that would be something that we would have a conversation with the attorney because I still do. >> But but we did consult with the attorney. The attorney was the attorney was sitting here. Okay. And so we had
two school ethic uh we had an advisory opinion stating it wasn't a conflict of interest and we had the attorney here to legitimize what we were saying. So everything that was challenged we put in the president's report was which was the appropriate way to do it. But we had legal counsel here including when we
were changing over policies and every single thing was questioned and he confirmed that the law is the law and so it was okay to make sure that we were updating the policies. So I think there was a huge benefit for him to be here because we were challenged at every turn
on every single thing that we did. So I don't know how we can possibly forget all that that happened. And I have to say that last year, at least in the beginning of our meetings, um there were quite a few surprises at
the table sort of on on both sides, if you will. You know, we're trying to really be have civil discourse and not be uh divisive. So, just I just set the record straight that there were surprises really on both sides. Um, I
also don't think I don't know, but perhaps we shouldn't name people, current board members, former board members. I don't know. I don't know about that, but uh it just seems sort of odd right now to to call out names. >> Okay. Well, I disagree. I think it's
important to state the facts and what happened, and we're trying to justify why we had an attorney here at the table, and that's the reasons, and it's been going on for years. So, I do think it's important. And I think he added a lot of value. Um, and I I think,
you know, we don't know what's going to happen this year, right? And so I think it would be beneficial for him to be here. >> No, you're right. So I we don't know what's going to happen this year, but Kyle wouldn't, again, with all due respect to Kyle. So if you've got two
opinions or three opinions or four opinions at the table, Kyle is actually not going to take sides. That's right. He's not supposed to take sides, but he just gives his legal guidance, right? And so again,
I think I look I think about the district, you know, the board is supposed to ensure that the district is run well. And when people make false accusations against the board, uh that's that's
harmful, right? And there's a perception there. And so I think having a legal expert in education at the table legitimizes what we are pushing out in terms of information and being transparent and accountable. I think that lends to that. So when we are being
attacked for things um that clearly have no basis and no evidence was ever produced, him being here signing off on what we're talking about um speaks to that. it legitimizes it and and that was definitely valuable last year because
otherwise the board was thrown under the bus every every meeting we had and that was not okay. You know, all of us came here and worked hard on all kinds of things and it was just basically trashed and that is not okay and I think it it was very helpful to
have him here. So, I appreciate that you have a perspective, but reiterating the same false statements over and over do not make them true. And >> they're not false statements. >> They They absolutely are. And we can
certainly demonst it, right? So, you could say it was somebody else, but you're on video. You did a surprise at the table. You read deliberative minutes you shouldn't have and you spoke about evaluative information about a staff member that you mentioned. So that's on video. So
again, and you did not stop speaking until Kyle interrupted you, which again, you should be thankful that was valuable that you didn't continue to do that because that's harmful and and detrimental to the board. So that's just one example and that's not a false statement.
>> It it is and there's email documentation that that is not what actually happened. Um and >> Okay. Okay. So, the video >> I was going to say to to to move on. I I think that we have an understanding of
your desire to have the board attorney at the table. Um I don't know if there's anyone else that would like to have comments on whether or not we have the board board attorney at the table. If not, I would like to ask Reverend Williams to put that on the agenda for
the February meeting. And if if we are going to have the attorney at the table, I think there should be a vote of the board to spend to incur that cost. I think that that that is I think that we have we should be responsible to the public that that's something that we
want to do. >> Are you saying that we should be fiscally responsible to the public? um or at least yes fiscally responsible to the public and and >> about $10,000 versus the already twice that in Oprah's >> and I I think it's also worth perhaps
having a discussion at the meeting as to whether every single OPRA request needs to go through the board attorney which is which was not the practice prior to last year. So again, may maybe broaden
that to discuss why did it why did it change. >> I would caution though with that then information can be disclosed that possibly shouldn't and I believe that's happened as well. So I would be very careful with that.
Just to add my perspective, I know I'm not a voting member but just from the inside um to address your question, it's a good question. Why did it change? um that is due to the influx and the volume of the OPER requests. So the business office typically Heather our BA would be
handling those. Um but it just became such a huge magnitude that that we moved it over to the attorney. And I'll tell you that is a trend in districts that many it's not just us. Many districts are seeing increase in oper requests and many are using their attorneys because
they don't want to redact something that shouldn't or not redact something that should be redacted. So, it's a fair point. Um, and I I like I like what Leslie said. I agree with you. I don't know if we need to make a sweeping decision because there may be times
where we do need an attorney here um if there's something going on. So, you know, I don't I everybody has their own perspective, their own experiences with it, which is what makes a board great that we have diverse opinions, but let's it sounds like we should put a pin in it
and then consider it more. Um, and maybe there's some something, you know, we decide, oh, if we reach some sort of threshold, that's when we'd want to have an attorney at a meeting. Just something to think about. >> Yeah, I guess that would have to be deter. We would have to discuss or
somehow decide what is considered something that the attorney needs to be here. And if we're voting not to have an attorney, then do we have to then vote that the attorney has to be here for that meeting? We came through a a difficult year. Um, and I was part of that as well. Um, but
I would like to hope that we can all work together. But the problem I have is when community members come up and address the board, they're not trashing the board. They're giving opinions. And when community members file Oprah requests, that's their right. So make so
let's not disparage the democratic process and just accept what it is >> with respect. I don't think I was disparaging it. I was trying >> I was addressing the report. I was I was not I was not talking to you just uh >> okay but I wasn't just talking to you directly.
>> Um I just we're looking at each other. >> Right. But I but I think that there were people that were making accusations. Right. Um especially if we use Care Plus as an example. Okay. Accuba accusations or opinions. We can argue semantics all night.
>> Okay. Well, >> yelling at me, how do you sleep at night? Is not an opinion. >> Um, >> that that I was a private citizen then. So, if you're going to address me at the board, I think we have a problem. >> Sorry. If there's anything else that we'd like to discuss that's on the
agenda um under operations and transportation, we can continue that discussion. If not, we can move on to personnel. >> Can I just add one thing because um your request for it to go on the agenda
um for Reverend Williams um in the financial piece just to make sure to include what I was talking about in the sense of there's still a cost associated with something versus like so it's truly apples to apples and there's a variance versus a >> Okay. >> Yep. And um Miss Laccasta, I think your
idea of tracking to our budget is also important. Um I believe that we set a very specific budget cap for legal fees last year and I'm not sure anyone other than the business administrators know where we are in relation to that.
>> Okay. Thank you. Um can Sorry, Ellen. Go ahead. >> Okay. It's it I do like the idea as well of, you know, not making one rule that we will or we won't. And I think part part of making going that way would be also designating a a a method for how we
decide so that it so that get gets decided in a way that isn't just up to one person. And I believe one of the things that was on the um agenda for last year was to have a policy that would talk about how
we use the board attorney. Um and I don't think that that ever actually um came to fruition. So maybe that's something that the policy committee can consider again this year. >> Thank you. Um okay, we're going to move to personnel. And so I'm going to ask uh
David Bailey, our director of human resources, is our administrator leon to personnel. And so he'll give an overview of the personnel process. This one is a little tricky as I'm sure Dave will share with you because um as you know personnel is like a lot of confidential
items. So, it's very important we watch the questions that we ask um the things we discuss and that sort of nature. So, I'll kick it over to Dave and then um we can have a discussion about the appropriate items that we can have a discussion about. Go ahead Dave.
>> Thank you every is this on guys? Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Thank you everyone. Uh nice to meet everyone tonight uh right before the board meeting. I appreciate it. Uh my name is David Bailey. I'm the director of human resources and I'm going to be working this year with the personnel committee. And the personnel
committee this year is staffed by uh the chair Sandra Gong. Joining Sandra on the committee is Lisa Santangelo, Mayor Stella Wallace, and D. Kellogg. Um for those of you not familiar, the personnel committee reviews personnel
uh re the committee reviews the personnel report and at times personnel matters. The personnel report is developed by the human resources office and it provides information as we heard from school boards as recommended by the school superintendent uh to the board for uh likely approve
possible approval that night. Um a lot of things that are on the agenda are routines. Some of them are more unique. Um but you'll see if you watch the agenda for a while see patterns and things that happen. Um for example, you'll often see separations. We have one on tonight. You'll see changes of
position. We have one of those on tonight. You'll see some temporary assignments. Um you'll see sports. You'll see schedule C. You'll see professional development. Uh sometimes different seasons you'll see student teachers. And then there's a variety of other matters that might come up. They
only maybe come up once a year. But the routine things you'll see and you'll start getting more comfortable with them. You'll also see cycles to what we do. Like when we do, you know, we have three seasons of sports. you'll start noticing, oh, here comes the next sports season. Or we have schedule C approvals
for next year. Those are all the clubs that are in our our association contracts. You'll see those as like a seasonal thing. We are going to reappoint uh staff for the following school year. Each like, you know, late April, early May, contractual law, we
need to do some things by May 15th. So, you'll see that happening every year at the same time. I hope you get comfortable and familiar. it'll feel um something that you are comfortable with because at first it's like a little bit what is all this stuff on the agenda that I haven't seen before. Um tonight I
would like to just highlight a few items in our agenda. We all have copies. I know the board members have had them uh before tonight so hopefully had a chance to look it over. Um but just highlighting a few things rather than going through every point as we've been doing this evening. Um on item number
two which if you're following along is on page nine on a report. Item number two is an appointments of contractual salary as an example. In this case, we're hiring a security officer to fill a vacant position we have right now um with a start date the day after our our board meeting where we're going to
hopefully be approving a lot of things on an agenda. Um so we've we uh are looking forward to him starting soon. Uh item seven also on page on page 11 just is something called the sixth block. I highlighted this one because um
I've had some questions in the past. What is that? I even had one in the last 24 hours. What is that? So, I thought I'd bring it up tonight. So, a sixth block is a reference to the blocks of teaching that stu that teachers give and students attend during the day. And a
sixth block is when teachers usually teach five. So, six blocks is like an additional one. So six blocks is an additional teaching requirement or teaching class added to a teacher usually for a temporary period of time and there's some compensation involved in that that the board past boards and
our associations have worked out in the association agreement. So we all know what the compensation is already. Um, I calculate that to put on the report and um, typically that's used when we have a specialty and we it's hard to find
someone to fill it or the timing is so short that it's going to be really hard to find someone to fill it in a short period of time. In this case, you can see it's an AP psychology class. So, number one, not a lot of teachers in the state of New Jersey have psychology certificates. Number two, of those who have, they haven't been to the College
Board's AP training, which is required to teach a course like that, which is usually done a year in advance. So, it's kind of a unicorn to find someone who can do that. In this case, we want to keep the education flowing well. We don't want any delay in the student classes. It's an AP course. Time is really essential in those courses. If
you've ever attended one, I'm guessing one of our students here probably has or both of them. Um, if you have maybe parents, maybe some of the parents in the audience or our board members have had students attend those. you don't want to lose any time. So, uh, what we're doing is we're paying one of our teachers to step up, take over that
class, and run it. And we also know in that case, we're getting a quality education. There's no guesswork about the person we just hired. So, it's an effective tool that we don't use that much, but we do use it on occasion. You'll see it a few times every year for sure. Um, but it lets us be flexible and
uh do things quickly. Um, item nine is another item, professional development. You usually you'll see this on here every month. Uh in this case, um one of the ones I'd just highlight there's a block of items that are the same and that is I think about six or eight
people are going to be attending something called building the high school master schedule. It's a team meeting with a company called Genesis who runs our student information system. This is really our second year. Is that right, Ed? >> With Genesis. >> With Genesis. Yes. And building a
schedule is if you do the math behind it, it's an enormously complex task. If you think about all the classrooms we have in these thousands and thousands of square feet, think about all the students involved, all the teachers involved, all the number of classes, all the classes that change every year because Ed's always coming up with
something new. Or we have some demands from our program committee that say, hey, could you do more of this, less of that? So all those variables come together and we use software to do it really well. There's special education needs that drive a lot of the schedule. There's transportation, there's out of district placements, there's a lot of
things. So, we use software. So, we want to get really, really good at it uh with the software we're using. So, we're sending a team to go to this training at the end of this month. Um item 11 is unit lunch tutorial instructors. So, this is another item uh that's new. You
probably haven't seen this before. I was talking to our director of curriculum instruction and our superintendent uh last week about it. And what we're approving here, this is 12 teachers who are going to be providing academic support to students during the lunch period. Uh you'll note at the bottom of
that item, there's a a note that it's federally funded um through a federal grant, title 2A. Whenever you see a title grant, it's typically a federal grant. It means we've applied for and are going to be getting money for reimburse us for those those services.
In this case, it's an academic support. So this is another layer of academic support and there's many layers in place now that the district has decided we want to try this. So we're going to try giving some tutorial to targeted students during the targeted time during the lunch period because we know they're
here, we know they're available. It's a lot easier than trying to convince them to come before or after school. So we're going to try it out, see how it goes. Um, and so most people know, grant funding, we're required to come up with a plan, and then collect data on it, measure it, and then report that back in
the grant, and that's part of us receiving those funds. So, it's not uh it's not a form you fill out. It's a very, very in-depth process. Um, please know that while I'm happy to do committee meetings, this is really to
the committee, happy to do committee meetings anytime during the month. The closer we do them to the board meeting, the more the item, the report will be complete, the further we do it away from the board meeting, the more events are going to happen, we have to add to it between then and now. So, today's the
12th. Our board meeting that we're looking to do approvals on is the 26th. That is some time between now and then. So, I do expect this report to grow uh with the number of items on here between now and then. As long as everybody understands that, that's just the reality. The big place here, there's a lot of things happening, things are
going to grow. If everybody's comfortable with that, I'm comfortable with that. Uh and finally, if there's any questions regarding the items on the report, I'm happy to answer anything you have. Please know that I'm well, really all of us are limited by what we can talk about with regard to specific
people or performance or things like that in a public setting. Just a general question. A couple of times you mentioned schedule C. >> Yeah. >> And I think in one instance you said something about clubs maybe relating it to clubs. Yes.
>> Um I see on the agenda schedule D. Can you just give an explanation of what those schedules are and is there a schedule A, schedule B? >> Yeah. So you're going to hear Well, I can tell exactly what that refers to and you should know this. It's similar in
most districts. So the that vocabulary isn't unique to Hunter County. It's been in other districts I've been in as well. So schedule C refers to literally a schedule in the back of our teachers association contract. Often referred to as HCA, Hunington County Education
Association. So that contract is something that the boards negotiate with our teachers association every few years, usually every three years. And in the back of that contract, there's a a page literally says schedule C at the top. And that schedule is a list of all the clubs and the price points on those
clubs that the district board and the association have agreed to through negotiations to have in place and to fund at a certain level. Schedule D is on the next page and it is the sports. So, it's like all of the coaching
assistant coaches, the price points on that, how many assistant coaches, because you can imagine there would be a different number of assistant coaches for bowling that there would be for cross country. Cross country, they're spread out over many miles. Supervision is more difficult. Track is a huge
event. There's more assistant coaches. It's all that and all the price points involved. And that if anyone who's anyone here on negotiation committee, >> I hope so. >> Well, yeah. Do you know who you are? Like I know S I know Sandra's on it because I met with her the other day and mentioned it. So the next negotiations
coming up will be coming up soon and those are the kind of things you get more familiar with those contracts and those information as you go through negotiation but anytime you want to look at them they're on our website. >> Question about that actually for C and D that you just went through. What is the frequency at which they are negotiated?
Is it every year every two years? every 3 years. >> So luckily that's something the boards actually get to set is part of negotiations. You can negotiate teachers contracts between three and five years. >> Got it. >> It's with the full contract. So when um the association negotiate their
contract, that's part of the negotiation. So this last contract was 5-year contract. So it'll be coming up again. Um and that's part of um their ask. they'll come to the table, you know, in terms of a total compensation.
Then the HCA kind of figures out how they're divvying up that money. >> Understood. And I wanted to ask the question to kind of also call it out to some of the newer board members because I had an aha this last year >> um where when you're making that decision,
you have to think into the future. I think more than we might take that for granted. And what happens when a particular program, I don't know, blows up because performance is so good and all like and you're only two years in and now all of a sudden when you look and you're like the structure doesn't
support the growth, the structure and the price doesn't uh match to the coaching like there there are some unintended consequences I suppose. >> So board should know um there's a lot of support with negotiations. So start with
the team that's here of supervisors, right? So our BA, everything the board wants to do is negotiations, our BA will develop a cost for you of that, not just one year, but through the length of the contract. Is it sustainable or not are all reasonable questions for that process? The superintendent has been
through negotiations before, very established. Um, I'd like to be a resource to you through negotiations. This is I've been working with boards and associations for about 15 years, pretty comfortable with that material. There's also school boards provides a workshop for board members on
negotiations which I've been to in the past with board members. It's very valuable. It'll talk to you about exactly what you're talking about where NJA always negotiates for the long game where boards often negotiate for the short game and they try to teach you more about that. So, it's worth your time.
>> I'm looking forward to having you on the negotiations committee. >> And there is a schedule A. It's our salary guides and schedule B is health benefits contributions. I had to look that up because we really only use the term schedule C and schedule D
frequently. And one note, um Dave talked about the building the master schedule PD. Um that's that's about the technical elements of it, but it's also philosophically how you approach the structure of your schedule. So, for
example, um we're not going to schedule we learned this. This is why I'm citing it. Was it AP physics and AP calculus at the same time? Or there was some sort of overlap between one one of our music
courses. I want to say orchestra, advanced orchestra and physics. So, those are the things you learn. And that might just be unique to our school, especially the music piece. But that's that's why we have a whole team coming because we're we're collaborative as it
is and we need all perspectives and thoughts um and ideas in the process and it is funded Dave talked about our title fund grant. It is we are funding it through title 2A. >> Yes. In fact, uh we we talked about this
earlier earlier today is that those particular items are title funded. doesn't say that on there now, but on the draft that's coming out for the 26th, it's already marked up. >> Yeah, we'll change it. >> So, >> just to emphasize on those uh grants, it means that we get money back, which is a wonderful thing.
>> Did you say they were coming here to to do it or or were they going because I was curious about the difference? >> I think it's in Monroe, >> which is where the headquarters is for that company. >> It's the mileage. Yeah, >> that's a very good question. No, that's that's a very good question. It's the mileage. So, just a quick question. I
know Matt um was involved in the bus driver negotiation. So would the would any of the attorneys be involved in that negotiation as well? >> Oh yeah. Yeah. Um I believe right now as we're embarking on bus driver negotiations, Matt is working with their
association representative to schedule some time so that we can get some some evenings or whatever it is on the schedule. >> Thanks, Lisa. >> Good question. >> Thank you. The other item I just want to share with the folks who are sitting out there is that the superintendent
actually provides a lot of information in terms of interim approval. So many times on our agenda you'll see interim approval. Um and um it's something that's done before a board meeting because of something has to happen you
know right after a board meeting and we missed putting it on the agenda. So just for your information >> and I want to thank you all because we had a few we had the hourly for counseling we had the adviserss for the clubs we had the six block stipend um I
think we had a long-term sub in there as well so thank you for your support on that because the goal is to get our students you know some normaly because there's been an interruption so is some normaly as quick as possible so thank you good
questions Any other questions on the action items? Okay, thank you. Thank you, Dave. Um, we're going to move into policy now. Um, so I will talk a little bit about policy. Um, the policy committee is a
newer committee for our board of education starting in 2024. Um, although it's not new to boards of education. I want to thank our students for being here. It is I I'm just going to clap for them. I know this is not but I told them they didn't have to come last week or
this week and they did it and I'm so I'm so so blessed to be working with you both. So thank you. Okay. Thank you. Um okay. [Laughter] So I was appointed as the administrator liaison to the policy committee back in the spring of 2024 when I was actually
the assistant superintendent then. And so the policy committee, it may be obvious, but we review bylaws, policies, regulations that are required to be approved by the board of education. Um, this year's policy committee chair is Nikki Bryce with Jessica Rel, Vernon Williams, and D Kellogg serving as
members. Um, we do not have any action items for January, and I'll get into that momentarily. We do have one discussion item, as you'll see. Um but before we get to the discussion I just thought it would be useful to explain our approach and our strategy for um approve well I don't approve policies
but for vetting and going through policies. So um first know that we're guided in policy by our policy vendor Strauss Esme. And so I know it can be confusing because it sounds like a name of a person like a one person show but
it's not. Strauss Esme is a personalized and specialized policy consulting firm based in New Jersey that provides policy and regulation services in New Jersey um helping us create and maintain compliant policy manuals. Um it's us and over 580
school districts. Um they've been in operation since 1972. They have a team of attorneys as well as other staff members there working with them. Um, and in addition to them providing model policies and regulations, they also serve in a consulting role. So, one of
the things I love is that I'm able to crawl stress if I have a question or I can send them an email. Um, especially useful if there's something unique or specific to us, something we want to take out, something we want to add in, it's good to have them. We can also use
our board counsel which is of course helpful but it's good to know we can also bounce it off of strauss and say hey when you put this in here what did you mean by that? Um so stress estate releases policy alerts about three to four times a year although last year I
believe we may have only gotten two alerts. Um but they're based the idea is there's legislative updates that come through. Um, they're also continually reviewing their policies and then they update policies and make recommendations. It can be anywhere from
like six policies to 20. It really just depends on on what's going on. Um, so they they'll not only provide the suggestions to the policy, but then they will also give a great little description as to what is changing and why. And that's really good as a board
member if you can read that that document because it I know sometimes it's hard to read both policies and go, "Okay, this is the current one. Here's the new one. What am I looking at?" So, if you can read the actual information in the alert, it's usually a paragraph or two. That's a good that's a good
source of information for you all as board members, as voting board members. Um, so in our district, my office receives the policy alerts. I then review them to see which policies or regs um are mandated versus recommended. We prioritize mandated. Um and when we
first started doing this, we really had to prioritize ones that um hadn't been updated in a while or ones that were required for QAC because we were about to embark on the CUSAC process. Um after I review each policy, we then send it out to our admin team, these folks right
here and Matt Hall. Um and then they will review them. And typically that will in they'll involve their teams depending on what it is. So if something comes out about a counseling policy, Ed is reviewing it, but then he's bringing in Jen Wagner and probably some counselors to take a look at it just to
make sure it it's okay. Um sometimes, you've probably seen this, will offer options to districts. So we'll check something off or I mean we can't really circle it, but you'll see some crossouts because we're selecting a specific option. and sometimes they have like a
fill-in- thelank because that it's school specific information that they're looking for. Um, so again, this is something that I work on with the admin team. We look at those and then after we vetted them, it gets passed on to the policy committee. So the work we do,
we're really working like a month in advance so that then the policy committee can look at it the next month. Um, so it is a lot of work. Um this past year when we began the process of reviewing the policy manual and we did
find some outdated policies as well as homegrown policies and some of you may be familiar we were going through section by section in our policy manual. We did reach um the 7000s I believe. So um something that I do just want to state is we still have the 8000s and
9000s. I did start going through the 8000s. There's some updating to do as a spoiler alert. Um, so I wanted to talk a little bit more about homegrown policies because as the name implies, they're not policies that we get from Strauss SMA. Um, these are
policies that will address things that may be unique or like really important to our district. Um, so I don't want to discourage the use of homegrown policies, but I want us to proceed with caution. And I believe um in my analysis since I've worked with the policy
committee, I believe we're still finding what our correct balance is between having homegrown policies and our Strauss SMA policies and then inserting our own language into Strauss SMA policies. Um and so we'll we'll continue trying to find that right balance. Um,
as we move forward this year, I would recommend that we use Strauss Esme's services. Um, as well as our board council to review any changes that we want to make to policies. Um, and then for the February policy agenda, we're going to have eight new or revised
policies from Strauss Esme. Um, these actually came out right after our policy committee last met. And so therefore, um, I worked with I talked to the policy committee chair at the time. We didn't want to rush to put them on and not give
the board enough time to review and ask questions. So we paused. And being that we have a new board, I didn't feel it was appropriate to rush them through for January, which is why we're waiting until February. Um, so in addition to those policies, I anticipate that we'll have an additional four or five
policies. I think we also have a reggg from the principal's office that are in need of updating. So about 12 or so that we're looking at for February. Um are there any questions about the process because we don't have action items. Any questions about that process?
>> Could you say something about the first read and second read? >> Oh yes. Yep. So we do have first read and second read as you know um or hopefully you know. If not now you do. And so uh what that means is the board the the first month the board is reviewing it or reading it. it's
approved on first read hopefully and then uh it moves to second read. Sometimes there are questions in between first and second read which is perfectly appropriate. Um or sometimes a policy committee will go back and review that because maybe we've gotten a lot of
requests or questions about it. If um if it's a simple update and it doesn't really significantly change the the meaning of the policy, we can leave it on for second read the next month. If it's something that would cause a more significant change or a difference in
the implementation, then it's got to go back on for first read approval. Good question. Thank you, Ellen. Anything else? >> I have a question just um Strauss Esme, do we have a particular point of contact? You mentioned you have the
ability to reach out to them if you have a question or um there's something to confirm or is there a team of people there that is assigned to our district? Just how does the relationship between us and Strauss Esme as a policy vendor
to us work? Exactly. >> We do have someone assigned to us that we call um in this case it's one of the heads of Strauss Esme. Um but we are also able to to talk to any of them. It's not a huge organization. So, um, so I've met them all now over the past few
years. Um, they're all very knowledgeable. They all work really closely together. Um, but we do have to like we actually just called them earlier today. And so, we just reach out and they they always pick up the phone, which is nice. >> How many employees do they have? >> I is it like four?
>> It's like four attorneys and then additional staff. >> But don't quote me on the four, but I can find out because it actually is a very good question. Anything else? Okay. So, I wanted to move into
discussion on policy 5770. Um, this came up, I'm sorry, it's student right of privacy. Um, a copy of the policy of our current policy is here. I know this came up um last month during public comment, so I thought it would be good for us to address it. Um,
this policy was uh first introduced as a discussion item in policy committee starting back in I think November of 2024. Um, we discussed it for a few months and then it also came up again, it's come up a few times
in student life and program as well. So, one of the things um that I thought was important is to ask Mr. Brandt here. He's almost off the hook, but not yet. To kind of take us through the process, what he has done with his team, as well
as um some legal guidance he's received, just so that you all can hear hear more about the policy and our processes. >> All right. Thank you. I guess um overall anytime we have to conduct any type of searches of students
their person or belongings uh we do take it very seriously. Um a couple of the things to point out to start is that um school officials need what's called reasonable suspicion compared to a law
enforcement person. And so we have, you know, school resource officers here. They can only conduct any type of search if there's probable cause. Um so reasonable suspicion is not as extreme if you would. And in fact, actually, we
the um law enforcement actually step out and and they might be nearby um if I'm conducting a search, but they're not part of the actual search because it might be under just a reasonable suspicion. and reasonable for areas that
are um something that might be uh in place of either harm of the student themselves or harmful to others, safety to the school or themselves or also a violation of a
of a law or a school um policy. So that's the baseline of it if you would. Um, I'll use an example because it is a it is something that's come up in the past. It is from our climate and culture
survey. It's something that's come up and I'll use the example of when we conduct searches if we have reasonable suspicion that a student might have a a vape um device on them. Um, and it's
probably our more not probably is by far um the most popular type of search if you would. Um, very rarely, knock on wood, have we conducted searches because of reasonable suspicion for a weapon or
something like that. So, how we conduct those searches and I'm going to share with you the process that a number of years ago, probably one of the first or second year that I was in this position, um we had vape sensors installed and it was something that the vice principal's
team and and myself were like, "All right, how do we handle this?" Because prior to that, I don't want to say it was simpler, but if you walked into a bathroom and you smelled a cigarette smoke, it was a little bit more obvious, if you would. Um, and and that's how any
students who are involved in that, there'd be a search, for example, on the the violation of smoking laws on school campus. Actually, whether you're adult or not, um, you can't smoke on campus. But when the vape sensors came in, we we sat down with our attorney at the time
um and said, "Walk us through what's reasonable in this case." So, our typical ba our bathrooms have a maximum number of students who can go in there at any one time. Uh that's based on the number of stalls, if you would. If there's four stalls, you'll see the
number four outside in the door. Um so during a typical day during a block we um we have students going in and out swiping in and out and if a vape sensor goes off. Um our sensors by the way that are in lavatories and other locations
like a locker room conduct or can sense more than just a vape. So I really shouldn't call it a vape sensor. So, it's halo is the is the product type, but it can sense actually an increase in heat or a decrease in heat. Um, it can
it can pick up if somebody yells help um in there and it'll be a help alert, not a vape alert. Um, so it actually um is a pretty excellent tool um for the safety of the building itself. But if the vape
sensor goes off, um we identify who is in there at the time. If for example, there are three students. Now, unless we have clear evidence that the student has in their hands, um we've deter we've put together the
process of their reasonable suspicion that at least one of the three may have um used and ingested the vape. One of the big items with the vapes is the fact that the vapes could be either nicotine or THC and the in either case
they're very concentrated. So, it is something that we've learned um and had to look for advice on too. The potency levels are high enough that we really act quickly as quick as we can to make sure that the students safe period. So,
walk through that process. If we have three students identified, we bring them down to the office. Our our policy states and talks about teachers being able to conduct those searches. We don't do it that way. Um it has to be one of
the four vice principles or myself, principal. So we use our principal certification to conduct that. Um we tend to usually pair it up with the age group and the vice principal of that student. Now, it might be more than one.
And for speed's sake, basically what we're doing right now is making sure that all of them are okay. And if we come across with one of them who has vaped or more than one, um, we want to get them under care. If we identify that
it's street nicotine, if you would, uh, then we treat it as a smoking violation, that might be an extended detention after school, kind of like if they had a pack of cigarettes 10 years ago. Um, if it's THC related, now it's a substance abuse violation, and we go
through that process. But either way, we need to identify it as soon as possible. Um, so when we conduct a search, and I'll use me as an example, if it's a senior and a senior vice principal is not there or we're trying to um with
expediency, if we have three students and we don't want that third student sitting there waiting too long, we'll split up. I'll take a student. If it is a female student, I'll make sure that another female staff member from our security um team is in there. I won't
conduct uh a search of a female one-on-one. Likewise, if it's a male and female vice principal, there's going to be a male um security member in there as well. Process we go through is um and again, this was originally recommended
and walked through with an attorney about five years ago. And then um you know, we changed board attorneys recently. And one of the first things we wanted to do was all right that that process that we go through was with the previous attorney. Let's walk through it
again with our current one and we did. Um and they they felt yes, what we're going through there is appropriate. Um and then we also off of the questions recently actually called um so legal one
is the um NJPSA's um basically law advice program. They're the ones who conduct um PD sessions for uh administrators to go through anything
under the law. Um they're the ones who guide us. for example, if there's a question on HIV, the people we call just to double check, are we going through this process right? So, I called, spoke with him, too. So, that's three different attorneys to walk through that process. So, I have a student in front
of me, closed door with a second adult in there. I asked them first, I explain what we're doing. We'll explain, okay, you're in here because you were part of at least a number one a number of students who were in there when the vape alert went off. So, right now we're
trying to make sure you're okay. So, we're going to ask you number one, were you vaping in there? Um, yes or no. And we give them the opportunity. Some students say yes, I was. And then, right, we'll go through that process anyway, but it makes it a little
um I don't say easier. Um, but then we ask them to um show what's in their pockets, show what's in their socks, maybe in the back of their hood and such. Um that's that's as invasive as we go in their on their person. And then we
checked their belongings as well in a backpack. Um we do have the ability um if they had a locker and we felt that there's reasonable suspicion to check the locker or their car parked on campus. Um but that's very rare that we
go through that far. Um and then we conduct the search of their belongings. We'll ask them to dump all your things out of your backpack and we'll go through it. Um, we also then will bring them regardless of whether we find something or not, we bring them to the
nurse's office as well to do a vitals check. They'll they'll check their blood pressure, their temperature, their pulse. Uh, sometimes the students pulses are racing and we didn't find anything. We also understand that it's 15, 16 year old sitting there in the nurse's office and they're worried. So, we'll either
have them sit for a while or u there's times too if it's unsure we'll send them to class and maybe actually have them come back and check later on. Um the vitals check. We log it on a spreadsheet that we have and we also then contact
the parents and we let them know that we conducted that search, why we did, if anything was found or not. Um and then we take it from there. if it's uh some things have evolved just for you to
know. So about four or five years ago there are more of these bigger vapes that were like cartridges that it could be either a nicotine or a THC which is the chemical in in marijuana um to make them high. They could change what was in
that. So that's why when we first originally had the regulation and um and we and if we found even if it said nicotine on it, we had them go through the process of if they were under suspicion of something beyond nicotine to make sure they were cleared by a
doctor and checked. Um, now the the good or bad of it, the the vape devices have evolved to be smaller uh to be not cartridges that change, but they're like one-timers if you would, could be flushed, could block up the uh pipes as
they've had. Um, but my point is too, and we did change our um code of conduct to relay that. So, we're not looking to hammer the kids. We're looking to make sure they're okay and make better decisions and not vape in school. Uh, no
matter what it is they're vaping. Um, and I bring that up because, uh, previously, no matter what type of vape device it was, we would send them out um to be checked by a doctor to return. If we know it's a nicotine vape um based on
what it is and they're not showing any signs of being under the influence of something beyond nicotine, we treat it as a smoking violation like as if it was a pack of Marboro 10 years ago. Um or tomorrow, but I rarely see them. Um and
it's not as heavy of a a violation. Um if it's a substance abuse violation, there's a suspension involved. If it's a straight smoking violation of nicotine, it's an afterchool suspens um after school detention. Um and then that's the
process we go through. We notify the families um and we take it from there. We do use that also to see trends. Sometimes you have a student who happens to be a third or fourth, fifth time in a group and maybe nothing was found. Then we could take steps further and treat it
as if under suspicion. Um, it's just a pattern that's a little too obvious. Um, I think I had everything. I I'm sorry that was kind of lengthy, but I just figured it would be good. It is something that comes up. Um,
again, we try to take care of the expediency to get them back into class, but at the same time, the balance of making sure they're okay. Um, and that really is actually the first thing I should have said. Number one, make sure they're okay. you're in my hands. Your
children are in my hands during the school day as principal and and the last thing I want is anybody getting ill um for making a bad choice while they're on campus. >> Thank you. Ed, can you talk a little bit about and maybe not a little bit, but
just explain the statistics? >> Okay. >> Of maybe the statistics is the wrong just the data points. You know, I know you all keep a log on the searches as we're required to do. um in terms of you know what it looks like and that you
were explaining like this like one situation versus the people involved. So, one of the things that comes up is questions about, you know, what percentage of time do you find something to realize that you can look at that spreadsheet and say, "All right, um,
let me back up. Let's say, yeah, we searched, let's say we searched four kids today and one of them ended up having a vape on them, then they're talking 25% of the time we had that. But if all four were in the um bathroom at the same time and the vape alert went
off, then that alert, that instance had 100% if you would. Um so, um the percentage of times where something is found
per event is higher than the percentage of number of students who have found to have had something. if that makes sense. Um, and again, it's balancing the privacy with also making sure they're safe and
also really to back up trying to encourage them not to make that choice. Um, students do share that it is the vapes whether that's THC or nicotine are very strong. And I'll use the anecdote of finding a student who used a vape
because the alert went off 15 minutes before dismissal. And I'm on a practicality, it's like you were 15 minutes away from being outside. And and the students themselves will admit that it's that strong of an urge
that nicotine fix is that strong uh that they couldn't wait. So it is worrisome. Um and and uh I do realize that at times it can get in the way of the flow of the day. Um but
also um I just want to make sure they're safe. Period. >> Thank you. >> Questions? >> So thank you for asking the question about statistics because that was um a
question I brought up in the November committee meeting. Um, but part of what I wanted to also know was the repeat offenders. >> Um, like how often are you finding the same kids in there? >> It's a good question. >> When the sensor goes off,
>> we have um I don't want to say a number of them, but enough that we have a couple protocols. If it's a number of times in a row in a short amount of time, then we will treat it as under possibly under the influence, reasonable suspicion that they're under the
influence and we'll get them checked by a doctor. The other thing we do is we'll restrict them to what type of laboratories they go to. So, if it is a student is a repeat offender, we will restrict them to one of the single-use bathrooms. So, that if it goes off and
they're the only one in there and we don't find anything, if to prove that it's I don't want to say just nicotine, but that it's nicotine versus another substance, then we um we have reasonable suspicion to make sure that
um that they get checked by a doctor. >> But that that individual laboratory >> Doctor What does that mean? Pardon me. >> When you say get checked by a doctor, what does that mean? >> So by law, if any staff member says that I have I I believe that person is under the influence, that they're
showing behaviors that are different than normal and they might be under the influence of some illegal substance, whether it's drinking or smoking THC. By law, actually, we have to first take them to the nurse right away. They get checked and then what we the process is
they we have them drug screened and also they have to leave with a parent and they can't return and to a doctor who has seen them within two hours. Um let me back up. That's incorrect. They need the drug screening within two
hours but they also need to um see a doctor to be that they're safe to return. And we have had instances where um it's not atypical where a student um
is able to then return that day. Um but it has to be a doctor and that's actually by law. Um >> right. And I I want to separate faculty from students because majority of the students are minors. I guess prior to doing the drug screen, if I'm the
parent, where am I in this equation? >> It's a good question. So we offer a free screening here uh within the nurses and it's we have changed that also. It used to be a urine screening. Um two years ago we changed it to an oral swab for a
number of reasons. Urine screening is pretty invasive, right? You're asking a student to urinate in a cup with somewhat supervision. We want to do away with that. Also, if it's somebody who were concerned that under suspicion of
being under the influence at the time, um the swabs u check kind of don't go back 30 days if you would like urine might. Um so this the swab we offer that for free. If a parent declines that then
they then can take them to somewhere else. Um so one way and and pay that on their own. Maybe they want to take it to their pediatrician. Um, >> sorry. I guess my question to be more direct, we're not administering this prior to my involvement. >> Correct.
>> Okay. >> Yes. And and number one, we'll call you right away under the suspicion um because they are going to a have to be screened and also be taken to a doctor. And we've had situations too where um the family's like, I can't be there
till 3:00 in the afternoon anyway. and then we will take them to the ER to make sure that they're cleared by a doctor and and hand it off to a parent. So, one of the five of us principles are sitting until a parent can get there. >> I just have a couple more things I want
to say. So, in full transparency, um, two of my kids that have already been in the high school, um, just by mere fact that they were in the bathroom were searched. Um, my son could care less. He missed school. Yay. Fun. My daughter was
mortified, completely and totally traumatized. I was not called until it was done. In my opinion, there was no reasonable effort to call me first. This is where I find the policy not acceptable in its full
scope. Um, I don't know that a reasonable attempt was made to contact me because I answered the phone immediately. Um so that's where I kind of have some struggle with with how this process runs in this policy. Um the other thing the reason I asked about
frequency of you know habitual >> and the fact that just by mere fact of being in the bathroom that considers a reasonable suspicion. Are we deterring bad behavior or are we creating kids who have some trauma and
then don't want to use the bathroom for this mere fact? And then if we bring it back to mental health, you know, we're also developing girls in particular in my case who I mean I can tell you she
cried and she's a very strong kid. Mhm. >> So that's where I think we need to do a little bit better here in terms of what's considered reasonable suspicion and reasonable effort to contact the parent. >> Okay.
>> The other thing is if if we're going through this process, that's a lot of time out of the classroom >> for someone who did nothing. I also had a question. Um, you mentioned about the female faculty searching female students. What happens if a
female faculty is not available for some reason? What do you do in that situation? >> We'll we'll make sure of it. Um, I don't know of and um and I'll make sure of it too that we have a female faculty member there present.
>> Okay. I we won't conduct a search without somebody in a >> Okay. So, I guess and maybe the policy changed, but some post-graduate girls um have spoken out about being searched by
non-females and they were traumatized by that um having to empty out their you know, purses and I mean they're still so they they're graduates and they still talk about it. So, again, that is concerning, right? because they that's like the first thing that that that
comes to their mind, right? It's it was a really horrible experience. So, I would just make sure >> that that's not happening anymore. >> Are are you saying that only a female or making sure that there's a female in there?
So, I'll bluntly I'll if for example I'm conducting the search of a female, I'll make sure there's a female staff member in there with me and we're doing it together. But I'm leading the search. I'm not touching the student. But I will not conduct it with a female and just
me. >> But the female student has to then unload their bag with some personal things. >> I think it's the male being in there, right? When I mean Right. So these are girls, they're young and
yeah, it's just embarrassing and uh so I don't think any male in the room would is comfortable for them. >> Okay, I think that's something we can discuss. I mean, it's it is one of those balance points of making sure that they're safe and healthy and not under
ingested something and trying to do it with respect um at the same time. I hear you. >> I understand. And I think the other thing that has happened and we've talked about this before is then it deters them from using the bathroom all day, right? So we saw in the climate uh and culture
surveys like you know girls were getting UTI, right? They they're literally not going to the bathroom all day. So that's not a that's that's an issue too, right? Because that becomes a health issue. And so I think you know we just have to really figure out a better way to deal with that.
>> Okay. >> Yeah. I just wanted to say um you know Ed and I have talked about it. We've talked about it through some committees. Um we don't want to have to do the searches, right? Like nobody does it. We don't want to do it. But it's one of those things where we're now balancing.
We're trying to keep as much student dignity as possible in the process. But we have to there's an immediacy sometimes in these situations and we ultimately the safety of the the child or the children who are being searched comes first. Um but I agree it can be
offputting and and you know we've heard about the female situations. Um right now we have one female vice principal. Um we do have other females that would stand in as witnesses but can't conduct the search. Um, so we can look at that
process, but it is definitely a challenge for sure with the females. >> And could it could it be I don't know if all our nurses are are women or not, but is that is that somebody that would be allowed to do that? Um, >> as part of that process,
>> they can't necess well, we don't have them right now doing the searches. Um, and a lot of the times I think they're checking like if it's a group they're checking vitals as searches are going on. You know, it's sort of like vitals check and then a search. Um, but it's
something we can look into like what are where are the other females so that we can look into that, you know, that concern for sure. think maybe I don't I mean maybe this is too delicate of a situation for the student reps but that was a big issue
that came up on the climate and culture right I mean we read all those comments and that was a that was something that just came up over and over again so it's definitely a big concern I don't want to speak for them because they left but last month um when they led a student lunch they did talk about
bathrooms specifically and I think that question actually came up um what the students and the lunch reported And I think what we saw on the poll survey is um availability of bathrooms and like knowing what bathrooms are open. So that's been what we're working on, but
we are meeting with the student reps on Wednesday actually for another student launch on Thursday. Um so we can revisit that topic with them. It's not a bad idea. Thank you. >> Okay. I think it's reasonable to say that there has to be some sort of policy, but maybe we need to find a more
even more delicate way of determining reasonable suspicion and making a reasonable effort to contact the parent before you do this search because I wasn't called at all before the search. I there was no attempt to call me and
that I'm assuming is the norm >> for those types of searches. Yes. Yeah, there is a timeliness with the searches. Um, I know the reasonable suspicion has been passed through now to board attorneys and the attorney at PSA.
Um, so I'm I'm good with the reasonable I'm good in terms of the protections of the reasonable suspicion, but I understand the delicacy of parents wanting to be notified. So, that's something we can talk more about.
So, does the policy say that the parent must be contacted first or or doesn't it say it? >> I at some point they must be >> Yes. >> And if possible, >> just not prior to the process, right? >> I mean, ironically, in my case, I was
speaking to the vice principal as my daughter was trying to call me in tears. So, Anything else? Any other questions about that process? Okay, thank you. Um, okay. We're now moving on to
organizational items for discussion. So, we have three. I think I'll D I'll kick it over to you if that's okay to lead the discussions. >> Absolutely. And um these don't necessarily need to be long or significant discussions, but um the
first one would be the board handbook. It does need some basic updating. um our New Jersey school boards rep has changed, but um I wanted to give folks the opportunity to take a look at it and see if the board norms that we've identified are still um what we wanted
to continue with or if there are any other portions of the handbook that we wanted to revisit um which we could discuss now or we could certainly um add it to the committee agendas for February if um we'd rather do it
that way. give more pe, you know, give people more time to to take a look through the document. >> Yeah, I didn't understand specifically what it was on here for, so I didn't take the time to read it knowing that there was going to be discussion. So, I would need that time. >> Right. And I'd just like to comment as a
new board member. Um, I have given the board handbook a first pass through so far. So, I've read through it um since I I've referenced it a couple of additional times, but as I continue in
this role as a board member, I see it as a really phenomenal resource that I personally will keep going back to um just to confirm any uncertainties or clarify a process for something. Um, I
learned a lot the first time reading it and there were a couple of things that um, I don't have specific examples right now, but I thought, um, maybe could be a little more clear. It just made me question like, oh, wait, can I do this?
Um, or how do I go about this? So, I between now and the next meeting, I mean, personally, I'd be happy to take a really close look and um let whoever the appropriate person is know about any things that I thought could uh maybe
just be enhanced a little bit. I mean, it's a great document. I think it would be wonderful to continue with. Anyone else? Okay. >> Um, can I just make one comment about
board norms because I think I was I think I was as as Lisa and I worked on it last year with um another board member. Um, you know, we were like excited about having norms and expectations and I think I led the board through that activity last year at this
meeting at this time last year. Um, but I've seen them also used against people. And so I think if we're going to have norms, I would love for us to define what they mean because like I've heard that, hey, you went against a norm, no
surprises at the table. So I'd love us I don't know if it's creating unnecessary um tensions. And so I'd love for you all to maybe explore that. Think about that as you're reviewing the handbook. Do you need them there? Should they be set in a different way just because we've had a
year now with them? Um, I love the idea of norms. We do that on our teams here, but I want to make sure, you know, they're used um for positive and to grow our collaboration together. >> Can I just ask what the action is for us and what the plan is in February?
>> Um, I don't think that there's there's certainly not an action for the January 26th meeting. Um and I think we'll discuss whether we want to put it as a discussion item on the committee agendas. Um the next one is board comments. So
based on our policy, I asked um Jessica to add board comments back to the agenda. However, I did want to give everyone a chance to discuss that if we would like to. Um, and if someone would like to make a motion to remove it from the agenda, we can certainly have a vote
on that if that's if that's the case. Um, but I in my experience on the board, I would say up until this past year, it was always on the agenda. Probably 75% of the meetings, no one had any board
comments. It just sort of came and went. Um, but I I do find it very valuable for board members to be able to share thoughts, acknowledge people, um, and if they if if a board member has something that they want to share with the public
and feels that the public a statement that they need to make as an elected official, I think it's appropriate to have that opportunity on the agenda. >> I have a question. Mhm. >> Um, so I want to walk through the
existing process that I lived through in the past year in the sense of we would obviously have the agenda as we would present the items at the end of that and before the vote, right? We would open the floor. I guess Lisa would open the
floor to say are there any questions or comments on anything that we're voting on, right? So there's anything that's on the agenda had an opportunity to speak to. So that's number one. Number two, there was um additional board business, right? Is there anything that you want to bring up for the next committee
meeting? So on and so forth. And so those two things combined with when we are at the table, we operate as a unit. We don't operate as individuals. So, and I hear you on the commend a a student or talk about how great the play was. I'm
not really talking about that. But I guess when you factor in how it was managed, what was able to be covered and the fact that we don't speak as individuals, I'm trying to understand what would be talked about in board comments that isn't already allowed to be talked about. >> So I do you want to
>> I can think of um you know perhaps current events uh that don't fit comfortably into a committee. Um you're right. I mean the process is that you've got an action, you've got a second, there's a discussion that's
appropriate to the committee. Um the um additional board work, board business will go to a committee, but there are things that don't fit while we're sitting here. It's like, oh, I don't know where that actually fits or whether it's a shout out or so sometimes I think
it is really useful to have board comments >> and I get what you're saying on the shout outs. I think the thing that struck me was when D said, "If we if I think there's something that should be shared with the public, I'm that immediately struck me as a me." And when I'm sitting here, I'm no longer me, I
guess. >> Well, we don't act as individuals, but we communicate. We have the option to communicate with the public as individuals. We each have our first amendment rights. um you know, if we as a board decide that it's more appropriate to have a board member
recuse themselves or or step away, excuse themselves from the table and speak at public comment if that's the type of information that they'd like to provide. Um you know, we we can certainly create that in a policy. Um, but I I think as as Miss Gong pointed
out, you know, there there will inevitably over the year the next year have be events that board members feel the need to comment on. Um, and I think we need to be respectful of that.
So, I will just add that the reason why we did not have board comments last year was because um our superintendent asked us to remove them because um they were being abused, right? So, people were using them to um
make, you know, attacks at other board members and it was making the student reps uncomfortable, which is why the student reps left right after the presentations. And so we have a a history of that which is not helpful. Um I also think that when you do make a statement at the table um you know the
public may not realize that's not the position of the board and so you know sometimes the the lines are blurred as well. So that can be an issue. Um, so I think it and and again, you know, when we consulted with New Jersey School
Board Association last year, they really frowned upon that because there were some ethics complaints that were filed uh based on some things that board members did, you know, throughout the state. Um, and our attorneys advised us um not to do it as well. So that was the
reason why we got rid of the board comments and there's definitely risk involved with that. >> Yep. Thank you, Lisa, for following up on that. Um, for sure in 2024, cuz I think that was the last time we had board comments. You know, there are concerns about how the board comments
were used. Um, and but I hear you, Miss Gong, uh, and other people have said this that sometimes when Lisa would ask, you know, any questions about action items, you might have a question or a comment, but it's not related to action
items. So um one of the things that I had requested is can we get some parameters you know and I think last year someone had made a motion on the board um to bring back board comments and I remember one of the board members um as you all went through and voted
said I will I would support board comments with some parameters or rules and um I don't know if we can set those up but I think there has to be an understanding that we do not use them to
publicly humiliate one another or um cause more tensions um and that we stay focused on our mission of making sure our kids have the best educational experience here at Central. Um so that that would be my ask. Um I'm happy to have backboard comments. I want you all
to feel that you can share, but I want them to be appropriate and respectful too. That that would be my my big big ask for everybody. Any other thoughts folks want to share? Okay. Um
then our last item was the board newsletter to discuss. I think there's a an a copy of um >> the December one >> the December one that's attached. Um, I think I think it's valuable for um,
you know, to provide this as a tool for transparency with the public. I like the idea of the superintendent's report, the students report. Um, as well as the committee reports to the extent that they can be included. Um my concern is
that part of I think one of the the comments that was made in um the presentation today was that the the superintendent communicates on behalf of the district and the board communicates on behalf of the board. So, um I think
that that finding that balance since this is sent out by the district and the district has an obligation to um ensure accuracy of these um of of anything that it puts out. I think that making sure
that that that one the superintendent has the capacity to to do that with whatever this publication is um and that the content that we provide is as streamlined as possible.
>> I could just speak to my part in this and um this was Lisa's idea last year. I thought it was a great idea to increase, you know, I know that transparency is a trigger word nowadays. >> It It was actually Becky's. >> Oh, it was okay. It was Thank you. Well, thank you to both of you for the idea.
It was a very good idea and um and I think the purpose was to make sure that the public felt that they had information because we don't go, you know, this is a rare, we haven't done this, right, where people are getting to hear the discussion. So, it was a it was a way to communicate that there had been
discussions about action items prior to the board voting on it, I believe. Um, and so the way just roughly the way the process worked is essentially I've set up Google folder for every single month where um the committee chairs would go
in and load in their minutes. Um, the president goes in and loads in her report. I upload my report and the student rep's report. Um, and then my assistant puts puts together the newsletter. So, as long as all of that is there, it's not too too demanding of
a process as long as we have everything there. Um, I do have to go through, you know, the minutes just to make sure nothing is shared that shouldn't be shared if there's very, you know, specifically with personnel. Usually, that's where that is. Um, but it's not too demanding of a process. So, I think
it's just kind of up to you all if you if you want to continue it or or not. Um, but I hear you on the communication piece, which I I hadn't thought of previously. >> So, I think the newsletter is good for people who don't have the time to attend
the meetings, which a lot of people don't, and so it's just a way to keep them connected to what the board is doing and what they're discussing. So, I think it's um worth doing. I so for Delaware Township um the
liaison at the Delaware Township Board of Ed always reaches out to me and says is there anything in addition to what came out in the newsletter for me to report on and so I find that incredibly valuable for her and I um in terms of making sure that we're reporting stuff
from central back to Delaware Township. Um it definitely decreases the amount of time that her and I have to go back and forth with questioning. So I and we post it on the Delaware Township Facebook page and people have commented on it and appreciate it. So
>> good. Thank you. >> Um and I'll just add to like Miss Santangelo said um for community members or families that don't have time to attend or don't even have time to watch the live stream or the recording from
home. Um it is a really nice tool for them to use. Um my family, my kids went through the Flemington Ritan School District and this was um at least in recent years that we were there, this was standard practice there and I know
they send a lot of students to Central. So that might be just sort of a continuing practice that's nice at least for for those parents. They have it with their kids through 8th grade. Now they get to central at at 9th grade. Um, and
instead of having a a hard stop on a report back like that, it's a nice continuation that they're used to. Um, even when I attend a meeting, I still read the newsletter as well. >> All right. If there are no other
comments, um, I think we can move to residence form. Sorry, I was supposed to tell them they could get seated after the committees and I forgot. Sorry, they could resume normaly in the audience. >> Okay. >> Um, so this is just to remind you that
this is our residence forum. Um, residents will be allowed to speak for five minutes. Um, no one may speak for on more than one topic until everyone else has had a chance to speak. Um, and then the statements shall be directed to
the presiding officer. Um, so is there anyone that would like to make a public comment or if the answer is no, we can wrap for the evening. >> Oh, I'm sorry.
>> Mrs. Peterson Rebecca Peterson, Meritton Township took notes of just a couple things. The tracking of the legal costs monthly is on the board secretaries report. It's already reported to you guys, so you don't actually need to get either Maryann or Miss Spitz Mary or Miss Spitzer to do more work because it's
already there. Um the professional services aren't broken out, but legal services are. Um, I know that the administration last summer read The Amazing, I'm sorry, The Anxious Generation. Jonathan Hate has just come out with a book for younger
people called The Amazing Generation that teaches uh that tries to give some good advice for students about living in a living in the real world in a technology laden world. Um, I would highly recommend uh that the library
consider getting some of those copies or if there's a group that we know of who does donations or things like that. I think um it would be a good way to piggyback off of what um what was started last year. Um when I came and speak spoke last
week, uh I I certainly had some frustration um because I'm learning unfortunately some other things that are going on that are not legal. But um I want to just clarify that I I don't believe I think of anybody that I've talked to about this throughout this entire thing. I I think Mr. Brandt does
care about this very much and I don't believe he's brushing that off. So I want to just make that very much on the record. My issue my frustration came from the September committee meetings um which he wasn't at. Um but there is a problem here because and I don't know
what the communication was. I did think that I heard I do recall and I'm not going to disclose attorney client privilege and it was from Mr. Brandt to the attorney, but I thought that there was some distinguishing about three students in the bathroom whether there's
reasonable suspicion. I can tell you that when you have three students in the bathroom, it's not reasonable suspicion that at least one of them has it. It has to be reasonable suspicion that each student you search has it. And that is not likely to stand up to judicial
scrutiny. If you have three students and you search all three of them, especially automatically, without any further triggering of reasonable suspicion, which is why I suggested you take them to the nurse's office, you you use your observations, you look at them, you do those things. That is how you get more
reasonable suspicion. You certainly can talk to them. Once you've had them emptying their pockets, that's a search. You're already in that process. And you know, you can make sure they're safe without searching. Take them to the nurse. You know, like I said, if there
is a substance that they are taking in, there's going to and it and it's a dangerous substance, there's going to be signs of it. And and you can either spend 15 minutes doing a search and possibly the kid has already flushed it down the toilet, which happens a lot as we know, and find nothing, or you can take them to the nurse and do that
process first. Talk to them. Certainly, if there is a student who has a higher history of involvement in this stuff, then that is more likely to be a reasonable suspicion search. But for the students, like I said, like what's been said all over tonight, it's just not
okay that you run that risk every time you go to the bathroom here. It's not okay. It's not okay for the students. I mean, I can't even there are things in my high school that stick out in my brain as the most uncomfortable memories and none of them would come close to
what would that would feel like. Um, so something has to be done there and you can make sure they're safe without without searching them. Um, because that really that really has to stop. And I would recommend because
the administration is educational experts, but when you're talking about vape sensors or you're talking about investigations, things like that, you're in a different realm and you're not necessarily the experts in that realm. And I understand we talk to the attorneys, but you know,
what is being conveyed both ways is also really critical in there and what exactly is being shared. So, I can only from the information that's been shared with me lately, I can only say please have every single
investigative legal type enforcement process that this district does run by an attorney. Um, these are the details that are not kept up on PDs probably as often, certainly not at the broad range that educational
PDs are done and things like that. These are really important because as you know the office of administrative law and the commissioner of education those cases were not covered by our insurance on those and those types of challenges if suspensions get challenged because the students didn't have um you know
anything under 10 days they they still have due process rights and there was just a case where about 17 prior suspensions were overturned for failure of due process. These things have to be done. So please talk to an attorney. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else?
>> Good evening, honorable board president, board members, uh principal, uh directors and um administrative staff. My name is Guy Citron. I am from Tukesbury. So that's the North
Hunteran Vorhees district. But I do spend a lot of time in places like Flemington. And it is on behalf of residents here who may not have the courage to speak before you. Um
uh that I have chosen to to use my voice. Um, I thought it was really interesting that the the NJSBA res uh field representative used these maxims of keep students first
and ask the hard questions as being very essential to the work that you are all doing as volunteers and as parents who bravely stand up for your children.
I I supremely commend you for doing that. So, I'd like to ask a hard question. What is the policy if ICE tries to unlawfully meaning unconstitutionally
enter the school and this is not a hypothetical since the Trump administration has taken office over 30 people have been killed Cars have been left wrecked in the
street. And most recently, as a consequence of what I can only call state sponsored terror, a young, proudly Christian
woman named Renee Nicole Good was murdered in the street. The entire school district of Minneapolis shut down that day. A school district just like yours.
Because following that escalation or what some people are calling acceleration, ICE agents went unwarranted into high school buildings. Unwarranted meaning
without warrants. Warrants, as we all understand, and I'm not a police officer, so you know, I'm I'm just speaking as like a lay person here who's watched like television a few
times, you know, cop shows are essential to due process. You investigate a crime and if there is evidence of something heinous or horrible, then yes, police officers who are trained to
safely extract a criminal do so. But is that what we're seeing? No. I argue again that we are seeing state sponsored terror. The point is not to take violent
criminal illegal aliens who are rapists off the street. I mean, are those types of folks at large at the school right now here? But it could happen here. And I'm just
asking this board which is very clearly sensitive to the kinds of trauma that students can face over something as um I'll say juvenile as a you know
like a like a collective punishment, right? Which is very serious and I'm glad it got brought up. But I have 30 seconds. So I just want to end with some good news because silver linings and all that. The Safe Communities Act did pass both houses of
state legislature today, which is part of the cluster of three bills that are being collectively known as the immigrant trust act. Now, schools are identified as a safe space in that bill.
So I urge you all to get ahead of this. Put down some serious policy and be leaders so that the most horrifying of mistakes doesn't happen here. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else that
would like to speak this evening? If not, we're going to be adjourning into executive session to Oh, I'm sorry. There's board comments. Yeah,
there is irony in that and I I will admit that. >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah, I know. I know. Is there anyone that has board comments, anything that they would like to share? >> See, I told you 75% Oh, okay. here. Come on. You're blown out. I know. I know.
No, I just thought that this cow experiment uh was was actually pretty good. You know, it it may not have been the best thing since sliced bread, but uh it was just a different way of communicating with each other. U you know, I thought in December the last
whatever 10 minutes we had as a board was great because we actually talked to each other and you know, asking questions and getting information from each other. So, um I don't know whether we'll do cow again, but it it it uh I just thought it was helpful to hear what
other committees are up to. Thank you. >> Um I really liked it because um of the introductions that were given by the administration about the different committees. Um we kind of went into it cold last year. Um and it was hard to
get some history to get some sort of understanding of the frameworks. So, I really appreciated it. >> I would just like to take a moment to apologize to Miss Rothel for the outburst last year. I was completely wrong. I went out. It was out of line.
And I do apologize and hope we can move forward. You did not deserve that. >> Can I make comments? >> Sure. Go for it. >> I just asked permission to make comment. Um uh first I think you should know and
I did update the board on this last year but I know we have three new members. Um we do have we don't have a policy but we do have a process in place if ICE comes to school. Um essentially they're contacting Ed who's contacting me. I'm
checking for a legal judic judicial warrant signed by a judge. I am then calling the attorney and the attorney is reviewing that. So I I do want you to know there's a process in place but not a policy and it's fair to ask that question um so that you all know that
and if that's something we want to bring forward to policy committee we can do that. Um I also want to thank you for tonight because I was excited for it and I was also nervous and and it takes bravery to express maybe a disagreement
with an idea and I I thank you all for doing that in a respectful way. I think it was a really good model for productive dialogue and discussion and us leading to greater collaboration. So I really appreciate it and and thank you for organizing this as a meeting. D and
thank you to my team because we really scrambled last week to get this agenda together. >> I I would also just like to say I know in my compassion that Ed I may have come off but um I know it's I hope you know it's not a personal you know attack or anything on you. I
think that you care very much about our students. >> Yeah, I was going to say. All right. Anyone else? Okay. So, now we're going to um convene into executive session. Um the board will specifically discuss pending
anticipated litigation and um personnel. Um so, do I have a motion? A motion. >> Are we coming? >> Um, we >> No action. >> There was no Yeah, there was no action after executive session. Do I have a second?
>> Second. >> Um, roll call or do we do all in favor? >> All in favor? I. >> Anyone opposed? Okay.