Okay. Hello. Notice this meeting was provided by 76. >> Mrs. Mrs. >> here >> Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mayot
second. I'm sorry. Second. >> All in favor? Thank you for having my back. So now I'm going to say that Are they dropping any You look great.
She is hungry and sounded great on the sound. Okay. Please rise and pledge to the flag of America stands nationy
for all. Few obligations coming. Um first up school principal's day whereas the educational school principles recognizing instructional leader key factor in effective and productive learning in the classroom.
Therefore being resolved in Middletown Board of Education due proclaimed Friday May 1st 2026 is National School Principal Day in the Middletown Township public schools. Teacher Appreciation Day.
Whereas teachers make public schools great. Therefore, be it resolved, Middletown Township Board of Education made by claim Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 is National Teacher Appreciation Day in the Middletown Township Public Schools.
School nurse appreciation day. Prayer school nurser serves critical role in improving public health and ensuring students academic success for more than 100 years. We resolve the Middletown Township public school district to be able to proclaim
Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 the school nurse appreciation day in Middletown public schools. Special education week in New Jersey whereas 242,000 children receive special education instruction in New Jersey.
We resolve the Middletown Township Board of Education proclaims May 10th through May 16, 2026 the special education in Middletown Township public schools. Next up we'll have a presentation
First, I don't want it. Let's go. Okay. Heat. Sorry everyone. Are we good? Good evening. This a little better. That's That's
probably Good evening. Thank you very much for having me tonight. My name is Alan Barnett. I'm the principal at uh BWS Architects. have worked for the district for a little over I think a year now. Uh about
a month ago, the district approached us to review and amend the long range facility plan and take a look at building capacity and room inventory. So
what we did was we looked at the current building usage with the district for capacity generating spaces in particular capacity generating spaces or classrooms academic general education classrooms. We adjusted the room designations as
required as over time building you room usage have changed. Once the district went to a onetoone initiative the tech rooms are no longer tech rooms. their become classrooms. That's just one example. The what you see up on the screen is a
floor plan for both Thompson and Thorne. It's really hard to see the color. Yeah. Okay. So what you see in the color are the academic classrooms that we we uh we took a look at for that's what's
the capacity generating spaces. So we uh modified the building inventory section of the longrange facility plan to make sure each of these classrooms were designated as as general education
academic capacity spaces. We also adjusted to meet the current district class size capacity. All along the way for the past month, we went back and forth with the Department of Education
to make sure what we are doing and to and when we submit this long range facility plan to the Department of Education will be completed correctly with the ability for them to approve it in accordance with their guidelines.
We had a preliminary um had a preliminary look had them look at it preliminarily in advance of tonight and we've been given that it has met the guidelines for approval. We're going to one of our next steps is
you're going to approve the and you'll get the approval back. That's pretty much the the gist of what an update of the LRFP does for the district. Open up questions.
Okay. Any questions from the board? Yes. Okay, she wants to go get her nose. >> Okay, so these are these are the gen I want to know why we're looking at this with a bunch of blue colors and numbers.
How do we know that when you guys went into these classrooms, we knew exactly what's going into what classroom? What equipment is going in? What is needed to teach those classes that takes up the space for the capacity?
>> Okay. When you look at capacity for a space, you look at capacity for students. And when you have a district class size capacity and you check that against the square footage of the space, that's what is the the long range facility plan does
that calculation inside itself. Did you have a question? >> The district class the district class size capacity that we used is 25 students per classroom. >> Want the microphone? How are we looking at these classrooms
for our special education programs and how we use them now? Cuz space is different not just by number of students. >> The special education classrooms are separate from the gen ed classrooms. the general what's being shown what's
being shown in blue is the gen ed classrooms. So my question is we're looking at this and we have that our gened students will fit with 25 per class in every classroom at the same time. Is that how you how do
you calculate this number? Because my real question is we have a major discrepancy from when this was done in 2019 to 2026 and you came in a month ago but these numbers were here before that. So did you take those numbers and then
fit them in or did you come up with your own numbers? >> It's the numbers are based on projected population. That's what the numbers generate. We don't we don't make a number that fits the building. The state the state determines the capacity of the building based on the square footage of
the building and we adjust we use the district class size practice per classroom and that that sets the number for the building. and explain to me that at all of those classrooms in blue, you are saying that
at any given time, every one of those classrooms can have 25 students and that will fit every student that is projected to be at Thorn and Thompson next year. >> That's correct. So we have Are you saying that the
programs are set that all of that is done as well or it's just these are the 25 students where they will be at this time and then the administration has to figure out where they go? >> Yes, that's a scheduling issue that >> right next to each other this could take
a while. So I'm asking this because we have this but what we don't have is the program. We have this capacity but how are the programs that we have supposed to fit into this? And because part of the long
range facilities plan is the planning and design to ensure that it has the capacity to include what is going to go in the school for the next 5 years. Not just students but programs. Correct.
>> That's correct. But the the academic programs is is driven by the district. It's not driven by it's not it's not driven. The the academic let me just try to make sure I phrase this correctly.
The district works for the scheduling of the spaces to meet the academic programs for each building. We were tasked with does the capacity does the building have the capacity to house the students?
So part of the long range facilities plan is that we have to have the cost of school facilities projects in a long range plan. So we have a long range plan of where kids can fit but no plan of what they're going to do when they're
there academically. No, you have a you have a plan because you do have you do have a gym, you have a cafeteria, you have science, music, art. You have all of those spaces outside of the the rooms that are
designated blue. As I said, they're your they're what you're called your janet, your your your math, your your language arts, uh history. Those are the classes that are in blue. Outside of that are are a lot of your let's call your specialty programs.
So in that if we have all of our gened kids housed in this blue, how do we know how many special educ and does that include like ICR kids like kids that are general ed for their classes and have support teachers? Are
those kids included in your numbers here? >> Yes. >> We're going to be really good friends. You should just stay right here. So my next part of this is understanding the programming part or do you not do the programming part and that's not part of
our long range plan. the programming of the say you need a you need if you need five BSI classrooms that's part of that's part of this because you look and
say okay we have we have XY we have five if you need if you need three art rooms that's part of this right that's what's that's that's the that's where the programming side goes into what I'll call the
architecture side. You follow me? What I'm not understanding is how we had such a jump from 2019 to now and how this is saying that we have the space needed that we
are not overcrowded when we have knowledge of it and we have cast parents and community members talking about when we were at these numbers how crowded it was specifically at Thompson Middle before 2019.
Okay, that's that's difficult for me to speak to because I've only been with the district for as the architect director for about a year. So, it's difficult for me to speak to something that's happened in 2019. >> I understand that. So, what I'm looking at are policy for the long range
facilities plans and that we have information that we want to know about students that are attending different schools and whatnot. Um, that everything is listed by facility and grade level. Inventory of all spaces. Are the special ed programs that are scheduled to be at
these middle schools in your capacity report? Do we know that there is space for each of those classes? and do the cabins as minute space at these schools. >> Some of the specialty education classes are not capacity generating
special ed special ed some of the special ed are not capacity generating if they are pull out spaces. They're not capac they're not considered by the state as as as capacity generating spaces of so we have a number of autism programs LLDRI.
So, are all of those programs included in your numbers for the capacity? >> I believe so. >> Before you're asking the board to approve this, I think we need to see that. >> Do we have
I I do not have this layout with me. This is what we use to provide the update that's required for the capacity of the building. This is what the current when you have a usage of a room and it's a classroom, we
change the inventory to reflect the current usage or what it is that it can be a classroom, an academic classroom. In our planning policy, one of the things it says is the district proposed
programat programmatic models for the school facility types and capacities the district intends to operate in 5 years. All I'm seeing here is that there are classrooms for our gened students for next year. I do not see anything for the
next 5 years. So I'm wondering how this is a long range plan. When we look at the capacity, it's projected enrollment. So this shows the capacity is will handle the projection. >> Yes. >> So I think there's a major error here
that someone needs to address is that this does not include our special ed population in the long range facilities plan. So how can we vote on it tonight if we don't have the numbers for a special >> it contains the selfontain special it
contains that because those numbers are are prov were provided to us the first floor. There's a second floor as well. There's a second floor as well. I'm a visual learner. I see these things, but I don't see numbers. And I
don't I I'm not really feeling that we're getting the information we need. And I would really appreciate having that before voting on something. So, while I was saying, I can try to clarify. First of all, you know, it's a five-year plan unless we amend it. You
can amend the plan at any time. You have to amend at least every 5 years. So, that's where the 5-year preference comes from. You're required every 5 years to amend it, but every time we add a project or we add something that we want to do that's not in the plan, we do
amend it. As far as the uh spaces go um you know like Mr. Barnett said you know they're not included in capacity generated spaces and in addition the capacity that is being reflected for these buildings is more than what we is
needed for next year and you know the next few years. So there is some there is some room to repurpose, some rooms if needed when when the final layout is put in. With all due respect, if we are making
this big of a change, not having the information about how we intend to operate for the next 5 years is ludicrous. Any other questions from the board? Who is this? Was this done independently or were you
forced into providing these numbers? >> We're provided the numbers by this Department of Education and we use that. We don't come up with with a magic number. Mr. Barnett, thank you for presenting
and talking to the board about the plan. Yeah, Heat. Heat. Good evening everyone. I'm Amy Dy. I'm the business administrator for the 10 schools. We are here tonight to present
our final budget presentation for the 2627 school year. We presented our attended budget at last month's meeting and we are making some changes here for our final budget uh for the uh you know which I'm going to talk
about here at our public hearing. This slide summarizes what the changes are. It's essentially all the area capital projects. Uh we discussed this as a board and as an administrative team since we did the tenative budget. Uh the
final budget does include the reallocation of $360,000 from our maintenance reserve budgeted replenishment for equipment and projects at the new behaves an allocation of $100,000 for playground
equipment. Uh we have tried proactively to get grant funds to assist the new man uh PTA and the group over there that's working hard to improve the playground uh and replace some old equipment uh through the local recreation improvement
grant uh program for the last two grant cycles. And unfortunately we have not applications have not been successful. We have not received the grants at this point in time. We are looking to allocate some funds to uh the
replenishment of the equipment law. Uh we also allocated for the Bayhore Elementary School that would be the result of the consolidation of $260,000 for putting in bathrooms for kindergarten classrooms. Uh and
so those are the changes that we're making for the front. Our proposed monthly revenue uh remains the same. Uh the previous tenative budget presentation uh that was put up did not include the use of the healthc
care adjustment piece of the tax levy, but the board did vote to include that in the tenant budget. So that is what was submitted to the department of education. So our increase in the tax levy for this year is 3.07% and it includes the use of that
investment. uh all of the other revenues are being seen. Just to recap the composition of our revenue, uh 90% of our revenue comes from the tax service. So we are heavily dependent on that. Uh state aid at this point is about 8%. Uh
that's ticked down some percentage points over the years and our other revenue that's shown there represents 2% of our budget. Our proposed budgeted expenses remain the same with the exception of the items
that we just discussed. Uh there are no significant drivers uh here. I will note that the tuition uh is increased 9.3%. Uh there's an increase in projected private special ed school tuitions. They
aren't capped like they're capped here at 2%. Uh so we've seen some increase there. uh and also in some of our uh other programs. So our protection does increase here. The rest of our budgeted expenses again
no sign no significant drivers here. Uh capital outlay has been updated here. So that number is different than what we presented with the tenative budget. We give the details in the next few slides as well. So our total projected 2627 uh general fund budget is the
201,445,122 that you see at the bottom of the slide. The overall increase in our budget is 2.91%. This slide projects our tax levy increases uh over the past several years. Actually going back to 2011,
which was the first year after uh the severe cut that Middletown experienced in the tax levy. Uh going through the years, you can see it's held pretty steady. Uh there's been a few spikes along the way. We did have
a larger increase last year, the 10 1% which we utilize the tax levy incentive program for but this year again we're back down to the 3.07 proposed. This proposed tax levy is made of 2% of
our regular allowable increase in the tax levy and an adjustment for the increase in healthcare costs of 1.07%. After utilizing these two components of the tax levy, you will have no banked tax levy pack going forward for future
year. This chart shows the trend of our state aid. You can see the uh $21 million that we had um you know back in 2009 2010 uh being cut down to 13.7 million. Uh we
then did go up uh slightly over the next several years hitting a high of 17.8 million. Uh then we were down again to 13.2 in the 22 23 23 24 years and we have received some sub subsequent increases
since that time. And this year our state aid is at 15.7 million but still not up to the 21 million that it was originally back in 2009. our proposed capital projects. We did talk about the last item which was the
addition of the uh bathroom projects and the playground at the Behort Elementary School. Uh the other items that are shown here were presented with the tenative budget. We did move three projects that were originally shown as capital projects in our tenative budget
to maintenance expense if we were given direction by the county to do that. They're still included in the budget. Uh they were the rating improvements for the drainage at Harmony. Uh the repair of gym leaders at High School South and playground site
improvements for Fairview and Ocean Avenue. Like I said, they're just not listed as a capital project, but they're included in the maintenance expense in our budget. Our equipment purchases remain the same with the addition at the end of the playground equipment for New Mammoth. Uh
we have the challenge course repairs at both high schools, sound systems in the gyms at High School North, some scoreboard replacements at the secondary schools, a rest for High School North. um anticipated IEP driven equipment
needs, security camera, software upgrade, facilities complete replacement, uh some other facilities equipment, salt, snow plows, bathroom or tractor replacement, and some outdoor silage 12,686,000.
As we presented last month, our anticipated personnel reductions for 2627 consists of 40 positions, three administrative positions, uh 25 instructional staff and 12 support staff. Uh we anticipate that these
positions will be absorbed through attrition such as retirements, nominals or performance etc. I know we've already started looking at the um looking at the retirements and matching those with the positions that we're looking to eliminate working through that process.
Our rehirement meeting is in May, so we'll have to have that all sorted out in the next few weeks. Our reserves um we're presenting what they will look like after this budget is approved. We started the current year with balances of 42,000 and
36,000 in our capital and maintenance reserves with a total of 78,000. We did not take any money out of those reserves this year. We did not budget for that nor make another withdrawal. Uh we if we have funds available at the end
of this fiscal year, we can look to put deposits in those reserves from those monies, but we have not determined that yet since we haven't finished a year. Uh we do have deposits budgeted in the 2627 budget for the capital maintenance
reserves to replenish those since we they were virtually non-existent. So we are showing what would be put in next year in that budget which would bring our balances up for ending of next year uh to 545,000
in the capital reserve and a little over 2 million in our maintenance reserve. Our debt service is something we talk about a lot. As you can see, our total outstanding debt at the end of this year
is 15,475,000. And if you look to the right, the maturity dates are all within the next few years. The first two bond issues will be paid off. uh the last payments will be included not in this upcoming year but the budget after that the 2728
budget will be the last two payments on the uh 20 and 2020 and 2013 issues and then two years after that the 2014 issue will be also paid off. So, we have been talking over the past few years about
planning for more capital projects and our ability to replace this debt service with new funds so that we can invest back in the buildings. This lays out our budget timeline. As I stated before, we approved the 10-minute
budget on March 24th. We submitted to the NJB county office on the 26th of March. Our tenative budget was approved by the NJB on April 10th. The budget was posted on the district's website on April 16th. And tonight is our public
hearing in adoption of the final budget at the board voting meeting so that it's on the agenda for this evening. At this time, anyone has any questions just on budget and we will take those.
Yes. I may not be able to record you. I might have to give you my if I'm looking at it right, this budget is a $90,000 less for athletics. So, we're closing two elementary schools
and one middle school. We're losing some athletic programs for the middle school. But where's the what what come what makes up that $90,000? What other sports programs are you cutting? >> We're not cutting any programs, but we likely have more replacements of
supplies and equipment in this year's budget than is needed for next year, which would result in a reduction. And as you also referenced, uh, with one less middle school, you know, we eliminate coaching positions and other supplies that would have been needed for that. So, a combination of the two, but
we're not cutting any sports programs. >> I know the superintendent had mentioned that there might be some alternatives because of the large numbers of kids in middle schools maybe six team when we add extra extracurriculars. I guess that's not happening.
No, we are looking at that and again, you know, we we can adjust monies within the athletic budget to cover those, you know, if those are necessary. But I know that they are actively talking about that and checking with other districts to see if there's teams to compete with and making sure that it would be
something that would be viable. But now I know this those conversations are happening. added to the budget later. >> Well, again, they would be we would utilize the funds that have been budgeted for athletics to cover those. It may be just a matter of reallocating
it from something else in athletics to that, but again, not cutting a program, but you know, we do that regularly throughout the course of a year. When we make our budget for the year, we have a plan, but sometimes things change during the year. We're finalizing a budget in
April of 26 that goes through June 27th. So, you know, there are sometimes things that happen and we do regularly adjust within the budget for priorities. Thank you. >> I feel like I'm on a television show here.
Um, can you tell us what the cost savings that are directly attributed to the school closings are? Is it just the 47? >> So, I we did factor that into the budget. Um, I I believe with personnel and so forth, Dr. Alone, it was
approximately three 3 million, which is all factored into this budget. Is this budget balanced or can it be easily balanced without closing the three schools?
>> The bud ob well the budget is balanced. You know we have revenues and expenditures that equal. So bal the budget is balanced. If we took out the reductions that were made for these consolidation,
those expenses would or those reductions would have to come from other areas. So they would have you have to look at the budget and decide where you're getting that $3 million if you're not doing that. So that's that's what would have to occur.
So, let me make sure I'm right about the math. The deficit was $3.2 million before we talked about the budget. Then we had the 2% of taxes. The board voted on the um health insurance adjustment,
which is $1.8 million. And then we got extra state aid which brought the deficit to about $417,000 before we did anything with school closures. So then the board voted to get take the extra tax levy, but they
were saying before that we had to close the schools to save that three $3 million. But now we saw the deficit and now you're taking those $2 million from the additional healthcare adjustment and you're putting it in a reserve.
But then you're saying if we took out the school closures, then you'd have to find it somewhere else in the budget. But you just plug that extra revenue into the reserve for $2 million and you're keeping the schools closings on the table. So that doesn't make any
sense. So the number is not a club. it was allocated to maintenance reserve because we've been talking for several years how we have not had adequate reserves to accommodate things in a district of this
size operating in all of our school buildings. Things do come up that are not budgeted and there's also things that come up that are too large to fit into our regular operating budget. So the the existence of capital and
maintenance reserves are necessary for an a district our size. I mean, there's districts smaller than us with larger amounts of reserves. We need to have those if something comes up and we don't have the money to repair it or replace
uh you know, as we've talked about our HBAC systems are all aging. I know we've done some work at some of the secondary schools, but we haven't really touched much at the elementary schools. We basically replace air dales when we can and they come out of the budget. Uh but
there's you know that's just one one piece of it. There's parking lots, there's masonry, there's I mean look around there's many things that need to be addressed and we have not been able to put those in our operating budget for the past several cycles. So we have
talked about replenishing and having money on hand in case something comes up. I mean it does come up and if you don't have the reserves you end up having to take it from another place. instructional programs, staffing, you know, things like that. So, it it wasn't
a plug. It was actually strategically put there because we've been talking about it for a long time. We're trying to get another microphone up and running. Okay. And the $260,000 allocated for um kindergarten bathrooms
and a playground is about what it costs to run Navy Korea. So there's a school. There's one way to do the school. Now because one of your other budget timelines once before had the running cost of those buildings at
approximately $250,000. So this is $260,000. So, this is money that we don't need to be spending right now and we can keep this school over open. And my other question is, if we're doing this, bathrooms and playgrounds are two very
different things. Why are they in the same amount of together? They should be two separate line items. Like, if I'm putting a playground in my backyard and I'm redoing my bathroom, I'm not creating a a budget total for both of those things. They have two separate
totals. And a playground should be $1,000 per kid that is using it at the same time. So if 200 kids are using that playground, it should cost approximately $200,000, not including students with special
needs, which then ups it. So I don't think that $260,000 is going to cut it. So, I did notice in the presentation that you did have 260 aligned for your capital projects for the bathrooms and for the playgrounds, but in the agenda
it's listed at 660. So, in the agenda, it's originally budgeted 410. Final budget is 660,000 with a change of 250. So, what's the actual spend? Well, there's 250 that would is there
and then $10,000 would be added to that. That was for professional fees. >> But that's the that's the total of everything, not just what not what we're adding. That's includes what was already in the budget.
>> Sorry. Yeah. So just to clarify, so the line item, budget line item 12, triple 0450 on page 6 of 18 of the agenda for the line item for the explanation says kindergarten bathrooms and new playground elementary. Your intended
budget was 410,000. Final budget is 660 with a change or an increase of 250, but your presentations at 260 >> because I group the $10,000 of architect fees into the same line just for presentation purposes.
Yeah. Yeah. She's um so we've provided um at least I have provided uh several opportunities for savings for various things. One thing being tech. So we're spending a lot of money on tech. There's kind of a growing
concern among the community of spending too much on tech. Having one to one devices for Ken 3 seems extravagant. It's a very large cost. Uh industry estimates like $600 per kid. So there's an obvious potential savings there to
kind of reduce the tech. We obviously know that like for benchmarks and things like that it is helpful parts can be used in those situations. Were any of these things evaluated after the public? >> No, but you also have one to
>> not. But what about any of the subscriptions we use that we brought to light? Yeah. Is are there reductions that have been done? So >> So we do at the K2 level currently have carts. We do not have a 1:1 initiative
anymore. We are also phasing out the use of I Ready for next year for grades K to K and one to start. Um and we'll be providing the opportunity for pencil and paper assessments for those grade levels. So that does take a bit of savings off of you know that digital
tool. Um as I had mentioned at a previous board meeting. Um we are obligated to have some type of benchmarking system in place. Um more important obviously at the three grade three level and above because of the standardized testing that occurs in those grades to begin with. But we are
still obligated at the K and one level and to have something in place additionally. But we feel you know um we collectively as an administrative team believe that at the young primary grades that we need to move towards more paper and pencil opportunities for our
students. And therefore those are the reasons why our first step last year was to move to carts because we didn't feel it was developmentally appropriate for kids that young to have a onetoone initi onetoone device and also to your point it's costly to replenish that year after
year over time. um but they still should have some access to tech technology in a developmentally appropriate fashion and then certainly our digital tool cost will go down given the fact that we won't be utilizing that for our K1 students. Um the other thing I will say
is every year the curriculum office does a evaluation of the tools we are using in district and we particularly look at usage both teacher and student. An example is a couple of years ago, we found a digital tool that was costing us in excess of $100,000 and we were
finding that it was being limitedly used by teachers. So every time they were using it, it was costing us about $500 use. So we um took that out of the equation. Um but we do that with all of the digital tools each year. um we can
very easily get usage statistics on both student and teacher level to ensure that what we're using is not only educationally sound but certainly being used um to the maximum extent of the finances that and with the intention you know that we want it to be used for. So
those are the things that are are routinely evaluated but we've made some really great headway in that area. Um we have a committee that's at the um K1 level right now that is devising and formulating what those um paper and pencil assessments will look more so in
math than literacy because we do currently have the dibbles assessment um which is really really a robust way to gauge a student's reading level and deficits um which really drives our intervention in the literacy area. Math on the other hand there's not much out
there paper and pencil but we are going to design with our very ex with the expertise we have from our teaching staff and our administrative team some really good assessments that will give us um good information about student growth and mathematics over time
I don't know what the hands are so I'm just here. >> What happened to the money that the mayor offered to pay for the class three officers that cost us more money per year? As far as I know, that operates
about a year old scheduling to uh I can the only thing I the only thing I can say is what I have knowledge of. Uh we have budgeted to continue the use of the class 3 officers. Uh we do need to renew our contract with the township.
That has not been renewed yet. It has not been negotiated. It will be on an agenda in the next couple of months. Uh I don't know that we have a final resolution on what that contract's going to look like. Uh but we did budget to include the class 3 officers in this
year's budget at at what we're paying. Now if we end up paying less, it will be a savings that could be allocated for other initiatives. >> The amount of savings uh that you have calculated that achieved through shutting down the
two elementary schools and middle school. If you were to take away the $8 billion of uh costs for the request of officers, would that be enough to offset?
I >> don't have the budget detail in front of me, but it's we did not budget 1.8. It's more in the area of 1 1.4 4 million I believe. >> Right. So I mean again as we stated we factored in approximately 3 million for
the consolidations of the schools. So that would partially um you know that would partially offset that. I I suppose that that's not we we still have that cost in there. I mean it's it's in the budget. You mentioned the need for the reserves
and that is the reason for closing the school instead of balancing the budget and keeping them open. When we create this budget, have you done the planning to understand where you could potentially overspent to meet that reserves? For example, in the meeting last week, transportation costs were
brought up and it was the understanding that that hasn't been minutely reviewed to see what the differences will be for bus routes and potential increases in costs at a granular level for each individual school. So would it not make
sense to do the proper planning before to review and not need the extra $3 million as a backup for for planning? >> Not not sure I entirely understand your question. I mean you referred to transportation. We do have our budget
estimate here for transportation. Each year we have to budget for transportation before everything is finalized. That's standard. uh we don't have all of our routes in place for ne in any given year. We put them out to bid. We have to wait for that process to end. All we can do is our projection of
what we feel is going to be uh needed in next year's budget. Uh and I'm not sure How come how come no one has taken the time to look at the capacity of buses you need? Obviously, you're not going to have a
final number. You have to go to the RFP. That makes sense. But is there not like a before and after of potential busing routes for the new students that are not currently eligible for a bus, but will have to take a bus because they now have
to go past dangerous roads and can no longer take their bike or walk to school. Has that been factored at all? We have, as I've stated, we have done we have started that process and we've done
an initial assessment and as I will continue to say, we do not anticipate a significant change in transportation. It's my understanding that Leonardo Madison will not be sold for revenue and will not be reinvested into the
district's budget. Has there been an audit in the potential property revenue for each school that could be potentially closed? If so, why was Leonardo and neighboring chosen? Can you just repeat what you said about
is there been an audit of what revenue? >> Any questions? >> Has there been an audit of potential property revenue? Are >> you are you referring to selling property? We we do have property. We have vacant I mean we've talked about
this in board meetings and community meetings. We have vacant properties that you know we have had approved to sell by the New Jersey um DOE and you know if the board chooses to go that way or it's determined to be you know something prudent to do that can be sold in the
future. But as we've also talked about when you use that revenue to support your operating budget it's non-recurring. So you have it that one year then it doesn't come back. So that's been one of the issues that's exacerbated the problems that we've had
balancing our budgets because we've had a lot of revenue that was only available for one year and has not repeated and that is why we have gotten you know into the situation that we were in last year where we were we had a very large deficit because there was a lot of revenue that we used that wasn't there
anymore. When you use property revenue it's only good for one budget cycle if you're putting it in your operating budget. Well, there's a lot of other people that I and I just want to go over the term. >> The thing that concerns me the most about the budget, frankly, is the fact
that we've got capital expenditure down to $5,000 for certain things, but no money at all budgeted for actually transitioning the schools in. I I What are the decommissioning costs for
Leonardo, David? All of the the actually moving things, actually, you know, fixing up the classrooms, all the problems we imagine have to be there. How is it that there's no line item for that? Do we just have that moving three
schools in the budget just as excess every year? >> Moving expenses wouldn't be a capital project. It would be included in our operating expenses. uh we have started sculpting out what the you know what that entail. A lot of the work we do for
that is with our own staff. So it's not that we would be uh contracting out. There may be some things that we end up getting some assistance on but again that would just come out of our general facilities budget. It wouldn't be a capital project.
Uh we don't have we don't have numbers right at this time. Anything that we do in house is going to be just around staff. Again, we we know it's not going to be it's not going to exceed the savings. I mean, obviously, we
we we know that we're not going to be spending what we're saving on consolidating the schools. >> I'm sorry. >> No, it won't be $2 million. Again, we are still scoping it out, but it's not going and again, this also, you know, to keep in mind, the savings are
recurring. So you may have some one-time costs that are involved. Lension may have some onetime costs that are involved in effectuating this, but the savings will continue for subsequent years. >> It's it's as a taxpayer, it's incredibly
concerning to me. We're taking on all this potential liability without knowing what it is. I mean, are are liability insurance for the abandoned buildings? Are we going to have to have environmental remediation of the Navasc site especially because that's not ours.
The Leonardo site that can be millions upon millions upon millions of dollars. Has anyone looked into any of that? We are not aware of any environmental concerns. I'll give you a chance and I want need to get over to the other side too.
Are we closing the schools because there's a $3 million shortfall projected for the upcoming budgets year? Is that good? And secondary, look at the
10% increase in taxes. Was that sold to the middle residents as a way to boost the reserve? or were they told that that would be what was necessary to keep the school open? >> Well, the 10% was was left, you know,
for the current year. Um, the board voted to approve that. Uh, the the the reason that we needed that is because we had a a significant deficit last year. Even after making some even after making cuts, we were
still, you know, in that, you know, $10 million. Actually, it was more. It was really $15 million. And we had cut a certain amount just to get down to the 10 million. So, it wasn't it was really, you know, it wasn't just, you know, to keep schools, it wasn't to keep schools
open. Essentially, it allowed us to do that for this year, but it also worked against, you know, reducing a lot of other staff positions that are instructional supports for the students. Just going to walk over. I need I think
there's Is there anyone? Okay, that's it. We could do that. I mean, I don't know how many more people want to ask questions, but then it might be easier if you come to the podium. Mrs. Bless, he's got a good idea. If anyone else wishes to make a comment or question, you can come up to the
podium. I have um two questions. The first being, how would uh capital research be decided? Is that submitted um like excuse me during board meeting or how
just generally what is the process for that will be and then two um the reason I ask I think a lot of us have at the top of our minds a lot of what's going on in other schools specifically Colonia um also
there's been photos and a lot of rumors of black mold in the HVAC systems and elementary schools um whether that's something the board members areware ware of I'm not sure. But if there's this $2 million capital expenditure reserve,
would that possibly be used to update the Hback system so that our children are not? So the $2 million is in maintenance reserve like it's in maintenance reserve. So it's not something that we would dedicate to
capital projects. It would be maintenance expenses that are not included in the operating budget. So if we did have something large that occurred in the district that need to be addressed, those are the funds that we could use to pay for those expenses
without having to cut things out of the budget that would impact construction and so forth and make an emergency decision to reallocate things. So it's not something that would be spent all in one year. I mean the idea is is that you have it there. If you need it, you can
draw upon it. Uh the board does approve withdrawals from maintenance reserves. It's not something that you can just do. Uh there would be a reason for it and the board would approve it. And again, it's meant to be something that would be sustained for future years too, not a one year use.
The second question is just if you're aware of the mold issues that has been posted on Facebook. um lots of people are talking about it need to be painted over every year. So is that something that the school is aware of?
>> Anything that's reported to us by our staff and and by our our team, you know, we do investigate. We do testing if necessary. Um I I don't follow all the Facebook, but if something's reported to our staff, we we do address it.
Sounds great. Um, are you creating a budget to run a district or are you creating a budget to close schools? Uh, because if you ask me from what I've seen tonight through emails that you sent you and Dr. Alone as well, it does look like you created a budget so that certain board members can just get what they want by closing schools. So, they
can tell us that they told us so. So, you submitted your school closure submission on the basis of a budget crisis, critical budget crisis. Um, and you've proven tonight and in writing that there isn't a budget crisis and that it's actually not the recommendation of the superintendent to close schools. Um, so have you updated
your submission on why school closures are necessary? and this was the option that was supported and the board. So, I appreciate the response, but my question was specifically about what you submitted for school closures. You stated in fact that there was a critical budget deficit that needed to be fixed
by closing schools. You put in writing uh that that's not the truth, that the budget is balanced. There's plenty of money in reserves. My question is the submission for school closures has that been updated that there is no longer a critical budget deficit that requires to
happen with school closures. >> The submitted has not been updated. The amounts that are in the budget are allocated for necessary things and necessary reserves that the district needs to have. It's the superintendent's recommendation ultimately and the board
votes on it. >> So it is the superintendent's recommendation. >> Okay, perfect. But the budget is different than a school closure. So I'm not asking about the budget, right? I'm asking about your sub submission to school closures.
>> To my knowledge, no, we have not revised our submission for the school closures to the Department of Ed. I answer that question. Do you intend to >> I Well, first of all, I don't submit it, but I we have not discussed revising the
submission for the school closures. >> So, is Dr. Richens going to put in there that it's not a budget crisis and that is not the reason for school closures that there's another reason because it's Dr. Richens. Am I correct? >> The our submission is reviewed by the
Department of Ed both at the county level and the state level. I can't tell you what they're going to respond. We haven't the name of it. We haven't received a response yet. Do you have Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, so we haven't received response either. We sent it to Dr.
Richen. So my question to you is, do you intend to send an email to do to Dr. Richens stating the fact that the original I mean I'm assuming that your original submission said there's a budget crisis, right? We read Mr. Avita's statement saying that there's a critical budget crisis which requires
school closures. That doesn't seem like it's the case. You've actually confirmed that's not the case. So why is there not an updated submission for school closures? We are not discussing the submission. And with all due respect, we've now gone into school closures. This is the budget
hearing. So if you have any questions on the budget, we will have public comment. >> So first of all, thank you for this Q&A. I don't know if this is typical for a budget presentation from last year, but I think you know hopefully we don't abuse it. I really appreciate it because I think that's
been one of the one of the one of the practice of the last year is that it's all one direction conversations. I appreciate it. Um, so I guess my question mostly is is there a minimum um, target that we had for what the maintenance or should have been because
it kind of seems more like we just took whatever net from closing the schools and took whatever net out from closing the schools and just put it right into the maintenance which seems a little but before I get to that was my question but
I had a thought related to that question which is could if We could renew this offer from the mayor to uh to split the shared services. Yes, that's less than 2.5 million, but might it meet the minimum that we have for the target that we have for the reserves and uh and the
reserves solely by that transaction. So target I just want to clarify the decision you know the discussion and the decisionation is not is not to replenish reserves. It
is to reduce our operating expenses not just for the upcoming year but going forward because we are going to continue to have deficits because our our expenses are outpacing our revenue and so we need to find ways to reduce our
operating expenses and we're also looking at ways to increase our revenue. Unfortunately there there's expenses seem to go up higher than how we can increase the revenue as far as the amount for the maintenance reserve. I believe it's 4% of your uh facilities um
budget. We have we have to file forms with the state every year that tells how much that we'd be allowed to have. I don't have it in front of you, but I believe the number is somewhere, you know, close to $8 million. So, it's not that we just took a number and plugged it. You know, we put something aside
that's below the allowable amount that we're allowed to have a maintenance reserve. So, uh that again, that that wouldn't even be considered fully funded. And not that we're going to get to full funding, but we need to have something if in case things come up. And um and oh, as far as your question about
the class 3s, now I don't know how that contract is going to be settled out. Again, if there as we stated to another another person that if there is savings on that, hopefully we can allocate it for something else to support the
instruction for the students, which is what we would do. Okay, I have a couple questions about transportation. So maybe I can have some you can answer. It is budget related. Yes. So the transportation costs um are basically the same but and I'm just
speaking for my school but View Navinc and Leonardo who were going to Beayshore and predominantly were not us. We are all going to now every student who went to Beayshore Le Bay Leonardo or Navy will now require a bus to middle school.
So that's just one small little snippet. Um are you cutting subscriptions or hazard buses to make up for that additional cost of busing? Because I'm not sure how you can assume that there's no increase. Um, and I also don't
understand how you can assume uh $200,000 for new doors, which is a construction project, and there's so many things that can go wrong, but you can't like throw some educated guess of a number on the line for transportation.
So, it's like it's very confusing because you're assuming that it's not going to go up, but we know it's going up because the middle school that was once Beayshore is now going to have all of those students bus somewhere else. That's an entire middle school worth of kids that are being busted that half of
were not busted before. Um and then I also have um a question about the playground the bathroom. >> So what I've been saying and I'm not saying that there won't be any increase in transportation. We're saying that the impact will be substantial. And we're
also looking at where these students would be in conjunction with the routes that were already running and looking to see if there are efficiencies that we can use uh to change routes or reroute and make and not necessarily just be
adding more buses, but utilize what we have, which we do every year. Utilize what we have more efficiently. We did get a new transportation routing program last year. That's made a tremendous difference in our ability to analyze all of that. So when I'm not saying there'll be no increase, I'm saying that the
increase won't be, you know, a large increase. I said I don't have I don't have a cost number, but we because we haven't totally finished looking at it. That's we are still in the process of doing it. That's what I'm saying. Again,
we we don't always have we we we don't ever have all of our transportation finalized before we do a budget because of the timing of how we do things. We enrollments aren't finalized, bids aren't finalized, and we do look every year to maximize our transportation. So,
we do put things out, not renew things. It's not all done by April. We we work on this through late spring and into the summer. So, this is not something just unique to this year. >> And in regards to the playground and the bathroom, I'm curious to know how much
specifically is assigned for the playroom and how much the playground and how much specifically for the bathroom cuz this new Mammoth is getting playgrounds and they're estimating $100,000. Um, which I think they deserve, but they already have a playground. So, a $100,000 is to add to
their playground. Be sure an entire playground. And so I don't understand how if a a small area added to new Mammoth is going to cost $100,000 um how we're going to do a bathroom
remodel plus a playground for $26. So I'm curious where the breakdown of the $260 comes from because that just on paper new doors are $200,000. I don't understand how a playground and a new bathroom would be less than
$260,000. So the doors are more than just doors. It's also replacing all the frame around on the doors. It's a very worth bank of doors. As far as the breakdown in this number, and we did preface this with the board putting it in the budget because it's just something that we just discussed last week and in our
facilities committee. We don't have firm numbers on that. So we did put in estimates. It may end up being more or less or you know, we don't have the firm bids on that yet. We did allocate $100,000 at Beayshore uh for playground
equipment and $150,000 for bathrooms, but we don't know that those are those were just estimates. Again, we have to see, you know, what the scope of the project's going to be, put it out to bid the playground, maybe it will be what we have to figure out what exactly is being
put in and what the scope of that is. So we did make clear to the board that those were not firm numbers that we have to put something in the budget in order to be able to move forward. Um at the last meeting some of the board members expressed that the budget did not um include any cost associated with
the closure of schools but it did um reflect the cost savings. So, I'm just curious, were there further conversations after the last board meeting that you really dug into some research on what the costs are that are associated with the closing? Because if
you're only showing us what the cost savings are and not showing us what the expenses are, then you're not reporting an accurate picture to the state. And that's fraudulent. We're certainly not doing anything fraudulent. We're making our best
estimates information we have at the time that we prepare a budget, which is what we do every year. That's all we can do. That's all that's that's all we can do. The board will vote on the budget later. Okay.
Uh before my budget questions, I just wanted to express my lack of disappointment in any progress that has been made in shared services over the last year plus between the board of ed and the town. And I think that it's a
severe lack of leadership uh both past and present in terms of the board and the township. Uh so my question regards to the budget is I know last year's budget approval was contingent on reserve replenishment. Uh
can you just confirm that's not the case this year? Uh first and then second um regards to safety um concerns at Beayshore. I know a lot of us anecdotally believe
that we don't see how it fits. We see how you know you're you're budgeting for some bathrooms and stuff like that, but when it comes to drop off regarding kindergarten through second graders and how we would expect that to work, uh I
have concerns, big concerns with that. Um was wondering if any safety studies have been done and any budgeting in regards to safety uh is being considered as well. I'll ask you the last question first is
because I I don't know what your first question was and you comment on the township that I was listening to you and before you asked about the drop off. What was the first part of your question? Oh. Oh, right. Right. Okay. So, that
actually what the county office was requiring us to do is to bring our fund balance which is not one of these reserves. It's actually separate. it's basically um in 2% of our operating budget. We had gone you know significantly below that. So what the
requirement last year to have our budget approved is that we were going to commit uh in this year the 20 25 26 year that we would have enough funds available at the end of the year to bring that back up to 2% and we are projecting that we would do that. I did reflect that in my
budget submission to the DOE and um that is you know that is something we're on target for. It's not it's not factored in next year's budget because we're we're taking care of that this year. As far as your other question about the drop off and parent, you know, drop off at Beayshore, we are currently looking
at that and there will be some recommendations for some changes. There's not going to be anything that would incur any cost, but perhaps just changes in flow and that it's not finalized. And we'll be also consulting with the traffic as well.
maintenance reserve is again uh something that we need to have on hand to fund things that aren't budgeted uh that will come up. I mean with this many buildings and the age and the fact that we haven't done any major any real major projects here um our major systems in a
long time we're going to need those funds. So we as you can see on the slide we basically had no funds in our maintenance reserve. uh we they do say that we're allowed to have up to 4% which again I don't have the funding but I believe it's somewhere in the ballpark
between seven and $8 million. We've been able to allocate two and again that's me then to be a multi-year uh fund. We don't want to we don't want to utilize all that in 26 27 that what we don't utilize we can keep and carry forward and use in the future if we need to. But
we just haven't been able to fund it. We've depleted it and replenished it. No, the they're not requiring us to have a maintenance reserve. However, you know, it is needed. >> Hi. Uh, I guess I'm an Indian or maybe I don't
federal lawsuit. Um, so first question I have is I've heard many times that the board has fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers. Given that I'm a taxpayer, that means you have fiduciary responsibility to me.
What were the other school closures that you considered cost savings for? >> This is strictly on the budget. If you have other comments, you can bring them up with public comment, but we are limiting this to a budget discussion.
The bud the budget did not consider any other the school closures that were effectuated were the only ones that were factored into the budget. when you want to calculate the assets and liabilities of a school district in
order to see the maximum fiduciary return in the context of school closures. I would imagine you should look at alternatives much like the one that we discussed in the strategic planning over the summer once that was conveniently forgotten.
Second question. Um, apparently we weren't able to calculate the costs of uh simple transformation. I think we were off by a third when it comes to 400,000 to 600,000. I walked in late so I kind of missed the highlights.
Um, but we you just said over there that ah we're working on figuring out the costs for this and that. Okay. Well, my point is is that this entire school closure is going to be dependent upon a referendum. And you
just publicly admitted that you're trying to figure out costs on the fly. Do you think people are going to be voting yes on a referendum after last year? How the 10.1 was supposed to fix everything? You did it. Okay. And now we
haven't looked at actual fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers in terms of cost savings and then we're just kind of making up costs as we go for that and then the whole thing is tied together with the referendum. Do you have any experience as an
investment banker? >> I'm not investment banker. I was I'm a CPA and a school business administrator. Thank you. We're going to end the line here because we do have to move up. >> Hi. Um, so I understand the expense side of the budget, but I have some questions
about the revenue side because I see it's primarily made up of just, you know, state funding, taxes, which I understand is our current revenue, right? It seems like from the discussions that have happened over this past year, kind of what got us in this position, right? and we need to identify
more revenue ideas. Um I know that a lot of board members at top meetings like a lot of ideas have been discussed. It seems like the shared services and the classroom officers are just continuing to be pushed down by leadership. There were other ideas that people had
talked about like bringing in um our before and after care in house versus paying another vendor to do it. I know there's been just kind of transportation costs um you know looking in people I think Erin had mentioned the potential of um expanding our prek program right
so not seeing any of that on the budget when I imagine you start planning your budget a year ago when we kind of knew the discussions that were happening are you all looking more into the revenue side of things or are you just kind of status quo let's just focus on expense
building We actually do not the district does not pay for before and after care. We actually receive revenue for before and after care. We engage a partner with an Champions as part of Champions contract with us. We received revenue share from
Champions. So that actually is a revenue and one of the big drivers of going to Champions was that their revenue share was superior to the other proposals that we had received. So we are we have been increasing that that is that is factored into the budget. Have you done an exercise to compare?
Would you see a greater revenue share if it was done with your own in-house teachers? Have you looked at that at all? Yes. No. We we we have concluded that it would be
more advantageous to take the revenue share and not have to incur the cost of additional staff and everything else that's involved with the uh with running a board and after repair. But we are we are we are working on the revenue side. We're not just looking to
increase expenses, decrease expenses career, which I think a lot of people have questions about. Do you know what your maintenance uh was last year for your maintenance line? Your
maintenance reserves? $37,000. How about 2025? $36,000. How about in 2024? $584,000. Right? And now you're putting 2 million. There's nothing, no state requirement,
no county requirement, no requirement to put that $2 million in. Why now? when up there he said your bonds matur. Why are we doing two million now when we can keep schools open and you're going to have a bond maturity next year?
First of all, the amounts that we've had in maintenance maintenance reserve have not been adequate to address and and our systems and and infrastructure are only getting older every year. So the problems are going to increase and we would we would need to use that money again not just in one year but it's
something that we can have and hopefully it will last us for a few years. As far as a referendum goes that's for capital projects. That's not for maintenance of buildings. Those are two different things. So you would be doing a referendum to do capital projects that would be improvements and and things of
that nature. Maintenance would be just things that you wouldn't that wouldn't qualify for a referendum. It wouldn't be the same thing. Reasonably speaking, for the past three years, we have never put $2 million. Why now? It seems suspicious to everybody
here. It's so suspicious. We actually established our maintenance zero several years ago with the million dollars and then we had we were able to put money into it in subsequent years. We also were taking money out. We've had we've had instances in the past where we've
had to withdraw the maintenance reserve to make to make repairs. Right now, the only option we have is to absorb it into our operating budget. And we haven't, you know, we've been lucky. The last time we had something large, which was the mold issue we had back in 2021, we
did pull from our maintenance reserve a decent amount of money to cover that. We didn't have that. It would have had to come out of our operating budget. So, we've been lucky, not good, that we haven't had something like that. But, it will happen. And we don't have any money put aside for it. And we're we're
putting in le a lot less than what the state says that you can put in there. They're they're not mandating it, but it is it is solid practice and it's something that we should have here in a district this size and we have an opportunity to put those funds in this
year and we are strategically doing it. I'm not denying that you should have this, but I'm saying why now when you can keep schools open with that 2 million and push it off another year. That's my biggest issue. That was question number one. Question number
two, you have you're eliminating uh 40 positions. 25 are instructional, but in your budget item, it's going up 10%. Why is that? >> Well, I I'm not sure what line item you're looking at, but we do have raises. We do I mean, our instructional
staff is spread through multiple line items. So, it's not just one. I mean, we have um you know, we have special ed instruction. We have regular ed instruction. We have, you know, other other things. I'm not I'm not sure where you're
getting. I mean, they're right. That's fine. If you have further questions, you can email me, but they spread amongst several budget lines. So, it's not it's not all all in one place. Well, thank you and thanks for listening.
Heat. Heat. What? Can you hear me? No, we can't. There it is. Okay. Thank you. Thank you regard the presentation. At this time I need a motion to approve item 7 C adoption of the file 2627
school year budget tax >> discussion. Yeah. So, I just sat through this entire presentation like everybody else did. And I have to be honest, this is unacceptable. This is
this is not thoughtful planning. This is not student focused decision-m. This is disorder. And I'm not just speaking as a resident. I'm a member of this board and I'm seeing the system up close. We have instability where it matters most, meeting the needs of our students.
There's inconsistent staffing, a lack of continuity, and kids who need support are not getting it consistently. These problems are still unresolved. Yet, here we are talking about school closures and major restructuring that
will impact families for years. So, I have to ask based on what? Because it's not based on a system that's stable. It's not based on a system that's predictable. And it's not based on clear, measurable student outcomes. and still were pushing forward.
Five members of this board voted to close schools for transparency purposes. Those same members were heavily backed by a group that has directly impacted my livelihood and the people that I employ personally. That matters because the public deserves to know what influences
play. And I have yet to hear a clear data-driven justifications for this level of disruption. I haven't even heard the five members who voted yes give a reason or outcomes that would be achieved by is a process that feels rushed
predetermined and not centered on students and that should concern every parent in this community because these decisions must be deliberate. They must be transparent and they must be based on student outcomes. That's what we were elected for and right now they are not.
So I just want to say Miss Gillesi, Mr. Avita, Mr. Mr. B, Miss Wisman, we owe this community better. You accuse me of being back. >> I said it. I said five members of this board were heavily backed by a group
that has directly impacted my family and my business and my >> Can you see my proof? I am not hacked by anybody as go ahead. But >> go ahead. >> If you making such an accusation like
that >> if you >> is no no anything. That was a terrible accusation tonight. I will defend myself. >> Do you have any comments from the audience, please? >> I'm not commenting. Nobody back.
>> Thank you. Any other comments, discussion? Okay, I do have something to read, but I do have a question to ask. This budget does include school closes, but this vote tonight does not affect the school
closes. Am I correct? It is not included in this budget. >> Correct. The resolution to close school is separate from the budget. Although the cost savings within the budget obviously are predicated on school closures, but they are two separate situations. So even if the budget
passes, the the resolution obviously for school closures is a separate item to be sustained or abolished one or the other. Um and vice versa. So one is attached to the other but not dependent on the other
I guess I would say. So before I read what I wrote, um what I wrote is based on information that we got from discussions with with Dr. and budget time. But also, I need to say before I
read it, I appreciate that we put in the pneumonic playground because that is a promise made to them when we closed their schools that we never kept along with many other promises that were made
and not put in writing. And that's what I'm afraid of is going to happen again because we have nothing in writing. So, I'm going to read what I wrote, and it has a lot to do with the budget and school closings at the same time. And it's my personal opinion. It's not
anybody from the audience or anybody else up here. I've been here a long time. I care about my community. I care about our schools. I care about our kids. And I do care about our taxpayers. And I'm not looking to go out and get more than 3%. When we voted last year
for the 10%, we were told that we build the bridge, a bridge that would give us this year coming up an opportunity to look at the whole district and fix things that need to be fixed. And there are many things that need to be fixed
and we're going to address some of them in here that all of a sudden we are not looking at anymore and it would save money in our budget. And I'm not looking at some things that listen, I don't want to see any school closed. That's just me. That's how I am. But there are
things that the entire district should be looked at for. And we all talked about that last year when we voted for the 10% and this year it's all gone. So I'm going to read what I wrote, but it's coming from me and not anyone else in this room. And I I do have to say I
think board members have a right to speak. Speak their mind. We shouldn't be silenced for any reason. We're elected officials when we owe it to the people that hate us and the people that like us. This whole process moved forward because
Chris, you said Amy could not make a budget without knowing if we were closing schools. That's not true. You know that from past experience. That's more than that more than one budget can be made with different
scenarios for us to vote on. I believe that the second motion that was presented to us that night in closed sessions gave us an option. In fact, I believe it included using the health insurance waiver, which is what
this board is doing now, using the health insurance waiver. and that if we did that, we wouldn't have to close the schools this year. We could take the time and make a really good plan and and a strategic plan at the same
time. In fact, I think even Deb read that uh a motion at a board meeting where this was voted on. From what we were being told, we were short about $400,000 in change. Okay, that's not a little bit of money, but
it's it's not three million. And that it could be made up so that we could use the time to finish our strategic plan and let the administration and the board come up with a wellthoughtout plan for our community. When I sat at the superintendent's
council, the plan being spoken about was first to redistrict. And I don't mean the neighbors plan. It was to level. It was to level out the three middle schools, not to overcrowd them. If
people thought the new capacity numbers are true, I'm sure that that conversation would not have been had. Dr. Alone also talked about redistricting students that live closer to schools that they can walk to instead
of having to pay extra transportation buses. In fact, she just recently also said that we should still be doing that. So why are we not yet? We're talking about cutting buses
from students and neighborhoods where we closed the school, sent them to a school further away when they are in walking distance of another school. Makes no sense. Another situation that can be addressed while taking the time
to make a plan for the future. If we want to save money, we need to look at all options. Make a plan and phase it in. Let's look at Behore special education programs. There are classrooms there
that were designed for special classes like life skills. Where are we putting these classes? How many empty rooms are available in Thompson and Thornne? We really didn't see that on this this long range
facilities plan. I'm sorry to say. Um not to forget the amount of space we use for the programs that we have in place in Beij. These spaces we use our staff count on to keep up with the success of the programs.
Some of these spaces were designed to keep our students in district with their peers. I'm not sure how many realize how important these spaces to our students and our staff really are.
What outcomes we will get when we squeeze them in to an overcrowded middle school. And I'm telling you, we are going to be crowded. We can all sit here and say no, but we are. How many How many parents were looking
to add a district placement? Something that we've worked so hard to end and bring our students back into our district. We worked hard at that. We those costs could very well go up because I don't know about you guys, but I'm hearing from a lot of special ed
parents in this district. They are not happy with what's going to happen or they don't even know what's going to happen to special ed. This middle school move, and I'm not calling it a plan because it's not, is going to cost us a lot more money and
defeat the progress that we were making from the learning loss that occurred during CO. We all said we needed to decrease the class size. We needed to get the kids more attention. We're not doing that. All we're doing is overcrowding our
middle schools. Middle school is the hardest level to be at for both students and staff. So many changes that our students go through growing up from young children to teenagers. Our staff has asked PACE to play so many roles to support our
students as they adjust through these changes. These new capacity numbers were done without knowing what and who are going into these rooms. It's easy to see that presentation and say, "Oh, those blue
rooms are going to hold these kids." We have no idea. None of us do. I have not about budget cuts. Again, being told that this was not her plan for this year.
I do believe she wanted to give us that bridge and she wanted to make a good plan that would address everyone in the district, not just closing a couple of little schools. And you know what? Down the road, that's probably what we're going to end up doing. But we need a
plan. We're just throwing our kids into this with no time. My opinion is we need to cut from the top. We have heard from every level of the public. We should be cutting positions in
central office and that don't directly deal with our children. And I don't mean secretaries. We should be doing this before we even consider closing school. We should have looked at all cuts that can be made to
protect our children. There are levels that can be cut. We ask our nurses, our teachers, our paras, our techs, our custodians, our coaches, professional service providers, security
guards, principles, all to do more with less. Why are we not willing to do that? Do the same at Central Park. We're being told because it's not a good time with the superintendent leaving.
Well, it's not a good time to do this for our kids either without a superintendent. We need we need to look at the entire district to give equity to all. if we truly are one Middletown because right now we're ripping
Middletown apart and we pitted school against school and parent against parent and kids against kids for $400,000. We should not be selling pieces of property here and there. That's a
band-aid in my opinion. We need to finish our strategic plan, put together a real long range facility plan with the input from all stakeholders and put together a financial plan on how to implement it.
That would be a good time to start talking about selling land to help set some of the cost. We could use it. We need to keep on to that property, I believe, so that when we do have a real plan, we have something to fall back on to at least help us start. It's not
going to be enough to cover it, but it'll give us a start. When we did the 10% last year, we were told it would give us the time to build a bridge to come up with a plan that would address the entire district and be able to come
up with cost savings. That 10% did exactly that. We are not in a crisis this year. That's that we're not in a crisis this year that is forcing us to close schools. Yet that is what's being
proposed and with no plan, no real cost analysis, in my opinion both capacity numbers that overcrowd that overcrowd our middle schools shrink the amount of space for
our middle school special education programs, have teachers pretty much on par sharing classrooms because that's what's going to happen. We're getting more staff into buildings. There's a classroom for every staff member. And I know when I my kids were in school, that's exactly what happened.
One teacher would go out, another teacher would go in. While other areas that we could save on trans transportation are being overlooked, as well as overcrowding in other schools. I'm sure we would find a lot
more if we took the time to make a plan for all schools. So, at this time, I'm going to try again. I would like to make a motion to amend the resolution to close the schools for 2627 school year. Do the
right thing. Create a plan that will benefit not just our school, but our community. Let's build the bridge this Let's build the bridge with this community together. Let's not burn it down. But that inter that this is all relating
to that. >> All right. I'll do it a separate section. What are we are we discussing the budget still or wait still discussing the budget? >> My only question uh comment really because I have other things to say in
other areas is again we're speaking a lot. You're all tired of hearing me. I would love to hear from anyone else why you feel this is the only way to move forward with this subject
and it's not true that board members cannot speak >> well I miss men I will respectfully disagree with you on your first comment school closures were discussed in the finance committee but >> as a result of the projected budget >> no Because if you're talking about a
discussion that says, "I have a plan. Why don't you guys come up with a plan?" And the and the superintendent can't the BA can't come up with a budget unless we decide we're on closing schools tonight. That was the only discussion
only discussion. So besides that, seeing all of this, seeing that we have a b budget that's balanced, I'm curious to see if anyone can offer an opinion, an insight. Anything else? Because we have
constantly week after week, day after day, phone call after phone call, brought all of these things up and are getting nothing in return. And I am asking for the colleagues on this board, if we really want to have a respectful discussion, let's have it.
But you there's nobody like nobody has anything else to say. It just it just amazes me that people tell us about emails that are sent back and forth in comments, but nobody can say anything at this table. I've heard of emails and I've never seen
them and I don't I'm asking constantly and I'm going to get into it later, but I since April 8th have been asking questions and was handed a ditto tonight with my answers. I was asking to understand I am a taxpayer. I am a board
member. The only time any of my stuff gets answered is when quite frankly I asked Missy to put it out there and she gets answered. >> Sorry. >> No. >> I wish it was yes. Mrs. Scholaski,
>> yes. >> Mr. Sarowski, >> no. >> Mrs. Tobacco, >> yes. >> Mrs. Torres, >> no. >> Mrs. Weinstein, >> yes. >> M. Mrs. Wright, >> no. >> Mr. Capone, >> yes. >> Mr. Adidas, >> yes. >> Motion passes.
>> Please make a note that my no is because I cannot get any of my colleagues to have a conversation of what it is we're supposed to do with this budget. Please make >> Thank you, SC. I'm going to go back >> superintendent report. >> So um we provided tonight the um April
um committee summaries in addition to some consolidation information is what we have at the current time. Um certainly just want to make it known to the public that we are moving forward with our planning for school consolidation. Not because um you know
we we want to put families in a in a difficult situation, but because we're with a real short timeline and we regardless of what this this board decides, we as an administrative team have to be ready to implement what the
will of the board is. So regardless of what that is, we have to start to move forward with some of this stuff. Um, you know, we are waiting for the Department of Education's approval. Um, that, you know, certainly is something that's still in balance. We need the amendment
to the Long Range facilities plan to submit. Um, but that's the update. We're hoping that as soon as we can submit that amendment and certainly we would be able to um have the Department of Education provide us some kind of formal decision on that. Um, I will just say I
appreciate um the fact this is the US recognized that you know and I'm going to speak from my heart because in 60 days I'm not going to be here but we were we were engaged with strategic planning and I do believe we were making
good progress um on a couple of fronts in repairing relationship damage that I think we all can agree was not pleasant last year. Um, and I felt that we had a captive audience and we were moving forward in a positive direction. Do I
believe in my heart of hearts that the outcome would have been similar? Yes. But I also believe that we would have layered in other things that made sense and and had the time to do so and most importantly given the community a voice.
And um my my not putting it on an agenda was because I felt that that was the hardest part for me to swallow. Not that we were closing schools. I'm sorry to say that because you know obviously difficult decisions have to be made but the way in
which you know it all kind of unfolded um just didn't suit me. So um you know the numbers in the budget are what they are. There's a lot of ways to skim a gap, isn't it? I think um yeah, and this board has to make a
determination on that total operating budget and that sum amount of money, how we're going to best allocate it to move forward as a district, whether it's dropping it into a reserve, whether it's, you know, applying it to capital projects, whether it's school
consolidation to get to that end number. like that is something that certainly we're providing board information with, but we don't make those decisions administratively. Certainly, you know, there are other alternatives which Mrs. Do present. Um, uh, and we've had conversations with board members about
the budget cuts and things we could do. Um, I like to think that our administrative team, we are creative problem solvers. Um, are we in the financial crisis that we were in last year? Absolutely, 100% not. Like that is that is a reality. Uh last year was a
much different situation that 10.1% did help us in a lot of ways. Um you know obviously bridging that gap and giving us the ability to replenish our reserves um have money in fund balance etc etc. And we still don't know because we
haven't um zeroed out for this year in the sense of will we even have additional surplus that drops out of this year's budget to do other things with. we just don't know that cuz we're too premature in the year. Um I guess my point being is that, you know, there are a lot of ways
that we could move forward. Um there's not just one way. Um certainly school consolidation is one, but it's one of several, but again the board has to decide what's in the best interest of the districts. And as this is already pointed out in the presentation,
obviously school consolidation is reoccurring cost savings, which is really important. Um, and you know, we are getting some benefits out of this consolidation that don't always show up so quickly. Um, obviously class size, we're going to be able to drop that down in the middle school because we're going
to be repurposing um, some staff. It and we've dialed in on the staffing piece pretty accurately because we have to be there because of our rehire deadlines based on state uh statute. So there is some opportunity there. Um that you know
certainly in other iterations there could be other opportunities too. So um but I I really wanted to just speak to that and say there are other ways there are other iterations.
Obviously the board taking the health adjustment was significantly helpful. Um, and that was not something that we had predicted would happen, but that's why it's there because your health insurance costs are increasing so significantly across the board and we're in a good position because we're
self-insured. Um, that there has to be some way to compensate that. So, um, you know, that was helpful. Um, the class three officers were mentioned. I I don't know that that necessarily is a loss clause. It's been discussed in shared services. Um I I know that that the
township was going to be speaking about that as well. We have another meeting coming up and as Mrs. already said like that's just excess for us if we do get some kind of cost sharing relief in the new contract. So that's that's a you know kind of icing on the cake thing if that does come to fruition in some way
shape or form. But we have to budget for the worst case scenario which is to have that you know something we can sustain for the long term. So that's it. Um, I just wanted to kind of reiterate those things and reiterate the fact that the budget and what was voted on is the tax
increase and the total operating money available to us as a district. Um, and the school closures are a separate piece which was based on the resolution that was passed. Now, you know, those things are attached, but they're independent of one another. So, one is
not, you know, dependent on the other necessarily. Well, that's it. That's my update. So, >> I appreciate you listening. Dr. >> At this time, I want to open the line to
public comment. It's on agenda items only. for 30 minutes. >> Before we get started, I'd like to make a motion that we record all of the questions that are said at public comment tonight and that um as we
discuss in executive session, even if they cannot be answered to the public, I would like an answer to all the public comment questions. >> I would like to add to that that we answer the questions when we know the answers. Second. >> Did you move the motion?
>> I did. I made a motion that all of the questions that were asked during public comment that are not answered be recorded and that we get a copy of the questions along with the answers from the board or administration sent to the board members because if it cannot be
answered publicly we deserve an answer to these questions that is the purpose of public comment added which fine with that friendly amendment that any questions that can be answered tonight should be a motion.
>> All of them afford So the motion is to record the comments made in public >> any questions that are asked during public comment >> right we'll record them >> to record them
>> administration will answer them >> I mean it would be great if they answered them to the public but if we're not doing that because of the lawsuit that Mr. Burn said I would at least like to have the answers >> so Mrs. As far as I just want to remind everybody, sure meetings are meetings are filmed and posted. So they are
>> the meetings might be publicly filmed but we're not getting answers to the questions in the public. That is my motion. >> So the answers that are given at the meeting will be recorded I would say I guess but we referring to things that
cannot be answered on the spot. So correct. So, let me be clear about this. People come up for public comments. They make comments and they ask questions. It used to be if the questions could be answered quickly, they were answered by
the president or the superintendent. That has not happened in the past four meetings. I in the last meeting asked for people to email questions that they had that were not answered. I have at least four of them. I forwarded them and asked have these then answered in every
case the answer was no. So, my motion is for all questions that are asked during public comment, someone please record them here tonight and then tomorrow or let's give it till Friday that those
questions and answers are then emailed to the board so that if the public can't get the answers, at least we get the answers. I don't know why the public's not getting them apparently litigation. I
don't know. And frankly, I don't care at this moment. I just want the answers. And I'm not sure why these things have to be so difficult. And excuse my frustration, but I'm at my limit with my questions and the public's questions not
being answered. This is not hard. So, is that a motion that I can make? And I have a second. >> So, then may I ask for a roll? >> Yes. Mr. Sask. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mini. >> Yes.
>> Mrs. Golki. >> Yes. Mrs. S. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mrs. Yes. >> Mrs. Yes. Mrs. Right. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. >> Yes.
>> Thank you. May I ask who's going to record these questions? >> I'm sorry. >> Mr. Thank you. If you have a question, I'm going to ask that you see Mr. Melan and make sure that your question is recorded within so that we can get just
want to give an example. Last week >> this is excuse me this is public comment >> but it has to do with public comment. Last week someone asked a question about busing for sports was is there any other
schools that their buses haven't shown up? Simple answer yes. every single school had lost transportation after school. Those are kind of questions that can be answered. >> No, I just want to clarify what you're doing.
>> I just I the only other thing I would want to clarify is it's something that is is a building level issue that we always do encourage them please follow change of command and go about principles. So the questions that would come here would be questions for the
board or if the chain of command has been exhausted which is totally fine. So if that is a thing you say please bring us through the chain of command and then we can move on. >> Okay. >> So that motion has passed.
>> You're not going to sleep with me. It is not. Okay. Uh, hi, my name is Daniel Cardone. I'm the student education for the school and my question is, if this plan does take effect and schools do close, the projected budget
shows reforming bathrooms and adding a playground to make sure that will show. What is the projected timeline to renovate the bathrooms without a playground and make sure to make them adequate for elementary school children? Is 2 months a realistic time frame to have that done by this
September? Right now, we don't have an absolute timeline, but once we do, we will share it. >> Okay. Uh if this does cut into the 26 27th school year, how are kids going to be able to learn during these construction changes, especially with
kindergarten and special needs kids? Okay. If these renovations are going to continue into the 2026 27 school year, that's concerning. Improvements are important, but not at the expense of students leaving ongoing construction and disruption. Can you clearly explain
that timeline? I already asked this but I haven't written down. What students should expect daytoday and what steps are being taken to minimize the impact on their learning environment. What students should expect daytoday and what steps are being taken to minimize
the impact on their environment. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Logania and I go to Behore Middle School and I'm in sixth grade. This is my second year that
you're discussing closing my school. Last year sat meetings with suggestions on how to blend in the communities given keeping schools open another year is an option. The board is obly obviously wants to close schools. My question is
why nothing has been done with these suggestions in the last 12 months. My email address is dlesio lm middlek. Hello, my name is Edward Austin. I'm a student at Bayore in seventh grade. And
um sorry, I don't understand. So my question is just just why why I do not understand it. what
>> I said we don't have a singular necessary answer to that. Obviously there's cost savings involved with the school closures. Um but there are you know additional reasons why you know it could be beneficial. So we'll record your
question and we'll try to give you a a broader a more specific um set of reasons why. >> Go ahead. My second question is um like my friend Daniel said before what if this does go into next year the
renovation of the school and that could like disrupt the children like Daniel said it could disrupt the special needs kids and just everyone. >> It's an excellent question and we have it written down so we're going to
definitely answer that. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello, my name is Emma Bonus and I'm a student at Leonardo Grace School. Today I'm going to talk about you because it's the only thing that most of you care
about. Anyways, we all tried to be nice, but you guys need to get some common sense. You guys are setting yourselves up for failure and you should be listening to all these people around you who are just trying to help but instead you push them away. And what do you
think will happen to the kids in our district especially the the children with special needs? But I would not be surprised if you didn't even care. So how are you going to solve these problems? Because I can tell you that
sitting in these chairs on your phone is not going to cut it. When you are going to help, when are you going to help the people of our town? You represent of our town. You represent instead of helping the people in your pockets. One
last thing I will say is shame on the voters of Middletown. Weren't you taught as a child that tobacco is bad for you? Hi, my name is Kenzie Lopez and I'm a student at Leonardo Grade School. I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I wanted to share some
important things. I moved to Leonardo 3 years ago and I'm and from the very beginning, I felt welcomed by my teachers and classmates. It made a big difference in my life and I'm truly loved now where I am. I'm asking you to please make the right decisions for
students like me. Don't put down history as the worst board of edge education in Middletown. Not all of you, but you know who I'm talking about. Please be the group that makes a positive change and show us that there's still good in this world and that our voices matter. Don't close our
schools. Just one second. Is there any other children that wish to speak? >> Yeah, I make sure they uh my name is Ashley S. I'm a Middletown resident. Uh I have two questions. Number one, the jobs that are being added or not being
added are being added. So the personnel, there's a bunch of job descriptions. Are any of those for new positions? No, we're just updating our job descriptions which haven't been updated in quite a long time. New Jersey school boards put out puts out a manual with templates. So, we're just trying to make sure that
our um job descriptions across the board are updated and we're doing them in waves. So, you'll see these on there was some previous agendas because we're trying to make them areas that are connected in some way. Um but we are getting guidance from school boards to update all of our but they're new new
positions. >> Okay. um the long range facility plan. I wanted to clarify something. He said that science classrooms weren't part of it, but I'm pretty sure I spelled the science classrooms colored in blue. Um just to clarify, >> I don't have that answer. I would I mean
my guess is that they should be. Um >> so we can we can clarify that for you with the architect. >> So um we're looking at 47 classrooms by my count at 25 kids. So that's where the 1,175 capacity number came from. Uh, as a
teacher in another district, I know full well that the chances of being able to fill every classroom at 25 kids is legitimately impossible. Um, it takes some sort of act of God for you to figure out kids taking the same electives and things like that for some sort of like magical uh dissemination
across the classroom. So, we're looking at like 900 kids this year in Thor and Thompson um with closure of Beayshore. And then we're looking at that potentially going up. We've got Milton Walk people coming in. We just heard that the town council lost their uh
lawsuit for the Circus Liquors property, which is going to be another 972 units. There's plenty other development going on, including the County East Point, which will be more people for Navy area. And it just feels extremely shortsighted that this is not being considered. You
are looking at,75 people maximum. That's not capacity. That's if you have every single class maxed out at 25 students, that's how much you can put put in. Nobody uses
that as capacity. That's absurd. Why are we doing this? Wait a year. Think it out. I delay this and like get some common sense because 1175 is not
capacity. That is maximum classroom utilization at 100% at 25 kids per class. And so if people across the town think that their middle school kids are going to be in classes less than 25, they're out of their minds. This is
affecting the whole town. And this long range utility plan is garbage. Thank you. >> Alice Rosanski, um, Middletown Resident, I have a question in regard to the estimate for the playgrounds and bathrooms. What will happen when the
260,000 and estimated cost to update bathrooms in that playground at Beayshore isn't enough? What will be done to ensure Beayshore Elementary has acceptable playground and back room facilities when the cost to make this improvement inevitably increases
if not doubles? Will this be another situation like at Mama where school children were promised a playground in 2020 and still did not have one in cases? Thank you. Hi, my name is Carrie Christensen. I'm a
Middletown resident here to speak out once again about the lack of community involvement and transparency uh in this process to close three schools and overcrowd the remaining facilities in the district. Last May, the district launched a strategic planning initiative. I along with many community
members came ready, excited, willing to work alongside you. uh to ensure the long-term financial stability of his district. At three of the public meetings, which it's important to note that board leadership at that time, Mr. Capone and Miss Tobacco, never even bothered to attend, it was made very
clear that this town values of community schools. It was also clear that we understood the need to explore revenue generating ideas and cost-saving measures and were ready to do so. The last strategic planning meeting was August 28th when we were told the
boundary analysis and building utilization study would be completed. We would reconvene after those results. Instead, there was silence and then suddenly school closures were back on the table. New Jersey law may not require a public vote to close a school,
but it does require transparency and meaningful public participation. Decisions of this magnitude should be made with the community, not presented after the fact, especially when you have an active strategic planning process that just started.
I volunteered to lead the communications committee of the strategic planning steering committee. When strategic planning meetings stopped without any explanation, I reached out to Dr. Alone and Mr. Aveda requested a meeting. I received no reply from you, Mr. Aveda.
We came, we come to these meetings offering input, logical ideas to generate revenue, meaningful ways to cut costs without sacrificing our schools, which is what you're all doing today. And just like that email, we received no reply. Now, you are here to vote to
update the long range facilities plan. You have made major facility decisions first and are working to align your compliance next. That is not how this process works. The restructuring represents a fundamental change to the district's
footprint. Yet, there has been no transparent LRFP process for a meaningful stakeholder engagement consistent with New Jersey Administrative Code 6A26. If you could explain why this is
necessary now when next year's budget has confirmed to be budgeted and balanced without these school closures, it might build trust. If you continued to involve the community and explained how these capacity numbers increased with zero expansion, we might not question your
motives. Instead, your silence does nothing more than show there's clearly an agenda to closing these three schools. And as members of the board of education, your only agenda should be ensuring that every student in
Middletown has access to a first class education. It is not too late to do the right thing. You can continue where you started last spring. Reinvolve the community. Jake Stson Leonardo. I have three girls
in Leonardo. to in second grade or fifth grade. Those words are all about to get rocked. Um Mr. Capone, this message is specifically for you. Um I know Mr. Smith, you'll remember this situation very specifically. Um I'd appreciate if you look at me cuz I'm talking directly
to you. Um I'm not sure you remember back in 2021, my family and I were in a situation where we were going through having to move schools due to having to move to an apartment mall in between houses. Buying a house in 2021 was a nightmare. Um
and while at the meantime the issue at the board they were facing was masses in schools. Um my wife and I were very against having to move our daughter from Leonardo to Nathan for only 5 months. It was from January to June of that year. Not that school but um so my wife came
up at a board meeting at the time in in the library um pleading our case to make an exception for at that time only one daughter in the school. You were the only one who heard our message. You weren't president, weren't VPA at that time. Um, but you heard and listened to
our claim. You even called my wife. I don't know if you remember that phone call. Her name's Emma Stson. Um, afterwards, knowing how affecting some kid even for a few months, what that would do. Um, and it's just really sad to see how we were so thankful for you
merely 5 years ago, and now each meeting you stay silent each time we talk about the impact of students. That's it. >> Kristen Bolan, Middletown President. Just to pick up on a couple other things. Um, Middletown Walk has 350 town
homes and apartments. The second school is Baby, correct? Okay. Circus Liquors just got approved for through a lawsuit 975 units. What is the sentence still going
to be? Fair Village. Thompson exit 109 340 units. Lindrop School can't be at direct capacity. Thompson Village East Point 60 units.
Let's hope Medu and Middle North Middletown redevelopment 55 units ocean port phase one 200 units. Madison Leonardo and on Middletown's agenda tonight, the
redevelopment road. It already has 274 units. It has 71 acres, three times the amount of what you're doing at exit 109. That could easily go to a,000 units. I just mentioned close to 3,000 units closing school. You're manifesting a
crisis in this town. I don't understand it. You said there was a crisis. We have a balanced budget. We have 2 million in reserves. You can fix this. I don't understand this. No one here does. Taxpayers though, you have to due
diligence to taxpayers. What is going on here? We're all adults. You're adults. un make us understand how you can close three schools. We have 3,000 units coming in. Some already started, some will start this year. I don't understand
what's going on. There's no transparency. Can anybody answer this? Knowing what you know now, the five that vote to know, will you change your mind? Because there is no crisis. You have a balanced budget. You have money in reserves. You don't have to do it right
now. Do it right. Do it with community involvement. That's all we ask. >> Hi, my name is Samantha Delesio. I've spoken a lot so far today, but during the budget presentation, it was discussed that sports teams programs will not be cut by by the budget. But
eliminating one of three schools, it automatically reduces the number of teams within the district, reducing the number of spots available for students in a town that's already highly competitive for schools. This disproportionately impacts students
from lower socioeconomic homes who don't have the same opportunities for private training to compete with these now even more competitive spots. And everyone in this town can attest that the little leagues in this town is astronomical.
We we sat through a budget meeting that does not incorporate all revenue options. The cost of the officers has been brought up meeting after meeting for months now. Um, I believe it was about a year ago, at the beginning of April of last year,
that Tony Perry had initially made that promise that they would cover half of the staffing. Um, I saw some people mention that that's no longer on the table. Um, it's hard to believe that in 12 months the proper meetings have not taken place unless it's intentional.
What actually has delayed the meetings required to request the funding for the officers? Is anyone answer the question? >> There's a meeting scheduled for tomorrow. >> Was there not previously a meeting that was scheduled with scheduling conflicts?
>> Should the budget have meeting not have been delayed until all revenue options were explored that could potentially fund the budget? We're obligated to certain dates for when the budget's due. So, we don't have a lot of leeway in that. So in reverse, the board invention should have made
themselves available in the town within the last 12 months to find out proper funding for that and prepared to meet on the April 13th. I believe it was >> I do believe last week people even said that they would make sure they clear their schedules um to make sure that
that happened prior to this meeting because it's obviously a large sum of money. I did email right from the stage last time and I'm sorry I took your time. It was scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not positive besides myself um and Miss and Mr. Ada who is going to read their
bill respectfully. Last year we sat through here making the same concerns and with the year that's passed not a single plan has been flushed out to ease the burden on the students most impacted here. Optically, it appears that the tax levy was weaponized as a tool to divide the town, to push this plan down our throats when it was intended to give
breathing room to build a strategic long-term plan with proper planning. Redistricting may be what's needed, but our children deserve an actual plan and they deserve a board that has their best interest in mind. If you're going to sit on that stage, it's your responsibility
to use your influence for the benefit of the students, not for backdrop promises. Your parents, you know that the first step is showing up, but you didn't. If in your heart you believe that this is what is best for the district, why won't anyone who voted to close the school explain why we are looking for
reassurances that our students won't get lost? >> With all due respect, Dr. will not be here that this is in creating the school. would not be the responsible thing to
delay this disclosure until proper funding our health and new to us through the chair. If I may, before any member of the board comments on that, I would again remind the board on the
advice of both myself and litigation council to really refrain from comments with respect to school closures as there is active litigation and anything that this board may say may impact that litigation.
My name is Moa. Uh I just want to start by saying that my uh oldest child was in kindergarten when co uh forced us into virtual learning. Um and since then our children have adapted again and again through difficult circumstances. They've shown
incredible resilience but resilience does not mean that they are not being pushed towards their breaking point. It's unreasonable to keep forcing constant change onto them. For over a year, we have been asking important
questions that still remain unanswered. On a personal level, I recently called to get information about my child's transition next year. My child has um multiple uh food allergies to which she's anaphylactic.
Many children are. So, I asked who the nurse would be. I asked about safety protocols that will be put in place to which I was told that they should be the same that they are throughout the school to which I explained that it is a middle school that they are moving into. So it
would be different size-wise than the school she is currently in. So the protocols would not be exactly the same as she has right now in her elementary school which is smaller. I ask questions like where the playground would be. A simple question that should be able to be answered.
where our children's playground will be. We don't know. We can't tell you because the plan simply doesn't exist yet for that. It is almost meant as a parent trying to prepare for next year to get paperwork through and together.
I can't do that if you aren't prepared. For a child dealing with severe health rellated anxiety, not having clear answers makes an already difficult transition even harder. At this point, there should already be a complete detailed plan in place to ensure that every child feels safe moving forward
into a new school. The absence of that plan is deeply concerning. I am also worried for my sixth grader who is moving over into Thor and the concerns of overcrowding. Why are we pushing children into a school that we are going to max out capacity?
My sixth grader is in fear that her grades are going to plummet because she will not be able to focus. It is also hard to uh ignore that this situation doesn't appear to be solely about the bud budget. School closures
were not recommended by the superintendent but pushed by members of this board. That raises serious concerns about priorities and motivations. I am frustrated for families that are being ignored for our children's well-being which is taking a backseat. I am frustrated that other options has not
been meaningfully explored. We are paying attention. We will continue to stay informed, involved, and vocal. No matter the outcome, we will hold you accountable. Um, I came here tonight from volunteering at uh the play rehearsal at North where leader students will be working hard preparing for their
performance tomorrow night. They are part of a small, close-knit school community that they love, one that is now at risk of disappearing, and they have poured their hearts into something special. I hope that you all attend because I think that you owe these children that much after how you have treated them this year. And fittingly,
as they perform until the junior tomorrow, I'll leave you with their message. We are revolting. >> Hi, I'm resident and former teacher. Joan and I have gone along Rocky Roads
together over the years. Just a very simple question. Can you please think your name? I'm sorry I didn't catch you. Hano Abeck. It's a tongue twister. I'm It'll haunt you if you remember. The uh the very simple question. Has
anybody taken into consideration why these schools exist in the first place? How come they're there? What purpose do they serve? Has the township gotten smaller or has it gotten
bigger? And yet, we're looking at taking some of the pieces of the puzzle out without really realizing the consequences. Being a former science teacher, I wasn't going to be this, but very rarely did I get a chance to get a lecture. But if you're familiar with the
food web, the food web relies on many connections to to have a vibrant environment. You take out one connection, it's more susceptible to disruption, another connection and another connection and
eventually the whole thing collapses. Well, these schools are wrong. The community connections, they're wrong. and what the consequences are. I don't think anybody here really knows. And so if you if you don't have a really, really, really good reason. And finances
can't be the only reason. You have to work around that. There are people's lives, children's lives, and the community is centered around their elementary schools. So removing that is going to have consequences that are dollars and cents
are not going to. Thank you very much. >> Um, can someone refresh me on what the LR plan approval process is? You guys get to see the plan tonight. You have to approve it tomorrow or that's today or
>> Okay. The amendment to the long-range facilities plan is on the agenda tonight for approval by the board. So that way that amendment can be submitted to the state tomorrow. Um so in regards to that the gentleman earlier the architect said
that the the state had said that 25 per classroom was acceptable. Does that take into account the square footage? So >> yes, it's formulaic. So I believe and Amy correct me if I'm wrong 600 ft is
for the the the full classroom space. >> I don't know this >> I believe so we can clarify that for you >> but it's for just so you're aware it's formulaic >> and the 25 comes from what our class size threshold is. >> Okay. So 20 the code states 20 square
feet per student. So 20 square feet per student multiply you're getting around 500 600. It looked like they were different sizes and shapes on the plan. So, I just want to make sure you guys are seeing those numbers and making sure that they actually calculate. Same thing
for science labs. They're 60 ft per person. Um, I know they said that wasn't in general the general student population, but are those >> There are some specialty areas that are carved out and not included in the capacity numbers. Special education rooms, art, music, science labs. We're
going to clarify if that's one of them. Um, to me it's instructional space, but I do know that it does take more square footage in a science classroom because of lack space. >> And all of the rooms are detailed in the plan. So when we submit to the state, we have an inventory of all the rooms with
these square footages. So they it's part of the review that they have. >> So I'm guessing we didn't get a very detailed plan for safety reasons. And you guys have those numbers. So you have the square footage, you have the occupancy for a classroom, you've got the desk layout because usually these
occupants are based on net square footage. So you take out the furniture and then you you keep the furniture in and you do the square footage that way. No, the room itself loses square footage and then when you add desks in, you minus the desk space because
>> I'm just they know that we're putting kids in classroom. >> No, no, I'm just saying there's you could do an empty room could fit 400 people of space that has 2x4 desks for take up that's >> right. But then there are certain
maximums that you can put into square footages because they're factoring in the desk space and the the the level of the student that we're educating because obviously bigger kids take more space and little kids etc. Like all of that is factored in the formula that the DOE which is what the architect was saying
the department of education gives us those formula numbers. We provide the maximum class size. So in previous times our maximum class size at middle school was 27. um we asked them to base this on a number of 25 so that we could try to
reduce our plat sizes in some way shape or form. >> Okay. So that's still Emily Donny, Middletown resident. Um, Mr. Burns, respectfully, leadership driven by fear often leads to your uh own downfall. As someone who knows a little bit about litigation um and what
can and cannot be discussed, I would ask that the warning litigation might be reviewed. Um, if that's the last time I check, shared services are not litigation. Uh, I don't think it's included in that. So, just something to note. I have one really pointed question. Um, what happens to the budget when a reckless decision to close
schools is rejected? Uh, as a reminder, you do not have a approval. Uh, may not for many months. So, it feels pretty reckless and negligent on behalf of the board. People that I really thought would do the right thing when it came down to logic. So the question is what
is the plan B when this gets rejected? Uh because it could very well be rejected. Um so my question is I'm sure it won't be answered tonight but Mr. Colin hopefully you can write it down. Um what has leadership done to ensure that the district gets planned forward when sorry if your school closures
fails? Um I don't have the answer. And then one last question. Um we talked so much about shared services over and over again. It's hard to believe that at 12 months we have not been able to meet. It's honestly a failure. Sorry.
Can I continue? Thank you. Um, so it seems to be a failure on all leadership's part, both our township and our leadership, both current and past, that we have not been able to have a shared service meeting in 12 months. Absolutely crazy. But, um, it looks like tonight we're voting on two things on
shared services. Looks like garbage um, and fuel. Um, so Can you get her time back and tell her my kids turned back on? >> Oh, that was 30 minutes. I'd like to make a motion to extend
public comment. >> I didn't know we were trying to get the second. >> How long are we extending for? as long as we need to so that people can actually comment on the budget and the issues that we have presented tonight.
>> So this public comment is for agenda items and we already did vote on the budget we had. So it would be on agenda items that are listed on the agenda. >> Okay. For the agenda items, >> there's a second public comment that were as not well for non-aggenda items.
>> Okay. I'll only see this one for the agenda items. Yeah. So that we can at least get all the questions that we've been waiting for. >> Is anybody planning on speaking? That's not up here yet for this portion for agenda items.
Okay. So we'll just let Mr. Dow be the last speaker then. I think that's fair, right? >> Sure. >> Yeah. think it was a simple solic. >> Thank you. Um so you are voting tonight in this shared service um agreement
which is wild that we can not have something for the past but we can answer what is required of us such as garbage and fuel. So very interesting and it only works one way. Um, but it looks like garbage. We owe the township a few hundred,000
back to 2023. Um, and we've committed moving forward to pay that. So, I guess like where did that come from? I guess um I could be wrong. Doug, you want me to answer? Yeah. We don't owe the township back to 2023.
This agreement has been in place. They we are participating in a joint bid with them. This isn't the first one we've done. We've had previous agreements. This this agreement is simply to memorialize the renewal of the agreement, but we have been doing it all
along. We participated in this bid and we it's basically a renewal of the last year. So, it's an agreement. We don't owe them paid them for the prior year. >> So, it says retro. So, I just want to make sure that's >> retro the agreement because it just wasn't formalized. We >> So, we formalized agreement for the
prior. We're formalizing the agreement for this bid, but we've been paying all. >> Right. But so we didn't have anything formally in writing since 2023 that we would have paid this money, but we paid this money. >> Well, we we did have obviously we had a copy of the bid. We we get invoices from the township. That's all been in writing
and we paid that. >> It does seem like an oversight just like full transparency, right? Like we had something that was a verbal agreement with the town. It was a few hundred,000 that was clear. >> There was a previous There was a previous written agreement. just not reading for the most recent bid. They'll be going out to bid again
>> in 2028, right? Because it's 2023, right? And now we're just putting in writing. It seems odd. My only question is um where is this in the budget? Like what line can we see this in the budget? >> It's it's in the facilities line of the budget. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Hi Kristen from Middletown.
Uh, one question is, um, does the architect or anyone who is going to be working on the renovations, um, or the planning of the renovations have any relationships with anyone who's on the board currently,
so maybe that's something you guys can figure out cuz I don't expect you to answer me. Um, and then I just had a question for Miss Gillesi and Mrs. I've seen because you guys have asked some questions and seem to be concerned about the bathrooms and you've
approved, you know, putting things in the budget. So, I think that you are thinking about the plan. My question to you is, can you honestly say that you feel you've had enough verified information as far as capacity, safety studies, costs, timelines that you feel
fully justified in your vote? And given that we're now 60 days from when that vote happened, and I I haven't seen any plans further than what was there when we voted, which wasn't any. If you have any doubts at all about this, it's your
job to do the right thing and to either extend it to next year or to completely throw that motion in the garbage because you're here to serve our students. So if there's any doubt in your mind that you don't have all this information, then that's your responsibility and I trust
you as as parents and board members. Thank you. >> Um Michelle, my kids are fifth generation to attend Middletown schools. As you guys heard before, for me was named after my great uncle buddy. I own a business in Middletown. Um, I own home
in Middletown. I care a lot about Middletown. As I've said before, I just want you to know number one, with every board meeting I have attended. I have become increasingly disenfranchised with this entire process. I cannot believe I'm up here saying this because it seems so ridiculous that we are rushing this
through next year. I want to point out that I have a daughter in sixth grade. She was kicked out of Navy due to COVID pandemic during kindergarten. She's now in sixth grade. Um she of course will be kicked out of her school again. Um she would attend Thor. She wants to play
field hockey. You guys have alluded to at one point in your paperwork that you um are going to potentially consider hiring additional coaches to handle the extra children going into Thorn. On the other hand, tonight I heard from Amy Doherty that we are going to lose
coaches and that is a part of the positions that are being lost. So I just want to point out that that is just one very little area that there is complete hypocrisy and it leads to zero trust. I hope you all know that. Um the other thing I want to touch on and I want to acknowledge first that Dr. Alone spoke
um to the fact that you've made some moves on the technology front and I appreciate that. Um in my opinion it's not enough and I want to just cover a couple things quickly. I already went over um some of the things related to the reduction in test scores and cognitive decline. Not to mention security concerns that we now have. You
probably all aware of the recent lawsuits. Middletown looks like it looks like we spend somewhere between 3 to 4 million a year on most but not all tech costs. I was not able to get all of them. Um the awareness of tech becoming a problem has led to a national movement. I believe we have 16 states
with legislation on the books to try to eliminate or reduce. Um, we also have at least 40 cities in the United States that are preemptively um, eliminating computers from classrooms, not to mention all the other countries that are doing this. Um, and I want to just present a scenario for the long-term
budget concerns. Imagine Middletown showed initiative and leadership in this movement and that eliminated computers completely for kindergarten to 2 grade and move to a shared cart system for 3 to 8. 30 well-maintained computers could move between classrooms for occasional benchmark testing and special tech
classes. We would eliminate non-evidence-based technology services and platforms and then reduce security. We could get grant money from groups like USA reads to buy textbooks that can be used for years beyond the life of the Chromebook. We could use money saved year after year to meet the budget and then perhaps invest in our teachers,
allow them to determine the curriculum, not a tech platform. Teachers could cater the flexible analog curriculum to the exact needs of their small classes where proper sustained learning is taking place. And of course, these small classes could be held in our beloved community schools that did not need to close because we thought creatively
about budget and education. The savings are not hypothetical. The improvement in education is not imagined. It's actually happening on an international level. and Middletown can serve as a model in improving education while saving millions a year by opting out of the inevitable rising costs of the very
expensive one-to-one computer program. It will require time and effort, but if we take it seriously, we can save millions of dollars year after year, improve education, and keep Middletown's historic Nancy again resident. A quick comment to
Mr. Burns. Um I'd ask that you kindly refrain from rolling your eyes with a board member raises a motion even if it is not particularly timed to align with board policy. Um, in the remainder of my comment here, um, I wanted to read from an email that
I sent out earlier today to Mrs. Scholast in hopes that my words might help compel them to table motion to close our schools. Um, it's been about two months since board president introduced the motion to close three schools. In this
time, we have not heard any discernable plan, how this closure will roll out, or any costs of what it will take to execute. Despite the hundreds of questions asked and voices uh concerns voiced, not one member of the board or administration that is foreclosing
schools has responded in public. Two months of stonewalling concerned residents and parents, two months of planning the same canned responses. Mr. Burns, since you have just advised board members not to speak to this topic because of potential negative
implications to the petition that has been filed, perhaps as the board attorney, you could have made a statement to communicate on their behalf. In the past several weeks, we have learned that Dr. Alone is not recommending closures for the coming
school year. It is not mandate. Is it not the mandate of the board to establish policy based on the recommendations of the superintendent? We've also learned that there isn't any deficit in keeping the schools open. These are all facts, not conjecture.
Closing our schools doesn't need to happen. Please be the board members that families and children and taxpayers need you to be. This is your chance to show your neighbors that you will make good on your promises and your professed
interest in supporting children and taxpayers. The concern for closing our beloved schools has been voiced time and time again and real data has been presented in argument against it. Some of you are nearing the end of your current term.
Will you run again? Do you really want your tenure on the board of education to be marred by a reckless decision? Or do you want to move forward knowing you did the right thing for Middletown's residents?
If our schools are closed next year, there will be real negative impacts on our children and communities for years and years to come. Please do the right thing and vote to table these closures. be on the right side of history for our
town. Thank you. >> Eric Dell and data sync. Um, it's my understanding a a motion will be made to resend the resolution that was passed in February and replace it as I understand it with a resolution to put out school
closings to a future date, perhaps the 2728 school year. So if that motion is made, the question that makes sense to ask oneself is even if you support the proposition that our school footprint eventually should
shrink, the question to ask is, is it necessary necessary to do so next year? And the answer at this point obviously is no. Our budget is balanced.
we have time. And that the question that should follow is will there be any benefit from pushing out closings even if you think it might be inevitable? And the answer is of course very good
reasons. We could develop a real districtwide plan that might get community buy in. We would be providing fair notice to the community. And finally, we will be allowing new leadership to leave. By my account, this
time next year, uh we will have a new mayor, a new deputy mayor, two new members of the township committee, a new superintendent here, a new township administrator on the township side, and quite possibly other new members of
senior administration in this district. And we have a choice to allow that entire new generation of leadership to help come up with that long range district-wide plan or hand them a district that has already been lit on
fire. And again, the question that should be asked is, is it necessary to close schools next year? And we all know the answer. No. That should decide the motion. as I assume that it's going
to be presented. I and I believe that's also the analytical process that Dr. Alone. I don't agree with her on everything. She firmly believes that the school footprint eventually should shrink. Um we respectfully disagree on
that. Um but as I understand it, she also firmly believes that for a number of reasons, including the ones I just generated, school closings should not go forward next year. in large part because it's not necessary to do so and there
are a lot of good reasons to put them off even if one thinks that they should be closed eventually. Thank you. motion to approve the meeting minutes items 9 A and B
you fix the um fix the committee report about making sure the facilities one where we didn't do the um tour back in is that March the March meeting was that fixed in those
minutes the committee minutes well those committee minutes are not on the agenda but as I responded to you previously I said I I would correct the person if I keep her record >> right because it was the March meeting they're noted on the board they're not included in these minutes
>> I understand that >> and I and I answered you I said I corrected the version that I keep for reference and Okay. >> In response to the email board >> is that on board? >> Yes, that's where we see it. Correct.
>> I don't know if I I don't know if I uploaded it to the agenda again because what was on the agenda was the agenda complaint and asked for minutes. have I can check road blocks but I'm not sure any other discussion
all in favor abstension need a motion on item 10 A appointment of acting superintendent motion. Let's go ahead. >> Discussion
roll call. >> Mrs. Benise, >> no. Mrs. Gilletki, >> Mr. Saraski, >> same. >> Mrs. Tobacco, >> Mrs. Torres, >> I'm sorry.
>> I'm sorry. >> Recuse. >> Mrs. Torres, >> yes. >> Mrs. Winsky, >> yes. >> Mrs. Ray, >> yes. >> Mr. Pone, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes.
>> Motion carries. Congratulations, Mr. >> Congratulations, Mr. Manny, a motion to approve item 10B, acceptance of the proposal for superintendent search services >> to be done to New Jersey school boards.
Second >> discussion. >> I just wanted to confirm that it does include the strategic plan even though it's the middle one that we've already used cuz we already paid and just confirm it. All in favor?
>> I oppose abstotion to approve items 10 C and D. >> Second >> discussion. Yeah, I just want to thank Mr. Hanoc amazing job and
I >> and also thanking my union and the members for um a good good conversation and a good conduct. All >> in favor Need a motion to approve items on the
business office consent agenda items 11 A through 10. >> Second. I would like to take E out of it so that we can have discussion of the board. >> Second.
E. >> All. So, it's a motion to approve items 11 A through D. >> Just to be clear, there's a motion for the entire executive session A through
G. Nope. A through what? N. Um, that motion was made, seconded, I believe. Right. And there is a subsidiary motion to that to remove motion. >> No, she wants it from this.
>> All right. So that's E. There's a motion to remove E from the the motion. So that motion. So it's a subsidiary motion to the original motion. Second. >> Yeah.
>> Did anyone second that motion? >> No, this is motion. >> Mrs. Mrs. This is the motion for E from the previous motion. >> Yes. Mrs. M. Mrs. They're just
suffering. This is tobacco. They're just >> They're just removing it from that motion. If it's not the intent, >> it's still unless the microphone a little closer. It's so hard to hear everyone saying possible.
>> I agree. So, Mrs. Tobacco, yes. >> Mrs. Torres, >> yes. >> Mrs. Weinstein, >> yes. >> Mrs. Wright, >> yes. >> Mr. Capone, >> yes. >> Mr.
A through D and then each group afterward. >> So, I revised the previous motion. It's been me and second
vote on A through D and F. >> I am voting no on letter D. Mr. is still the rest of today. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Mrs. Stellasi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Saraski. >> Yes. On everything except D.
>> No on D. >> No on D. >> D is in D. >> D. Okay. >> Mrs. Tobacco. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Torres. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Weinstein. >> Yes. Mrs. Wright. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Capone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Le. >> Yes. >> And I need a motion on item 11 facilities. Amen. >> I'm sorry. Oh, okay. Sometimes it's tough to hear.
I'm sorry. I know this is to back up a second. >> Yes. >> Discussion. >> Um, yeah, please bear with me because this has been a long time coming with a lot of information that we've been
requesting and I got some but not all. Um, on April 8th, both Missu and myself wrote a memo to Mr. Vita and Mr. Burns that was outlining and a formal complaint regarding the policy violations and safety concerns in the
consolidation plan. I'm not going to go through the entire thing, but there was a big part of it that talked about the violation of the long range facilities plan, which I have the policy here. The policy had a number of things that talks about uh what we need to do and the
things that are missing were the cost analysis for this school consolidation in this long-range facilities plan because there was no long range plan for schools closing until February and as we saw that was not engaged with the
architect until March. Um, there is the absence of capacity data, which I do, strangely enough, have more questions about now that the architect has presented it than I did before walking into this meeting tonight. And I wanted
to point out something because um student master was really good in explaining this to us in this facility meeting and he talked a lot about the difference between the science of how many kids you can fit in a building and the art of scheduling them so that they
have the classes that they need and the materials that they deserve. And when he put it that way, I educationally I was really able to kind of wrap my head around that. And we're looking at these numbers and we see Thorn and Thompson
can hold this many students. Great. They can hold it with 25 students in each class. Fantastic. Here's the problem. Children have different needs. And you cannot assume that there are going to be
25 children in each classroom. Not to mention, we don't have any of the specialed population listed in there. We do not have the programs listed in there. The programming part, the art that the educators need to have the time
to maneuver and figure out cannot be done in this short period of time. We cannot decide that every class is going to hit that goal of 25 because maybe this class has more advanced students
and they might need 32 seats. Well, are you going to separate them into 16 and 16? Where do they go? And while that is happening, does this class over here now have to fill in for that 25 that's not there? When we are looking at this long
range plan, the reason you have a five-year projection that includes not just the science of the numbers, which we saw tonight, but the art of the programming and that is missing. And we are not having this conversation. We are
not having the program, the programmatic model that is required for this five-year model. So we can sit here all day and hear that 25 seats is guaranteed. It is not because the art of the program is not in this long range
facilities plan number one. So let's start with that as the problem here. The second problem is that we were not given numbers. We were very clearly told tonight that these special ed programs
are not accounted for in this long range facilities plan. And if we go forward in approving this tonight without that information so that it could be submitted to the state tomorrow, which quite frankly as an educator, what I
heard tonight was here's this number. This is what the state needs. I have this. I made it look like it here so they'll approve it without asking questions. That does not take care of our children. That does not take care of
this plan because once again there is no plan. The other concern I had was that when we were talking about the science of this and we were talking about showing how kids can fit in a building and we take how many kids are projected to be there. You fill them in each of
the classrooms to see if they fit. Turns out Thorn and Thompson according to this they fit. Beayhore somehow had the number of 1150. As far as I know there are only less than 500ish kids scheduled to be in that building. So if our
program was scheduled to be around 500, where did that science number of 1150 come from? So who can explain that to me before we go forward with approving this plan? because it's based on all of the rooms, not just the used rooms. >> But that's but but if that's the case,
then that means that the 2019 capacity numbers that we referenced were not correct. Why? >> So the 2019 numbers, as I understand them, were based on the usage of the building at the current time. >> Okay. So if they were based on the usage of the building in the current time, why
wasn't they shore at the time? report. Why wasn't Beh's numbers now based on the numbers at the given time which would be 500 rather than 1150 because they've been
largely underpop populated for several years. There's been a lot of vacant space in that building. So if there were only X number of classrooms being used in 2019 when they did those capacity numbers, they were only accounting for the classrooms with students in them. So
there were lots of there was an underpation where it's underpocketed. >> So now you have a lot of vacant rooms that aren't being included in that original count from 2019 as I understand it. >> So if it's under So if it's 1150 and now
it's going to be 500, how is that going to maintain? What what's the plan for the next five years? Keeping that under staffed >> or under I'm sorry under I'm sorry. It's something sorry it's something for the plan to encumber in the future like
that's a decision that has to be made. >> So if that is a decision that has to be made that is one that I'm assuming the board would be looking at with the programmatic models of school facility types. And what my other concern is is that we had some documentation that
talked about future schools that are going to be closed and come into Beayshore. Those have all been taken out. So, if you are going to vote yes on this and still say that you are not going to close future schools, that
means you are lying to Apollo. I don't think anybody's ever made a promise to not close future schools. I >> I and there's no designation for schools that are slated next up. um respectively not you that is making
>> no but I also just want to clarify that you know the administration's position is that not only is a consolidated footprint in court and obviously for the operating expenses that Mr. Dori referenced but this district also needs a full scale redistricting at the same
time because when you look at where the population sits we have higher class sizes on one side of town and some of the things that Mrs. continuous brought up in regards to busing kids illogically or less than geographically logically
those are all things that you can do a correction and maybe not necessarily do you just take a building offline and dump it into Beayshore like that's not necessarily the solve it's the redistricting and the reasoning that might encumber more students in that geographic area to be able to attend
Beayshore as well but that doesn't mean they necessarily in the next phase of this come from one building in particular But that's why that's why it doesn't make sense because we are redistricting some schools to go to other schools and if they're the schools that are going to
be affected and we can redistrict the kids. >> No, you would have to grandfather those moves in to in order to ensure that there's continuity for those students. Um you know that that would be something that you'd have to factor into to the next phase of this plan.
So where is the plan? Like again, >> does that mean that a school board can just make whatever choices they want without following procedures and policies that they have already agreed and adapted to?
>> So who can answer that? Mr. Mr. Burns, can somebody answer that question? The actions of this board to date in accordance with New Jersey's administrative code. >> Okay. >> And policy 7110 with respect to the long range facilities plan as presented by the
architect tonight as well as policy 7113.1 >> which 7113.1. So that's not true because in the long range facilities plan policy it says
that a preliminary estimate of the cost of every school facilities project set forth in the long range plan. We already know of a few of them at make sure that we have some numbers but we don't really have the full numbers. We don't have the transportation cost. So that goes with the school facilities plan whether we
like it or not. the preliminary data uh to support a new school facility or addition, renovation to an existing school facility, and the removal of the school district's inventory of school facilities to each school facility to be sold converted into non-school facility
use or rates. There is no plan in this long range facilities uh plan whatever it is to what are we doing with Leonardo? What is being done with the building in Leonardo? We know that Native Sync is
going to go back into the trust or this but what is the plan for Leonardo because we are not following the plan and policy if we have no proposal for what is going to happen to that school. So are you am I wrong in that
assessment? When a decision is made on what what the disposition of being order would be, you would amend each facilities plan. You can't include separation. >> But in the long range facilities plan in under letter P, it says preliminary data
to support each proposed new school facility or addition, renovation to an existing school facility, and the removal from the school district's inventory of school facilities. each school facility to be sold, converted to a non-school facility used or raised. So
where is the >> submission of this amendment reflects reflects the the closure of the two buildings and the realignment. It's reflected in the long range facilities plan. Those rooms are those rooms are removed from the room inventory and
they're not shown as generating capacity for students. that does not show what they are doing with the district's inventory of school facilities. That shows that a building is being taken offline. What are you doing with the facility? It says to reflect it in the inventory,
which is exactly what this amendment does. But it doesn't give me the inventory of what they are doing with the building. An inventory isn't what you're doing with the building. An inventory is a listing of the rooms and spaces in the building. That's what the inventory is
in the long range facilities plan converted to non-school facility use or raised. So what is it going to be doing? What are we doing later? >> It's being converted to noninstructional use. And then what are we doing with it? >> Well, you don't have to specify that.
You just have to say that it's not going to be used as instructional space and those rooms removed from the inventory, which they have. >> So what's the plan part of all of this? You don't have to reflect that. We did have to get approval if we were going to eventually sell the building, but we
went through the same process to Port M. Okay. So, going with that, Port Mammoth was also promised class sizes of under 25. Many of those classes are not under 25. And what have we done to remediate that?
The science didn't meet art. That's I don't know what what this how this relates to this long range facilities plan amendment. >> What it has to relate to the long range facilities plan is that I'm sure that you had to do this same kind of project
to show that class sizes could be 25 and now they're not. But we're not doing anything about that. >> Elementary class sizes are capped at 25 >> but they're not because they are higher than that at You know, I'm not aware of that. Let's
talk about stepped out, but >> All right. >> But that is a district practice. >> Continuing on with that, I guess I will talk about the school closing plan since Mr. Burn has brought it up. In here it says, "The board will not commit itself to closing of any school facility without having first collected and
considered appropriate information regarding student enrollments, the educational adequacy of school facilities, relevant safety and traffic factors, district revenues, and alternate district organizational plans. The board will invite citizen participation in the
analysis of that information and the formulation of recommendations. Information on any proposed district reorganization will be disseminated to the public and public response will be invited by all appropriate means. Why I bring that up today is because this was
not continued with the strategic planning process which last year when we were building this bridge it was mentioned that that was the appropriate way to have public input. That process was stopped. And so with all of that,
the purpose of the memo that Missuise and I wrote was talking about these policies that the board has approved, including in January when we brought up a school closure policy. It was brought in front of the board. It was brought in front of the policy committee and we
agreed on this policy. As of now, we are violating two of those policies. And I understand that we are allowed as a board to pass these motions and to do what we want as per New Jersey statute.
My question is this. Are you prepared as a board to move forward with violating these policies when there could be a new board that comes in and just does whatever they want? Because what is the purpose of a policy of a board if nobody
is going to be willingly following it? So that's my question to the board members follow. So then I will go with that since I'm getting no response. I spoke with New Jersey school boards and I asked this
question and we went through four or five different minutions of how we got to where we are. And what I was told is that when there is a policy, the board sets policy and the board sets goals and the board sets things in motion because
that is the job of the board. It is the job of the administration and the lawyers to ensure that those policies are followed. I am asking you Mr. Burns and Dr. on our phone. You have these policies and you have the motion. How do
you reconcile and how do you move forward and not follow through with your duty of following these policies? Because that's this is this is how things go in education to stop political moves from coming in to stop a new
administration from coming in with an agenda. It's the same reason that there's tenure so that there's due process. This is there to protect the administration and the school district from a political push from somebody up here. That is what I'm asking. So how do
we do that? Sure. Again, the adoption of the long range facility planning amendment this evening is important is in accordance with the district's long range facility planning policy which is 7110
with respect to policy 7113.1. That policy is referencing school closing. That action has already been taken by the board in accordance with the regulation which the policy mirrors. So I also asked for the I know this is I
guess I'll ask this later. I will read this to all of us. So can everybody actually hear me? >> I'm not sure. Can everyone hear me? >> Board members, we can hear. >> Yes. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. Uh last week we got a code of ethics for school
board members. So, I'm going to read this statement and hope that you take this into consideration with your vote on the long range facilities plan. I will make decisions in terms of educational welfare of the children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs
of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing. We are not doing that if we go through with this long range facilities plan that does not address the needs of our special education students, never mind all of the others that need the
individual education plan that they have. If anybody else has anything to say, I would love to hear it because I am still tired of hearing myself speak. >> Mrs. Mes, I'm just curious what happens if the
long range facilities plant does not pass tonight. I forgot. Sorry. Um, we cannot then obviously submit it to the state for part of our approval package and obviously would have to wait for another opportunity to have that approved in
order to move forward. >> Could it be done in the May 13th meeting? >> Yes, but like I said, time is of the essence. >> May 13th is only two weeks away. So, no, I understand. I was just saying it really for the board. >> Obviously, this is all very timely in
the sense of, you know, we're under the gun with regards to a time clock. >> So, we do have time to amend it and get it submitted May 14th. >> I I don't know what amendments would come about in two weeks to be quite honest with you.
>> Might not be amended, but can we get a further understanding of what it is and get these numbers He had the architecture to present tonight to answer questions for the >> I understand that, but he also didn't give me any of the numbers. I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> And also, respectfully,
we did not receive this or even close to this until your email at 4:28 p.m. today. That's not acceptable. And in fact, I I mean, I can pull it up right now. I think there was at least eight attachments, seven attachments, several
of which were several pages long. I can tell you at that point I kept looking all day today and didn't see anything. Now I have to rush to get out of my office to get home in time for my job in New York City to get here in time for this meeting. There was no way I was
looking at any of those emails at 4:28. It's bad enough half the time and I will say based on my tenure on this board that we get things at the last minute and I am trying to rush to make sure that I can actually fully understand what it is that I may actually have to vote on. But something of this nature
and everything honestly in my opinion that's mythic I can't agree even more with what Miss Pores was bringing up before it's unacceptable to now think that we're going to be okay to sit here and actually vote on this. It's not okay.
I'm a No. Mrs. Gillesi. >> I have to vote now. >> Mrs. Mr. Sarleski. >> No. >> Mrs. Tobacco. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Torres, >> no. >> Mrs. Weinstein, >> yes. >> Mrs. Wright,
>> no. >> Mr. Capone, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. Recommendation. Motion to approve items. >> Motion to approve items 12 A through I.
So move second. Just confirming it's through I not J. Right. >> Confirming we're going through I not. >> Okay. Discussion
roll call on 12. >> Mr. Dies on 12 A. I am yes on the no and no on the yes. >> Mrs. Gasi >> yes >> Mr. Sari >> yes >> Mrs. Tobacco
>> yes >> Mrs. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Winsky >> yes. >> Mrs. Ray >> yes >> Mr. Ko. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. Need a motion to approve items 12J
1 through 6. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I posted. Need a motion to approve item 12 J7.
So >> discussion. Can you make a motion? >> Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to have some discussion. Um, I think that this is being rushed. Um, I had called for a meeting of the committee that we
discussed for this venue. We brought this up in the previous executive session that we needed to have board discussion on this. Uh, we were assured that that was going to happen and then we all got up at the same time. So, I'm just going to
speak to this and say we are under a timeline for rehiring renewals of positions and we also had to dedicate in our budget administrative cuts. So, in order to be able to make that happen, we
did not have time to sit around and wait on this. Um, we have an individual within our district who is very wellqualified, long-standing administrator, veteran status amongst us, who was willing to move into this position and quite frankly, I think we'll do a fantastic job. Um, it does
help us administratively in the sense of we will not have to um, you know, we want to keep our best people and and to have the ability to do that when we are making three reductions administratively is a big deal. So all I can say is we can't have it always. In an ideal world,
sure could we have had further discussions, but we didn't have the time to have further discussions. And and there are only so many iterations that we could come up with in order to satisfy someone qualified to take on the position who was willing to take on that
kind of uh very very large job and would also help us to realize the administrative savings that we we needed to realize. So I am sorry if you feel like we didn't give your voice enough attention but we were trying to give the budget attention as well because that
was where you know this whole dynamic came into play and like I said we have an extremely qualified person in district that is willing to do the job >> and I'm not questioning the person's qualifications I've never >> no but the process >> no information was processed
>> we did we had a process we advertised for this this advertisement has been now for quite a while actually >> only in districts we never went out >> correct because we didn't have the luxury to go out of districts because we had to reduce three administrators and like I said if you if the board was
willing to not have us reduce three administrators great we could have looked at other iterations but that is not what the will of the board was >> maybe we should have looked at different areas I understand but you have to also understand we are trying to figure out a monumental puzzle which is not as simple
as you all thing in the sense of certifications matter, tenure status matters, and also ability to be able to do the job, right? So, we only have so many moves that we can make. And I'll leave it at that. I respect everybody's position on it, but this is my
recommendation. >> Any other discussion? >> Roll call is done. >> Mrs. Mingley, >> no. >> Mrs. Mr. Slesi, >> yes. >> Mr. Sarowski, >> same. >> Mrs. Tobacco,
>> yes. >> Mrs. Torres, >> yes. >> Mrs. Weinstein, >> yes. >> Mrs. Wright, >> yes. >> Mr. Capone, >> yes. >> Mr. Aviva, >> yes. Congratulations, Mr. >> Congratulations. Congratulations.
>> Need a motion to approve items 12 J 8 through 18. So move >> second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> Opposed? Extensions. >> All business.
>> I have an old business item. Um, it was brought up last week. I know we've been talking about the courtesy busing for poor Mammoth. I wanted to make a motion to extend that. Um, Mr. Burns, I wanted to see if it was possible to extend the year. I think we can only do one year at
this time, but I'd like to extend that for as long as possible, whether it be a year or a long year. >> It can be extended to December 31. >> This year, yeah, >> it would be the school year. What is it? Yeah. Okay. So, one I'll second that motion.
>> He was supposed to get more information. >> All right. So, there's a motion and a second to extend 26 278. >> I would like to Yeah, I would like to amend that and and stop until we put these kids where they can they can walk
to the school that's close to them. We should not put a timeline on that list. The timeline is ridiculous. We we can't extend it further. I I checked into it because of uh something with future boards. I would love to extend it further as well. >> We don't have to put a timeline on it. We can vote to keep the busing.
>> Miss Weinstein, I got clarification from school boards on that. Everything we do is binding with future boards so we can put it on there and then other boards can resend it if needed. >> That was not what I was told. I'm happy to put it longer. You should make the
motion for it to be indefinite, but I just I was told I was not investigated. >> Yeah. No, I I did uh investigate that from last time. >> Mr. Can can this board find your boards? >> No. So, what you can do was just establish us.
>> That's what they said. No timeline. >> Do they have to make a motion or like bus routes or you know, we haven't we haven't discontinued. So, action to disc we had a discussion in a committee
meeting about the history of it and just a discussion whether it's being provided now >> yes to any action to eliminate >> there's been no official action was just discussed
>> there was never a date of ending never it was up to board discretion >> and and the roots was started You correct me if I'm wrong. There is no board action necessary to stop the courtesy bus. >> No, there is to stop courtesy bus.
>> It's being done. So I don't know that you need a motion to keep it. >> You don't need it. >> Isn't it on the print out? There's some print out in finance where it's up for next year. So >> there was a discussion in the committee, but that doesn't >> And that's why that's why I brought it
up last week because I didn't agree with that. And and by the way, going on to that, I asked for this meeting to have any other bus lines that were being discontinued told to us for this question because it's not right that
people are going to get a letter in August saying, "Oh, by the way, your bus route was discontinued." No, the only the only the only issue we were the only situation you're talking about was specifically that busing that was extended as a result of the 2020 school
closure. There hasn't been any other any other routes discussed to discontin >> right beyond regular eligibility mileage hazard. The discussion was that our transportation department was investigating ways and looking at
eliminating >> No, that that was mere I'm sorry that no that's merely to just combine ra get be more efficient. It's not to discontinue busing for students who are eligible >> and the rale for the for the courtesy
busing port students was based on the the rationale that the kids that originally were in that group MH >> Yeah. the people that live in that area. >> I mean, they definitely I mean, there's got to be a cut off point at some point, but I do agree with you that in a
redistricting plan, you might eliminate it naturally. >> Yeah. >> Well, and I think this with you, it sounded like last time that was a done deal. So, I appreciate you bringing it up. >> I never remember a timeline and I was
here for the closing. Deb, did you remember a timeline? Well, I was here in the discussions that were in talking about what was mentioned because we were told >> so do we
need to make a motion. It's already >> no motion. Any other >> any new business? >> Yes. I would like to make my motion to amend the resolution to close schools for 2627
school year to do the right thing and create a plan that will benefit not just our school but our community to build the bridge with the community together and not burn it down. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Just to be clear, the motion is to
resend the action on school board. >> It's to resend it. amend it. >> Oh yeah, we could amend it. We couldn't for now. >> I mean, I think you're not amending. >> What we were told last time is that it had to be rescended and then a new one
with the amendment in it. So I think what Miss Minways is trying to say is that she is not looking to get rid of it completely. She is looking to amend it for the date so that we can make sure that it is done in the appropriate way
and we're not scrambling with things like a long range facility >> to to what date >> she said the 27 28 school year this board can't do that because this doesn't take it doesn't take into effect
while this board is still in power >> but it does because we are starting the process Now, so do we need to add some language that says we are going to be working >> similar to a superintendent being hired after the board's term even though you would have
started the process prior to the end of the term that if you appropriate motion here would be a motion to resend and then it would be up to the new board to set the new >> So here's my question because I'm very confused about this and I'm not sure. Can you give me examples of other
districts that have voted to close schools and it didn't happen in that first school year. Has that never happened before? >> That type of strategic >> I do not know the answer to that
question. What I'm saying is is that school boards in New Jersey can't take action that doesn't take into effect until the next board. But it is taking into effect because all of the planning and process procedure >> this board the schools are going to be
open until this board turns out they will be open as of January 1st or the date of the reorganization meeting on 2027. So then how can you is it >> how can we >> how can we do this to come up with
something that is not going to rush this forward and cause all of the disruption that there is while also going with what the five people that voted for it are looking for which is the reduction of a
footprint to make sure that we are being responsible with the money. >> Well, I I think that's to go back to what you were saying beforeh >> that the motion to resend would be the appropriate motion so it doesn't go into effect in the 2627 school year and you
couple that with the continue to engage in the strategic planning and the amendments and adoption of the long range facilities. >> So, Dr. Maybe you could help me with this because I'm really struggling to understand. I'll try.
>> Thanks. How were you planning on doing when you came up with the judicial plan, right? How are you going to roll that out? And why was that going to be allowed if we can't find future boards to the
plans we're coming up with here as a board? >> We didn't need a year to to make a plan. >> Like last year when this all started, right? and you had phase one, phase two, phase three. How could that >> Well, the board wasn't voting on that
particular like they weren't voting on that plan in particular. That was the structure of a of a potential long-term phased, you know, kind of future for the district. But >> what
>> you did, but there was no vote on that. >> It's similar. We never even got to the juncture that school closed up last year at all. >> So, I guess what I'm confused about is how you can do something this big
without having a long range plan that we agree on. >> Well, yeah, I I understand what you're asking because I have a similar question in regards to strategic planning. Like we're a strategic plan and that's a 5year time span. Yes. >> So basically within that strategic plan
you are finding future boards to what's in that strategic plan. So how is that different? >> So if we had done the full strategic plan last year and continue those bindings. So how how do you how do you rectify all that? >> Interesting >> is what I'm I'm I'm hoping I'm clarifying.
>> You are clarifying and I very much appreciate it. >> So >> I understand what you're saying. This is not This is for So I guess our motion need to reset. That's it. Everything
I thought this was >> I thought we had a motion. >> So there's a motion and a second. So there's a motion to resend. >> Okay. >> And then to continue to engage continue to engage in the strategic plan >> and setting board. Yes.
>> Yes. >> I'm sorry. What was the last part? >> All right. So there is a motion on the floor that's been made to resend the action taken with respect to school closure so it does not go into effect during the 2627 school year and to
continue with the strategic planning and resto >> what you just said it was strategic planning. to continue to the strategically strategic planning so that this plan could be implemented with fidelity.
>> No, that that was it was >> okay. >> Was it the board goals? >> Yes. >> It was it's a continuous strategic planning in the overall board goals. >> There any discussion? >> You repeat. Yeah, I just came back and >> Oh, an amending of the long range
facilities plan. That was that was the other one. >> Not tonight to continue to work through amending the long range facilities. >> That motion was already done. >> No, no, no. I thought your motion was to resend the motion, close schools, engage
in the strategic planning, and adopt a long range facilities plan according with the strategic plan. Bill is what's the um clarification on the how can the strategic plan find future boards but yet the resolution for school
>> because strategic planning starts the time it's adopted and carries through it starts as this board the strategic plan encapses the the present as well as the future >> just like superintendent contracts are
five years if as long as day one of the year one starts within the current year of the board. It still binds future boards to those contracts, but the board can't adopt a contract that's starts 2 years from now.
>> So, does this motion follow our old strategic plan that we're still operating under? >> Yeah, because our old strategic plan was not a school closing. So, that.
So to be clear, the motion on the floor is to resend the school closures effective 2627 and to continue to engage in strategic plan. >> Yes. But Mr. First clarifying on what you were just talking about with the
strategic plan. Once the strategic plan goes into place that is in place. We don't have a new one. So we're operating under the old one. Correct. >> We're operating under >> Yes. >> So we're in violation of state
>> to the fire in regards to the fact that we started it. Um, but it is a 5year time span, so there is a definitive starting, which is why we started the process well before that. >> Didn't it take them a long time to approve this plan?
>> The board the >> department doesn't approve the strategic plan. The board adopts it. >> Yeah. If there's a school closure inclusive within it, then facilities, >> um, we don't know how quickly they'll
turn that around in the sense of the approval for the school closures pending the submission of that long range. So we should be following our >> but as Andy said this has already said like as things come up you can submit amendments like that like it's a fluid
document in the sense that it can be amended over time >> but you can just violate it by taking that photo when it's not >> that's procedural for building yeah I don't know procedural I don't think you
can tell All right. So, the motion on the floor is to resend the resolution close 2627 and engage continue engage in strategic.
>> Yes. >> That's our final. >> Uh Mrs. Mise. >> Yeah. Mrs. Scholaski, >> no. >> Mr. Sappari, >> yes. >> Mrs. Tobacco, >> no. >> Mrs. Torres, >> yes.
>> Mrs. Weinstein, >> no. Mrs. Wright, >> yes. >> Mr. Capone, >> no. >> Mr. >> No. >> Any other new business? >> Yeah, I I have some new business. I'd
like to um make a motion for something to go into the policy committee that going forward no school buildings or major major structural changes happen to this district um without at least seven members
>> without what >> without seven members. major structural work. >> I I will have to take it under adisement. I don't know if that's statutoily acceptable because New Jersey
law governs what requires a majority of the board and what requires majority of those present. But I will take a look at that and get back to you when I answer. >> Thank you. So basically you want a super majority to do anything to do with it closure
motion to request minutes for tomorrow night's meeting. >> Say that again. It's really hard to hear. She wants a motion to get minutes for tomorrow night's shared services meeting. So,
who's going to take the minutes? Does the township take the minutes? >> I mean, what our past procedure has been, if if I'm attending the meeting, I'll write up a report. None of our committee reports are quote unquote minutes. They're reports on what was discussed.
>> Uh, you know, I wasn't at the last meeting. I did write a report. I don't know. I mean, if I'm at the meeting, I'll be happy to write a report to the board. I always do. >> You don't really need to make a motion. Okay. minutes.
>> Yeah. >> Any other business? >> Yeah, I have something. Um I was told that staff got an email today that on Thursday after school they're being told their um assignments for next year. Is that true?
>> Yes, we are going to be discussing with the consolidation the people involved with the consolidation where their teaching assignment will be for next year. Obviously, these are all caveed with like pending changes occurring in the future because that's how we kind of couch everything when we give staff an
assignment, but we wanted to provide that information to these individuals as early as possible. We felt it was important. They will be getting their teaching assignment prior to any other staff member in the district because we're obligated to May 15th for everybody else. That's a rehire and a non not a non-renewal. But our
non-renewals are also being told next week at the end of this week that they will not be rehired and as we discussed um you know for performance related situations. >> Okay. So um my question is so it was Madison and Leonardo
short what about Thorne and Toss >> if there is a change in a teaching assignment for them. >> So it's just for those that are >> yeah changing changing affected by the consolidation. >> Okay. So, I did want to voice um something from the education perspective
that I don't believe most people have up here besides obviously the administrators and uh teachers that are here. Um that no matter what happens at this point, whether it is school closures or not, the disruption of our
staff is going to be monumental and it is going to ripple for years to come. And here's why. No matter what happens, there is now a doubt that has been sewn into every teacher and every para and
every person that works for this district that their work is not safe here. that there is a board that can come in that can make decisions and can totally redo
everything that they feel is their home. And the thing that they pour into our schools are really you cannot put a price on it. And they have had that stability because this town has had such strong schools
for so long. And what has happened in the last year and what is happening now is going to disrupt that continual education and those people that we rely on the most as parents, taxpayers, and
people that are putting our trust in them. And the experienced teachers aren't going to come apply here because they can't know that their job is going to be safe. The non-tenured and younger teachers are going to look and leave for other districts. If come July we do not
have these school closures, what is going to happen to the schools that have to be restaffed? And that is something that I don't believe the people on this board thought and quite frankly I don't know who's listening care about. And that is
something that we as board members ethically need to be aware of because these people are trusting us to guide the policy for this district. >> Any other notes? Okay. Public comment agenda items for 30
minutes. Hi. Okay. Hi, Chris Mooney Middletown. Um just some questions related to um special ed. Um I don't think the special ed plan has been released, but I've seen things that say um I think the
elementary autism program is said to split between Nutswamp and Beayshore Elementary and they're currently at Numa. Okay. So elementary autism
currently in pneumatic new plan summer in Nutswap and summer in Beayore Elementary. I don't know if you've considered whether or not they do need fences for that autism program because for safety. Um I've talked to some kids
and I have friends with um autistic children. So, just other things that I don't think you thought about in terms of the special need population and the fact that I don't know that those parents know anything right now um is concerning because Beayshore has no
fences and is made for um bigger kids and it's not need to have kids playing outside right now because middle schoolers don't play outside. They currently across the street to go to gym. So, I know we don't know when the playground's going to go. how big it's
going to be. Um, but the fence was a question I had. Um, the bathrooms for students who are in the middle school autism program who or any student who has a medical reason that they need a
par in the bathroom to help them. And some of these kids need help using the bathroom. Some of them have accidents and they need an adult to go in the bathroom with them. So, do we know that the bathrooms are close to where the autism rooms are going to be in I think
Thompson or is where we're saying the middle school autism program is going. Um, so does a does a bathroom need to be inside the autism classroom? I don't know the answer to this, but I'm just these are questions that people are asking me and I don't know I don't know
the answer and I'm okay there. I I've had a lot of parents just asking me a lot of questions and I have no authority on special ed, but these are very worrying things to me um for these kids. And I I also worry about
a middle schooler who needs help in the bathroom being in a bathroom with everybody else and just how that feels. It >> is my understanding that at Behore there are bathrooms in the classroom already that were present there. So we can repurpose those for
>> What about middle the middle school? We will have to find out their plan is really but you know Mrs. Gender is very in um for knowledge of special education and what we believe is required and what is the practice as well that's the change in the middle school and like
we'll get those answers. >> So just the safety is in regards to that which I haven't heard a lot about. So thank you Good evening. Uh Dan Laz Middletown. So after watching the bud budget presentation again tonight, I saw this slide highlighting and bragging about
the tax levy increases over the last decade averaging I think about 2.74 2.74%. A lot of years were at or below 2%. Can we also brag about everything else that's happened over the last decade?
Our reserve accounts in 2021 were about $10 million. As of last year, they were less than $100,000. Ongoing delays in capital improvements and in maintenance. Anybody that knows anything, you delay your oil changes on
your cars, they fail. You don't keep up on that, they fail at. Takes a lot more to bring them back up to par. And we've only been doing that because we haven't been keeping up with our tax levy increases because we should have, right?
Closing four schools in five years, right? Let's brag about all of those while we also left $30 million on the table at least over the last seven years by not doing a more sensible even a 3% increase would have kept up and giving
us $30 million. Seriously. Right. Going forward, I beg everybody on this board and future boards, understand what these levies are, how incremental increases work, and how much of an impact they will have in your future budgets. Right?
This is not a bragging point. 2% is not something to brag about when you are systemically defunding our schools. Melissa Doss res um according to the timeline that you had sent out to us um letting us know what's going to happen
um each month with uh closing the schools one aspect of the social emotional support plan initiated an impacted school. It is April 28th or maybe April 29th and um nothing has been done. Not for the teachers, not for the
students. When should we expect this? >> What specifically are you talking about in regards to what we're >> You sent out. >> Yeah. No, I know what we sent out. >> Nothing has been done. >> That's not true. My children have got nothing. Well, and I know from the
teachers from working in the school that nothing has been done. We >> no social emotional support plan has been initiated. >> It has it has it has been initiated. >> Maybe the follow on it but is my understanding we just had a discussion
about this today that the that the plan that was developed for >> what is the plan? >> We can get you details on it. It's it's an extensive plan developed by our director of student support services in conjunction with our counselors. >> Okay. Thank you. Um because no one has any
information on that. Um second of all, um we're talking about class sizes and how a middle school class sizes of 25% currently has 20 to 21 kids in his class at Beayshore. Please explain to me how 25 would be better for him.
>> Well, with the 50, >> we're talking about a collective district. So equity shouldn't be going towards class sizes of 28, 29 or 30, >> right? So shouldn't we going more towards 21 and less towards 25? >> Yeah, in a perfect world of unlimited
funding. Sure. >> It doesn't have to be unlimited funding. It could just be redistricting >> redistricting 100%. >> So why aren't we doing that? >> I'm not the board of ed. >> But you are the superintendent who can influence the board of ed. Great. I only
have so much influence. I don't have a vote. >> Well, take early. Good night. Middle of town. Um, so to add to what I said last time I was up at the podium, uh, members of the board, four members of the board and the community have
repeatedly asked or summed any explanation from the five members voting to close our schools as to why this needs to be done now. such an obviously rushed, careless,
reckless, I would say brutal manner. These requests have been met with silence. I'm starting to think that you have a mission to destroy the schools of Middletown. That's your plan. But that's just my opinion. So, I'm testing Moran
for any other explanation. And honestly, the other theories I've come up with are not very attractive. Uh so now I ask and and I I just wanted to thank the board for uh passing the the
motion that uh you will record the questions and do your best to answer them. I'd like to ask you of these five members that are voting on this disgraceful plan. Um, what are your or your family members financial or close
social relationships with the companies, corporations, other organizations or principal members of these entities that stand to benefit from these closures? Be it through uh physical modification contracts, land
development opportunities, services, other areas. Yeah. We really we have no idea why you're doing this and really that makes as much sense as anything else probably a lot more. So please do record this
question and do be sure to answer it to the best of your abilities. Like we want to know are you are you on the tape? Is this why you're doing it? Thank you very much. Now, um I was hoping that someone would be locking back in. She's not completely.
Um I have a question about why are you constantly telling the side of the table that they can't vote to amend the rest of Google search? And it says a vote to close a school in 2027 28 is not binding
in the sense that a board sitting in 27 could technically vote to reopen and resend the plan. provided that they have a budget and state approval to do so. This is the second meeting in a row that they have tried to resend this plan and you have told them no and it's not the
right information. So, I want to understand why you personally are so invested in closing the schools that you're trying to silence half of the table. >> No comment to that. I'm talking to our attorney who's supposed to be advising us on the law
and is advising in the wrong direction. >> Read what you just read again. >> A vote to close a school in 2728 is not truly binding. >> Right there. What I told the board before is that this board can take
action that binds a future board and the appropriate motion to ensure that schools would not close in 27 26 27 would be a motion to resent >> but you amend it for 26 for 2728. You
would not bind them. You're going to answer my time and you're not going to give it back. >> You asked you can because you're not answering. You're talking circles because they could say I want to make a plan for 2728 and in 27 if the board that is sitting up here does not agree
with that they can resend that. So they are allowed to make that motion that they want a plan for 2728. >> That was Miss's motion. It was a motion to resend engage in strategic planning in accordance with the law. >> You said that they couldn't find a
future board. >> Correct. I also want to make a comment. She's still not back here, but I find it extremely concerning that there's a member of this board of education sitting up here on the stage during a
very heated and intense and longunning board event meeting actively campaigning for on social media for a political candidate. So, not only is she disinterested and sitting on her phone and not paying attention through the
entire meeting except for when conversations happen about sad schools is the only time she gets involved, but she is sitting on social media at this table campaigning for Alex San. So, there's Alex Van's uh political
affiliation, and I'm so happy that she touts that she's a board of ed me member while she's doing this in a board event meeting. It's real classy. >> Hi, Carrie Christensen again. Um, I just have a request. I I mean it seems like
obviously the school closures budget it won't be passed with this board, right? Hopefully the state county will do what's right. We'll understand this plan is not effective. They'll deny it. They don't, we're here, right? The thing that's not going to change is
all of us parents and taxpayers in this town are indebted to you to have to ensure our children's education, right? And I just ask that you find a way to work together. I ask that you find a way
to stop this dysfunction. I mean, you all have lives. You have jobs. I'm sure you don't want to be sitting here at midnight. It's insane. Just please try and Find a way to come together regardless of what your difference of opinions are. Have conversations. Do it
outside here. I get their sunshine notices. I get all that. You're obviously all talking oneon-one anyway. Just please try and do better. Unfortunately, like it or not, we all have to go by what you're doing, right?
And we all care a lot about our children. We care a lot about our home values. And unfortunately, it seems right now we're a little bit stuck with whatever you decide. I just ask you to do better and try and work together. I think that I'm
a firm believer that ideologies of very different sides often come together to make the best plan that works for everybody. It seems there's one side of the table that believes one thing, one side of the table that believes another. There has
to be a middle ground that will at least make 75% of the things be great, not what's happening now. >> Emily from the Cub resident, I want to say one thing is that so many times over these past few months, we have that thing shut down our shove down our
throats. We're being told we have to do this now. You don't have to do anything. You guys have proven over and over again that you're doing the things that you want to do and not that you need to do. You have all admitted that right in one way or the other. While it's picking up a phone call and telling someone, "Don't
worry, we're not going to close your schools. No more coming. Don't worry about it." Whether it's something that you do in a conversation behind closed doors or a commitment that you will vote on a plan that's not fully final, right? But everything you guys are doing is a choice. You want to do this. You don't
need to do this. Amy has said over and over again that the budget can be balanced in different ways. We don't need to close the schools. So, I don't get why you're still doing things and saying, "You're kind of gaslighting us. You're saying we have to tell the teachers where they're going." No, you
don't. You actually have chosen the path of recklessness instead of the the path of conser being conservative, which I don't think any of us will ever understand. and the oath that you have taken and the people that I think you are actually is a little different than
who you are up here and is so disappointing because you guys are making choices that you want to. So, I'm going to encourage you all to stop gaslighting the public to thinking the fact that you need to do these things. You've created your own situation, right? You don't actually have to close
schools. You want to. So, own that. The five of you want to close schools. You first said it was because of the the budget. That's not true anymore. You can say it like over and over again to make us believe that we're not hearing and seeing what's reality. But the truth is
you don't. You want to. I'm not going to sit up here and tell you why. You all have your own reasons. I put faith in you all that you're doing it for the right reasons. I find it hard to believe, but I want to believe the fact that you're doing it for the right reasons. But stop making the public
believe that we're not hearing and seeing the same things that you are. Because at the end of the day, guys, we can see it, right? You you've never seen capacity numbers. You never saw the budgets before you actually go into that. You don't know capacity. It was
made up. And you're all actually wanting us to believe that you believe it. But I know you. You are smart women. I'll leave it there. I think you're smart women. And I think that you know better than you have not actually seen these numbers. So what you're doing is a want
and not a need. So please stop making us believe that this is because something that has to be done because it's not. I also have one more thing Dr. Alone and I commend you for what you had to go through. You and I have had a roller coaster I think over the past year. I appreciate that when you know push comes
to shove, you do say the things that you need to say and I thank you for that because I know it's not easy and Katarina, I'm going to say it to you as well. And when push comes to shove, you do the right thing and I still believe that in my heart. So I thank you guys for standing up for things when when it comes to it. But there's other members
on this board that are doing the hard work and that's advocating for this district that no one else is. And if redistricting needs to be done at the same time, I don't understand why it's not a topic. I have 10 seconds, so that's it. But please guys, be better. This is a want not need. Eric D. I still live in Nin. uh this
going to sort of the conversation was going on like the the thought how do we go about if we wanted to be diligent about this engaging in a discussion about reducing our footprint uh but not always being doing it on one year crisis cycles because of uh legal advice that
we're looking into at at the moment um and I had the occasion to catch up with some friends recently who live in suburban Maryland where it's constantly growing the school populations are constantly shifting. They're constantly readjusting footprints, reszoning,
closing old schools, taking them offline, bringing new schools online. I said, "How does that work?" And it's because they are constantly doing what we are supposed to be doing, which is five-year strategic planning cycles. And you don't do the big thing at the start,
you do it at the end. You engage in strategic planning. You come up with the entire plan alongside the community. Oftentimes it features big change. The community's been along for the ride and then you're selling the community on it and then the board takes the whole vote
and often times that vote does result in redistricting, taking schools offline, other big decisions that look towards the future of the district. But here we're doing it backwards. We're taking a tough vote right at the outset of of strategic planning and we all know
they're going to have to be similar tough votes next year and the year after. And if anybody thinks that's the better approach, you're not picking it through. If this board dynamic shifts in January, guess what the new vote is
going to be in February to reopen schools. That's the sort of back and forth crisis mode that we're going to be in if we keep doing things backwards instead of engaging in the proper long-term strategic planning where the entire community gets to see the whole
picture where buyin is sought. Some people are going to be unhappy but hopefully you get the majority on board and and the community at least feels like they have the chance to participate and talk about the future. But instead, we are doing
this backwards. We're going to keep doing it backwards. And if anybody thinks it's going to make things easier because it picks off pieces of the time, it's not. Because you pick off one community, they're not going away. They just get mad and make your life difficult because they're going to be
driving past shuttered schools day after day after day and getting more and more motivated because they're at new schools they didn't want or paying for private schools they didn't want to pay for. Um, so again, let's do this the right way. There can be a plan at the end. It could
feature a footprint reduction, but anybody who's thinking this this backwards approach is going to be a bit better because communities will go to sleep once their schools closed, that's that's really misunderstanding how how people work and especially how
Middletown works. Thank you. Scott McFersonson, Middletown Res. So, I want to speak to the motion that was made tonight and the initial motion that was attempted to be made when there was discussion by Mr. Burns. So, I'm looking
at an approval letter from August 22nd of 2016 from the state of New Jersey, the office of facilities and finance regarding a pro school closure in Eve Sham Town, Eve Sham Township that was made by a board of education in April of
2016 and it wasn't to close the school in the upcoming 1617 school year. It was the 171 18th school year. So, Mr. Burns, will you commit tonight to actually researching this issue? And if you were
incorrect on the advice that you gave the board members regarding delaying the implementation of the school closures till 2728, will you give them your uh will you research that issue and agree to get back to the board regarding that topic?
And I appreciate that because I'm fairly certain that I recall you saying at a previous board meeting and I don't remember which one it is. I've attended so many uh over the last year as I know all of you uh all of you have or most of you have um where you said just that
exactly that delaying implementation on its own was appropriate but I believe at that board meeting there was some other things attached to it. So, I'd appreciate you looking at that issue because I think that it would give the board a lot of clarity if they knew that
they could delay implementation of the school closure plan until 27280 and it would give administration to come time to come up with an actual plan because as we've heard there is no plan. We're doing this on the cuff. for doing this on the fly because obviously
there's not enough time between now and the the end of June when Dr. Alone, you know, leaves the district and then September. And the the the real problem with that is not only that it affects our teachers, but really it affects our
students, right? And we're looking out for the best interest of our children, right? That's what we're here to do. So if there was a way to delay implementation of this to give administration, teachers, staff, the parents, these
children and the children themselves time to come up with a plan, time for us to speak to our children about this and time for everyone to have an understanding of how this can actually be implemented correctly. And maybe
along that path, we also do some redistricting. We also do some strategic planning and then we don't find ourselves in such a contentious position that we found ourselves in for the last year. Thank you. >> Hi Rebecca Lara poor comment. Um I'll
keep this short. I'm much better at written word than spoken word. So uh forgive me it's also the name. Um, I can't really say in better words what people have already said. I just want to reiterate a couple things. One being that when I started attending board
meetings back in September, I knew that there were a lot of issues going on. I knew that there was a lot of discontent with the community and the board. And I thought surely this must be like fluff, right? There's no way. There's no way.
Um I myself and my husband have reached out to the board a couple years ago and over the past three years we've talked to members on the board and we've had great experiences uh thoughtful responses quick responses everything was great. So when I came in and I saw what
was happening, I remember that day I got up and I made a public comment. I wasn't expecting to basically saying, "Hey guys, come on. We can work together, please." And I felt like maybe it was moving in that direction until February.
What happened? What happened? And it's it's just so disheartening because I see my community members and I see the children like And and no disrespect, but everyone's being disrespectful to each other.
Everyone, the board members are being disrespectful to each other. Mr. Burns, I'm so sorry, but you are the attorney for the entire board, not just a couple members of the board. And when some board members ask questions or are confused about a procedural issue, I've
seen you roll your eyes and huff and be annoyed with them. That's not your job. your job is to be the attorney for the board as a whole. And that disrespect just among the table up there is now
we're seeing it in little kids. They shouldn't know things like that. They don't need to be exposed to that. So I just ask along with everyone else if this is going to happen. Can we at least know why? Can we I'm I trust you
guys. I've had good experiences with so many of you that I know that there has to be reasons that the public is just not aware of. And if we're aware, we are logical, rational thinkers. I know a lot of people who have said, "If they gave
me a good reason, I would I would be on board. We don't want this discontent. We don't want this infighting. We want to just move on." So that's that's my plea. Um good night.
Kristen Bolton Middletown. Um, Mr. Colin, I think you were here at the last meeting. Jackie, Frank, Dr. Phone, uh, Mr. Burns, you were not here. My concern was when my child left this district on a bus with other
elementary schools, left the town, went over a bridge, and was never notified about it, what is the protocol? for parents being notified of when their kids are left on a bus. One incident. I know Katarina, Frank, Jackie, Sarah,
your kids, Chris, I think your kids are all too aren't affected by what you just did tonight, but mine are. And this adds to every trauma that you've caused to my family. This bus is one straw. What is the
protocol for kids leaving the district without parents being notified because their bus driver doesn't know where they're going? What is the law? Why are you notified? So, we can't sleep at night because of your votes. This is one incident. We
don't even have the answers to kids are being left and the parents don't know. For all we know, if they have a watch tracking, they're being kidnapped. And thank you for the heads up for not telling us what's going on. So, I'd like the protocol.
And then, just to be clear, 3,000 units are coming to Middletown. We're closing three schools. Manufacturers crisis here. Mayor Harry spoke at the Eastern Mama
Area Chamber of Commerce and stated the preK is so overwhelmed that they need to find more space. What does that mean? Enrollment's up. coming to the public school. I'm saddened by all your votes that didn't go in the right way for the town,
for the future of the town. Before we end, I just want to make a statement to the board predominantly um in regards to my concern at this point for the staffing piece of this. Um, in absence of the long range
facilities plan being approved, there is no chance that the county will approve the school for closure plan. And we are supposed to be telling staff on Thursday, which is only 48 hours from now, where they're going. I am not
comfortable doing that. Um, I think it speak to, you know, I think that everybody sitting up here is empathetic to the fact that change is hard. This impacts people emotionally, but I am extremely concerned about having to sit down with people on
Thursday and tell them that they may be going or they may not be going. Um, obviously our timeline was predicated on the fact that, you know, the long range facilities could have been approved tonight. So, I I want the board to really consider that in the mix of this
because it is a a I know that probably my administrative team is feeling the same way because we're dealing with the human impact of this on a regular basis and having to sit with these people and tell them on Thursday when it's not, you know, not so solid anymore concerns me
really really um a lot. >> You have a question, Jess. Yes. or anything or no at this point that no vote on the long range facilities plan not pushing that through is that basically invalidate
the other votes or >> no um it needs to be done right now >> right but we need approval to move no I understand that >> so we can't submit the mon facilities plan as amended to the executive county
superintendent for approval so just lengthens the timeline to do that. So because there is not any approval from the executive and superintendent at this point, schools will not be able to be closed
until the executive and superintendent of the department of education >> and he has already informed me that without that he will not be passing it up the chain. >> So three things needed to happen. We needed to have the resolution overrun. We need to have the budget approved and
we need to have the long range facilities and the budget, right? The budget was approved. So that's fine. The moni that's the monetary amount for overall operating expenses and then the tax increase that has nothing to do with school closure in the sense of their
separate items to resend or approve or you know they're separate voting items. Um so the budget's fine. Obviously, many people spoke about the rect being able to rectify the budget in absence of school closures. We already clarified that the long range facilities
then it was the amendment was the last piece we needed in order to be able to submit our full application to the county which we felt that and we've been pretty sure that if we did that that it would be approved. However, in absence of that, we're still in limbo uh with
not another voting date until May 13th, which is the earliest. And that doesn't even take into consideration the time that it's going to take for the state to turn it around. But hold on. My concern lies, Hold on, let me finish, please.
>> My concern lies within today's date and May 15th where we are required to staff this district by statute. And so we will be having conversations with people about non-renewals, right, based on all of
these other moves in the consolidation. Um, and that is very that that's concerning to me because those things are absolute. When you do not renew somebody, you do not renew them. Um, so, uh, I just wanted to make sure the board was aware that that is where we are
right now. And I'm not real comfortable with that. >> So, wait, if I can chime in with that, just to be clear, the approval from the state is a twoprong step. It is the recommendation of the executive county
superintendent and the application actually to the division of finance and administration cannot be made until the executive county superintendent signs off on he will not sign off on this until there is an amendment to longrange facility
plans that he deems appropriate. At that point, he then makes the recommendation and is sent to the division of finance and administration for review and final approval. The timing on that is is there's no clear timeline of how long the division
of finance administration would take to do it. So at this point, I just feel that we should really strongly consider an alternate pathway for this because you're asking us to do the impossible
right now in the sense of this is now two more weeks out and and you might say two weeks is not that much. You know, like you're already working on a short timeline, but in those two weeks, critical things have to happen. So I'm just leaving it there. I just just
>> I'm sorry, just one more question. So, our next vote couldn't be till May 13th to open the long range facilities plan. >> But if that amendment fails again, then we're two weeks out and the rehire
meetings have already taken place. So, kind of like fall between a rock and a hard place at this point. timeline was I mean that's if you want if we want we're empathetic if you want to ensure that we are being fair to our staff.
>> I think that's the staff but it's the kids at this point. >> Yeah, the kids and the staff but the staff is the next piece. >> I don't I don't know what the rudeness for the audience is. We're trying to have a discussion and I'm a little tired of the nastiness that goes on in this room. Everyone up here is trying to do
the best thing. Everyone up here is a friaking volunteer and you people are so obnoxious and rude. Keep taking pictures. I don't care. I don't really care. I don't want to post on Facebook. I really don't care. We have big decisions to make. We are elected
officials. You people are not the only people in this town. There are big decisions here. There are people that cry to us that have to move out of the old town because they can't afford the tax increase that happened. A lot of things have gone on. And you aren't the only people in the world. And I have questions I'm trying to ask my board
administrator. Jessica, I'm sorry. My question is, you know, we if if this long range plan would have bothered you tonight, I would have been fine with our decisions. Pushing this out until
the few weeks before school ends leaves me feeling like we're not going to be able to get this done correctly. >> Didn't we already discuss this in audit and we're ask those points. Can we motion to adjurnn? >> Sorry, no. >> Excuse me. >> I asked if we finished it and that we
can move the motion to adjurnn. >> I can't hear. >> I asked if we already discussed this and went through it. Can we just make the motion to adjourn since we're past new due business and public comment? You want to hear me ask the questions of Jessica about
>> We already discussed this. We already had this. >> No, we actually didn't discuss this. more information to me and I have questions. >> Okay. But we did discuss it and I asked numerous times if anybody would be willing to have a conversation. >> No, I don't want to have a conversation with you. I want to have a conversation
with the super. >> That's exactly what we're talking about with the board and having >> I'm trying to ask the question superintendent. You're interrupting and you want to adjourn a meeting. >> Yeah. >> I I'd like to make a motion to resend the closure of schools.
She wants to refin. >> Hang on. >> We didn't approve the >> right. No, there's you can make two motions. >> Well, hey, Eron made a motion to adjourn the meeting. So, what's happening now?
>> I don't think that's second. >> There's a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> No, she to the meeting. table. I table >> there's a motion and a second to adjurnn the meeting. >> I table my motion. >> So that
>> so then the the second you have the option for two motions because it's really hard to hear >> really >> right. So the first one you can make a motion to resend the action to close. The second one which would chatter you
can make a motion to reconsider the vote on the L RFP. >> Those are the two motions that check. Your motion was the motion to resend closures of schools that was seconded by
Mission. >> Okay. >> So that's resended. >> Correct. The only person that the only people that could make a motion to reconsider >> the LFRP are any of the people that voted >> no.
>> Right. So, does anybody who's in the majority on the LFRP want to reconsider their motion? >> No. I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn instead. >> Second. >> I'll reconsider my motion.
So, we have a motion to reconsider >> to the long range resilience plan. >> Yes. >> I made a motion to adjourn before that. >> I made another one. >> All right. So, there was a mo there was another motion to adjurnn that was
seconded by Mr. Sabarazzi. >> So, that was first. >> Yes. on the motion to adjurnn. >> And who seconded that motion? >> Mr. Saras, >> I'm sorry. You made the M. So, we're now voting on the motion to
journ. No, >> correct. Yes. >> Am I doing? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Mrs. Because this is this is such a joke. The pressure was put on the vote. Wait, the
vote is made discussion. The vote was made. Somebody doesn't like it now. And now all of a sudden the pressure is on to pressure somebody to change their vote. And that's not fair. You are really not doing the right
thing. And I you made your vote, Kathy. You should you were comfortable with it. Now you >> No, I actually don't exactly. I wasn't comfortable with it. >> But you did it. >> But I did it, but I wasn't comfortable. And if you notice, I hesitated for 30
seconds. >> Should this discussion be on the motion to >> this is discussion on a motion to the meeting? >> Yes, >> there's a motion and a second on the fourth. >> And we have one vote. >> And we have >> So this is the motion to adjourn. Mrs. Yes.
>> No. >> Mr. Sopets. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Tobacco. No, Mrs. Torres. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Weinstein. >> No. Mrs. Right. >> I'm sorry. No. >> Yes. I'm sorry. It's hard to hear. I'm
sorry. >> Mr. >> No. >> Mr. >> No. >> So, the motion fails. So the question with respect to that the motion to reconsider the motion to reconsider must be made by somebody who voted on the prevailing side of the
motion. >> Second. >> I make a motion to reconsider. >> Second. >> I'll second. Does that have to be seconded by somebody in the affirmative discussion? >> Wait, doesn't it have to be seconded by
somebody in the affirmative? >> No, it has to be made by somebody in the >> discussion. So my discussion is this. I have been begging for discussion. And if you are going to sit here and not
discuss, I highly recommend that we keep this as it was because why is it that you are going to talk to Dr. phone and look at me and say you don't want to talk to me if we are on this board together to have a discussion. I hope I'm loud enough so you can all hear me.
I asked why we cannot. So what is the discussion? What do we need to talk about? We discussed this before. I am the only I gave you all of those reasons. I talked about all of these different things that are going on. I talked about what is going on with the children, how we have
our policies and how we are being violated and you don't care to even engage in a discussion. >> That's not the issue that I brought up. >> That is the issue. You're talking about the not your emotions. Your emotions I
was still talking point of still talking. >> One person. >> Thank you. My point is that we discussed the LRFP. We discussed all of these things. We discussed the concerns with the policy. We discussed the concerns of the information we didn't have. We asked
that the architect is going to supply us with that information so that we have it tomorrow so that we can actually have an amended LRFP to go forward with. And now because you get this information after the fact, but we don't have the
discussion, you turn around and do this and you do not have anything to say about the issues that were raised that made it go as the vote went in the first place. So if you're going to make us sit here for this long, let's talk about it.
This is what the public is saying. I can't hear you when you're talking while I am. So if you have something to say, please wait for me to stop and then you are welcome so that I can have this love for you to stop so I can talk. >> Excuse me. >> Would love it. >> Okay. Uh Mr. Avita, I asked you the last
time if you would ensure that the decorum was followed. >> And I told you I I can't be a police officer. I asked everybody at least to behave civil. >> It's being the leader. And I'm asking you to ask Miss to stop talking while I am. >> Can you ask her to stop talking?
>> But then we need to take a >> No, we need to have a discussion because that's why we open this up again. Once we have a discussion, we need to open it up to the public before a vote because we already closed that part of the meeting. >> No, that's not true.
>> We just discussed our discussion. We're having a new discussion. Taking a new vote. The public has a right to roll, please. >> Where's the discussion? >> Am I allowed to speak now? >> Yes.
I I wouldn't think this is unproductive at this point. My support is for a journey because I just feel like no one's in the right frame of mind to make any kind of decision right now. I I really don't believe this is outlandish to me.
>> I'd like to make each other at the table at 1:00 in the morning. >> I'd like to just make my comment. I have no problem with the LRP. I was able to read all of the pages that were sent today. I have no problem. I have no emotional issues over the LRFP. I'm
happy to continue to take Jessica's recommendation and support it like I was last year. Happy to. However, when the vote came through for the LRFP and we did not get that vote pushed through. I did not necessarily at the time
understand that that would with the timeline that that would really put us in a very bad position which is why I asked Jessica the question and ask for clarification on process at this point. All I'm asking for is either we have to make a decision one
way or another because there are too many people who are in limbo and it is not fair to anybody and if Katarina is was reconsidering her vote that changes things and the vote is on the table. So that's
my statement. That's why I asked the question because I did not understand that this was we can approve a budget. The budget's not going to get approved without this LRFP. So I don't was already approved. It's the approval of the school closure. >> Correct. So even though we don't have
that resolution voted on, it's not going to go through without the LRA. >> Right. The board approved it, but the county and the state have not approved it yet. >> So what's the vote now? >> Do Mr. In this thing that you gave us last
week, it said that board members must avoid conduct in violation of their public trust and attacking other board members. And once again, I was spoken to in that way by Miss Tobacco like I was in the last meeting and it was not addressed. So I'm asking you to address it again.
Calling me emotional. I'm asking him to address the fact that another board member sat up here and said she's not emotional like me. >> Not even from what I said. It's on recording. So >> it is on recording. >> Yeah. So it's so at least be accurate. No, that's not what I said.
>> I'm asking for decor. I'm tired of being spoken to. The only time you have any conversation up here is towards me in that way. >> I've asked for decor. >> I don't I don't It is not acceptable. It is not right.
>> Can we have a roll call, please, on the motion to reconsider? >> Yes. What are we voting on to consider submission of the amendment of the long range facilities? >> Mrs. Min, absolutely not. Mrs. Gilaski,
>> yes. >> Mr. Sarasi, no. >> Mrs. Tobacco, >> yes. >> Mrs. Torres, >> no. >> Mrs. Weinstein, yes. Mrs. Wright, >> Mrs. Right?
>> No. Okay. Mr. Capone, Mr. Adita. >> Yes. >> All right. So now the motion with respect to the LFRP. Hang on. What number is it? 11E
is like it never happened. So 11E has been reconsidered and it was back on the agenda. Motion to approve. >> Yeah. Second. All right. So now there's been a motion and
a second to approve one range facility plan amendment in the resolution in the agenda March 11. >> Mrs. Measi >> yes >> Mr. Mrs. Tobacco,
>> yes. >> Mrs. Torres, >> no. >> Mrs. Weinstein, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bright, >> no. >> Mr. Capone, >> yes. >> Mr. Aida, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Motion to motion to move.
Okay. >> So, just Mr. Burns, this question is for you. Public comment was never closed. You never closed public comment. You just went ahead. Again, I'm just super confused because I actually remember
specifically you saying you cannot make a motion during public comment. You've just made like five. You don't remember that? >> I mean, it actually I mean we can we we have it on recording and it actually it's law. So, you literally just allowed
multiple motions to be made, but public comment remained open. >> It was my understanding. There was no more public comment. >> I was sitting right there. I mean, Dr. Alone made a speech. >> No, there wasn't. Yes, during public comment. During public comment,
>> I was sitting right there, Jackie. >> That's okay. You don't know, Mr. Agita. Hey, listen. This is my time. I'm going to take back my time, Jackie, because I don't know what you did for 30 minutes when you probably went and called, I don't know, Bruce. But, you know, and again, I'll be putting that Oprah in to see what Jackie was doing for 30 minutes
during, you know, the public meeting because she somehow came back and had more knowledge and then bullied Katarina into changing her vote. I'm sorry. I know you don't like when people do this, but it's true. You just bullied her to change her vote. And you guys wrote policy. >> She didn't bully anybody. >> You did? >> No, I was actually making a motion to
resend school closure. >> And then you're all so rude and obnoxious. >> Jackie, I'm not rude. I had nothing but respect for you until you showed the public who you are. I've actually never said anything negative about you here. Out of out of Okay, that's fine. You can talk to Jackie, too, about being out of
order. This is still public comment. All I have to say is you guys did it again. You can't get out of your own way. Cat, you went one step forward, 17 steps backwards. You think this stands now? You just voted during public comment. You made motions, but you can't. You
guys like to believe that you can do what you want, but you don't know what you're doing because you have a hidden reason why this is so important. Roll your eyes, Jackie. That's fine. You can post it on Facebook. >> There's no hidden public. >> This is public comment. I'm making
comment. She's actually answering back. >> It's not abusive. Yeah. You know what's abusive, Jackie? Making points votes when we don't have all the information. >> That's abusive. You're correct. You are abusing the public. You are abusing the public. I've remained with what I said tonight. You guys have done it again.
You have made motions during public comment when you're not allowed to. So, good luck upholding that that long range facility plan. Good luck thinking of the fact that you did something good tonight. And I really would like to know what you did for 30 minutes and came back and bull again.
>> Kristen Middletown, I Dr. phone. I really am sorry for honestly I can see what you have been put through because you said repeatedly that this wasn't your idea and you just sat there and told this whole board. You
just said why you're so concerned about this and that literally two weeks is going to blow this up. and you all went back and revoted on something that you said no to because you knew you didn't have enough information after the superintendent
who is it's her job to advise you on what to do and it's your job to vote. What you guys are repeatedly doing as a board is administering the schools and that's against your ethics your code of ethics. You're not allowed to administer
the schools. Dr. telephone makes the recommendation. You don't say, "No, I'm going to take this and we're going to vote on this at this meeting and we're going to close the schools cuz we're the board and five of us voted for it." That's not how it works. Dr. El, you put
her in her job because she is educated in this area. She knows about all of these topics and you all don't. I don't either. You're elected. You don't have to have any skills and I respect that you do this job because I
would not want it. But we repeatedly have watched her tonight say how she's concerned about this and she's concerned about our staff and she's concerned about our kids. Our kids have already been told so many things that have upset them. So I appreciate it if it would
stop and I've asked for that. But our staff again you can't tell them and you can't rehire them. And what happens? Here's the real question. What's the drop deadad date for this approval? Because you have a rehire meeting in May
and you most likely are not going to get approvals from the state on this until summer, June, July, and maybe you won't. So then what do you do? What are you going to do if this fails? What are you you don't have the approvals. So the fact that you're even going to tell
anybody where they might be working is insane to me. Um, but just you're repeatedly not taking the advice of the person who was hired because she is skilled at this and we are trusting her
to make the decisions for our kids. We did not elect you all to decide what's right for our kids. You want to decide what's right for your own kids, go for it. But when you stop taking the advice of the professional, this is now
egregious and it's it's awful to watch. And and again, we're going home at God knows what time because you all can't behave like adults. So, I'm I'm really sorry for what you've gone through. I I'm sorry to lose you cuz now you're
fighting for this and I know that you had a plan that you wanted to implement with all of us involved and now you're not going to get to do that because of you being so disrespected in your own job because I know you were bulldozed. So, shame on all of you.
Hello. I wasn't gonna speak tonight. Um, everyone did an incredible job speaking. Um, my thoughts are pretty scattered cuz it's probably close to 1:00 a.m. Um, you're cruel. You're cruel.
Um, I know people ever since this happened, let me back up. Uh, last year you voted to raise taxes and promised us a bridge to make a long-term strategic plan. Did you bring in something like
$16 million of our taxpayer money? Is that right, Miss Dy? With that 10% tax increase, $16 million. Is that right? Okay. Miss Dy doesn't want to answer me, but I'm pretty sure that that number is
correct. Um, and then I attended and so did hundreds of members of the public, all of these strategic planning meetings over the summer summer that stopped in August. Um, and we were doing our part and then um all of a sudden in February,
five of you voted to close the schools anyway. Um, you robbed the taxpayers of Middletown. You robbed us. You took $16 million. If that number is correct, I'm asking Miss Dory, which she's not answering, but I think that number is
correct. $16 million of taxpayer money and didn't give us what we paid for. We paid for a long-term strategic plan that was responsible to the children in this district and to the taxpayers who gave
you their money. Um, and so now when this surprise happened to us in February, I'm very engaged in our comm community. Middletown is such a beautiful place if
you don't destroy it with this plan. When I talk to members of the community, obviously I'm not going to say names. This is so personal, but I've heard people tell me they're back on their psychiatric meds. Their anxiety is so high.
people who had been off of them for years. They're telling me their children are having outbursts, acting erratically, and you did this. Five of you did this.
And two of you tonight had brief moments of clarity, moral clarity. Miss Velasi, Miss Tobacco, you were just advocating for children a second ago. And I just grabbed my chest. I was like, "Oh my
god." You know, and then that's it. Turned turned right back to the cruelty. This is cruel and this is your choice. And it's not too late. It is late, but it's not too late. You can still do the right thing as a
mother. do the right thing to the taxpayers who paid you that 10% increase for a plan. Please deliver the plan to us, the long-term plan so that we are not surprised, we are not anxious, we can go
back to getting full nights of sleep. Thank you. Scary, isn't it? Mrs. Scholky, what changed? What changed in the hour and a half, two hours between your vote
to not approve the LR RFP based on I would assume all of the comments made by mostly by Mrs. Torres because you didn't have the information or you got it at 4:30 this afternoon. What changed between two hours ago and
now? And I'm going to hold my time. Mhm. >> Dr. Alone didn't make a recommendation. Dr. Alone said that, hey, by not approving the LRFP, this really kind of hurts the timeline because we need to we
were going to tell these teachers what they were going to do on Thursday. Now, let's put that aside for a second because we just had discussion about the fact that the well, first of all, it was said up here, which is very odd to me, that you've already got the uh notice
from the county superintendent or something along those lines, that he's going to approve it. So, you've been having conversations offline, not in front of the public, and he's assured you or told you that he's going to approve this without actually having the information. There's something wrong about that. All right? So, let's put
that out there right now. But beyond that, let's move even further. Say he does give his recommendation. What if the state doesn't make their decision till August till September? That's where the real problem is here. So either way, Mrs. Gilaskki, under
either scenario, you're hurting the students. And you've told me you're going to do what's in the best interest of the children. your vote to delay implementation of the or approval of the LR LRFP to actually get information on it was in the best interest of the
children. Your change in your vote afterwards is not in the best interest of the children. And I don't want to feel like I'm attacking you, but it was your vote that changed this. So that's why I'm speaking to you directly about this. And Mrs. Tobacco, you had made the
motion. And again, I think all of this was done improperly because I believe Mr. Mr. Burns has said in the past that has to be doing done during certain times. But Mrs. Tobacco, you made a motion to resend school closures and then someone said something in the
audience and they shouldn't have and I agree with you on that, but we need to have thicker skin, especially when we're an elected member of a public body. >> I say here all the time, my skin is pretty thick, but I'm going to just tell you something right now. >> And I want to just reserve my time and I want to hear. You can act as much time
as you want, but I'm going to tell you right now, I am tired of the way this community has acted. It has been disgraceful, personal attacks on us. We are volunteers. We represent everybody in this community. And believe me, nobody out here wants to do this, wants
to hurt kids. But you know what else we didn't want to do? We didn't want to just close one school. We didn't want to just close Navync and have those kids sent off to three different school districts. I didn't think you guys would be really happy with that. So, as these things have progressed, we have made a lot of decisions that have been in the best interest of the children. And my
heart tonight, you want to know what I was doing out there? First of all, I was getting something to eat because I was going to pass out. I haven't eaten yet today. Second of all, I was thinking I was actually meditating on what is going on and I didn't know the answers to the questions. And I came back in here and I
asked the questions of what was the right thing to do because I didn't understand and I didn't think that anybody else on this board understood that we only had three we had two pieces of the three that we needed to get this closed and it is getting late. There are what seven eight weeks left of school.
We are getting down to the wire. So my decisions, my heart, my the the amount of attacks that people project onto me that I'm some kind of a monster when I sit here and I give all my time to this school district for 5 and 1/2 years is disgraceful. The fact our superintendent
have been run out of town over this and doesn't want to be here anymore is disgraceful. In any case, here we are. And my my decision, I'm going to say this one more time. I'm going to say it again tomorrow for when when patch calls me and everybody else tries to change the narrative. I'm gonna be very clear
about it. My decision tonight was based on if we were in a if we were putting Jessica in a worse position. She's our administrator. I trust her. I don't sit here and try to administer to the schools. I don't sit here and try to go through every single point and accuse them of nonsense and accuse everybody of
of doing things underhandedly. I don't do that. I trust them. I trust them. We pay them the big dollars. I don't get paid for this. They do. I trust them to do the right thing and serve the schools. I asked Jessica for advice and guidance what she needed from the board
and if that was to if that would have been we just need to cancel this right now because it's not going to go through in time. I was prepared for that. If the answer would have been that I didn't understand which what would she receive what was happening the LRP. I didn't make her make a decision for her. I didn't talk to her. I didn't look at
her. I'm not anywhere near her. I don't bully her but a lot of people in this audience and in the SOS group they certainly have bullied her. I didn't. That's all happening organically with facts. When I get data, I'm able to make decisions. So, I am sorry that this is the way it went down, but at this point,
something hasn't moved one way or the other. >> Thank you for actually speaking to to to us. Yeah. >> I just I want to know how we're able to do this new business. When the first meeting when you were elected president, I tried to bring something up after discussion, you told me, Mr. confirmed
no new business can happen after discussion. So how is this any different? How is the president different now in the first meeting when Mr. Veto was elected president for your meeting and I brought something up and you told me no new business. How are we allowed to have new business? Go back
and watch the tape. >> How is this? What is the double standard? Can you explain that? The chair recognizes speaker the body as I like to say the body can
do whatever it cuz you told me something different the last time. So there I think we need to get I I mean at this point if we're making motions maybe we need to legalize Jackie from his face. I'm not being rude, but
she wasn't agreeing with what you were saying about what she was speaking. >> Now, she understand I can't see your face. I don't know what you mean. >> I do want to continue, but I think
>> I'm sorry for taking your time. I didn't >> No, Mrs. I thank you. I don't know if anybody else does. And you're generalizing. It's fine. one time that I haven't actually had it. But I thank you for actually speaking to us because that's what we wanted to hear. You've
spoken more tonight than you have I think in the last 14 15 >> us. It makes it difficult because now every word that I said is subject to your legal your legal uh you know what's going to happen maneuver. So >> well that's that's a really contentious
thing to do. It doesn't really speak to working well together. When you're not following the the law and the policy, then you then then you don't get sued. But when you don't follow the law and the policy, then litigation occurs and a judge is going to decide, not you, not me. So, we'll see what happens with
that. But I think it's important for us to hear from Dr. Aon. I think it's important to wait for her to come back to find out really what her recommendation is because when there's discussion up here about this even if
the vote this latest vote which again I I agree was improper because Mr. Burns you've said it multiple times you shut down Mrs. Minuise and uh Mr. So a couple of times during board meetings that you can't bring up a vote now and now we're
going to do it at the very end of a meeting at the very end of public comment that wasn't even closed. It just seems like that really violates Robert's rules which the policy of the board of education says we follow Robert's rules. So is that going to incur more litigation? I don't know. It might.
Right. So but I think it's important to hear from Dr. Alone because Mrs. Tobacco said you take the advice and the recommendation of Dr. Alone. She's been on record saying that while she agrees school closures are necessary in this district, those are her words, it's not
necessary for them to occur in 2627. And moreover, that with respect to closing at 2627, even if the vote to approve the LL RFP is was appropriate, which I don't
believe that it was, but let's say it was, and it goes to the county superintendent, who again I have some reservations because he said that he's going to approve it without even having the LRFP. Seems crazy to me, but that was said.
It still needs to be approved by the department of facilities and finance. Correct, Mr. Burns. >> Facilities. >> Just to clarify, Dr. Richards did not give us an affirmative that it was absolutely going to be approved, but he has given us zero indication that it
won't be. And when we are undertaking things like this, we have constant communication with the county office to ensure that we are providing the necessary information. So, none of this exists in a vacuum. um you know they come they did their walkthroughs they talked to us about capacity numbers they
talked to Mr. Nasser the head of our facilities and Mrs. Story. So I I really just want to clarify that Dr. didn't say, "Oh, I'm going to push this through regardless." There is always fluid conversation with the county when something like this is happening, >> right? And once he says, "Well, hey, you
didn't do this." Like, so let's say, well, you didn't do the traffic safety study, right? And look, I don't know if anyone has any students at Beayshore has ever done drop off at Beayshore Middle School. It is a disaster. I make my
daughter take the bus almost every day. And when when she can't take the bus and I have to drop her off there, I dread it. I dread getting into an accident in that parking lot because it's a disaster. So not having looked at that before approving school closures and not following school policy is a problem.
But let's move away from that for a second. So Dr. Alone, so what if Dr. Richen says, "Hey, I need more information." And that delays it more and you're waiting on the state. So if the state doesn't get back to you till say like August like they did with poor mammoth like what do you do then with
respect to these teachers and these kids? What if it's beyond August and we're into September? What if you approve school closures you implement it and then with respect to the litigation the judge says or the commission department of education says you can't do that. How do you unwind that? So
that's my point in that I was really speaking about the fact delay this until 2728 to buy yourself time to get answers to these questions to do this the right way and not harm our children, not harm
our staff and our students and the parents, too. I know we're on the lesser end of this and it's more about the ch it's all about the children. It's all about the staff, but we're here because we're the ones that are able to advocate for the children. But the real problem here is that there's not enough time.
Even if the LRFP vote tonight went the way it went, you know, not approved, then approved, there's still not enough time to implement this because you're not going to get a decision from the state until at least over the summer.
So, you should really maybe have another discussion and another vote. Oh, >> Kristen Wilie, was that a joke to make that rescended a closure of the school? >> Was that a joke that you made to resend
the closure of the school? >> The platinum boarding lady. I don't make jokes. >> Okay. So, why don't you talking about it? >> Why would you pull it that? >> I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't pull anything. I am tired of being accused of by people who don't know what they can,
please. I have never disrespected anybody here. >> It's a It was a question. >> Yeah. Act like a leader, would you? >> It's a question. >> It was a real >> a real I was I could I almost, as
somebody else said, overjoyed Jackie is going to save this. It was a legitimate question. Was it a joke or not? >> No, I don't joke around. >> So then why did you pull it? >> You're going to continue this line of questioning? I'm not also on trial and I
didn't pull anything. I was honest and I was transparent and I'm tired. It is 1:00 in the morning. >> Okay. So then you said you trust the deaf phone in what she makes recommendation for. Her recommendation was not to close schools. Correct. >> So why are we not supporting her in that
decision? It's just certain decisions. I'm sorry. >> I agree. Am I our a lot of our lives are affected by these meetings. That's why we're here. So when someone is dismissive to make that comment and then
say I support whatever and trust whatever Dr. Alone says and she says she does not support the closure of schools this year. I don't understand the disconnect. That's my point because she stated it several times. >> I'll just make a point because they they
said a lot of I was going to say, but you know, not to pile on, I mean, I think I agree with Sorry, Jeff. Matt, Middletown resident, Jackie, I agree with you that I think the behavior of a lot of the people here is is a boring. I think the personal attacks don't don't get us anywhere. I've felt that way for
the last year, but I I did appreciate you saying that Dr. Phone makes the big bucks um because she has expertise and that she's been hired to administer this district. But what I haven't seen in the last year
is anyone up here actually listening to Dr. Alone and giving her the latitude to make their recommendation in public. Um so if her recommendation is this is not the way that it should be moving forward and it should be hey we need to reduce
the footprint but we need time whatever whatever her recommendation is that's this is why she's here for the next 60 days. I think we should owe it we owe it to her to listen to her recommendation and make a vote based on her expertise and what she thinks is the right thing
to do. And again, me personally, maybe I'm okay with the school district striking if there's a proper plan and it's well thought out and the and the public will get behind it. But I think we've heard over the last several weeks that Dr. Alone has a plan. We haven't
heard what the plan is, but I just invite all of you up there to just give her the forum to give her honest recommendation and trust her and vote based on that recommendation. I don't see that. So, I'll shut up. It's late. There's no one behind me. We'll see you
next month, I guess. >> Okay. Little page. Um, this just this is a genuine question. is tobacco. Um because you were out of the room and there was another member of the public. I don't know her name, but when you were out of the room, she was making her
comment and she said that while you were sitting up there, she noticed that you were posting on Facebook about a political candidate. >> I didn't post anything. >> I don't know. I think she >> too often from my job, but I think she I
think I Oh, this is a question. I think I don't know if she said Facebook. question is social media. I think you were posting on social media about a political candidate while you were sitting up there. Is that true? >> It's not true, but it is my job and I do have political posts programmed on my
social media and it is actually none of anybody's business what I do for my job and when I do it. And all questions are actually supposed to be directed to the chair. But I'm going to sit here at 1:00 in the morning and answer your questions and your accusations.
Not accusation. It was a question. >> That's an accusation. >> No, it was an accusation of what I was doing. An example of an accusation would be like you have a long >> The point is >> what is the point? The point is that I was asking you a question because about
5 minutes ago you were saying how you were doing, you know, you're out there meditating and doing everything like making the best interest for the children. And if it was true that while you were sitting up here as a board of ed member
on social media, then I don't think that that statement is true. >> I don't know what you want. >> I don't think that the state your statement of doing what's in the children's best interest. I just wanted to clarify because you weren't sitting
here so you couldn't say one way or the other. So I just wanted to know what the truth was if you if you were. >> That was my question. >> Great. You got your answer? >> Are you satisfied now? >> I just wanted to ask the question. >> Great.
So good job. >> Point of order. Uh I believe that the chair is protecting a proper motion by allowing that to have been reconsidered considering that the uh other two members of the board were not allowed to
make motions as per council at earlier meetings. So, I am asking that we um the decision be recipiented that all of the things that happened post public comment do not
count before this meeting. >> It was >> second call. Yeah. >> So, if the point of order is raised regarding a legal issue like an improper motion, if we were following the rules of the meeting as it had been since uh
Mr. Rita took charge and Mr. Burns and the council, I believe that it should be following that same procedure. I respect that Dr. Alone added that information in at the end. I do not believe that it was made as a point of order for everybody
to start making new motions. I am apologizing that I played a part in that because I didn't know. I would have hoped that council would have stopped me since I don't know those rules uh after looking them up. That is what I am
putting the motion forward for. So to be clear with with that, >> yeah, >> it was my understanding that public comment was over. Now there is a dispute about whether or not public comment was actually over. There was a motion from this side of the
table that was seconded by Miss Min Weekes. Then there was clarification. That motion was withdrawn. And then there was a second motion. So you have now made a motion that's been seconded. It is a discussion at this point for the board. >> Well, it's really I'm making more of an
appeal. >> Well, I have >> the discussion is how why is there a double standard in that when I made a motion, you told me there are no motions to be made after public comment. But now in this instance, >> motions to be made. >> No, after it was after public comment.
You can go back and watch the point of order. I'm speaking >> I'm speaking I don't care what Uh can you explain to me why there's a double standard this Mr. Burns >> at 1:00.
>> So then I I until you have clarification on this I I don't I don't know how any of us can stand because you you made one statement to to Miss Minuise and I >> separately at different meetings that we could not introduce new business after
public comment. However, tonight you made an exception for that. So can you please explain that? >> Is it a selective? Is it based on it? >> Miss seconded the motion. Did is not selective. There was a motion. >> We've done this before and you told us
that it was invalid. So can you explain what the difference motion was made during public? >> It was not during public comment. >> It wasn't recognized by >> it was not made during public comment. Okay. It was made the first meeting. I made a motion to change the meetings the meeting dates and you told me no new
motions can be made after public comment. So what has changed between then and now? >> I do not recall that but I believe the motion was during public comment and motions are made all the time after public comment specifically the motion to
double standard. >> You and I had many conversations about recommendations. We're sitting up here and hearing that it was ne your recommendation that you wouldn't do this this year. You you
didn't want to do this this year was never heard. Could you repeat it so the entire board could hear it? >> As I said in a public forum before, my concern was in a short timeline and the
fact that we had promised the community a robust strategic planning process. That is why I did not feel comfortable putting it on an agenda as a superintendent. So, you know, I do I believe that our footprint needs to shrink. And this is where some of you may disagree with me
and we can agree to disagree, but that's okay, right? Like it it is I believe that we need to shrink our footprint. I believe we need to redistrict. I believe that we got to a place and listen, last year was not ideal, but I think it woke
up the community as a whole. And that is the one thing that I do not regret about doing it. It got people engaged where we had limited we quite frankly most districts limited engagement by people directly affected but not by the masses.
And I felt that we had something different because something big had to happen in Middletown to disrupt the cycle of like this conversation happening over and over and over again with no result. So, while you may have all been quite pissed off at me and
thought I was the worst superintendent in America, I'll eat that and take that and know that at least I disrupted this place enough for people to come to the table and talk about it because it had to happen. But with that being said,
doing this without public input and on a short timeline and last year was more of a crisis plan. and I meant what I said and you know the press is wonderful because they take snippets and they misconrue conure what you say. We are in
a better financial position 100%. Like there's no doubt about that but that doesn't need mean that we still should not plan forward and plan for the future of this district which in my heart of hearts I believe will include consolidation and redistricting.
So, but in order to do that appropriately, you need more than, you know, a wish and a prayer in 6 months time. I mean, we and I said this last meeting, myself and the administrative team, well, listen, we're going to work like dogs to pull it off and I'm going
to warmly hand this over to Kevin um you know, July 1st to, you know, kind of pass the baton and and and they'll get it done. Would we get it done in a way that we would have gotten it done in a year's time? No. I'm not going to stand
up here and tell you a lot. Um, you know, would our wish be to have a whole year to do this and to get this right. Of course, who wouldn't want that? But, you know, that was not the goal of the board at the time. I do appreciate the fact that the people that voted for this plan see the financial picture and want
cost savings. That's reoccurring because that is part of the intent of that plan. Um obviously the budget landscape has changed a little bit in regards to the additional healthcare adjustment. Um so that changed the dynamic a little bit giving us a little more funds in order to be able to you know look at things a
little bit differently. However, um you know, I my discomfort was really in the timeline and the fact that you know, we had I sat up here and one thing I have to say is I'm I tend to think I'm a
person with integrity and loyalty to a certain extent almost to a fault at times but and and I want to do the right thing and I just felt like you know I just stood up here for 6 months time and promised people and superintendent councils and in run strategic planning
and I would have gone to the lengths of creating committees and adopting heads of committees for strategic planning and engaging the community if I didn't think that was the right path forward. It would have to be the biggest sparse building. So, you know, when this all came to fruition, while I appreciated
the intention behind wanting to do it, I had a lot of discomfort with, you know, what we had already really been engaged with the community with. Um, so you that's where I still stand. >> So it was So in other words, what we're
being told people are voting on your recommendation, that wasn't your recommendation. >> I made no recommendations in those schools and I that is why I did not put it on an agenda. So um, listen, if the board obviously and there are members of this board that wanted a different path
forward financially, then then that's their prerogative, right? Um, I can provide counsel. Amy has provided information. Um certainly, you know, I I think that the plan is viable. I wouldn't put it forward if I didn't think it could work. Um do I think that
there are more layers to this that we need to vet out? Absolutely. Because this is not a one and done. This is not solving the problems of Middletown forever more. Like there's a there's a lot of other things that are kind of on the wish list for how do we get this ship moving in a direction that we can
all be proud of. Um, and I and I and I do stand by this. Every plan, decision, discussion, I really do believe myself and the administrative team really try to have the best interest of the kids at heart all the time. Our staff obviously comes a close
second to that. Um, because they're just as important to us and it it these are difficult decisions, don't get me wrong. They're emotional decisions. Um but you know sometimes you
have to make tough decisions but we were given the gift of time because the board you know did take that um tax increase last year and um you know I think that some of this can still be salvaged like I think that there was um we had
some momentum going for rural community engagement and I've been in Miltown for I mean there's some people here much longer than me but I've been here 11 years and just in the 11 years collectively that I've been here I've seen this on spin numerous times and this is the first time I've seen
sustained community interest in in in this in this because we were at a crucial junction and I still believe we're there. We just have a little more time to be able to figure it out. So that's where I stand. We could use time to
>> Oh, I I don't think myself or anybody on my administrative team would be like we couldn't use more time because even like just make decisions about stamping like that is happening now, >> right?
>> Well, I mean the needs I and I'm not dismissing what you're saying. They're super important. But regardless of the configuration of the buildings, we're going to meet those needs because we staff them. >> Yeah. in two years.
>> Yeah. But that's not that's not a right but that's a separate issue that that doesn't necessarily fall under this consolidation umbrella even though it is something that >> but it's not fixed like that's a problem. >> No I mean there's a right that should be
fixed before we jump in. No. >> And when we when we talk about the staff being prepared, there is this miraculous number of the three PD games at the beginning of the school year next year where all of the
information is going to be given. All of the classrooms are going to be set up. All of the buildings are going to become this united building and have all their team building and do all of these things that they have to do to prepare to open. And it without I I've been asking about
the information with how staff are going to have time to set up their classrooms, how they're going to be able to get in the buildings, how much money it's going to cost, what are we going to give them. And the answer of people move classrooms all the time is not sufficient because it's not just moving classrooms. And I'm
going to stop now because I know that there is half of the table that isn't listening to me at all. They have heads down. So, I appreciate your conversation because that's the most we've gotten, >> but to me it just proves the point that we're saying that votes were made on the
recommendation of superintendent and that's not true. >> For the record, they were not made. >> And for the record, per Robert's rules, short answer, no motions allowed after new business as it's an out order and violation. Point of order and adjourment are allowed because they are procedural
and privilege respectively. Therefore, I move to make everything that was done after the um public comment that's the word was done as it was all out of order. It's not and it's not a motion. It's a
point of order. So, it has to be ruled on. Those are the Roberts rules. All of that should be >> second. No, it can't be a motion and a second because we're past public comment. >> So, it's up to you to decide whether it was during public comment.
>> It was after public comment. If a member attempts to make a name motion after new business is finished, the chair should typically rule out of order because it violates the established order of business. >> It doesn't matter. It was after public comment, >> but it was closed because Dr.
was speaking and we had moved on because they they came up after after we made the motions and we make a motion and vote on it then they get public comment. All of that should have been negated >> and because I announced that if we're going to if we're going to do this we
have to open public comment. >> Certain motions such as point of order to correct a rule or a motion to adjurnn are always allowed in order after business is closed. I would really highly recommend considering we got all of the information last week at our meeting
that we follow Robert's rules that we continue to follow it and are not maintaining out of order. >> Chris, you're asking her for her. I know, but you're asking >> I know, but it's Robert's. It's not legal advice. It's Robert's rules. No, I'm just trying to see that thing.
You're asking for her opinion, but you voted against her opinion. So, where are we going with this? >> I think where we're going is are we following Robert's rules or not? >> No, we can't. It's not resembling anything because
it's all out of order. That's why there's a highlance. So, I'm not trying to prolong this discussion or argument, but I'm sorry, but I'm going to continue to ring this bell. I'm a process person and you know, I have great respect for you. You know
that. But what you said after all this should have been said when we were all discussing our issues with the long range facilities because I know as far as I knew it was going to be voted yes, >> but you didn't know. You didn't know if it was going to be voted yes or no. So, if you had concerns then it should have
been raised. I'm not blaming you. I I don't think it's your fault. I just think >> I'm not blaming. I'm just saying I'm just trying to point out another process here, right? That could have just been easily avoided to say that we can't speak our mind. That's the
problem. And every single person at this table is responsible. >> Public comment was over. Public comment was over which is why Dr. Alone was speaking per Robert's rules. No motions allowed after new business at the viol out of order and a violation. Point of order and adjournment are allowed
because they are procedural and privilege respectively. Therefore, anything that happened after public comment should be void except for a German. >> That's Robert. >> That's Roberts. No, can we just adjourn this meeting?
>> She just read the procedure from Robert. >> Short answer is no motions allowed after new business as Can we call for a special meeting on Friday? >> Absolutely not. >> No, I'm not going through this again.
>> You know what, Chris? We have so many things going on. I've made made my work schedule change for meetings that I attend that a lot of other people don't. May 13th is the next meeting. All right. So, what we're going to do
for tonight, the motions to the stand. >> Point of order. Per Robert's rules. There are no motions allowed after new business. So, I'm asking you as the chair who gave us a print out of Robert's rules last week, why is it that you are violating the
very rules that you gave us? The motion's going to stand. >> No, that's not my question. >> I understand. >> No, you don't. Because if you understood, you would be answering my question. >> So, I'm going to defer and ask legal counsel. Mr. Burns,
>> as I just said to >> I can't hear you. >> As I just said to the chair, I would like some additional time to research this. But I can I give you the website where Robert's rules are so that you can see it yourself so that we can all get out of here and not have something else
that is procedurally wrong go through with this as we are up against these deadlines because if you do it this way what's going to happen is tomorrow they're going to send out that LRFP as is because you are saying that the motion stands. This is not a difficult
question. This is Robert's rules which are very straightforward. So, I'm asking you to do that and then we can continue on with this conversation as amended and as whatever we have to do at the meeting on May 13th or May 12th. If you would
like to call for a meeting next week, that's fine, but we would be violating the sunshine notice as we are within two days as it is April 29th to have a meeting on Friday. >> And not only that, Mr. Burns is the one who sent us the copy of Robert's rules.
Y >> that told us to follow them. >> Suspension of a rule requires a twoth3 vote. So if you'd like to make that rule and we can vote on it, we get two/3 of the vote and we can suspend it and keep those motions going. >> You want you want to get two of the
vote. If you wanted to suspend the rules, we can get a twothird vote of the board and then we can go back and those motions will count as you amended them. >> Well, we can put a vote forward.
>> I'm asking questions. What's a point of order? >> Sure. >> I was answering this tobacco. >> I was answering Mrs. Tobacco. She asked why I was controlling the meeting. I said I had a point of order. Okay, we're going to resend the action
motion. >> We're going to resend the action that was taken uh after public comment. >> Thank you. >> I have a motion to join the meeting. Second.