Good evening, everyone. We will begin our caucus meeting, And we'll start with the flag salute. Okay. Yes. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. So we have this roll call. Right? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yes. Miss McKenzie, are you gonna sing this evening? She's not even paying attention. It's she's not plugged in. Either that or if you can use doctor Lou's microphone from it does none of
them are plugged in? Well, thank you, guys. Hey. Good evening. This meeting is being held in conformity with the open public meetings act, NJSA 10 colon four dash six at Sec. Proper public notice of the meeting was caused to be sent to the Jersey Journal and l d Ariel Lafrenza newspapers and posted on the district's official website. Public notice was also delivered to those persons requesting that such notice be given to them. The public has been advised that the board meeting may be viewed live via the district website at www.jcb0e.org.
I will now take the roll call. Trustee Blunt, trustee Iofe, Trustee Morris? Here. Trustee Mohammed? Present. Trustee Patel? Present. Trustee Reza Bala? Present. Trustee Schneider. Here. Vice President Tisdale. And board president Velasquez. Present. Vice president will be a little late. Okay. Okay. We're going to start with the committee reports. Would you like to start, trustee Afaf? You have a couple of committees. Please let us know. Yes. I have, special education and student life and services student life and personnel services.
So I will start with student life and personnel. The meeting was held on Tuesday, March 11 at eleven a. M. And we discussed the agenda items, the SACS, student assistance counselors, Casper etiquette dinners, ACME nourishing neighbors grant, TICE coaching, and the HIT reports. So for SACS, Director Kokaro shared a presentation highlighting the key responsibilities of the JCPS students' assistance, counselors. The responsibilities are mental health and emotional support,
substance abuse prevention and intervention, crisis intervention, collaboration with staff and families, community and external referrals, anti bullying and social emotional learning, attendance and behavior support, parent supported services. And the SACS offices are located at Lincoln High School, Dickinson High School, Snyder High School, and Ferris High School. These SACS services service the school in the vicinity of the aforementioned high schools, including Renaissance High School, Infinity High School, McNair High School, Innovation High School, and Academy one. Drug and alcohol statistics showed a lower number of positives than send outs.
Students who present positive are offered substance abuse services and or other services that will assist the student to get back on track. Programs and service include, but are not limited to, do Don't Get Vaped In workshop for middle school and high schoolers provided by Partners in Prevention, meditation and breakfast for staff provided by Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute, Boys to Men groups with weekly SEL sessions, health and wellness fairs with community providers for the students, and tables set up during the parent orientationopen houses and report card day,
Donuts with Dad event, and the Breathe Easy signs that are installed at Snyder and Innovation so far. And these Breathe Easy signs are provided by Partners in Prevention, and they are posted to remind students, staff, and visitors that smoking and vaping are prohibited on school grounds, promoting a healthier, smoke free environment. Casper etiquette dinners. So Casper now offers etiquette classes where students will learn essential social skills, table manners, and the art of confident communication. At the end of the session, students will invite a parent to showcase everything they've learned in a real world setting.
ACME Nourishing grant awarded $5,000 in gift cards to the Department of Student Life and Personnel Services for distribution of students in need, Ignite wellness clubs, and department events. And these are on board docs tonight. The TICE coaching is now in the third and fourth cohorts at, 16 schools receiving ongoing support. And last year, for cohorts one and two, 15 schools completed their TICE coaching. These sessions empower school climate leadership teams to share trauma informed practices with colleagues fostering a more resilient and supportive school environment.
And the HIB update for February is 36 total, 16 founded, 10 unfounded, seven inconclusive, two some founded, and one founded No perpetrator. And that is the good of the order for the student life and, student life and personnel services committee. Any questions, discussion with regards to, the report? Hearing none, thank you much. You can move on to your next one. Okay. So my next report is for special education. And this meeting was held on Tuesday, March 11, at twelve P. M. So we started with Karen Gullis in business.
The NJ, SBHS or semi is currently at 162,414.54 as of 02/01/2012. At this time, during the, during the prior school year, the total was $507,610.99 The difference is due to changes with the New Jersey state reimbursement formula. The IDA grant, under that grant, we had the IXL learning platform. Parent webinar was held on March 2025. The recording is available for parents who were unable to attend,
and subscriptions will be available during the summer months. Enjoy the NJDOE initiatives. So the parent the parental involvement survey is coming in June and July. And the root cause analysis leadership team task so this this root cause analysis team was put together, that's coming up. They're identifying pilot schools that are representative of the district as a whole, to streamline forms, processes, and procedures for academic and behavioral interventions, programs, and tier specific data required,
new INRS platforms to stream with special education processes and requirements. The root cause analysis leadership team has identified the following schools to be representative of the district as a whole. MS7, grades six through eight, PS 15, pre k to eight, PS 20, preK to five, PS 23, preK to eight, PS 37, preK to eight, PS forty one, preK to eight, Dickinson High School, ninth to twelfth grade. And the sample, represents students from preschool from different demographic groups and residential areas across Jersey City.
An IEP management system. The district will be transitioning to a new IEP management system, called Frontline Education. And this new platform will save the district over $90,000 and is used by 80% of districts in New Jersey. The deaf or hard of hearing program at PS11 went on a adventure with a visit from Doctor. Porter and the mighty heroes who were on a mission to PS eleven to share their journey with in book number nine, Champions of All Abilities, a Story That Celebrates Inclusion, Courage, and the Power of Every Child.
The staffing updates with Danielle Cruz. I forgot to put that on there. But the CPAC meeting for, February was focused on self care, offering a self care plan and an emotional wellness checklist. The, the DLM is ready to go for 04/06/2025. And for Regional Day School, with Colleen Henry, principal Colleen Henry, February events recap, they had a home school meeting, and the guest speaker was a whole autism express, spectrum. They had a Valentine's Day dance. And for future gatherings, March 17, they have a St.
Patrick's Day dance. March twenty sixth, home and school meeting, is virtual. And the guest speaker is Hudson County CMO classroom, posted decoration contest inside the school, and they are doing their summer school planning. Currently, there are 74 students enrolled. At Harry Moore, we had a February recap for the Super Bowl party where students enjoyed and bowl games and activities at both buildings. Black History Month students enjoyed several different activities, including a mock peaceful protest, an MLK brunch at NJCU, NJCU campus activities, and,
Black History Month potluck. They had a Valentine's Day dance where students enjoyed music and adapted games. They had SEL day, then the guest speakers, and the May's address. High school students had different guest speakers come and present about the careers, responsibilities, and what they had to accomplish to get there. The Toby Eye Game demo and trial, where students trialed with the newest eye gaze gaze device. And Read Across America week, guest read is read so the students enjoy fun themed activities, and doctor sings bingo. Girl scouts,
Ain't Harry Moore now has a Girl Scout troop, and they are called, selling Girl Scout cookies. Upcoming events, with the faculty in service day, April thirtieth is autism acceptance day. Only make believe comes back to A. Harry Moore. Thomas Edison Film Festival. May twenty second is A. Harry Moore prom. June thirteenth is the high school graduation. There's two action items. There are two action items for, tuition payments. And that is the good of the order for special education. Thank you for that thorough report. Thank you so much. Any questions?
Concerns? I do have a question. It wasn't discussed in committee, but I have a question concerning the, merge with NJCU and King College. King University, will it affect the A. Harry Moore program, in any way? Thank you for the, great question. I don't see how it would, impact A. Harry Moore is under NJCU. So it'll be Kane at NJCU. So I can't speak to the program itself. But I don't think, my conversations with President Asegal at NJCU would not change any of the programs we're currently involved with with NJCU.
It's more on the administrative side of the house at this time. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Doctor Tisdale, is not in yet. So if he's not in by the time that, trustee, Iofe completes, then I'm just gonna give him a couple of minutes in our next meeting at the very beginning so he can just report to the public, and we'll move on from there. Okay? Trustee Ijolfi. Thank you, board president. I will be then reporting on the finance facilities committee followed by the policy committee.
In finance, acting school business administrator doctor Luce opened the meeting with a reminder that the March board meeting will begin with a presentation on the 02/2526 school budget, public comment, and board vote before proceeding with the standard monthly agenda. She emphasized the importance of all board members attending the budget preview presentation, otherwise known as three by threes and discussions, which were made available to all board members on March 12. At this, at the time of the report, all trustees were signed up to attend the preview presentation. The committee reviewed recurring agenda items 11 o one through eleven twelve,
with additional items being eleven thirteen, which is the approval, of a donation of computer monitors from Royal Bank of Canada via the Jersey City Public Schools Foundation to MS number forty for the support of its new CTE program. Eleven fourteen approves an additional bus attendant to Route 488, thus attending amending a resolution 10.18 from February, which was awarding a contract renewal to JR Transportation. And finally, 11 15 approves the contract award for special education transportation to and from school.
Note the language change in the final version of our agenda as a result of committee discussion. That the original draft language stated charter schools slash bilingual shuttles. And that's our final agenda. State special education to and from school providing clarity as to the exact purpose of the student transportation in this case. The committee further discussed rising costs in school transportation and that currently the district funds transportation as mandated by code for the following categories. Special education, pre k students that do not have classroom space in their zone schools and ELL
English language learners that require bilingual support as needed. The committee discussed the cuts in state funding and the chronic underfunding by the municipality. Trustees inquired and doctor Luce explained that there has been no preliminary indication from the state government as to the total loss of equalization aid this year. President Velasquez informed the committee, about engaging in ongoing communications with the legislators to address the funding issues, and she's currently working to get them to the table to help address the underfunding. Trustee Schneider talked about efficiencies and the importance of highlighting the areas where the district
made efforts to reduce costs. The superintendent reiterated the need for a strong advocacy to the city administration to provide the necessary funding. The state government continues to insist that based on Jersey City assessed property values, it expects the local fair share to be over 700,000,000 based on enrollment size of the district. However, currently the Jersey City public schools receive a little over $450,000,000 in local levy and 65,000,000 in payroll tax, leaving a gap of almost $200,000,000 which the city is unable slash unwilling to fulfill.
Until that gap is closed on a local level, the state is unlikely to provide any additional support. Doctor. Luz closed the finance discussion with stating that this year, Jersey City Public Schools presents a balanced budget with the administration having been able to make cuts in several areas despite rising costs and salaries and benefits and Medicaid reductions. In the facility section, there's only two items. Twelve o one changes the existing orders to the exterior doors project being worked on by the GL group covering Ferris High School Junior Academy PS twenty seven, Academy one PS number five and PS twenty four.
Responding to the inquiries by the trustees, doctor Luce clarified that the payment will be made upon the completion of the order, including any changes. Item 12 o two, is ESIP program related payment to the DCO Energy. The payment comes from Wilmington Trust at no cost to the district. Doctor. Liu stated that going forward, ESIP related items will appear on every agenda for additional transparency and reiterated that this is a self sustaining program. Trustee Schneider requested information on tracking the savings generated by the ESIP program. And Doctor. Luce confirmed that as soon as sufficient data becomes available,
the district should be able to present present it as a success story. That is it for the finance and facilities. If you'd like, I could move on to the policy. Any questions, with regards to this committee, finance and facilities? Hearing none, we'll move on. Thank you. Thank you. We now move on to the policy committee. For the legislative portion, really, it's just the acknowledgment that the president board president is working with our legislators around the budget issues. That is our main focus, for the board and and that is ongoing. We did not have any guest speakers. In policy, we've,
today on the agenda, we will have a re a second reading for policy seven five two two, which is the proposed revisions to the policy entitled school district provided technology devices to staff members in order to memorialize the, public schools ongoing initiative to mandate the use of two factor authentication for all JCPS systems and applications in order to enhance security of sensitive data and to protect against unauthorized access. Another second reading is for policy and regulation number nine three two zero. Cooperation with law enforcement agencies mandatory revisions are about uniform state memorandum of agreement between
education and law enforcement officials requiring in, in part that the superintendent or her designee will designate a point of contact for each school building tasked with receiving handle with care notifications. These notifications are received from the law enforcement when a student witnesses something traumatic outside of the school environment. And also, we have a first reading of policy two four one two, home instruction due to health condition. The delivery of home instruction for medical reasons is administered by the department of pupils slash personnel services. Home instruction is initiated by a request from a student's physician and reviewed by the
school nurse and thereafter is either denied or approved by the school district physician. There have been incidents where parents and guardians of students currently on home instruction are required to bring their child to the child's home school or another location for state or JCPS mandated testing. The proposed revision that we're voting on today would clarify that under such circumstances, medical clearance is required. And finally, for the good of the order, committee chair Iofe proposed that the committee would examine existing board policies as they are currently posted on jcboe.org.
And each month select relevant policies from each of the 10 sections that are there in order to ensure that they're consistent with the current board practices and whether any should be subject to revisions and updates. As this is the budget discussion season, the policy suggested for examination were in a six thousand secondtion entitled finance. Specifically, policy six two one zero, entitled fiscal planning. The committee agreed to review the policy in order to determine whether any additional language can be added to improve the board's effectiveness in supporting the district administration during the fiscal planning process.
That is all for the policy. Oh, thank you. Any questions with regard to the policy committee? I have a question. You're saying that monthly, we will be working on x amount of policies? Not necessarily. That's a good question. So, each currently, our bylaws slash policy section on the jcboe.org, under the department board of education, it has maybe more than a dozen policies within each provided section. So the idea is to only look at policies that have either come up in
public comments as problematic, could be revised, should be looked at. That that would be the contact that would be the the premise to reviewing them. There is no way that we could you know, there's no point it would be redundant rather to look at all the policies from beginning to end in every single section. That is why even in the finance section of the current board bylaws and policies Just the policies concerning finance are plenty. There's like six to seven policies around financial issues, around even budget issues, but this particular policy was the only one that was narrow enough that might have
room for improvement and increase our participatory role, which is something that we've been discussing in various committees and actually board counsel had an example of what could be done and so we've agreed that next, since April committee will still be within the budget season. We will just continue discussing that if if we'd like to add anything to to that particular policy and improve it. Okay. Well, with that regard, and and I'll ask counsel, is this something that we can work with at at the retreat,
that one particular policy so that we all have input, or should it just be left for the policy committee to address your recommendation? I mean, that's a board preference issue, but I would recommend that the entire board is at the retreat. It would be better to get input from everyone on the policies, and then you can break down any subsequent work into the committee. Okay. So that would be something that you'll add to the agenda. Yes. Send. And I can Matt, president? Just a quick question regarding the, what chairwoman Iofe just stated. Is there a current list already of, policies that you're currently looking at?
Like, there's a list outside of finance? Not necessarily. We decided to since this was a policy discussion, we decided to start with finance only because we're in the budget season for the next month or so. So it just made sense to begin with that area. And then we were thinking possibly the next logical one would be personnel only because that is something that has come up before in public comments and just other discussions. So that would be for May Committee. Okay. So for example, if anyone has any policy that they feel,
should be discussed, I would recommend just sending to the board president, you know, for policy committee review, and then we can go from there. It doesn't have to be all policies in each respective section, but, like, well, the only reason why I asked that question is because I know that there is a section, for administration. And I think that we, possibly need to look at some of those issues, in the administration portion and make sure that we are not only just not only strong, but make sure that, when I say administration, I'm not talking about the superintendent,
make sure that administratively, all of the policies and procedures are being followed. And I think we need to take a very good strong look at that, based on some situations that have occurred. Exactly. I agree with you, in light of some recent, things. I think we need to, revisit some of the policies. However, I don't know that we're gonna have an opportunity to revisit, many during our retreat. If in any case, you can find one that you think is pressing and we must address ASAP,
I'd appreciate you bringing it forward. Alright. No problem. I'll, let's take a look at it and find out which one appropriately fits the issue I'm speaking about. Thank you. And yes, Trustee Tiem. Up to the chair. I had the same thought process that you turned and asked. I just think, making sure that everyone present during the creation of new policy is probably more inclusive and, gives a better comprehensive of thought of nine trustees rather than a select few on
one committee. Thank you very much. Any other concerns? Can I just add into so it was to my understanding that when we have committees, right, the committee would discuss it in a preliminary form in the committee? And then once that committee decides that it needs to be put on the agenda, it would then be brought to the workshop. And this is where we have the discussion as a nine member board, whether this particular policy is good or not. The committee is just a prelim of what should go on the budget or what should go on the agenda opposed to what doesn't.
And But ultimately, I'm sorry, Madam President. No, no, you're right. And I'm so far that's exactly what we've been doing, and that's why I encourage that we bring them to the, retreat so we all have an input. But you're right. The committee will look at them and bring them to us and we will work with them as we see fit. Okay. No. I was just. Yeah. I was just piggybacking on Tia because I know that, you said that everybody need to be inclusive, but that's the purpose of the workshop to make sure that everyone is able to ask the questions that they need you to ask on on each particular item.
Thank you. Okay. Madam President, I just think that there's sometimes if we are emailing to that committee that things can be lost in translation in an email. So it's sometimes going to a retreat where the person can see your demeanor, see exactly where you're coming from. The thought process comes along a little bit more smoother than just emailing why you want a policy change. Oh, I agree. Totally. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions, concerns, discussion? Okay. I think we're, pretty much done with our committees. I just have another question for,
Trustee Afa with regards to the parents committee. How are we going to notify the parents? I know you said it'll take place, the evening of April 8. Yes. How will that happen? So, doctor Fernandez, would you assist me with, sending out communication to, parent ambassadors? They can you have parent list. Right? Absolutely. Miss Fern will also help in making sure that we share the information on social media and the link and all that. Absolutely. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I believe that we are, we've completed our committee reports, and doctor Tisdale is not in yet. But as I said, upon his entrance, we will allow him a couple of minutes just to, give his report to the public, and then we'll move on with the remainder of that particular meeting. Adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Motion by trustee Morris, second by, trustee Blunt. All in favor? Aye. Aye. So moved. And thank you all for coming. This is our,
regular meeting, for Jersey City Public School board, and we're going to start by the pledge of allegiance. Oh, doctor Actually, we'll have the ROTC from Lincoln High School present the colors, and then we will have a student, sing the, Jeremiah will sing the, national anthem. Thank you. I'm sorry. Let's stand to welcome Lincoln High School ROTC. I pledge allegiance. 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. Please remain standing, and we welcome Jeremiah Ferguson from public school number six to lead us on the net to sing the national anthem. Oh, sick. Can you see by the dawn's early light? What so proudly we hear Now our flag was still there. What's that
star? Spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of free Amazing, Jeremiah. That was wonderful. Just amazing. Thank you. Thank you very much. All of that came out of that little bit with no effort whatsoever. Good for him. If I may, president, Velasquez, I also like to congratulate his music teacher, mister Balamo. Thank you so much. Thank you. Now, if we have the sunshine statement and roll call, please. In accordance with the open public meeting acts NJSA ten colon four dash six at
sec, adequate notification of this meeting has been provided by advertising in the Jersey Journal on Wednesday, 01/15/2025, and El Diario LaPrensa on Friday, 01/10/2025. Notice was posted on the district website and sent to the office of the city clerk. I will now take the roll call. Trustee Blunt? Present. Trustee Ioffe? Here. Trustee Morris? Present. Trustee Mohammed? Present. Trustee Patel? Present. Trustee Reza Bala?
Present. Trustee Schneider? Present. Vice president Tisdale? Present. President Velasquez. And we have student representative, Martina Bowles. We have a quorum. Thank you. And at this point, I will, give the program to doctor Fernandez who will present, the the budget. I'm sorry. We'll present the budget along with doctor Luce. Thank you. Good evening, trustees. In your folder, you will find this copy so it's easier to for you to follow as I'm
presenting. We will present the necessary budget to provide a thorough and efficient education during the 2526 school year. I will begin with an overview of how funding is calculated, especially within our district so that when acting assist business administrator, doctor Luce, presents the actual budget, you will have a understanding of how it works. So for every school a count enrollment with a base weight for full day kindergarten,
grades students in grades k to five, students in grades six through eight, and students in grades nine through 12. Each of those grades levels, are weighted differently. It also calculates enrollment by characteristics such as at risk, free and reduced lunch. Next. Thank you. Thank you. And enroll characteristics such as at risk, free and reduced lunch, multilingual learners, or limited English proficiency as it's still, highlighted in the state,
documents. Equalization aid, special education categorical aid, security aid, and transportation aid. Preschool funds come separately, and those are coded as fund 20 in our budget. New Jersey then calculates the local cost share of what it believes the local taxing authority would be able to raise an earmark for the school district budget. The difference between the adequacy budget and the local cost share,
if one exists, is covered by the state through equalization aid if the local authority is meeting their local fair share. According to New Jersey, Jersey City's local fair share should be 739,567,837. The state calculates the adequacy budget and then calculates the local cost of what the local taxing authority can raise.
The difference between these two are funded through equalization aid. For the twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six school year, the Jersey City Public School lost the remaining 98,000,000 of equalization aid. We also have to contend with Senate Bill, two s two legislation, which changed the school funding reform of 02/2008 called SFRA. It removed the limit on how much a school district aid could increase from year
to year. And it established the bank cap, that is the unused tax levy, to accumulate for a few years. It phased out excess aid for districts that were receiving more than their full amount, and it required districts that spend below adequacy and experience a reduction in state aid to increase their general fund tax levy. New Jersey local fair share is the portion of state funding that the community is
responsible for raising through local property taxes. The local fair share combined with state aid is intended to adequately fund our schools. In 2025, Jersey City will only pay 457,337,369 of the local fair share versus the 739,000,000 New Jersey says the city should contribute.
Hence, based on New Jersey's calculation, the district is shortchanged by $287,230,468 of the local fair share to educate Jersey City public school students and charter school students. The the state attributes the city's failure to pay their fair share for the removal of equalization and categorical aid. And so it allows for the bank cap.
The historical data, which is on the next slide, has the state aid changed since 2017 when s two legislation came into effect at 67% or $276,766,736 So in this year, the New Jersey state aid changed by an additional $98,000,000
bringing the grand total loss in state aid to $286,566,736 Jersey City Public School has been the biggest losers, unfortunately, of state aid in New Jersey as a result of s two. This is a chart of the adequacy budget and where we are in terms of currently for the 2025 year. In 2023,
we were at adequacy. And, actually, that arrow needs to be at 100, but something happened to it. The next chart shows how the actual state aid has decreased over the years as well as the required funding from the state. And, again, at the bottom chart shows how the funding from the city has increased, but it's still below adequacy.
The next chart and these documents will be available on the website through board docs. So everyone will be able to access this information. And it is a lot to digest, but this chart chart shows year by year what the state revenue was from 2017 to this budget that we will present this evening, what the local tax levy was from 2017, so what it will be for the
that can be used by districts such as ours, a former AVID district, to fund a fair and equitable education for our students. And then the payroll tax that will be, collected on March the afternoon of March 12. That day, we had three by three meetings with the trustees to go over tonight's budget. So each a group of three trustees,
so it was not a forum, went over tonight's presentation and we discussed the budget. That afternoon when I finished with those meetings, I had received a message from the city certifying additional payroll tax. And so for the this current school year, we received, the city certified an additional 46,000,000 a hundred and $81,719 And for next year,
an additional 15,994,000 a hundred and $24 for a grand tow for a grand total of an additional this is an additional payroll tax. So, the next slide shows you what our funding has also been impacted by the American Rescue Plan, the ESSER funds. Those were the COVID recovery monies that we received. So between '21 and '24, we had a hundred and 4,000,000 in ESSA funds that are now completely spent.
Then during twenty one to twenty three, we received two installments of maintenance of equity, and that was based because our state funding and local taxing was below adequacy. The federal government gave us the maintenance of equity. Then we also had previously up to twenty twenty three, thirty three million in stabilization aid. All this money is currently gone for our from our funding.
The funding the budget that you will see this evening, that doctor Lewis will present, is a collaborative effort of every department and school to efficiently and effectively fulfill the vision of inspiring and preparing all scholars to confidently achieve their dreams and ambitions to address future goals, global challenges, and reach their fullest potential in a diverse, ever changing world. Investing in our children's education is crucial for a thriving society and individual success
our city. Thank you. For allowing me to present this. And now I turn it over to doctor. Luce. Who will present the 2526. Budget. Thank you. Thank you, doctor. Fernandez. We could just wait to get the slide presentation. Okay. If you could just as we go along, move this along as I'm reading it as I'm going through this. Thank you. So good evening, president Velasquez, superintendent doctor Fernandez, vice president Tisdale, senior staff, and members of the public. I am pleased to present the preliminary budget for the 2526 school year.
So first, I'm going to begin with the budget development process. Our budget process began in November of twenty twenty four with comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Departmental level meetings with their respective teams. Stakeholders were asked to submit budgets, including staffing and tables of organization. Holder to discuss specific needs and requests. All budgets have been thoroughly reviewed by the superintendent. With respect to board involvement, on March 12, we held three by three meetings involving the superintendent, myself, and board members.
During these sessions, the acting school business administrator shared this presentation you are about to see this evening, allowing board members to engage in further discussion and ask questions. So our next steps are as I go through this. The preliminary budget will be submitted to the county superintendent on March 19. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 04/30/2025, where you will be asked to adopt the final budget. So this presentation outlines our preliminary school budget, which aims to balance our educational goals with fiscal responsibility.
So if you can go to the next slide, please. Okay. So our 2526 budget review timelines. So beginning in October through November 15, there was an analysis of the school based budgets for a non salary cost. On November 19, we sent out an email, a memo with the distribution of the school based budget to the schools and central office to all their departments. From December 3 through the eighteenth, we held business office meetings with schools in each of these departments. December 31,
our midyear budget review was needed to be submitted that day. On January 10, our school based budgets and central office budgets were due. On January, the county executive county business administrator and the executive county superintendent held the midyear budget review meeting with the superintendent and myself. Beginning on January 13 throughout February 21, we had a review of school based budgets and central office budgets. On February 3,
the AWSM certification needed to be submitted. That is the audit summary report. And at that time, once that is submitted, the information is prepopulated into the software for the populated into the software for the budget online. From February 4 through March 17, we continue to do the budget development on the budget software on the Dewey Net. On February it wasn't until February 27 that the governor gave his budget address. The receipt of state aid and the budget data from the DOE was received on
Friday, February 28. On that Monday March, we began to put together our budget with the state aid that was allocated. So what I want you to really bring to your attention, on March 12, we had held the three by three meetings with the board members. There were only seven working days between when we received the state aid and when we presented to the board members on March 12. So it was a very short turnaround time. And the district budget submission is March 19.
The public hearing, again, will be held on April 30. So just to go over some definitions so everyone has a better understanding. So the tax levy. This is the amount of revenue raised through property taxes to support the general fund. Our budgeted fund balance, it's a it's surplus funds from the prior year's budgets uses revenue in future budget years and or unused appropriations from prior budget year. Extraordinary aid. It is the state aid for special education Extraordinary aid. It is the state aid for special education costs that exceed $40,000
per year per student for public schools and $55,000 per year per student for private schools. Schools. Semi aid, these are federal aid for services provided to special education students eligible for Medicaid reimbursement. Capital reserve, these are surplus funds reallocated from fund balance and set aside for future capital improvement projects. Debt service. Funds for payment of principal and interest on outstanding bond to debt previously approved by the voters. Okay.
And these are our fund categories. Fund 11. It's our general current expense accounts for all expenditures of the district for current expenses. Expenditures included here would be regular program instruction costs and the administrative and other support services related to providing the district's normal operations. Our refund 12, it's capital outlay. Items that are funded by general fund revenues includes increases in the general fund capital reserve account, equipment purchases, facility acquisition, and construction services.
Funds 15, school based budget accounts for revenues and expenditures by school for those schools required to prepare school based budgets. Districts with schools preparing school based budgets must record all the revenues and expenditures for each school in in fund 15. For fund 20, that is our special revenue account. It's for all of the proceeds of these specific revenue sources that are legally restricted to expenditures for specific purposes, such as Title one and IDEA funds.
The amount of grant funds received differ from year to year. Our other funds is fund 30, which is our capital projects. It's the source of revenue in this fund that would be the sale of bonds, grants, or transfers from the general fund to augment the grant. It's a separate accounting that must be used for each of these capital projects. Fund 40 is our debt service accounts for the accumulation of resources for the payment of long term debt, principal, and interest. Fund 60 is our food service account, which is used for any activity for which a fee is charged to the external
users for goods and services. So next is our 2526 projected revenue. So the first category is our local tax levy. For 2526, our tax levy will be $452,337,369. It is a 2% increase. That is required. The second category is our local tax levy. It is the bank cap. The bank cap that we will be using is an increase of a % because
we did not use the bank cap last year, and we are using the $82,148,763. Next is our payroll tax. We up until last week, we were receiving 65,000,000. We received an additional $15,994,124, bringing us to $80,994,124, which is a 25% increase. Next is our miscellaneous revenue with interest.
Okay. That remains the same. There is no change. It is $1,841,237. The next one is our state aid. We received a decrease of over $4,000,000, 3 percent. The number is $129,632,193. As you can see, doctor Fernandez mentioned this in her presentation, our equalization aid, where we once received over $98,000,000,
we received nothing this year. So it is a % decrease. We received Semic, which Semic, which is our special ed Medicaid initiative, we received a decrease of 818 thou $8,818,786, which is a decrease of 86%. We're only receiving $135,495. Our budgeted fund balance for this year is $148,847,199,
which is a decrease of 27%. We are not withdrawing anything from capital reserve. There is no adjustment for prior year encumbrances. Our title one contribution, we've increased by $5,000,000 to a total of $15,929,982, which is an increase of 46%. Therefore, our total operating budget for this year, for for next year, for 2526, is $914,866,362
So the next slide is just a graph representing all of the figures that I just spoke about. The next slide is the 2526 projected expenditures. I am not gonna read this particular slide because the following slides give a detailed explanation for every one of these lines. So I will go through that, but I do want to bring to everyone's attention just the total expenditures and appropriations, which is the bottom line. For this year, our total expenditures and appropriations is $1,027,273,122,
which is a decrease of 1% from last year. So we are spending less we are allocating less next year by $8,448,302, And that's how we are balancing the budget. So if we could move on to the next slide. And, again, this is a graph representing the projected expenditures. So going forward, these are all the details for each of those line items. So for regular program instructions,
salaries, and program expenses, this comprises 20.35% of the district's proposed budget for the 2526 school year. These line items pre represent salaries for kindergarten, bilingual, and grades one through 12 teachers, equaling $178,787,248. Classroom aids represent $8,430,285. General supplies,
which is district wide, represents $6,531,049. Textbooks, which is also district wide, $2,732,323. Purchase services, $8,000,007,791,719 dollars. And our miscellaneous expenses is $745,789. Our contribution to our preschool program,
and that's from the general fund we are required to do that, is $2,985,039 for a total of $209,003,452. So our appropriations increase $15,795,752 And this fully funds our instructional programs. So the next slide. Our cocurricular activities, athletics, alternative education,
and summer school. This comprises point 54% of the district's proposed budget. These line items represent the cocurricular activities of $685,788. For athletics, it's $3,910,707. Alternative education, $143,553, and summer school, $775,417. That is for a total of $5,515,465
Our appropriations have decreased by 11% by the amount of $1,667,000 For our special education instruction, this comprises 9.66% of the district's proposed budget. These line items represent salaries for our language learning disabled, behavior disabled, our multiple disabilities, resource room, and preschool disabled teachers equaling $82,057,301.
Our classroom aids, $10,767,433. Speech, $85,175. Related services, such as occupational therapy and physical therapy, is $4,179,639. Included in this is administration, secretarial, child study team for $194,249, supplies, computers, $735,732,
and purchase services for $1,000,204,987 dollars for a total of $99,224,516 This is an appropriation increase by 3% of $2,782,243. For our special education tuition, this comprises 2.49% of our district's proposed budget. These line items represent tuition for our out for our out of district placements to
other local education agencies, VOTEC, our county special services district, regional day, and private schools, totaling $25,564,231. So our total special education expenditures, which is our expenditures, this tuition plus our transportation, that is a total of $150,563,647. So that is an appropriations of increase of 4.35%
equaling $6,515,000, And this includes our preschool disabled as well. So for our attendance, health services, home instruction, guidance, and library, This comprises 1.17 of the district's proposed budget. These line items represent salaries for attendance of $3,383,927. Our health services for school nurses of $4,928,050.
Home instruction other than special education, $450,000. Miscellaneous purchase services, 2,000,400 and Purchase services, $2,484,000. Supplies and computers, $824,347. The total amount is $12,007,324 With an increase of 6% equaling $698,300 For improvement of instruction, this comprises 2.41% of the district's proposed budget for next year.
These line items represent salaries for instructional supervisors equaling $184,597. Hundred and 20 1 thousand 3 hundred and 15 dollars. Guidance is $8,374,953. Library media, 3,000,510, 5 hundred and 10 thousand and 40 5 dollars. Secretarial, 5 hundred and 19 thousand 2 hundred and 12 dollars. Miscellaneous purchase services, $2,871,718.
Supplies and materials are $502,827 dollars. And professional development is $155,776.06 dollars for a total of $24,740,443. The appropriations increase of 3% equals 807,000 thousand $563. For our general administration, this comprises 1.32% of the district's proposed budget.
These line items represent salaries for the superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendents, directors, secretaries, for total amounts of $5,741,850. Legal services, $1,859,852. Audit services, $299,000. Our judgments, 3,200,000. Copiers, communications, postage, supplies, NJSBA dues, board expenditures, $2,487,787.
The total amount for this line item is $13,588,489. It's an appropriations decrease by 1%, equaling $189,880 less than last year. Our school administration, our fund eleven and fifteen, which is our school based budgets, This comprises 2.3% of the district's proposed budget. These line items include salaries for administration, which is including our principals and assistant principals,
equaling $15,401,045. Our secretarial is $7,042,824. Our teachers, one million fifteen, four hundred and sixty seven dollars Purchase services, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses, $884,647 for a total of $24,343,983 This is an appropriations increase just by 3% of $731,589.
This is the blended funding which includes our school based budgets. So for the next slide, our central services. This is divided into two parts. It is our business office and our human resources office. So the business office comprises point 86% of the district's proposed budget for next year. These line items support the business office and include administrative and staff salaries, secretarial miscellaneous purchase services, the budget software payroll supplies, other expenses for $8,871,308.
HR comprises point 04% of the district's budget. This line item supports the HR office, which includes administrative and support salaries, secretarial, miscellaneous purchase services, their software, supplies, miscellaneous expenses for a total of $9,398,425. So the business office and HR total is $9,269,733. This is an appropriations increase of 10%,
which is less than 1% of the entire budget. For technology, this comprises point 58% of the district's proposed budget. These line items support the district's technology initiatives and include salaries for staff, purchase services, technical services, miscellaneous expenses, and tech supplies for a total of $5,976,517. This is an appropriations increase of 6% for a total of $333,619.
With respect to our op our operations, our maintenance of plant security, this comprises 8.93% of the district's proposed budget. These line items support the district's maintenance and custodial services, including salaries for staff, general supplies, cleaning, repair, maintenance services, purchase of professional technical services, maintenance software, other purchased property services, which includes our water, sewage, trash removal, and insurance, totaling $91,708,639.
And this also includes line items for security services, which is $9,752,773. So our appropriations increased by 13% by $10,716,213. Student transportation. This comprises 3.32% of the district's proposed budget. These line items support the district's student transportation services, including salaries for bus drivers,
maintenance of our school vehicles, special education transportation expenditures, joint transportation agreements, and field trips, totaling $34,106,723 for an appropriation increase of 5% of $1,497,244. Our health benefits and other employee benefits, This comprises 16.44% of the district's proposed budget. This budget includes $124,989,538
Medicare contribution, which includes our Social Security tax and our Medicare tax, our PERS contribution, which is for our public employees' retirement system, and the district is required to make this contribution, our TPAF, which is our teacher's pension annuity funds. We are also required to pay a portion for our certificate certificated staff, unemployment, workers' comp, tuition reimbursement, and our compensated absences for a total of $168,914,820.
Our appropriations have increased by 15% of $21,948,790. Our capital outlay, it comprises 2.16% of the district's budget. These line items include architectural engineering services $80, and equipment for $965.80
dollars and equipment for $965,007,778 dollars, totaling $22,219,419. We have only increased our capital outlay by 1% of $200,705. And so we since we are only increasing this so anomaly, which is all that we have in our budget, we're hoping to continue to receive some some additional funding from the SGA to fund
projects from this within the school district. So our transfer to charter schools, this comprises our largest portion of the budget of 16.41%. This line item supports the enrollment of 6,983 students in 23 charter schools for a total of $168,619,608. These appropriations decreased by the 3% of $5,000,009,946,122
dollars. So we are given this number from the budget software, and we were we are required to make this contribution to the charter schools. This is a nonnegotiable. So our special revenue fund 20, this comprises 12.49% of the district's proposed budget. These line items these line accounts are the recipient we are the recipients of grant funds, our preschool aid, IDEA, which is our Individuals with Disabilities Act, or ESSA, which is title one. That's the consolidated aid.
The preschool program does require a contribution from the general fund. I mentioned that earlier. It was about $2,900,000 and is supported in in total by the grant funds received from the state and federal resources. For this is for a total of $128,000,000, 3 hundred 30 6 thousand 7 hundred and 40 2. So our appropriations have decreased by $55,389,000 So for the recap,
our general current expense is 724,020 $724,027,335. That is our operating budget. Our capital outlay is $22,219,419. Our transfer to charter schools, 168,619,608 ta $8.
Our special revenue accounts, fund $2,128,336,742. So less our title one contribution to the school based budget of $15,929,982 brings us to a total budget of $1,027,273,122.
Again, this is an appropriations decrease of last year of $8,448,302. So for our synopsis, the twenty five, twenty six school year budget includes the current certificated staff vacancies that support the district's instructional program and current noncertificated vacancies that provide the district's secretarial, clerical support, custodial maintenance support, food services food services support, and security support.
The twenty twenty five, twenty six school year budget fully funds the district's instructional programs and initiatives by decreasing the total $1,027,273,122 and decreasing the overall expenditures by $8,448,302. The district is planning renovation and upgrades during the 2526 school year that addresses the
health, safety, and security of staff and students. Our capital projects include bathroom renovations, boiler replacements and conversions that is from oil to gas, masonry repairs, gym, auditorium, cafeteria upgrades, roof replacements as needed, elevator upgrades as needed, floor replacements, fire escape demolitions, HVAC upgrades, fencing replacements, and the continuation of paving sidewalks and parking areas. As you can see below, these are the collective bargaining units and their percentages in which we are required to
abide by and pay the salaries of these individuals. So the resolution to adopt the preliminary 2526 school year budget, Be it resolved that the Jersey City Board of Education, county of Hudson, state of New Jersey adopts this preliminary 2526 school year budget. Again, our current general current expenses for funds eleven and fifteen, seven hundred and twenty four million twenty seven thousand three hundred and thirty five dollars. Our capital outlay, fund $1,222,219,419
dollars. Our transfer to charter schools will be $168,619,608. The total general fund, 900 and and $14,866,362. Our special revenue, fund 2,128,336,742. Less our title one contributions to the school based budget of $15,929,982
So our total appropriations and expenditures for 2526, again, is 1,000,027,000 $1,027,273,122. Be it further resolved that the general fund tax levy of $452,337,369 is approved to support the twenty five, twenty six school year budget. This is what we will be approving.
This general tax levy of this number includes our that is our 2% includes our 2% increase, which we are required to take. So for our tax rate, this information is given to us avail it's available from the city of Jersey City. Our 2526 average home assessment is $481,886 with a proposed full tax rate of 0.0104. The 2024 net valuation tax for the city of Jersey City is $45,392,365,002.
For 2025, the net valuation is $47,014,032,020. This is an increase in one year of $2,000,000,000 in the city of Jersey City. So the increase to the average assessment would be $34.08 a month, and this is due to the inadequate funding of the city's contribution to the local fair share, as everyone heard in doctor Fernandez's presentation,
that the local fair share is over $750,000,000 in which we were short over 200,000,000. So for the 2526 budget per pupil cost, it's $28,117 The employee benefits as a percentage of salaries is 39.82%. So if we could go to this next slide. So with respect to the net evaluation, so the results of the average home assessment. So if we go back over the three years as an analysis for 2324,
The net valuation for the home assessment decreased $51. It was flat in 2425. And for this year, for 2526, where it's a proposed increase of $34.08. So over three years, it is a three year net average decrease of $16.92, and that includes using the bank cap that we are still to decrease after three years. So for the last slide,
we have budget considerations. It would be central office personnel if we need to move forward. It would be the personnel in the budget department, special education department, curriculum and instruction, student life and services, HR, technology and informational services, and early childhood. Thank you for your time and consideration. Wow. Just a question to Doctor. Fernandez prior to going into the rest. What do you recommend we do? We are losing our students. I'd like to continue with the budget, but, I don't wanna do it,
at the cost of the schools and the students. So recommendation. If you like, president, it's up to you. If you want to have, the banner, I know 17 is back there, and they were exiting. We could do that, and we can do the performers. It's up to you. Yes. I'm sorry? Yes. I We're going to change here, and we're going to address the students first and the schools,
and then we will continue with our budget. So bear in mind everything that we just, received from doctor Luce so that we can come back to the budget afterwards. Thank you. I'll stand up and bow. Okay. Doctor Fernandez? Yes. Thank you, president, Velasquez. But thank you public for listening to the budgets because this is really what makes it possible to have their students exceed and to present. It's it's not cheap by any means, and it took a lot of work from everyone across the district to put this
together. Doctor. Luz did a phenomenal job putting it together, and it's a collaborative effort of every department and every school getting this budget together. So, it's a testament to the hard work of many individuals behind the scenes that make our students' success possible. It all begins with the work behind the scenes and the talented teachers in the classroom. So without further ado, if I may, at this time, I'd like to present the attendance award to the Joseph h Bressinger School PS seventeen
for the best attendance during the month of February. Congratulations. 17. Please come to accept your trustees if you would join me in congratulating them. You? Yes. I forget how little some of these kids are. I know. Like, I see them. I'm like, they're like this big. Right? Good. Good. Good. My guys are big. I don't have the ones in here. There's a little more. During March, no more attendance of banners. Mhmm. We're gonna sit back and enjoy the next part. During March, we celebrate Women's History Month.
This year, the theme is moving forward together. Women educating and inspiring generations recognizes the collective strength and influence of women in education, mentorship, and leadership. We recognize Women's History Month as a time to celebrate the vital and often overlooked contributions of women throughout history. From groundbreaking scientists and artists to courageous activists and leaders, women have shaped our world in profound way.
This month, our schools have been engaging in activities and discussions that highlight the diverse experience and achievement of women, fostering a deeper understanding of their impact on our society. We encourage everyone to join us in on honoring the resilience, strength, and innovation of women, both past and present, and to reflect on how we can contribute to create a more equitable future for all. At this time, I'd like to welcome mister John Amelow, social studies supervisor,
and miss Grace Wandicki, instructional specialist, to share samples of our students' work. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, superintendent Fernandez, president Velasquez, vice president doctor Tisdale, board trustees, acting deputy superintendent doctor Cristinino, mister Wayne, and the senior leadership team, and also to our colleagues, parents, and students, and the viewing public. My name is John Emelow. I'm a social studies supervisor, and I'm honored to be here tonight alongside my colleagues, Gina Milvoy, supervisor of performing arts, Patricia Hudak,
science supervisor, and Grace Guandike, instructional specialist. Together, we are honored to highlight the incredible contributions of our students as we celebrate Women's History Month. As doctor Fernandez said, this year's theme is moving forward together, women educating and inspiring generations. This provides a powerful reminder of the impact women have made in shaping education, empowering future leaders, and fostering innovation across generations. In light of this year's theme, women who inspire and educate, I'd like to take this opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation to the women
who make Jersey City public schools what they are, Starting with superintendent Doctor Fernandez. The women who make up the Board of Education, President Velasquez, Trustee Ioffe, Trustee Mohammed, Trustee Patel, and Trustee Rasvala. Hey, Sabine. The women of senior leadership, Mr. Wayne, Doctor. Sabine, Doctor. Luce, Doctor. Cummings Hippolyte, Ms. Kakara, Ms. Burn, Ms. Small, and Ms. Watkins Williams. And from the business office, Ms. McKenzie, Ms. Melendez, and Ms. Tongana. We thank you for dedicating your work to supporting the education of all of those
students in Jersey City. Through your commitment, resilience, and passion, the district can continue to inspire progress and create lasting change in our communities and beyond. This evening, we are proud to showcase the excellent work of a few of our student celebrations, including students from PS number eight, PS number 37, and Academy one. Grace? Thank you, John. Please direct your attention to the stage as I introduce our first group of students, the Charles E. Trefert Choir, directed by Benjamin Marceau, music specialist. They will be performing two songs,
Dreamers and Sister Rosa. Tonight, as we celebrate and honor the strength, influence, and achievements of women, we recognize those who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations. First, we honor Clara Barton, a woman of courage and compassion. As a nurse during the civil war, she risked her life to care for wounded soldiers and later founded the American Red Cross, changing the way we respond to disasters and emergencies. We also recognize Amelia Earhart,
a true pioneer in aviation. As the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, she proved that determination and ambition can take you anywhere, even to the skies. These two women were dreamers, people who saw beyond the limits of their time and worked to create something bigger than themselves. In their honor, we will now perform dreamers. She had a quest to follow and blue skies to As we continue celebrating women's history month, we turn to another woman who's quite act of defiance made history.
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. And that simple but powerful decision helped spark the civil rights movement. Her courage reminds us that standing up or sitting down for what's right can change the world. In her in her honor, we will perf now perform Sister Rosa by the Neville Brothers. What a great performance. Thank you, PS number eight. At this time, we're gonna welcome students from PS number thirty seven,
Rafael Cordero y Molina, who will recite some famous poems for women who inspired them. They're supported by their teachers, miss Lardman and miss Conte. First, we're gonna begin with, grade eight student Kendall Weston. Grace Kelly, a star so bright. In Hollywood's shining starry night, a princess danced a lovely sight. Grace Kelly, with beauty so rare, captured hearts beyond compare. With a smile that could light up the day, she graced the screen in her special way. From Rear Window to To Catch a Thief, in every role,
she brought us belief. But not just as a star in a movie so grand, she became a princess in a foreign land. Marrying royalty, she took her new place. With elegance and charm, she embraced her grace. In Manakkal's garden, she walked with pride, a mother and leader with love as her guide. Though her time was short, her spirit lives on in tales of her life and the magic she spawned. So let's remember this Lenten so true, a princess, a star, and all that she do. Grace Kelly, forever a shining light, in our hearts, she'll always be bright.
Thank you, Kendall. Next, we're welcoming Sean Morris, grade eight student. Flying across the sky, feeling the wind, touching the clouds that look fake. Being the first, the air across my face is the worst, but I have to do it on the first try. A woman appreciated. My plane in the air just looks faded to the average human eye. My chair in the air zipping so fast, everyone just can't look by. My eyes are so dry. All I can do is just cry. People see me when they lie down. Just give me my crown, the greatest of all, flying across the world.
I am completing the mission. The world is just listening, but then I just disappear. And finally, Kayla Clark, grade seven. Lucy Stone, a voice unbroken. They told her to sit down, to stay quiet, to let the men speak. But Lucy Stone was not born for silence. She stood where women were told not to, spoke when they said they shouldn't, learned when they swore she couldn't. First woman in Massachusetts to earn a degree. But knowledge was never the limit for Lucy, only the beginning. She didn't just fight for freedom. She lived it. Refused to take her husband's name because her name was already her own.
Refused to let laws define her worth because her worth was never up to give. They mimicked her, blocked her, but never one stopped her. She built a path where none existed, walked so others could run, spoke so others could be heard. She fought for voices that were left unheard. For hands kept from the ballot, for women who were told their place was anywhere but power. She knew justice wasn't given easily. It was demanded. It was earned. It was taken back by those who refused to be ignored. Her name didn't just belong to history books. It belonged to justice, to change,
to every woman who dared to once say, I am here. I matter. I will not be erased. And even though she's gone, her fight isn't over because the world still tries to silence, still tries to push women aside, but her voice is still here. And the ones who refuse to be quiet, and the ones who keep pushing forward, and the ones who thought silence was never the solution. So we speak, we stand, we keep moving forward because Lucy Stone did not fight for nothing. Thank you, Kendall, Sean, and Kayla, for those powerful poems.
At this time, I'd like to introduce three sixth graders from Academy One Middle School. They composed letters titled Superwomen in honor of the women in their lives who inspired them to pursue their dreams. Please join us in welcoming Saivi Khadrekar and her superwoman, miss Anusha Khadrekar. I would like to honor my superwoman, my mother, Anusha Kudrekar. I know her as my wonderful mother. She has done so much for me and has done so many things, not just for me, but for everyone,
and has made the world a better place in the forty six years that she has been alive. She's a ray of sunshine in my life, and I hope she'll never leave me. My mom is a strong and hardworking woman. I admire her resistance, compassion, leadership, and unwavering support that she shows me every single day no matter what. She has and will always continue to inspire me to chase my dreams, overcome obstacles, and become the best version of myself. My mom has done so much for me and continues to do so every day. But for me as her daughter, some things stood out to me like a flamingo and a flock full of pigeons.
Her positivity, strong mindedness, and her ability to be happy with what she has makes her my favorite woman on this earth. She always has faith in me no matter what, even if I do something wrong. I have made many mistakes in my life, but she has explained to me that they are fixable and made sure I knew that. I belong on this earth no matter what. I've gone through some tough times, but every time, my mom has let me know that we are in this together. This makes my bond stronger with her than it is with my dad. She's such a kind, brilliant, positive, and hardworking person who makes the world a better place. She has helped so many people,
but me the most. She has helped me make so many tough decisions, one being the choice of which middle school I should go to. She called up both Academy one and Affinity to try and get me a school tour so it'd be easier for me to make the decision. She also talked to my counselor a lot to figure out what school would be best for me and if I got it or not. This is just one of the amazing things she has done for me. She's so positive and hardworking. In July of twenty twenty four, her husband or my dad divorced her. A lot of things were happening at the time. Firstly, we lived in a rental apartment, and the lease of it was ending in fifteen days. My dad or her husband also gave her the divorce notice late.
He assigned it on June nineteenth of twenty twenty four, but he handed it to my mom on the July 16, almost a month later. This also gave her less time to find a lawyer. My grandma was also heading back to India, so my mom had to apply for her green card as well, which came in the way of everything else that was happening. She also had to find somewhere for me, my grandma, and her to live. There are problems with this as well. She first applied to an apartment which the owner was giving for rent. The owner's husband had passed away recently, so the lady wasn't sure what documents she needed and where they were. On top of this, she also never picked up her calls because she wasn't tech savvy.
We didn't have a house till the last day. Still, my mom had perseverance and empowered through this and got us an apartment. She also had to find a lawyer during this time. I know I wasn't the best, but I didn't know what to do or feel in this situation. I feel so bad. I'm so proud of her and her bravery. It inspired me to be happy with what I have and be brave no matter what. My mom is such a good role model for me. She has done so much for me from day one. I love her to the moon and back. I hope she understands that I love her very much. I know I can sometimes annoy her and she can sometimes get mad, but I know she does it because she loves me,
and I love her for that. I have made mistakes, but she helps me understand that mistakes are okay and I can fix them. At first, when I would make a mistake, I'd be scared that she would get mad or disappointed at me. But then I learned that she's only mad for my own good. I always think I caused the divorce to happen, but my mom lets me know it isn't. And I trust her with all my heart because I don't know who to trust anymore. I think I don't belong, and I have no one who will understand anyone who loves me. But I have understood that no matter what happens, my mom will be there for me. I'm so happy that she is my mom and I would never change that for anyone else in the world.
I love you. Thank you. Thank you, Saivey. Please join us in welcoming Mon Patel and his superwoman, miss Kamal Patel. I would like to honor my superwoman, my mother. She has Koma Patel has been through a lot of hardships to give a better quality of life to me. She many people take a mother as granted, but I do not. Koma Patel, whose hair is as dark as the night and whose life is such a fascinating story, and she is my biggest my life's biggest inspiration.
She is as happy as a kid on Christmas morning, especially when it comes to going on life's most bizarre adventures. She is as hasty as a cheetah, especially when it comes to booking tickets for pretty much anything. Her wisdom is as great as an owl. When I was stuck on a question for homework, she would easily answer the question as ex as well as explain to me how I got it wrong, and how to avoid the mistake in the future. Her determination to do anything is unmatched, and that and the moment she puts her mind to on something,
she will not do anything else until she finishes the thing she was doing. If I was stuck on a question, she would not do anything else besides help me until I understood how to do it correctly. She is so open minded that she would scrap an idea of hers to take an idea of mine. My mother's black eyes are as dark as a shadow, making her eyes almost invisible in the dark. Her eyes are also very good at finding things I have lost. Once I lost my favorite pair of sneakers, and, and at once she found my sneakers hidden behind the many boxes of shoes in
my room. Her skin is gold the color of sand, golden brown and smooth. My mother is a great person in my life who has been with me through my highs and lows. She has been there for me throughout my life and has always supported me. Thank you for being there when I most needed you. Thank you for comforting me when I needed you, and thank you for giving me a wonderful life. Thank you, ma'am. Please join us in welcoming race pair, Abru Beato, and her superwoman, Irene Beato. I'd like to honor my superwoman, my mother. Dear Irene Beato,
you are an amazing woman filled with resilience, compassion, leadership, and always gave me your unwavering support. You have inspired me to chase my dreams, overcome challenges, and become the best version of myself. Irene, you're like a lighthouse guiding me through a stormy night in the sea, always helping me even when I get on your nerves, like when I forget to wash my dishes because of the amount of love you have for me. Please remember this, my dear mother. You have faced many hardships during your life here on Earth. Not being able to chase after your dreams of becoming a doctor,
so instead settling for a job as a teacher, losing your own mother and brother when you were younger, having to take care of two girls on your own in an unfamiliar country, and not having the best financial situation. Even with all these hardships, you still stand strong. The amount of love of things you do for your two daughters are simply admirable. You left your own your home and went to a home in unfamiliar country just so that me and my sister will have many more and better opportunities for our future. You raised us all by yourself with little to no help. You raised us all by yourself even with our poor financial situation ship situation.
Even with all these setbacks, you still bring food to the table even when you yourself don't have anything to eat. You help me and my little sister with everything you are capable of doing. Even if you have to learn something new just to help, you do it. Irene, you are a brave, patient, respectful, hardworking, strong, kind, funny, likable, and loving woman who isn't afraid to speak out against anything that is wrong because you know that that is the right thing to do. A woman who has black charcoal hair that shines red in the sun, dark chocolatey eyes,
a soft pale yet caramel looking skin, and a woman who has good style. Looking like a swan in a in a lake filled with pure clear water, I admire all those things about you and find your appearance in Malta. And you know what I admire about you the most? How you have a big heart a heart that's larger than the sun and show off that big beautiful smile without a care in the world. Oh, how I love your confidence. Oh, how I wish I had the same confidence you have. Mommy, I would like to thank this off with a thank you. For being in my life and my little sister's life.
For helping me out with things as big as my emotional state and as small as a question on a homework assignment. Thank you for trying your best and being a mother because in the end, you are human too. I love you for that, mommy. I love you, and you better remember that too until the universe itself ceases to exist. Thank you for sharing those beautiful letters. Through the words of the students here today, it is evidence that the superwomen embody this year's theme of moving forward together, women educating and inspiring generations. That will conclude this evening's performance.
What an incredible evening of music, poetry, and reflection. I'd like to, thank all of our administrators, teachers, and students whose contributions have made this celebration of Women's History Month possible. Thank you for sharing your talents with us, helping us to honor and highlight incredible contributions of our students as we celebrate Women's History Month. Women's History Month. I'd like to acknowledge some of the administrators who came tonight to support our students. Doctor. Carson, Doctor. Wingard, Ms. Val Dora, Mr. Appruzzi, Doctor. Brower, Doctor. Benero, Mrs. Campbell, Mr. Macagnanow, and Mr. Gadsden. And also thank you to,
Ms. Angelina Bove Fenton, the library media specialist at PS eleven who decorated the stage for our performances. We'd also like to extend our gratitude to all the teachers and students whose contributions have made this celebration possible. If you look at the screen, you'll see all the schools and teachers that participated. We're going to ask all of our students who participated tonight to return to the stage for a photograph with our Senior Leadership and Board of Education members. Thank you all for being a part of this meaningful evening. Have a nice night. Okay. Oh, I was just gonna quickly I'm just gonna quickly do this,
and then we'll and then you introduce the other girls. Right? Yes. Okay. Yes. Well, that was wonderful. I love women's month. And to continue with the theme and what I do on a monthly basis, let me introduce to you the, book of the month. This student was a student, who graduated from, McNair academic. Her name is Shayla Laws. She is an author. She's a poet, and this is a book of poems that she has written.
She moved from Jersey City and, now she lives in Brooklyn where she teaches at, what, it at Pratt Institute. However, I wish I had been this girl's teacher because her poetry is deep, deep, deep. It's the kind of poetry that you have to read again and again and again. You enjoy it the first time, you appreciate it as you continue to read it. She speaks about women's tenacity. Permission to the earth,
she speaks about celestial things, but she is like extremely, extremely, I'd say, out there. I think, you know, she's got deep thoughts with very, very strong words. And, you know, as I present my books on a monthly basis, I'm hoping that somebody is picking them up somewhere and reading, because it's reading that gets us through everything in the world. You can't read, you don't do much of anything else. So, again, one of ours out there making us proud.
Thank you to Shayla Laws. And now we will continue. I believe that doctor Fernandez had two students, from the citywide student council. Miss Campbell, would you like to introduce them? Because I do not have their names. Doctor Fernandez had to step out. Oh, doctor Fernandez is back. Okay. Thank you, president Velasquez. At this time, it is my pleasure to, welcome the, citywide student council speakers. This evening, we have Fanu Asheba,
the historian from Dickinson High School, who will speak to the board and the public. Fanu, come on up. Good evening, superintendent, doctor Fernandez, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, directors, board members, principal, mister Casillas, and community members. It is an honor to speak before you today. My name is FNU Alishba, and I am a senior in Dickinson High School. While FNU may seem unusual, it stands for first name unknown. When I moved to The United States from Pakistan,
I encountered a unique challenge with my name. In my home country, one name was sufficient. But here in The US, I was told that I needed two names. And the school's suggestion was to double up. Over the time, as I encountered different official records, I found myself with three different names, each varying slightly. This led to the funny, a little confusing situation where everyone started calling me, and I embraced it. Growing up in a large family has shaped my experiences. I am the youngest of nine siblings with two older sisters who always led by
example. Their guidance has been invaluable, and their sacrifices led the foundation for my own growth. When I entered high school, my sisters were already seniors, so I felt a sense of security knowing they had my back. However, as I progressed through high school, I recognized the need to step out on my own, to challenge myself beyond the comfort they provided. I began this journey by joining nationally motivated people club. As a freshman, I was shy and uncertain. When one of the advisers,
miss Lugo, asked what I hope to gain from the club, I nervously said confidence. That moment marked a turning point with encouragement from mentors like miss Lebron, who told me, if you want to gain something, you must first believe in yourself. I grew I went from being a member to taking on leadership roles, eventually becoming the president of Naturally Motivated People club. Additionally, my involvement in the yoga club taught me becoming my my involvement in the yoga
club taught me mindfulness and the importance of mental well-being. Starting with no flexibility, I eventually became a poses instructor, helping others find peace and balance. Throughout my high school years, I continuously sought to push my boundaries. I have taken on academic challenges, enrolling in early college program and taking honors courses, while also embracing leadership opportunities such as joining the yearbook committee and serving on the citywide student council. Through these experiences, I have learned the importance of collaboration,
leadership, and community engagement. Being part of the citywide student council has allowed me to be has allowed me to work to towards creating an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued. One of the things I cherish most about being part of the Jersey City public school students is its rich diversity. Our schools unite individuals from different backgrounds, fostering a community where every student can feel a sense of belonging. For me, Jersey City Public Schools have always been a place of support where I've had the
opportunity to grow and pursue my passion. Looking toward the future, my ultimate goal is to become a cardiac surgeon. This ambition has been a driving force in my life, and I am committed to the hard work and dedication required to achieve it. I believe that through my perseverance and deep sense of purpose, I can make a meaningful impact on the lives of others, particularly in the field of medicine. I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who have supported me along the way.
First, to my advisor, miss Williams, for her exceptional guidance and leadership within the citywide student council. To my principal, mister Casillas, vice principal, doctor Winstead, doctor Percival, miss Harold, mister Nunez, and my beautiful school adviser, miss Bodrum, for their unwavering support. And most importantly, to my family, especially my sisters who have been my pillars of strength, always pushing me to be my best. Thank you all for your time and attention. I am eager to continue working together to make our schools and community even better.
Thank you. Fanu, thank you. You are the epitome of the women that we honored this month. You found your strength, your resilience, and we look forward to your accomplishments in the future. At this time, I'd like to call Deontay Simmons, sergeant at arms from Lincoln High School. Please come to the podium. Good evening, superintendent doctor Fernandez, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendents, directors, miss Williams, principal Gadsden, board members, and community members.
My name is Deontay Simmons. I am a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School and a sergeant at arms for the citywide student council. I am also an inductee for the National Honor Society, a member of the Cosmetology SLC, Gardening Club, Art Smart, and Wi Fi. I also benefited from the Changemakers program at Rutgers University and NJCU's care program. Prior to all of this, I had the honor of representing my eighth grade class as a salutatorian. I share all these things, not to vibrate myself, but to show what versatility,
perseverance, and dedication can accomplish. In spite of my accomplishments, my childhood was not easy. My family struggled, moving from place to place due to housing instability. I was often a new kid, always struggling to adjust or adapt. These experiences taught me resilience, and it was during these times of isolation where I discovered my love for astronomy. Learning about the complexities and beauty of the planets has always intrigued me and widened my curiosity. And it was this same curiosity that also led me to join the Citywide Student Council. I was first introduced to the Citywide Student Council by my good friend,
Patrick Zullo. At the time, my reason for joining was out of curiosity and the opportunity to earn community service hours. However, as I attended the meetings, my motivation changed from simply attending student council for community service hours to a genuine desire to help and improve our district schools and my community. Joining the student council has been a life changing experience for me. During the citywide student council meetings, we are given an opportunity to engage with peers from various schools who come together to teach each other important life skills,
cover current topics, plan district activities, and socialize. Two months ago, the Lincoln Lions presented the topic Superheroes as Social Allegories, where we presented how to everyone how superheroes such as Storm from the x men and Superman represented core American social values. Outside of our monthly meetings, the student council of my school has held a variety of activities. These include voters registration, where 30 seniors registered to vote, a breast cancer walk, we raised $200 homecoming, and provided assistance for parent teacher night.
Besides the learning component, the social side of the citywide student council provides its members the opportunity to learn about each other's upbringing and social environments. We connect with each other through our diverse backgrounds, oftentimes connecting through mutual hardships and joy. These personal connections of the Citywide Student Council also inspire each of us to do better in regards to academics. Although the Citywide Student Council has provided me with positive personal growth I would be remiss if I didn't state that my positive inspiration started within my own My father
is the one who has influenced me the most in my life Whenever I struggle with a decision or need advice, he always seemed to have the answer He was the one who taught me to be strong, oftentimes indirectly with the things he was going through From my dad's teachings, I remain strong, continuing to push forward and through life's struggles. I thank him for everything he did for me while I was growing up. And while it's hard sometimes having to grasp with the fact that he's no longer here, I can take comfort in knowing he is watching over me. Even in death,
he certainly guides me in many ways, and I know I will get to see him again one day. Now as I approach the end of my speech, I first have to thank God for always being there for me, showing me how to become a better person, and correcting me when I make the wrong decision. I always like to give thanks to my mother who is watching this very thing from home. I will also mention again that the influence and connection of friendships and academics should not be overlooked. Some of my friends are here tonight. Academically, we are a super force pushing one another to greater heights.
Greater heights would include for me to the courage to speak tonight at this board meeting, to pursue a career as an astronomer, and to become a barber, to cut hair like my dad and my older sister. Thank you to my sisters. You guys are always stuck by my side, even though there are times where we annoyed the other. I want to thank my principal, mister Gatson, for accepting me into Lincoln, allowing me to meet a wide range of people, and having access to many opportunities. I want to thank my adviser, miss Folkes, for her encouragement with everything we do as club members. I I want to thank doctor Fernandez for blessing me with the position of sergeant
at arms. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank miss Williams for guiding me and the other citywide student council members towards better futures. Thank you for your attention, and may all of your wins be high and your losses be you. Have a wonderful night. Beyonce, that is phenomenal. It I it really it's so nice to, to hear how you are part of everything. You're taking advantage of being part of Wi Fi, a former valedictorian from PS fifteen.
Even though you didn't say it, I did check. So, keep up the great work. And we're looking forward because you'll be back next year. Correct? Thank you. Have a great evening. Madam president, that ends my presentation. Thank you. Thank you. And yes, thank you to the students. Every time they speak, we're enlightened. And more than that, we just continue to be proud of all of our students. Thank you so much. You guys were excellent. And now we will continue with the, I'm sorry,
with the no. We're not going to the budget, until we have the public speaking. Okay. So, miss McKenzie oh, I'm sorry. Our attorney will So we're gonna be at, three point zero two public comments, preliminary school budget only. I'm gonna read the public comment statement. All speakers must adhere to the three minute speaking rule. The clock shall not be stopped. Speakers will be called to the microphone to speak in the order that they've request is received. All statements or comments shall be focused to the chair. It is the expectation of the board that comments will remain positive and focused around
the best interest of the students and the district as a whole. The board will not condone comments that can be received as harassing, insulting, insulting, threatening, or lacking in respect or civility. The chair reserves the right to, a, interrupt, warn, and or terminate a participant's statement or comment when it's too lengthy, b, interrupt and or warn a participant when the statement or comment is abusive, obscene, or may be defamatory, c, request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum or presents themselves as a danger to others in the building. D, request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when
that person remands or disrupts a meeting with an act that obstructs or interferes with the meeting, including threats by words, actions, or objects, e, call a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting, and f waive these rules when necessary for the protection of privacy or to maintain the orderly operation of the board meeting. Thank you. Okay. Miss McKenzie, before you begin, you said there was one person that is no longer here in person. He's going to hear she will be in Zoom. Yeah. And that will be? Takoya Minix.
She's on Zoom. I'm sorry? Takoya Minix. She'll be on Zoom, the first one. Okay. Thank you. And looking at this, are we just doing budget only? I'm sorry? We are doing budget only. Comments. That comments and budget only. Okay. So our first in person with the budget will be Elizabeth Perry, and I don't see her here. And next is Jim Nelson. Good evening. My name is Jim Nelson. I will be brief this evening. I want to thank Doctor.
Luz for the detailed budget presentation and Doctor. Fernandez for the clarity of the context, the patterns, the trends. We know that we collectively note the end of ESSER funding and other fund sources that were no longer that were so instrumental in jump starting us with summer programs and so forth. So when you see the impact and the reduction in alternative education and summer programs, we understand that's because that era has ended. We have to find other ways that are both institutional and supplemental. That's another point. As we've learned before,
the distinction between the, that the supplemental sources of funding cannot supplant the core budget. I also appreciate the layers of history that was presented. For example, the mention of the 2022 and 2023 maintenance of equity funds that was instrumental in us moving forward with a number of capital projects. That was funding that was state funding that Jersey Together and Education was asked or told the U. S. Department of Education to require the state to provide.
Other examples of trends we see in local levy that feeds into the state formula. So thank you for spelling out how that works. And I remember, from last December when Danielle Ferri of the Education Law Center testified before the before the Senate Education Committee. She noted that in Jersey City, the local fair share sorry. In Jersey City, for fiscal year 2018, we were living up to 32% of our local fair share as determined by the state. By last fiscal year, we were up to 83% of the local fair share.
How did that happen? It was because we, the people, the parents, the school communities, said we need to do more locally. So we increased over the last seven years the levee, 7%, thirty four %, sixty five %, ouch, 32, two percent. That kind of growth, thanks to the leadership, the courage of passports, put us in a relatively better position. Yes. We're still facing that fiscal cliff, but it could have been far worse. So I wanna appreciate that bell curve and the work that you're doing. As I stood at the city council meeting last Wednesday,
I thought of governor Murphy's comments that for every dollar that the state invests in education, there's one less dollar in property tax. I would like to think that for every dollar that the city collects in the employer payroll tax, we might be able to reduce the property the school improvement. It's a marginal improvement. And that this year, we can expect the city to commit more greater commitments for the payroll tax. Thank you so much. Thank you, mister Nelson. Okay. So that is everyone that I have in person. So now on to the Zoom.
Takoya, Minix, you can come on now. And we are speaking on the budget only. Okay. You I'm sorry to interrupt. That was that was, sorry. A mistake. I was supposed I wanted to speak on at the other parts. I've typed in the wrong thing, but I resubmitted it today. Is that okay? I don't wanna speak on a wrong topic at this point. Okay. Do you wanna speak on the budget? No. Not right now. No. Okay. So we will She she can call back. You can call her back. Stay on,
and we'll put you back on later. Immediately after we adopt the budget, then we will have the regular. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. Put yourself on mute again, please. Thank you. Ms. Harold? Hello? Hi, miss Harold. You're on for public comment. You have three minutes for the budget. On the budget. Thank you. Budget only. That's on the budget. Yes. Thank you. First, I would, you know, like to say that, I am happy to know that the city of Jersey City has paid their taxes to to the district as was requested by,
the board president at last week's council meeting. Just would like to make recommendations on both parties that some type of, format is put into place on of accountability to make sure that the proper amount of money that is being collected from and through the city is being allocated to the schools. Right now, it's a difficult it's very difficult to determine what your exact number should be. And based on the,
the ratables in this city, I'm sure that those numbers are way lower even at 80 some odd million than what it should be. My other concern that I have, in preparing for this budget this year, is the fact that it's being presented on the day that is due to the county executive and the lack of information that's provided to the public to be able to speak on the budget. The budget was well put together. However, it would be nice if we have access to review it so that there can
be conversation and proper conversation and discussion on, what the public may have as far as input on the budget, and and maybe some recommendations. So if for future reference and for transparency, I would suggest that the budget or the presentation is posted because the seven lines that you give is just not enough. This is a billion dollar budget and seven lines, that's totally unacceptable. I'm sure you all as teachers wouldn't accept that from your students.
So us as the public, we don't accept that from, from the district. And then another question I had, maybe just for clarity, on the last, slide, it says budget considerations, and it says central office. And then in red, there's a, a list of departments. If someone could just clarify. I'm a little confused. I'm not sure as to what that means and and what is the its purpose at the end of the the slides. That's about it for now. Thank you so much, and I will see you for the next phase of public speaking.
Thank you. Thank you. Mona, you can come on now. Hi. Hi. Good evening, everyone. My name is Mona. I am a parent from PS five. I just wanna commend the district for, providing, no, significant tax increase for the residents of, generously to fully fund the school budget and to ensure the safety for all children, especially since, the security doors for our school are, are being replaced, I think this week. I just wanna, also recommend that if the school,
district can post a bird's eye view of the budget onto their, board docs or on the school website, that would be really appreciated. And if you guys could maybe, pursue, doing another operation efficiency audit on the budget to ensure that monies are appropriated, you know, in in in the best, form as possible. And that's it for me. Thank you. Thank you. That is all the people that I have for the budget. On the budget? Yes. Okay. Thank you very much,
miss McKenzie. I just wanna quickly, also thank, mister Nelson and, miss Harrell. They were at the meeting, the council meeting last week, and they were, very, supportive of this district. And and I know that sometimes, miss Harrell calls in with some strong concerns, but this time she was on our side, and she was strong to that council on our behalf. And I thank her for that. I thank mister Nelson for always being there for us.
I, do, however, encourage that, you know, we should not wait until we get to the budget moment to come before the council because if we continue, if they see us, all of the time and we continue to stress to them the importance of them giving to their children, the children of this city Today, we pay for them today. We don't have to pay for them tomorrow. I think it's important that if we if they see us, they will listen. And, you know,
I had the the opportunity to speak to them. I enjoyed calling them out publicly, with all the respect that they do deserve. I thank also, councilman Solomon, who was very supportive, councilwoman, Waterman, who spoke strongly about the need for all of our children, and also, councilman Gilmore, who also, did not hesitate to say it like it is. So thank you to all of them. And now I'd like to have a motion,
I'm sorry, to adopt a preliminary motion. It goes through the motion. It has I'm sorry? Okay. Motion moved by, trustee Morris. Second by trustee Blunt. Okay. And now it's open for discussion. You wanted to discuss first? I'm sorry. If you guys stay through the chair, I can hear you. I'm sorry. Is somebody else going? I think that you hold on. Sure. Okay. Anyone? Alright. Madam president? Yes, sir. So I just wanted to commend, our acting VA on doing such an amazing job on short notice putting this budget
together. Her and her team along with the superintendent, I think that it was very well presented and I do appreciate the three by three. It did give us an opportunity to, get further detail and a further understanding of exactly, what was, what the losses were as well as the gains. Additionally, I just wanted to thank our president for going before the council, and addressing them on, issues that have gone long before, you went before them. And although I do agree with you, in giving accolades to the council people for being strong on that day,
let us not forget that they sat there for eight years and allowed this to happen. And we would not have to go before them if they would take care of it when they had the opportunity. This is election year, so, of course, they're gonna be supportive of anything that we need done. In addition to that, I believe miss Harold stated that, she wanted the budget to, be presented earlier. I think that it was done in an appropriate amount of time. The job of the trustees is to question and ask for suggestions to be made to the budget. The public is supposed to observe the budget.
Our job as trustees are to, question and add ask for additional suggestions of that sort. So I think the public needs to understand the role of the trustees and not forget that we did have a meeting with the BA and the, superintendent and questions were asked. And in addition to that, recommendations were also made. So the public should understand that the trustees are doing their job. Thank you. Anyone else? Through the chair, I have a quick question. Yes. I had a statement to preclude my vote to qualify the vote.
Do I need to do that now during discussion or can I still do that while we vote? I think you should do it before the vote because, when the vote is taken, it's either I or nay. Okay. And there's no time for discussion at that time. Okay. Okay. In that case She has What's the question? You wanna make a statement before you vote? Mhmm. You should make the statement now. That's right. Go ahead. No. I am sorry. I thought it was the other No. Please. Thank you, Board President. Well, I'm just going to do the whole statement.
I would like to qualify my vote with a short statement with Board President's permission. First, I want to thank Doctor. Luce and Doctor. Fernandez for their hard work in preparing this balanced budget and making cuts wherever possible. It would be unreasonable to expect that cost cutting can fill the shortfall of nearly 140,000,000, which exists solely due to the chronic and deliberate underfunding by the city. Presently, the district must utilize the one mechanism it has available to keep the schools running, which is the bank cap of the tax levy. In the past,
when the district made this request, the city administration passed the burden to the residents along with a PR campaign blaming public schools denying any responsibility for them. The state assessment of Jersey City property values indicates that the local share of school funding needs to be well over $700,000,000 Current school levy and payroll tax combined have been barely over $500,000,000 The state is not inclined to provide any more support than it currently does unless the city willingly closes that gap. This is a direct challenge by the state to our municipal administration to take responsibility
and to commit to real solutions. Having served on this board's finance committee for three years, I reported each time the business administrator made a formal request to meet with the city's business administrator and requested statements for the payroll tax trust fund each time with no result and no response. This silence, stonewalling, and toxic politics is why despite being the second largest public school district in New Jersey, we continue to be the most underfunded. Shame on city leaders that force their children to beg for money while enriching the
preferred elites. Thus, I challenge the municipal administration to close this funding gap before the final JCBOE budget vote in April. It can do so by transferring all available pilot revenues to the school district, which amount to almost $100,000,000 annually. Also, since recent findings show the actual payroll tax revenues are in fact closer to 100 over $100,000,000 and not 65, as we have been made to believe that full amount must be set as the
new standard going forward for coming years. Until then, I must vote no. Thank you for your time. That's not a vote yet. Okay. Just later. Thank you. To the chair. Yes. Thank you. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for having me. I just want to also say thank you to Doctor. Luce for what you did in putting together specifically the timeline that I asked for in in the committee meeting that we were in. I think that it tried to provide some clarity to the public, specifically when you specified when the numbers actually came in from the state in late
February, giving you about a week in order to actually crunch numbers and so on and so forth, and then have a three by three with the board, trustees the following week. So, with that said, thank you and, kudos to you and the team in all of that. I did have a question in terms of equalization aid where we get absolutely nothing. Is there anything that we have done or will do to challenge this? Not that I am aware of. Challenge it. Challenges? Yes. I mean, to challenge the fact that we got absolutely $0 in equalization.
Well, the challenge is that we can't expand programs. We have to be frugal. So we limited certain investments. Professional development is one of the things that suffered. So I also noticed that we cut, certain, like, activities and programs. Is that going to impact, greatly impact the things that students are able to do over the course of next year? No. If there are any, cuts or any, more fiscal challenges and, we have to make adjustment, that's why that last slide was there,
central office considerations. So it will be any, programs and staff at central office, may have to do more, will be reassigned. Programs may be evaluated. My goal is to keep the classrooms intact, not touch the schools, not touch services to children. Okay. Thank you, doctor Fernandez. Now I do have a question for, trustee Iofe. With regards to the bank cap, and the fact that we are in this situation not actually having the payroll tax that you spoke so passionately about in this,
this instance, what is the suggestion that we do provided that the $100,000,000 is still at a loss and we don't use, let's say the bank cap. What is your suggestion? I cannot make suggestions to the board. You voted up or down. I'm I'm challenging the city in this instance. Does that make sense? That does make sense. And and you can make suggestions to the board. I'm just asking you, what would your what would the alternative be if we still if we don't use the bank cap? Again, my suggestion is not to the board or to the district. The district has done everything it could.
The board will either vote this budget up or down according to their conscience. My statement is addressed purely to the municipal authority, not to this board. I have it. Madam president, I think a secondary solution would be to sue the city for the funds that we are owed. I understand where chairwoman Iofe is coming from in regards to not telling the board to go up and down. But I believe vice president, Tisdale was asking what the recommendation would be for us moving forward, to try to work with the city. Again, you did an outstanding job by going to speak before them,
but this has been an ongoing situation. And I believe now that we have played our part politically, I think now it's time for our attorney, to play their part, legally. Through the chair. If I may just add to that. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Just to clarify because maybe I wasn't clear. The reason I'm asking the question is because we know how this works. Right? So go go ahead. Sure. So board president went to city council meeting, this past week to make that point. Right? My focus here is to just narrow that point to actual probable solutions, feasible solutions. So currently, the city is receiving almost a hundred million dollars in pilots,
which is payments in lieu of tax. These are all long term abated properties valued at approximately 10 and a half billion dollars. Right? That's posted on the user friendly city's budget. If those pilot revenues, not a cent of which goes to the schools currently, if they were properly taxed, which they cannot be due to abatements, that would have been over 230 some million dollars of to investigate exactly, how much money is coming in, into these Accounts and how, you know, where the money is, how much is there,
and why are we getting paid out of interest. And, you know, there's gotta be something else happening with our money. So we need to look into that, thoroughly. And I do believe at some point, we do need to bring as as you said, trustee Morris, we need to bring our attorneys in on this because you're correct. It's enough is enough. And I have been on this board six years. I do not recall. Mhmm. I do not recall anyone else going before the council stressing this.
Okay? They would go before the council and talk about a lot of other things, but they never stressed the issue. And they never stressed the fact that these students will one they were our students at one point, and that's where they're today. And these students will one day take their place. So make sure that we serve them well today so they can sell serve us well tomorrow. Madam president, one more thing. I'm sorry. This we're giving you your kudos for that. You did an amazing job doing that, but we cannot forget the amazing work that our attorney did last year because through
his work made your job easy going before the board because we had already hammered them a long time. So you put the icing on the cake. But what I'm saying, to Natalia's point, she's absolutely correct. And and and it's not I don't believe it's the city fault. I believe it's our fault because we were negligent in going before the city requesting what it is that we did. Now the city it's the city's fault because they took advantage of us in the in the sour relationship that the administrations have between the board of education and the
city. The administration used that as a tactic to not fulfill their obligation to us financially, as a smoke screen, making it hard for us to retrieve that money because there was no conversations between, our, board administration and the city administration. But let let us not forget that we we are just as powerful as the city is. We have firms of lawyers that can work on our behalf. So let us let's not get let's not get it twisted. We we're gonna get our money, but it's gonna take some time for it to get it because just as well
as their attorneys are good, our attorneys are just as better just as much as good as theirs, if not better. Let's be clear. And you're right. But I think we need to continue to be there, to go there, to request it publicly because the public also has no clue of what's happening. Therefore, they think, oh, you as the lady said, you are raising my taxes. No. I'm raising your kids. The city is raising your taxes. If I may? Yes. To the chair? Thank you, president Velasquez. So I just wanna give clarity on the bank cap so everyone understands.
We have an available bank cap of a hundred and 44,000,003 not in order to balance the budget, we don't need to use the entire a hundred and $44,000,000 to zero Then we will be in the same predicament then. So we need to continue to press upon them. This bank cap is not going to solve our problems going forward. Absolutely. We need our local fair share, and the only reason why we are we're able to reduce the bank cap is because the additional funding that we did receive from the city. So, yes, you are correct.
We need to move forward with that. Trustee Madam President, I have a question for, doctor Luce. Using the bank cap, in the future, I know if you don't use it, you lose it. But going forward, in the future, what are some of the consequences or some of the things that can happen to the tax levy, the specifically, that 2% tax from using it? Please speak into your microphone so we can argue. Sorry. Yeah. It's okay. Specifically about that. So first of all, the 2% is mandated to take. Okay? The bank cap is if you need additional funding above and beyond the 2% in
order to balance the budget. Okay? Which is why we are using the $82,000,000 this year. There is a formula, which, obviously, how we come up would be dollar amount of I don't wanna misspoke. I'm sorry. I I didn't say it clearly. What is the implications later on from using it? Can it is it possible in the future that tax the tax levy, the 2% cap, it can go over due to using the bank cap? It can always go over the 2%. If if we if if there is a shortfall,
you are expected to go to the bank cap to balance the budget. Formula. Hence, this increase of $34.08. It is based on a specific formula depending on how much of the bank cap that you use. Okay. Okay? Did that answer your question? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Yes. So, during the during the state funding formula meeting in January, multiple districts in New Jersey did recommend that the state, give us, the budget information, in January instead of this time frames to allow the board of trustees,
administrators, and others to review our budget. So that was a recommendation that multiple school districts did give and, regarding, miss Harrell's, comment. Go ahead. Continue, alpha. Right. Thank you. So Okay. Okay. Yes. Trustee Efaff. I just wanna say that I think that, the district did a great job to, keep the district afloat during the hard times, during COVID and making wise decisions so that we're not scrambling and trying to, or having to fire too many people. I don't can you did you hear me?
Okay. So I I'm just wanting to say that the district did a great job on, just facilitating correct you know, wisely with the with the funds and also, just thinking about the future for the children that we're not we didn't let this dish you didn't let the district sink where now you gotta scramble for new, teachers or something like that or, like, even fire people who were hired in other districts because they were using extra funds and things like that. So I just looking at this budget, I understand it. Being in the special education, committee, I understand the cutbacks in special education,
how it's affecting the the district. And and even the transportation itself, you know, getting the kids to the charter the charter schools taking funds and, you know, students. And then they come back as special education. That's even more costly. So I think that you did a great job with this budget here and even just having to mix and move, make changes. And, I just wanted to I don't know if you wanna get into it, but I wanted to ask Natalia, like, why how the, the city owing us money would would validate scrapping the entire budget
because you're not getting, this, you know, the funds that we need. But but why would we scrap this budget here? Like, not why are you voting no? I I'm just curious. I don't know if I can ask that or her telling me, but I just wanna know. To the chair, I I'm saying you can ask that your question is pretty much the same as mine in a sense, like, you know and so I'll just be a little clearer in a sense. How does our challenge challenging the city? I don't see not one of them here. You know, is the message getting across in a sense?
I'm not saying that no one's watching it and you can do what you want. As we've all, you know, will do what we want. But I I just wonder, how does the hard stand at the public board meeting affect the city? And so I I think that my other piece of the question is this, when it comes to all of us. Yes. I am in agreement. We should continue to fight. We push. We say, listen. We we want our money. You know? Give us our money. However, this has been and if we go to trustee Morris' point, this has been years of sitting here and you're not getting it.
And maybe it is election year, and this is why I'm interested in giving you a little bit and so on and so forth. Who's to say I'm actually gonna follow through with this? Right? It's been so many years of us giving you nothing. And because now you all are taking a stand saying no, are we really gonna let the county superintendent make a decision for the district that has nothing? She knows absolutely nothing about the district's needs. That would be my question. But, yeah, I don't want you to answer, but I just, you know, try to logically process this in my mind.
How does our stand here affect the city? I I can't rationalize it, but that's just me. It's politics. I know that. Yeah. It's politics. So you know that one vote is not gonna stop the budget. The budget's gonna pass. So she's making a stance because, obviously, it's gonna hit the press, and she's making a stance at our board meeting because it's live so that they will see that this is where she stands, this is where we stand, and she's protesting it because this is not fair to our kids. Why we're not receiving these funds because of their negligence.
So at the end of the day, her not voting on the the budget is not gonna stop the budget from passing. Still gonna pass, but she is making a statement press wise to let them know, listen. You know, we we we're onto you. We see what you're doing. And just because you gave us a little bit of money does not satisfy us Right. Because we want all of our money that's owed to us. So it's politics. That answered your question. Thank you. Did that answer your question? Okay. Yes, Trustee. To the chair, obviously, this is my first go around, and thank you for Doctor. Fernandez and Doctor. Luce for,
you know, explaining a lot to us. I think one of the things I'm still struggling with is we do know 70% or more of the budget is fixed. It's forecastable. We know what our teachers are gonna get in raises. We know what the next year is gonna look like. We know next year is gonna be even worse than this year. Let's be honest. Unless something radically changes, we have some challenges in front of us. And I I my struggle is it would be really helpful for us to be looking to the future because we've been doing one offs. We've been doing last year the last two years, we've been able to take the fund balance and use use that.
This year, we're having to using the the cap, and we're getting a little bit of more funds from the payroll tax. But I don't think we are in a sustainable place. We all we all saying that. We're not in a sustainable place. That's where I think it's on the board to be thinking about how do we get that budget to sustainable place. We can try the politics. And I think, you know, that's obviously one path. But long term, we're not we're not there. We're not gonna be able to, you know, do this next year. It's gonna be a bigger gap. It doesn't doesn't take rocket science to figure it out that there's, you know, more coming.
I just that's my challenge to the board. How do we really start looking for a sustainable future for bar students, for this district? I'm sorry, Madam Chair. I just I have to, make the statement. You asked the same question when we were doing a three by three and the BA gave you an answer. She gave you an answer to the question that you just asked in that meeting. So I'm just a little confused as to why did you not get it the first time when she told you? I did not because I don't believe that answer. I believe we can forecast. I believe we can project, talk to other,
BAs and they do that. Okay. Well, we're paying our BA to make decisions on behalf of this board. And with the numbers that she has and the information that she has, she's made the decision that she's made moving forward. Now past business administrators have had the same issues. But once you understand the formula of the Board of Education's budget and all of the entities that fall into it, you cannot predict, just as she said to you in closed session when we had the three meetings, you can't predict what it's gonna be because we have to wait for the,
the the governor to get his, analysis of what we're gonna get and we're not gonna get. So your suggestion, while asked in private and now again in public, she gave you an answer already. If I may. Through the chair, please. So just to reiterate what I did say, it is possible, and we will do a trend analysis, and I did say that I would do that. So we will do that going forward with our fixed cost. We know what our collective bargaining units. We know what those raises will be. And we have anticipated those dollar amounts because those dollar amounts are already built into
what I presented today. So we have that already earmarked for next year. That is part of our rollover, and we will do that. And I will have a, as I said, a trend analysis going forward. Do the chair? I do appreciate the question because in the three by three, there were just three of us at a time. So some of us the other six of us did not, hear that question. And now that we understand, what doctor Luce is saying, I think it was a good thing that you brought Yeah. But he posed the question I'm sorry. Go ahead. I was Yeah.
I I also asked that question, so I wanna speak up because I am a big component of a financial model. I went to governance and to hear different districts with 33 students, two hundred students, and how they're putting together their budget compared to ours, I don't believe it's a one size fit model to say this is what we have been doing. And I think doctor Luce agreed, and that's why she said that she would do the trend analysis because I think just like Matt said, eventually, there is gonna be a bottleneck. There is the possibility to trend out your debt service.
Yes. You can decide what your you can look forward and think about where your principal and interest are gonna be. If facilities cost is gonna increase by 3%, if we wanna put 2% in capital reserves, that's something that we can trend out over the years. We don't have to wait just for the governor to say, I'm going to slash you by this much. We can take a look at historical and say, over the past seven years, this is what we've been cut by. Let's average it out. When the, what day did he come out? February 28. When he gives us a solid number,
we go back and we put it back in. I think for someone who's only been here three months as well, to only go to the three by three last week and then to receive this physically today, it what we're saying is if at least if there was forecasted, we would have had more opportunity to read this. And I'm not putting that on the business department because this was a very quick turnaround. But at the same time, we're all sitting here elected with a fiduciary duty to make sure that we are doing what the public put us here to do.
And it's hard when you get it a week before. So by forecasting, by saying, hey, guys. This is what I see. This is what the trend looks like. We're not just getting something a week before it's time to vote for it. So I respect, what you're saying, and I also respect what doctor Schneider is saying as well. But, doctor Luce, correct me if I'm wrong, your predecessor who was actually here today, doctor Fernoffel, did he not have a forecast from last year? So what we know, again, or for based on the collective bargaining units, and we know whether we have a new adoption and curriculum and depending on our
or professional development. We know what those costs are. By the way, we don't have debt, so there's no debt service. Right. You don't Throw it into a matter. We don't Speak into your microphone so that we can all hear you. So we know those costs, and we do project those costs. We know what we need, which has which is how we built this budget. We knew what we needed in order to balance the budget for next year. Again, we can absolutely do a trend analysis over the past three years. We know what our projections will be for these collective bargaining units that are until
2027. We know what those costs will be. We know if there's new adoptions, coming out, projections of teachers and their salaries, those are all fixed costs that, yes, we can do that. But, Doctor. Luce, I understand everything that you're saying. But my question was because, Trustee Rosabella stated that this is something that we needed to do moving forward. Mhmm. It is to my understanding that in order for you to have put your budget together, your predecessor had to have put something together the year before to help as a
guideline as any other VA has done. So the fact that you got here three months ago does not mean that that process was not happening before you got here. The question should have been, do you have the formats I can see from last year? In the three by three, remember the annual comprehensive? It was posted Monday. Doctor Lu said oh, I apologize, madam president. Oh, me too. I apologize. Doctor Lu said it just got posted. I too just looked at the numbers. So once again, we came in on Wednesday. That that was the twelfth. It was posted Monday.
How how would I have compared the audit report that came out to say, oh, this is what it looked like last year, and this is what we're being presented in when it literally was posted Monday. Through the chair, if I may. President Velasquez, if I may. Yeah. So you're referring to the, OTSUM report, the audit summary. We just received the final report from the auditors that day. That is correct. That is from last year. The the AWDSM, which is submitted I don't have the date in front of me. It's on the slide. I can tell you this.
February 1, February third, February third. Once that is submitted, the budget software populates. Okay? And it gives you the numbers from last year, and it gives you the numbers for this year, and then you do your projections. That is your trend analysis. And, yes, that is based on a prior BA or the current BA, whoever did it the prior year, and you can see it. So these are not made up numbers for any of these categories that we're just inserting x amount of dollars to make this work.
It is based on, obviously, all of these meetings and the budget needs of each department and the schools within the district, and it is put on there. It has to be within a certain percentage or you get a fatal error and you cannot submit the budget. Absolutely. You just can't say, we had $500,000 on this line item. Well, that's what we're gonna put in this year. We're gonna put in 2,000,000 and make up a number. All of this needs to be justified on the budget software. Once it is submitted, you will be able to view that. Mhmm. And you can see where all these dollars are.
Okay? Again, that portion cannot be completely populated until we receive the aid from the governor Mhmm. Which was February 28 on a Friday in the afternoon. March 3 was on a Monday. March 12 was the following Wednesday in which I presented this to everyone. Seven working days. Through the chair? Yes. You know, in a conversation with doctor Lewiston, you know, I I appreciate again the level of attention that you're taking to explain this,
to us and to the public in addition. One of the things that I did say to her is, you know, and again, appreciated the level of attention. There's there's this era of distrust that's going on maybe with some of the public and maybe with some of the trustees or whatever the case is. And you you acknowledge that and which is why I think you're so ready to explain all of this information. I think one of the things that we as trustees have to understand is in addition to like this is budget season,
right? There's a certain timeline that things happen in education just like in medicine or whatever. And I'm not a doctor, a medical doctor. But so I wouldn't know like timelines and so on and so forth with that. But in education, there are certain things that they are restricted to do. And when the numbers come out, you know, they can't to do. And when the numbers come out, you know, they can't tell you how much paper they're gonna need next year, depending on whatever is going on and so on and so forth. But certain things in terms of fixed cost, they can, like she said, project. I I think your question was relative. And I think that one of the other things we need to remember is that
while we might ask questions in public, the questions that the trustees are asking are intended for public clarification as well. So I don't want us to think that we shouldn't ask questions clarification as well. So I don't want us to think that we shouldn't ask questions because it was asked in, private or whatever the case is and maybe, you didn't get the answer that you were were looking for. However, our job as trustees additionally is not to say I want $15,000,000 in special education. You do this and do that and so on and so forth. They give us recommendations. We ask the questions which is what we're doing now.
Mhmm. And we say yes or no. And so I think that we we wanna understand what's going on. And when we go to these trainings, we wanna learn from what it is that's happening. But we also have to consider our district as opposed to a district. Like you said, 33 students. This is one school. This is 46 schools with different locations all throughout the city. Different needs depending on where you are in the city and different ideas based on the people in those areas.
So we have to consider that not to challenge and or fight each other. And, miss Iofe, if you felt like that, that wasn't the case. I was you know me. I'm always trying to understand. So it wasn't an attack. So that's all I wanted to say. Thank you. Madam President, my last, remark on the budget, just to correct the vice president. You know, I understand that, you know, we ask questions in private and sometimes the public is asking us what's going on or whatever. But at the same time, we also need to remember that even before I was a trustee, before we had new trustees,
this institution existed. Right? And it has been in existence for however many years that it has been in existence. And we're not going to make drastic changes in three years that we're elected to do so. So. So, you know, I believe our administration gets beat up enough from the public. The the administration, the the superintendent, the VA, they get beat up enough from the public. Our job as trustees, yes, you're correct. You're absolutely correct. We're we're translators from the administration to the public. But let us not forget the remarkable job that our business administration administrator and her
office has done to make sure that we are where we are right now. We can't continue to ostracize the administration because certain members of the community don't agree with what's going on. I understand we have a political aspect to this job, but at the end of the day, we have to watch out for our district and the employees that are here who are working on behalf of 30,000 students that we represent. If we're done, I'd like to end with this. First of all, thank you, doctor Luce. First of all, for bringing back the three by three. I think it was such so needed.
Okay? And we had it before. Somehow, it fell through the cracks coming back. I think we all understand it better, and I kept telling you I never understood a budget better than the one that this one today. Thank you, doctor Fernandez, for for, putting it in words that we can see and understand the numbers. But, honestly, I do believe that the best intervention is advocacy. And we have the state has these budget hearings before the budget is given to
us by the governor. So one thing that we can do as a board is ensure that we have a table at those budget hearings and that we do go up there and advocate in Trenton, okay, for our students. There is time. I believe that, trustee Patel was at one of the hearings. More of us need to go in a timely fashion. We cannot continue to wait until the week before the budget is to be submitted. But,
nonetheless, I think it's, we've done a great job, and we've also done a great job as a team. I do not I did not mean to minimize the job that our attorney does. He did start he did start, the work for us. But remember, things that are happening in behind closed doors can be forgotten. But things that you do publicly is on record, and that's why I believe in public advocacy. Thank you. Now, without any more, I would like to we have oh,
I'd like to call a vote. Yeah. Okay. Now. No. We don't. Now is the vote. We just we Call the vote, please. For the budget. Trustee Mohammed. For the budget? Yes. Trust trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Schneider? No. Trustee Blunt. Yes. Trustee Morris. Yes. Trustee Resembala. No. Trustee Ioffe. No. Vice president Tisdale. Yes. President Velasquez? Yes. Motion passed. Budget's moved. Preliminary budget passes. It'll be sent to this, to the county. Thank you very much.
Okay. Now we can continue with, the rest of the comments, public comments, before we take that break. Know. Right? Yes. In person, do we have Carol Morpin? Good evening. I would like to thank the superintendent for the addition of Yom Kippur as an official school holiday to the calendar, and we hope that the board can support this. In this current climate with anti Semitism at an all time high, this act of recognition is especially profound and deeply appreciated. Thank you. Additionally, we were hoping to follow-up on the status of the agenda item number four zero
one, voted on by the board at a special meeting on 05/14/2024. This would enable the New Jersey's EC commissions to make a determination on whether behavior exhibited by a board member at the time constituted an EC violation. Whether the c the whether the SEC would affirm or dismiss a complaint, it will be set an important precedent. In the attempt to obtain clarity on this situation, community members submitted opera request to the board. However, this resulted response from a legal firm, Antonelli Canto Rivera,
ceded a fee of $2,000 to file for this inquiry, which is a rather prohibitive cost. Therefore, we would be grateful if the board could simply confirm whether the board resolution from 05/14/2014 entitled authorization for finding ethic charges and payment for legal fees has been followed through. And if not, we would like to know why not. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Is Mamasisie Okay. That is all I have Oh. In person. So, miss Minix, Sequoia, Miss Minnix? Miss Harold? Yes. Miss Minnix is on.
Okay. You have three minutes. You can Hello? Begin. Yes. I'm here. Go ahead. Begin. Miss Kinnick is here. Yes. Can you hear me? Yes. We can hear you. Oh, yes. I'm here. Let's see if she can hear me. Hi. Okay. Miss miss Minnick? Yes. I would like to, thank everybody for this type of opportunity. I'm currently the teacher of African American studies at Lincoln High School. I want to talk about the wonderful opportunity that was extended to number 37 school and others for their overnight trip, further their educational experience.
I don't know that academic connections and benefits of school field trips. I also want to thank miss those student tenants, miss Renee, former supervisor Melissa DeSantos, and current supervisor, Jonathan and Frankie, all for their encouragement and support of the APF American course. Last year, Macon High School was proud to pilot this course for the district, and we were also allowed to take overnight trip to Washington, DC. And the purpose of this trip was to allow our students to engage in their historical thinking skills as well as use information for the trip for the oral defense
presentation, which is a part of the AP exam. Howard University was on our first day as part of the curriculum as well as the National Museum provides abundant of primary second sources that covers unit one and four of the curriculum. One of my students gave me some information to tell you guys. She scored a four on the score. She said that the trip helped her with her presentation. It also allowed her an opportunity, to learn more about her history as well as it exposed her and other students to Howard and to explore, different avenues after high school.
I'm here to understand why the same opportunity cannot be extended to us this year and requested the same trip an overnight, because it does take two days to encounter these experience, be approved and extended to this year's class. I leave you with this. In 1994, I was a junior at Norman Community High School in Norman, Illinois. My physics degree sought to have take us to Great Adventure 6 Flags to bring the concept of physics alive. We were excited, but the poor the board did not approve the trip. Our determined teachers went back and requested the trip again,
and they approved it. I don't know what they said at the board meeting that night. All I know is last year, some students who were taking physics on Edgenuity came to me and said they did not understand. I was able to quickly break down potential, kinetic energy, inertia, centrifugal forces, and why roller coaster loops are not perfectly round. I'm a living testimony that a 40 year old still can tell key concepts of physics because that day the pages of my physics books came to a lie on that field trip. So I stand here today on those shoulders of those teachers who advocated for us,
and I'm here tonight to advocate the same for the students of Lincoln High School. Thank you for your time and understanding. Thank you, missus. Thank you. Miss Harold? Hello? Hi, miss Harold. You're on for your public comment. Three minutes. Hello? I'm here. There is a weird delay in in in the, This is what I'm saying. Yeah. Can you hear me? Yes. We can hear you. Thank you. There's some echo going on. Good evening once again. Can you can you hear me? Yes. What happened? Yes. We can hear you, miss Howard.
Okay. So tonight, I would like to speak on, item 13.4 with the PI and terminal days. And I just really, was wondering, how could you come up with the rate that is being paid out for sick days? Because I found two individuals on here who are whose whose data hire was somewhere around 1990, and they have two different, rates that their sick payout days are being paid.
And I'm just wondering what was the reason why one is being paid at $65 an hour, and another one is being paid out between a hundred and a hundred and $50. Also, I I would just like to say, in regards to comments that have been made this evening regarding, who works for who and what board trustee duties are and responsibilities are. And I would just like to say when I do come to speak at a public meeting as a,
a citizen of the city of Jersey City and as a taxpayer, as a voter, I do have a right to come to the board and express concerns if I have concerns, to make suggestions as a taxpayer. I have that right to do so as well. And I don't know if it's gotten misconstrued some kind of way, but I do believe that board trustees are elected, quote, unquote, elected official that are elected by the public. And so it's the public's input that should be taken into consideration as well.
That's all. But I don't think it's appropriate for the feedback that is given when the public comes in to speak or express their concerns. We should be working together. The public, the board trustees, we should be working together for the good of our children and their education. Not the public consistently being chastised by elected officials. Earl? So with that being said, I would just like to say, you know, great job with the budget.
Great job, so far with this meeting. But some of these comments that are are being made to the public and towards the public is inappropriate. And thank you so much, and you have a great rest of your evening, and see you next month. Thank you. No one else is on the Zoom. So that is the end of public speaking. Okay. Any comments on the public comments? Madam Chair? Yes, sir. It's interesting to me that we are getting lectured on what's appropriate and what's inappropriate
by people who have been recorded for years coming here speaking inappropriately to trustees who are elected officials who are supposed to do their job. At the end of the day, we are elected officials, and we were elected to do a job. And we are responsible for giving feedback to the community that for information that's already live. But to constantly come and chastise the administration because you have a personal vendetta against the administration and constantly nitpick. Doctor. Lewis put together an exquisite budget,
today, explained everything page by page, line by line, and yet she was given accolades and then still some nitpicking in it. You're Everybody's not gonna be happy. So at the end of the day, whether you think what I said was appropriate or inappropriate, that's your opinion. But as long as I'm here, I'm gonna make sure that this administration, as we are oversight entity to the administration, the questions that you've already asked, the questions that you conjure up, the ones that you write down and put in envelopes and put in water so that we can get it later on have already been asked to the administration when
we have our meetings. So thank you for your, grade of a, on administration. Ayil. Thank you. Any other any other, comments? Any other concern? Through the chair. Okay. Yes. So, Trustee Sisdev. My concern is relative to the comments, related to the field trips. So, if someone could elaborate on that to give some clarity, I'd love to hear that because from what I'm understanding, a group of young people, which I know for a fact we approved, to go down to this competition last month. It was on the agenda.
I reported about it in the committee report. And from what I understand, they arrived at said location and then were told to come back. And I have an issue with that. And so I wanna know what took place because students being deprived of opportunities is a big issue for me. And, it should be for all of us. And so I don't know exactly what took place. And if it was an adult issue, then I'm I'm thinking that that could have been resolved a little later. But to have the students have to be impacted really raises great concern.
So that's what my question is. What happened in this particular instance? And then, what's going on in general with the field trips at this particular school? Doctor. Fernandez? Okay. Some of the items are personnel issues that cannot be discussed in public. The the adults responsible for making sure that payments are action forms are created, payments are made, checks are issued, did not follow-up until the students, unfortunately, showed up at the hotel, and there was no,
payment for those hotel rooms. And so as a district, we couldn't, come over to the district. Finding. Those are confirming orders. Wait. One more time. Those are confirming orders. If the event happens before we create the, purchase order and pay it. They must be paid before the event. Otherwise, it's called a confirming order, which is an audit finding. Okay. And so there was nothing, so whatever led up to this particular in incident,
there was no communication from the central office and the school to ensure that the adults who were there. Was a reminder. And, unfortunately, the school failed to follow-up with the appropriate, department to make sure that payments were issued. And we didn't know this until like, I I'm not I'm just having a hard time with this situation. And Understandably. Unfortunately, the children were the victims of adults who failed them Okay. So at the school level. Okay.
So moving forward, what is the solution to ensure? Because I asked mister Rivera to pull up the policy regarding field trips. Right? And it's it's a little unclear and vague. And so I also noticed that, for instance, in this evening's agenda, because it's in my report as well, we're scheduled to approve Snyder High School to attend the event this evening or yesterday evening and this evening. And are they there from yesterday to this evening? No. Snyder High School, what you are have on the agenda today was to approve the hotel the lodging
for tonight and tomorrow, which they are not there. They went for the day, and they're going back tomorrow if they need to compete. Snyder had paid their registration when it was due. And so they they, secured a bus to the wrong location. But, nonetheless, we were able to scramble this morning to get them transportation to the correctly bank. Because if you see on the action form, it says JP Stevens in Edison,
New Jersey. They were going to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. So we were able to do that for one school but not the other school? We were able to do that because we found out yesterday for today. Okay. So yesterday's situation with the other school did not Did not have the registration paid. They did not have the registration paid. They did not have the hotel paid. They were given the option of using schools have what's called a student, student activity check,
funds. Apparently, they don't have money in that account, which is more so the, action going forward is these two schools will have corrective action plans that will remedy or prevent future currency. Okay. My next question is relative to the Washington DC trip. I was told, that there's no overnight trips or anything along those lines going That is incorrect. That is selective, information. Okay.
So it's like We do have may I just expand in general? We do have overnight trips. They have to be done by fundraising. Okay. No. I'm asking because I know that we approved them with several occasions. Fundraising. I know one school is going to Space Academy. Another one's going to Washington, DC. They did fundraising for those events. They submitted it well ahead of the trip. They completed all the steps before they So what is the procedure then for submitting
fulfilled trips? Because my recommendation would would be and and, trustee Iofe and the policy committee brought this up that the board should probably I don't know if you put this in your report, that the board should consider reviewing policies as they go forward. So my suggestion to the, chairman, chairwoman I offer would be that this is on the policy agenda for next month, and I'm gonna suggest to the committee that if a field trip is scheduled to take place in March, it must be on the agenda in February. Actually, that is on the administrative side.
It's already. And, actually, with one of the administrators, I had this conversation publicly at a principal's meeting in December. But even And then in February, at a principal's meeting, this was reviewed. And it is a pattern. It looks like it is. And and the reason I'm I'm so I'm spending time on this is because when I first joined this board, I challenged even the way the field trips were approved in the agenda. It was, trustee Iofi who backed me down off of it, who was like,
no. This is not what we do. You don't need to so on and so forth. Mhmm. Because if we look at the field trip submissions, some of them come in with objectives related to what's going on and some of them don't. And it looks like, if we're just overlooking it, it really depends on who the principal is in the school. And I really want us to get away from that because I'm not interested in who like to. It's all about the students, and I want the equity to be transparent across the board. So if that is the policy, it needs to be clear in our board policies so that it's consistent across the
board. Because my recommendation to the board is going to be moving forward, no ratifications of any field trips. If it wasn't approved a month before, then they can't go. And that's everybody. Thank you. Madam president If I may expand, we also have the board approves the we have athletic field trips, which are part of athletics. The board doesn't unless there's a competition and overnight stays, the board approves those. We have non athletic field trip guide and preapprove.
Every year, the board approves the list of locations for nonathletic field trips for the day trip, the museum, the zoo, performance. Those are preapproved, and they do not need board approval, but they must be paid before the students go. And then there are these, specific field trips that may be an overnight trip that are not on the preapproved list that need additional paperwork. It may require fundraising. And I know a couple of months ago,
that was the instance and trust doctor Schneider asked a question. What about if they don't they don't have the funds, they don't raise the funds. And I said, it doesn't get approved before the they have to have the funds before we approve them because I'm not telling children, yes. You could go. And now, you know, the but unfortunately, in this instance, the funds were there, but they failed to complete the paperwork in a timely fashion. Which comes to my question,
madam superintendent. Yes. This particular trip and this particular ministry or restoration, is this their first trip? This is the first time that that they've gone on a trip like this? No. Okay. So We've been competing in these, events for twenty years. So it's just blatant negligence and disregard for the policy. Madam superintendent? Yes. Alright. So so the the same method that we use for members of the board of education who may not be considered administrators,
The same amount of order, structure that we imply on them should also be implied on administrators. These administrators are supposed to be setting the example for all of their subordinates whom they punish for not following instructions. The administrators are over their schools and whoever falls under the umbrella of that particular school. The administrators fall under the umbrella of the superintendent's office, and you fall under the umbrella of this board.
That is unacceptable to have kids go someplace and have to turn around and come back. It's a safety issue. I would like I would like to request today, I don't know if the attorney is gonna correct me or not, for whoever this administrator is to be riced so that we can further discuss this in-depth, next month, because I would like to know exactly what the constructive, discipline, is going to be. Because I did believe that I heard you say that this was repeated. And when you have repeated disregard for policy that affects not just the staff,
but also the scholar. Now we're talking about, something that needs to to no longer be a slap on hand, but it needs to be something that is aggressively handled. Like it would be if it was a janitor, a security guard, an assistant teacher, or teacher. They need to be held to the same standard. Okay. So I'm gonna jump in now through the chair respectfully. Any further discussion on this topic relating to an item covered by personnel should be done in closed session. And to your point about the rights notice, if any individuals involved have not been rights,
which I don't believe they have been, that discussion would have to take place at a subsequent meeting so the board can make that determination. But as a whole, you have a request then. The district will take that under advisement and then determine about whether the appropriate rights notice will be issued for the next meeting. Thank you. But I just wanna, say, madam superintendent, do you agree with my statement? I think accountability and fiscal responsibility applies to everyone in this district. So while not every, personnel item is brought before the board,
it must be addressed across the board for all of us. We are held to higher standards. Okay. Any and I'm gonna ask, that we keep our comments short. We have a student that I'd like to hear from before she leaves, and it is, you know, it's like nine almost 09:30. So, I'm I'm not trying to stop anybody from speaking. I'm just hoping you curtail your speech. Thank you. Yes. To the chair. I just you know, I had some parents call,
you know, and concern people about the incident. And I was told that the students were already settled in by the time they were picked up. They were already settled into the hotels somehow. But my my other question is this. On this agenda item that we're voting on tonight, they said that the check was issued to Snyder in January. Was miss was the one for Lincoln High School also issued in January, or it just this one Snyder? And I I I'm just because I I see that we had approved it also
on the, The checks that are paid prior to board approval. Excuse me. Who the chair? I could I could answer. The one for Snyder was not. It says I have in here. The no. Not for the hotel. No. No. No. If I may Oh, yeah. So I know exactly the check. It's for a stipend to the educator who works who was working, extra comp, after school program with their students. It is not for the conference. It is a stipend for one of the teachers working with them.
That's not for the So It has nothing to do with it's in preparation for. It was money paid to the teacher working after school with the students. It was an after school program. I'm just trying to understand because, you know, if someone goes to look at that check number that's Right. And that's a check that was issued. In the February book there as FCCLA. But no. That's the program. That's the preparation. Miss Ruane, the Perkins extra compensation that we discussed this morning?
That's just that's That's what it is. Yes. Okay. So I just wanted to know, like, if it was true that the children were already settled in to if it was true if it's that the children already settled in the hotel, by the time they were picked up from the from, the place where the the, event was occurring, Cherry Hill? They were they were down in at the hotel trying to check-in. That they were already checked in in No. For the nice day. I don't know what hotel checks you in before But if it's I'm just saying
Okay. I'm just saying Okay. If it's I'm just saying Okay. But if it's not the same Doctor Luz, when you took the same It is. Subject? It is. It is. Yeah. Okay. But if it's on the same subject, can we not speak about it downstairs as as Well, it's not the same question. It's really a yes or no. Oh, okay. Sure. Doctor Luce, when you took, the position as active business administrator, did the procedure or the process change for how you were doing things or how things were being done? No. It's been the same process since I've been in the district for twenty six years if you want to know the truth.
Thank you. It's exactly the same. Thank you. I I think we've exhausted this topic. However, I'd like to hear doctor Fernandez, if it's okay with you, from the student so that she can leave, and then we can also come go downstairs and do our closed session. Martina has done a lovely job getting ready for this. So absolutely. Thank you. So the purpose of this report is to summarize the discussion held at the 02/19/2025 citywide student council meeting regarding an initiative to connect students with internships and volunteer opportunities.
Throughout the meeting, the council aimed to identify what types of opportunities would best support students, as well as how to ensure that these opportunities are accessible and valuable to the entire student body. So I'll begin by mentioning the implementation process. So number one, begin by sending out a Google form to the student body. We call this form, form one. Form one gathers information about the interest of the student. That includes what kinds of opportunities they are interested, whether they want to do them inside or outside of Jersey City,
in person or virtual, etcetera. Number two, research for companies that align with career interests of the students. This can be health care organization, tech companies, art, art galleries, etcetera. Some specific feedback that I've gotten from the students so far on the, on the different, career fields that they want to see, will be as follows. So for health care, I've gone psychology, sociology, anatomy. For STEM, I've gotten cybersecurity, AI, construction, architecture, and computer science. For business, I've gotten finance and real estate.
For education, I've gotten teaching. For non profits and community service, I've gotten library tutoring and teaching English to, other students. For arts and design, I've gotten animation and fine arts, photography, and paleontology. I've gotten environment, government. And then for media and communications, I've gotten journalism. For hospitality and tourism, I've gotten culinary. And then I've, I've also been told music and cosmetology. Step three, reach out to these organizations, explain the initiative, and ask to partner with them. If they agree,
send out Google form two. Google form two gathers information about the organization willing to offer their opportunities. This form will collect the name of the organization and the opportunities they are willing to offer. Number four is to make these opportunities available to students across the Jersey City public school district through Google classroom. Towards the end of the discussion, I asked the students two questions, to gain feedback from them. The first was what types of internships or volunteer opportunities that they would like to see.
The first that I've gotten was shadowing doctors, dentists, urgent care, etcetera. Shadowing opportunities for law and business, an example was policy makers, shadowing STEM professors, receptionist at offices, internships with campaigns for the general assembly. I actually have connections with this one, so if we need assistance, I got you. Research opportunities in STEM, and then community service projects. The second question that I asked them was how can we make this resource as beneficial as possible to you? I was given four suggestions.
The first being a centralized platform where students can easily access and apply for these internships and volunteer opportunities. I've met with the superintendent, doctor Fernandez, and she suggested a Google classroom, which is perfect because it matches the needs of the students. The second was with every post on the Google classroom, make the eligibility rules and deadlines clear. The third was a flexibility in hours, so students can balance their academics with their extracurriculars. This means different opportunities throughout the week, the weekend,
the summer, etcetera. And the last was to provide an email address that students can reach out to if they need assistance in completing any applications. If I'm allowed to, I would love to help out these students. Thank you. Oh, wow. Wonderful. Thank you so much for that thorough report. Keep up the good work, and we expect a lot of great things from you in the months to come. I think doctor Fernandez will dismiss her now. Right? Thank you. We'll be going into executive session. Thank you for all the work that you're doing with the citywide student council,
collecting and really bringing a synthesis to what students need across our city. At this time, do you have a ride going home? I do not, but it's okay. I can wait on the side of my alcohol. Alright. We'll make we'll have an offline comment for you. You're not going to. Thank you. To the chair? Right here. I'm sorry. Yes. I just wanted to say one thing before, you go. Trust me. Martina. I like that survey, and I like hearing, the shadowing of doctors and shadowing the, and also, like, the internships and apprenticeships.
Internships and volunteer opportunities. You could add apprenticeships in there. But but I I like that idea because, you know, there's students who get into law, and they don't have the experience, but they, you know, they wanna get in there. So I I'm I'm I like that survey. Good job. Great work. Through the chair? Yes. I I wanna piggyback off of what trustee Mohammed said. So, but I do have a question. Do you do you have young people on the committee who are not necessarily focused on, you know, going to college and, you know, school after college?
Maybe in individuals who wanna go straight into the workforce? To be honest, not that I've heard of. There weren't students that personally spoke up about those kinds of things, But, I feel like if there's anything we can do to assist them, if they do mention it, we'd be more than happy to help. Oh, that's wonderful. So I think, what I would like to to see and hear is maybe the representatives on the committee could go back to their schools and find out specifically in the schools what students are also interested in. I think that the young people that probably come to the the meetings that you
attend are probably all on the same level, college, career, and so on and so forth. But we can't forget about the other students that are also here in the community. Okay. Thank you. Okay. As doctor Fernandez said, please wait, and we'll find a way to get you home. However, it is time for us to, go to closed session. We will go to closed session for ninety minutes, but we need motion Motion by trustee, Morris, second by trustee Blunt. Call the vote. Call the roll call, I mean. Pursuant to the the open public meeting act NJSA 10 colon four dash 12,
the Jersey City Board of Education will now be going into closed session for the purpose of discussing matters where confidentiality is essential. In particular, one or more of the following to protect the confidentiality of individual privacy rights or a matter involving the lease or acquisition of property or pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiations. The matters discussed in this closed session can be made public at the time that the need for confidentiality no longer exists. It is now 09:37,
and, president Velasquez has said ninety minutes. We will return. All in favor of going into closed session. Right. Okay. The young lady that spoke, we didn't comment on anything you had to say because, in speaking to the attorney, he would like to speak to us. Please. Good evening. We're returning from We can't hear you. We're returning from closed session. We're going to take a roll call. Trustee Blunt? Trustee Ioffe? Here. Trustee Morris? Present. Trustee Mohammed? Present. Trustee Patel? Present. Trustee Rezzibala?
Present. Trustee Schneider? Hi, Donald. Vice president Isdale? Here. President Velasquez? Told not to fail We have a quorum. Okay. What about the medicine officer? You're gonna do that first? Okay. Just, because we have to vote on eights, I'm going to ask mister or mister doctor Chissell to quickly go through, his report because we have to vote on those. Okay. So the curriculum and committee meet, curriculum and instruction committee met on Thursday, the thirteenth at 9AM.
The meeting began with the approval of the '25, '20 '6, district calendar presented by doctor Fernandez, and she stated that a committee was formed including cabinet members, SLT, senior leadership, the teachers, union president, and principals, association presidents. The committee reviewed holidays, contractual obligations, and instructional, instructional priorities with the following changes taking place. The November break being short and previously, too long will now be only three days instead of ten. Election day will remain, a regular school day with added security in the buildings.
I did ask for clarification regarding that. Veterans Day will be observed on a Monday, creating a five day weekend for students and teachers with the addition of Yom Kippur added to the school hollow, calendar as a school holiday to reflect what was stated to be an increase in Jewish student enrollment. The school year ends this year projected on June eighteenth of twenty sixth. That is if there are no snow days to minimize excessive heat issues in classrooms. And January second of twenty six, which falls on a Friday,
will be observed as a school holiday with classes resuming on Monday on 01/05/2026. So if you have any questions about the calendar, I guess you can ask toward the end. The new educational initiative for the district is team program, the empathy, equality, and entrepreneurship mission. The purpose is to connect students to global humanitarian efforts through real world problem solving. Now we did not discuss specifically how the students were chosen or maybe it did come up. I don't remember. But the students,
participating or the schools, I should say, participating will be Infinity McNair and Liberty High School. The cost of the district is nothing as the program will be fully funded by team. The following are being asked as donations to be approved for the district, for PS 28 DonorsChoose, Valentine's Day math project, which was supplies and cookies. The amount wasn't specified. New York Jets, is awarding head coach of the week a thousand dollars at Ferris High School, and district wide ACME is providing 200 gift cards for homeless students in wellness programs totaling $5,000
The following field trips are, asking for approval. Infinity High School New Jersey Youth and Government Conference, which is scheduled to take place on the March 23. It's one day. And then again on April and the twenty seventh, which will be an overnight stay, at the Hilton Hotel in East Brunswick, New Jersey. 40 Students, grant from the North YMCA, no district cost. Perry Side High School, which was discussed earlier, fashion design FCCLA competition, March nineteenth through the twentieth of twenty five, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Thirteen seventy five for transport
we're pulling 915. Okay. So the 915 is being pulled, and we will not report on that. Moving on. Okay. So Innovation High School graduation ceremony is scheduled for June twenty fourth of twenty five at the New Jersey City University, which will cost $1,500. Following tuition payments for displaced and homeless students, please note that these are not students who are classified as special education, but general education students who fall into the displaced and homeless category.
The total for these, placements are or is, I should say, $34,463. The Willingboro School District up to $10,000, which covers, like I said, displaced and homeless students. Toms River Board of Education, one thousand four hundred twenty six dollars monthly. You'll notice that some of them are a little pricier than others because in this instance, we pay on a monthly basis, whereas others, we pay either, annually or semiannually. Sayreville Board of Education, dollars four thousand and thirty seven,
and, Hoboken Board of Education, dollars nineteen thousand, which is the full year of the school year tuition from September 24 to June of twenty five. We ended the meeting with the presentation of bilingual and ESL program updates and the enrollment and service expansion, total students registered twelve eighty four. Students needing services, ten forty seven. Largest increases in the program was Spanish and Arabic speaking student populations. With the bilingual enrollment, data presented the following. PS 12,
Spanish k two, ninety one students. PS 30, Spanish grades three to five, seventy students. PS eight, Spanish k through five, sixty three students. MS seven, Spanish six through eight, ninety two students. Dickinson High School, Spanish 30 seven students. Ferris High School, Spanish 70 nine students. PS 17 Arabic, k through three, fourteen students. And PS 23 Arabic, 30 two students. The proclamation ceremony is scheduled for 05/02/2025 to be held at Dickinson High School, honoring outstanding bilingual and ESL students and educators recognizing the seal of biliteracy recipients.
The dual language program expansion, current schools PS three and five We'll go with grades, k through five and PS six, grades k through two. The expansion plans, possible additional schools in, 02/1926. The state approved stamp language proficiency testing is scheduled to take place from April 2 through the sixteenth of '20 '5, and it's used for eighth grade placement in high school language courses in addition to fifth grade Spanish proficiency assessment.
The early childhood and professional development initiatives, pre k wrap around services, funding, from New Jersey Department of Education will be used for before and after school care subsidy, subsidies, alternatives. If funds not fully used, literacy kits or student support materials will be provided. Environmental literacy training for pre k teachers includes co teaching sessions in addition to a field trip to Lincoln Park Wetlands, Teacher compensation, dollars 1,000 donation from the program. And upcoming events to end is district wide spelling bee on 03/22/2025 to be taking
place at MS 7. Students from all schools who participated in the spelling bee throughout the course of the year or had spelling competitions, I should say, at their schools will be present, the winners anyway. Grades three through five at 10AM and grades six through eight at 1PM. And then the foreign language educators of New Jersey conference is scheduled for today. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, nineteen world language teachers attended. Questions? Being none? There's no one that's here in here. We're moving on. Yes. Doctor Tisdale is a little tired.
Okay. So be there no questions? We're going I need a motion for okay. I I don't mind, but please allow me to finish, so that the public knows what we're making a motion on. My bad. Thank you. Adoption of minutes motion? Motion. Thank you, mister Morris. Motion, mister Morris. Second? Okay. Second. Mister doctor Blunt. Any discussion? None. Being none, call the roll. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yes. Trustee Mohammed?
Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Rezabella? Yes. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Vice president Tisdale? Yes. President Velasquez? Yes. Motion passed. Thank you. Nine the nines education curriculum and instruction motion. Motion. Second. Trustee Morris second. Any discussion? I do have a question. This came up about the school calendar. Just to be clear, the November break, I know a lot of parents or not a lot, but parents are starting ready to plan around that. So getting this if it is a change where we're not doing the full break,
it's only, three days. I just wanna make sure there's a way we communicate that out sooner rather than later because that would be a big change from what we've done in the past. I don't know how long we've been doing the full week, but I do think that is something that's, would be a good change. Will answer that. Yes. We once the board approves it, the committee came together. It involved, the head of the teachers union, senior staff, the administrators union, and the consensus was that students need more continuity in November.
It just and so now once it's approved, they will have a five day weekend in November before the Thanksgiving break. But this way, it allows for continuity of instruction and, allows in December, January, '1 extra day, and we're ending early in June. So it was the consensus that, we came together with a blank calendar and built it together. So that was the consensus.
To the chair? Yes. Typically, in a lot of districts, there's that two days out of that week. Like, you know, the students will go Monday. The the whole school will close on Tuesday for election day. As soon as they come back Wednesday, and then everybody's off Thursday and Friday for teachers' convention. And I think what they did this year is to streamline it and say, no. We're gonna keep the school open on election day, because I asked this question. But we're not gonna have the whole five days off because it's kinda defeated, which now instead of getting out June 28,
which is what most of the time happens here in in Jersey City. It's now, June 18, which is it's a lot earlier. I think, right now what is this March? Right? We've once this is approved, it goes on the website, like, the next day or something like that, right, within the week. So for parents not to have, doctor Schneider, any awareness that this is the case would be that they're just not looking for it. That's what I'm gonna say. In the interest of time, we're going to stop explaining what's already been explained.
Yes. No. I just I couldn't hear that well. So no through the chair, no day off for election. It goes to doctor For Fernandez. Doctor Fernandez. No day off for what? Election day to vote. Schools will be open Okay. Monday through Wednesday. Teachers' convention and Veterans' Day will be observed the following Monday. So everyone has all the students have a five day weekend. Reza Bella? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Schneider? Okay. I'm gonna vote no on 09/2015.
I'll vote yes to the rest. Oh. Oh. We pulled nine fifteen. We pulled nine fifteen. Just nine ten. Nine 10. Okay. And president Velasquez. Motion passed. Okay. Items 10. Motion. Special education. Motion. Second. The second. Okay. Most motion, Morris, second. Mohammed. Thank you. Discussion. Be there none. Vote, please. Trustee Mohammed? Yes. Oh. Yes. You said Mohammed? Yes. Oh, yes. Trustee Ayoope? Natalia. Second? Morris. Trustee Morris. Any questions? Discussion?
The vote, please. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Iofe? On the on the eleventh, I In our facility. I have to abstain on 11:13 on advice of counsel due to a possible conflict. And there is an addendum called 11/16, which was in our folders. I'm going to abstain on that as well. Everything else, yes. Thank you. Can you repeat that? I'm sorry so I'm abstaining on 11/13 and 11/16. Yes on all others. Okay. Thank you. Trustee Morris Yes. Trustee Mohammed?
Yes. Trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Visibela? I'm gonna vote yes on everything except for eleven point one six. No or No. No on eleven point one six? Yes. Okay. Trustee Schneider? Yes. On eleven, one to 11:15. No on 1116. Which one did you say, Nolan? Eleven sixteen. Eleven sixteen. Thank you. Trustee Tisdale? I'm abstaining on 11:03 and four. I'm gonna vote yes to the rest. And president Velasquez.
Yes and no. Motion passed. Okay. The 12 facilities motion. Motion. Second. By Trustee Iofe. Second by Doctor. Tisdale. Okay. Discussion. To the chair, I do like the new doors at PS5 with the security windows, so What was that? But on, 12/2001, the exterior door change, they've already been implemented at PS5 or at least started to. Thank you. No other discussion? Move for the vote, please. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Trustee Rosabella? Yes.
Trustee Mohammed? Yes. Trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yeah. Vice president Tisdale? Yes. President Velasquez. Yes. Motion passed. Thank you. Motion for thirteenth personnel. Motion. Motion by, trustee Morris. Second. Second by trustee Blunt. Discussion? Cough the vote, please. Just so you know, we pulled. I'm sorry? We pulled 13 o nine, number seven. Yes. That was discussed in closed session. Yes. Okay. Trustee Patel?
Yes. Trustee Mohammed? Yes. Trustee Isabella? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yes. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Vice President Tisdale? I'm abstaining. President Velasquez. Yes. Motion passed. Thank you. Okay. 14, legal. Motion. Motion. Trustee Iofe. Second. Trustee Blunt. Discussion? We have just a little clarification on 14.03, the new one added about legal services. I didn't get a chance to review that. Yes. Doctor. Schneider, that's the,
resolution and agreement for the, board to enter into, representation at no cost to the board for a class action lawsuit involving insulin medications. Thank you. I didn't recognize the name. Yes. Trustee Mohammed. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yes. Trustee Rezavela? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Vice president Tisdale. Yes. President Velasquez. Yes. Motion passed. Okay. And in policy, before before we continue, we need a motion to add the resolution that's going to be read to the
agenda. So we need a motion and a vote for that. Motion to add resolution to the agenda. Motion by trustee Tisdale. Second? Second. Okay. Second by trustee, Matt. I'm sorry, Matt. I can see you. I apologize. Okay. Any discussion? Then we need to vote for the resolution to get on to the agenda. Please call the vote. Yeah. And you're adding, it's gonna be fifteen o three. Uh-huh. And it's just just a description. It's gonna be to revise the and adopt board meeting date to change it from
Wednesday to Thursday after the May meeting. Starting with the May starting in the May meeting. Sorry about that. So this is just to add it, and then you're gonna have to vote on it again to make it effective. I'll read it once you get through this. Okay. Trustee Reza Bala, This is for fifteen o three or just 15 in total? Just the fifteen o three. Oh, yes. She said yes. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Trustee Mohammed? No. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yes. Trustee Patel? Yes. Vice president Tisdale? Yes.
President Velasquez? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Yes. To the chair, may I read the resolution total? This is gonna be your new 1503. 15 0. And we do have a hard copy that the district has. The Jersey City Public School Board of Education, a resolution revising and adopting board meeting dates, be it resolved by the Jersey City Public School Board of Education as follows, Whereas the Jersey City Public Schools Board of Education, JCABOE, and the Board seeks to move its workshop and regular meetings from Wednesday to Thursday,
and whereas the Open Public Meeting Act of New Jersey, specifically NJSA ten colon four dash eight d, requires the board to provide advance notice of at least forty eight hours of time, date, and location of any regular, special, or rescheduled meeting, and whereas the board has determined that modifying its meeting schedule will serve the operational needs of the board and the community, and now, therefore, be it resolved effective 05/01/2025. The board hereby moves all board meetings to Thursday evenings,
and all workshop meetings all workshop meetings shall begin at 5PM. All regular board meetings shall begin at 6PM. Right. Is that it's supposed No. It's supposed to be 05:30. I'm sorry. I'll rephrase that. 05:30PM for workshop meetings and 6PM for board meetings, just like we did today. All board meetings Doctor Martin Luther King Junior's, school PS eleven, located at 886 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey unless otherwise noticed. Be it further resolved that the board secretary shall ensure that the following be published in the board's designated newspaper.
Public notice, take notice at the present of the Open Public Meetings Act, the Jersey City Board of Better advise and adopt the following schedule, and the schedule set forth. The first meeting that this will take place will be the May 2025 meeting, and then all regular meetings after that, and those dates are listed. I'll just run through them. June 26, August '20 '8, September eighteenth, October sixteenth, November thirteenth, and February. Okay. That's okay. So now we are voting on the entire Yes. All three of them in policy. First.
Yeah. So now we've, motion for the fifteenth, please, policy. Motion. Second. Motion by Tisdale, second by Morris. Thank you. Any discussion? I'm sorry. I heard the fuck. Call the vote, please. Oh, I'm sorry. I would be interested just to hear from superintendent, just the move in of the the meeting. Is that helpful for getting the information ready for the board meeting? Is there benefits, or is there not? I'm curious. Whatever the date is, we work backwards, so it really doesn't add, more information on our side.
It really you know? I'm sorry. What was the question? Thank you. Okay. Call the vote, please. Trustee Rosabella? Yes. Trustee Schneider. This is for all of fifteens. Right? Yes. So yes on '5 fifteen point o one and o two, no on fifteen point o three. Okay. Trustee Mohammed. No on fifteen o three, and yes to the rest. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Morris? Yes on fifteen o one. Yes on fifteen o two. And yes on fifteen o three. Trustee Patel.
Yes to all. Vice president Tisdale. Yes. President Velasquez. Yes. I'm 15 o one. Yes. I'm 15 o two. And, yes, I'm 15 o two. Motion passed. Okay. The sixteenth. Motion. Motion. Mister Morris second. Doctor Blunt. Okay. Discussions. Bear none, please take the vote. Trustee Morris. Oh. Trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Schneider? Yes. Trustee Resabella? Seventeen. Yes. Trustee Blunt? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Mohammed? Yes. Vice president Tisdale? Yes. President Velasquez?
Yes. Okay. Fast. 17 are not voting items. So I will take a a motion Motion. To adjourn. Motion. Motion. Second. Okay. Aye.