Dr. Cordelino >> here. >> Mrs. Fano >> here. >> Mr. Palmer >> here. >> Mr. Petraino >> here. >> Mr. Rapaort >> here. >> Mrs. Smith >> here. >> Mrs. Zuckerman here. >> Mr. Dorri >> here.
>> Dr. Modrack >> here. >> Miss Ammer >> here. Mr. Blumenthal >> here. >> Okay. Pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it
stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Open public meetings notice please. >> The New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the rights of the public to have advanced notice of and to
attend meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the provision of the act, the Montville Township Board of Education provided a public notice of this meeting which included the time, date, and location that was posted at the Montville Township Municipal
Building, all Montville public schools, the Montville public library, the Montville Township Board of Education Administrative Office Building, the district website, and advertised in the daily record, and the Montfield tap into the board's official newspapers on November 3rd, 2025.
>> Hey, thank you. Uh, okay. The high Yeah. >> High school students report. Uh, Miss Amber, Mr. Blumenthal, >> yeah. >> So, in past time at Montville, last week brought the end of the first marking period on November 4th. Following this,
November 5th was a half day and November 6th and 7th were closed for the NJA convention. Underassmen who missed yearbook photos had retakes on Tuesday, November 11th, where students had their pictures retaken in their physical education or
health class. Senior banquet ticket sales started on November 9th. AMC 11 10 and AMC 12 math league competitions were on November 13th. Make a Wish held a grateful Graham sale in the celebration of Thanksgiving. It
was to show a small token of appreciation for friends or teachers to help make a child's wish come true. The China OnScreen movie event happened on Monday, November 17th from 4 4 to 6 p.m. in the Pia Costa Auditorium at the Montville Library where they watched
Karate Kid. In sports, field hockey ended with a record of 13 to8 victorious in their first round of states versus South Planefield. First C for the cross country batch races. Girls ended with a 4-2 record and the boys ended with 0 and
six. Boys sectionals finished fourth place in North one group three and girls finished fifth in North one group three and 15th or overall in group three. Girls tennis ended with a record of with 11 to7. Norah she freshman first singles
group second second team won all state honors. Girls volleyball ended with a record of 1 to 23. With a young team this year and relegation down a division, the 2026 fall volleyball season looks promising.
Football ended with 5-4 with a loss to West Milford in the first round of the North One group 3 sectional playoffs. Girls soccer ended with 12 and four, placing second in the respective NJAC division. Boys soccer ended with a record of 14 to 5 and finished first in
the respective NJAC division. On Monday, November 17th, this was the start of the boys and girls swim season and hockey. Monday, November 24th starts the boys and girls basketball season. >> For the for the present, tomorrow there
will be a share the keys program in the auditorium where students and parents will learn about driver safety. Along with that, uh, tomorrow FBA is hosting their annual bad mitten tournament from 2:30 to 4. On Thursday, there will be a 9th to 10th
grade night in the auditorium. In this program, underassmen and their parents are welcome to come to the auditorium and attend to hear multiple students and guidance counselors about the college application process and more. The Montville Theater Company will be having auditions for their spring musical,
Sweeney Todd, this Wednesday, November 19th, from 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the choir room. Key Club will be hosting their food pant food drive this Friday. During lunch this week and last week, members of the student council have been selling tickets for the senior banquet.
The banquet will take place on December 15, December 5th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at IL Tulipano. On December 9th, members of the orchestra, band, and choir will have their winter concert in the auditorium from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Thank you.
>> I look forward to those concerts. Also, I just want to remind the public that all of our winter sports are free. Come and support the schools and support the students. The games are a lot of fun to watch and again, they're free and they're warm. So,
superintendent report. >> We're going to skip it. >> We're going to skip that. >> We're going to skip that one. go right into our wards since we have so many students here and we're going to go into the >> uh Shopright stars. >> Miss Natural. >> Yep. Miss Natural, come on up. And first time doing this with us, so we're very
excited to have you here. We appreciate that. >> Good evening. >> No, not yet. >> Good evening. >> Perfect. >> My name is Nora Natrell. I'm a special education teacher here at the high school and I'm working towards
completing my administrative internship. I'm honored to have this incredible opportunity to present our Shopright stars for the first marking period of the 2025 2026 school year. This school year marks our 25th year of participation in this incredible
program. Tonight's stars were nominated by faculty members in one of five different categories and the winners were selected by an administrative committee. In addition to the recognition of these wonderful students, Sunrise Shopright generously donates
$1,000 to the class of 2026. Please join me in congratulating each of the stars this evening. In the field of academics, congratulations to Oscar Chen. You can stand with me. Oscar has demonstrated exceptional
academic achievement and an unwavering commitment to personal excellence throughout his high school career. As a national merit semi- finalist and recipient of the College Board National Recognition Award and AP Scholar with distinction honor, Oscar has
consistently excelled in rigorous academic programs while achieving distinction across multiple disciplines. His accomplishments also include the science underclassman award as well as membership in the Chinese national honor
society and the tri music honor society. Oscar's involvement in extracurricular extracurricular activities reflects his dedication to both personal growth and service. He serves as a first violinist in the chamber orchestra, secretary of
the animation club, and is a four-year midfielder on the lacrosse team. He additionally contributes to the community by mentoring elementary students through the Give Chances after school program and volunteering as an SAT peer tutor with the Schoolhouse
World. Through his time at MTHS, Oscar has taken 12 AP classes, including five this year, and proudly maintains a cumulative GPA of 4.8 plus. Oscar is also a also passionate about game development through which he
collaborates with peers and deepens his technical problem solving skills. His intellect, discipline, and well-roundedness contrib contributions make him a deserving recipient of the Shopright star award in academics. Oscar is still applying to several top
colleges, but plans to pursue a major in electrical engineering in the fall. Again, congratulations, Oscar. in the field of athletics. Congratulations to Laya Baker. Laya has demonstrated outstanding
athletic performance, leadership, and dedication throughout her high school career. A varsity athlete in both field hockey and lacrosse, Laya made school history as the first underassman to be named captain of the Montville Township High School field hockey team. Her
leadership and excellence were further recognized when she received the most valuable players coaches award at the conclusion of the 2024 season. She also represented MTHs at the Morris County Sportsmanship Summit, reflecting her
strong commitment to teamwork, integrity, and sportsmanship. Alongside her athletic accomplishments, Laya maintains commendable academic record, earning a 3.5 plus GPA while excelling in advanced coursework such as
numerous honors level classes and AP psychology, AP English language and composition and AP American government and politics. She also pursues an independent academic enrichment through the ACES program where her kindness supports students
with disabilities at MTHS. Laya consistency consistently demonstrates patience, compassion, empathy, and leadership, helping her peers with disabilities develop independence in academics, social skills, prevocational tasks, and daily living.
Beyond school, Laya serves the community as a youth adviser at Hilldale Elementary School and works locally at the corner crearyy. Her dedication, talent, and leadership make her a deserving recipient of the Shopright Star Award in athletics. Laya has
committed to attend Kane University to play field hockey next year and plans to major in early childhood education to become an elementary school teacher. Again, congratulations, Laya. in the field of the arts. Congratulations to Juliana Panico.
Juliana has distinguished herself through exceptional artistic ability, leadership, and commitment to both teach theater and music. As president of the MTHS theater company, Juliana has been a central figure in numerous productions,
including her notable performances as V. Moore in Foot Loose and Sandra Bloom in Big Fish. She has also represented the school at the Speech and Theater Association of New Jersey, a prestigious state level competition demonstrating her skill and professionalism on a
competitive stage. Juliana's musical accomplishments further highlight her dedication to the arts. She has been a member of the chamber choir since her freshman year and joined the award-winning ac capella group Impulse as a sophomore. With
Impulse, she has earned multiple quarterfinal victories, received three best soloist awards, and contributed to two best choreography recognitions. She has also performed the national anthem and God Bless America at significant school and community events including
the National Honor Honor Society ceremony and the town's 911 memorial service. Juliana's leadership extends beyond performance. She was selected to attend the Girls Career Institute at Ruckers, an honor granted to only one junior
annually. Her talent, dedication, and leadership make her a deserving recipient of the Shopright Star Award in the Arts. Juliana is still applying to several top colleges, but aspires to be a veterinarian and major in prevet in the fall. Again, congratulations,
Juliana Service. Congratulations to Alexis Freriedman. Lexi has demonstrated exceptional dedication to community service, advocacy, and public health education. She established and leads a school-based initiative focused on increasing
awareness of bone marrow donation and blood stem cell therapy emphasizing their critical role in treating leukemia and other life-threatening blood disorders. Through a partnership with the national marrow donator donor program, Lexi organizes and promotes
donor registry swab events, successfully adding more than 50 new registrants to the national database and raising over $3,500 to support the cause. Lex's leadership extends into her school's HOSA chapter where she guides a team
focused on donor advocacy, public health education. Her efforts have earned significant recognition, including state and international certificates of merit and recognition for her volunteer service and fundraising. She continues to amplify awareness through
presentations, schoolwide initiatives, community events, and social media outreach. Lexi intends to join the donor registry upon turning 18 and plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in either secondary science education or healthc care promotion on a preysition assistant
track. Her compassion, leadership, and unwavering commitment to service makes her a deserving recipient of the Shopright star award in community service. again. Congratulations, Alexis in the field of leadership.
Congratulations to Dylan Andrew Hunter. Dylan has demonstrated exceptional leadership, discipline, and service across athletics, academics, the arts, and his community. As captain and starting goalender for both Montville Township High School ice hockey and the
Jersey Colts Ice Hockey Club, he exemplifies teamwork, resilience, and competitive excellence. In December, Dylan will represent the Philippines at an 18U men's national ice hockey team as a goalender in a tournament in Hong Kong, China.
Dylan's leadership extends meaningfully into school and civic organizations. He serves as president of the MTHS History Club, senior editor of the yearbook club, student body representative on the school advisory council, and primary state representative on the Civil Air
Patrol New Jersey Wing Cadet Advisory Council. His achievements include being named phase 1 cadet of the year at both the squadron and state levels along with serving as a flight commander and cadet chief master sergeant. A gifted musician, Dylan is concert
concert master and first chair violinist for both the MTHS orchestra and the ALJBS band. He also serves the community as a junior firefighter and as a volunteer for the Montville Library Teen Advisory Board. Most recently, and most
impressively, Dylan has earned a congressional nomination to the US Naval Academy from Congresswoman Mikey Cheryl, representing New Jersey's 11th district, and he has applied to the United to the US Naval Academy, US Coast Guard
Academy, and the US Merchant Marine Academy, where he has already received conditional acceptance. In the fall, Dylan plans to attend the US Service Academy and commission as an officer in the United States Armed Forces. Again, congratulations to Dylan and to all of
our first marking period Shopright stars. Open up. Sorry. Commander, are you ready? All right, >> statal, you did a great job. That's uh I guess Mr. Nazak, who traditionally does
this, I guess that was hazing in uh in the in the administrative world. So, great job though. >> Can I just make one comment while we're waiting for the VFW? >> Absolutely. I'm just really so impressed with this group of students. And um again, I've said this so many times.
It's not just the grades, it's not just the academics, it's the arts, it's the athletics, the community services, and all these things that make our students so well-rounded. And I've said it once, I've said it a million times. I don't care if your grade point average is a 6.3. If all you do is study and you have
no service, no extracurriculars, and nothing to enhance your resume, you're going to have a very poor choice of colleges to get into. So, just a word to the wise. We have five great, well-rounded students, and we're very proud of all of them. >> Absolutely,
>> Commander. Microphone's right there. Okay, good evening everyone. Thank you for having us here today. I'm Ken Hansel. I guess I should with a face here. I guess the dignitaries. Okay, good. Excuse my
back. I'm Ken Hansel and commander of the VFW Post 5481. Every year we present awards to students both in the middle the Lazar school and the high school. It's an essay contest based on a patriot uh
patriotic theme. So every year their new theme is is chosen for the essay contest and also um we have um the theme this year is how are you showing patriotism and support for our country. Now the VFW awards they
award at a post level which is uh the town level. In Mars County we have uh nine posts. So the next level would be the district or county and it goes to the state and then it goes to the uh national. The national award we give a
monetary um award here and also uh they go up in amounts as you go to the different levels. The top award is a $35,000 scholarship. So this is worth worth putting the effort in and it's u nice that we'll recognize today the two first place winners will go on to the
next level. So to start it off we'll start out with the uh ZAR school students and third place is Ella Vong. Ella are you here? Oh >> oh you're accepting on her behalf. Okay that that's happened before.
Okay. >> Got a certificate and she get she gets a check for $50. >> Great. Thank you so much. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. Great. Second place, Yaswini Amara.
Very good. Thank you. Certificate and Okay, we're going up in value. $75. How's that? Okay, not bad. And for first place, we also have we'll have the winner read their essay. And
the first place winner is Ashvath Aarath. Congratulations. Okay. And that's a $100 reward. Okay. And a certificate. Do you have your essay to read? >> Ashvath will read his essay now.
>> This is the winning essay and it'll go on to the uh like I said the district or county and hopefully further than that. So, good luck with that. here. >> Good evening. There are various ways of showing someone's patriotism. Some include
supporting local veterans in their old age, teaching others about American history, or just following the rules of daily life, like the laws and voting when old enough. But I show patriotism in three ways. By respecting the American flag and what it represents.
Showing pride in my country no matter what. And by learning about the past of this wonderful country. The first way I show patriotism in my daily life is by respecting the American flag and what it represents. I say the pledge of allegiance every day, the
national anthem occasionally because it tells me why I'm here today doing whatever I want to do. I also make sure after Boy Scout meetings, the American flag is taken safely to the storage room and not touched by the ground because it would be disrespectful to our flag and
to our country. These might seem like small and easy things to do, but they're a way of showing respect for what our nation stands for. Another way I show pride in my country is by helping my community. I donate clothes to people who need them and try
try to be kind and respectful to others. Whether I say thank you to people who help me, help with the food drive, or give a helping hand to someone in need, I feel like this is what I should do. A strong country begins with strong communities, and helping each other
makes our nation a better place for everyone. I also show patriotism by learning about America's past and understanding what makes it unique. I like watching videos about events such as the American Revolution and the Civil Rights Movement and about people who fought for equality
and freedom. Learning about these moments helps me know why I have the I have the rights I have today and to use them responsibly. It also pushes me to stay informed about what's going on now and to think about how I can help make things better in the future.
In the end, patriotism isn't just about big gestures or heroic acts. It's about being grateful, respectful, and caring citizens. By respecting the flag, helping my community, and learning from our history, I show my pride in the
United States. To me, being patriotic means doing a good turn daily and respecting everything and everyone. Thank you. >> Great job. It's a great essay. Good luck.
You forgot the some of the important parts like the money. >> Okay. Thanks. >> I just want to say that um we get a lot of cooperation from the teachers in this in the system. uh from uh Lazar School
we had um almost we had 19 uh applicants. They were all very good and it gets tougher every year to pick the winners. So um we get cooperation from uh like I said the teachers. Rick Cresente was a is a key in what he does
with the veterans and support also. Um next we have the high school awards. We have first and second place to award. uh the high school uh competition is a little more challenging. Uh 30% of the u judging is done by the delivery of an
essay. So it's an oral submission. U so that that becomes a little more challenging for for the uh entries. So for that award we have second place is Samantha Katz.
$150. See that? Not bad, huh? It's getting in my territory now. I can do Thank you, Samantha. And first place and again this will this uh uh go will go on to the next level
and it's Anisha Malinte. Anisha, I'm double checking. $200. How's that? And you can get you have to read your essay. Okay, great. >> Hi everyone. Hi everyone. My name is Anisha and my essay was Patriotism as a
journey from pledge to purpose. In third grade, my understanding of patriotism was quite simple. Every morning, my eight-year-old self would stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance. My small voice blending in with the 20 other students in my class as we recited the pledge with the principal over the loud loudspeaker. Back then, I thought
patriotism meant singing the national anthem, looking up proudly at the flag that towered above my 4-foot self. I thought that placing my hand over my heart was enough to show my love for my country. By sixth grade, my view began to shift to something more complex. I
started noting noticing patriotism beyond the colorful classroom walls. Patriotism became a hand that lifted others. It was the images of volunteers promoting a local blood drive, Girl Scouts collecting canned items in front of the supermarket or the students staying after school to help tutor their
peers with a difficult subject. I realized that patriotism was more than just something we showed through symbols or salutes. Patriotism was was what was real. It was our real life experiences, memories, and interactions, all of which culminate in what we know today as humanity. After observing my peers,
teachers, and neighbors, I learned that patriotism was about service and the daily interactions that uplift our communities. Like any ambitious child, I wanted to begin my own journey to give back to my community. So, I joined SA International, a nonprofit organization
that prioritizes human humanitarian aid to both communities on a local and global scale. My first few events included park cleanups, tree planting programs, and winter coat donations to the Salvation Army. Every piece of litter picked up in a park, every tree
planted, and every person given warmth during a cold winter was an act of service that let me show my love and support to the place I am beyond proud to call home. At the age of 12, I learned that patriotism was more than just supporting those around me with words. Patriotism was about supporting communitydriven initiatives through
action, regardless of how big or small it may be. As I entered high school, patriotism seemed to have shifted again. It was no longer just about helping when asked to. Patriotism became a habit. It became focused on stepping up when it mattered most, even when no one was watching. By taking on leadership roles
in extracurricular activities, organizing key club community service events for dozens of students, or simply checking in on a classmate who may be going through a tough time, I began to realize that patriotism lies in our everyday moments. To me, patriotism became the characteristics of responsibility and leadership in
everything I do. I learned that true loyalty to one's country sparks from loyalty to one's community. When I helped organize the Save in North Jerseys 911 heroes event, I realized that patriotism wasn't just about remembering history. Instead, it was focused on honoring those who have served our nation and carrying their
legacy forward through our own acts of service. Today, I show patriotism by waving a flag, but I also show it by lifting others up and taking responsibility. Tomorrow, patriotism will be the choices I make, the conversations I have, and the values I stand by. It will be even more personal,
intentional, and most importantly, impactful. And in one year, I will be voting. I will show my patriotism and support for this nation through my civic duty and responsibility. Every vote I cast and every voice I lend to shape policies that directly affect our daily lives
will allow me to continue appreciating and loving this nation. From saluting the flag as a child to helping my community in middle school to leading school clubs in high school and soon voting as a young adult, patriotism has become a part of who I am, what I do, and what I intend to do in the future
that lies ahead. I've learned that patriotism is not a single act, moment, or symbol that we embody. Patriotism is a journey. Each step we take, every decision we make, and every life we touch make way for a brighter tomorrow. This is how I show love my love for my
country. I stand up, step forward, and make each day better than it was yesterday. Thank you. >> Yeah, I took the high school my sophomore year. >> One of your senior. >> Yeah, >> that's a that's one of our seniors. Pretty good, huh? And she won as in
middle school an award for the Patriots pen also. So, there you go. Okay. Next, I'm going to present our teacher of the year. And this has to do with uh citizen education. And again, the theme, of course, is patriotism in
the classroom, whether you're teaching it, trips, or anything else you do. So, this year, our winner is high school teacher Christopher Butchko. Christopher. He's been a teacher for 18 years, teaches at Montville Township High
School. He specializes in Holocaust and genocide studies. And he says, "I teach because I care about the future of our society. I love giving my students the highest quality education and high school experience that I can." And you do.
Citizen Ed Citizenship Education Teacher Award uh presented to Christopher Buchko Monful Township High School in acknowledgement for his outstanding dedication to teaching Americanism and patriotism to his students, fostering civic responsibility and encouraging
patriotic endeavors within the school and community presented this day, November 18th, 2025 by the BFW. >> Thank you. Good job. >> Excellent. >> Okay, >> that ends my program.
>> So, Commander, can you get in the picture for this one? >> Sure. >> And then we're going to ask the students to come back up for their pictures. Bring up your uh certificates as well. >> Uh >> do it all now. >> Well, it's their award, so I just >> Okay. >> It's not like us.
>> Well, right. >> I don't I don't need Right. Right. >> Come on. Come on. Thank you. I want to thank the board for giving us the opportunity to do this and to showcase what we have in our schools.
Thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Tom Tom, if it's okay, I think we should take a fiveminute recess. Let the kids uh we're going to take a quick five minute recess so people can leave if they want to, but you're welcome to stay to hear about our financial report if
you want to. I think they are wanted to see They have it Thursday. They were like after the third day. Okay, I think we'll get started again.
>> Okay, >> Mr. Petraino, >> it's close enough. It's close enough. Okay. Uh, anything else for the superintendent report? >> Yes. So, a lot of wonderful things there tonight. >> U, so you you notice our new look here.
So, this was done by internally by our maintenance department. We're just trying to spruce things up now that we're on a very high definition uh camera and everything. So, uh, >> are you sure we're not in Oz? >> No, we are. So, uh, so we're going to
continue to make some more improvements uh, you know, for future board meetings. Um just some general things. I always give this with a caveat that we have to always be careful with rankings, but uh good news is good news. So the US News report that came out recently,
elementary schools, all of them collectively, they were in the top 1% in New Jersey out of 47,000 schools. And the middle school was in the top 7% in New Jersey out of 23,000 schools. And the high school was in the top 15% in New Jersey and the top 2% in the United
States. So this is just incredible in numbers. And again, I always like to say if you also take out the some of the private schools, the magnet schools, and other schools that are able to draw from a larger area, these rankings only go up higher. So it's quite a credit to
students, parents, the administrators, teachers, and faculty and staff, and everybody that's involved in that. Of course, the board of ed, and all the whole community all contribute to this success. So it's a great job all around. So it's nice to you know just you know recognize that once in a while regarding
our goals. So each quarter we give an update to the board about our goals. So district goal number one was fostering a dynamic learning environment. And just giving you one example or two examples from each one of these categories. But we implemented two uh English classes.
We separated them at the Lazar for the seventh and eighth grade. It's working out extremely well. They used to be combined. We're separating that focusing more on writing in one of the classes and regular uh English language arts in the second one. We also uh focused on
some uh professional development working with the different teachers for 3D printers, laser engravers and different related hardware and software for our STEM and technology teachers there. And at the elementary level, we revised our elementary schedule to allow for 60
minutes in math, science, and social studies with the rotations for grades four and five. And that's made a considerable difference already in our elementary schools. Goal number two, we promote a healthy and balanced school environment. And um some of the things
are we're expanding our teen mental health first aid programs with the faculty and staff. We've also began using uh and we'll be sharing this out more with the community probably in I think January, but we're going to be using uh talking points which is going to be a communication tool with the
parents. This will replace Thrillshare which we've been using uh for the year for the past couple of months and year or so. Goal number three, exercising transparent strategic and fiscal responsibility. Uh Miss Slint and I presented last month and we're going to
do a little bit more of an update, a little more granular update on our financial situation. Last month I also talked about student enrollment and the future budget concerns and different questions we have to talk about. Uh this year we also purchased three shorter buses, hired several drivers, and that's
saving us almost $250,000 annually. And last, the fourth goal is to maintain the district's facilities and infrastructure. And again, we did that was incorporated into last month's presentation. We talked more about maintenance and facility projects over the past five years and where do we have
to go in the near future. And some of the things you can see, we have security vestibules being built. They're going to be finishing that up in the next couple of uh weeks. Uh and we're very proud that every one of our schools now will have secure security festivals. So,
that's my district goals report and I'll wait for the retirements when we get there, right? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Anything else? >> Nope. >> Okay. Miss would you like to talk
to us a little bit about our finances? >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Um, as Dr. Dr. Gorman mentioned last month that we there was a presentation done on the position that we currently are in related to enrollment and our facilities.
This is a part two of that discussion in which we look at the financial position of the district in a little more detail going forward from the June 30th audit which will be presented by our auditors.
uh we'll present the annual financial uh report in the next couple months going into the current year and then as we start to look forward from there. See if I can get this to do >> this. There we go. All right. The uh board
also has this presentation in front of them. So this particular box is presenting our equity position as of June 30th, 2025. Now the district's equity position is comparable if you
think of your own home to the amount of money that you have put aside in savings. And if you imagine your home that in this home you break your savings down into different buckets. Some of them being unrestricted, meaning savings
that I can spend on anything. And some of them having restrictive purposes where I'm going to put a little bit of money aside to go and do capital improvements on my home or to do maintenance on my home to make sure that the roof is good or that the HVAC works.
Some of these might be restricted for purposes like putting money aside to help me offset losses that I might have into the future or to pay tax bills. But the idea is that this works just like your savings account at home. You put
money aside for specific reasons. And that's what the district does as well. At the end of the 2425 school year, the district had about a little shy of $16 million in savings that had set aside
for spec mostly for specific reasons. And those monies represent about 15% of the total expenditures for the district in a year. If we start with that as our base, our savings account, and we then add in the
activity that is incurring, we are incurring this year, it would be similar to if this particular make believe I had the equity position of $16 million in my little piggy bank. I would then add for
the current year the income that I'm earning, in this case $92 million, and I would have to pay out expenditures, things to maintain my household of, let's say, $95 million.
And that collectively I would come up with a negative position of activity of a little shy of $2 million. In addition to that, I decided I was going to do an capital projects. I was going to do an improvement on my home.
I'm going to do my kitchen and that was going to cost me $4.7 million. It's a very nice kitchen. And then I was going to go and do maintenance. I was going to replace my roof and that was going to be about $1 million. And if you took that activity and you compared it then to
what my opening balances were when I got to the end of the year, my projected equity position, my savings accounts, my general unrestricted would be down to about 1.1, I would have a number of different types
of monies that I put into different ress, but in terms of capital, I'd be down from a little around 7 million down to about two and maintenance from about 2 million down to about 800,000.
My total savings account would be down from 156 million down to about 7. This is where we think you will possibly be at the end of 2526, which is June of
26. Normally when I sit down with finance and facilities, we have a discussion of all the places that we have additional revenues that we didn't expect and expenditures that didn't end up being as high as that we thought as we thought.
and we're able to then replenish some of those deductions, particularly in the capital projects and maintenance projects areas in order to try to keep those two fund balances, the one that I started with and the one that I ended with being much closer together.
Unfortunately, as time progresses and expenditures are growing faster than the revenues that we can bring in, it's getting much more and more difficult for us to go and find those additional revenues that we didn't plan on or find
those areas where the expenditures weren't as high as what we planned and to maintain those two equity positions in the exact same place as we progressed forward. So what we're finding ourselves at is sort of a crossroad and that crossroad
is the types of ways that we have solved our financial position issues don't really work anymore. We don't have any more Dr. Par Dr. Gorman has mentioned this one trick ponies
to try. We don't have any more buses and transportation routes to absorb. we don't have any more health benefits to go to a private provider and make a savings on that. There aren't any more of those types of things to do. And as a
result, we end up in a situation where the equity position is now beginning to drop. And you've heard this type of problem being felt in other school districts. As we've seen in newspapers over the last
two years, there have been many districts who speak of budgets that they can't close, situations where they can't make it work unless they start laying off staff members, unless they start to eliminate student programs. And what we
would like to do if we can instead of being in that situation, we'd like to start to pivot and recognize that the situation we're in is not the same as the situation that we have historically been in. And that we need to change the
way we attack this problem in a different fashion in order to try to prevent programs being eliminated that then impact students or impact staff. So, as we are now in the season of
budget, I know you thought this was the holiday season, but it's not. It's the budget season is starting. Um, we need to begin to start changing the way we attack this problem. And um although it is our belief that we will be able to
get through the planning of the 2627 budget without too many drastic changes, I'm not sure that we're getting much past that budget cycle before we're going to have to make some significant changes to the way that we attack this
problem. Um, this is sort of the last the second part of the presentation that we did last time and it is the perfect kind of hinge point to start to begin to think about the budget discussions and
the board's goals and the board's plans as we start to set up funding the 2627 and probably looking beyond 2627 to 2728 and 2829. 9 as we begin to change the
way we attack our budgeting, our facilities, and our enrollment issues. Does anybody have any questions? >> Yeah, I had one quick question. Uh what are what's the minimum on the reserves that we have to keep in order to maintain our bond rating?
>> So, I believe that I've mentioned this before. Uh we definitely have mentioned it in finance and facilities. I would say maybe five years ago, we had a visitation from uh Standard and Pores who is who places the ratings on bonds
and their comment to us was that they had noted that our bond our equity position district total district equity had significantly dropped over a period of five years prior to that. And it was their concern that if that position
continued to decline that that would potentially affect our bond rating and it would make it more difficult for us to be able to attract people to buy our bonds if in fact we ever were to go out uh for referendum. And
their recommendation was somewhere between five and 10% of our total budget. So if we were to convert that into dollars, we're talking about something in the
range of probably 6% 6 I'm sorry 6 million to about $11 million in reserve. We're a little bit high right now um at 1516. Certainly the seven would be right
there, but keep in mind that when you're looking at that unreserved equity position and we talk about the fact that there is no more areas within the the change in activity to absorb additional costs that
we do not expect. That means that if for example we had a student move in with significant need who had a placement, let's just say a half a million dollar placement because we can't absorb it into that
change in activity box. We would have to go to the unrestricted equity. So now your unrestricted equity of 1.1 is now down to $600,000. So you're running a hund00 million
program with only a cushion that is not restricted to a specific purpose of only 600,000. That's although still within the number that standard and poor says is okay is a little uncomfortable from my perspective
because I only need one more kid who moves in needing a significant placement and now I've got nothing. And those are the things that we're trying to kind of sort through as we begin to do this pivoting and this shifting.
Um, so I want to thank you because seeing what other districts are going through and the point that they got to, um, I've recognized and I've appreciated the past few years since I've been on the finance committee, even understanding at a deeper level what
you've done to keep us where we are all these years with the 2% cap where with it's amazing actually what we've done given that. And so, um, I appreciate now seeing this writing on the wall because I think it's very important for us to have this understanding at this point
because I recognize fully that there's going to have to be different discussions and decisions. And I I appreciate um getting it at these points so that we can get more information as you figure this out and come up with different options so that we can, you know, work on making the best decisions
to keep this district where we all expect and want it to stay. So, um I look forward to the continued discuss difficult discussions. >> Do you do you have the last couple years total district equity? >> I know I'm putting you on the spot.
>> Um, like I said, we're a little bit high this year. Um going back over the last few years, we've been bouncing around um 14 13 those numbers in terms of
millions. So it's a little higher this year but only by a little bit and that position has been held definitely probably postco co was we didn't do badly through co so we were
able to build the reserves a lot during that period of time and now what you're beginning to do is see them dropping down >> and so I guess my my next question is then if we were able to hold it steady it's just because we've able able to find these one-trick ponies that have
kept us there and and >> yes, >> there's nothing left in the >> one of the big differences between what is presented here and what we have done over the past seven years and those who have served on finance and facilities remember these discussions. I almost
start every finance and facilities uh meeting with this is where we currently stand from a position point of view and I'm doing a projection of fund balance to whenever the next year end is and I'm always talking about and we found a
little bit of money here and we found a little bit of money here and oh then we had this placement that we needed to cover so that took up a little bit more or during COVID when transportation costs were really off the charts um were incurring more costs than we thought,
but we'd always end up coming out with additional funds when it all shook out. What this is saying is that as time progresses, and maybe it's not going to be the 25 26 year going into 27 26 27,
but it probably will be 27 26 27 going into 2728. There won't be any more places where I'm having the kind of conversations where it's a million dollars, it's $2 million, it's $3 million that we can then add back into the district equity to make
that $7 million number become a $10 million number. And as that becomes more and more the case because there are no more one-trick ponies to come up with, what you're going to see is significantly
declining equity positions, particularly if we choose to continue to maintain the buildings at the level we've been doing. Every year you're going forward with $5 million worth of projects to complete during the summer. and then we try to
replenish those funds and we've been slowly declining but we do kind of stay within that 10% number as closely as we can. Um things like the vestibules, things like doing work on boiler replacements or HVAC
replacements we won't be able to do anymore. If you recall back to the presentation in October, what we indicated was things that we wanted to see done in the 2062 27 budget included
security upgrades in the hallways so that first responders can find rooms easier. Um, HVAC replacements. One of the issues that we face is that a lot of these unit ventilators that are in classrooms are original to the buildings. There is not enough tape,
bubble gum, and sho strings for us to keep these things running and we can't find parts anymore. So, they're going to start to break and we're not going to be able to fix them. Um, so we were going to do that. We were going to do fire alarm upgrades. We were going to fix parking lots. Those things won't be done
because I don't have the ability to replenish the funds in order to make sure that that I do two things. I keep the buildings being improved constantly while also being cognitive of the fact that I need to keep the district equity
at a certain level in order so that we protect the bond rating. There's always this tug of war that's going on between trying to get the projects done and recognizing that that equity position needs to stay stable. Um,
I really appreciate your transparency and your honesty about where we are. Um, would you be able to identify two or
three points about what you let me say it this way? You have managed our finances magnificently. Other districts are struggling and we
are not, but we're not divine. So eventually it'll catch up with us. Can you identify a couple of areas where um school districts are are finding
challenging times which mirror our own challenging times? You mean just like >> Well, i.e. >> Well, I think that you know how how are districts finding themselves in in the newspaper indicating they can't close a
budget. >> Um the cap has now been in place, the 2% cap on taxes has been in place for now 15 years. And for many districts, they
made the choices, particularly early on, not to go to cap. So they wouldn't go all the way up to the 2%. They would end up trying to reduce the tax impact on the town by going lower. And what that did was it just compounded a problem
that they didn't even know they were going to have. But now 15 years later, all that revenue that would have come in had they gone up to cap is now compounding 2% 2% 2% and it's now a big number and they don't have it as part of
the base. So, I commend the boards of education that existed over the past 15 years who made decisions to go to CAP even though it wasn't popular because that is part of the reason why you're in a much better position than most districts.
Additionally, costs are rising faster than 2%. Salaries are being negotiated and settled at a higher number. health benefits. As you as we mentioned in the summer, if you we had stayed in the state health benefits, we would be
facing almost a 30% increase in our benefit costs for an in for everyone in the in the plan. Um those are huge numbers to try to absorb into anyone's budget. That says nothing about transportation during COVID. That says
nothing about situations like we have which are everyone's buildings are getting older and honestly at 50 years ours are babies. There are 100y old and 125 year old buildings out there and those buildings have even bigger
problems than we have and as a result you're dumping more and more and more into trying to keep them up. just that collective event of all of those things occurring simultaneously, you can find yourself in a position where there just is not enough money to
do everything that needs to be done. And the only place that you can find to get relief is to start to cut things. >> And um just indulge me um the um you mentioned our expenditures are exceeding
our revenues. I think everybody can understand that. Um, what is the school board's main source of revenue? Um, I'll finish. >> In the case of a suburban district, it's going to be the taxes. That's going to
represent about 85% of the revenue base. The remainder is going to come from state aid which because our enrollment has been slowly inching its way up. That has actually been a blessing to us in that we have not been one of the districts who has experience experienced
a cut in state aid. Ours has continued to grow and particularly because it's grown in particular areas like special ed as our special ed population has also grown with it. Um, but that would be a certainly an area where if I was a place
where not only didn't I go to CAP, but now I've in a situation of declining enrollment, I have no place to go, but um down and now I'm beginning to feel state aid being reduced. Plus, I have all the same cost problems that any
district has. the balancing can occur and and that is the definition of the fiscal cliff is that your revenues cannot grow at the same level that your expenses can and you have nowhere to go except off the edge of the cliff in order to solve the
problem. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you Kine for all your work. I really appreciate it as a taxpayer and board member. I guess my question is then there's choices that we have to make as a board.
So, should we be discussing these choices now or is it fine to wait until the winter or the spring? Um because I I'm hearing a problem for quite a few months and I I don't know. I think it's
important to start talking about it. Um, I know you we are talking about it, but for us to talk about it, um, I know there's >> Yeah. >> So, I'll just jump in real quick. So, last year we talked about this twice officially, made big presentations about
this to try to educate everybody. Last month, we again had another presentation to educate people, but we got a little bit more specific. Now, we're getting really granular into all the different things. And uh we're going to wait until probably January, maybe the beginning of
February board meeting to really give you the options. That's going to give us a little bit more time to look at all the options that are out there. We have to educate ourselves a little bit better. Some options changed over the past year or so that uh have opened up some new ways that maybe we get some uh new funding sources coming to our
district. So these are the things we're looking into and we want to give you some really informed choices about how we have to move forward. So we're we're fiscally sound this year. You know, we're going to be fiscally sound next year, but we have to really look at these things. As Cine said, the 2% cap,
you know, if you think about it, everything else is going up 25%, 15%, 30%. You're averaging at a 8% deficit each year. That's just slowly eroding all your finances. So, we're finally there. But again, it was great fiscal
responsibility by this board and previous boards that have put us in a really good position. and we're talking about it to be proactive so that we are not finding ourselves in a lot of like a lot of other places. Uh but we will have to make some choices whether they be you
know um you know a referendum a discussion about funding about you know going out for loans or other different things but we'll have specific answers for you in the next couple months. I don't know if this is a question for you Karen or Katine about because we're
going to have a new governor and we all the school funding formula is a big talk of the town and so I almost feel like we need to know what it's going to be like um with our new governor before we start
axing things or deciding to do anything. >> Yeah, you're exactly right. So, we'll have a much better picture on that front. you know, say March, uh, maybe even going into April about what the future is, what this governor and, uh, you know, the different legislators are going to be pushing forward. Uh,
recently, like she said, we've been lucky over the past couple of years with the enrollment increases and we've been getting some more money in our district, but we just do not know what the direction is of the new um, governor and, you know, their team. I think that one thing,
nothing like being the queen of doom and gloom here. Um, but I think we need to step back a little bit and and kind of put this a little bit in perspective. Right now, you are exactly on target to start the process of beginning the
budget for budget planning for the 26 27 >> 26 27 school year. That would be something we would do in a year that nothing exciting was happening. So, you're completely on target. We're not behind. We're not trying to catch up or
anything like that. With that, we're going to, you know, I kind of suggest that everybody go home and think about what is it that you want the district to look like? What are the goals? What are the plans? What are the things that we
hope for in terms of what a 26 27 school year looks like? what 26 27 28 school year looks like so that we can begin to think about the things that make us specifically Montfield to be the things that we want to see continue programwise
and stuff like that and that's a great start to any budget year as the new governor comes in and we see what she is going to be doing um keep in mind it takes a long time for changes to occur so I'm none of us are very hopeful or
thoughtful that we're going to see changes is for 26 27. It might be 27 28 but maybe something will happen and then we will begin to then bring as part of our meetings in January and February different options to the board. They may
not be options that we are going to need to exercise necessarily for the 2627 budget, but they are going to be options that we are going to want to talk about and think through. And some of this is
by design. I recognize the fact that if I walk in and say to you if you don't start doing something right now, your fund balance is going to go down to zero with no context. That's a little bit difficult to understand. Okay, wait. What just happened? If we
start to kind of move things through things slowly, it's a lot easier for all of us to kind of move collectively together. And that's part of what last month and this month is about. Um, with the holidays coming, we're going to give you December off and then we'll start back up in January and then we'll
continue forward from there. And it's kind of like we're all going to we're in a boat and we're all going to kind of get into the boat together and we're all going to try to figure out the best way to get the boat to where we need it to go. And there are probably a lot of different ways that we can do that. But
as long as we all collectively kind of agree that this is what we want the district to look like. These are the things that are Montville Township school district things that we don't want to see we be lost. Then we will all end up getting to the place that we want to get to collectively. But it's going
to be a group effort. It can't just be we'll just roll it the way you rolled it last year and it's all going to just work out. Maybe that will last last for a little bit longer, but it won't last forever. Yes. >> To try to raise the basis. Um,
is there any thought to trying to maybe with a selective conservative and non-risisky type second question we could put that on the ballot, thus, you know, raising the basis. Obviously, you can't put something that we can't do without it
completely because then you can't what you do it for two years or something like that, >> right? That that would be one of the options that we would have to come forth. But you do run that risk that whatever's above and beyond the 2% and if it gets voted down then we would have to lose that
>> line whatever it was. >> I I think maybe what we need is something comprehensive, some kind of basis. I I I don't want to get into offering ideas and suggestions right now because we, you know, we all have a lot
of different ideas. We don't know a lot. You know, not everyone here knows all of our options. I don't I certainly don't. But if we could get some kind of comprehensive report, fun reading over the holidays, that kind of thing. >> That's where we're going to head next is
that there's a lot of, like I said, there's a lot of different ways that this boat can get to its destination. Um, I want to make sure that before we go and make a decision, we have very thoughtfully thought through that decision and it's not just a well, we needed something right now, so let's
just make a decision. Um, and and that's why it's kind of this slow churning out process versus a rush to the end. >> Yeah. And you go ahead, you go >> turn on your mic. Oh, I turned it off.
Um, to follow up to Dave's question about S&P and the bond, um, because it it seems like we're headed in that direction. Um, so the our bond ratings very important. You you mentioned that the total district equity percentage to
revenue was it was a factor, but it almost seemed like it was something you heard, you know, off-the cuff comment. Are we sure of what S&P's policy? We know with S&P, we know where we were at the time when they came in and said, "Hey, listen. We're concerned." And we
were down in that $5 million range. So, we know that's got to be the bottom. Were they specific? No, they weren't specific. They What they said was that in past your percentages were better and that you should try to get back to them.
Now, better was it was prior to my coming here and you were running you were probably in that 13% number of total uh equity to uh expenditures. So, that's always been sort of our
marker. We know five is too low. We know 13 they seem to be happy with. So, let's try to shoot in that range. Is it scientific? No, it's not scientific. It's based on the conversation that we had with a gentleman from S&P now about 5 years ago. But that has been the
marker we've been using over the past 5 years to kind of keep us in the right area. >> Maybe that's a good question for bond counsel maybe. >> Right. One of our discussions will be to meet with bond counsel for a bunch of different things. Um, and
one to see what the rates are doing, what the market's doing, what things are going, but also to have some discussions about other financing options. Um, and that would be a conversation to have with him regarding whether it's him or it's really our financial advisors to in order to guide us in that direction. But
we've always been using that five to 13 as our kind of marker. >> Okay. >> So, yes. So, I just want to reiterate uh you know, we talked about the the rankings of our schools. We saw the the tremendous uh accomplishments of our students, whether it be through the VFW
or the ShopRight Stars. We have a wonderful school system. Things are going extremely well. We're fiscally sound, but we are looking two, three, four years down the road. And if everything stays the same, these are the things that we're seeing that are going
to be uh in our future. So, again, it's a proactive approach. There's nothing to worry about right now, but we are going to be having some uh very thorough discussions in the upcoming meetings. >> The clouds are on the horizon. Okay. Um
yeah, so I look forward to seeing your report, you know, more detail. I hope that we all take time to seriously consider what our business administrator talks about and recommends. Um, it's going to take a lot of effort from all of us.
It's not a one person thing. It's not a couple people. It's going to be all of us. And it's going to be quite a challenge, I think. >> Absolutely. >> So, >> there's nothing else. Let's move on uh to committee reports.
Do we really want to go through finance and facil facilities? Karen, do you have anything happy? Something happen? >> I have a very important announcement. >> Okay, good. Um uh yeah what you know we there's nothing more to report than what we heard from
Kine. >> Okay thank you very much for that concise report curriculum Michelle >> we're meeting on December 8th. >> December 8th. Good for you. Okay policy personnel John. >> Uh we're meeting on December 4th unless
Mike has trial. >> Okay. Joe communication. We'll be meeting on December 10th at 5 o'clock. Okay, Christine safety. >> We are meeting on December 9. >> It is a busy week. Look at that. 848910.
Okay. Delegate leison on New Jersey school boards. Karen. >> Uh on No, let me see. How far back should I go? >> One month. >> I'm not. Um this past Friday, the board
of directors met. Um just two or three items. Uh we had a clean audit. Uh school boards will be rolling out a civility initiative. So we look forward to that. And um uh beginning in January, they're going to be offering a free core
policy manual. Um so it might be something we want may want to look into because it'll be free as opposed to the vendor we have now. Yeah. Okay. >> Um, last night I attended a Somerset County School Board Association meeting and I attended their three Rs program which is
a program uh designed primarily for newly elected schoolboard members and it gives them some footing on um roles, responsibilities and resources. So that was kind of fun. Um, on November 1st, we interviewed nominees for president and
we selected uh Michael Jacobs, who will be installed on this Saturday. Um, and that's it. >> And where is he from? >> Uh, Richfield in Bergen County. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Mike Craftport, uh, Morris County School
Boards. >> The next meeting is December 2nd right here at Montville High School. >> December 2nd. two, four, eight, nine, 10. Okay, we got a lot of things going on. Okay, Joe. Uh, Morris County Educational Services. So, we had a meeting last Wednesday. Uh, discussion
was about the phasing out of the special education program at the school due to the fact that so many districts offer their own in-house special education program. So, >> I believe there are there are 14 students currently involved. They all four of them are being graduating in the
uh spring and then we'll have the rest going to other districts. So they'll all be placed. >> Okay. And drug awareness. >> So they met last Tuesday and the discussion was changing the name of the group. So they changed it to the Mafillo Municipal Alliance.
>> Maf Municipal M. When does that take effect? >> Smackdown. Okay. So, when does that when does that occur? When does that name change occur? >> It It's official. Official. >> I'm sorry. What is it? >> The MO Municipal Alliance. Okay.
>> Okay. Change it to the MMA. >> Okay. Uh John Petraino. Uh athletic boosters. >> No report. >> Okay. Christine, uh special education. >> No report, but I don't know what to do.
So, so this is >> so you got to let me know. >> So, this is this is the first official uh the board agreed to have a new liaison for our special education uh parents group. And so, Christine is uh going to be our representative. So, then
I'm going to now connect you with the supervisors as well as the president of the group and then you'll know when their meetings are and what kind of information is going to go on. So, we'll get you all set up now. >> Great. Thank you. And I want to thank it was nice that this parent uh made the suggestion, but I want to thank all of
my board members for approving this new position. I think we've done something wonderful and um I know that the parents um and the guardians would appreciate. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Okay. Uh Karen, Cedar Hill leaison.
So on on Friday, um Cedar Hill presented their Veterans Day program. This is a whole day affair. Um the uh veterans are invited to attend. They're given lunch. Public portion begins at
1:30. The ceremony begins with the veterans walking into the gymnasium, taking their seats, and then having their names called individually. Um after the pledge of allegiance um songs are sung, patriotic poems are
read. Um and then uh in in the end uh the veterans walk out in in silence. The students remain silent. Um and the students walk out as well. It's a very poignant and moving ceremony. if you ever get a chance to particip, you know,
witness it, um it's it's worth it. And so you have to wait till next year, but >> Okay. Will you let us know? >> Put it on your calendar. >> Christine Hillale, >> uh no report. >> Okay. Caitlyn Valley View, >> no report. >> John William Mason
>> meeting December 2nd, 5:00 PM virtual meeting. >> Hope make it to the Morris County meeting. Unfortunately, I have uh another >> Okay, that's fine. I won't put you on spot. Uh Mike Palmer, Woodmont, >> uh not meeting again till sometime in
January. >> Okay. Uh Michelle and Joe Lazar, no report. Okay. Uh Mike Raport, there was a meeting. >> Yes. Uh we met November 3rd. Um but as usual, the student reps took just about
everything on my list. I crossed off almost everything. The one thing they did not mention though is that the winter spirit week will be extended due to the way the calendar falls this year. So instead of five days, I think it's going to be like six and a half days. >> You have the scoop, Michael.
>> Um, >> yes. Other than that, um, uh, Mr. Sanford reported that the, uh, facility security vestibule was to be completed by the end of November or maybe the end of December. And based on what I just saw walking past, it looks like more
towards the end of December before that gets completed. Um, that's the only new stuff. Uh, other than that, the next meeting is January 12th. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, real quick, because you mentioned that, uh, uh, Kine, can
you fill us in real quick on Hilldale? >> Yes. I'm putting you on the spot. I'm going to I'm going to push that vestibial at Hilldale. What's going on there? We're in legal discussions. >> Any any news yet? >> No. >> Okay. Darn. Okay. Thank you. Uh
this is public participation first section session of it. If anyone has anything they would like to talk about that's on the agenda, please come forward. Seeing none, we'll move on. A consent resolution for items I through N. Please. So moved.
>> Second. >> Thank you. Any questions on the minutes? What about uh section J facil? Anything on K, facilities and finance?
No personnel. Section L, you have a couple retirements you want to talk about. >> Yes. So on L8, we're just changing retirement for a grasso. We're It's going to be a deferred retirement. Um she just asked for that, so that's not a problem. And then we have four
retirements that I'm going to just uh read into them. There should be four, >> but you're going to do Grasso as well. >> Yes. Yes. Right. Because she'll be she's >> Yeah. L28 is Grasso deferred retirement.
She's going to be resigning, but it's going to then also be a deferred retirement. So, uh speaking of which, so she started uh Lazar Middle School um several years ago and she was working with Mr. pursudo. They were working five side by side at the very beginning there to try to figure out the whole system
and what's going on because they were both new. Mrs. Graasso was always on top of her responsibilities. She was always caring and concerned for everyone in the building and in her nine years at the middle school. Miss Graasso will be missed and has many exciting things planned in her retirement. Diane Oberlin
is demon demonstrating warmth, patience, and dedication to the lives of countless kindergarten students over the years. Her gentle guidance has helped children take their very first steps into learning with confidence and joy. We thank Miss Oberlin for her years of love and service and wish her endless happiness in her well-deserved
retirement. Trisha Smith began her retirement or began her career as a classroom teacher and found great joy in collaborating with her special education colleagues. Their passion inspired her work more directly to to work more directly with the students in need of individualized
instruction. In 2010, she transitioned into the role of LDTC and case manager, allowing her to support students and families in a more personalized way at the high school and elementary school levels. She joined the Mont Monville team in 2019 where she has been a valued
member dedicating um to fostering the growth uh and collaboration of the staff. So, fostering the grow student growth and collaboration with the staff. So, we're greatly going to miss her. And last, Dr. Dr. Anne Scrogggins has dedicated over 30 years of education. Uh
she has been serving in multiple roles including special education teacher, elementary teacher, LDTC for prek uh through adult learners and administrative capacities. Since joining Monfield P Township Public Schools in 2012, she has been a valued LTC member
whose leadership, mentorship, and commitment to student success have last left a lasting imprint. A trusted and compassionate educator, colleague, and advocate, Anne's warmth, knowledge, and dedication have enriched the lives of countless students, families, and staff.
We're going to miss all four of them. >> Any other questions about section L? No. Okay. Section M, curriculum. Any questions, comments? No. Section N, there is no action. I call
for a roll call vote, please. >> Um, just one question on section N. Are we going to be revisiting the um >> Yes. >> What is that thing called? The horn noise. Air >> horn. Yeah. >> Yes. That'll be in December when the committee meets. Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah.
>> Roll call. >> Mr. Palma? >> Yes. >> Mr. Petraino? >> Yes. >> Dr. Cordelino? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Fano? Yes. >> Mr. Rapaort? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Smith? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Zuckerman? Yes.
>> Mr. Dorree? Yes, >> Dr. Modrack. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um old business. Is there any old business here? Um then we'll >> No. Okay. Let's um talk a little bit about the board of education meeting schedule. >> So, I just put this on the schedule.
Since the board of education members are not going to be changing, we decided to put it on here so you just get a little bit of a head start and taking a look at what you want to talk about. This will not be adopted until January at the organization meeting, but uh it's always good to just, you know, since the board isn't changing, you have an opportunity
to talk about it if you wish. Um and uh we'll vote on it in in January. Well, given how late our meeting is going tonight, maybe we can hold off on discussion until December. But there is a lot to think about and Kine has definitely give us given us a lot of
>> thoughts versus 13. >> Yeah. And >> that we should we need to talk about our schedule and see, you know, how many meetings people want to attend because >> Yes, I agree. >> And and right and I gave you two options. Those are just options based on
this year's schedule and the year the other schedule we were talking about last year. Of course, there could be endless ones, but I wanted a starting point for you to be able to start talking. That's >> so having come off a pretty sobering discussion on finance,
um I don't see that we can afford not to have two meetings a month if we're going to be presenting this to the public and for ourselves. Uh I would rather small doses um smaller chunks
as opposed to it all all at once in one meeting. >> The difference between uh B and A is four meetings. >> I I think we need some time to think about this and have discussions among >> Well, I'm expressing my opinion because I did think about it.
>> I know you did and I thank you for those thoughts. But yeah, we we should have a bigger discussion about this. Um, I would encourage everyone to think about it, but let's hold off until December if you don't mind. Is that okay? >> Or do you want to have this?
>> You You don't need my permission, David. >> Okay. Just asking. Okay. Um, were there any other comments real quick about this? Just brief comments about the calendar or we can talk more. Okay. Um, anybody else have any other general
board comments real quick? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. I forgot to uh tell you. Um, I just wanted to say on behalf of Michael, John, and myself, I want to thank the parents and the entire Montville Township community for the overwhelming support you showed us on
election day. We are truly grateful to be reelected and to continue representing you and your families. As we door knock throughout Montville, Taco, and Pine Brook, so many of you told us what matters most to you. Strong core academics, athletics, the arts,
extracurricular programs that help our students shine, and meaningful support for special education. Your voices guide us, and we take that responsibility very seriously. Thank you again for trusting us. We will continue to work hard for
you, your children, and our schools. Thank you. >> Um I also had a question for anyone. Um did anyone else besides I guess a few of us up here uh fill out that NJSBA survey about finances and school funding. Um
that everyone should have received an email from Dr. Pernell about this and he linked to the survey that you could take. just I believe the service is closed. >> It's closed now. It's closed now, but it was open for a while. Did anyone else do that? You did that?
>> Any anyone else? Okay, so just a couple of us. Uh yeah, it was you know, as you heard, we're going to face some challenges here. Um I think it's incumbent upon us all to speak about that when we get our chance. Um,
maybe we should even consider putting out some kind of statement urging the governor and the legislature to do something. I don't know what to do what, but to do something at least to start talking about this and trying to
>> school funding in our state. >> The legislature talks about education and school funding. >> Yeah. But >> all the time. >> Yeah. But what if they But look where we are. Look where a lot of the other schools in our in our state are. We have schools that are going over the fiscal cliff. That to me isn't, you know,
>> I'm not defending them, believe me. But it is a topic of discussion. I'd not seen >> and and another thing is I know that other mayors, our mayor and other mayors in our towns are talking to the governor or was about overdevelopment and the
high density. Uh the schools, the townships cannot handle it. It's unfair to the taxpayers, the children, the schools to have um the burden of um trying to um take care of new students
that we may not be able to, you know, accommodate. Um and that puts pressure on the schools and we're not getting help from the state. Um, so I would, you know, um, next year speaking with the
local officials to see if even if it's a resolution, um, because it's really, it's really unfair to the sub to the suburbs. Um, we don't have busing, we don't have anything to help communities, the
bigger, larger communities. So, if there's any way that we can participate with them, that would be great. >> Yeah. I was thinking that some kind of resolution from this board might be in order. You know, I don't know what we could say, but
>> I am I've been to our local legislators over the years. They're certainly willing to listen. Um but there's not a lot of um you know we talked about it earlier one
of the main reasons school districts including us are facing this is the 2% cap and it's not sustainable but there's no appetite to discuss it other than providing some waiverss. That's too
>> So if you can convince them to, you know, loosen up their stance, and it's bipartisan. It's both sides. It's not one side or the other. Um they're concerned about taxpayers, as we all are. We're taxpayers, too. But
you can't go on not, you know, it's it's just not sustainable. And we that have managed our finances expertly are beginning to feel that. >> Yeah. I I just want to comment that it you you mentioned the 2% cap as a
problem. To me, that was a solution. Before that, you had to go out for budget every year. So, now we have we still have that ability. So, that all the 2% cap did was allow us to raise it without having to go to budget, which I think was a great thing. Um, you know,
if we have to go out for budget, our our that's what we have to do. and this town's going to have to to vote and then we'll hear the town's voice. But um I just wanted to make that comment. Thank you. >> Let's just let's just go for it.
>> Not forget when the cap started it was a 4% cap, not 2% cap. >> And the very this 4% just kind of very subtly went down 2% as if that had no effect on anything. >> Well, one day it was 4% and the next day it was 2%. >> Yep. Right.
>> Yeah. And then what happens when your budget gets voted down by the public like it did one time here and they threw draconian cuts onto the district. You know, you have to be prepared for that too to cut whole >> $3 million worth. >> Yeah. And that our budget wasn't even as
big as it is now. So it was a sizable cut. So anyway, but I I do encourage people to speak up loudly to their representatives whenever they have a chance and maybe we can come up with some kind of resolution or statement at
the very least for next time. Is there anything else from the board? Okay, seeing none, I ask for a second public participation session. Anyone wishing to come speak to the board about anything on their mind, please come forward. Seeing none, unless
Melissa you No. Seeing none, I call for a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make a motion to adjurnn. >> Thank you. Second. >> Got a second over there. My problem. Okay. Good night everyone. See you. Uh December 16th is
good night.