Welcome to our board meeting. Tom, can I have a >> roll call, please? >> Miss Bose >> here. >> Mr. Clark >> here. >> Mr. Caparada >> here. >> Miss Evans >> here. >> Miss Groger >> here. >> Miss Kelly
>> here. >> Miss Martinez. Miss Pasculi >> here. >> Mr. Vanheis >> here. You have a quer. >> Thank you, Tom. Um, we're going to be going into executive session. The Open Public Meeting Act authorizes the board of education to meet in executive
session under certain circumstances. The Open Public Meetings Act requires the board to adopt a resolution at a public meeting to go into private session. The Lawrence Township Board of Ed um will be meeting this evening in executive session. uh specifically matters which
if publicly disclosed would constitute an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy and specifically this evening HI will be discussed. Formal action will not be taken in executive session and the session is um expected to last about 20 minutes. Thank you. Can I have a
motion? So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I. >> So moved. Thank you. All right. Good evening everybody. Uh for all our guests in the audience who might not know who I am, my name is Damian Barrya and I am the supervisor of math, science, and the arts for the
elementary grades here in Lawrence Township. Before I introduce tonight's performance, I'd like to mention that later this month on Saturday, April 25th, Lawrence High School will be hosting the 2026 Region 7 Tournament Indoor Association Jazz Band Championships.
>> Winners from this region will go on to compete at the state championships the following week in Wildwood. As hosts, we are not eligible to compete, but the LHS Jazz Band will be doing an exhibition performance along with the 15 competing bands from around the region. It will be a full day of jazz at LHS with
performances beginning at 2 PM and our jazz band scheduled to hit the stage at 8:20 p.m. So, please consider this an invitation from me to everyone on the board in the audience and watching online to come see the event. So, on to tonight. The arts department is proud to
spotlight two schools this evening. On display this evening, we have art from Mr. Sha Carney's Studio 2 students right here from Lawrence High School. And Miss Best Ploner is here with her advanced coral ensemble from LIS, Pitch Black, to perform two numbers for us this evening.
Pitch Black, take it away. Happy new year. are Hawai nal. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. WOO. shall not we shall not be moved. We shall not we shall not be just like a tree
that's planted by the water. We shall not be moved. We shall not We shall not be moved. We
shall not We shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's planted by the shall not be moved. We're fighting for our future.
We shall not be moved. We're fighting for our future. We shall not be just like the tree that's planted by the
water. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved.
We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved.
We're young and old together. We shall not be moved. We're young and old together. We shall not be moved. Just like a tree
that's planted by the water. We shall not be moved. The whole world is watching. We shall not be moved. The whole world is watching.
We shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's planted by the water, we shall not be shall not be. We shall not be.
We shall not be. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved.
We shall not be. We shall not be. We shall not be. We shall not be. We shall not be moved.
We shall not We shall not be moved. We shall not We shall not be moved. Just like a tree
that's planted by the tree that's planted by the wall. Just like a tree that's planted by the
water, we shall not be moved. Thank you so much. That was wonderful. Thank you, Pitch Black. Miss Paul was great job done.
Okay, welcome everybody. Um, the New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their
interest is discussed or acted upon. As required under law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided via email and or fax to the times, the ledger, the tronian, the public library, and has been filed with the municipal clerk. This notice was provided prior to the 48
hours required by the open public meetings act. The board reserves the right to limit public discussion of personnel items and other matters as defined in the law. Do our flag salute. To the flag
of the stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Our peer leaders, you're up first. Woohoo.
Hi, we are the peer leaders who are here to inform you some of the latest happenings here at Lawrence High School. My name is Raina Lewis and I'm a senior. As many of the senior milestones are starting to begin, Project Graduation is hosting one of their many fundraisers in support of the senior class to ensure
that we have safe and memorable events. On April 11th, they're hosting a Bali Step to Showdown dance class open to all ages here at the Lawrence High School gym. Tickets can be found on their website and everyone is encouraged to attend to support project graduation.
>> Hello, my name is Madison. I am a senior and um I'm talking about the sports. We have boys baseball. The game was cancelled today. Girls softball that just recently had a game today. Um boys and girls track and field that had a
game meet yesterday. And we have a upcoming meet Saturday. Um, and we have the boys lacrosse, boys and girls lacrosse, boys tennis, and golf. >> Hello, my name is Abram Williams. I'm a
junior and I'm also one of the track captains for the boys track and field team. So, let's stop. So, kind of adding on to that, um, Maddie did mention that we have a meet this Thursday. Um, it's at Euing, Euing High School, and it's our Mercer County Relays. So, all the
schools in our CVC or all the schools in Mercer County will be there. Um, so if you do want to come and support, we would deeply appreciate that. That would be lovely. You know, like to see all of your lovely faces there, you know, go ahead. Yeah, that stuff. Um, and as peer leaders, we also do um assemblies for
the underassman. So for the freshman, sophomores, and juniors that we call character ed assemblies. So with that, we kind of talk about different like feelings and emotions that could be happening with our freshman, sophomores, or juniors because um as upper classmen, we've been through exactly like what they've been through. we felt a lot of
their feelings as underclassman. So, we also want to, you know, give the opportunity to show them that we've been there. We're here to help you. Um, and if you have any questions, you guys can ask us about. So, we'll talk about things like patience, honesty, responsibility. Um, and then maybe we'll go through like a skit or a game to show
like how these things can affect your daily lives or how they can affect others and how we could, you know, like fix that. So, our next character edit assemblies are next week. I believe the dates are the 13th, 14th, and 15th. Great. >> Are you on the track team?
>> Yes. >> Yes. >> What events are you in? >> Um I'm a sprinter. So I do the I do the 100, the 200, um any type of relay. So the 4x1, 4x2. Yeah, I get work
done. So it's good. Yeah, it's amazing. >> What leg in the relay? >> Um so they change it um a lot of the times. So, sometimes I'll be first leg, sometimes I'll be third leg, sometimes I'll be second leg. Um, occasionally I'll be fourth leg, but that's like rarely because we do have some very good
sprinters here at Lawrence High School, some very good athletes. So, you know, you kind of have to like fight for your place, but at the same time cooperate with others, which is, you know, that's all what sports is about, which is amazing. >> You're amazing. Thank you so much.
>> Okay. And the last thing is that LTE's third annual Lawrence has talent competition is coming up on this um next Friday, April 17th at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Finalists have been decided and they include people from all different grade levels throughout the
district as well as community um adults from within our community. Um and they all have just a wide range of talents from singing, dancing, comedy, all that. Um tickets up for up for sale right now and everyone should attend to see all the amazing talent that Lawrence has to offer. Thank you.
>> Thank you. All done. All right. >> So many great things. You guys can leave. You don't have to stay. You can. It's going to be very exciting, but you might have better things to do. >> Rest up for the track.
>> Yes. Go. Now, >> we're going to watch for you. >> Okay. Um recognition and acknowledgements. Um the first uh may I have a motion in the form of a
resolution? >> So we we want to actually call up Dr. Adam. Um Dr. Adam has a very special uh announcement and student to introduce here to the board >> and he'll be reading um a very incredible resolution first.
>> Welcome Mai. So as a high school principal, there's a lot of proud moments. You heard a few minutes ago from our peer leaders. one of our students sitting there next to the superintendent. Um it's a lot of opportunities for us to acknowledge and share the wonderful things we have happening at Lawrence High School. Um
and no prouder moment than I have to speak about the gentleman right here in Mai. Um last month on March 19th, the Mercer County School Board Association had their meeting and uh opportunity to uh announce and display all the county unsung heroes. And Mai was the
representative from Lawrence High School. So, if you couldn't indulge me just for a minute, um, allow my proud principal moment here to share about some of our students. Um, Miss Ekay was our high school representative that night and spoke. I just want to read a little snippet of what she shared on behalf of Lawrence High School about Mai.
Um, some students make an impact through titles or accolades. Others make an impact simply by showing up as themselves. Mai Edwards is firmly the latter. From the moment you meet him, you are struck by his warmth, his ease of words, his ability to genuinely
connect with people across age groups and backgrounds. He is thoughtful, expressive, and self-aware. Someone whose presence elevates conversations, whose voice carries both sincerity and purpose. Over the years, we have watched Mai grow into a young man who
understands who he is, what he values, and how he wants to show up in the world. And there's there's a much longer piece of this and I could read the whole thing. Mai was able to be there that night and hear all the words, but I just want to share a snippet about who this young man is and how we proud we are of
him. And I behalf of Doc um Dr. Clinton, the entire board here, give me an opportunity to read this resolution if that's okay um to just acknowledge uh this young man and how proud we are of him. And so on behalf of the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education resolution, whereas Lawrence
Township Public Schools and the Board of Education hereby recognizes Mai Edwards for receiving the Mercer County School Boards Association's Unsung Hero Award on April 8th, today, 2026. And whereas the Mercer County School Boards Association in collaboration with the
New Jersey School Boards Association recognizes unsung heroes from each high school in Mercer County. And whereas the YoungSung Hero Award honors students who make outstanding contributions to their schools and communities, but are often overlooked by
other traditional student recognition programs. These students have overcome difficult academic or personal challenges, modeled good citizenship, or a spirit of quiet strength that has inspired others. And that's exactly who this young man is. These unsung heroes
may have organized community nonprofit programs, selflessly supported others, or achieved academic success despite disabilities, language barriers, or other significant challenges. And whereas Mai Edwards has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to
reach his full potential, he served the school community and the community at large and stands as a beacon to inspire others. And now therefore be resolved that the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education recognizes Mai Edwards as an unsung hero of Mercer
County and the Lawrence Township Public Schools District. And it be further resolved that this resolution is presented to Mai Edwards as a sincere token of Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education's congratulations and best wishes for continued success. So ladies and
gentlemen, our unsung hero, Mckyards. Hello staff. I did not prepare any words, but I just want to say thank you guys and thank you to my school for electing me with this amazing award. It's really good to know that you've been thought of um for the work that you
put in and that's a very wonderful sight to see as I'm a senior in high school. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you all. We appreciate it. And uh have a good night. >> Thank you. >> Um may I have a motion in the form of a resolution? >> So moved.
>> Second. >> All in favor? I. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you, Mai, for coming. >> Okay. We have Miss Satary to the microphone. I believe you have an announcement and
some words to share with the board. >> Hello. Um I was just this was so lovely. I don't know that I've seen Mai in person since he left Las. >> Oh. But we recognized each other right
away. And this is so nice to be here for his big moment. Um, and I had the opportunity to go to the board of ed this morning and uh shake the commissioner of education's hand and get the resolution in recognition of school library month
in New Jersey in person. So I actually have usually I just have like a paper copy, but I have the plaque here. So you're so lucky to hear two resolutions in a row tonight. You already know whereas is coming. >> So >> therefore,
>> yes, whereas the month of April 2026 has been designated nationally as school library month by the American Association of School Librarians. And whereas the New Jersey State Board of Education values the role that certified
school library media specialists play in the collaborative process of literacy and learning. And whereas the school library media specialist's role is to provide the leadership and expertise necessary to ensure that the school library is an integral part of the
instructional program of the school, allowing opportunities for learning and innovation. And whereas school library media specialists assist with literacy development to raise literacy rates by inspiring students to develop a lifelong
love of reading. And whereas school libraries provide materials allowing for free expression and access to ideas meeting the individual needs, varied interests, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and maturity levels of the
students served. And whereas school library media specialists connect students and staff to ideas and knowledge by providing instruction in information literacy and teaching students to utilize information for specific purposes using traditional
resources and emerging technologies. And whereas school library media specialists teach students how to locate and evaluate a broad range of ideas with the goal of students developing critical thinking and problem solving skills as part of information literacy
instruction. And whereas it is both fitting and proper that special recognition be given to school libraries and the contributions of certified school library media specialists in meeting the New Jersey Department of Education's
mission to ensure that all students have equitable access to a highquality education and achieve academic excellence. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the New Jersey State Board of Education and the Commissioner of
Education recognize April 2026 as school library month in New Jersey. And we are very excited about that. And Lawrence Township has a certified school library media specialist in every school in the district. And that doesn't happen everywhere. So, we are always very
grateful for that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Congratulations again. Michelle, >> can I say something for a second? >> Of course. >> So, I had my first job um in high school because my school librarian recommended
that I work at the Twin Rivers uh branch of the Mercer County Library System. After that, I had my second job at H at the Hickory Corner branch of the school library system. And then when I went to Ruckers, I also worked at the library there. I have a number of very good friends who are librarians. And I don't
think it's an accident that we are here today in a library exactly having this meeting. So thank you so much for everything you do and this is obviously fitting for all the you know librarians uh you know working with LTPS. So thank you. >> Yeah thank you.
>> Well I'm just going to say one thing because I too worked in a library for four years when I went to college NYU library. Shout out to the librarians. Um, and I do think we are very blessed in this community to have a library specialist in every one of our
buildings, but we also have extraordinary um, staff in our libraries and we are very lucky and uh, it is it doesn't go unnoticed how privileged we are in our community to have this. Um, so thank you
and to all of our library specialists. >> Just say >> and the library dress. So this >> Well, there's a whole library wardrobe she has. >> I do the shoes. >> Yes. >> That's it. The ensemble is complete.
>> You embody it. >> When I come in, they're like, "Are you a librarian?" >> Yes. >> No. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other recognitions and acknowledgements? Okay. Um adoption of the minutes. Uh, may I have a motion to
adopt the executive session and regular session minutes from the um 318 2026 meeting? >> So move. >> Second. >> Second. We weren't here but >> second. Thank you.
>> Tom with a motion and a second. >> Mr. Camparado. >> Yes. >> Mr. Clark. >> Yes. >> Miss Evans. >> Yes. >> Miss Kroger. >> Abstain. >> Miss Kelly? >> Yes. >> Miss Martine. Sorry. Miss Pasculi, >> yes. >> Mr. Vanheis,
>> abstain. >> Miss Bose, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Thank you. >> Uh, superintendent's report. >> Okay. Thank you to Miss Ploner and the amazing pitch black performance this evening. The songs were absolutely beautiful. I also want to thank Mr. Carney at the high school for his
artists work that's displayed for you this evening. We have such talented students here in the district and I always love the chance to see them perform and showcase tonight and I'm sure the board of edet enjoyed the performance. Also, thank you Dr. Adam and Mai Edwards. Mai, we are so proud of
you and all of your hard work. You truly are a hero each and every day for our district and you will be missed because you are a senior. Uh Mr. Terry, we are so fortunate to have you and your amazing all of the amazing media specialists in the district to complement what Miss Bose said. Um thank
you for coming out tonight and celebrating April also being school library month. Um, I am proudly sitting here tonight wearing my blue as April is uh recognized as autism acceptance month. This is really a time to support um and celebrate neurodeiversity,
promote the understanding and strengthen all of our inclusive practices across the district. I'm proud of all of our educators and how we support our staff and the work that they do each and every day to make sure that our children are seen, heard, and supported. And finally, as we return from spring break, our
schools are energized, focused on strong instruction, student engagement, and preparing for a successful final quarter of the school year. Thank you. >> So fast. >> Thank you. >> Uh board secretaries report. >> Just like to report to the board that we
are on time and on budget with the the auditorium work that was part of the referendum. And so Pepper if you want to chime in at any time. We were on a tour today if >> it was going to be part of my report but >> Okay. Well then you know so um all those
things up there we have a lot of new business for you. >> Um so that's before you today as a result of some changes in the laws in New Jersey with respect to procurement. So I don't know if you're going to touch that on your report or not. Um but that's happening uh right now. So those bids are there for you as well as the
LIS laboratory. You'll see that and I'm sure you'll comment on the significance of that later and in the near future we'll be working on quite a bit of uh improvements at Slackwood School and I believe that uh Pepper will talk about those things today. We took a tour. We
did not have the finance committee meet but I wanted to keep the chair up to speed and so we went for a whirlwind tour um and saw a lot of things and had some fun. >> Great. Thank you so much, Tom. Um, board president's report. Um, you've heard
this a few times from me, but it's worth repeating. Um, I'm just want to remind everybody again that next Wednesday, one week from today, right here in this room, the LHS media center will be our first of our three strategic planning
sess sessions. Um, I cannot stress the importance of this enough. This is the public's opportunity to give input on the district's goals for the next five years. It is a communitydriven bottomup approach and every voice is important in the process. Parents, students,
community members, teachers, everyone is welcome. Um, it will take place in here beginning at 6 p.m. We will have some food for the evening and are looking forward to a productive evening together. Um, and planning for the future of our school. I look forward to seeing everybody there.
Um, liaison committee reports. Our student board member, Miss Redeema Pandy, you're up. Okay. Hello. I hope all of you guys had a great spring break. So, over March and
April, I had the opportunity to survey and interview some students in terms of LHS. So, one of the most consistent concerns that was raised was definitely the need for stronger communication between student council, administration,
and faculty. And this might have been slightly biased because a lot of the surveys that happened, I feel like student council people who are involved in that are more likely to fill out those surveys and kind of communicate with me. So, I feel like there was a
slight bias, but that was one of the biggest concerns that was raised this time. When it comes to school events, policies, and decisions, students did definitely want to feel more informed and included um during the process of these events since student council operates on a very variable schedule
right now. In these situations, better communication is expressed to be more about ensuring that student voices are genuinely heard. However, students did appreciate the increase in events where they can support one another and have fun through things such as the upcoming
Lawrence Has Talent and the way that their families can do the same through fundraisers for project graduation. Overall, students did recognize and appreciate many of the academic resources currently available to all of us. There is a strong foundation that is in place and it is clear that effort has
been made to support student learning. However, there are definitely gaps especially in super specific areas of learning where students need um special support. So, the most prevalent issue was with schoolisssued technology. For
some students, their school administrated administered Chromebook is their only access to academic tools. So, when some websites and some resources are blocked, it limits convenience and also their opportunity to learn more.
Um, we have to make sure that students can actually access the resources that they need, especially because some students pointed out that some of them may not have other devices at home to access this information that is currently blocked. Sorry. So, none of
these points have come from a place of criticism. And through all of these surveys, I found that students did care deeply about their education and their school environment as a whole. I feel that our school is very involved and there is a lot of feedback that I do get
which I appreciate a lot. And as the school year comes to a close, I encourage all of us to work collaboratively through towards clearer communication and more accessible resources in order to make the next school year even better. And I do believe that a lot of these are
realistic changes that can help make small differences in how students experience things. Um, now just a little bit of a side tangent, but the elementary schools have been experiencing a lot of positive change and they have been having a lot of fun
as spring has been happening. So, some of the most notable things are the celebrations of diversity and kindness through events such as multicultural nights. A lot of kids did experience their first St. Baldicks, which they liked a lot, and it was adorable to see
pictures of that. and we and a lot of the kids are also excited to celebrate upcoming Earth Day, um the upcoming teacher appreciation weeks and other related activities. Overall, I am led to believe that the first three marking periods of this school year have been
extremely positive experiences for all students and with the change of a few small things, they it can be even better. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Um, Lawrence Township Education Foundation.
First, thank you so much for bringing joy. It's so good to hear positivity from our students. Uh, um, Olga uh was unable to make it tonight, so she's passed on her notes. And you heard about Lawrence Has talent.
What Bonnie presented was that um what I think is pretty cool is there are 15 finalists and 10 of the finalists are LTPS students and one is a staff member. So we have to keep our eyes on that. Um there also is an art contest. Submissions are being accepted until
Friday and there's still time to enter your art. This year we've added the art gallery and it'll be set up in the auxiliary gym to view. All art entries and finalists before the show need to be brought before it starts. Details to
enter can be found at ltef.org. So please come. Don't miss it. It's really a fun evening. And shall I move on to New Jersey school boards? >> Please do. Thank you. We've missed you. >> Oh my goodness. Thank you. I I watched you. I really did. Um, on March 14th, I
attended a virtual New Jersey School Board Legislative Committee meeting. Guest speaker was Chris Williams, chief staff at New Jersey Department of Education. Mr. Williams engaged in a robust discussion for nearly an hour, outlining New Jersey DOE's priorities
and responding to questions from committee members. Some of the topics that were discussed were modernizing the school funding formula, expanding early learning programs, addressing the state teachers shortages. Mr. Williams also
discussed literacy initiatives, high impact tutoring programs, mental health services in school, which I thought was really uh finger on the pulse. And then Mr. Pushman, who's in charge of legislative affairs, gave an update on
the following newly signed laws. education related legislation governmental relations staff hosted a webinar on Tuesday, March 24th. The presentation provided more detailed analysis of the state aid numbers and
budget details um of the full budget which you can go to on New Jersey School Board's website to catch up on that. Um and also the public budget hearings have been scheduled where stakeholders that would be us, parents, anybody can
provide testimony on proposed budget. N next legislative meeting for the committee will be held Saturday, May uh 30th at 9:00 a.m. On March 19th, you heard about the county's unsung hero program. We selected an amazing student.
He really is a hero in my eyes. Um, I will be attending resolution subcommittee meeting April 14 via Zoom. Six resolutions have been forwarded to the committee. I'll just give an overview. Uh, South Orange, Maplewood about rank choicing for voting for
school boards of education. Essex County brought up one for immigration. Uh, Egg Harbor pilot and long-term taxes. West Milford school funding formula. Glenrock statewide procurement for transparency and cooperative purchasing for
instructional materials. Last one was by Caucus modernizing governance for New Jersey votech schools. Uh the next county meetings will be held on May 14th 6 p.m. to 8:30. You can attend in in person. It's going to be at Crockett
Middle School or as always virtually if you wish. You just miss the meal and the camaraderie with the people in the room. On this meeting, we'll be celebrating county teacher of the year and certifications and milestone celebrations will also be occurring. Kevin and I both are receiving uh awards
for our years of service. Seasoned board members, we discussed that. H how many years are we celebrating? >> 15. >> 15. >> 15. >> Thank you. We enjoyed every one of them. >> Yes, I know you have. and you've been
amazing board members and mentors to so many board members both here and in the state. So, um, thank you. We've had good leadership and we've had some good camaraderie because we all care about kids and and our district first. So,
that makes it easy. So, we look forward to hoping that you guys will attend our last county meeting. That's my report. Great. >> Thank you so much, Joanne. Um, Lawrence Township growth and redevelopment. >> Uh, I was working so I missed the meeting so report.
>> Okay. Reconfiguration. Uh, I don't think there's anything to report. Student services. >> Nothing to report for this month. >> Okay. Spring break. Yes, spring break. Um, review of communications. Nothing.
Uh, public input. Opportunity for first public comment. Chris. Okay, I'm just going to read a little piece. You can come on up. No, no, come on up. This is our new um little piece we're reading before public comment so that people understand public
comment. Um the board of education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and school matters of community interest. In support of this position, the law establishes a period of public comment at every board meeting. Individuals wishing to speak
must state their name and write their address. Comments are limited to three minutes in duration, but an individual may speak a second time after all others who wish to speak on the topic have been heard. The board may require that individuals registered to speak prior to the beginning of the meeting.
Participants may submit written material in support of their position. All statements and questions shall be directed to the presiding officer and no participant may address or question board members individually. All speakers are requested to express themselves in a civil manner with due respect for the
dignity and privacy of others whose legal rights may be affected. Please note that while the board's intention is not to stifle comment on matters of legitimate concern to the community, the public should be aware that if their statements violate the rights of others under the law governing defamation or
invasion of privacy, they may face personal liability to the injured party. If speakers are uncertain of the legal ramifications of their comments, the board urges them to seek guidance beforehand from their own legal adviser. Floor is yours. I hope that didn't turn
you off. Let me >> turn me off, but that's just me. >> I have nothing but kind things to say about everyone, especially this board. >> I'm sure you do. So, I um first of all, I'm very sorry Miss Martinez is not here tonight because I have some very kind
words for her since she has um um taken over the outreach program for our scholarship um acquisitions. Our scholarship uh applications and our schol and our students getting scholarships to college and graduate school from every child valued uh have
doubled year-over-year. >> Right. and um we really appreciate the hard work she does on the board and we appreciate the hard work she's doing for the children and the students at at um at Edgar's Crossing Village, every child valued in Lawrence Township. Um as you probably know and I say try to say it
every time um oh by the way I'm Chris Woolly at 17 Lanigan Drive, Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Sorry. >> Thank you. Um, I say it every time. The the mission of Every Child Valued is to um uh motivate the young residents of Lawrence Township, Lawrence Township, not Edgar's Crossing Village, but
Lawrence Township to find educated and fulfilled adults and to build community and to um try to um uh address issues of uh socioeconomic and racial isolation um and to support families. Um in that
regard um we um have been uh having some really great success in the last three years and it's much uh appreciated that the board has been supportive and Miss Martinez in particular as busy as she is has been very supportive. So I'm sorry she's not here tonight to hear that.
>> She can watch this on rewind. We'll we will tell her to take >> I tell her I tell her every day. So so I I just want to say it publicly. Yes. >> Um we also have a a guest here this evening, Mr. Fred Vine. uh who has served this community uh like no other
person I've ever met uh for over 65 years. And on May 13th um the school superintendent has graciously um and and the principal has graciously offered to let us use the high school to honor him.
uh and we are fortunate enough to have uh the professor uh who's the director of the Martin Luther King Research Education Institute at Stanford University coming to Lawrence High School on that evening to talk about the young Martin Luther King. In other
words, the the years that Martin Luther King spent growing up uh in the South and in the North um and what uh he who he was before he knew who he would become. Um, so we're blessed to be able to honor Mr. Vine that evening and have
our guest speaker be such a distinguished professor uh to be able to talk. So, um, >> pardon me, >> 13th. >> May 13th. And I'm each of you one of these because >> Oh, great. >> You I want you to be my emissaries. >> Okay. >> And I also would like to honor each of
you that night. Um, Miss Kai King Green, our executive director, will be presiding and um, and she wants to recognize all of you and um, so we hope as many of you who are able to be there can be. I already recognized from the superintendent they have administrative
meetings that night. So, uh, she was our superintendent was very um, active in last year's Martin Luther King Award presentation. Uh we're sorry that um you can't be there um that evening, but we certainly appreciate everything you've done for us and I don't ever want to I
can never overstate that. >> Um so uh that said, um congratulations to Mr. Bin. Um thank you to all of you. And if you wouldn't mind, I would like to hand you these flyers and there's a QR code. So if you simply click on it
and tell us that you're going to be there so we can recognize who's there. Great. >> It's a Wednesday, just so the board knows. >> It's a Wednesday, but it's not a school board night. >> No, it's not a school board night. That's why I'm letting them know. We're free. >> And um uh so we'd love to have um so I
just >> You can just leave them here. We'll pass them out. Diana, just take one and pass it down. >> Thank you so much. >> Um please feel free. In fact, I encourage you to share them with um as many people as you can. Great. >> Um so we can get um a good crowd there that night. This is gonna be a real
special evening and we will have food. >> That's it. We'll be there. Thank you, Dr. Molly. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> And I want a special thanks to the superintendent, Dr. Clint, for >> all her work in um in helping every child be successful here at Lawrence.
>> Thanks, Dr. >> Thank you. True words have never been said, so thank you so much. Um okay, any other public comment? Uh, no board discussion or work session. Um, board discussion and action items.
Personnel committee report and personnel action items. Okay. Personnel met this morning virtually. In attendance were Dr. Robin Clim, Shan Fry, Michelle Bose, Arendelle Clark, McKenzie Kelly, and myself. We discussed the following
postings for BCAB board certified behavior analysts. I had to look that one up. and middle school English positions. We're recommending high school special education and middle school math positions on this agenda. Tonight, we are conducting uh committee
rounds for interviews for the humanities supervisor position. Uh we have several administrators participating in the TCJ job fair this month and last month several administrators attended the NJ Stride job fair and the rider interview
event. and we're getting some great candidates from these um these events. Um some really good talent is coming our way. Uh we reviewed staffing pro projections for 2627 and we're approving a job description
for the assistant head payroll position and there were no changes recommended for policy regulations 8320. And on tonight's agenda, you will see approvals for resignations,
unpaid leaves, substitute teachers, mentors, and a resolution for student a resolution and student technician hire and a resignation for retirement. And at this point, I'd like to recognize Beth Hendrickson for her 25 years of service
at Lawrence Intermediate School. She's a dedicated professional whose smiles and can do attitude have supported many students throughout her career. I had the pleasure of working with her at least for a few years. I also had her children, amazing people. Um, just
really good people. So, um, I know her b her bubbly personality will be missed and we wish her well and thank her so much for her dedication to our students. Um, you'll also find on tonight's agenda approvals for EDPs, transfer, substitute
assistant. You'll see appointments for staff members due to background clearance checks. And you'll see an amendment on tonight's agenda. Also, with all of that, I'd like to move P1 through P13, please. >> Second.
>> With a motion and a second. >> Mr. Caparata. >> Yes. >> Mr. Clark. >> Yes. Miss Evans, >> yes. >> Miss Kroger, >> yes. >> Miss Kelly, >> Miss Pasculi, >> yes. >> Mr. Vanheis, >> yes. >> Miss Bose, >> yes.
>> Motion carried. >> Thank you. CIAD report and student services action items. >> Thank you. So, the CIPD meeting uh occurred yesterday morning on April 7th, and it was attended by myself, President
Bose, Vice President Peter Evans, and our newest member, Mr. Paul Caparada. We uh in staff in attendance for Dr. Clim, Dr. Fiser, Miss Yuzi, and Mr. Desai. And our in our meeting, we discussed uh
something called multi-tered systems of supports. And district staff walked us through what that is. And for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a way of thinking about instruction to make sure that all students get um what they need from an academic perspective, um behavioral perspective, and social
emotional. And that involves a lot of work and effort. And so the district did a wonderful presentation in talking about how um we're building on that system and really making sure that we're using consistent practices across the
district. That's coupled with professional development where there's a focus um on fostering the mindset that every every instructor, every staff member in the classroom is responsible for figuring out what each individual child needs. And we know we have lots of
diverse learners and so this is all about um figuring out what they need which is what our staff does every single day. Uh but always bringing it up to the next level, building consistency across the district in every single school. Uh and some of the exciting work
coming out of that. uh were just new processes put in place in the last two years and um some really interesting work involving um us moving towards being a more of a data driven district and thinking about all of what our
students need and all of the information available. So it was really exciting to hear that update and just to kind of tie it you know we tie our goal our conversations in the committee to our goals. So, just as a reminder, one of our uh goals, superintendent's goals for
this year is to establish a district-wide data-driven instructional framework that systematically utilizes student achievement data to drive instructional decisions resulting in measurable academic growth across all schools. So, it's a mouthful, but this is literally what we talk about in our
meetings. And last month, we went over the midyear data. And then this month, we got a really exciting update. So, that's what we focused on. And then also uh exciting and on the agenda is an update about new opportunities for students uh to take high school students
to take dual enrollment which is uh dual enrollment means that in our school it means that our students are earning college credit while they're sitting in classes in our high school. And so we have that but now we have a new uh a new agreement on the agenda with TCJ or the
college of New Jersey. No acronyms. So, um, so we we learned about that and reviewed some policies and short reading because I ran out of the building. So, we, uh, moving on to the
next, uh, I'll make a motion for review. Uh, you'll see here OIS1, which is that dual enrollment agreement, and then, uh, OIS2 is a motion to approve the emergency virtual or remote instruction plan. We'll also have uh an allowance
for the Lawrence High School baseball team to practice at Pensacola Field in Edgar's Crossing. And then uh I can do all of them together. I learned last time. Yes. So the you'll see OSS one and two, which are motions to approve the
following out of district replace um placements and the harassment in HIV reports. So with that, I make a motion for OIS1 through 4 and OSS 1 through two. >> Second.
>> Great. Thank you. >> With a motion and a second. >> Mr. Caprada, >> yes. >> Mr. Clark, >> yes. >> Miss Evans, >> yes. >> Miss Kroger, >> yes. >> Miss Kelly, >> yes. >> Miss Pasculi, >> yes. >> Mr. Vanheis, >> yes.
>> Miss Pose, >> yes. >> Motion carried. Thank you. Um, finance committee report and school business management action items. Okay. Finance did not meet since our
last uh board meeting, but we did have a meeting in March. Uh, don't think that I was resting on my laurels because oh no, I was out and about with the business administrator checking on progress at the middle school which I can attest the
furnace is working part of the school. I had >> you do both of them. Yeah, both of them. >> So I I uh saw parts of the district that I had never seen before. under >> Tom takes you to please.
>> I know. >> Okay. >> But um I saw the uh the changes that they made over at Slackwood School and they're fabulous. This the school looks great. Um and seeing the kids there so happy. It's just a wonderful learning
environment over there. And when we went to Ben Franklin, a young constituent, he's too young to vote so I didn't introduce myself, but he did come up to Tom and say what a good job Tom did on the on the floors and he especially liked
the floor that had Amos in it in the center with the lo with the shield. So it was beautiful. So I was busy even as my committee was not. But but on the agenda you'll see budget
transfers, drills, grants, change orders, uh contract renewed with Lawrence Day School. Uh parents pay attention to the change of lunch prices and the uh awarding of the LI laboratory
improvement. And with that, I would like to move SBM 1 through13. >> Second, >> Tom with a motion and a second. >> Mr. Caparata, >> yes. >> Mr. Clark, >> yes. >> Miss Evans, >> yes. >> Miss Kroger, >> yes. >> Miss Kelly, >> yes.
>> Miss Pasculi, >> yes. >> Mr. Vanheis, >> yes. >> Miss Bose, >> yes. >> Motion carry. >> I'm glad your laurels were busy. Yes, they were very busy. Well, I do think um Robin, maybe in the future we'll think about having some board meetings on the road so that
everybody gets to see all our beautiful schools and maybe over the summer that would be something we can think about. We used to do that >> years ago and it was really wellreceived. So, >> you should see those boilers. I'm telling you, >> we will not be doing a tour of the schools though. >> No, I'm not going to sweat there, too.
>> Um, okay. Our second opportunity for public input. >> Hello. Uh my name is Bonnie Giglio. I'm sign in right here. Um I see that Olga is not here so she didn't get my report. So I was just going to give my Did you give it? >> Yes. >> Well then have a wonderful evening
everyone. I'm so sorry I was late and now I >> That's okay. That's okay. We always give the report even if a board member is not here, we give it out to others. >> You are important. >> But thank you and we will be there for large. >> Yes, you'll have a good turnout. >> It's a a beloved event. What night is
that again? >> Uh I should write it down. >> It's next Friday. >> Yes. >> Going to be a busy another busy weekend. Another plug. Um the new business, Kevin. Um, we have several items on the
agenda including staff clearances, approval of substitutes and EDP positions, uh, the acceptance uh, of a donation of a walker. Um, so we have the approval of the travel log, a student appointment, uh, staff resignation, the
creation and adoption of a job description for a new position called assistant head payroll bookkeeping coordinator and also coordinator of health benefits. Uh and then as Tom alluded to at the beginning of the meeting, um several items uh with
specifically the uh awarding of bids for boiler repair, cafeteria repairs, HBAC controls, electricians, and plumbers. And with that, I will move NB1 through NB18. >> Second, >> Tom with a motion to second. >> Mr. Caparata,
>> yes. >> Mr. Clark, >> yes. >> Miss Evans, >> yes. >> Miss Groger, >> yes. >> Miss Kelly, >> yes. Miss Pasculi, >> yes. >> Mr. Vanheis, >> yes. >> Miss Bose, >> yes. >> Motion carry. >> Thank you. Um, and with that, I have a
motion to adjurnn. So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Okay. Thank you everybody for coming. Have a wonderful night, and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday at our first strategic planning meeting.