##VIDEO ID:3RdvP8XVXsA## e e e e e e e [Music] can everybody please stand States accordance with the adequate notification of this meeting has been provided by advertising in the record and posting notice of this meeting in burrow Hall in the superintendent's office I hereby call to order the public meeting of the Little Ferry Board of Education Thursday November 22nd 2024 at 701m can I have a roll call please Mr here Mr patal here Mr fitro here Mr Mr mey here Mr lzo here Mr Mr B here M belli here M Bradley here um M Austin thank you we have a forum the resolve little F Board of Education approv subm minutes of the regular public meeting held on October 17 202 second second yes Mr yes Mr pitro yes Mr yes yes yes Mr belli yes Bradley yes now open up to Mr carado provide a superintendence report all right thank you we'll Ki things off with our October students of mon I see one independent second we start down at the end all right our grade six our grade six October student of month is Brianna rosette congratulations from the teach your grade level had the following things to say about you she is a respectful kind young lady always willing to help her classmates when willing and they are struggling she's hardworking self- advocating learner she will continue to flourish at you every challenge with the solution congratulations what the this all right just in time our grade eight October student of month is ailia Fernand yes okay the teachers in grade had the following things to say about a milli he has maturity in her attitude towards her academics she has sh General Grow has a new sense of determination impr and reach higher levels of achievement she has an increase in self-confidence to step outside her comfort zone to imerse yourself the experien congratulations Bri sh yeah right this time I ask uh our student representative obviously to pleas good evening to our little fre Board of Education our school administrat and all those joining us today as the weather gets C the students of L have been taking part in many activities this past month and fall sports teams have wrapped up their athletic season this year including hosing a volleyball game which was the first one in over three years during the month of October students participated in Red River which highlights the importance of living rug free and making safe and healthy traces they wearing specific clothing representing a different theme of different theme for each day of the week in addition presenter Matt Bachi visited with aers from little fairy and rual park to give an impactful presentation on his personal battle with drugs and Al which was sponsored by Chief Walters and El ad round table repres last week the student government rep uh the student government attended little Fair's Veterans Day Services as an addition this year Student Government fed the flags displayed of part of this service Feld the flag fund rais money for the re Across America organization student government was able to sponsor five re to be laid at the grave sites of veterans during the Nationwide event held on December 14th students had a blast at the fall Harvest dances that was sponsored by the PTA last FR this concludes all updates regarding the students of the him report for watching the school one since our last meeting founded had Z reports before I turn over to this done I just want to make sure knows that our football he uh tedly for their playoff game tomorrow at 6 o' and 7:30 in t of so we wish every the best of luck and U of course it'll be the coldest day of here so far but we do wish him the best of luck if you want to go out and support the game will be at that Mr done I now turn it over to there to you the qac is approvement plan we call the DP all right so I'm just going to briefly go over um what qac is why we have a district Improvement plan and then what that is um so qac is um annual monitoring every three years in the areas of instruction and programming uh fiscal governance operations and Personnel you have to score a minimum receive a minimum score of 80% or 80 points at each uh and in instruction programming we received 74 points uh There are 16 indicators in that um we received 34 points uh across the first eight indicators which are uh for the state um assessments the njz SL uh indicators eight and Beyond we received all 10 points for each of those um So based on those um scores uh in ela math science as well as chronic aism uh we needed to create a district improve Improvement plan so we did across um four areas so for ELA in order to improve those scores the overall scores as well as the um the growth measure which means uh you get additional points based on how much each grow grow uh each group grows so the overall District as well as every subgroup including all uh ethnicities uh special education multilingual Learners and uh economically disadvantaged uh so in order to do so our goal by the by the end of this year by 2025 is to increase from 51% passing to 56 and by um 2026 to be at 61% which will put us uh at this state determined um progress goal if you will so when every student succeed act came about in 2015 the goal was to reach 80% or student uh it was revised in 2022 after covid um and now it's at the 2032 goal to be at 80% um so the state has set forth a formula of improvement across um so that's our goal for 2026 um then we're focused on the areas uh subgroups of Hispanic Latino as Pacific Island uh disabilities and uh approve them by five percentage points this year and next year uh to do so over the course of last year we focused on the new Ela standards um doing providing professional development and growth for our teachers um with myself um professional development providers and our literacy coach uh we did a deep dive analysis of the njsla uh including all the evidence statements so in somewhere between August and September depending on how quick the state acts we get um a report saying not only how we did but how we scored on against every standard so we looked at that across the past three to identify any Trends and any uh gaps and instruction so that we can focus on those uh we'll also be providing um targeted instruction for those who are struggling the most through a pullout intervention uh play we provide um high impact tutoring The Rise and Shine program uh at uh three to four students to a teacher uh to provide extra support in ela and then we have what we call the the bubble boost in our uh win period our what I need now period where we target those students who are just below grade level or are projected to score a level three based on our uh yearly our our Benchmark screener of I ready so that we can boost them up to pass uh and in doing so last year from January through April we saw an increase of those students we targeted 50% past so we're hoping since we started in late September that we'll see even more growth um our next goal is AC is for math um the overarching percentage is to um go from 39% passing um to uh to eventually getting to 47% uh it's a larger jump but we've been averaging a 5% growth per year over the P three years uh so we we a we believe that will continue to grow uh and then our final goal in 2026 is to get to 56% uh these are ambitious goals but if you set the bar high you can achieve high if you set the bar low you achieve low uh we'll also be targeting the sub the same subgroups as Ela and looking for those incremental increases of 5% per year the uh way we're doing this is is actually the exact same as um Ela so we uh did a deep dive into the standards we a year ahead in the end of August the state said oh those new standards for math we're going to let you roll them over to next year but we had already prepared all those standards for this year so we're a year ahead on that uh we'll also be doing uh targeted intervention in the pullout fashion for our students who are struggling the most providing the rise and shine in a a small group high impact tutoring of three to four students to one teacher and then also uh targeting that Buble boost uh something else we'll be doing is uh looking across the subgroups to identify those students who are in multiple subgroups um so that we can have multiple bubbles popped if you will or double bubble uh um to help support those students um then there's science science uh we don't back so we had to do some deep Dives and digging into this um the state rate was at 19% and we were at 18.6 so just a little bit below the state our goal for next year is to get to 24% and by 2026 to be at 30% to almost double um across the same subgroups as I've mentioned our goal is to increase by 5% uh each over the course of the next two years uh slightly different how we're going to attack science um we we did take a deep dive into the curriculum standards and focused on those looked to make sure that we're addressing all the standards covered across our curriculum uh in 3 to eight as well as making sure it's addressed in K to2 to get those foundational skills um to have continuing professional development on the curricular resources that we use in the classroom uh as well as outside professional development that we always seek last year into this year uh we provided vertical articulation at the beginning of the year and throughout the year for grades three through eight all the tested grades so that science department can get together and start to plan out to make sure that there's no gaps as we move up and then finally um in the vein of the bubble boost we're we started uh doing a bubble boost for science um uh at the middle school level is where we first kicked it off and we're hoping to uh bridge that gap down into Elementary as well um our last goal is for chronic absenteeism which is our uh District performance so we were judged on 2023 numbers we were at 26% uh we're considered chronically absent last year we dropped that to 90% our goal for this year is to be less than 10% which would put us below chronic absen ISM and I'm very happy to report that as of today our percentage numbers were we track it daily um I have some issu data um our district chronic absenteeism is at 7 Washington school is at 6% and Memorial School is at %. um so we're really pleased with that getting the kids here is is is half the battle into seeing them achieve long term uh so ways that we've done that is through family engagement nights uh speaking with parents about the importance of chronic acid and cism that every absent counts except for two bring your child to work and a religious holiday you had the flu you had Co doesn't matter it still counts towards your abses you have to have less than 18 um I started a golden clock you may have heard of Miss parag Gallo's golden lunchbox I now have a golden clock um it is a gold clock with a chain around it and every two weeks um I take the attendance of K to2 3 to five and six to8 and find the Home Room who has the best attendance and they're they win that and they win a bonus recess during their win period um um we have daily attendance calls going in at 8:45 to let the parents know the principles are doing monthly calls home for any child that would be chronically absent for that month or up to date so that's two absences a month is going to put you at Chronic GS so a lot of parents got calls um about that just to let them know um we've also put um attendance wanted signs outside of the classroom so the teachers monitor their home room attendance uh and track that as both a math activity but a way to keep them uh the students engaged we also partnered with our before and after care to ensure that um we're offering half day after care because we found that when we didn't offer half day after care there were a greater number of absences and that is our district Improvement plan thank you very thorough and I for the board to know and public to know too there's not an ad we meet as an admin group at least once a week and chronic got in with conversation I would say almost every single meeting along with the data um so we're taking this out very serious goals that he spoke of are goals that are kind of given to us and then we need to figure out how to get through those goals so um they are some of them are lofy goals but I I think we have the right staff here the right Personnel here to to achieve those goals but it's it's going to take a lot of work on on a lot of people's ends but uh our staff has been working extremely hard um I notice by the Improvement here the idea is just to keep improving so thank you and yeah what happens when a child as some sort of longterm medical AB I mean we're talking you know Hospital something like that as a district we would not be for it all depends because there's different levels of longterm structure thatment um but as far as the district be as a board we reamp our policy um last year to take into account some those things so we're looking at which families to really you know make those homeone calls to and light things up and make sure they're aware we're leaving those families like a woman we know that you have you have a child who had food twice and they've been out for 10 days we're not really going after those families and saying like hey this is that it's when they're not reported or they're just FS happen are on all right so even though the state doesn't view it as a excused absence we as a district view it as an excused absence yes 100% thank you Mr par that concludes my report and students I I was just gonna say um to the students of the month and parents first congratulations on behalf of the entire board um you're welcome to stay the rest of the meeting um but you're welcome to go uh your decision but we will be evented if you um all right we'll now open it up to Mr Gomez for the board secretary report good evening everyone so for facilities we're preparing a bid for our unit ventilators so that will be going out we'll try go out the bid the second week in January we gave authorization for them for our attorney to write the front end which is the actual bid so we're moving ahead on that we're also looking at other options for the kitchen uh we've been working on that with the architect uh maybe moving it over here so and I'll tell you how we're going to pay for it in a couple minutes so food service so just some numbers so for Washington school I'm going to give you the big picture in 2023 we served 3,725 meals in 2024 October we serve 5,497 for the Middle School 2023 3259 meals October 2024 4631 so what does that translate to so for the month of October net profit was $2,597 54 year to date two months we've made $41,988 36 we profit and that's how we're going to pay for we're pacing this is a conservative estimate we're going to break 200,000 on a break Ming cont yep so that's Food Service um things that well for finance we're going to be recommending that we return $2.0 33 million back to the capital reserve uh we were using the capital reserve to kick off the project so we'll be returning that to the capital reserve we we use 467,000 for all the plans and getting that all prepped uh we closed October and 14 days yeah 14 days instead of 60 so the streak is still alive what are we working on so we completed the district report of transported students that report was completed that's how we get our transportation Aid we are working on the application for state school aid and that's exactly what it means that's how we get our state aid right now uh for the K to8 we're up 30 students over last year in the building so that will translate into uh an increase in State a but there's other factors though that might you know cut into that so there's all there's 17 factors that go into the state aid anybody ever wanted to know um so we're also going to kick off our the field work for the audit starting tomorrow so hope and that the due date's actually been changed to January 15th for that uh but the above board the state has been late with the audits every year for the last four years uh due to some changes that were done four years ago so they release their numbers we won't get our final AIT but that we're keeping that off so that concludes my report Madam president thank you so much Mr Gomez and I fre space space free of space it will be an addition classroom and it just makes more sense travel with food from the anx here oh you're not talking they taking now no no not at all that's okay all right um I see that our sth grade student came in Mr no problem all right our seventh grade student of month for October is ISA Rodriguez congratulations hard working student with positive outlook and attitude in and outside the classroom she's submitted to her work each day she is friendly to her fears and makes friends quickly she has excellent behavior and collaboration with her classmates she's an absolute pleasure to have class congratulations take picture first there we go day [Music] thank you one two three perfect thank you all right we'll Now open up to committee reports uh Mrs BR for personnel I personel met on Monday evening uh a new special education program for autism is uh be established begin for September of 2025 this program will provide appli behavioral analysis and spe Services we're updating our data title to register our data Med specialist correlate with the job description in addition with the position from a 10 month to 12 excuse me 12 month position Mrs o our assistant Toba is being approved as temporary board secretary in event of Mr Gomez's absence from our meetings uh we're also going to begin a new search for the new year for new math coach our current current math coach is accepting position elsewhere and we wish him the best of luck and also we will begin discussions for administration contracts great thank you Mr and on behalf of the entire board um all right Mrs Milo for education I don't great thank you Mr belli for finance Finance met on Monday night we discussed uh possible summer projects event project kitchen relocation discussed uh possible purchase of a new bus um and 2025 2026 budget update planed for the 2026 Staffing and student supp great thank Mr me for policy policy did not have Mrs Patel for transportation we did not have a meeting you and as far as the Expansion Project goes for the new Middle School um we don't have any news to share other than we are preparing to go to bed this winter U Mr Bor Mr borc for the Burly is on report very simar report there's nothing going great um Mr fitro for rinal Park me yesterday and Mrs scotle for njsba I can go to the convention which I missed and I miss being able to and I thank Michelle for her putting for me but there is a meeting coming up in December in the hackin sa high school they're talking about um what they're doing to retain teachers and we're also honoring all of the party board the party and I will go to that 6 o' at hack high school that's for great thank you uh we'll now open it up for public comment on agenda items only good evening Donna Duran 16th of M Street I just have a couple questions on resolution D 185 let me get to we're changing the job title from regist to regist and data management specialist are we changing the job prescription um you can keep no I prer if you answer me now if I have questions public speak and I will answer at the end goe if you want to answer yes I want to answer I thought answering questions part of the public comment it's not public com okay so job description I'll wait for an answer the duty for the registr is it straight through to regist for prek to high school from start to end I have to wait for you for that too why change the job description wait for an answer that too I feel the job description nor the job should not be changed in the middle of school year it's a lot of money that we are granting this employee there's no there's no reason to change the job I feel in the middle of the school year I feel that we should wait on until the budget comes up and basically do it that way now I'm going to wait for my questions for resolution p128 the new job time the increase was about 20 starting salary for that when she was tied was $47,000 we jumped from $47,000 to $65,000 I understand that basically it was only in the beginning of 10 month position so we increased it to 12 months my question is we've increased it which I don't know because I didn't get an answer yet if the job description was changed what was added what was omitted I don't have an answer to that so I can't have you answer me and then I can come back to you if you're going to answer that my other thing is maybe the ba would answer this Mr Gomez um we have the extra $188,000 to give this employee in the budget super okay that's new to me okay then I then I can Enlighten the board on certain things um they're we're jumping from $47,000 to $65 that's a 20% increase when I was on the board my was along with the entire board and especially board president Bradley when there were employees that we all felt that they did above and beyond and they did extra duties so basically they should have gotten an increase for the extra duties that they did so what we did was we pulled all the surrounding towns we did the extra duties these pay these four employees got 3% like everybody else and an extra $3,000 for the extra duties that they do we know that everybody in the district does extra duties because when I worked here on the bottom of your contract before you signed it states that whatever the superintendent feel that you should do you should do I'm not saying that the person should not be getting an increase what I'm saying is it should not be done in the middle of the school year that's all basically I'm saying there's there's an employee there's employees here that did get their job title changed and they did get an increase but they did not get an increase like this this is a very large increase there's an employee that's been here for over 15 years that works on the weekends that works this employee right now is only making maybe $5,000 from what this increase from this employee so that's all I have to say and I just find it very offensive that my questions were not answered when I asked that's a new one on me Mr parado I will construct my response and I will give you a call I have respon I don't agree for the record I do not agree with that at all because what his response is to me then I'd like you be people to hear that that's not how we run this that's not how we treat the public at all but why I'm at it now I'll ask my other question hopefully I'll get response from this Mr L is leaving okay so he's leaving in the middle of the year does go I have to wait for response for that too I'm not sure I'm not sure I question Mr LZ was leaving in the middle of the school year his salary is still budget in so that remaining salary that we have left over does that go into the remaining of the budget does that go into capital gains hello I'm wri down any question okay was D 179 is my time up I I haven't been recording it d179 the speech therapist has been working in the district since September is that the resolution States so the speech therapist is full-time moving with the behaviors behaviors is part-time what are the behaviors part-time hours there's two amounts here d180 when Caitlyn becomes Mr Gomez is that an extra stien that's going to be added or is that part of her duties do 182 when all the administrators are leaving on the tech support teex Expo who's going to be in charge and when you send me my my questions back Mr parata I want them in an email thank you else for public comment on genda items only okay we'll now move to a block vote f43 to f46 do 175 to do 188 p1223 to p18 fa12 and c14 do I have a motion motion second secondi yes but Iain from p 99326 p099 326 yesos mle yes Mr mey Mr luo yes Mr borac yes Mr belli yes Mr yes all resolutions passed great we'll Now open up for public comment on non-agenda items found stre there sorry uh did we get approval back yet from the D because it's on the permits for the land use because it's going to be coming up the close to the 90 days write down so this is how it's going to always work moving forward when a person comes up to ask questions correct I mean it's it's public comment we still want to engag conversation about PR okay thank you do I have e