A roll call please. >> Dr. Cordelino here. >> Mrs. Fano >> here. >> Dr. Modrack >> here. >> Mr. Palma >> here. >> Mr. Petraino >> here. >> Mr. Rapaort >> here.
>> Mrs. Smith >> here. >> Mrs. Zuckerman >> here. >> Mr. Dore >> here. >> Miss Ammer. >> Mr. Blumenthal. >> We can stand for the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of
America to the stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> The open public meeting notice. The New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to
attend meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interests 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 Monfield Tap into
the board's official newspapers on March 26, 2026. Thank you. Uh let's hear from our student reps for the past. On May 18th, MTHs hosted the small ensemble spring concert. On May 19th, MTHs hosted the
spring concert. NJSLA testing took place on May 18th to the 20th. On May 19th and 20th, there were delayed openings and all grades not participating and tested reported school by 10:15 a.m. Student council elections took place on May 20th to the 22nd.
Senior breakfast, student athlete recognition divi day for division three athletes, and an early dismissal all took place on May 22nd. School was closed on May 25th, May 26th, sorry. On May 27th, MTHs hosted pre-prom assembly and se science night for science
research and resol prom took place on May 28th. Underassman's awards took place on May 29th. On June 2nd, the Val and SAL dinner and drama club banquet took place. On June 3rd, students and parents received next year's class schedules pending staffing and building
adjustments. Senior awards also took place that evening. On June 4th, MTHs hosted the Chartwells barbecue, art show, Try M recital, senior and senior sunset took place on June 8th. For our spring sports recap, boys golf
ended their season 14 to five as group second two state champions. Montville softball ended their season 18 to7 with a loss in the sectional semi-finals. Boys lacrosse was 14-6 as their season ended in group quarterfinal loss. Girls
lacrosse ended their season 9 to8 with a loss in the group quarterfinals. Boys tennis ended ended their season 7 to 12. Girls golf ended their season 7 to2 and baseball ended their season 6 to9 with a win on senior night. Girls flag football
ended their season 8 to4. And for track and field, Anthony Agnoli became a state champion in discuss with a throw of 186 to six. He also took second place in the state shot put with a throw of one of 61 to 7.25.
In future times at MTHS, on June 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., seniors will participate in senior picnic at this wreck fields. Beginning June 11th, continuing through June 17th, MTHs will be taking final exams. During this period, the high school will operate on
a half day schedule. On June 17th, from 7 to 9:30, MTHs will hold its graduation ceremony as we celebrate our accomplished class of 2026. Our next board of ed meeting is scheduled for July 21st. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much, superintendent. >> Yeah, tonight is a great night. You can see a packed house. We have so many wonderful things to uh celebrate tonight. And we're going to start with the boys bowling team. Mr. Sanford, where are you? Come on up.
>> Where are you? Right. You want to do bowling first or you want to do golf? >> All right. Bowling. There it is. >> Alphabet. Can members of the bowling team who are here tonight come on up? >> All right, we've got a couple of them.
>> Well, it doesn't matter right after they do it. Yeah. >> All right. The Monville Township High School bowling team had an outstanding season, finishing with an impressive 21-5 record. >> There you go. So, we can see you. There you go. >> And establishing themselves as one of the top teams in New Jersey. The
Mustangs captured the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Eastern Division Championship and followed that accomplishment by winning the North Two Group Two State Sectional Championship. Their success throughout the season earned them a final ranking of number 15 in the state of New Jersey. A special congratulations goes out to Jake
Schneider for his exceptional individual season. Jake was named NJAC bowler of the year and earned group two first team all-state honors. Congratulations to all of our bowlers and coaching staff for a remarkable season and for representing Montfield Township High School with pride and excellence.
John guys stay up here. Uh we have a resolution. Um Mr. Preun. >> All right. Whereas the Montville Township Board of Education is committed to recognizing outstanding achievements of its students. And whereas the bowling team of Montville High School has
demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the 2025 2026 season. And whereas the team achieved the distinction of being named Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference NJAC Eastern Division
Champions. And whereas the team further distinguished itself as North two group two state sectional champions. And whereas the team concluded its season with an impressive ranking of number 15th in the entire state of New Jersey. And whereas since 2013, the team
received numerous NJAC county sectional and group championships. Whereas the accomplishments of the bowling team and its athletes reflect positively on the students, coaching staff, school, and the Montville Township community. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Montville Township
Board of Education of Montville, New Jersey, hereby recognizes and commends the Montville Township High School Bowling Team for the outstanding achievements and contributions to the school community. Be it further resolved that the board extends its sincere congratulations to all team members,
coaches, and supporters of their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence. Does uh one of them want to say quick comments about the season? >> Just way up close to your mouth.
>> All right. Um this was my final season for the uh bowling team. Uh freshman year I was JV. It was a decent year. My sophomore year we won the uh I think it was group two or three the we won the groups. So that was an amazing year. We
had a little setback junior year. So coming to this year, we really wanted to do good and we did that by winning sectionals. So I'm very happy that we finally got to complete another sectional. >> Congratulations. Thank you. >> Yeah. Go.
Now, we'd like to call up members of the golf team, uh, both the athletes as well as the coaches that are here tonight. If anyone doesn't notice, they're also on the golf team. Very talented student athletes. >> Come on up, everybody. Tonight, we are proud to recognize an exceptional season by the Montell
Township High School boys golf team. The Mustangs finished the year with an outstanding 14-5 overall record, establishing themselves as one of the premier programs in New Jersey. Throughout the season, this team demonstrated tremendous skill, consistency, and resilience, competing at a high level against some of the state's top competition. Their
accomplishments were nothing short of remarkable. The team captured the NJC National Division Championship and advanced all the way to the North Two Group Two Finals, earning the title of North Two, Group Two Runner Up. The highlight of the season, however, came when the Mustangs secured the NJSIA
Group Two state championship, bringing home a state title and cementing their place in school history. Individually, freshman sensation Charlie Kaufman delivered one of the most impressive seasons in the state. Charlie earned both the New Jersey group two individual championship and the overall group two individual championship, showcasing his
talent and poise in some of New Jerseys biggest stages. As a result of their incredible season, the boys golf team finished ranked number 20 overall in the state of New Jersey. An impressive achievement and a testament to the dedication of every player and coach in the program. Congratulations to our boys golf team, coach Sala, and the entire
program on a truly rem memorable season. Your hard work, commitment to excellence, and representation of Montville Township High School have made our school community incredibly proud. >> Mike, you want to read the >> Yes. >> All right. So, we have a resolution and then we're going to ask the captain and
maybe the coaches may say a word or two. Uh whereas the Montville Township Board of Education recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication, and sportsmanship demonstrated by student athletes. And whereas the Montville Township High School boys golf team completed an exceptional 2025 2026
season with an overall record of 14 and five. And whereas the team earned the title of NJAC National Division Champions. And whereas the team achieved the distinction of NJSIA
North Jersey Group 2 runnerup. And whereas the team captured the NJSIA group two state championship, marking the first state championship in boys golf in school history. And whereas the team finished ranked among the top 20
teams in the state of New Jersey according to NJ.com rankings. And whereas individual recognition was also earned by student athletes Charlie Calfman and Henry White who are both named first team all NJAC. Now therefore be it resolved that the
Montfield Township Board of Education hereby extends its sincere congratulations and commendation to the Montville Township High School boys golf team coaches and players for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2025 2026 season. And be it further
resolved that the board of education expresses its pride in the dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship demonstrated by the team and wishes them continued success in all future endeavors. >> Anybody want to say anything?
>> Uh, thank you very much. This is a real honor for for everyone involved. Um this is um an interesting group of young men. Um they're not only outstanding golfers, but they are exceptional young men. Um and I think that showed in their
perseverance, their work ethic. Um they came together as a team and everybody contributed. I think that's the best thing I can say about this team is that they all contributed. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. picture.
>> Oh, he's he's great. Great coordinator of all kinds. I'll get one. All right. Key Club. We have some representatives from the Key Club coming forward. Oh, you're gonna you >> I do. >> Miss Swinson, you're gonna introduce
everybody or Okay, go ahead. Hello. I'd like to introduce some a very very small part of our very large key club. Um and thank you all for your support. Um these students and we took 30 students to our district convention.
Um it was the first weekend of April or last weekend of March and um they won a lot of awards. Um I first want to introduce Ashka who is our very first Montville governor for the district of
New Jersey for key club for key club and um she was our lieutenant governor for our district last year. So um she's going to introduce talk a little bit about it and then um Anushka was our first place winner. We got first and second place in
the essay contest. Sushka Koshu was our first place winner and um Mana was our first place winner for the oratory contest and we also won first and second place there. So um I'll let them take over. >> Okay.
>> Hi everyone. Thank you for having me. Um I'll reintroduce myself. My name is Ashka. I am the New Jersey District Governor of Key Club. So to contextualize that a little bit, it's kind of a fancy name for a state president. So Key Club is a service club at Mountful Township High School, but
it's really part of a much larger organization. We're one chapter out of 150 others in New Jersey, and we have about like 150 members or so in Montville that are a part of over 200,000 across the world. So Key Club is
operation operational in 45 different countries and those different countries are separated into smaller divisions based on membership. So New Jersey is one such division. We have 10,000 members. So as district governor, I've been elected as one of 33
other governors out of 230,000 members to lead our district. So essentially what that means is I preside over the 10,000 or like 10,200 members in New Jersey. Um I oversee a lot of administrative work for the organization in terms of just managing different
clubs, managing our members, ensuring that we're consistent with diversity policies, um growth initiatives, and just community service holistically. It is a tremendous honor honor and I'm so so thankful to my adviserss, Mrs. Swson and Michelango, as well as the Montville
Township Board of Education and just the Montville school system as a whole. It's really what's allowed me to go so far. Um, and like Miss Swenson said, I'm I guess the first person in Montville to be able to do so. So, I'm so immensely thankful for the privilege. Um, and at the request of my adviserss and our
members, um, I'm going to present like this is like an honorary banner that we get, I guess, for being governor. This is usually >> It's beautiful. I just turn to the crowd.
Um, hi there. Um, good evening. My name is Anushka Koshi and I won first place in the impromptu essay competition at Decon. Um, so I'll just read you my prompt and then I'll read you my essay. So, our prompt was, "Youth homelessness is often invisible, but the impact can be life-changing. Um, reflect on a time
when you became aware of an issue that people overlook. How did this shape your perspective on service and your understanding of the role key club members play in addressing overlooked issues?" And now I'll read my essay.
I recently became aware of the immense amount of sexual violence that occurs on college campuses through a documentary shown in my health class at school. I was utterly shocked at how easily college administrators brushed off these assault cases, often blaming the victims for not being aware of their surroundings, inviting such an assault
to happen to them and creating unnecessary drama on campus. Victims of sexual assault on college campuses are blamed, belittled, and silenced when they come forth about their experiences. And this issue is incredibly overlooked in the eyes of college instit institutions and the general public.
Learning about the heartbreaking stories of struggle, deteriorating self-worth and confidence, fear and fragile resilience from each of these assault survivors who came forward to speak on what had happened to them. I came to realize the cru the crucial role that service can play in such situations. The documentary explained how many survivors
of college rellated sexual violence organized campaigns and public hearings, recruiting volunteers and calling attention to the growing issue of assault cases on campuses. Their service rallied victims from different institutions across the nation to stand up and demand justice from the system which had abandoned them in a time where
they needed guidance and support. I began to understand that community service doesn't only have a local impact, but it has the ability to spark incredible change on a nationwide scale when taken seriously and done with the passion and desire to bring change to a system that fails to advocate for the
people it is meant to protect. Service doesn't always require immense connections, funding, or even a large support system to begin with in order to make in order to make lasting change. What it really needs is a voice. The impact of service work is powered by communication where its purpose and
benefits are displayed for the world to see. Helping people understand its importance and seeing it as something worth fighting for. The victim's rights advocacy service discussed in the documentary began with two women, both of which were survivors of sexual violence and received no help
from their in college institutions who were small in numbers and initial support but carried their project with passion, purpose, and the desire to bring justice for others who have been wronged just as they were. Their movement rallied support from their own campus and soon spread across state
lines as more and more survivors began to come forward and advocate for change. They started small but grew into a nationwide movement that empowered survivors across the country. Keyclub is a club that is notably large in its number of participants both in the United States and internationally. After
hearing about the impact of the service from only two women who empower their cause with their own voices, I now see the influence that such a large group like KeyClub has the potential to make. Every Key Club member has their own voice. Meaning, every Key Club member has their own ability to spark change.
All it takes is passion and the unwavering determination to shed light on issues that impact millions yet are unheard by double that amount. Through the vast resources and connections that Keyclub has, as well as the incredible minds, hearts, and voices that make up the club, Key Club members
have the power to spark change if they truly set their minds to it. Thank you. Hi, my name is Mana Madden and I was the first place winner of the oratory contest. And I'm just going to read you the prompt really quickly. So leadership has the greatest impact when leaders serve and empower other people. How has
your understanding of leadership shifted through the act of empowering others? In what ways has lifting others challenged, changed, or deepened your own sense of leadership? When I first stepped into a leadership role in Key Club, I thought leadership was supposed to be loud. Getting an
officer position in my sophomore year, I believed being a leader was about standing in front of the room, being the face of the project, and making sure every single person heard my voice. But as I transitioned into the role of secretary, stepping slightly out of the spotlight and into the core of our club, my perspective began to shift. Every
year, our club runs a volleyball marathon to raise funds. This past March, I was in charge of several committees that were responsible for setting up the entire event. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming. We needed sponsorships, decorations, team recruitment, and lots of publicity. My
instinct was to micromanage to make sure every poster was perfect and every decoration was placed exactly the way we had envisioned it. But instead of trying to control everything, I decided to take a step back. I placed trust in my committee members. I watched a quiet freshman take charge of recruiting
teams. I watched our decorating committee transform a simple gym into something spectacular. That was the moment I understood. Empowering others doesn't take away your leadership, it multiplies it. Though it's not always easy because empowering others means
letting go of control. It means accepting that things might not be done your way. It means being okay with not getting the credit. And that's difficult. But it's also what makes leadership real because real leadership isn't measured by how many people follow you. It's measured by how many people
you lift up beside you and what exactly you inspire others to do. And that empowerment doesn't just stop at the doors of our school. The beauty of Key Club is that the empowerment we foster within our team ripples outward into the community. I have felt it myself sitting at the old age home, simply listening to
stories of a generation that just wants to be heard. I have heard it when we sit down to paint hearts of hope, knowing that a simple colorful piece of clay might be the one thing that brings a smile to someone facing the darkest chapter of their life. When we rally together to raise money for Relay for
Life or when we gather resources for Nourish NJ, we are doing more than just hitting a fundraising quota or logging our service hours. We are looking at our neighbors who are struggling and we are saying you are not alone. We are here to lift you up. Serving others is the
ultimate act of empowerment. It is giving someone the tools, the hope and the dignity to keep moving forward. And in return, they empower us. They strip away our pride and teach us profound empathy. They remind us that the titles we hold, secretary, PR, president, mean
absolutely nothing if we do not have a servant's heart. Looking back, I realized that the most meaningful parts of my journey were never the moments I was leading from the front. They were the moments I was walking behind someone, encouraging them, believing in them, even before they believed in themselves. That's what Key Club has
taught me. That service isn't just about helping the community. It's about building people. that leadership isn't about being in charge. It's about creating space for others to grow, to lead, to shine. And most importantly, that the greatest impact we will ever have as leaders isn't in what we do
alone. It's what we inspire others to do. So today, when I think about leadership, I don't think about being the loudest voice anymore. I think about the quiet ones, the ones still waiting to be heard. And I ask myself, how can I help them find their voice? because that
is the kind of leader I am still learning to become and that is the kind of leadership that truly changes the world. Thank you. Congratulations to all of you and the key club. This is a great tremendous honor on behalf of the whole district and the whole club. So we we thank you
for everything you've done and sharing your you know accomplishments tonight. Thank you so much. You good? Well, good evening everybody again. It's my distinct honor tonight to introduce a student who truly embodies the spirit, leadership, and heart of Montville
Township High School, Jenna Ammer. Many of you likely recognize Jenna's voice before you even see her face, as she is the person who greets our building every morning over the loudspeaker. But Jenna is far more than the morning voice of MTHS. She's a driving force within our school community. Tonight, we're proud to recognize her as our student
activities council president and our board of education student representative. Jen is a natural leader who has dedicated herself to making sure every student at Montville feels seen and heard. In her role as the SA in her role on the student activities council, she's been instrumental in cultivating our school spirit, coordinating
everything from pep rallies and school dances to our spirit week themes. Beyond student government, Jenna is a powerhouse across the board. In the classroom, she's a member of the National Honors Society, excelling in a rigorous honors curriculum with a passion for neuroscience. Her teachers describe her as an animated and
insightful student who brings a wonderful energy to class discussions on the field and in the community. She's a dedicated thresason athlete in soccer, swim, and lacrosse, and is a two-time recipient of the coaches award for soccer. She also serves as vice president of the Seeing Eye Puppy Club, is a four-year member of DECA, balances
two part-time jobs, and volunteers weekly at the Palestinian-American Community Center. What makes Janet truly exceptional is her character. Over her high school career, she has faced significant personal challenges. Yet, she has met every hardship with incredible grace, using life's obstacles as opportunities for self-growth,
resilience, and a deeper empathy for others. Jenna, you bring a warmth and determination to MTHs that leaves a lasting impact on everyone you meet. We're so incredibly proud of you. Please join me in recognizing and thanking our SACE president, our board of ed student rep, and the voice of the Mustangs,
Jenna Ammer. Now, it's my distinct privilege as principal of Mfield Township High School to introduce an outstanding young man who represents the very best of our student body. Tonight, we're recognizing our senior class president and other board of ed student rep, Aiden Blumenthal.
If you spend any time around MTHS, you already know Aiden. He's been a cornerstone of the class of 2026, serving as class vice president as a freshman and leading as class president for his sophomore, junior, and senior years. As our student representative of the board, he ensures his peers voices are heard with maturity and clarity.
Ain's a young man of exceptional character, determined, organized, and deeply selfless. Academically, he thrives in advanced coursework, earning membership in both the National and Spanish Honor Societies, and receiving multiple awards for excellence in mathematics. His passion lies in economics and accounting, a f a field he
plans to pursue with the dream of one day opening an office with his brothers. What truly sets Aiden apart, however, is his commitment to lifting up others. Whether he is leading school clubs, coaching youth basketball, guiding younger campers at Camp Echo Lake, or serving as a full-time Hebrew and cultural teacher at the Pine Brook
Jewish Center, Aiden constantly uses his leadership to make a meaningful impact. Aiden often credits his incredible work ethic to his family, especially his mother, whom he calls his rock. The support of his family, combined with his own resilience and overcoming a significant personal and physical challenge during his freshman year, have
shaped him into the phenomenal leader standing before us tonight. Aiden, your school community is incredibly proud of you. Members of the board of education, it's my honor to present to you Aiden Blumenthal. Now, it's my absolute privilege to introduce and celebrate the saludiatoran
of the class of 2026, Anisha Malinti. Anisha is the living embodiment of our mission to educate, inspire, and empower. Academically, she has maintained a flawless record in our most rigorous courses while also attending Columbia University's science honors program. What truly sets Anisha apart is
how she pairs her intellect with leadership and service. She's the captain and lead program of our state qualifying first robotics team, president of our FBLA chapter where she has competed at the national level. She has also conducted research alongside NASA experts during a highly competitive
summer internship. She serves as the vice president of our cultural diversity club and has been a classic Indian dancer since the age of seven. Anisha has also amassed 400 hours of community service earning four gold presidential certificates. and as key club president. She was the only student in New Jersey
selected as the UNICEF champion and she actively leads disaster relief education as a youth volunteer with FEMA. Anisha's ultimately goal is to enter the field of robotics, computer science, and environmental engineering to solve real world challenges. She's a true leader who brings an award-winning drive and a deeply compassionate heart to everything
she touches. Anisha, you've made our entire school community incredibly proud. Please join me in recognizing the class of 2026 saludiatoran Anisha Malinti. Last, but certainly not least, it's my absolute privilege to recognize an extraordinary young leader. Please join
me in celebrating the valadictorian for the class of 2026, Amy Zang. Amy's accomplishments span across scientific research, national debate, business, and community service. Academically, she operates at a graduate level. Her independent research on a novel plant
proteins has been published twice by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and she is a published sole offer author in an international economics journal. But what truly defines Amy is how she elevates everyone around her. As president of our speech and debate team, she mentors over 100
members. Her excellence earned her an academic all-American ward award, placing her in the top 1% of students nationwide. She serves as the president of our National Honor Society, overseeing a tutoring network for over 10,000 students. She holds executive leadership roles in both FBLA and DECA,
is a varsity tennis athlete, and is also a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient. Amy's brilliant intellect is perfectly perfectly matched by her genuine humility, kindness, and integrity. She does not lead through authority, but rather through empathy. Amy, we are incredibly proud of you. It's my
distinct honor to present the class of 2026 validictorian, Amy Zang. GOOD EVENING. I AM THRILLED TO present our Shopright stars for the fourth and final marking period of the 2025 2026 school year. Tonight's stars as always were nominated by faculty members of one
of five different categories and the winners were selected by administrative committee. In addition to the recognition of these wonderful students, Sunrise Shopight generously donates $1,000 to the class of 2026. Please join me in congratulating each of our stars this evening. In the field of academics,
congratulations to Charie Kana. Over the course of the past four years, Charvey has not just taken the most challenging classes we offer, uh, including 12 APs, multivariable calculus, and ResMol. She has excelled and maintains a 4.7 plus GPA. Despite
personal success, Charvey is more uh passionate about the pursuit of knowledge and bringing her technical expertise to leadership and service. As president of the computer club, she has been instrumental in fostering a culture of innovation by organizing hackathons, coding workshops, and a schoolwide
e-waste recycling program. Jarvy also uh serves as the vice president of FBLA and web master in forensics where she is a two-time national uh competitor, placing seventh in the entire nation for parliamentary procedure and developing a
training program to mentor fellow uh members. Jarvey's intellectual curiosity has led her far beyond the high school classroom through the aspiring students summer internship program at George Mason University. She conducted sophisticated research on the impact of
artificial intelligence on creativity. Her findings were published in the journal of student scientist research and presented at the MIT undergraduate research technology conference. Additionally, as a software engineer intern at EPAM systems, she became the first high school student to design and
lead workshops introducing younger students to foundational computer science concepts. Even with these professional pursuits, she remains dedicated to her community. As a team lead for the SEWA International, she has led monthly electronic donation uh
donation drives uh to provide underserved families with essential technology. She also shares her academic gifts as a math instructor at Mathnasium, teaching students from the elementary levels all the way up to and through pre-calculus. This fall, Charvey
will attend the Cornell University uh to major in computer science uh within the College of Arts and Sciences. Again, congratulations in the field of athletics. Congratulations to Anthony Ignoli. Anony's success is directly attributed
to a level of talent and dedication and relentless drive that is truly rare. Over the course of the school year, Anthony has established himself as one of the most dominant throwers in the state and country. During the indoor track season, Anthony was a force to be reckoned with, becoming the Morris
County indoor champion and shot put. He followed this achievement by winning the NJSIAA Group Two state championship and securing a massive state runnerup finish at the NJSIAA state meet uh of champions against New Jerseys most elite field.
Anthony even took his talents to the ultimate national stage, placing 25th uh in the championship division at the New Balance Nationals indoor. His momentum continued during the spring outdoor season at the prestigious pen relays. Anthony secured eighth the eighth place
finish uh in the discus against top throwers from across the US. At the NJSIAA sectionals, he was a double champion in the shot put in and discus. His discus throw of 181 and a half ft stood as the number one throw in the entire state of New Jersey for that
weekend. Anony's postseason continued with another Morris County Championship title and culminated at the NJSIAA group three championships where he became a double state group champion. He earned the titles with a throw of 177 feet and
two inches in the discus and a mass personal best of 63 feet uh 10 and a half inches in the shot put. Aside from football and track and field, Anthony is a talented student and excelled and has excelled in multiple honors and AP level classes in the fall. Anthony will
continue his track and career field at Mammoth, a division 1 university. Again, congratulations. >> Uh, Anthony, uh, Charie and Anthony, stay up here. We're going to do a group picture when we're done, so don't go too far. >> In the field of the arts,
congratulations to Sonia Vaja. Sonia represents a level of technical mastery and creative curiosity that is truly exceptional. Sonia is a musician of remarkable commitment, having dedicated 12 years to the piano and nine years to the flute. As a vital member of
various ensembles here at the high school, she consistently shared her talents on esteemed stages, including performances at William Patterson and alongside the Rutgers marching band. This past March, her musical journey reached a significant milestone when she participated in the Ruter's honors band
program. This experience allowed her to receive intensive master classes directly from Ruter's music faculty, further refining a craft that she has nurtured herself for over a decade. However, Sonia's artistic voice is just as compelling on the page as it is on the stage. She is an accomplished writer
who has achieved international acclaim in the language arts. Out of 13,000 international contestants, she was selected as one of the top 15 winners of the New York Times 2024 tiny memoir contest. She continued the streak of
excellence by receiving an honorable mention for her submission to the New York Times 2025 how-to contest. What truly distinguishes Sonia is her ability to bridge the gap between creative expression and science scientific inquiry. She has successfully combined her love for the arts with a deep
interest in science through lab research at Monontlair State University. Sonia has been able to accomplish all of this while simultaneously taking 10 AP classes during her time at Monfella, achieving the seal of biiteracy in Spanish and maintaining a 4.6 plus GPA.
In the fall, Sonia will attend Rutgers University in their prestigious honors college and major in chemistry. Again, congratulations in the field of community service. Congratulations to Leah Seawald. Throughout all four years of high school, Leah's masterfully balanced uh
leadership positions, athletics, work, and academics. A significant portion of her uh impact is seen through her work with the Montville Key Club where she serves as the senior service coordinator in this role. She has completed over 140 service hours participating in a variety
of initiatives including food and toy drives, trunk or treat, and holiday decorating uh at the St. Pas church. One of her most notable accomplishments was leading the 2026 Nourish uh New Jersey fundraiser, which raised over $3,000 for
those in need. Leah's uh leadership also focuses on fostering an inclusive and supportive school environment. As the event coordinator for the ACE mentor program and Best Buddies, she organized activities that brought students together, creating a more welcoming community. Furthermore, through her
involvement in the National Honor Society and peers as leaders, she has mentored younger students uh and assisted with our new student orientation. Additionally, Leah's interest in health care led her to volunteer at the New Jersey Center of Physical Therapy, where she was invited
back for a paid position uh as a physical therapy aid and now works directly with patients and therapists multiple times each week. She has also served as a teachers assistant for the Valley View Elementary School's extended year program, leading activities for students throughout the summer. Despite
a busy schedule, she has dedicated herself to the uh varsity field hockey uh team as an athlete and avid learner, taking multiple AP and honor level classes while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. This fall, they will attend the University of South Carolina Arnold
School of Public Health to study exercise science on a prehysical therapy track. Again, congratulations in the field of leadership. Congratulations to Noan Shankman. Leadership at MTHS is characterized by maturity uh initiative and a deep
commitment to both the school and the broader community. Nolan exemplifies these traits through his remarkable ability to balance world-class athletic achievements, elite academic performance, and also dedicated loyal service. Nolan is described as someone who leads by example and is afraid
unafraid to speak up for what he believes. This is evidenced by his participation in student government during his freshman year, which laid the foundation to a successful senior year. As a scholar, Nolan pursued one of our one of our most rigorous paths, completing 11 AP classes while
maintaining a 4.5 plus GPA. His academic dedication is further highlighted by an exceptional 1520 SAT score. On the athletic front, Nolan's leadership is evident in his four-year commitment to our high school soccer program, where he serves as a team captain and his
competitive play for the STA soccer club. His talents have even earned him a place on the international stage, representing the Makabi Jewish national team as captain for Futsaw. Nolan competed in the Pan-American Games in Argentina in 2023 and the Great Britain
Youth Games in London in 2024. To compete at such a high level while maintaining top tier academic excellence requires the kind of discipline and focus that require that requires and defines a true leader. Closer to home, no one was an inductee into the National
Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and as an active member of Rise, POW, and Reach, contributing to a positive school environment. He also dedicates his time to mentoring the next generation as a coach for a recreational town track program. In the fall, Nolan
will attend Syracuse University to major in architecture. Again, congratulations to Nolan, each of our fourth marking period Shopright stars, and the 20 seniors throughout this year who have been recognized as stars. All right. So, now we're uh so many
wonderful things. I was with the student portion and we're going to go on to the adults who are the greatest prize of them all. Retirement, I guess. And we have nine of the 18 retirees here this evening. And we're going to start off with Valley View with Dr. Kennedy.
Yeah. Grab the You got to grab the mic though. Yeah. >> Thank you. I'll say it again. Dr. Raj and I go back a long way. We're friends. We're colleagues. and um we've had a lot of fun together over the years. Uh he always tells me I talk too much about my
teachers, but this evening I want to say a few things about three extraordinary teachers and one extraordinary LDTC. Um, Miss Suanne Hansu, uh, affectionately known by her students as
Miss Sue, has been an educator for over 40 years and has served with distinction in Valley View since 2001 as a preschool teacher. Her dedication to our youngest scholars has established a solid footing for their educational journey ahead.
along with her colleagues, Miss Sue was instrumental in developing Valley View's preK program early on. And we are proud to say that we host not only two sections of um preschool, but Valley View currently hosts five preschool
programs. And as one of her team members has recently noted, with daily doses of fun, Miss Hanssho's lessons are crafted to reach all levels with an unmatched love and compassion that she has for the art of teaching. A lifelong learner, this
extraordinary educator has consistently explored best practices and creative ideas via professional development workshops and ongoing collaboration with her colleagues. Uh she is frequently seen at the Morris uh
Union Joints in New Providence working on programs to advance the skills of autistic children. Steam lessons in recent years have introduced children to the wonders of science and potential career paths. Miss Sue invites sunshine
into the lives of the children who respond to kind her kind and warm demeanor and heartfelt lessons. Parents have praised the growth they have witnessed in their children and attribute this to Miss Sue and her exceptional team. Holiday celebrations
have welcome parents to school to share the joy of their children in daily and their daily prek lives. Um Sue has developed lasting impressions with students, parents and colleagues. One in particular who was the former uh chief
of police in Patterson would come every year. He was also a member of a bagpipe band that marched in every St. Patrick's parade. And he would come to Valley View and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with us um and celebrate Miss Sue for all the
wonderful things that she had done for his children and we would march around the school with the bag pipes playing. Miss Sue has taught her students to communicate, to share, and to love learning. All I'll go to that part later. Okay, now I'd like to go on to
Miss Amy Kovich. Amy, affectionately known as Miss Amy to her students, has been an educator for 27 years, 25 of them in Valley View. As a veteran prek teacher, Miss Kovac was instrumental along with Miss Sue in developing our
preschool integrated program. Over the years, Miss Amy has championed our youngest scholars. uh she enhances their communication skills, um has developed curriculum and encourages children to develop personal relationships. Students in the class have fun. They
share and they learn via a variety of hands-on playful activities that are are tailored for learning styles and specific needs. Sue also spends a lot of time teaching the ch children about steam and the power of science. students
trust that Miss Amy's requests come from the heart and are in their best interests. Parents have all also expressed um great gratitude to Miss Amy. One has said, "You have brought so much laughter and fun into our boys' lives. They adore you and I'm very happy
that I can say you have been a monumental part of my children's lives." They're welcome into school for celebrations and to highlight their children's accomplishments. Miss Amy is also a lifelong learn learner joining uh Miss Sue down at in New Providence to
learn best practices for special needs children's and particularly autistic children. Uh she has also earned as an additional certification as an LDT LDT and has worked with the summer school in
testing um children for um the special services department. Miss Amy also has brought a lasting um impact on the lives of children and parents. Miss Jana Feinstein, our third teacher who is retiring is also a special
education teacher. Uh she is has been education for 26 years. She started as a speech therapist and she came to us in 2001. During this time, Miss Feinstein has expertly scaffolded instruction for children in the small group resource
room settings and has brilliantly co-taught with colleagues at various grade levels. I can confidently say that when Bianca came to me, I was so impressed with her skills. She is the kind of teacher that you can
place anywhere and depend on the expertise and high level of rigor in the instruction. She's an extraordinary educator. Um she's competed to her students emotional growth as well. Um she serves on our climate and cultural
committee and has contributed many ideas to producing a safe and uh nurturing environment for our children. Um these three educators are consumate dedicated professionals. Um we wish them
many blessings and happiness in their retirement. I also want to acknowledge I wasn't I didn't know if um I scrogggins was on the list but I don't think she's here with us tonight. Dr. Scrogggins as many of you know worked in Valley View for
many years. Some of you know her from the county. Um Ann worked as an educator in Belleville. She also um was in the high school in Bootin a little bit a little time while I was there. I was only there a very short time but I knew of Anne Scrogggins and her um reputation
highly respected educator and special education advocate. Um Dr. Scrogness came to us many years ago, 14 years ago I believe, uh to Valley View as an LDTC in my building. Uh I felt like I I
really had a partner. My doctorate is in special education advocacy and I found my nemesis uh not my nemesis, my um soulmate in Anne Scrogggins. Please forgive me an um an special education.
She has a a degree as a business administrator. She has an EDDD in leadership, but she's also duly certified in education. Um, she would come to meetings, talk to parents, explain the testing procedure for I IEP
uh plans to an nth degree where parents left confident that their kids were in the best hands and she assured them that they were at Valley View and in our special services department. and has decided to retire, much to my
sugrin. Um, but we wish her many blessings and happiness in her retirement as well. Thank you. >> Will the Valley View teachers please come up? Mr. Malucci, you're next.
You need a doctorate to turn this microphone on. Apparently, um, good evening everyone. Congratulations once again to all of our retirees. In case you didn't see, uh, Dr. Shorter just called called me over. He said, um, Dave, after Dr. Kennedy
went, "Be seen, be heard, be seated." So, I promise I will be brief. Um, tonight we're honoring Mrs. Oberlin and words I don't think um are enough and I certainly cannot articulate just how
beloved and respected Mrs. Oberlin was at William Mason School. So, I'm not going to try. What I will do is share a quick story about how um when she decided and needed to take a family leave last December,
there was great fear and trepidation amongst the parents at William Mason and rightly so. Um it's like replacing Michael Jordan, LeBron James, um for hockey fans, Mark Messier. Um, and quite honestly, I I was very unsure myself as
to whether or not we would find a suitable replacement in December. And when I responded to the parents and to Dr. Gorman, Dr. Sharter that we were able to secure her daughter, um, it was
met with complete silence. No more emails, no more phone calls. And um I think that one of the greatest things that you could leave your family is a good name. And so Ava um your mom leaves behind a wonderful name. And I think that your reputation alone put everyone
at ease. And so um Diane, you meant the world to William Mason. You you meant the world to me. And um we're going to miss you dearly. Thank you. Uh, I I apolog I apologize for holding on to the microphone longer than intended, but um I would be remissed if
I didn't take a moment to thank my boss, my colleague, and um my friend, Dr. Sharter, for his steady presence and being a source of wisdom for not only me, the four other
elementary principles, um Mr. Mr. Bjudo who's here with us tonight and for obviously Mr. Sanford who is somewhere in the house over there. Um you had your hand in every major decision that I think each and every one
of us made throughout the 14 years I had the pleasure of working with you and I can honestly say I'm a better principal um better person and and better father for having known you. So um I wish you all the best in your retirement on behalf of all the administrators. Thank
you so much. All right, good evening everyone. Hold on, my phone's got to flip. Okay. Um, first of all, congratulations to all the students uh recognized tonight for their outstanding accomplishments. Congratulations to all the retirees for the for the conclusion of their careers and and best of luck in the next chapter
of your life. Lazar has four retirees this year, one of which was able to attend tonight. Please take a moment to recognize Miss Elellanar Clinger, our school nurse. If I have to do this, you do, too. Um, at Lazar, we have a saying, veterans
do veteran things. Uh what that means is that we as an administration can trust um their judgment, their actions, and their impact. Eleanor certainly meets that criteria. Um in many situations, she has served as
another administrator, a friend, a sounding board for life's ups and downs. Um her calming presence, experience, and wisdom help all who seek her out, but especially me. Um, a quick funny story that I told at her retirement uh,
dinner. Um, everybody remembers COVID, right? Um, so there were a lot of late nights where Eleanor and I would be on the phone and I'd be whispering in the office talking to Eleanor. Um, you guys remember the Jake from State Farm commercial, right? Well, my wife would come in and say, "Who you talking to?"
And instead of Eleanor from I mean Jake from State Farm, it was Eleanor from Lazar. Um but you have made a tremendous impact on all of us and you will be missed. So congratulations. All right, Mr. uh Mucci got the microphone first, but while I have the
microphone, and I know how uncomfortable this makes you, um I want to take the time to recognize one other person, Dr. Casey Sharter. Uh some people don't realize the role the assistant superintendent plays in serving as a go-to person and mentor for the building
principles. Um I personally will be forever grateful uh for your impact on me both as an educator, a husband, and a father. We've had many conversations. I wish you nothing but the best of luck. And I know two things. More time on the
golf course is not going to make you any better. And if you played with him, you know why. Uh, and uh, I'm gonna miss you, coach. Not a doctor, but I got it. Hey, I'm Rich Bedwin for everybody knows I'm the facility manager here in the district.
I'm here to read um Mike Fedoyek's retiring tonight. A little bit of history about Mike. In 1999, he came over from the Ukraine here for his wife and kids. Sat there 2001. He got a job working at Hill as a custodian. As sit there for 2008, he became the
maintenance guy. Now, this is where I come into Mike. About 12 years ago, I was a custodian at Lazar. Mike comes over, showing me how to do the ropes. I had a problem putting the lights in. I put all the flares and bulbs in. They wouldn't light up. Mike said, "It's the ballast." I'm like, "The ballast? What
is a ballast?" You know, could have been a code for the thing for all I knew. So, he sits there. He shows me real simple. White line go to white line, black to black, blue to blue. Put it on, lights come on. Fantastic. Here I am going through the district like I'm a hero
now. Change all light bulbs. I'm like, I'm super guy here till I come to one of them that has four lights in it. Whole different animal now. The ballast I pull it down. It has literally yellow, green, purple, polka dots. I have no idea what I'm doing. Call Mike back over. I go,
Mike. I go, this is the problem I have. What can you do for me? He is laughing like he saw the best joke in the world, man. Up and down. Sits there, explains it all to me, shows a diagram, draws it. I drew the diagram. He filled it out for me. But we got the whole thing goes on from there and everything's good. That's
the kind of guy Mike is. You know, he sat there helped you through the whole show. Till the day, I don't know if Mike showed me so I can knew how to do it or I did it to make his job easier. It's one or the other. But we both worked out. Mike is a unicorn. He does everything. Plumbing, electrical, you
name it. He's going to be missed. Uh, good evening everyone. I am Austin Thompson, the director of IT services. I'd like to take a few moments to recognize the dedication. This can be hard and user service of my colleague Dr.
Andrea Vanuskerk. Andrea is a proud Ruters graduate earning her bachelor's degree in political science and sociology. She later completed a master's in elementary education with a specialization in instructional technology. She earned her New Jersey supervisor
certification and ultimately completed her doctorate in organizational education. Andrea began her career in education 30 years ago as a technology lab teacher at St. Mary's and Pompton Plains. She later served in Readington Township and Piscataway before joining Montville
Township Public Schools in October 2012 as our educational technology teacher coach. Throughout her career, Andrea has contributed far beyond our district. She has served on the New Jersey Educational Technology Committee, the Middle Sex County Technology Council, and
participated on several Morris Union joint committees, including some with me. She's also present been presenter at Texo for the past five years, and in 2020, she was recognized as the Montville Township's educational service professional of the year.
Over the last 14 years, Andrea has helped shape the way our district teaches and learns. She welcomes and trains new faculty at orientation. Principals compete to reserve her for professional day uh professional development days. And she worked one-on-one with every single teacher during our district-wide projector
implementation project, really helping me out, and has supported countless other initiatives across our schools. Andrea's impact has never been limited to introducing new tools or equipment. She's been in classrooms creating custom lessons, co-eing alongside staff, and
providing hands-on support during some of our most challenging transitions, including the move to computer-based testing. For those who may not know, Andre and I have shared an office for most of her time here. When she started, she had her own office, but during some construction, we decided to temporarily
share mine. Apparently, neither of us dislike the arrangement enough to change it because 14 years later, we are still office mates. Although every summer she does seem to disappear and remind me of what having my own office feels like. In our time together, Andrea has helped
me revise more email announcements than I can count. We planned and implemented some giant projects together. Uh we've talked each other into textbook presentations. Um and especially over the last few years, we spent many hours visiting the schools together to meet with teachers.
In retirement, I anticipate Andrea will spend much less time revising my emails. No, I didn't say none. and a lot more time tackling sentry bike rides and feeding her new golf addiction. Andrea, thank you for your 14 years of service. Congratulations on
your retirement. I'm not used to being uh on both sides of the on the aisle here, But uh Sue Marinellum is probably a familiar face to many of you. She's uh very active in town and was very active here for for 12 years uh serving in the district. Sue
served as a part-time employee and then she showed us the demand for this position and we made it her full-time employee and she was always asking for two more another person, you know, to help pick up all the things that were going on because there's so many wonderful things as you saw this evening. And this is just a small
little, you know, indication of what's going on daily in our in our buildings. Sue was instrumental in writing all the articles, what happened, capturing what happened at the board meetings, taking the pictures, doing all these different things, and communicating all the great news that are going uh going out to the community. So, we really appreciate
that. She was also very instrumental in doing all the branding. She's literally left her mark on this district. So all the branding around all the schools, the step and repeat right here, uh the pins, the logos, the uh mascots, everything we have throughout the district, uh Sue was
instrumental in the very beginning of all this whole process and uh and just really leaving a lasting mark with that. She's been involved on the state level as well as the local level with uh public information, getting all that uh different groups out there, leading the
way, helping other people as well, training them and about the ropes about how to do good journalism and how to get uh good communication messages out there. She's um uh she her constant articles, social media posts, newsletters kept the community informed
and highlighted most of all the students and the staff on a daily basis. Uh she will not miss my 4:30 in the morning phone calls about the snow days and what do we got to do and how do we have to make a quickly uh quick decision. But she Sue truly loved everything about this district. She gave her heart and
soul to this district. She uh loved everything that she could do for this. She was here on weekends at night just doing things because of the love of the community and she gave so much to this district and you can be greatly missed but most of all by me. So thank you All right, we're gonna do one more. And
then we have Casey. We uh Dr. Sharter. We recognized him a little while ago, but we're going to recognize him again. So, congratulations to Dr. Sharter. 14 years working in this district. And the interesting fact, you heard these wonderful things the other principles were sharing. But um he's hired probably
almost twothirds of the staff being the assistant superintendent. Uh everybody has to get interviewed by him. They come through his office in all that time. You could you could thank him for the the final touches of these people that are here teaching your children. The staff here doing an incredible job. He's been
a great mentor to me as well. Uh helping me along the way, learning the ropes. We have uh Mr. Stanford from the high school going to be replacing him. They've been working closely together and uh it's going to be a great transition. But Mr. uh Dr. Sharter's uh influence and impact on this district is
gonna be greatly missed. Dr. Sharter. I know one group. Is that perfect? At this point, we're going to take a fivem minute break. PTA reports also stuff like that. >> Yeah.
He said five minutes. Anyone want anything from going on at home. >> Either I'm getting used to it or It really doesn't matter. My sister doesn't want to I feel like it is. That pretty much sums it
There she is. We make mistakes. I got to go to Mark. Let's go. I love We're going to call the meeting back to order. >> You can tell people they're allowed to leave if they want.
Okay. >> Okay. Um just in the interest of time, we have a student safety data uh report that was given to all the board members. Uh that was for the period beginning September 1, 2025 to December 2025. So uh you have that in your packet. Please
review it. And just an update on Hilldale. uh we uh we're very close to a solution with that that we believe that uh uh work will begin again shortly uh to finish off that project uh the way it was intended to be. So uh we should have
some answers on that and you should hopefully be seeing some movement on that shortly. Again, in the interest of time, we're just going to suspend the committee reports and we'll get to all the committee reports in July at the meeting.
>> Okay. So, we're going to go to public participation for items on the agenda only. There will be another portion at the end of the meeting for anyone who wants to make just general comments. Seeing none, we're going to go to consent resolutions
>> testing. Okay. Nadia Keshi, 33 Crescent Road, Pine Brook, New Jersey. Um I am addressing the 2728 calendar that is on the agenda today. Um as everybody here should be well aware now um my agenda is
to um have you guys include the holiday of Idal Adha on the 2728 calendar. Uh we just had Idal Adha on Wednesday, May 27th. Um I did speak with Dr. Gorman and he
said there was 150 student absences that day because of the holiday. So I think that is significant enough for you guys to consider including it on the calendar. Um and as my daughter said, "Mommy, when are you going to get them to give us off for Eid?" So I am here um
to ask again as you guys are proposing the 2720 calendar to please consider um putting IDA on the calendar especially because it will be during the school year and during major school events moving forward. Thank you. Okay, moving on to consent resolutions.
Can I get a motion? >> Second. >> Second. >> Section I, section J, section K, section L.
>> Yeah, L. We have an addendum that was given to you prior to this. There's been some corrections to some of the um the calculations for salaries for work over the summer and things like that. So, you have that addendum and
>> y and l 369 uh will be removed from uh from tonight's vote. and I do have a resignation or a retirement actually. Um, Evie Rovich has been a member of the
MTHS school counseling team and liaison for Lazar and our elementary school counselors for the past five years. During this time, she has worked extensively in supporting our students, their families, and our staff. And she's a valued member of our team. He'll be truly missed as she retires later on
this summer. We wish her well. Section M, section N. >> Can I now get a roll call vote? >> Dr. Modrech. >> Uh, no. To M528.
Yes to everything else. >> Mr. Rapaort. >> Abstain. Section I. Yes to everything else. >> Dr. Mr. Cordelino, >> yes. >> Mrs. Fano, >> yes. >> Mr. Palma, >> yes.
>> Mr. Petraino, >> yes. >> Mrs. Smith, >> yes. Abstain on K6. >> Mrs. Zuckerman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dorree, >> yes. Abstain on K1, check number 13347.
Section Q, old business. Okay. So, this is a followup from last meeting that we had in May discussing the facilities and a commitment that
this board made over a decade ago to begin to revitalize the buildings who were all beginning to get to their 50th birthday so that these buildings would be able to service another 50 years worth of students. And that process
began in 2016 and was kicked off with the referendum in 2017, but it continued after that point. And last time we met, we went through each of the buildings and all
the different work that we've done in each of the different buildings. This is just a summary of all those different projects. Everything from the work that occurred in the 2017 referendum, the 2018 ESIP, the 2019
ESIP, us participating in the ROD grants in 2024, and a multitude of different withdrawals from our reserves, our savings accounts, in order to repair and do renovation
work at different schools, including the security vestibules that have just been completed. As we had discussed last time, the pressure that all of these projects totaling about $ 58 million worth of
projects over the past 10 years has definitely put a big pressure onto the reserves. And the district had made the decision that it was going to hold its reserves at 10%
in order to provide a cushion but also to maintain its status with standard and pores in terms of future ratings for issuance of bonds. And based on our
usage of those reserves, we have hit that 10% floor. um with the close of the 2026 27 school year. What that means is that there are no
additional funds available for us to do future work. And when we began this process, we basically put all the different projects into a hierarchy of those that were the greatest needs down and we worked
through that list. However, that leaves a lot of projects that certainly are needed that have not yet been done. And so, last time we met, we walked through the different buildings and discuss the different projects. The unit
ventilators, the boxes that are underneath the windows in particularly the elementary schools are original to the building. So those unit ventilators are the heaters for the rooms and they are now 65 years old. We really can't
even get parts anymore. We're just holding them together as best we can. Boilers that need to be replaced that are also part of the heating systems. The windows particularly in the sister schools, Cedar Hill, William Mason, and Woodmont are original to the buildings.
Switch gear, which is the way the power comes into the building. again 65 years old and are beginning to show wear. We had done a replacement of the switch gear, electrical switch gear coming into this building two years ago because we
were concerned that eventually we just wouldn't be able to get power. Um upgrading generators, fire systems, elevators in in the high school and then technology wiring. As the technology needs begin to grow and grow, our wiring
is now over 15 years old and it just needs to be updated. So, as this particular screen shows, there is about $24 million worth of repair work that needs to be done at the
elementary schools. When you add in Lazar and the high school, that comes to 31.6 million. The board looked at some other projects. Uh we called them program enhancements.
These were uh improvements that were being done because they affected academic programs. Um renovations to the auditorium for the high school. The house, meaning the place where we all sit when they're performing, is original
to the high school, now over 50 years old. Um and has never been renovated. The demands on that particular space are all year round. Not only used by us in terms of the high school in its performances, it's used by Lazar. It's
used by the community. And to have another auditorium such as one at Lazar would be a great addition to it to Lazar. It is one of those very expensive additions that we came to the board last time to ask whether they'd be supportive
of. In addition to that, we also asked the question of outdoor recreation space. Right now, the students at Lazar cross Changebridge Road and go over to the recreck fields to utilize their fields for gym and any type of
recreational space. The time that they have to get outside as part of their lunchtime um is done in the driveway of Lazar uh right along change bridge road. So, we had proposed a possible improvement for
additional outdoor space to prevent that playing in the front of the building or crossing the street. The other uh item that we had added on and discussed last time was the possibility of expansions. In 2023, we
put forward a referendum that included the addition of classrooms onto and some cafeterias onto the elementary schools that has now expanded to Lazar as the children have aged and now are moving up
in grades. And that total was going to add classrooms to each of the different buildings in order to control class size. essentially based on a lot of the discussion that we had last time I
attempted an attempt is exactly what I so you need to say to me this is not what we want um to try to figure out what it was that was appealing to the board um that included the $31 million
worth of facility repairs and the auditorium renovation at the high school. So if you take all of those projects that's you see over the column on your right comes to 31.6
million of repairs and then if I add into that the renovation of the auditorium that comes to 356 in total um
a possible total referendum. Now, we do have a financial team that uh does do work for us in terms of beginning to look at what tax impact would be for projects. All of the projects listed on
this page are eligible for the 40% coverage from debt service aid. So, what does that mean? It means that for every dollar that the board would commit to spend, the state of New Jersey will pick up 40 cents of it. and we will only fund
from our own tax base uh 60 cents on the dollar in terms of impact for a house assessed. So when you get your tax bill, your house is assessed at a value that's not necessarily what you can sell your house
for. For a house, for every $100,000 housed assessed, the combination of the 31.6 six and the $4 million bringing you to 356 would be a $40 increase. So the average to assess house
in Montville is about at around 540 right now. That would be a two a little more than uh $200 increase on taxes. So the question that we're kind of coming to you all with is
how do you want to proceed? One of the things that we spoke about last time when we met in May was the fact that we would like to put out a communitywide survey on the different renovations that we were proposing, the different additions that we were
proposing in order to get feedback from the community. So, you have received and you should have it with you now. If you don't have a copy, I can get you one. Um, a mockup of what that survey would look like. Our intention was to begin
sending that survey out starting tomorrow with the hope that when we meet on the 21st of July, which is your next board meeting, we would have the results of that survey, the survey is going to go out to not only our own school
communities, but also the greater community in Montville, so that all the stakeholders in Montville would have the opportunity to respond and indicate what their preferences would As part of the um items on K5, you have
we included the approval of the architect to do the preliminary work on the schematics, drawings, and submitts. Now, that sounds like a very huge task. Um in actuality, it's a lot smaller currently because we've already
had these conversations. The last referendum included a lot of this work. So they've already done a lot of this work. Uh what we've done is we've created a situation where every single one of the projects that we've listed at each of the different schools is in its
own little bucket. And depending on how the surveys come back, depending on how the board feels it wishes to proceed, we just keep swapping projects until we come up with the project that um that works. Sorry about that. That was me.
Um, so they what they will do is they're going to start putting all that together. We would then come back on the 21st to sort review the communitywide surveys to see where the board feels comfortable going.
The plan would be that because we're just swapping already plans that have already been developed by the architects, we would be able to come up with a plan that is supported by the community and
that that paperwork would then go to the Department of Education down in Trenton um by July 31st. If that were to occur, you would be in line for a referendum vote in January, January 26, 2027.
So, I guess I'm interested in feedback um from the board regarding direction, specifically direction if you have it on the survey. Um because if we are going
to send that out, if that's what the will of the board is, then I want to be able to try to get that out this week so that we can give everyone enough time to respond and we can collect and and process that feedback. Joe Caitlyn,
sorry Kine, I have a question though. Are we even though we have all these plans, architects are expensive. Can we wait until after we get the surveys back from the parents, we vote on it, then we
reach out to the architect? Because I don't see if if the public is not for it, spending possibly tens of thousands of dollars on something that we're not going to vote for. Is that a possibility even though we voted for it? Yeah, we
can reverse it. Um, I do want to just point out timing. So we were very intentional in that we are trying very hard because we understand it's very confusing. We use the term vote in many different areas of the
school district. So we go to the public to vote on a referendum. We also go to the public to vote if we need to make changes, large changes to our annual budget. So we were very careful about not bringing up any of this until after
we had passed the budget so that this way then there'd be no confusion. The choosing of January 26 was a very intentional choosing because it enabled us to stay away from the 2728
budget cycle which will begin in February of 27 and will run through the the end of April. So we would then make the same statement. We don't want to confuse those words of vote. And if um
so we would pull out, we wouldn't do any work on referendum from February of 27 to April of 27 and then we'd come back in May of 27 and have this conversation again. That would put us either at a June or a
September referendum. Um, and the concern is just delay because of things breaking. But if that is more what the board feels comfortable with,
we're not opposed to doing that. We just are saying that there's a delay and it just delays everything. I guess my question is, can we find out what the estimate would be from the architect? because some parents uh may want a few things, not everything. And why have
them do the work if that's not what the community wants? So, I I'm just more about being fiscally responsible with and we could put it towards something else. >> Yeah. No. So, exactly what Kine just
said is just if you wanted to just if you're not ready to make a decision in tonight or andor in July, you could postpone it a little bit. We could continue talking about it, but that would push the vote till the September or later of 2027. That's all.
>> So, it does impact it's I'm guessing he the architect is saying they need to start work now. That's what we vote on this year to >> make the January deadline. we're making the January deadline. If we're not making the January deadline, then there's no rush.
So, we're trying to weigh how fast is everything going to break, which I don't have a crystal ball for um against trying to keep the budget process separate from the referendum process in order not to be confusing to the fact that there are only certain
dates that we can do this on. So, we're balancing all of those pieces and we're looking for your comfort level as we move forward. Can I ask um is the reason So, first of
all, how long is the survey intended to run if it's launched tomorrow? >> It's going to run for 30 days. >> Is that I mean is that like where was that determined? Is is it possible that it could run for a little bit shorter? I mean today in the information technology
world people you know they see it you know if you tell them the deadline that's kind of right before when everybody answers it right so what if we ran it for say two weeks and then I mean I I realize we might have to have a special board meeting thrown in there but is the reason because we wouldn't
then be able to approve the architect till July 21st but if you ran a survey for two weeks and somehow could approve it like I feel like there might be another window where we could gather the information and still, you know, and have what we need to feel comfortable with the expenditure and potentially
still make the timeline. >> Yes, definitely. >> I also think that, you know, in the subcommittee meeting in finance facilities, we kind of determined that the number that we would go out if at all for a referendum was so small that we might want to combine them. So go,
you know, delaying it two months wouldn't be a big deal in that, >> right? I I mean the delay is just exactly, you know, you're just up against time on and the parts and when things go. So I mean there's risk on whichever way you go with it. You're correct.
>> But I'd also like to point out to the public especially if we don't pass this budget or this referendum, we lose a 40% discount on the cost of all these repairs. So, it's imperative that we pass because we're throwing $15 million
in the garbage if we don't pass this because we're going to have to make $35 million of repairs over the next few years regardless. >> Correct. >> Uh Kine or anyone, uh what did we approve of the architects at the last
meeting? It is $40,000 for them to package everything. >> Okay. >> But again, it's $40,000 that most of the work isn't occurring until after
the 21st because the biggest piece of what they're doing is is getting all that paperwork together to send down to Trenton. So like nothing's necessarily happening right this minute because there's nothing for until they know scope which you haven't determined yet. They don't
know what they're sending but it's most of the buckets are already filled. >> I think a survey is a great idea. I think it's important for the public to weigh in on these things. Um there are a lot of options here. Uh, one thing I would suggest as far as the outline and
the format of the survey is I personally would like a little more description in what each of these projects um in the rationale for the projects. Uh, a lot of them just say, "Well, they're old." Okay, they're old, but is there a reason we're replacing things other than just
age? I mean, sometimes things last a long time. So it would in my opinion it might be a good idea to add a little bit more description. >> Uh so we we noted a lot of the changes that you wanted. We did add a lot of the changes. Uh if we didn't go far enough
then that's something we could look into. Um I mean if it were up to me I'd say go ahead with it now. Um I think even even if the referendum doesn't pass at least we'll have we have an architectural view as to what needs to be done and how it needs to be done.
But um yeah I agree with a lot of things that been said but John said if we don't pass this we're throwing away 145 million dollars. Um that's how the last referendum I think passed where we had very strong support from the community
and I mean even the tea party supported the last one because anyone can see look if I can spend you know a dollar and we're paying 58 cents on the dollar and someone else is paying 42 cents that's you can't just just can't afford to
throw away that money. So I think it's important that we go through with that. And as far as things like the Lazar auditorium, you maybe that might be something for a second question years down the road. That's one of those nice to have but not necessarily essential.
But the thing that needs to be done, I think we need to go forward with it. Any other comments? Okay, I think I'm walking away with I'm keeping the survey open for two weeks. Are we scheduling another board meeting?
I >> yes >> I I think you know one motion could be it's open for two weeks um or however long actually and we wait we pass it now I guess you know there's there's two options right we pass it now um to
approve the architect and it doesn't really matter how long the survey is open or if if our determination of the architect depends on the survey then we need another board meeting so that's I guess what we need to determine does the board, right? Feel that we need to
>> the the survey and I think the architect question are two different ones. We we approve the architect to work on the schematics. The survey is to find out what we're going to include on the referendum when we do go to referendum >> and we'll determine what and we'll
determine what he submits to Trenton. >> I'm in favor of moving forward now. I think Yeah, it's it's a win-win at this point. >> I'm in favor of moving forward, too. >> Me, too. >> When you say move forward, do you mean
without a survey or >> with the survey? >> With the survey. >> Yeah. Just uh stand back here. Um Yeah. So, we should move forward with the architect plans because
there's a lot of equipment that's very old, 60 years old. There's going to be some subset of that that comes out of the survey that will need to move forward to the referendum. And the survey will just help us understand what that subset of things are. Um, but if we
keep moving forward now, as you said, it was 40,000. It's not outlandish amount of money uh for this this level of project and uh I think it will keep us moving forward on a a good time schedule for January. If we need to make changes
at whatever next board meeting that we have, we can certainly do that. Um and as the survey results come in, we will certainly make changes to what is is uh put on to the referendum or what we approve for the referendum. Kim, before the decision is made here, I think it's
important to understand what the budget referendum would be and do we want to combine them into to one day of voting? Uh, and if we do, why spend $40,000 on an architect like Christine said when we could just delay that and maybe, you
know, not have to go back to an architect a second time. >> You're going to have to do that either way. whether no matter what date we go, we need them to once once scope has been determined, meaning what projects are we doing, we need them to do the
submission. And that's part of what we're having them do is put all those buckets together that make up the scope and then submit everything. That would happen whether we pick January, whether we pick April, whether we pick
September, it it doesn't matter. Okay? So, I'd like to move forward um I'd like to make a motion to move forward uh with uh the survey um as well as uh having
the architects begin to work on the project. >> Second. >> And the project is under 35 million. >> Yes. >> Okay. Okay, >> you're doing roll call. >> Was there a second? >> Yes. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. So, this is a motion to move forward with the surveys and with the architect to start to prepare for a 2027
January 26, 2027 referendum on the $35.6 million. Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay, Dr. Cordelino. >> Yes, >> Mr. Rapaort. Yes, >> Mrs. Fano.
>> Yes, >> Dr. Modrech. >> Yes, >> Mr. Palmer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Petraino. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Smith. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Zuckerman. >> Yes, >> Mr. Dorree. >> Yes.
>> Okay. I'm going to now process the um survey for to go out this week. If any board members would like to come talk to me and we'll make more tweaking. We basically just tweaked words over the last few weeks. Uh this survey will stay
open until into the early part of July so that we'll be able to compile all that information and get it to you quickly so you'll have that for the 21st meeting. >> Thank you. We are going to um take the items on section R, the school calendar and the
board of ed district goals and move them to the July meeting. So we are now going to go to public participation. So if you'd like to come up and speak, you have five minutes to come up and talk for person. And please say your name and address
when you come to the mic. Thank you. Is this on? >> Just push push the slide up. >> Hello. >> Hello. >> Good. Hi. Thank you for your time. My name is
Melissa McCutchen and I live at 80 Waha Road. I have been a Toakaco resident for over 30 years. I attended Lazar and MTHS and graduated from Lyola College. I have a master of divinity from Princeton
Theological Seminary with a concentration in interreligious dialogue and ethics. I am a member of St. Pius I 10th. Recently, Lazar Middle School hosted as part of their living lessons program a
former member of the Israeli military, Sheir Zuar, who spoke about her experience on October 7th. To say that this was not an appropriate speaker for a public middle school is beyond an understatement. The Lmin Institute for
Genocide Prevention, Jewish Voice for Peace, Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Save the Children,
Bit Salem, UNICEF, Oxfam, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, as well as other international human rights organizations say that Israel is
currently committing a genocide in Gaza that began on October 7th. Despite the goals of the living lessons program being compassion and empathy, neither Miss Zohar nor any of her hosts informed
participants that as a result of the events of October 7th, Israel has killed, disabled, and starved hundreds of thousands of people in Palestine. Since the genocide began on October 7th,
we have the names and ages of over 20,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel. 17,000 of those children were aged 12 or younger. They were killed before they could ever even attend their
local middle school. But since October 7th, Israel has destroyed all of Gaza's schools, over 2,000 of them, and left 600,000 Palestinian students without access to a
classroom. Since October 7th, UNICEF says upwards of 4,000 Palestinian children have had one or more limbs amputated. They are the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history
according to the United Nations. How dare Miss Zohar speak to children about October 7th when since that day Israel has killed on average one Palestinian child every hour for the past two and a
half years. Beginning this March, Israel is killing children in Lebanon at nearly this rate. It is totally antithetical to the humanitarian goals of the living lessons program to overlook or normalize
these atrocities or to omit a historical context of decades of ethnic massacres, displacement, occupation, and apartheid. I do not want my tax money spent on bombs to kill children or on any school
that would excuse it. Hello, my name is Colleen. I'm 28. >> Sorry. >> Hi. Sorry. My name is Colleen Lenge. I'm at 282 Bridges Road over in Taco. Um I'm speaking on behalf of a group of uh 23 or so parents from uh Cedar Hill who
have incoming kindergarten children. Um a few who are here with me tonight. Um, in regards to section L3, lines 19 and 20, we would just like a little bit of clarification. Um, we would like to Sorry. Um, we just, uh, I lost my spot,
sorry. Um, uh, we would like to know if those two teachers would each have their own individual classrooms in addition to the current kindergarten teacher um, creating three sections. >> Yes, there'll be three sections at Cedar Hill. >> Okay. >> Kindergarten.
>> All right. Well, on behalf of my fellow parents, we would like to thank you. Thank you very much for acknowledging our concerns about the large classroom size and for taking our children's education into consideration and giving them a good step forward. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> William, >> hello. Um, my name is uh Bayan Jamal Ahmed. I am a Palestinian-American who was privileged enough to metriculate through Montville Township High School, um the public schooling system. I'm here today
to be an honest and revealing voice in a sea of white supremacy, racism, and Zionism, an ideology that has displaced and dehumanized my family and my people and continues to do so to this day. For 976 days, the Palestinian people of Gaza
and the West Bank have been living through a genocide. A genocide that has been internationally recognized by the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the United Nations Amnesty International, the Lmin Institute for Genocide Prevention, and Dr. Raz Seagal,
a leading scholar of Holocaust and Genocide Studies here at in New Jersey at Stockton University. The reality is this. A genocide of the Palestinian people is being carried out by the occupying powers of the Israeli government, which is obligated under
international law to end its occupation of Palestine and dismantle its apartheid system. The apartheid state is only able to violate international law and commit these war crimes because our United States government supports it unequivocally. Sending 4 billion dollars
a year to the Zionist state while we feed while we struggle to feed, house, educate, and provide health care for people right here at home. After hearing what the administration had done by welcoming a person from the illegal settler colonial state of Israel to
speak and without contention, I was shocked and appalled to see approval of genocide. But I was not surprised. I found it deceptive and biased to invite someone without any acknowledgement of the ongoing genocide, the criminalization of Palestinians, and the
persecution of those who advocate for Palestine. Our impressionable youth were forced to hear one side of the story without repres representation for those who have been dehumanized who carry decades of evidence and displacement and who live the daily impacts of settler
colonialism. The community is here today to demand a right to this egregious wrong. We demand a statement to be sent to the community regarding the speaker at Living Lessons. a statement that addresses how this decision has impacted not just the Palestinian constituents but the
constituents as a whole. The Palestinian spirit of resilience and strength after 78 years of occupation, apartheid, oppression and violence is something that should have been highlighted to our youth. Being Palestinian in this country is something that none of you could even
begin to imagine. But I am nothing without my people and my people inspire me in this very moment. I hope that the administration does something to correct this wrong and does it very very soon. Hi. Is it on? Okay. Hi, my name is Joey
Huber. I live in Heinebrook for over over 30 years. Um, I've been to Israel over 60 times. And um I just want to start by saying that the comments of the two speakers who have addressed this
topic so far in pure political terms is the exact reason why we uh have and need living lessons. Diversity is a wonderful thing. So diversity is a wonderful thing but we should talk about diversity in context.
In this case, the context is the mission of the living lessons program. Li living lessons is not about debating or presenting an opposite point of view. Doing that, especially in a political context, is the last thing living living
lessons is about because doing so would turn it turn it into a political forum and a platform for debating complex political conflicts. Having said that, there actually was great diversity in the living lessons program which I
attended. There were diversified presentations all day given without the boundaries of the pro given within the boundaries of the program's per purpose i.e. survival, human strength, resilience, inspiration and friendship.
Diversification doesn't mean that every presentation that day required a rejoinder or as some have put it the other side. To the contrary, living lessons purpose and its strength for the students growth in education lies in the
authenticity of individual stories. I attended the young woman's presentation and I'd like to uh reiterate or iterate because it hasn't been said yet the following. By the way,
as an aside, if you're a young Israeli woman in your own 20s, odds are you have served in the Israeli army in times of war or peace. That's just the way it is in that country. She Zohar went out of her way not to be
political in recounting her story. She never uttered the word of the name of the organization that attacked her. Never said the word uh during the whole uh presentation. She never referred to
the religion or ethnicity of the perpetrators. Not not once. The only word she used to describe what happened to her and hundreds of other young people that day is terrorists because that's what they
were. Again, she went out of her way to keep politics out of her recounting of what happened to her. She just told her story and boy did it meet the criteria of living lessons. This girl talked about
her survival, human strength that got her through it, her resilience, inspiration, and friendship. As for the complaint at at that the other side did not have a chance to tell
their story, I would say that because she kept politics out of her presentation 100% of the time, what is the other side? There was just that young personal girl's that young girl's personal story.
Also, my understanding is that those who have spoken out against uh Shir Oha's presentation felt that it was bad timing, but I've yet to hear what would be considered good timing for telling such a story.
The complaint about bad timing is subjective and can be used to silence almost any difficult or uncomfortable story. Furthermore, a personal trauma narrative does not need to be matched in quotes
with an opposing viewpoint in order to be valid or educational. Shear's testimony of her experience should be understood as a human experience, not a partisan statement, not a political statement.
Totally irrelevant. I would like to end by saying that I hope the school continues to be open to future speakers with different backgrounds if their stories fit the stated educational mission of living lessons.
Inclusion should be thoughtful and missionbased, not reactive or forced by political pressure. The hope the school I hope the school and the board of education will defend the integrity of the living lessons program and keep it
focused on lived experiences, not ideological balance. Thank you. As I introduced myself last time, Judy God, happy retiree. I am here to speak to you tonight about
living lessons. A program I created in 2005 that has become a signature program in our district earned national recognition and touched the lives of thousands of Montil students.
Through firsthand testimony, students learn lessons in empathy, resilience, courage, and humanity that cannot be found in a textbook. For more than 20 years, students in our
district have heard from individuals who li whose lives have been shaped by extraordinary experiences. World War II veterans, refugees, people who have overcome tremendous adversity,
and others whose stories offer powerful lessons about the human experience. The purpose of living lessons has always been clear. It is not a political
program. It is not a forum for debate. It is not intended to promote any ideology or agenda. Its purpose is to help students better
understand courage, resilience, compassion, responsibility, friendship, and the consequences of hatred and intolerance. It is about helping young people learn
from the lived experiences of others. Recently, concerns were raised about one of this year's speakers, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival attack, Shear Zohar.
Before in extending an invitation, I and my two co-chairs carefully evaluated whether the pres whether the presentation aligned with the educational mission of living lessons. We wanted to ensure that it would focus
solely on her firsthand experience and would not become political in nature. Based on that review, we were satisfied that there would be no discussion of politics, competing narratives, or advocacy of any kind.
That is exactly what occurred. This young woman spoke about fear. She spoke about survival. And she spoke about friendship. Last week while subbing at Lazar Middle
School, I asked several of my eighth grade students for feedback on this year's program. They shared thoughtful reflections about the lessons they learned and the speakers who impacted them the most. One student spoke about Shear's
presentation and explained that what stayed with her was not a conflict taking place thousands of miles away. Instead, she was moved by the loyalty and care that she and her friend showed
one another during an unimaginable situation. Hearing that story made her reflect on her own friendships and ask herself whether she demonstrated that same loyalty, loyalty to the people she cared
about. When I heard that response, I thought, a student listened to someone's story and found a lesson she could apply to her own life. That is education.
That is empathy. That is growth. And that is living lessons. I am aware that some might have drawn conclusions about why this young woman was invited to participate in our program. I would respectfully ask that the
presentation be evaluated on its own merits and in light of the educational mission of Living Lessons. For more than 20 years, Living Lessons has been guided by one principle,
providing students with meaningful opportunities to learn from the lived experiences of others. This young woman was not invited because of her nationality or because of assumptions about my personal beliefs.
She was invited because she had a powerful personal story that aligned with the mission of the program. For more than two decades, Living Lessons >> Sorry, have to start to wrap it up. >> I am minute mark. >> For more than two decades, Living
Lessons has asked students to do something increasingly rare. to listen before judging, to learn before assuming, and to recognize the humanity in another person's experience, even when that experience is different
from their own. I remain proud of what this program has accomplished and grateful for the support is ha it has received over the years. If our goal as educators is to help students become
thoughtful, compassionate and engaged citizens, then living lessons has fulfilled the mission for all this time. Thank you. Good evening. Can you guys hear me? Good evening. I live at 8 or Court court
and my name is Bod Uden and I am a student at Lazar Middle School. I am honored to speak about the living lessons program and the incredible impact it has had on me. I've been fortunate enough fortunate enough to experience living lessons twice during
my time at Lazar. Each time I left with a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the world around me. What makes this program so special is that it allows students to learn directly from people who have lived through extraordinary experiences. Their
stories are real, powerful, and unforgettable. This year, two speakers had a particularly strong impact on me. One was Daryl Davis who spent years building relationships with members of the Ku Klux Clan and helping many of them leave
the organization. His story taught me the importance of understanding others even when their beliefs are very different from our own and that meaningful change can happen through patience, respect and convers and conversation rather than anger and
division. Another speaker who deeply affected me was Melissa Anastasia, whose life changed forever because of drunk driving. She is now paralyzed from the neck down. Yet, she shared her story with courage and honesty. Listening to
her made me realize how one decision can have lifealtering consequences. Even more importantly, her resilience and determination inspired me. Despite facing challenges that most of us can hardly imagine, she continues to live
her life with strength and purpose. Living lessons is one of the most meaningful programs at Lazar Middle School. It gives students the chance to hear stories that cannot be found in a textbook. It helps us develop empathy, understanding, and a greater
appreciation for the challenges others face. These lessons stay with us long after the presentations are over. That is why I would be disappointed if future students did not have the opportunity to experience this amazing program and learn from these powerful stories which
reach far beyond the walls of our school. I would like to recognize the people who have made all this possible. Mrs. Gah brought living lessons to Lazar and has worked tirelessly year after year to keep it going. I would also like to thank Mr. Lynn and Miss Barky for the
continued commitment and support of this program. As I conclude, I would like to make one final request to the members of the board of education and to anyone who may question the value of this program. Please do not make any changes that would diminish the impact of living
lessons and please never consider eliminating it. As students, we learn many important subjects in school, but living lessons teaches us something different. It teaches us about humanity. It teaches us about courage,
consequences, resilience, empathy, and understanding. The lessons I learned from each speaker will stay with me far longer than many facts I memorize for a test. They have helped shape the way I think about other people and the choices I make in my own life. Programs like this
are rare, and future generations of Lazar students deserve the same opportunity that I had. Please continue to support Living Lessons exactly as it is. These stories shared through the program change lives. Thank you. >> Hello. Is it still on? Um, I was not
planning on speaking tonight, so I don't have a full speech prepared. Um, thank you for everybody who did come up and speak about this. It's clearly a very important topic for everyone in Montville. Um, but I did want to share, sorry, my name is Ruben Mustafa, by the
way, James Terrace, um, in Toako. Um, I did want to share the letter that was sent out initially when we first heard about Miss Sohar coming to Lazar Middle School. um just to make sure that everybody is really clear on our intent
for those who did feel a certain way about her presence um at the school. So, I'm just going to read some of it. I might skip over a few parts that feel redundant, but um we are writing to you in good faith as engaged and concerned community members and parents regarding
the recent decision to allow Sherzohar, a citizen of a foreign nation who was at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th to speak with sixth to eighth grade students in an official capacity at the Montville Township School District's living lessons program hosted at Lazar
Middle School on May 14th, 2026. We want to begin by emphasizing that our concerns are not regarding the living lessons program as a whole, but more specifically concerning the choice of bringing Sherzohar individually and in
isolation. We strongly believe that schools have a responsibility to present to present complex geopolitical and humanitarian issues in a balanced age appropriate and educationally responsible manner. When students are exposed to one perspective on an issue
as deeply contested and emotionally charged as the Israeli Palestinian conflict, it is essential that they also be given the opportunity to hear and learn about the Palestinian perspective in order to foster critical thinking, empathy, and fairness. We also question
whether this topic was in the best interest of the student population present and what context they may have already had, if any, on this topic. Our concern is not with exposing students to differing viewpoints, but rather with ensuring that the district maintains neutrality, age appropriateness, and
educational balance. The living lessons program has made a huge impact on students over two decades and leaves them with feelings and memories of stories that last a lifetime. Many of these stories offer great lessons critical to understanding the world and how to become better global citizens.
Knowing how impactful the program is, presenting only one narrative on such a highly contentious global and local issue risks alienating students and families within the community and may unintentionally communicate institutional endorsement of a singular political viewpoint. We're also
concerned because programs such as these are funded directly or indirectly through public support, community donations, business sponsorships, other town schools PTO programs, and nonprofit non-political organizations such as the Montville Education Foundation. When
community supported educational funding is used in connection with politically sensitive programming, there is an even greater responsibility to ensure that presentations are balanced, inclusive, and representative of multiple perspectives within the community at the
same time to make the greatest impact for students. In addition, we believe serious consideration must be g given to the emotional and psychological impact the discussion of violent conflict can have on students who are only 13 and 14 years old. According to students and families
present, terms such as terrorist and rape were used during the presentation. The use of the word terrorist was also used in the description of Miss Sohar's bio with an assumption of Palestinians carrying out the action. Regardless of
context, these are highly sensitive and potentially distressing distressing topics for middle school students. Parents should be informed in advance when presentations may involved graphic, traumatic or emotionally charged subject matter so they can make informed decisions for their children. Schools
should always be a safe space for students. And at this developmental age, we believe believe schools should prioritize students emotional well-being and ensure that difficult global issues are discussed in ways that are sorry carefully moderated, balanced, and age
appropriate. Students leaving Miss Sohar's presentation shared feeling alienated, ostracized, fearful of peer retaliation, and more. We respectfully request that the district consider the following action items during the remaining 202520 26
school year to rectify the above concerns at Lazar Middle School. Provide equal opportunity during the remaining weeks of the 2526 school year for qualified Palestinian, Palestinian-American or Palestinian peace activist speakers to present alternative perspectives by a mutually
agreed upon decision. Clarify whether any public funds, donor contributions, business sponsorships, or nonprofit educational foundation funds were used to support the event. Issue a letter to Montville residents and other listed sponsors who may have donated to the living lessons program. And express any
language or perspective shared by Miss Sohar are personal opinions of the speaker and not those of the school district. Provide a recording of the presentation. >> You're going to have to wrap it up. >> Sure. Um and then moving forward to provide transparency regarding the purpose,
content, educational objectives of the speaker presentations, develop clear district guidelines, and basically allow for us to coexist and share different viewpoints together. Our schools should be spaces where students learn to think critically and compassionately, not environments where one-sided nar
narratives dominate discussions of complex global issues. Over the last few years, Montville Township District has long championed diversity and inclusivity, and we must always echo this in our school programs. That's basically it. And then I a little there's a little thank you note in
there, too. But um we are not here. We very much appreciate living lessons. Um but >> thank you My name is Andrea. >> Better. >> Andrea Orura, 7 Breton Drive, Pine
Brook, New Jersey. Um, as some of you may or may not know, I've been very involved in the school district over the years and have had the pleasure of being president of the PTC at Lazar Middle School way back when. Um, living lessons has always been something that the kids
have looked forward to. I appreciate some of the comments that have been ma been made and I'm not here to argue the conflict in you know between Israel and Palestine but that is not what Living Lessons is for. And I would ask if
anyone that is having an issue with the presentation if they actually saw or heard the presentation. I did. It was one person's account of their experience. We have had living lessons
for as Judy God said many years where we've had people from other areas of the world, Africa, wherever refugees talk about their experiences. We've never had anybody have an issue that there was another side to the story. It is purely
a factual information of someone's experience. There was nothing political about this. There was no other side. She never mentioned anything that would even pertain to a political situation. It was
her personal experience. So if there is a recording of the presentation, I would implore everyone that has an issue with it to try and find it and then see for yourself and make the decision if it was an unfair presentation.
Thank you. Okay. Um, seeing nothing else on the agenda, can I get a motion to adjurnn? >> Oh, yeah. >> You you want to go ahead. >> Sorry. >> Five minutes.
>> Yep. >> Sher Schwarz, 14 Aca Street, Mountville, New Jersey. Um, I just want to take the opportunity to, um, let you know, if you haven't seen already, um, we are having Montville Pride on Saturday, um, from, um, 1 to 4 at the Township Library. Um,
and I ask that you, um, come support, um, show that as leaders of education that you, um, you know, support our LGBTQ youth. Um, so I have invitations here. Um, can I pass, am I allowed to pass them out?
>> Okay. Um, and I also have others if people in the audience would like to hear them. Um, I really hope you guys come and support um, Pride. We've done it now for several years. Um, and um, I think as leaders, it's super important to show um, you being physically there.
Um, representatives of the um, township committee will also be there. Um, so it would be nice to show your face as well. Thank you. We're closing public participation. Dr. >> So I I want to thank everybody for coming out and speaking and sharing uh their thoughts on this topic. Uh I did
meet with four representatives of the families of educational excellence last week and I did respond with a two-page letter back to them. Um just to quickly just summarize some of the thoughts that are going on. The heart of living lessons, the program which has been successful for over two decades is to
provide students with powerful firsthand account of human resilience, courage, and survival often in the face of global conflict and personal adversity. The presentation was focused exclusively on themes of survival, compassion, resilience, and heroism of and of a man
who saved the speaker's life. It was a personal testimony intentionally not a discussion about the complex Israeli p Palestinian conflict or geopolitical issues. However, we do understand that balance and context are important to consider when dealing with sensitive topics, especially at the middle school
age. We assure you that having these presenters and the use of these funds does not imply institutional endorsement of a single singular political viewpoint. The district is committed to maintaining neutrality in all school sponsored programs. Moving forward, the
district is committed to enhancing our procedures regarding living lessons and other uh educational programs. We will develop clear guidelines for presentations involving sensitive topics. Furthermore, the district will continue to be committed to future educational discussions structured
around critical inquiry and multiple viewpoints. Thank you very much. CAN I get a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> They just handed it to each other.