--------- Okay, at 6 o'clock we will call the meeting to order. We will start with our flag of the stands for please take the role. Certainly can't hear you. Mr.
Miy Mrs. Schuler here. Mrs. Bay here. M Jeffrey here. Mr. Nicolai here. Mrs. Perry here. Mrs. Quinn here. Mrs. Reynolds. Mr. Thornton here.
Thank you. I would like to I would like to um introduce our Spanish interpreter, Miss Susette Marie Carter. Hello. Thank you. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to
attend the meeting of the public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed and acted upon. In accordance with the provisions of the act, the board secretary has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having the date, time, and place thereof posted on the bulletin board located in the hallway outside of the
administrative offices. And notice was provided to the Courier News, the Home News Tribune, and the Middle Sex Burough Clerk. Okay, we do not need to go into executive session tonight. So, we'll move on to our presentations and we will start with our Governor's Educator of the Year and Educational Services
Professional of the Year recognition awards. [Applause] [Music] [Music]
[Music] [Music]
Yeah. [Music]
Forever. Hello. [Music] [Music] [Music]
[Music] Thank you. I'm sorry.
[Music] [Music]
Christmas to you. [Music]
down. Hey [Music]
Thank you. [Applause] When I call your name, if you could please come to the podium and pause to take a picture also. Thank you. First up from Middle Sex High School being presented by Mrs.
Parenti, Kenneth Perez. [Applause] You can also come to the podium. Thank you. My [Applause] baseball from Bon E Mer Middle School. Barry
[Applause] Chismar can come to the podium also. [Applause] from Moodland Intermediate School. Courtney McDonald
[Applause] [Applause] Hazel School, Erica Thompson and Dr. Clark. [Applause] Parker Laura Albanese.
[Applause] my son Janette Pine. [Applause] Our educational professionals of the year starting off at Middle Sex High School, Rashelle
[Applause] Arabat. [Applause] Congratulations from Moger and Treyjo. [Applause] [Applause]
Whitland, Mr. Romero [Applause] Lopez. Well, we congratulate him from Hazlewood School. Mindy [Applause]
Durkin. Congratulations [Applause] from Parker. Eileen [Applause] Murray. There he is. I know. I thought
[Applause] and from Wakan. Halar Aguilar [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
Yes, congratulations. Great job. Now, we will move on to our second presentation. Um, the district's architectural firm of record will provide the board with a presentation that includes updates on construction projects, a review of the longrange facilities plan, and an overview of
districts. Thank you. [Music] Thank you. So, good afternoon. Um, shockingly, this is my first time standing around group maybe with the exception of one person. Um, we have
been we have been like 21 years now. So, over that time, I just I want to touch on two parts. Caitlyn is going to touch on all of the projects that we've recently completed and what we can do and what we plan on doing. I just want to touch on kind of our relationship as
an architectural firm and you as a school district. We have been representing 81 school districts in the state and I went to school to draw pretty little pictures and what I ended up having to do is budget and help you financially plan for your future. So
that has taken kind of the role of what we do and the way that we do that is through a capital improvement plan which is basically planning out not just next year planning out what you're going to do the next 20 years and then prioritizing that into what you should do yearby year um based on your feedback
and then we will update it as time goes on. So Caitlyn is going to walk you through um Adam. Hi everyone. Okay. So, today we're just going to go over a brief overview of the capital
improvement plan. I'm not going to talk about 200 projects on that plan, but we'll just give you a brief idea of where we're at regarding the completion of those projects. Right now, we're about five years in. Um, so when we
first created this capital improvement plan, it was 2019. So, that was about five, six years ago. Now we're now starting on the fifth construction season there. Um, essentially what we did with that capital improvement plan was we analyzed
a few of your building systems. So site work which includes your parking lots, your playgrounds, your sidewalks and and site fencing and projects like that, your building envelopes. We have your windows, your roofs, your um building
systems. such as your brick, anything on the exterior that encloses your building, the interior, so spaces like this with your classrooms, um your corridors, your finishes, your lockers, mechanical, we have your
HBAC, electrical, your electrical service to the building, your service to your classrooms, plumbing, so your restrooms, which have been a big ticket item over the last couple of years, And essentially we prioritized those
projects into good condition, fair condition, and poor condition. So when we first looked at these projects, this was done in 2019. As Billy mentioned, these projects will evolve as we progress. So that's why you typically you'll revisit your LRP every five years
and you'll take a look at those projects, see where we're at, reassess based on the condition of those categories. So just starting off at Hazelwood. So these percentages are generated based off of the quantity of projects we
indicate in the capital improvement plan. So what I mean by that if let's say site work we had four projects in there. Now we didn't there was more than that but if we had four projects in there and we completed one of them that would mean that 25% of those projects that we had in your capital improvement
plan are completed. Does that make sense? So that's how these percentages are generated. So we're 5 years in, we're a quarter of the way into your capital improvement plan, which is projected to 2040. Um, so right now a snapshot in
time, we have not completed site or building envelope on that capital improvement plan. However, I just want to mention prior to this plan being created, you did the windows, you did the roofs, so your building envelope is
intact. Um now interior that percentage is related to the corridor ceilings. We did that with a fire alarm project. Mechanical work the 40% is related to HVAC. So we um are actually doing
some HBAC this summer in the school. We've got the gym office. We've got the faculty room. electrical. You just had an electric service upgrade a couple years back so that you could eventually add AC to some rooms like your gymnasium um and a few of the classrooms that
currently don't have AC. And then plumbing, electrical also includes fire alarm upgrade. We had a full fire alarm upgrade last year in that building. And plumbing is your restrooms. You did your student restrooms, you did your faculty restrooms, the the group restrooms. So
the individual classroom restrooms have yet to be completed, which is that remaining 30%. So moving on to Parker site work is about 20%, I know you have some upgrades there to your playground equipment and some sight fencing. The remaining 80% is
the parking lot, which I know you have planned to do that for next summer. not this summer. Uh the building envelope, um what's been completed is you've got your roofs completed, you have your windows completed. Really, what's indicated here, the
25% there's just some miscellaneous points that were taking care of this summer with the unit. the interior that is again related to your corridor ceilings that's getting sorry that's getting taken care of this
summer as well with your fire alarm upgrade. We also know that you replaced the flooring in the multi-purpose room. Mechanical, you are replacing unit ventilators in that 1962 wing this summer as part of a rod grant project.
electrical. There's just some miscellaneous electrical work involved there. Um, fire alarm is a big one. Um, you're doing the full building this summer and plumbing, you have your student restrooms and faculty restrooms
are happening this summer. So, Wong, site work is high because you were able to take care of your parking lot and your bus drop off area. This summer, there's some talk about potentially doing the pave play area in the back if referendum funds
allow building envelope. So again, there was some um I I know that the windows were not as recent as all the other schools, but they are more recent. And we there there was some repointing. There was some masonry pediment work
done over the last few years. So interior, you're doing your quarter ceilings again this summer with your fire alarm project. Mechanical, we're replacing the boiler this summer with a rod grant project. And electrical fire alarm
upgrade the entire building this summer. Plumbing, nothing there, but I do know that the restrooms were completed. I it was it 2010 what 2009 somewhere around there. So they are more recent. Um
they're not as recent as your other restrooms, but they are more recent. Bon Mugger. So the site work that's 85% because you were able to take care of the parking lot, your service drive, your paved play area. So a lot of that work is
completed. Building envelope again. Um I know that the windows were more recent. Um this summer we're actually doing the roof over the gymnasium and we're just going to continue to tackle those rooms that need to be addressed. Next summer I know you
have slated um the roof in the front and also the entrance area um where that plaster needs to be repaired interior. We did the ceilings in the corridor last summer with the fire alarm project as we do unit
ventilator replacements and continue to replace and abate your flooring in the classroom wing by wing mechanical so unit ventilators um we continue to take you know chop away at that as we progress. The boilers were replaced last
summer as well. So actually a large portion of your unit ventilators have been replaced. Um more than you you have more replaced than not replaced. So you're in a good spot. Um and then electrical your fire alarm upgrade. You
did the entire building last summer. Plumbing. We did a couple of restrooms by the locker rooms last summer. So just continuing to progress there. and the high school. There was no site
work done um over the last five years, but I do know that facilities does have some plans to redo the parking lot sometime in the near future. There's been discussions about that. The building envelope, these windows were installed in 2016. The roofs you
continue to tackle roof by roof. We just did the gymnasium roofs. Um that was last summer, I believe. and we continue to tackle that as priority allows. And then mechanical, we are doing unit
ventilators this summer in in 100 wing. So that's the first phase of there's about eight phases. That's the first phase of work that needs to happen your electrical. So we started
out the referendum with taking on an additional phase. there was going to be a phase after that. We actually had remaining funds in the referendum that allowed us to take care of the rest of the building. So, you have a full fire alarm upgrade here as of probably a few
weeks ago. Um, so we're in punchless phase there. And also, as part of that, this summer we're tackling abatement in the corridors and the replacement of your corridor ceiling. That's a pretty big
deal and a big feat to accomplish. And plumbing. Um I know that when I started at PSA, we were finishing up the restrooms and doing over here. We took care of a few more last summer as well. So here's some photos of some of
the work that we've done. So, your parking lot, roofs, some corridor ceilings, mechanical, so your unit ventilators in the classrooms, electrical upgrades, that's at Wa Chong, and then plumbing your restrooms. This is generally what your restrooms look
like um that we replaced last summer. That's it. Does anyone have any questions? Just the percentages, are they based on the monetary value of the project? They're not. It's strictly based off of the quantity of projects that we included in the capital improvement plan. So if there were four
in site work on one school and we completed one, it's 25%. You did say that money had anything. It does not. Thank you. Caitlyn, can you just explain to those
who are not on the finance and facilities um committee what a rod grant is? Sure. So there are different funding sources throughout the state in which you have um in which you can take advantage of
funding the projects that you need. Um they it's it's everything from your capital reserve to your capital um outlay to your maintenance funds to referendums. And one of them what one of the opportunities that you have is is something called a rod grant. What a GR
grant is is for regular operating districts that they can submit a qualified project and those qualified projects are level one projects groups all of that and they will fund up to 34% of that project for you. They being the
state. So it's a great opportunity for a school district. Um they did them in 2013. say it was very crazy back then and they did it again and it was very crazy this time because of it's a certain window that you have to to um you qualify for quite a few because
they only did and they even slended it down from level one um to only roofs and HAC and we were able to to submit and take advantage of those to the point where they all were done and um put out bid and came in uh below the excess
which means that you'll get the full funding of those projects. Is that one one more question? Can you explain abatement as a whole of what it is? The asbestous abatement that we have to do every time
we open a wall here. Just I know what it is. I don't know. There are varying levels of hazardous materials in most schools in the state just based on when they were built. Um as part of that abatement needs to
occur. Baitment is the removal of that in a safe manner. There are different definitions of what that manner is based on what the hazardous material is. If it's lead, it's removed in a certain way. If it's um nonfryable asus, which
means it's not airborne asis there's a certain way to do it. And then if it's the worst case where it is fryable, where it is airborne, there's a certain way to do it that way. Well, statement is the removal of the hazard mater. And then I'm sorry, you said the plan takes us through what year? 2020. And
then so we should have 100% of all of those things by 2020. That's the goal. If we can pay for them, right? Yes. So that's always a problem. I mean, we do this for a lot of school districts and it's it's I mean, our job is to come in and say, "Look, this is 10 years old.
Usually, these last 20 years, you have 10 years left, you know, and this is going to cost you a million dollars to replace." Is it falling apart right now? No. But in 10 years, it's something that you're going to have to figure out how to fix. But there's also 15 other things that you're going to have to try to fix
with this same small pool of money that and that's where you all come in and kind of guide us and say look this is killing us. You know this is not working. This is falling apart. We're not getting eat whatever it is and then that becomes the priorities but at least we could give you the the the the map to
say start thinking about this in the next five years because there's a likelihood that it's going to be a problem. I will say the majority of projects you completed over the last five years were referendum and progress.
Thank you. And and you address a bunch of the things the in my mind the biggest priorities are the things that will will not allow children in your school. A lot the two biggest categories are your roof and your HA. So if you don't have heat,
kids can't be here during winter. If the roof is leaking, kids can't be in that space. So addressing those as the highest priorities is is is a is a good approach and then there's other things obviously that have to get factored in as well. Thank you.
So there are things that were done before 2019 when this list was made that potentially by 2040 need to be back. So it's funny we were just talking about that a 20-year list most materials nowadays last 20 years. So like the the
boilers that were put in in the 60s that used to last until 2010 that that's that's not the thing anymore. Something that's put in in 2025 is going to be done in 2045. It's not going to be done in 2065 or whatever 60 years is. You
know, it's it's not it's not reality anymore. It's it's a never ending cycle. It's 100%. And the only thing you can do is try to budget and I don't know. I don't I know no other they don't make money.
Anybody else? Great. Thank you. Thanks. [Applause] Okay. We will now open the public comment portion of the meeting. Comments at this time are limited to agenda items only. Please come to the podium and put
your name, address, email address, and subject of your comment into the record book. Before speaking, please give your name, addresses, and subject of your comment to Miss Margaret Consult asking board secretary. Direct your comments and questions to the board president. You may speak on two separate topics for
up to three minutes each. Lauren Thomas 109 Green Avenue. I have a question about the bill list. So, is this the first time that the board members see the bill list when they see it on the agenda? Uh, yes. Well, there's finance
facilities. You you go over that in the committee meeting and then when the agenda is released to the full board, we see it, but we usually get that before the public does. So, um I have a problem with that. Seeing the bill list to review is meaningless because it's after
the fact. Everything's been purchased and paid for. So, I don't feel the board members can have any comments for approval or disapproval. So, um I would like to see if there could be a list of potential expenditures that are over
$500 be presented to the board to review and decide if those purchases are necessary. So then the board can approve them or not approve them before the actual purchase takes place. Because reading the bill list, you're just reading what's been paid, but you have
no control over what the money's being spent on. I'm going to ask my second topic is I'm going to ask if you would please table the file attachment that's um labeled reappoint schedule for 202526.
It lists all the tenur people, the non-tenured people, and um I am asking if the board could do a little research on the renewal of the Hazelwood principle. I don't know who did evaluations this year and if the
board members were privy to see those evaluations, but after coming to meetings and speaking to people, obviously there's a few problems going on over at that school. And I feel it's fair to give everyone a chance at a new position, but a principal's job is very
important as it requires great leadership. So from listening to the parents and I believe you all listened for the past few months about all their concerns. Um I feel that there are some shortfalls and I have a few that I'd like to state.
So, not following board policy, allowing people in the building to check their ID, have them wear a badge, and know who they are. That's important. Um, a fire drill wasn't reported as a drill, and parents read on Facebook that 800
Hazelwood Avenue had a fire reported. um not hiring an internal candidate in a timely manner to ensure instruction is not disrupted due to a maternity leave when the proper notice was given by that person asking for the
leave. I understand issuing tickets to go to events at the school which is a wonderful thing. However, you need to collect those tickets to make sure the pe proper people are entering the event. Um I'm concerned very much about accountability with students in school.
If parents had filled out forms for um taking their child to work day but then still receives a call that their child was absent. That's to me is a little bit upsetting. Incidents of kids being hit by other kids and not being notified and
not being told what the reprimand might be. So hence the situation occurs over and over. And lastly, as a principal, if not only the principal, the teachers, the secretaries, everybody in the school should know every student's name and
know their face and know who they are. This way, it will eliminate personal information being given to the wrong parent. So with all these concerns that I just stated, I would ask that maybe you please table this until further
investigation can be done so that we have the proper leadership at his or what school. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] Good evening guys. It's been a minute. Uh question on the agenda is 1401 on the
bill. I'm sorry. Could you state your name? Vincent Clinton. Thank you. Uh the uh the question is a bill expense to I forget her name. It's the owner of the Blue Jay Cafe for the committee as a whole meeting. Previously how committees of home meetings were originally
dispersed is that there was a check written to Dr. Freeman on the reimbursements. Part: 2
guys haven't even settled a contract. So why are we going to keep up what we paid for when you guys can't even settle a contract? So settle the contract. If a teacher has a problem, they want to send their kid here, you can redress it. But to bring it up now, I think it's
subject. And last but not least, I would like to say that the community school um do we the community school is supposed to be a self-subsidized portion of the school district if I'm correct and if that's
what it is then where is the check and balances like how much is the community school bringing in versus how much we're putting out because $17,000 to Boris Lodge for family funday is a lot of money for how many students
do we have in the program? 204. Okay. 204 divided by $17,000. So that's a lot of money. And if it's totally subsidized by them, I'm all for it.
Okay. Then where can I find the accountability of that? What are the line items that say what we brought in and what we took out? Because I don't see it. So, if somebody could email me how
much was brought in and how much was paid out, I would appreciate it. My email is on this list and um and you can send it to me. Thank you. Thank you. follow my
sister. Um, I just would like to say to the board members, I don't blame the superintendent for this, but I do blame the board members. I am appalled that you guys would vote to pay full tuition for
teachers, students to come to this school when you won't even vote on a contract for our teachers. I just can't understand this. I understand Dr. Freeman's trying
to bring in experienced teachers, and again, I agree with my sister, paying them $98,000 a year. They could pay half their tuition. Maybe half tuition is a nice little benefit that they get right now. And maybe we won't attract anybody
that way. But I have a problem paying full tuition. That's like me paying for somebody to go to Ruckers Prep. I mean, like, I wouldn't want to do that. So, I would hope last night at the meeting, it was just flown by that you're going to vote on it tonight and
it's going to be free tuition. So, I really hope you went home and thought about it because I I have a problem using my money for that. First thing. Second thing, when we hire a principal at a very very very
nice salary with a doctorate who is experienced, we should have not had a page of issues for her first year. I understand there's a learning curve. I understand it was a hostile
environment, but that should not be accepted. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. This is agenda. Yes. Melissa D 6 Princeton Drive. Uh my first topic that I want to talk on is the free
tuition. I'm a teacher here. That'd be nice, but I also live in town. I pay town taxes. uh on the higher end of the town taxes. Um I do think offering discounted tuition is fine, but as a
teacher, if I have to put my kids in afterare, I get a 10% discount. That's what our teachers are offered. 10% to fulfill the contract hours, right, that we work for you that don't always match up with sending our kids to our school.
For instance, I need to be at the high school earlier than my children need to be at Hazelwood. So therefore, I would have to pay for before care. I get a 10% discount. But now we can hire anybody who doesn't live in town and their kids
could come to the school for free. Doesn't seem right. I pay taxes in this town. I want to live here. I want my kids here. Do I think we should hire people who also want that? Definitely go for it. But you guys also pay those
taxes. Okay. Your kids also go here. And you know what happens? Maybe it does attract people. Maybe we get people from all over and they just come here because they want to send their kids here. What happens next? We're paying some jin for a
referendum. You say we're out of space. We're just going to offer free tuition. Does that make sense? Um, my next topic is on the agenda item of the nontenured administrators. Last month, I got up
here, I talked about how emotionally toxic Hazelwood School has become. And unfortunately, tonight I have to stand up here and point out how incredibly unsafe Hazelwood has been. It makes me sick to my stomach to know that had parents not sent emails after a recent
event, Hazelwood could have been the next Sandy Hook. Every parent at Hazlewood deserves to know just how much danger their children have been in. I had the privilege of attending the enrichment expo at Hazwood School Wednesday, May 14th. I received the invite from my child, but was not given
any tickets for attendance. Some people were upset that 30 people were left to wait in the rain. I was not. I appreciate security measures. Turns out that's not what it was. Once the secretary realized 30 people were waiting outside, we were allowed to wait in the vestibule. Many people piled in
and more people were allowed in by others opening the doors. The principal went to check if it was ready and then came and opened the doors to allow us all to walk to the library. We were not escorted, just pointed in the right direction and no one was checked for verification that they were supposed to
be there. That's a major security issue in a school that does not have the luxury of the security administrator you all deemed was necessary last summer or a class 3 officer we've been promised. Luckily, it seemed everyone
was meant to be there. The expo was a success. The teacher was very adamant about what we would have to do to sign our children out for the day. I understand it may seem like a convenience for some, but I'm respectful
of the security measures in place. So, to be explicitly clear, all the teachers explained and followed the procedures that we all know to be in place. But again, none of it happened. We were told to sign the book. No one checked it. Our
students came through the festival doors and we walked out. I could have walked out with any kid. Not that I want more, but I could have. No one checked that they were on the Genesis release list, any sort of ID, nothing. It also
coincided with the prek pickup. So, there were adults and children just piling in and out of this. Now, this is not the first security issue at the school. Many parents have told me they are allowed in with no visitor tags,
etc., which they find concerning. That botched fire drill was attempted to be hidden. Yet, anyone who's familiar with fire drills knows you notify authorities of a test. So, a we don't use our already thin volunteer fire department. And because there were 200 kids outside
a building like sitting ducks, and our police department had no idea. Yet, our superintendent continues to protect this principle at all costs. We're ignoring glaring issues. We're writing people off as mad about other issues, and we're making excuses. That's
not a way for things to get better. But they are checking IDs now that we emailed. That's what it took parents to email. These are not new to Middle Sex learning curves. Anyone with school experience in our state should know this. All these schools have these
precautions. I do not trust my child's safety in the school I'm sending her to. And I'm not alone. That should be an issue you, our elected officials, are very concerned with. policies and procedures that lead to safety of the children of our town were not and have not been followed. I have no answers to
why except what I can assume is lack of knowledge. This again is the fault of the administration who insisted on improper transition from one employee to the next. Anyone claiming to be there for PTO events has been allowed to enter and exit the building.
Also, according to last month, it seems the PTO president spends a significant amount of time in the building. Does she have proper clearance that our substitutes and other people who spend that much time have? And last month was not a surprise. The PTO president has told everyone who
will listen she loves the principal because she lets her do whatever she wants. Apparently, that's the case for a lot of things there. You need to start seeing through the propaganda and misdirection. Good principles don't need pancakes, pizza, a very awkward plug in a talent show, or to convince an
unsuspecting PTO president to spew a narrative of mean girl teachers, and that she could be a good principal if they showed up to work. And good principles don't need emails where the superintendent applauds a person spewing her narrative while calling the teachers emotional. Thank you. Thank you.
[Applause] Okay, we will now close this public comment portion of the meeting and we will move on to our announcements. So, I just have a couple of things that I wanted to um bring up tonight. I just wanted to congratulate our MOM students. Um they graduated on
Tuesday. Um Vincent was one of them. So, graduated degree from Middle Sex College before they graduated high school. So, great job. Um, and I also wanted to congratulate again our educators and our educ educational services professionals of the year. Um, we appreciate
everything that you do and it is very welld deserved. And my last thing is that I'm just going to um let everybody know that our our new esports program was recognized officially as a varsity sport, which is great um because now they can all get varsity letters and they are ranked
number one in the state currently. So good. And that is all I have for today. So we will move to our superintendent of schools, Dr. Robera. Thank you. And again like in the past we have the same exact topics. Congratulations to our MTOM students who
graduated with their associate degrees. Also congratulations to our educators and educational services professionals of the year. Welld deserved. [Applause]
Okay. And now our um Margaret, are you going to give um I know Annette's not here so we'll skip that. Um we'll move on to our leazison reports, our NJSBA county delegate and our NJSBA legislative officer, Mrs. Sharon
Scher. So um I was able to attend the delegate assembly on the um the 10th. Um there were three resolutions that went up for um uh approval and these resolutions are
to approve changes in wording of New Jersey school board association's bylaws and those bylaws and policies help advocate for the school district. They do not change New Jersey state law. It just helps with the advocacy for our
districts. The first one thankfully I we approved it to go into the policy on um on the 10th but apparently the state was already on top of it because it was about the belief that esports should be
able to get a varsity letter. So that was a quick turnaround. The second one was from Franklin Township and that was a recommendation for um uh students that
um I apologize. Oh no, I'm sorry. That was a recommendation for um a change in the school nurses um approval of what they need for their minimum to be a school nurse. Um again it does not change anything in the state. It just
changes the advocacy. The first resolution was passed by 90% to 10%. The second one on the nurses was 49% to 51%. It was passed to add that wording. And the third one was from Katini Board of
Education um in the respect of advocating for um the ability to have um excused absences for um individuals looking to go into
um um unions work related issues. um the uh the skills and the trades and any professional union kitten last at the last board assembly in um December did advocate for military
and that was already added. So this was the addition of advocating for excused absences for the skilled trade profession and union and that was passed 96% to 4%. Um, New Jersey school boards did elect new officers. Uh, the
president is Tamisha Smith from Nton Township. The vice president for county activities is Barry Walker from Bridgewater Raritton. Vice President for Finance is Dr. Tom Connors for from Piscataway. And the vice president for
legislation resolutions is Shantaa El Jackson from Neptune Township. And as far as the legislative committee, my next meeting is on Saturday the 31st. So I'll have a report in June for that. Thank
you. Now, our Middle Sex County SBA delegate and also our burough alliance leazison, Mr. Thomas Thornton. Thank you. I went to the uh Silver County meeting on the on the 8th of this month. Um they had
the education community. Uh they had the teacher of the year there not only for the county but she happens to be the same person for the state. Um you know some of the things that were mentioned about teachers feedback
towards the um build the curriculum partner with the community not just the schools but with the towns different clubs different groups and to get people to work
together um was part of it the legis legislation they have um the DOE is going to come up with policy and guidelines for cell phone and social media usage in schools. Um it's
not the policy. They're just going to come up with guidelines and each board comes up with policy based on their recommendations or based on their guidelines. Um let's see. That's all I
have for that. those board awards meeting than anything else. Um, you know, they did talk about board certification, individual certification, and the next one was on the 14th. You know, I'll change my face
like this is for the Middle Sex alliance committee. um due to the uh cuts with the national light out um they're not going to participate uh for the Middle Sex Alliance Committee. For those who don't know, it's drug and alcohol
awareness for students from just starting the school all the way up to you know grade 12. um what they do, they sponsor different events. Um they're sponsoring the police
teen academy this this coming summer. Um they also have they filed for grant which they are approved. Um, and they ask if anybody has any
ideas for the state tells us tells the lines what the grant can be used for. Uh, this coming year for 25 to 26 is going to be for underage drinking, marijuana, and
vaping. So, if there's any school programs that anyone teachers or anyone's interested in possibly getting in, they would have to come to a committee meeting and do a presentation.
Um, kind of funny. They kind of Dr. Mike, I had to save that for her. You did. Um, they went through they went through the whole thing about how how you got Dr. Mike here. [Applause]
proud of you. Um, and the next meeting will be Thursday the 12th and that's also held here. And um, that's all I have for those. Thank you. And I believe the Middle Sex
County meeting is tomorrow, right? Tomorrow. Um they have a virtual option. So if anybody's I think I did register for it. So if anybody is available, the virtual starts at 6:45 I believe. Yes. Okay. Um and now our student
representative, Miss Archie Palmer. Dr. Mike. Good evening, respected board members, teachers, school staff. Dr. mics. In the last meeting, I informed the board about the hallway decorating which took place during the last meeting whose winners
were juniors, but seniors want won the class trip, which would be going on May 28th to Eagle's Landing located in North Brunswick. On May 9th, Middle Sex High School students had prom night, which was a very fun and memorable night, especially for seniors. Mr. Regan is currently coordinating with the
committee of parents to make sure every senior has a chance to decorate their lawn outside whose payments are due on May 22nd for parents and seniors who are interested. Um, that's all I have for tonight. Thank [Applause]
you. We'll move on to item number six. Um, we have 6.01 01 is the committee of the whole and the regular public meeting minutes from last month which was the 23rd and 24th of April. 6.02 is corrections and revisions to
previous board agendas as noted there. Superintendent re I'm sorry, does anybody have any questions? Okay. Superintendent recommends approval of item 6.01 to 6.02 as presented. So moved.
Second. Mrs. Consulty Sharon usually I was wondering Mrs. Parent. Yes. Mrs. Schuler. Yes. Mrs. Bichek. I need to abain from 6.1
and 6.02. But the rest are Yes. Okay. Thank you, Miss Jeffrey. Yes, Mr. Nicole. Yes, Mrs. Perry. Yes, Mrs. Quinn. Yes, Mr. Thornton. Yes. Thank you.
Thank you. Oftentimes, it may appear to members of our audience that the board of education takes very little takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote. The boy matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the
superintendent of schools. If the superintendent is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the board of education, it is then referred to the appropriate board committee. The members of the board committee work with the administration and the superintendent to asssure that the members fully understand the matter. When the committee is satisfied with the
matter, it is presented to the board of education for discussion before any final action is taken. Only then is it placed on the agenda for action at a public meeting. Okay, we'll move on to our personnel report by our committee chair, Mr. Todd McCoy. Thank you,
Danielle. Superintendent recommends approval of personnel action items 9.1 through 9.12 as presented. So move. Does anybody have any questions, comments? Okay, Mrs. Kaldi, can you please take
the role? Mrs. Parent, um, I need to recuse from 9.12 numbers six and number 14. Yes to the rest. Thank you. Mrs. Schuler, yes. Mrs. Bay, I need to recuse from
9.12 number 15. Yes. The rest. Thank you, Mrs. Jeffrey. Yes, Mr. Nicholas. Yes, Mrs. Perry. Yes, Mrs. Quinn. Okay, for 9.5, neither recuse for
Gary Brener. 9.12 number eight the same. And then number 18, I'm voting no. And with reason um I just for this board member I cannot in good conscience
approve someone on this list that supposedly has um broken policy. Mr. Yes to the rest. Thank you. Uh for 9.2 number 18 I vote
no due to I'm sorry. Give me 9.12. 9.12 number 18. Uh, all the rest. Yes. Thank you. Thank
you. We'll move on to our education report by our committee chair, Mrs. Bren Perry. Good evening. The superintendent approved. Did I vote? Yes. Okay. Yeah. I'm sorry. I missed it.
I missed it, too. Sorry. Continue, please. Okay. Superintendent recommends approval of the education action items 11.1 through 11 2013 as presented. Second. Any questions or
discussions in addition to any that we have last night. Okay. Mrs. Conalty, will you please take the role? Mrs. Parent. Yes. Mrs. Schula. Yes. Mrs. Banchek. Yes, Miss Jeffrey. Yes, Mr. Nicollay. Yes,
Mrs. Perry. Yes, Mrs. Quinn. Yes, Mr. Thornton. Yes, thank you. Okay, we're going to move on to our policy action item. I apologize. Me interrupting again. [Music] Um, I think I have to abstain from
myself on the um Workshop workshop 1111. Thank you. Okay. Policy action items. Um so we're going to table
0167. Um just so we can get make sure that we're clear on that our wording there. Um and does anybody have any discussion on the other? I just have a question about a public
comment that was made if we could look into do you get refunded if your students in the district or was it in the district? I don't know. I have to go back and look at the comment but it really opened up a whole another set of questions for
me. Um, and also what kind of like impact would this have if we did hire a bunch of teachers who did want to bring their children to the district with how much we have to pay per student and whatnot. So, in my
opinion, I think maybe um further discussion might be needed for this one. Did we not discuss that this was going to be an ongoing yearly revisit revisiting policy? So if there are 20,000 teachers that want to come here
with their child, we can revise the policy so that it can reflect. Um yes, because the way it's standalu, you know, offering our teachers a perk. Um but yes, if we come to find that all of a sudden we have an influx of, you
know, out of town students coming to our town because their parents work here, then yes, we could revisit that and revise the policy if need I'd like to make a motion to table policy 511. And can you also say
and also policy 0167 can you take the role was the second sorry I was speaking to my mic what Mrs. Pretty yes Mrs. Scheler. Yes. Mrs. Bay. Yes.
M. Jeffrey. No. Mr. Nicholas. Yes. Mrs. Perry. Yes. Mrs. Quinn. Yes. Mr. Thornton. Yes.
And to be clear, that was for that was to table the two policies. Yes. Now, we still have to vote on those. Um, we don't have any other items. We didn't have any first readings or second readings. So, that was those were that was the only item. Okay. Thank you.
Okay. We'll move on to our facilities and finance report fire committee. Chair, Mr. Todd. Thank you, Danielle. Superintendent recommends approval of facilities and finance action items 14.01 and 14.12. So, move.
Second. Any questions or comments? Okay. Maldi, will you please take the role? Mrs. Parenth? Yes. Mrs. Schuler? Yes. Mrs. Bay? Yes. M. Jeffrey? Yes. Mr. Nicollay? Yes. Miss Perry? Yes.
Miss Quinn. For uh 14.1 on page eight, Gary Brener recus. And yes for the rest. Thank you, Mr. Thornton. Yes.
Thank you. Um, do we have any new business? Oh, yes, we are. Yes, we talked about that. New business. Make the motion that we start a committee for safety and security.
I'll second. My reasoning is so we can put the best practices from each school, put them together, uniform, no exceptions.
Okay. And we did talk about that last night as well. Um and that Dr. Freeman was going to work with the um principal on special assignment for school safety and security to come up with a uniform
um procedure for safety and security. So if anybody feels that is a question because I don't know like it's our position to um deal with the dayto-day of that. So I
would like to know where the query on procedural wise is there separation. The board members definitely can't deal with the dayto day. Exactly. My question would be who's going to comprise this uh committee committee? Um if it's not
already being formed by Dr. I guess there is some discussion to be had as who's going to be part of this committee um including members outside of the board of education obviously the scope of this committee would be clear based on obviously I wasn't here for
discussions yesterday but I don't know if that's clear to the board members based on the motion that you just made before you guys vote on something. Yes. So last night we just discussed that there were some security issues that had happened um and that we think that it's
a there's a district-wide kind of not issue but things that need to be procedurally consistent. Um so we talked about how Dr. Freeman was going to accomplish that moving forward so that we could have that. I I we did not
discuss creating another committee. Um, and I don't know how that would work. So, I'd have to look at your bylaws with regard to creation of a committee. Um, generally speaking, when the board president has the ability to create a committee, you
know, you don't have to vote on it. The board president can create a committee if she would like to. Um, again, I think there is some stuff to hash out as far as who would be part of this committee. Um, you know, and what the scope of the committee would be. Perhaps it would be
best to let Dr. Fen talk to who she needs to talk to and then readress this at the next board meeting. Just a thought. I think we should table it to and give further information before we Yeah, I think we need a clear picture of what
what we want this committee to see before we decide to create one. Well, right now you have a a motion and a second. So, you're either going to uh motion to to to resend that original
motion or just vote yes or no. But is it is it by is it is it of order to have the motion? That's my really my question. Meaning like to make that motion. Yeah. But underneath the like
creation like the B the the order Roberts with the order. Can we do that underneath? Again, I have to look at your bylaws. Generally speaking though, it's permissible for the board member to make the motion though that is something that likely infringes on the uh authority
given by the board to the board president. Again, I have to take a look at the bylaws though. Um, I don't know if uh I mean would you be willing to pull the motion right now like let Dr. Freeman further consider how this can be
uh prepared um from from a committee standpoint or is this something you want the board to vote on right now? No. Well, I I will call it bring it up next. It sounds like it's in process anyway. Um, so I I don't want to speak for
anyone that doesn't I think it's important, but I think we need to follow the the order formulation of it before we decide to vote on something that kind of like blur the line of who's running the dayto-day. Yeah. No, no. Daytoday, just
to be clear, board members cannot run the dayto-day, should not be running the dayto-day. Um this is simply again board presidents um have the authority authority to create committees. A board can have a discussion about committees that they
would like to create and put a motion on to create a particular committee. It sounds like that all all has already happened though and it's all in process. So why don't we wait another month to whatever your next meeting is and further that discussion if you're not satisfied with where it's gone.
Everybody okay with that? Yes. So, what happened? Uh, just Oh, I resended already. Okay. Yeah, I rescended that. Yeah. Okay. No, I just wanted to make sure we did it. I want to make sure we did it correctly.
Okay. Um, ongoing business. I do just want to point out um there was a comment um last night regarding uh bleachers at behind watch school. Um, we did get that taken care of. The bleachers actually had to be
removed because they they attempted to fix them several times and now have decided that they could not be fixed. So, they just got rid of them. Is that the town? The town got rid of them. Yes. They tried to fix them and then said that it was they were not fixable. So, the town and the school worked together
and decided that those bleachers needed to go. So, they're they're not completely replaced. Will they be replaced? Uh, not not right now. There's there's there was only bleachers on one side of the field anyway. So, and used a lot. Yeah, I think there were
only there was no bleachers on the first base side, only the third base side, I believe. Um, so I I don't know. I guess that's a discussion for future, but there was no immediate safety hazard has been taken care of.
So, okay. Any other ongoing business? Okay, we will open our se second public comment portion of the meeting. Comments at this time can be on any topic. Please come to the podium and put your name, address, email address, and subject of your comment into the record book. Before speaking, please give your name,
address, and subject of your comment to Mrs. Margaret Conaldi. Direct your comments and questions to the board president. You may speak on two separate topics for up to three minutes each. 608 m. Uh, first my topic kind of got turned off. This is in relation to Mr. a
motion. Yeah. Okay. Uh so first of all under policy 155 that any board member is allowed to create a motion or make a motion then create a committee and second under Robert rules of order. I
don't think it was really proper for the law under the Robert rules of order you're not really allowed to you can't really tell a board member to to sing the motion. It's unless the board agrees to suspend the rules or the board allows you to directly to put input under a vote, you can't really ask a just
obviously obviously I don't think there's intend but I just think it's nothing to look under someone read rules of order uh and I any board member can create a motion to create a committee uh they want to or the president directly without a vote which you're
correct. Uh my second second bar uh second topic is uh I always stand up here this contract it's been almost a full year almost uh roughly uh this has been an ongoing
dragging issue which seems to have no end unfortunately. Uh and at some point you have a lot of angry teachers which leads which results in a lot of angry parents and taxpayers. uh and at some point they're gonna they're really going
to be upset. So there there is a possibility uh which can be created under a voter initiative uh where the Middle Sex Burough residents for the petition you need 15% of the last voters so roughly a thousand people uh to sign
or directly by council. Uh you can this whole board can get replaced July 1st under a type one referendum. Uh I'm I'm saying that as a general if this if enough taxpayers, enough residents are just annoyed have their teachers and
their kids can have teachers that have a contract, they they might just vote to have a complete new board. Uh which under that policy, the mayor would pick all nine members uh and also be part of the budgetary committee. Uh, and you
have a brand new negotiation team assum presumably and you have a lot lot more change. Uh, I just think that's something to think about. Uh, I like the rest of people talk to themselves. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. Uh Gary Brener, 34
Fieldstone Drive, Somersville, New Jersey. Um I'm a health and phys teacher here at the high school. I've been here 14 years. Uh, prior to this, I taught at Hazwood for six months straight out of college and I've been here ever since. Uh, I have lived or taught in this town
for my entire life. Uh, I'm here representing the teachers here uh, in Middle Sex, but also specifically more the high school teachers um, to bring to light people who may not know um, the schedule that we have had to teach in this past school year. Uh we currently
teach three 84minute blocks a day at the high school totaling 252 minutes of instruction. Previously we taught six 40minute periods equaling 240 minutes of instruction which turns out to be an
extra 12 minutes a day. Now 12 minutes doesn't seem like a lot but over 180 days those 12 minutes add up. Okay, add up to the point where it is 2,000 extra minutes that we have had to teach this school year up until the last day or a
total of 35 extra hours total, which equals five whole school days. Okay, on a contract that is expired. To my knowledge, not one other school in this district has asked their
teachers to increase instructional time or student contact time except the high school. We were instructed to do this and currently teach every single day with a schedule that does not match the language of our expired contract.
I was taught as a firstear teacher that the contract language must be followed, respected, and upheld by all educators as well as the superintendent and the board of education. Myself and many of my colleagues do not have a problem with
block schedule. We have adapted our teaching format. We have improved our lessons. We have created new um projects and assignments for our students. I personally enjoy it in the gym. um we have a lot more time with the students.
We could do a lot more, especially if we're out on the athletic fields, which takes 5 to 10 minutes to walk to and from. But to my knowledge, no other school district or teacher in our surrounding area is being asked to teach three 84 minute blocks every day without
being compensated financially or with adequate planning time. I am asking for the board of education negotiators and superintendent to negotiate with this in mind. We are asking to be treated with the same respect, appreciation, and decency that our peers are getting in
other districts. I am concerned setting this precedent may deter prospective teachers to teach at our high school or force quality non-tenure teachers to look for other openings in other districts that provide this adequate financial or planning time.
Now I have known many of you here on the board for many years of my life back from when I was a child growing up sharing the same halls as you here throughout the schools. I have taught some of your children. I have coached with some of your family members. I work
on some committees with you and I am family with one of you. Okay. So I know some of you are educators here on the board. You have spouses who teach or family members who work for unions. Now ask yourself, how would you feel if you
were asked to teach in a schedule in your district that we are being asked to do? How would you feel if your spouse was going through this in their district they teach in or for their union they work for? Now, I've been asking myself, why should we as high school teachers
here in Middle Sex be treated any differently than our peers? Why should we be expected to instruct and plan for a school day that exceeds all of our fellow teachers from surrounding districts? Now, I speak for myself, but I know for a fact many teachers at this
high school care very, very deeply about our students, our school, and our community. I take a lot of pride teaching here and coaching in this town that I was raised in. I am asking for the same care, pride, and respect as our fellow professional educators. Thank
you. [Applause] Lord Thompson. Um, I had a I've asked this question many times at the meeting, but
I have never gotten an answer. And I'm asking if if you board members know about theou which is a memorandum of understanding between the board and the town as far as getting the class three officers into our
schools. Any response you know I'm aware. Yes. Okay. So, um, I did my research and it seems that it's the school that has not followed through with theou. The town has been ready. They've
been coming to you for four years now trying to get this project underway. And with the security issues that were discussed, I feel it is very important for you to get that to the town so that they can get started getting these
officers. So would you please put it on the agenda for next month's meeting to be approved because if you wait till September, you can't incorporate this project in a week. The officers have to be hired. They have to be
trained. They have to get uniforms. So if you vote on it next month, which is June, that would give Matt G, the chief of police, plenty of time to get this underway. So I I asked you sincerely to please make sure that thatou gets taken
care of immediately. So I just want to comment on that. Um I don't know who told you that it was with the school. Um but it was for a substantial amount of time with the town. Um they were having their attorneys look at it to resend it
to our attorney which they did with no changes and they had it for quite a while. So this is not on us. That's okay. Well, there's a big problem here because I just spoke to the business administrator in the town today. So, I
will advise him of what you just said to me and I'm hoping that we've also asked the mayor for um in-person meetings quite a few times which he is too busy to give us. So, if you want to go back to them and tell them that we would like to meet with them and that was one of the items that we would like to discuss
with them. So, if you could help facilitate that maybe that would help because they don't want to hear us. Let's see. I get a different time. I There's There's uh something going on here because one person tells you one thing, one person tells you another. I don't know who is the one that doesn't
want to meet with who, but we've asked. I've seen emails asking and I've seen the responses saying that he's too busy. Okay. So, so let me understand. So, you have sent them theou. Yes, it was with them for quite a while. Just to clarify, it's it's a back and
forth create. It's it's a agreement between two parties. Both parties have spent substantial time drafting it. Uh going back and forth with language changes, questions regarding the financial impact of it. It takes time. It always does. But to Danielle's point,
uh it has been, you know, both sides have waited substantial amount of time. You know, I'm not I'm not here to cast blame on the township or vice versa. And I'm I mean I hope they didn't ask you to come and do that themselves, but the point is I've taken upon myself. What what I'm saying is this is a process
that takes time. Um and you know that's all I'm going to say for now. The board is aware of it. The board has been working on it and I think we're probably coming to uh a point where we'll have a final agreement that can be approved. Do you have any idea when? I can absolutely
not give you a time frame. No. Can I ask that this be expedited because we want this to be incorporated for September? Again, there's two sides to this. So, I mean, I I will work as diligently as I can to make sure it's done from the board's end. Okay. Well, I spoke to the
VA there today and I told him that I would report back. So, I will ask him to please be in contact with [Music] Well, he can respond to Dr. Freeman's email asking about a meeting. she requested a meeting with him. So, if he
could respond with some dates that he could meet, that would be great. Okay. And and I agree, we do want this expedited. I know myself um and and Shannon, this is something that we've been school security has been something that we've been pushing for for a number
of years. So, I agree with you that we need to get this moving, but I don't think it's fair to come up here and just put all the blame on us. as as Ari kind of um explained, it's a two-way thing and it just wasn't fair to come up here
and say the school's sitting on it. We need to get it done. We we know we need to get it done and it's very important to me personally and I think to everyone else on this board. Okay. So maybe I wouldn't have pursued it this way if I had asked this question months ago where you stand with this and I never got an
answer. So I did my research to find out. So, it's very difficult for me to believe what you're saying to me because I don't ever get any answer back. And and you know, I don't I might not like the answer that you're going to give me, but I would appreciate it if I
could just give just just one thing to clarify there. When the board is actively negotiating in agreement with another entity, they should not um you know, and if I was if I was ever asked, I would give this advice. they should not be telling the public where they stand with that
agreement. I mean, once the agreement is obviously approved and you submit an open request, you'll obviously get a copy of it, but while the agreement is being negotiated, um, just like any agreement that this board creates, you're not you or any other member of the public is not entitled to that information in real time. So, it's not
it's not my point is it's not an oversight or the board doing something wrong. It was the board not giving you something that they can't give you. I an answer could have just been we're working on it. As simple as I believe we've said that. No, I never get an answer when I'm standing up there.
[Music] Good evening. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I'm Diane Hitler, 332 Senica Avenue. Um, I come before you not in opposition to change, but in support of thoughtful, collaborative progress. Something that
should be a cornerstone of any major shift in our schools, such as the move to block scheduling as a high school, a major barrier to progress on current contract negotiations. During last school year, significant time and resources were
dedicated to preparing for the transition from traditional to block scheduling. Yet throughout the process, a critical issue was not addressed by administration. The conflicting language within the expired teachers contract as it relates to the block schedule. This
disregard for contract language is not a minor procedural mishap. It's a foundational problem. Our contract exists to protect the rights and responsibilities of educators and to ensure clarity in our roles. By failing
to reconcile this conflict during the planning year, you've created confusion, caused morale to drop, and eroded trust. Any potential benefit of block scheduling is hindered due to these conditions. This isn't just about language. It's about leadership. It's
about respecting the professionals in the classroom and the agreements we all committed to uphold. I urge the administration and the board to prioritize resolving this contract as soon as possible in good faith and in partnership with district educators.
Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Um, my name is Kayla Bryant Newton. Um, I'm obviously a parent. My daughter attends Hazlewood. And I just had to
come because I just over the last couple of months just heard so many things that so much of it is I don't know if it's made up. I don't know if it's not true. I don't know if people just don't bother doing research. First, I want to say I'm coming here not only just as a parent. I am a teacher. I am a union rep in my
district, so I understand both sides. But when I have people coming up here saying, "Oh, well, the teacher's making 80 or 98K." People don't just make 98K. They have a scale. They have a pay system. You have a year that you have put in into education, your degree, all
of that goes into it. People don't just eeny meeny money. And the solution is yes. Could you hire two teachers for half that price? You absolutely could. But then you have an issue with how your test score is going to look. and that that you guys don't seem to not you guys that people complaining don't seem to want to understand that it takes time to
see that turnaround. In addition to that, my daughter has been very fortunate to have amazing teachers at Hazlewood. She had Miss Sereibbe, Miss Caraso, she has Miss Got Tiner, Miss Lewis twice and they have all been amazing. So for that, I do hope that they get a contract because they absolutely deserve it
100%. But at the same time, I cannot sit here and pretend that the reception to the new principal hasn't been kind. And that's just from and I am only speaking as a parent. I don't know what goes on in the actual building. But with the parents, I'm I mean even just the things I'm hearing here tonight. Um someone
came up and said, "Oh, well that the shout out or whatever it was, the awkward plugin at the talent show, that's called being empathetic." When you have someone who is new here and hasn't done anything yet, good or bad, hasn't had a chance to prove themselves and you're giving them that opportunity,
it's empathetic that when they attended the pizza, welcome to get to know her like we all did. And we want to extend knowledge of who she is to the other parents who did not attend. Guess what? if she happens to like uh Teddy Roosevelt and that's who he wants to dress as and he happened to be a
personal friend of mine by the way who called me up and actually ran the idea by me and said listen you know I really feel like she hasn't gotten the reception she deserves is there any way you think this would be cute and I'm not in charge of talent show but I said you know what you're the host do you and I honestly think that's probably the
closest several parents have come to even attempting to get to know her you cannot complain about the people your kids spend all day with if you are not going to make the effort to get to know them now If you have a gripe after that, I am not going to stop on stop you in any way, shape, or form, but I don't feel like people have been making the
effort. They've just been making complaints. In addition to that, um the PTO presidents, the co-presidents have been nothing short of amazing. All four years that my child has been there, they have gone above and beyond. These women work full-time. They are in the school
regularly, not for fun. They don't get paid, by the way. They are there helping their kids, the other kids, the teachers with anything that they need. When the PTO president came here last time, I am positive she did not intend to speak, but just like myself, she probably heard some things that were not an accurate
depiction of what goes on. I am not going to say that there have not been hiccups. There absolutely have. But I also was at that expo last week where I watched, you know, these kids did amazing things. And you know what? And the lobby wasn't packed at the end. It was, but I stood there with my husband who doesn't leave the house. So he will
remember that we stood there and they came out and they called the kids names and they gave the kids to because I took my daughter home. Now I obviously wasn't there a long time. It was raining. I don't know what happened after that so I cannot speak to that. But I say all that to say that I feel like there's been a very small snapshot and there hasn't
been a thought of the bigger picture. Okay. This district has made strides in the four years we've been here. When my daughter was in kindergarten, it was a different super. It was a different leader of community school. I went to pick my daughter up from afterare one day and they gave me the little child. And there's not a lot of kids that look
like me. So, I don't know how that happened, but it did. And you know what? I don't come here and blast people because I do understand mistakes happen. You know, I'm not saying that's a good mistake, but I'm saying all that to say that there have been a lot of things that have gone on that have been I've seen big improvements with this
administration. And again, I'm not saying that it's perfect, but I'm saying that we all have to work together from both sides because all this animosity isn't healthy for kids and it's not healthy for the adults and it probably explains why there is a lack of people even willing to volunteer and step up.
But I do say all that to say that I feel that the reception has been icy towards her and I think that people need to be more open-minded because she is a great person and I've received more emails back from her about concerns than I ever got in the first three years my daughter was a student there. Thank you. Thank
you. [Applause] Charl Tardis, Tend Drive Middle Sex. Um, I'd like to know if there's a program called sponsor a senior. Um, I know that they do different things for the
seniors, decorate the lawn and stuff like that. if there's a senior whose parents can't afford it or maybe they're living with somebody that isn't their parents, if we could possibly look into that and um if there's a sponsored
senior, you could let me know. Um the other thing is um I think if we did charge tuition, we could possibly get a new bleacher over at Wong. And if you could when you're speaking
speak into the microphone because if you don't speak in the microphone beyond the first two rows nobody can hear you. So when you guys are talking things could be getting misconstrued of what's being said because you're not talking directly
into the microphone. So I think that the public would appreciate that. Also, I think bringing up the um issue with the town and the board about the safety officer is a perfect reason, Mr.
Thornton, to have a committee on the board of education to work in conjunction as all committees do with the superintendent. So, those are my suggestions. Thank you. So, on the the first and I never
know which way is louder. Um on the first thing the sponsor senior I know that in the past there has been um a public I know there it's been on Facebook um the public does that I don't know it's sponsor a senior I think they do the adopt a senior um and they do it
where you can you can drop off you know they fill out a list and if it's their favorite candy or their favorite snacks and things like that and if you want to adopt that senior you can bring that to them. Um as far as I think it's a prize graduation thing with stuff. Yeah, but I know that even last year they were there was I guess a bunch of parents who did
it privately. Um, as far as sponsor a senior um for the lawn signs, I don't think we have anything like that, but I I think if there we can maybe find a way that if there are families that aren't doing it because of monetary reasons, that would be a good um a good thing to
do. Would would the class um advisor possibly know? and if somebody could speak to him or her to find out. And then um if it is, you don't have to say the person's name, but just maybe put
out there that if there's somebody that would like to do that, that they could reach out to the class advisor or to the superintendent to um to do that or the principal, whoever it may be. We we'll look into it.
[Music] Hi. Um, my name is Kim Muffin Chain and I'm in I'm employed by the district now for 26 years as a um psychologist. Um, I'm also a graduate um
of Middle Sex High School. Um, I attended Middle Sex Schools grades K through 12. Um, and I'm just concerned about the um contract not yet being settled.
Um even though I am due to retire at the end of this year, I just wanted to speak on behalf of my colleagues. Um because I think that um we have a lot of
good teachers. um teachers that really care about the the students and um that do go many times above and beyond for students. And I'm just concerned even
though I'm retiring, Middle Sex is still my home and I I worry about the future for the students here. Um, I had so many good teachers growing up and you know I
was very happy to come to work here. Um, and I feel that um, you know, the teachers really deserve a contract. I do work at the high school and I know that there are a
lot of issues. Um, and I would just want for the board and um to negotiate a fair contract for the teachers. Um, if not, um, I'm afraid that, um, the district
won't continue to really attract a high caliber of teacher, um, and you may even lose some that we have. So, thank you. Thank you.
[Applause] Hi, my name is Kathleen Ranken. I'm a speech therapist for the district. I too have been here 26 years. Kim and I started together. Um I'm not retiring yet. Um I just wanted to say that there are two exciting things happening in
May. And one of them is May is better speech and hearing month which is near and dear to my heart and the other thing is that it is mental health awareness month. And I would like to bring attention to that each Monday we get a
mindfulness Monday email from the superintendent. And I really appreciate the message that is in the mindfulness Monday emails. They are they they give you pause and make you think. And I appreciate that. I appreciate the
message and the highlight on mental health. However, it feels disingenuous when we don't have a clear contract or and we also have perhaps job security issues and I feel like that can be detrimental to the mental health of our
staff members. So, please keep that in mind and settle our contracts. [Applause] Thank you. Nineki, 41, Glen Gary, Middle Sex, New
Jersey. Um, I was handed this to read uh to the board of ed by another teacher and um I'm sure once I start reading it, those of you who know me will understand that this isn't my work.
Okay. Dear board members, I am writing with a singular purpose to request that you prioritize the resolution of our outstanding contract. Teachers and support staff in the district have consistently demonstrated our commitment to our work
and to the success of our students even in the absence of the current contract. Now, we respectfully ask that you fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to you by the residents of Middle Sex by working hard
toward a fair and timely resolution. Operating without an updated agreement creates uncertainty and sends an inadvertent inadvertent message to students and families about the value placed on the quality of the education
they receive. It can impact the district's ability to attract and retain the highquality educators our students deserve and need. On the other hand, reaching an agreement would affirm a shared commitment to providing the best possible learning
environment for every student. I respectfully ask the board work with our bargaining team in good faith. Even though it says team, I didn't I don't know who they meant, but and with urgency to bring this matter to
a fair resolution. We are ready and willing to continue doing our part to support our students. And we hope the board will do the same by settling our contract without further delay. Thank you for your attention in this matter
and for your continued service to our school community. As you could tell, I didn't [Applause] Melissa Zack, 6 Princeton Drive. Um, so I was looking for answers to questions
I've heard asked at these meetings. Um, and I remembered from watching at home on television the explanation that they would be on the board corner as a type of dialogue from the board. Uh, spoiler alert, there's no updates since the February 18th uh, committee of the whole
meeting, but I did stumble across 13 things school board members wish people knew about them. Um, I found number 10 particularly interesting. We only oversee one employee, the superintendent. So my question to you is are you aware
oversee is defined in Websters as to watch over and direct and undertaking a group or workers in order to ensure a satisfactory outcome or performance. The key word there being satisfactory. So here are my things I
wish you knew or would answer. Were you overseeing your one employee when you allowed them to implement a schedule in direct violation of our contract? And if so, why? Because, as I've said before, administration retains every right to
change the hours of the school day within the contract. But a choice was made to not do that. The real reality is there were ways block scheduling could have worked within our contract. Yet, either no one examined those ways or
they didn't care to. I found at least two, and I'm not anywhere near the salary you pay your one employee. So, I really need you to think about the information you've been given. Have you been told it's not possible? But is it really because maybe we don't want to work that hard? And if
it wasn't possible, it shouldn't have been implemented. It's really that simple. You say we respect our teachers and we want their contract respected and so do the people who elected us. Every board member, conflicted or not, can say
that. By not saying that, you're essentially telling everyone the opposite. You expect teachers to negotiate their time away. Time, by the way, that almost all other districts offer. So, yes, there are names listed as hired for open positions on tonight's
agenda, but they haven't been given our schedule. We weren't even given our schedule until we showed up in September. You're already hiring people at top numbers because we can't compete in the middle of our salary guide. These new people are going to see that
inability to compete. And without longevity, you honestly can't compete at the top either. These people are going to get sick of their $25 a month raise and realize they're not being compensated with time like other districts do. And we will continue to see resignations and turnover. I came
across a quote that said, "The most valuable math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of your current decisions." Think about that because this contract is about much more than just money or the math. It's about the actual value
you place on keeping and retaining good teachers that will allow our district to thrive for years to come. And honestly, I would really appreciate if you all think about that quote as you make all the decisions here. Uh I feel like tonight is the
first night where maybe we're starting to see that. Uh that was my first topic. And to the second topic, I just want to be very clear. I have gotten up here and I have said I follow the procedures. I followed the chain of command at Hazlewood and I was iced out. And there
are many other people who also have been iced out. If people are having great experiences, good. That's the point. But to completely write off 10 families, 15 families that are saying things aren't working, things aren't right, and not
listening to them and saying,"Well, other people are having a great time. Other people really appreciate certain things." When things are wrong, people need to know. If we hadn't written that email, that security issue would not have been fixed. It was
fixed. So, you can call it complaining if you want, but I call it accountability. If I'm not doing my job, somebody's writing me up or should be. Okay. So, I just want to make that clear that I followed the chain of command and
I was iced out and other people due to the meeting change couldn't be here to say the same thing, but they have contacted you. So, you know, thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Mark
Hopper, 131 Drive in Fords. I'm proud to be a high school English teacher here at Middle Sex. Just ending my sixth year with the district. I want to thank all my fellow teachers, the staff members, the parents, and the entire Middle Sex community that's here tonight. I'm very
humbled and honored to stand before you tonight as the newly elected vice president of the Middle Sex Education Association. For over 22 years, I've been a proud dedicated teacher. And I've especially appre appreciated how this
community, my fellow teachers, my students, many of whom I see in the audience tonight, have embraced me and my time here. I'm extremely proud to stand here tonight as we celebrate the accomplishments of the teachers and my colleagues as they are honored for their achievements. Can we get one more round
of applause for [Applause] them? This speaks to the tireless efforts we all put in day in and day out to make our student school community the very best it can be. I deeply value the dedication, hard work of all of our educators and the entire staff, whether
they're in elementary school, middle school, high school, whether they're custodians, secretaries, janitors, guidance counselors, every every single one of you and and those of you on the board of education. But I also proudly believe in the power of our
collective bargaining voice and the importance of strong advocacy for every member of our MBA. And I recognize the importance of all of us working together. And I call you the members of the board to put together a contract that further recognizes the excellence that we all celebrated
tonight. Many of you know that we've been working under an expired contract for over 300 days. This situation is not sustainable and it drastically negatively impacts the morale and well-being of our incredibly dedicated staff. We are committed to
reaching a fair agreement that acknowledges and values the educators and the staff and helps to ensure the best possible learning environment for our students, the children, the parents who sit in front of you tonight. It's simply unfathomable that we have not been able to reach an agreement in over
300 days that makes Middle Sex a place where new people want to come to work and where the valued veterans that wants to stay. Attracting and retaining talent is even more difficult now than ever. And I urge you to respond accordingly to the severity of this situation and offer
a contract that honors the hard work of all of your staff. As vice president, I prioritize open honest communication between the MEA and the board while remaining a vigilant advocate for all of our members rights. I believe that by working together with transparency and
mutual respect, we can honor and address the challenges that we all face, including the need for a new contract. We want to partner with you to make sure that Middle Sex remains in place where students and educators can thrive and achieve successes like never
before. That's my first point. If I could speak to you frankly now on my second point, a lot of my colleagues have stood up to you before tonight and address the contract talking about a block
schedule. If you've never worked in school, I don't think you understand or appreciate what a block schedule is. It's very different from a traditional schedule. Very simply, we teach in bigger blocks of time, 84 minutes, where before we taught in 40 minute
periods. There are a number of school districts in New Jersey that follow this model. In our surrounding area, East Brunswick, South Brunswick, Pascatoaway, South Planefield, and Woodbridge all work in a block
schedule. There's a big difference though. All of those schools all which all with our which are about a 15 mile radius. Teachers work under one of these conditions. They either work five blocks with no duty, six per five blocks with a
duty, pardon me, six periods and no duty or six periods and they get paid for their sixth class or they get paid for their duty. None of those three things is true here. None of them. So ask yourselves, why would somebody
sign on the D line to come and work here or stay working here when there's five districts surrounding us that have better working conditions, that meet the needs of their teachers, who are working tirelessly, who we celebrate as educators every year, and who put in
countless hours and care for your students deeply. I look forward to continuing to work with you towards a collective resolution that needs Thank you for your time and attention. [Applause] Hello, I'm Brian Lynch. I'm 11 years in
the district full-time plus a handfuls of some. Uh, and as beits a drama teacher, I'm going on script reading this on behalf of a colleague who could not be here tonight. Leaving a tenure position for a new opportunity at Middle Sex was daunting decision, but one that I do not regret.
From the start, the district has welcomed me with open arms. Compared to my previous district, Middle Sex has been a complete transformation. The student body is vibrant, multicultural, and eager to learn. My colleagues have shown professionalism and kindness, and for the first time in my career, I felt genuinely respected and heard by my
school's leadership. That sense of belonging is powerful, but it's also complicated. As the saying goes, it's hard to see the whole picture when you're inside the frame. But once you step back, the image becomes clearer. And in that image, there's visible imbalance and inequity,
issues that must be addressed if we want Middle Sex to live up to its full potential. The educators in this district are dedicated. Students and families consistently express their appreciation for the hard work we do. But that dedication cannot be sustained when teachers are asked to do more for
less. While I was excited to return to block scheduling, a model I support, the increase in instructional minutes hasn't come with fair compensation. In my previous district, teaching a sixth class came with a $7,000 statement. Here, it's expected as part of my salary, despite the fact that some
colleagues, through no fault of their own, teach one fewer class on the same pay scale. While advanced placement courses are rightly valued and often allow for reduced course load, the system isn't always consistent. Some teachers still carry a six class without compensation. And this kind of
inconsistency adds to the erosion of morale. We are in a nationwide teacher shortage. Retention is more critical than ever. Middle sex has so much potential. But for any new teacher entering the district, the reality doesn't always match the picture that's been
painted. Still, I believe in this community. I believe in our students, in our staff, and in the future of this district. That's why I'm speaking today. The imperfections we face are not irreversible. The board of education holds the power to change this narrative to reshape the picture so that what's in
the frame truly reflects the values we stand for. That begins with a fair and timely contract. One that honors the work we do compensates us justly and provides the support necessary for teachers to thrive, not just survive. We're not asking for perfection. We're
asking for partnership. Let's fix the frame together. Thank you. [Applause] Barbara Mark 19, New Jersey. [Music] I have one letter from another colleague
of mine that asked me to speak on their behalf being that he couldn't be here. As a teacher and a coach who has dedicated the past 10 years to this district, it is deeply disheartening to find myself commuting an hour to work under a sign that reads no contract but
still working. The truth is the only reason I continue to show up with a smile and give this job my all is because of your children, our students. My commitment to this district is stu its students remains unwavering. I continue to go above and beyond to ensure their education and overall
experience in meaningful and enriching. However, due to the current circumstances and the position teachers have been put in, we are now forced to limit our work to paid hours only. This means stepping back from those extra efforts that truly make a difference in your students lives. Meeting with them
after school, attending prom, volunteering at play or events, thing that we've always done out of love and dedication, not obligation. I respect I respectfully ask the board to consider the impact this situation is having not only on the staff morale, but more
importantly on student experience. Please do the right thing. [Applause] Dear members of the board of ed, my name is Barbara Mark and I have proudly served as a special ed teacher for over
20 years in this district. for over 20 years and since n since 2019 in this district. Throughout these years, I have remained committed to my students and community through significant challenges including co shifts in staffing and many other
obstacles that have tested our collective resilience. I want to begin by expressing just how much I love my job. I truly value the opportunity to support and educate my special needs students every day. It is both a privilege and a
calling that I do do not take lightly. I also want to acknowledge the dedication I see from my colleagues, not just other teachers, but also the secretaries and the other staff members who work tirelessly to support the school environment. Unfortunately, the ongoing uncertainty
surrounding our contract has become increasingly disheartening. The weight of working without a settled contract is affecting the morale of our staff in a profound way. I see the strained strains expressions of colleagues who continue
to give their all despite the lack of resolution. It's important to know that this is not simply about finances. It's all about fairness, clarity, and respect. The board continues unwillingness to revise the contract
verbiage to reach a fair settlement is frustrating and quite frankly disheartening. When people feel undervalued and unheard, it becomes difficult to maintain the motivation to go above and beyond. Low morale affects not only staff performance but also the
overall school climate and ultimately your students. Your children, my students. To be completely transparent, I was deep deeply disappointed to learn that some staff members are per permitted to bring their children to
attend school in Middle Sex tuition free as an incentive even though they reside out of district. While at the same time, the board has not yet settled a fair contract for the very educators and staff who serve this community every
day. It is difficult to reconcile these two realities. This contradiction raises serious concerns and sends conflicting message about the board's priorities and commitment to its fairness. And despite the fact that the
high school staff has child care responsibilities, youth sports events, caregiving duties, additional jobs that staff rely on to supplement their income. Many are here and many more wanted to attend to show their support, but the reality of their personal and
financial responsibilities made it impossible for some. At the core of the issue is a contract that simply needs appropriate, respectful, and reasonable revision, particularly in its verbiage. I urge you, for the good of our schools
and our community, to work towards a resolution that honors the dedication of the people who show up every day to make this district a place, a better place for your children and our students. Thank you for your time and your
attention to this important matter. I remain hopeful that you will choose what to do, what is right and fair to do. Thank you. Thank you. Oh man, I need my glasses. Uh Tom Hintleman, 27 people
Chase Court, K Falls, New Jersey. Um, also I am an honorary citizen of Middle Sex. I have the certificate in my room to prove it. After the 2004 softball season, the count the town council made us honor honorary citizens. Uh, first of all, let me say I'm
retiring this year and just thank you for the past 27 years. Uh, most of it has been very good. Uh, I am so proud to see some of my former students up here as board members and it really does do my heart good. I have also taught
several of your kids um and known them and they've been wonderful people. I'm also happy to see you up here because you've done so much for our school. So, thank you. Um I really want to um say another thank you to Mr. Nicole and Mr.
Brener. Uh they put together a wonderful hall of fame ceremony for our school. Uh, I was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with the 2004 championship team and all the money we raised, it was significant, uh, goes to scholarship for the kids. Correct. Yes. Correct. We've
given out over 20 $20,000. That's a round of applause. [Applause] And we have $100,000 in the bank that's going to be there forever. Future days be announced to
benefit our children. even better. So, I know you guys have the best interest of the kids at heart. Okay? And so do we. And everything Mr. Browner said was true. His I won't repeat his points, but it's about the extra time. I teach six classes and I
have a duty. Okay? You add up the time, that's what I put in. You read the contract language, let the lawyer sort it out, but we will uh you know, it's my opinion, we deserve compensation for that. And really, you know, Milsex has been a great place to work because it's
a community school. And you know, Rich Thomas, he told me when I was first hired here, stay small, laugh at a mall. We're sitting on a point right now where we're risking losing that community feeling. And we really have to kind of all come together and get this thing
settled. Like I said, I'm leaving. I don't have a dog in this fight anymore. It's actually costing me $300 to be here because I had to cancel two appointments in my mental health practice. My boss allowed me to be here, but that's how strongly I feel about it. Now I got to drive an hour home. But these people
want the best for your kids and they deserve the best. And thank you for your time and effort because I know volunteering is not easy. They've been trying to get me on board at my school and my district and I'm resisting all the way. So thank you for the time and effort you put in. Thank you for the
past 27 years. and uh you know if we can work together to put together a great hall of fame, we can work together to put together a great contract. Thank you for your 27 years. I I am a former student of Mr. H. New Jersey. Um, I have a
question. Um, when is the next negotiation? Is there one scheduled? It is being. So, there's no there's nothing scheduled right now. Okay. Do you think there'll be one
scheduled before school closes? Yes. So I would just hope everybody listens to the people today and settles before we go into this. That's that would be my hope from all the people
here. Two other things that I had to bring up. I don't know if I'm allowed to, but I was impressed with the 12 students that graduated from sex county college and I was curious to know if that program is still going on. some
there a lot of trash talking happened out on Facebook. I don't want to go by anybody what anybody said. I know somebody even said to me it's still going on. So, I'm just curious to know. I know it was the old administration
that did it, but it is it still going on slightly or um not in the there's there's one more cohort. Um, and I believe that's in the same is it this follow the same process as the one
that ones that just graduated. Yeah. So there's one more cohort cohort currently. And what's a cohort? It's like the group of students. So those students started when they were freshman, right? So they had start when they were freshman and then they continued all the way through. So then there's juniors that are going to to I
don't Yes. Yes. So then after those there won't be anywhere. Yes. It's d we're they're switching to like a dual enrollment um opportunity. So it's not like the same exact thing. It won't be like a cohort of kids. It it actually will be available to anyone. Am
I correct? So that that was a lottery or something. Yes, that program was a lottery only and it was only available to those students in that cohort. So the dual enrollment program is um open to any student who wants to pursue college credits. Okay. And do we pay for that or
do the kids pay for that or how does that work or did we pay for those kids? They had children. Okay. So there was like a like a negotiated rate for the for the program. Yeah. So it was a reduced rate but the
students paid for it, the families paid for it. Okay. So the I'm just trying to get an understanding of what may be in the future for my grandkids that are coming up. I mean, I think it's absolutely fantastic. And I think that that would be something that would attract maybe teachers or people to our
community to think that their children could get part of their degree done before they even Yeah. So, and they can they they can and they will be going forward with the dual enrollment program. So, that would be something run by the school.
Well, dual enrollment is open to everyone, right? I understand that but like you would educate the parents or the kids on how to do it at all. Okay. So the school will take that responsibility to educate everybody on how to do that to help them provide some
of the information on dual enrollment. Okay. Okay. Okay. That I just thought it was fantastic. I was very proud of our town for doing that. It was very good. Yeah. Um, and then my last thing, I know I stood up here last month and I was
concerned about the two rooms of Hazwood that don't have air conditioning. And people may think that's silly of me, but I don't think it's silly when we're going to give free tuition to people and we can't put air conditioners in our kids' rooms, but there was money allotted for air conditioners.
I'm going to make an assumption here, and I'm only going to say it to you guys because you're the only ones that could answer my assumption, but there was $3,356 allotted for air conditioners. Were they at all for
Hazlewood or I know all of got air conditioners? Not all of them. I don't know. I would have to get back to you on that. Okay. Okay. Because I know air conditioners got installed over spring
break and watch up because the minister's going to be over there, right? During No, that's not the reason why. Oh, okay. Okay. So, how do you get the air conditioners? Like, I know it's a big process, right? I was going to actually stand up here and tell you I
would donate an air conditioner to my granddaughter's classroom. That's how much I would like to see her have an air conditioner because there's two that don't. And I also know that it's a state law almost guideline that the room should be no warmer than 78
degrees. Once they get further higher than that, they're to be relocated, which then only causes a disturbance in their day. So, it may sound silly to people, but even if my granddaughter wasn't in that
class, I think it's wrong to just have two classrooms that don't have air conditioning in the school and all the rest of the kids and secretaries and principles all sit in nice air conditioning rooms. So, I would hope that you would if you don't get it done
this year, maybe for the students next year, you can see it in your heart to add two air conditioners to the school. Good. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Nobody else. Then we will close the public comment portion of the
meeting. Um we don't need to go into executive session. Correct. Okay. So, I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn. Second. Um all in favor? I The board