Please rise for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. Please remain standing for the singing of our national anthem >> by Miss Deian Porine. Oh, say can you see by the dawn early
light so proud we held at the twilight last stripes and bright stars
through the The last fight or the ramparts we watched were so gallentave proof through the night
that flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangled yet or the land of the free
and the home of the brave. Thank you. The nose requirements of the Open Public Act of the State of New Jersey have been satisfied by the inclusion of the date, time, and place of this meeting and the notice of regular meetings adopted by this board on January 5th, 2026.
Such schedule and notice of meetings is posted at the municipal building, the Mount Olive Library, the board of education offices in the six schools was submitted to the daily record for publication on January 6th, 2026 and was filled it was filed with the clerk of Mal Township on January 6th, 2026. I
direct that this announcement be entered to the minutes of the meeting. Roll call. Missy, >> Mrs. Aquino here. Miss Ms. Brett >> here. >> M Mrs. Fitzgerald >> here. Mrs. Melendez >> here. >> Mrs. O'Neal >> here. >> Mr. Ozillo >> here. >> Mr. Petri >> here.
>> Mrs. Faggera >> here. >> Dr. Jordano >> here. Miss Fitzgerald. Approval of the monthly of the minutes. >> Yes. I'd like to make a motion to approve items 2.1 through 2.2. Second. >> Questions or comments from the board? >> Seeing none, roll call.
>> Mrs. Fitzgerald. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Aquino? >> Yes. >> Miss Brett? Yes, Mrs. Melendez. >> Yes, >> Mrs. O'Neal. >> Yes, >> Mr. Ozilla. >> Yes, >> Mr. Petri. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Faggera. >> Yes, >> Dr. Gerardano. >> Yes. Communication petitions from uh from the superintendent.
>> No. >> From the board, we do have one. Um the board was emailed uh a letter of support from one of our teachers from um Paul and Lauren Lionus. Um and I will speak to them about um the email. I'm not going to read in public. I just want to reach out to the parents after this
meeting. student leaison we do not have tonight superintendent report is the longest part of our whole meeting tonight so the floor is yours Dr. >> Certainly at this time I would like to invite Mr. Kevin Moore our director of human resources in which we're going to
be starting our most favorite presentation of the year which is our staff recognition awards so thank you Mr. Moore >> thank you Dr. Bangia members of the board of education and members of our school community. My name is Kevin Moore. I'm the director of human
resources and it is my privilege to be here tonight to be your MC for the evening. Uh this is our employee recognition program. I know that's why everybody's here. Uh for many here tonight though as individuals
I think this is a recognition that represents for some a careers worth of contribution to Mount Olive Township School District. It's a really big deal. And so I'm thrilled. I know we have our administrative team here tonight. We're
all thrilled uh to be here to celebrate all of our individual employees that are going to be receiving their honors tonight. Uh, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize those in attendance tonight who have been past recipients of
our teacher, our ESP, and our support staff award winners. So, if you have won any of those awards in the past, please rise to be recognized. All right. Thank you all for your contributions as well.
>> So, finally, on behalf of the district, I'd like to offer our congratulations, our thanks for everything you've done for our students, for our schools, and for our school community. You have our sincere gratitude.
So without further delay, I'd like to call up Miss Patty Trojanowski to start our support staff awards. Patty Trojanowski, our director of transportation. >> Hello. When I left my last district, I was
afraid to come to a new place and someone said to me, "Oh, Patty, don't worry about it. There are wonderful people everywhere." And uh she was right. So, as I look out on all your faces, and I get to talk to most of you on the phone, not usually
face to face, I really enjoy seeing your faces. The most important thing we do at the transportation department of the Mount Olive Public Schools is to safely transport students, which is our community's greatest treasure. We often
talk about how children are people first, and they deserve respect and kindness, and when respect is given, it is returned. Kelly Young has been transporting
students in Mount Olive. since uh 2004 and I have had the privilege of serving as her supervisor since 2023. During that time, she has proven herself to be someone we can always count on. She shows up every day. She is
conscientious in her work and she gets along well with her co-workers, which we all know is no small feat. I have asked several of her colleagues to share what stands out about Kelly. One noted that she is always aware of
her students and their needs. She makes a point to get to know each child as an individual and takes time to truly understand them. She is especially skilled in working with students with special needs.
She is organized, helpful, and consistently honest, sometimes even to a fault. Don't ask her a question if you don't want the answer. Another colleague shared that Kelly is deeply dedicated to our department. She
genuinely loves and respects her job and truly adores all of the children she transports, past and present. Her students love her and her ever trusty mascot Mickey. A newer member of the district shared
this reflection. My encounters with Kelly Young have been memorable and absolutely worth mentioning. I have seen her interact with students with remarkable kindness and patience. On two occasions when she was transporting
students, she greeted each student with a big smile and a warm welcome, allowing them to safely enjoy the excitement of their trip without ever raising her voice or becoming frustrated. On one trip, I witnessed her assist a
staff member in calming a child, enabling him to continue to enjoy his experience. Whether intentional or simply part of who she is, the way that she treats and engages with students is incredibly
meaningful. Kelly exemplifies what it means to care for students with professionalism, compassion, and dedication. We are forunate to have her as part of our team and this recognition is truly welld deserved.
Ellie say >> thank you All right, if we could please have Miss Agatha Wilkey, middle school principal, to present our facility support of staff award. Good evening everyone.
Today it is my true honor to recognize someone who represents the heart of Mount Olive Middle School, Mr. Fred Seager. As the support person of the year for buildings and grounds for the past seven years, Fred has been one of the most dependable,
hard-working, humble, and genuinely kind people in our building. And I can honestly say that not a single day goes by where his effort does not make a difference for students and staff. One of the things of many that makes Fred so special is that he never looks for
recognition. He simply shows up every day ready to help in any way he can. No task is ever too small, no problem ever beneath him. And somehow he always manages to do with with all the kindness, patience, and an amazing smile. For those of you who don't know this,
Fred gets to work every day before the chickens rise. And as someone who gets to school very early myself, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate walking into the building each morning already knowing Fred is here without fail. He has always made his rounds, checked the building, and made sure everything is
ready for the day ahead. There is something incredibly reassuring about that level of consistency and care, and it says so much about the pride he takes in his work. Fred is also the kind of person you want by your side when things are not going smoothly. Whenever Joby
Azi needs him, especially during those moments when everything seems to be hitting the fan, Fred steps up without hesitation. He works tirelessly to make sure things are handled the right way. And there's a sense of calm that comes with knowing Fred is involved because you know it's going to be given 100%
every single time. People like Fred are the reason schools continue running smoothly even on the hardest days. Of course, he works tirelessly to keep our building clean, safe, welcoming, but anyone who knows Fred understands that what he contributes to moms goes far beyond
that. He helps create the feeling of community and care and people experience that people experience when they walk through our doors. He is someone that everyone, students, staff, everyone, we trust and rely everything he does and we appreciate him so deeply. And while we
know Fred as the person who always who's always moving from one task to the next around moms, we also know that he enjoys the outdoors, spending times camping, riding his motorcycles, and of course, always having a Diet Coke nearby. Those little things are a part of what makes
Fred so amazingly, Fred, and part of why so many people in our building care about him so deeply. What I admire most about him is the heart he brings to his work every day. His work ethic is incredible, but even more impressive is the way he treats people. His warmth,
positivity, his humble approach to everything and reliability is something he brings every day. Fred, thank you for everything you do for our middle school community. Thank you for the care, the effort, the kindness you bring to our building every day. You make this school
a better place simply simply by being the kind of person you are, and we're so incredibly lucky to have you as part of our school family. Congratulations on this recognition. So welld deserved And now for our secondary paraprofessional support staff of the
year award, Miss Agatha Wilkkey. We're gonna see Miss Wilky a lot tonight. Hello again. Um, it is also my great honor to recognize Miss Mory Taith as the this year's support person of the year at Mount Mount Olive Middle School. In her short time as a par
profofessional here at Moms, she's already left a lasting and positive mark on our school community through her compassion, professionalism, and dedication to the students. Her unique background reflects both intelligence and heart. Miss Tate holds a bachelor of science in microbiology as well as a
post-graduate degree in hospital management. Through these experiences, she's developed strong leadership, organizational and communication skills while managing the daily operations, coordinating staff, maintaining compliance, and ensuring high quality. These strengths are evident every day in
the care, patience, and consistency that she brings to our students and staff at Moms. Beyond her academic and professional accomplishments, she also brings creativity and warmth in everything she does. Her love of the arts led her to spend two years conducting painting classes, an
experience that further strengthened her creativity and patience and ability to connect with learners of all ages. Whether she's supporting students academically, emotionally, or socially, she approaches each interaction with kindness, positivity, and genuine care.
Her colleagues describe her as hardworking and student focused with a compassionate persona towards it all. Miss Tate embodies what it means to support and uplift others. And we are incredibly fortunate to have her as part of our mom's family. So, if you could
please join me in congratulating Miss Mory Tate as our support person of the year. She's coming back. And now for our recognition for administrative support, I'd like to call to the microphone Mrs. Nicole Msara,
principal at CMS. Good evening everyone. I would like to invite Mrs. Kelly Lippy to please join me at the podium. If you are lucky enough to know Kelly Lippy, you already know that somehow she
makes the impossible look like just another day. Tonight, it is such an honor to celebrate someone who is so deserving of this award. A little bit about Mrs. Lippy. She lived in Mount Olive for a number of years from 92 to
2015 where her own children attended school here. She's worked at Mount Olive since 2001 to the present, dedicating nearly 25 years of her life to this district. During her time here, she was worked under three different principles, Mrs.
Dirks, Mr. Moore and myself along with nine vice principles which also means she's very deserving of an honorary degree in district survival and patience. She was also here during one of the most defining moments of our country's
history during September 11th. And now Mrs. Lippy has continued to stand as a constant source of support strength through every season since. To know Kelly Lippy is to know someone
truly great. Mrs. Lippy, or as I know you as Kelly. Kelly, you are one of the most generous people I have ever known. You are generous with your heart and with your everything. You give yourself 100% to everyone and
everything that you do. No matter what you need, your efforts are tireless. And most importantly, I can't imagine doing this job without you. You quickly become someone who I rely deeply upon, someone I connect with, and someone who I care about tremendously.
You know how to speak my language, which many times is a lot of urgency, half sentences, and I need this done right now. She speaks it better than me. And you know what? She knows what to do even before anyone even has to ask her.
You are such an extraordinary woman who puts the needs of everyone before you. You're a loving mother. You're a loving wife. And you're an amazing grandmother and Lola. And your family is your whole entire world. And you play that same
role for us here at CMS. You bring people together and you're at the heart of everything good in this building. So, Miss Kelly, to one of the strongest women I've ever known and had the pleasure to work with each and every
day, thank you for all that you do. Thank you for all the love that you pour into our school and for being exactly who you are. I honestly couldn't do it without you. And at this point, I won't even convince myself otherwise. It's my pleasure to introduce Kelly Lippy.
Okay, I do have a speech written. If anybody knows me, this is way out of my comfort zone. I have my glasses because I can't see or see see or hear anymore the 25 years did me in. Good evening, members of the board, the
administration, colleagues, and members of our Mount Olive community. My name is Kelly Lippy, as you know, and I am truly honored and honestly a bit emotional standing here tonight. As Mrs. Msara said, I have been a resident or I was a
resident of Mount Olive from 1992 to 2015 where I raised my children. This district was their entire world growing up. It's where they learned, where they grew, and where so many of our family memories were made. And they are here, or my daughter's here tonight, and my
grandson, one of my grandsons is here tonight to share this moment with me. In 2001, I began working here. And somehow, 25 years have gone by. Being named support person of the year is something I am incredibly grateful for. It means more to me than I can fully put into
words. But the truth is, this honor doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to my CMS family. To the people I work with every day. You are the reason I've been here this long. You are the reason I loved coming to work. You've supported me, laughed with me, lifted me up on the
hard days, and celebrated the good ones. You've become more than co-workers. You've become family. And that's what makes this moment so emotional. Because when you spend 25 years somewhere, it becomes a part of who you are. This job has been woven into my life for so long.
It's been early mornings, long days, countless conversations, problem solving, helping families, supporting staff, and through it all, knowing what we do matters. I am so proud of that. But with that pride also comes reflection. Lately, I found myself
thinking about time, how quickly it passes, and how important it is to recognize when a chapter may be starting to come to a close. I'm not making any announcements tonight, but I wouldn't be lying if I said that thought hasn't crossed my mind. And that's hard because
this place, these people, this community, and they mean so much to me. Mount Olive gave my children an incredible education and it gave me a career filled with purpose. Not everyone gets to say that. So, tonight, I just want to thank you. Thank you for this
honor. Thank you to my CMS family for being my support system for so many years. And thank you to this district for giving me something I will carry with carry with me for the rest of my life because no matter where the next chapter leads me, a part of my heart
will always walk the CMS halls. Thank you. Now for our support staff recognition for security, I'd like to welcome Miss Nicole Misara back to the microphone. Okay, here we go again. It is my
pleasure to introduce Officer Mark Nmenski, our security officer of the year. Officer Mark, would you please join me? Officer Mark is a retired law enforcement professional with over 30 years of dedicated service in Washington
Township, Morris County, New Jersey, where he built a strong reputation for integrity, leadership, and community engagement. He holds his master's degree in public administration and leadership, reflecting his commitment to professional growth and effective
leadership. During his career, he has earned promotions to S sergeant Lieutenant and was selected by the New Jersey State Chief's Association to serve as an instructor in their respected West Point command and leadership program.
A key strength of his career was his outstanding ability to work with people of all ages, especially children. He has extensive extensive experience delivering safety educational programs to preschoolers and including also stranger awareness training with and
also worked with families and senior citizens on personal safety and scam prevention. He is calm, he has a calm presence, clear communication skills and his approachable manner has made him effectively our security officer here at CMS who we
have learned to grow to love and trust. He brings strong collaboration of education, leadership, and a proven commitment to the safety and service of all. Now, besides his impressive credentials
and professional accomplishments, Officer Mark, Officer Mark, you have become such an invaluable part of our school community. You have a unique ability to combine your sense of humor while never
sacrificing the safety and security of everyone here. You bring so much warmth and positivity and you have brought some light into our office. I believe I could speak for our entire staff that we feel safe when you are here and you are
keeping guard. Your presence give us a comfort and protection. And at the same time, your personable nature shines through. Some days I don't know how you balance them both. And either way, even when you're sharing a joke to ease someone's mind or to bring a little
laughter, you're always being your authentic self. So take time and enjoy what tonight is. You engage with our students. You engage with our staff. And in a short time, you've become one of the most trusted and respected people
that I have ever had the honor to work with. We are incredibly fortunate to have Officer Mark as our team. Officer Mark Naminsky. Thank you for the opportunity. Um I am very humbled and honored and would like to congratulate all the other recipients
for the awards. Um the word support Everybody collaboratively works together to accomplish the mission, the children being paramount. Um, this award is way bigger than me because support is all around in our buildings and just wanted
to share what CMS did for teacher appreciation week last week. Uh, we had a tree go down across our road which basically pinched us in. Um, no way in, no way out. But because of the support and the support being way bigger than
just me, because security couldn't have handled this alone. It was a collaborative effort and cohesiveness throughout the district. If it wasn't for transportation, getting the buses to Turkey brook, if it wasn't for our faculty and our student training in the drills that we do each month to get the
kids to Turkey Brook to load them on those buses to be able to get home safely. Now, this was a day that should have been celebrating teachers, but that faculty stepped up after hours and got those kids to where they needed to be so
that Patty's people could get them home safely. A little cherry on top of it, two days later, we had an incident with an adult that had a medical situation which fostered a shelter in place and had to get the kids back in the building. Once again, support working collaboratively
and in unison. Our faculty's training skills and abilities were paramount. We were able to get this person a medical need that they needed and get the kids away from this situation so they weren't affected by it. So truly uh an
impressive system that Matt Olive has in place. Go around the state. I talked to a lot of cops uh a lot of retirees. There's probably nobody in the state of New Jersey that dedicates two armed officers at the elementary level. and as
many that you have in your other buildings. So safety is a priority and it's really important that we all work together as a community to protect the stakeholders and the kids. But thanks a lot and I won't tie the rest of your night.
And to round out our support staff recognitions for our pair professional on the elementary level, bring to the microphone Mr. Mark Gro. Thank you, Mr. Moore. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and congratulations to all of tonight's
award recipients and their families. Uh, I think Officer Mark touched upon it right there. This is truly one of my favorite evenings of the year as we gather to celebrate everyone in this district that makes it so special. Um, and everyone who has such an extraordinary place for children to
learn and grow in their hearts. At this time, I'd like to invite Mrs. Viviana Ramirez to join me at the podium. It is truly a privilege to recognize and thank staff members like Mrs. Ramirez for the tremendous impact they have on the students and families of our district. Mrs. Ramirez joined Tintro
Road School in 2023 as a permanent substitute teacher and quickly became an invaluable member of our school community. From the start, her multilingual abilities helped strengthen communication and build meaningful relationships with our Spanish-sp speakaking students and families who make up nearly 30% of our school
population. Over time, Mrs. RmIrez has expanded her role by supporting students in our learning language disability classroom as both a one-toone aid and classroom pair professional while continuing to step in as a substitute teacher whenever needed. When the opportunity arose to strengthen our reading partners program, Mrs. Ramirez
was the clear choice. Although hesitant to leave the students she had grown to she had grown close to, she embraced the opportunity to make an even greater impact as she excelled in her role ever since. Today, many of our multilingual learners face significant academic challenges, and Mrs. Ramirez
consistently goes above and beyond to support them. Her ability to provide bilingual instruction help students better understand directions, build vocabulary, and gain confidence during reading instruction. She also works closely with teachers and families, translating assignments, and supporting
students both academically and socially with compassion, patience, and care. The impact Mrs. Ramirez has had on Tint Road Elementary is truly immeasurable and we are incredibly fortunate to have her as a member of our staff. It is my great
honor to introduce the 202526 Mount Olive School District Parrofessional of the Year at the elementary level, Mrs. Viviana Ramirez. Good evening. I am truly honored and grateful to receive this recognition as
a poor person of the year. I would like to take a moment to share a little of my journey. I came to this country 19 years ago without speaking any English. Um, when I first start started working
in Patterson, my mother-in-law, she was the principal and I would help her and the teachers at school. That's how I began working with children and then became my first teachers. I didn't even know how to say simple words like napkins, plates, or cup. And
they would patiently help me learn. Because of that experience, I understand what it feels to not be able to express yourself even when you know exactly what you want to say. I have a degree in business administration and I never
imagined that working with children will become my purpose and it truly has. After working in the Patterson School District over 10 years, I step away during the pandemic to stay home with my daughter. Later when she started attain
I began as a substitute and then Mr. Gilo asked me to support an ML class and that changed everything. It made me realize I wanted to give back to students what others once gave to me. Today as a reading partners aid working
with ML students is a true blessing. supporting them with patience, different strategies, and love means everything to me. I would like to thank Mr. Guilo who encouraged and inspire me to obtain my CE and ESL and Mrs. Marangon for
believing in me and giving me the opportunity to support our students. I am very grateful with for my amazing team Christina, Ashley and Sharon for their guidance, support and dedication.
Thank you. All right. Now, moving on to our teacher and educational service professional awards for this evening. I'd like to call to the microphone principal of Mount Olive High School. I say ye, Mr. Kevin
Stansbury. Absolutely. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, members of the board of education. Is a great deal of pleasure to introduce Mount Olive High School's teacher of the year. Uh before I do so, congratulations to all the recipients this evening. Welld deserved. Uh one of the incredible
things about Mount Olive Township School District is people stay and there's a reason for that. and it's the community that we work within and the facilities and all the support that we receive from the administrators to the board of education. This is truly a great place
to work. Joining me at the podium this evening is one of our officers of Mount A High School's parent club, Mrs. Kelly Huff. How about a big round of applause? So, Mal High School's teacher of the year uh has been working at the high school for the past 13 years and has
been a valued member of the district since beginning her career in 2012 right out of college. She earned her bachelor's of science degree from Montlair State University and later completed her master's of education at the College of New Jersey. In addition
to teaching health and physical education, she has coached field hockey for 13 years, lacrosse for 11 years, and has served as the key club adviser for the past 11 years. She has also initiated our community
awareness night, which has been running for nearly a decade at Mount Olive High School. She is known for building meaningful connections with her students, her players, creating a positive and engaging environment, and finding ways
to make physical activity fun while making a lasting impact. She is an absolute treasure for Mount Olive High School. Outside of school, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, friends, reading,
camping, and hiking. Joining her this evening to celebrate this incredible recognition, her husband Will, big round of applause. And her son and daughter Liam and Skyler.
I say ye, Mount Olive High School's teacher of the year, Mrs. Kelly Livingston. Livingston. >> Good job. >> Your fans are here.
>> Good evening everyone. I'm incredibly honored and thankful for this recognition as teacher of the year. Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I used to play school in the basement with my two younger brothers. And of course, I was the
teacher. Looking back now, it's funny to think that something I loved so much as a child turned into a career I truly love today. Mount Olive has become so much more than just a workplace to me. It's a second
family. And I'm so thankful for the opportunities that I've been given today as a teacher, a coach, and an adviser. Through all the events, activities, games, and experiences both in the school and throughout the community,
I've been so lucky and fortunate enough to build so many friendships and relationships that mean so much to me. One of the biggest goals I've always had is to leave a positive mark on my students. Even if it's just helping one person each day or making a difference
in one student's life each year. Knowing that I can just have a small impact is what makes this job so rewarding. Finally, I want to thank my entire support system, my parents, my family, and of course my husband. This job has
come with long hours, sacrifices, and I would not be standing here tonight without your love, encouragement, and constant support. Everyone here and everyone that I've mentioned is just a testament and has helped me push me to my best every
single day, and for that, I'm truly grateful. I still have quite some time to go, so I'm excited to see what's ahead. Thank you again. This recognition means so much to me. It also gives me a great deal of
pleasure to introduce our education services professional of the year for Mount Olive High School. He has been a dedicated member of the Mount Olive High School staff since January of 2006. Prior to joining Mount Olive High
School, he worked for 15 years as a supervisor with the New York City Human Resources Administration. He served or he earned his uh undergraduate degree from Ruckers University and his master's of social work degree from Forom University.
He is a calming voice and presence for our child study team. He also advised our step team for a couple years. Little known fact, over the past 20 years at Mount All High School, he has found the greatest joy in
watching his students grow, overcome challenges, and develop into confident young adults throughout their high school journey. Outside of work, he enjoys long walks, reading, traveling, and spending quality time with his two grandchildren.
Joining him this evening are members of his child study team family. How about a big round of applause for them? Mount Olive High School's education services professional of the year, I say ye, Mr. Julian Johnson.
Thank you so much. I only have, you know, couple minutes. I just have a few words. Um, I can't believe that department of mine had those goofy pictures of me, but >> that's a big head for sure. But thank
you guys. I can't say enough about how much I appreciate working with all of you. But I start with saying good evening. I'm truly honored and grateful to be recognized as educational support professional of the year at Malov High School. I want to sincerely thank the board of education, our administration,
and my colleagues for this recognition. It means a great deal to me. When I first began working here just over 20 years ago, the student body looked very different than it does today. Over the years, I've had the privilege of witnessing our school community grow into a far more racially and culturally diverse environment. And
I believe that growth matters. Diversity and education is not just about representation. It is about exposure, understanding, and connection. For many students, school may be one of the first places where they meaningfully interact with people from backgrounds different from their own. Those interactions help
shape how they see the world and how they relate to others. As a school social worker, I've always grounded my work in a simple but very important belief. That is, every student deserves to be seen first through the lens of their development, their needs, and their humanity, not solely through the
lens of race. While our backgrounds may differ, our experiences as people, our challenges, hopes, and need for support, support, and belonging are often deeply shared. That perspective has guided my work every day. It has allowed me to build authentic connections with
students from all backgrounds and to support them in ways that I hope have been meaningful. I'm grateful to be a part of a school community that continues to grow and evolve. I believe it's critically important for the continued strength of any school community to demonstrate the value of inclusion, understanding, and respect
both within the curriculum and beyond it. I want to thank my colleagues and administrators both within my department and throughout the entire school community for your collaboration, your support and your shared commitment to our students. It has truly been a privilege to work alongside all of you. I also want to congratulate to all the
other award recipients tonight and thank you again for this honor. from Mount Olive Middle School. Miss Agatha Wilkey. Okay. So, I'm gonna invite Miss Susan Zeremba up to join me
as we recognize her as the Mount Olive Middle School teacher of the year. when we get a lot nominations every year for this award, you know, it's a lot to comb through, but this year um the number of nominations that came in for
Miss Suzar from her colleagues, from parents, and uh you know, the community was overwhelming. And just as a side note before I start, when we presented Meremba the award, we went upstairs and all of it with the balloons, the flowers, and right as we were done, she
pulls me into my office and she goes, "Can I talk to you for a second?" And I said, "Sure." Like, "What is it?" She goes, "I don't know if this is the right time to tell you, but I'm retiring this year." Uh, so but so what a fitting moment um this year to honor um Miss Zeremba. So in this giant world of
education, there are some educators whose impact is difficult to fully capture in words because their influence has been woven into the fabric of a school community for community for so long. And Mrs. Zeremba is one of those people. She has dedicate dedicated
nearly three decades to Mount Olive, beginning her career at Tinsro Road School before eventually joining our fabulous middle school as an ELA teacher. Over the years, she has taught countless students, mentored colleagues, led teams, supported initiatives, and quietly helped shape the culture of the
building she has been a part of. What stands out most about Miss Zeremba is not just what she does, but how she does it. She brings a calm, steady presence to everything around her. She is thoughtful, organized, dependable, and
incredibly student centered. Even in the busiest of moments of the middle school life, and we all know that there are that's an everyday moment in middle school, Mrs. Zmba approaches her work with the utmost professionalism, grace, and compassion. Her classroom is always
a place where students feel supported but are also appropriately challenged, where relationships matter and where kids are encouraged to growth both academically and personally. She has always understood that teaching that great teaching is about much more than
content alone. Miss Zeremba has also been a tremendous colleague and a leader. Whether serving as a team leader in the middle school model, supporting newer staff members, or contributing through the veteran staff advisory team, she has consistently shared her experience and wisdom in ways that make
the people around her better. What makes tonight especially meaningful is that, like I mentioned before, this recognition comes during Miss Zeremba's final year before she retires. After nearly 30 years of service to the Mount Olive School District, it feels
incredibly fitting that we have the opportunity to celebrate not only an outstanding teacher, but an extraordinary career dedicated to students, colleagues, and this whole school community. Miss Zeremba, your impact spans generations of children and
families, and the example you have set through your dedication, humility, kindness, and commitment to this profession of education will stay with us long after this year. So on behalf of the entire mom's family, I thank you for everything you've given to Mount Olive over the past 28 years. And
congratulations on being named our so welldeserved teacher of the year. Good evening everyone. First of all, congratulations to the fellow award recipients tonight. I am very thrilled to have one of my very early students here in the room as teacher of the year
for Tins Road as well. She was at my wedding back in 1999. Before I even had her as a student, we invited the students to come and she was one of the ones that arrived at the church that day. So, I'll never forget that.
Uh it's a joy to have us here together. I'm incredibly honored to be named teacher of the year at Manolive Middle School and also incredibly blessed to have been nominated by some of the best educators I know. I have a bit of what could be referred to as imposttor syndrome. When I first heard the news,
my reaction wasn't of course. It was more like are you sure you have the right person? And that's not because I don't love what I do and I feel that I do do it well. My teaching career has been such a privilege. It's because every day I work alongside educators who
inspire students, support each other, and give far more than anyone ever sees. When you're surrounded by people like that, it's hard not to think so many others deserve this, too. That belief is actually part of why this award feels a little surreal to me. When you see the
dedication and talent around you, it's easy to start feeling like an impostor standing at the front of the room. But if there's one thing teaching has taught me, it's that none of us does this work alone, ever. So I accept this recognition not as proof that I'm the one who deserves it the most, but as a
reflection of the community I'm lucky to be a part of. Our students succeed because of the collective care, creativity, and persistence of everyone in the school. even on the toughest of days. Thank you to my colleagues that I see as very dear friends and family who
challenge and support me, to the administration for believing in what I do, my family who has always supported the roller coaster this job is, and most of all to my students who remind me every day why this work matters. I'm deeply grateful and proud to share this
honor with all of you. Thank you. All right, Miss Cat Vizone, come join me. So, yet another pleasure tonight to recognize the Mount Olive Middle School Educational Surf Services Professional
of the Year, Miss Katherine Vizone. So there are certain people in a school building whose impact reaches beyond their official title and Miss Vizone is absolutely one of those people. While she serves as our media specialist, the truth is that her influence can be felt
in every corner of our middle school. Miss Vizone has transformed our media center into far more than just a library. It has become a welcoming, vibrant space where students feel connected, inspired, and excited to learn. Recently during spring cleaning
time, she put out a an all call for any items that people might have that will brighten and liven the space to not get rid of it because she can use it to to warm our media center for the students. But whether she's designing engaging lessons for classes, helping students
discover books they truly connect with, or collaborating with teachers to support instruction, Miss Vizone approaches everything she does with creativity, passion, and incredible sense of purpose. One of the things that stands out mo most about Miss Vizone is her ability to make every student feel
seen and valued. She has a remarkable gift for building relationships with children of all ages and abilities. Her work with the life-skilled students from the high school is especially meaningful, creating opportunities that are filled with joy, inclusion, dignity, and belonging that leave a lasting
impact on everyone involved. Miss Vizone is also someone who is constantly learning and growing herself as an educator, as a professional. She's always researching new ideas, exploring best practices, and finding innovative ways to engage students and staff in the media center. And somehow she always
seems to know the exact right book to place into the hands of even the most reluctant reader. Beyond her work with the students, Miss V Miss Vizone is an incredible colleague and leader within our building. She is collaborative, thoughtful, and dependable, and always willing to help
in any way she can. Whether it's supporting all of our school initiatives, organizing events like our book fairs with the PTO, mentoring student helpers, uh, which she's set up an awesome program during our flex periods, or creating that beautiful and inviting environment our students now
enjoy every day. She brings energy and care to everything she touches. What also makes Miss Vizone so special is the genuine love she has for this community. As both an educator and a parent in Mount Olive, she brings a deep personal investment to her work and to the
success of our students. Her advocacy, her kindness, and her commitment to inclusion reflects the be very best of what we hope our school represents. Miss Vizone, thank you for the heart, the creativity, positivity, and dedication you bring to moms every day. Our school
is such a better place because of you, and this recognition is incredibly welldeserved. So, congratulations on being named our middle school educational services professional of the year. Quick uh funny little story is I was
absent the day that they came in to uh present with me this award. So, I missed all the excitement. However, the following day, they all walked into the library with all
balloon, but I didn't see the balloons, but alls I saw was all the administrators and they're all charging. What is happening? I really, really, really thought that was it. I was getting escorted out of the middle school and that was it for me. Um, but
those of you who don't know me, I've been here since 2013. I've had the exceptional opportunity to work at um TINS at CMS and now moms and um I've also worked esy for many summers and
giving all those opportunities I've had the luckiest chance of meeting tons and tons of people in the district and getting to meet all of our parased
staff related services staff our tech crew, our um security team, just not only the teachers, but there's just so much more that goes into running school every single day. And just getting across the
district and being able to meet everybody has really taught me that building these strong relationships with our colleagues and our students is something to be to it's just something we all need. We we need to be able to build strong
relationships with each other and our students to keep them engaged every day in the classroom. Um I just wanted to say what makes Mount Olive so special and I'm just repeating what a lot of people before me have said
prior is the people. And that is something you can't get everywhere else in every other district. And like I said, being at every all the various buildings, I have met the greatest people. And with that, I just want to
share this award with all of them because without you guys, I wouldn't be standing here. So, thank you. And everybody, just keep doing all the great things you're doing that makes Mount Olive fantastic. Thank you. And now from Chester M. Stevens
Elementary School, Miss Nicole Misara. going to ask for our SCA to please come join us, Miss Magio and Mrs. Stewart. And I would, it's my greatest honor to please ask Miss Carrie Blamquest, the CMS teacher of the year, to come join me
at the podium. What a moment of pride and joy to see this cafeteria filled with so many staff members here from CMS. It is really quite remarkable. But they're coming here to see a remarkable woman. A woman
who has dedicated over 24 years of her life here at Mount Olive. She has worked here at CMS between being a third grade teacher and a fifth grade teacher. Her passion for students, meeting them where they are, and meeting each and every one
of their needs is exactly what brings her the most joy and love coming into school each and every day. Mrs. Blanquest has also embraced opportunities to always see students shine. Whether she's participating in
our extracurricular activities such as just to name a few, traps, safety patrol, Aspire, a future Lego League, MOSA, wherever there is an opportunity to bring kids back in and help them,
she's there. She really meets them to see that they will be their authentic selves and accepts all students for who they are. Miss Blumquest or shall I say Carrie, you are one of the kindest, one of the
most compassionate and talented teachers I have ever known in my life. Your love for literacy and your deep knowledge combined with your absolute humbleness as a teacher. For anyone who knows who Miss Blamquist, she is quiet and humble,
but she is mighty and fierce. You truly have a true command of what students need to know. You bring that razor sharp focus each and every day combined articulately with how you speak and how you care for children. Your love
and your need. The needier the child, the more you are there for them. And to find that fine-tuned balance is not easy and you do it with so effortlessly. You are not only an exceptional teacher but you are an exceptional human being.
You hold yourself with such a high standard of excellence and you are a role model and served as a mentor to so many of our future generations. You share your wisdom and your expertise. You're the kind of teacher that we would be so lucky to have our own children
have. I have learned so much from you over the years. Not just your instructional strategies, but what true compassionate teaching looks like for the children coming across our doors each and every day. you know that you put 110% into
everything you do for them. So, it is truly an honor and a pleasure to know a woman who holds herself to such a high standard. And as humble as you are, I will tell you, I see your light and you shine brightly. Please
join me in celebrating Miss Carrie Blonquest. Wow. Um, uh, I don't like public speaking. I can talk in front of children. Adults are really hard. Um, I am incredibly honored to be standing here tonight. Thank you, Nicole. That was really beautiful. Um,
I'm a little surprised, too, because most days I feel like I'm just trying to keep a classroom full of 11 year olds focused on task and not dramatically falling out of their chairs. Happens frequently. 24 years ago, I walked into my first classroom realizing very quickly that teaching isn't something
you ever completely master. Every group of students is different. Every day is different, and somehow that's what keeps it meaningful. What I've learned over those 24 years is that teaching isn't about having the perfect plan. It's about being able to remain patient and pivot when the plan falls apart, which
it does regularly. Sometimes that looks like adjusting a lesson. Sometime the lesson plan goes out the window entirely, like the day a state test was interrupted by a student getting sick in the middle of the room or the day a moth the size of a dinner plate flew into our classroom causing all sorts of chaos and
hilarity. Those are the moments no one puts in a lesson plan, but they're the ones that stay with you. And then there are the moments that are just wonderfully human. years ago during a classroom production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Yay! Former third grade team. Um, I spent weeks trying to teach a group of third graders how to do
various Oompa Loompa dances. I was fully committed to teaching these dance moves. Even though I have very little coordination, I marched around the room as the students followed in sync. Higher knees, I call. Lift your knees up higher. I demonstrated the best that I could. I encouraged and believed in them. They improvised and added in their
own fantastic bits. The result was interesting. Despite my failings as a dance teacher, they got up there completely confident, completely themselves, and the audience loved it. I did, too. And I'm sure that many of those students still remember this experience even 22 years later. That's
when it really clicked for me. My job isn't to create perfect performances. It's to help kids show up, try, and believe they belong on that stage, whatever their stage happens to be. Over time, I've come to understand that great teaching isn't about control or perfection. It's about presence. It's
about showing up every day with patience, love, consistency, and the belief that every student, no matter I'm sorry, no matter where they start, has something important to offer. It's about helping them find their voice, their confidence, and sometimes just the courage to try something that feels hard
or different. It's about also allowing students to feel like like they can express their true authentic selves with pride. One of the greatest surprises of this job is how much my students have shaped me. They have taught me resilience, humor, honesty, and how to explain things in at least three different ways
when the first two don't land. To any new teacher, and I know there's some of you out here, wondering if this profession is worth it, it is. It's messy, exhausting, unpredictable, and sometimes hilarious, but excuse me. But few things compare to knowing you helped a child feel seen,
capable, and important. I honestly could not have done this without the support and guidance of my administration, colleagues, building staff, and of course, Ron and Logan. Thank you for supporting me and trusting in me. Thank you for allowing me to feel free to be me. Thank you for seeing things in me that I don't always see. Thank you again
for this honor. I'm proud to be a part of this district, and I'm looking forward to many more years of learning, growing, and continuing to work on Michael Balooa choreography. Thank you. So for those of you who may not know, this is a big year for CMS. This is the
25th anniversary silver year of our school. And the one common denominator I have found between all three recipients is each one of them have had between 24 and 25 years of experience. Many of them who
started when CMS first became the elementary school. So I proudly would love to introduce and welcome her up to the podium, Mrs. Alicia Danis. Mrs. Danis is a proud graduate of Mount
Olive, class of 1997. And her connection to this community runs deep. She met her husband in the halls of CMS back when it was still the Mount Olive Middle School. and CMS has truly been a part of her
story personally and professionally for over many many of years. She completed her student teaching right here in Mount Olive and all 24 years here at CMS. She began her career in first grade before moving to kindergarten where she truly
found her passion where she shined teaching our littlest of littles. We channeled that passion recently, a few years ago, when Alicia and I had a discussion about moving over to the inter interventionist position. She has
such a gift for teaching young children. She is so knowledgeable, so compassionate, and just knows exactly what they need to get them to where they need to be. It was a dream come true for her, and quickly she then established
herself on our interventionist team. her deep knowledge and it shines through each and every day. The impact that she has made when you think of over 24 years of teaching and how many children she has taught how to read and embark on the start of their whole entire educational
career is quite impressive. She is also very similar to as I as I mentioned before she is knowledgeable but that's coupled with humbleness. It's a humbleness that she brings and I see it. I see the teachers that knock on her
door every single day asking for a little bit of advice. Can you help me with this? Can you help me with this? It's more so when I see Mrs. Danis on her free time going into classrooms and helping support students who need help and supporting her staff who needs an
extra set of hands because we all know that 5-year-olds, you need an extra set of hands. It really is quite amazing. So Alicia, you're more than just a kindergarten teacher. You are so deeply rooted in the culture of CMS. And I learned that
coming into this building. You are always willing to help anyone in need. You are a problem solver. You jump in. There's no task you won't you can't take on. And everything you do, you do with such pride and professionalism. You're
involved in so much that has made our school such a wonderful place to be. You are a cup half full type of woman because when life gives you lemons, not only do you make lemonade, you bring fruit punch for the whole entire staff.
And for those of you who know Alicia Danish, you will know that it is we are so honored to have her dedication, experience, and her strong connection to our community serving here at CMS. So, please join me in celebrating Mrs.
Alicia Danis. It is truly an honor to be named Educational Services Professional of the Year at CMS. Receiving this honor is something I will cherish deeply and incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such an amazing school community. CMS and Mount Olive are my home and have
not only shap not shaped not only the educator I am today but also the person I have become. I am proud to be a part of a district filled with so much passion, support and heart. I am grateful for the amazing administrators, colleagues, students and parents I have had the opportunity to work alongside
and teach. You have been and continue to be my inspiration each and every day. In addition to my work family who I love and treasure, I am also incredibly thankful for my own family. They have been my foundation throughout my entire teaching journey. From my mom and my
grandmother helping me set up my very first classroom to supporting the countless late to supporting the countless late nights spent lesson planning, preparing materials, and worrying about my students. They have always encouraged me every step of the way. They celebrated the successes,
listened during the challenging moments, and reminded me why I love what I do. I would not be the educator I am today without their constant love and support. As Nicole said, I began my teaching career in first grade before finding my true love in kindergarten. Kindergarten
is a place filled with hope, love, curiosity, an endless amount of growth and learning and of course laughter. And there's nowhere else I would rather be. Four years ago, leaving the classroom was not an easy decision, but I knew becoming an academic invent interventionist and working with the
best intervention team ever would be just as meaningful and rewarding. I am forever grateful for to Nicole for giving me the opportunity to make that change. Taking that leap of faith ultimately brought me back to kindergarten this year and it was exactly what my heart needed. As I
reflect over the past 24 years, I am filled with gratitude for all the memories, relationships, and experiences that have brought me to this moment. I look forward to continuing this journey, embracing new opportunities and see what is still to come. If there is one thing
I know for sure, it is that I am exactly where I meant to be. from Mountain View School. I'd like to welcome to the microphone Mrs. Melissa Kolinsky. >> Thank you, Mr. Moore. And good evening, everyone. Thank you, Dr. Vanja. Thank you to our MAL board of education for
having us here tonight as we honor our teacher and educational specialist of the year awards. I would like to call Miss Katie Viegas up here as our teacher of the year for Mountain View School. Katie joined Mountain View School in
2019 and was probably one of my very first hires as principal there, bringing with her both experience and passion for education. Prior to coming here, she taught second grade for one year and since joining our school community, she has primarily taught second grade with a
few years spent in first as well. Before beginning her career in education though, which I learned today, Katie studied to be a nurse. But luckily for us, she chose to go back and get her masters from Monontlair University, and she graduated with her masters in 2017
and came to us to be a teacher since then. Katie is a kind of teacher every child hopes to have. So says a lot of the parent requests coming in. She creates a classroom environment that is warm, welcoming, and filled with love while also maintaining clear
expectations, structure, and consistency. Her students know they are cared for, supported, and challenged each and every day. She always puts students first and works tirelessly to ensure that they are successful
academically, socially, and emotionally. Beyond her classroom, Katie is highly respected by her colleagues. She is organized, knowledgeable, and strong in both curriculum and instructional practices. She's a true team player who is always willing to collaborate,
support others, and do what is best for students and the school community. Her positive attitude and dedication make her an invaluable member of the Mountain View family. Tonight, we are also happy to recognize the people here supporting her, her parents, Marty and Louise, and
her boyfriend, Mike, with his family as well that surprised her this evening. and also her Mountain View colleagues who came out to support her. Thank you for being here tonight. Katie, thank you for your dedication, compassion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to your students
and colleagues. We are proud to honor you here tonight as our teacher of the year. Congratulations. This recognition is truly welld deserved. I want to start reading yours. Like Karen had said earlier, speaking in front of kids all day, easy. This not so
much. And I'm a crier, so bear with me. Uh, thank you Dr. Bangia, Mrs. McDerman, and our board of ed for this honor. And especially to Melissa and our vice principal, Jen. Thank you both for being such supportive and encouraging
administrators. I'm so grateful to work alongside two leaders who are so trustworthy, trustworthy, approachable, and caring. Uh it's not a coincidence that I learned, see, here we go, to work hard, be resilient, and care deeply from
parents like mine. Somehow a nurse and a cop turned nurse found time in their very busy days to instill these values in my brother and I. So, mom and dad, I owe this to you. Thank you for molding
me into the person I am today. Next, sorry. I need to thank my partner Mike for being my person to celebrate successes, vent about bad days, and just smile and nod when my work stories drone on and on
and on. And I think he knows my students and co-workers almost just as well as I do at this point. Mike, your constant support helps me show up to be my best self every day. I'm forever grateful for the family we've built and for our little guy that we've raised. Shout out
to our dog, Dylan. before I came up here, he's like, "You're mentioning the dog, right?" I'm like, "Of course." Uh, to my students, both past and present, especially the ones that email me during the day that I have to try not to respond to during the day. Thank you for trusting me for a
small but hopefully very meaningful chunk of your lives. My greatest accomplishment is seeing the hardworking, empathetic, and kind people that you've all grown to be. And last, if I could give all teachers in this room and teachers out there any piece of
advice, it would just be find your people. Let them take you in. And as much as your introverted brain may want to resist, it's really in your best interest to let let them take you in. Give into it. They will give you more
support, advice, laughs, and snacks than you'll know what to do with. They bring out the best in you as an educator and a human being. Every successful teacher has this group of people and I truly would be nothing without mine. So if
anybody needs a little pickme up around noon, please come to Mountain View room 109 and I promise you will leave better than you came. Thanks. Tonight, we also would like to recognize Mrs. Lauren Rodriguez. although she couldn't
be here this evening. Her niece was graduating from college and they were tying it into a family reunion. So I kind of came um at the same time, but she is a dedicated speech therapist at Mountain View School. And fun fact about Lauren is that she was in district many
moons ago and tenured went and left to leave um left to raise her children, her twins, and came back and is now again tenured because she just loves Mount Olive and wanted to be back here. So, she's a phenomenal therapist um who really works hard every day and just wanted to acknowledge her, but I will
speak for her at our June faculty meeting and give her a little bit of recognition even though I think she doesn't want it, but it's okay. She's going to get it. So, thank you very much and thank you for having us tonight. Please welcome to the microphone from the Sandshore School, Miss Jennifer
Curry. Um, good evening members of board of ed, Dr. Bania, guests, Jess, where are you? Jess, come on down. Oh my gosh, you're all the way in the back. You have so far to walk. Come back.
It is my honor and absolute pleasure to recognize Sanure School's 2526 teacher of the year, Mrs. Jess. Mrs. Daris brings both experience and passion to her work each and every day.
She earned her undergrad degree and P3 and K5 from Caldwell University followed by a master of arts in teaching from Grand Canyon University and has continued her prep professional growth with additional graduate level
coursework because MA30 is a great thing to get. Jess has dedicated 20 years to the field of education with the past eight years serving the Mount Olive community. Throughout her career, she's taught in the Orange Schools, Roxberry,
and here in Mount Olive, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to student success. Outside of school, Jess enjoys spending time with her family, especially relaxing in the pool. Hopefully, it will get warm enough soon, going for walks and bike rides, and
reading. Mrs. Mrs. Dearos is an exceptional educator whose dedication, warmth, and professionalism make her a true asset to our school community. She also does a very fun activity in the beginning of the year where she makes me
dress as a secret agent and deliver a special book to her third grade classes. And it's become a really fun tradition and I'll do it again next year and I'll make sure I have my secret agent outfit. She is deeply respected by her
colleagues, admired by the families, also a lot of requests, and absolutely cherished by her students. Simply put, she represents the very best of Sanore. What truly sets Jess apart is her unwavering belief in the potential of
every single student. She tirelessly works to understand their strengths, challenges, and interests. Whether she is providing additional support, enriching advanced learners, or connecting content to real world experiences, her goal remains the same,
to inspire curiosity, confidence, and a genuine love of learning. She does an exceptional job at it because a little known fact for NJSLA last year, only one of her students in both subjects did not
meet proficiency. 100% proficiency in her classroom. In every aspect of her work, Mrs. Debaros demonstrates passion, integrity, and an an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. And you do so
with your students and your colleagues every single day. I have never seen you upset. Always a smile on your face. You inspire your students, uplift your colleagues, and strengthen our entire school. It is with great pride that we
honor you here tonight. Congratulations and thank you for the incredible difference you make every single day. Thank you. Thank you for this incredible honor. I'm so grateful to those who nominated me and to the board of education, Dr. Bangia, L, and Jen for
their support. To my husband Joel, my daughters Emma and Avery, my dad and my late mom. Thank you for being my home and my inspiration. Mom, I hope you're proud of me. This year has been a whirlwind of benchmark annotating, conquer math
adventures, and I've even leaned a little on AI to keep my lesson hooks fresh. Ultimately though, and truly, the students and Sanur families are the reason I'm here. Working with you is the real reward. Thank you.
Okay. Ann Marie Hall, I see you right there. Come on up. It is my honor and privilege to recognize our educational services professional of the year, Dr. Ann Marie Hall.
All right, you're on the wrong side. Dr. Hall brings extensive experience and a strong academic background to her role. She earned her bachelor of arts in polyai and sociology from Douglas College at Ruckers University, completed
her alternate route certification at Sussex Community with a K5 and social studies certification and went on to earn a master of education as a reading specialist along with a supervisor sir from Sedinary College. Not that that was
enough schooling. She decided then to earn her doctorate in educational leadership from Centinary University. She has served in education for 19 years, including eight years in Alamucci and 11 in Mount Olive. Over the course of her career, she has taught
kindergarten, first, second, then jumped to fifth, and has been a reading specialist with us ever since. I cannot tell you the hundreds, thousands of students that she has taught to read.
She knows literacy like no one else. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and caring for her two dogs and cat. She is also an early bird and is probably the second person outside of our custodian to arrive at Sandshore every
single day, 6:30ish. pretty close to 6:30. Anmirie is a highly skilled reading specialist. She provides targeted, effective instruction to support all of her students growth. She uses data to
guide her work, constantly adapting her teaching to meet a wide range of learning needs, helping students build not only skills, but confidence as well. And if you need to know about Elonin boxes, Anarie is your gal.
She plans and coordinates our key literacy events at Sanure such as Read Across America and One Book, One School, and does it without help, even though we ask and offer all the time. I got it. I
got it. I got it. She'll climb a ladder. She'll hang things from the ceiling. She really does a fantastic job. She creates opportunities for students and families to engage in reading together and constantly shares the love of books.
Amry is also a consistent and welcoming presence at arrival and dismissal at our carline. You should see her with a megaphone. The reason our car line goes so quickly at dismissal is because Anmarie has a down pat and knows every
single car and who is in it and can dismiss our students in no time flat. She helps create a positive start and end to our school day, always greeting our students and families with a smile. It is with great pride that I recognize
Ann Marie as our educational services professional of the year. Congratulations and thank you for the impact you make every single day. Thank you, Jen, and everyone here for this incredibly incredible honor. Thought I was going to be better at
this, but I don't think so. Um, teaching has never just been a job for me. Um, it's always been something that I always felt was a calling and I try to do my best every day and I feel like that calling helps shape what I do every day
in the classroom. But I would be remiss if I didn't say that before I was a teacher, I was a mom. And having children taught me patience, resilience, and the profound what the profound impact that guidance
and encouragement can have on a child's life. That's the perspective I try to carry into my classroom each day, reminding me that every student is someone's whole world and they deserve the very best that I can give them. One of my greatest
passions is reading um and teaching reading because someone once said, "There's no such thing as a child who hates to read. There are only children who have not found the right book." And that is my goal to find those books for
those students and to also help them learn not only to read but to love to read because it's one of the greatest gifts that you can give a child. I also stand here as a lifelong learner. I love to learn. As
Miss Curry said, there's never a course or a school or something I haven't decided I want to do. Um education is not only going to school, but it's learning from your colleagues and my students and my administration. And I
hope that I grow alongside each of them every day. Um, this award isn't just for me. It's for my husband who has put up with countless ReadAcross America stuffing. 5,000 packets during the pandemic that had to all be sealed and
delivered. It was crazy. um for my children who inspire me every day and um also for my students who challenge me and inspire me every day. I wake up every morning and I really truly enjoy coming to school. I love the kids. I
love my co-workers and I'm very lucky to work with so many wonderful people every day. So, thank you very much. And finally from Tint Road school. Last but certainly not least, Mr. Mark
Gillow. Thank you again, Miss Mr. Moore. And at this time, I'd like to invite Mrs. Alyssa Perez to please join me up here at the podium. A graduate of Bloomsburg University with degrees in elementary and special education, Alyssa also earned a master's
degree in special education from Centinary University. Mrs. Pres has been a valued and cherished member of the Tinsroad school community for the past 14 years as an educator. The very same halls she once walked as a student. She is a Tinsro lifer.
Cool. This year, this year we welcomed her back to fourth grade in a co-eing special education role after spending several successful years supporting students in the fifth grade in the same capacity. There was certainly no shortage of praise when colleagues were asked to describe what Alyssa means to
our school community. One colleague shared, "As a dedicated special education teacher, she consistently demonstrates an exceptional ability to connect with and support a diverse group of learners. Her classroom is a place where every student, regardless of ability, background, or challenge, is
met with patience, compassion, and respect. Others added, "Alyssa is a phenomenal teammate. She goes above and beyond to support her co-teers and colleagues, stepping in whenever needed and collaborating with positivity and professionalism. She's the type of
educator who lifts others up, fosters trust, and strengthens the team simply through the way she shows up each day." Mrs. Perez has expertly balanced her many roles as an educator, student advocate, wife, and mother. Her professionalism, compassion, and
unwavering dedication to the students of Mount Olive have been evident throughout her career. She continually embraces new challenges and opportunities with grace, determination, and an unwavering commitment to student success. Through her kindness, leadership, and
dedication, she has become a trusted colleague, a passionate advocate for children, and a role model within our school community. Alyssa Perez is deeply respected, greatly admired, and truly deserving of the title of the 2025-26
Tinsro School Teacher of the Year. >> Thank you so much, Mr. Girl. That was like really nice. Um, I just want to say good evening to everyone and congratulations to all the recipients here. Uh, Mrs. Amba, you still inspire me. That speech was amazing. Like, I
kind of feel bad reading mine right now. I was like, Mrs. Amba, fourth grade and beyond. Um, I know this isn't the Oscars, but winning teacher of the year at the elementary school that I once attended, the place where I first decided I wanted to become a teacher,
really does feel like my award-winning moment. My dream of being a teacher was actually written in my fifth grade yearbook. I'm so grateful that my mom saved it all these years. Thanks, Ma. If I were told I could only thank one person, there's no hesitation in my
mind, it would be my brother, Joey. Oh my god, I'm He's He's crying, so I'm gonna cry. Okay. Um, he has been the lighting force to my future since the day that he was born. From making speeches about him in the halls of Tins Road School all the way
through college, so much of my motivation and inspiration has been rooted in my love and gratitude for him. So, thank you, Joey, for making me the teacher I am today. And of course, shout out to my parents. Thank you for making him um and for
always supporting me. And to my sister, thank you for loving him just as much as I do and always being there for us. Thanks to my husband for drawing all of my anchor charts because I have zero artistic abilities, listening to me rant about the same topic for 14 years now,
and always reminding me to believe in myself. And to my kids, Libby and Gio, who are coloring and not even looking at me right now. Um, thank you for making me a better teacher, guys. Um, by being your mom. I'm also incredibly grateful for the leaders who helped shape me into
the teacher that I am today. Especially Dr. Fair, who's not here, and Mrs. Kolinsky. I want to thank the amazing colleagues I've worked with over the years. Sam Zarnesto, Dina Michello, Becca Hoppler. Thank you for being my core people. I also want to thank my fourth grade team, Julia, Courtney, Lee.
I love you guys. And especially my partner in crime, Laura Offering. Laura, I've learned so much from working with you and I'm incredibly grateful for our friendship and your guidance throughout the years. Finally, thank you to the board of education, my wonderful administrators, my colleagues, and
everyone who came out tonight to celebrate with me. I appreciate it so much. That's right. And now at this time, I'd like to invite Mrs. Ashley Bombgarner to join me here at the podium to close out the evening. Mrs. Bombgardner serves as a reading
specialist on our interventionist team at Tinsro School. She graduated from uh Bloomsburg University with bachelor's degree in elementary education and later earned a master's degree in literacy with a reader specialist reading specialist certification. Ashley's been a valued member of tin community for the
past four years and during that time she served as a first grade teacher, an interventionist and integral member of our read across America initiative team. This year she was the lead coordinator of that team that brought the Olympics to Tints, helping to create an engaging
and memorable experience for our students. Through the support of two Olympic athletes and her extended family, Ashley provided authentic Olympic artifacts, including a torch used during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. And our students had the unique opportunity to learn how the Olympic
spirit of diversity, teamwork, and perseverance connects directly to the way we celebrate differences and inclusion each day at the Tinsro School. In just four years, Ashley's become a highly respected and admired member of our faculty and staff. When colleagues were asked to describe what Mrs.
Bombgardner means to the Tins Road community. One staff member shared, "Ashley Bombgardner cares about our students from the moment they walk through the doors in the morning until the pickup line at the end of the day with her signature phrase, let's boogie. She meets students where they are and
builds their confidence to become not only stronger readers, but better people." Another colleague added, "Ashley's a selfish selfless. It's my accent. Sorry. It's a selfless colleague who's always willing to lend an ear or a helping hand
without hesitation. She's a true team player and I'm grateful for her every single day. Ashley's positivity, compassion, and dedication to students and colleagues alike make her an exceptional educational professional and an outstanding representative of the Tinsro community. It's truly an honor to
introduce the Tinsroad School Educational Service Professional of the Year, Mrs. Ashley Bombgardner. Good evening everyone. Good evening Dr. Vania, Mrs. McDerman, members of the board of ed education and my incredible Tint family. Standing in
front of you is truly an honor and one I am deeply humbled by. 14 years ago I began my teaching career in another district teaching second grade and kindergarten. I was fortunate to spend 11 years there building my career and forming meaning meaningful connections.
But that chapter came to an unexpected close when my school was shut down. It was then I realized it was time to take a leap of faith and begin a new chapter. As teachers, we build bonds with our students and colleagues that are not easy to leave behind. But I knew it was time to come closer to home and start a
new chapter. In May of 2023, I was kneedeep in grad school, packing up an entire classroom, chasing three little ones at home, and stepping back into the interview process. I'll never forget the day I walked into Tints for my demo lesson and interview. As I made my way
through the hall to the first grade classroom, I took everything in around me, the energy, the warmth, and the sense of community. Before I arrived, Mrs. Maragon had warned me that it was Hawaiian Day so I wouldn't be surprised by everyone's attire. What I saw was more than just a theme
day. It was a school that truly embraces joy, creativity, and connection. It was clear that Tint is a place where learning is meaningful, staff support one another, and having fun as part of a culture. At that moment, I knew it was the place where I wanted to be. Leaving
my pre previous school students and co colleagues was bittersweet, but I quickly realized that Tins was exactly where I needed to continue my journey. Mr. Gerillo and Mrs. Maragon, thank you for taking a chance on me, for your constant support and guidance, and for helping me rediscover the joy in
teaching. Thank you for trusting me, encouraging creativity, and allowing our team to bring our ideas to life. I am especially grateful for your belief in me as I stepped into the role of reading specialists after just one year at TINS. Your trust, encouragement, and confidence in my abilities gave me the
support I needed to grow professionally and take on this new challenge with confidence. I am truly thankful for the opportunities you have provided and for the guidance you have shown along the way. To my intervention central team, I truly don't even know where to begin. Your support and guidance in this new
role have been invaluable. You take on the challenge you took on the challenge of training two of us in one year and did so with patience, knowledge, and unwavering support. Christina, taking on the role of a reading specialist means wearing many hats and I couldn't have
asked for a better mentor in this position. Whether supporting students, collaborating with teachers, analyzing data, planning interventions, communicating with families, or simply being a source of encouragement, you handle every every responsibility with
patience, knowledge, and compassion. Your dedication, creativity, and love for your students inspires me every day. Sharon, you're an amazing roommate who always knows how to make me laugh and is constantly there with all of my technology issues. Your support, humor,
and willingness to lend a hand makes every day better. Vivana, congratulations. You deserve every ounce of paraprofessional of the year for the district. You go above and beyond and ensure that all your students feel supported, confident, and capable as
they grow with their reading skills. You consistently demonstrate dedication, compassion, and a deep commitment for student success. Ladies, you all embody all the qualities of compassion, dedication, teamwork, cooperation, and incredible work ethic. You are truly
amazing. Thank you for your support, always making me laugh and making work fun. To my husband and kiddos, thanks for your patience and supports support. Four years ago, you encouraged me to continue my own education journey and pursuing me to become a reading specialist. I would not be standing here
today without you. And finally, to my students, thank you. Your smiles, hugs, stories, and determination bring joy to me every single day. Watching your growth as readers is truly the most rewarding part of what I do. Each and every one of you is so special, and I
cannot wait to see the incredible things you will accomplish. Thank you. Is that everything, Dr. Evan? >> That is it. So, >> we're going to take a fivem minute recess. Everyone's welcome to stay, but I know everyone wants to go home. We're in recess. About
another three minutes, we're going to start the meeting. Another three minutes we're going to start the meeting. We're back from a closed session. I mean from uh not closed session, I apologize. From uh recess. Roll call. Missing. >> Mrs. Aquino >> here. >> Miss Brett >> here. >> Mrs. Fitzgerald >> here.
>> Mrs. Melendez >> here. >> Mrs. O'Neal >> here. >> Mr. Orizillo >> here. >> Mr. Petri >> here. >> Ms. Faggera >> here. >> Dr. Gordano >> here. U. Moving on to committee reports. Uh personnel committee report. uh personnel uh committee met tonight at
5:45. It was myself, Dr. Banio, uh Miss Aquino, Mr. Petri, and Mr. Gert. Uh we went over some confidential matters that we'll bring up in close session uh that really can't be discussed in public. And does anyone have any questions? We reviewed
all action items. Um and the committee is supporting uh recommending all action items to the to the full board. So, does anyone have any questions? >> And Mr. Moore. >> And Mr. Moore. Thank you, Mr. PG. Mr. Moore was there. I forgot. Thank you. >> Any questions on action items for board
members? Any questions or comments and general? Seeing none, we're moving right into >> May. Is it finance? Yes, it is. Finance finance and operations. >> Yep. Finance and ops met May 5th. In attendance was the entire committee plus
our guests were Dr. Gerardano, uh, Anthony Gian Vicaro, Michael Samino, Kevin Stanbury, uh, Miss Colleen Sule, and I think that is everybody. We had a lot of guests. Um, one of the big things that we discussed is um, statewide um,
air domes statewide have new regulations uh, on them and so we had to review those and see what they mean for our dome. Um, everybody in the state is trying to figure out what it's going to mean for us. So uh we talked to our obviously our director of facilities and our architect and we are going through everything from occupancy classification
to fire alarm requirements etc to make sure that with these new regulations we are meeting all of the stipulations and there are a lot of them. Uh so we discussed that at length. Um, and then we also talked about um our
uh trailers, which is another thing that we are working on. Um, figuring out how to get a canopy and the boardwalk ramp on those as well. They will be up and running um at the middle school when we need them. Um, we discussed um our um
auditor RFP that is due was due May 7th. So, Miss Shing will be looking at those. I'd imagine they've come in. Um we also discussed um vaping specifically um violations and whether or not the district should be looking at some um
additional fines or some other things. So we're discussing some ways to potentially um try to curb vaping even further because you know can always use the help there. Um and then uh we also um talked to Miss Shoning about our gas
and electric um audit auction that went out. So, she said that um the contract expires obviously December 2027, but oh, and our um electric contract expires August 2026. Both of our current companies actually won the bid and that
means that uh we will be operating at a reduced cost from the current, which is nice. And I think is there anything else I missed? Finance knobs. That was a big item to cover. >> All right.
questions or comments from the board? >> Seeing none, thank you, Miss Fitzgerald. And we have Miss Faggera. >> Good evening. The curriculum and technology committee met on May 5th at 5:30 in Mrs.
McDermott's office. Uh, Mrs. McDermott, Mrs. O'Neal, and myself were present. Um, the topics of our meeting included instructional coaching. Mrs. Mrs. McDermott shared a presentation highlighting the work of the elementary instructional coaches and the ongoing
support they provide to teachers across the district. The presentation emphasized individualized coaching sess sessions, support through PLC's, model lessons, data informed instructional practices, and the facilitation of PD designed to strengthen classroom
instruction and student achievement. We also reviewed a proposal for the middle school to implement a 30inut access period. Access stands for academic support, connections, counseling, enrichment, and student services beginning next school year. The
proposed structure would provide targeted intervention and enrichment opportunities, strengthen student staff relationships, support our SEAL instruction, and increase access to counseling and related services without removing students from core instruction.
We also reviewed the district's 2020 2025 NJSLA results and county comparison data discussion highlighted areas identified for continued focus include high school algebra 1 geometry and grade
8 mathematics performance. We also reviewed proposed edits for our 2026 2027 and 2728 school calendars. Discussion focused on balancing spring break scheduling with the end of the school year. Uh historical context
regarding prior district spring break scheduling practices was also reviewed in our discussion. Some updates. We discussed the administration of the NJ Sky school climate survey. We reviewed the submission of the funding for optimal
comprehensive universal screeners grant for the 2627 school year. Mrs. McDermott shared the district's approach regarding I Ready implementation and related professional development. We discussed early results and next steps related to
the district professional development survey and future professional learning opportunities for our staff. A tech update was provided. Mrs. Mcderman also shared an article with us titled a blow to the phone free classroom which examined challenges
schools are facing as they implement phone free policies using products such as the yonder pouches. While many school districts adopted these systems, the article highlights how students are finding ways around the restrictions which raise questions about the
long-term effectiveness and enforcement. And we also celebrated several district accomplishments. CMS has been recognized as a no place for hate school this year. In addition, our students completed four activities, earning a gold star status
for the program. Best Buddies Mount Olive had an exceptional day at the Friendship Walk at TCJ. Uh they secured a second position in fundraising and were honored with an award for most best buddy pride. Mount Olive was also recognized as the best
communities for music education. And our high school was selected for the 2026 27 CBI project cohort through the Rucker Bog Center. >> Nicole, I was also present. >> Oh, I'm sorry, Lisa. Yes, you were there.
>> Can we change that on here >> on our minutes? Thank you. >> Any question or comments from the board? >> I do. >> Yes, ma'am. >> What was the outcome of the um spring break discussion? Moving it or keeping it? So, we didn't come to a definitive
discussion. We tabled it. We're going to come back to that. We want to um get some more data and discuss with the full board. Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments from the board? >> Seeing none in governance and policy and governance. Miss Melendez.
>> Yes. Hi. Uh minus are not attached. However, uh we met on May 4 and presents uh was Miss Feral, Miss Figa, Dr. Benja, Mr. and the committee heard two residency hearings.
>> That's it. >> Yes. >> Thank you, Mr. L. Question or comments from the board. Any board committee subcommittee? Any board subcommittees or parent teacher association leazison reports? >> Miss Faggera. on behalf of the FPTA. They would like
me to make a few announcements. Family fun day is scheduled for Saturday, May 30th, 4 to 8:00 PM. And they really need volunteers to safely run the stations. Uh please check your dojo for a sign up genus and a link to volunteer because it
can't happen without volunteers. So let's get some volunteers to make that happen. So it's a fun day for all. >> Anyone else? CPA has their meeting tomorrow. Let's move right along. Uh there is no board presence report. Comments on action
items. Public comments on action items. The board of education welcomes and encourages input from the public being mindful of privacy rights regarding students and board employees and to avoid any potential liability on the part of the speaker. The board discourages references to to specific individuals. While directing your
comments or questions to the board president, please understand that public comment portions of the meetings are not structured as a question and answer sessions, but rather are offered as an opportunity for you to share your thoughts with the board. The board president may need to refer an issue to the superintendent if the particular issue has not been handled through the
appropriate chain of command with the school district. However, responses may be provided at the end of this session. There are times when comments and questions will require additional fact gathering before response is provided. action items and action items only from 6.1 all the way down to
>> 9.8 >> 9.8 8 action items only. Martin Wells Muller, 25 Avenue, Bud Lake, New Jersey. I see uh an action item. I guess it's 7.18. We're adding yet another administrator
role to our board of ed district. Is that a replacement of someone who's retired? Is that a new position? And if so, how many administrative roles did we add in this past year to Mount Olive and how many did we add last year because you know I've always said the most
important person is the person who sits in front of the student and I know everyone has some value but like I said looks like we're starting to get more topheavy and we're forgetting you know the forward facing people all right um I also have another statement regarding
action items you know um we talked about two weeks ago putting up the meeting notes. Mr. Gardano mentioned that he'd like to have the notes from the uh committee meetings posted so we'd have access to them. I want to find out what the status of that is. All right?
Because it would be very useful so we can go back and look at some of them and to see what as full disclosure transparency for our district. And there's another issue also is that last board meeting you added an action item at the end of the meeting, a private investigation pretty much into me and
wasted $6,000 of now taxpayer money. Um I think that also needs to be mentioned today that you're wasting more money this district to investigate me and it's not needed. All right. And also I also put an open request in regarding the person you hired to do the investigation
to see if even she's qualified. Did you go out for an RFP? Did you follow all the proper procedures? So, there's a lot of things I want to make sure going forward that things are followed by the letter of the law and the rules. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Stephanie
Sherman, 7 Carson Road in Bud Lake. My husband and I have two children in this district. Our younger son is six years old and is in the autism program and our older son is in the fourth grade both at CMS. Sorry,
>> Mr. Sherman. Okay. Before I Is this about the action items? >> It's about something that has happened within the district. >> Okay. That that'll be at the next public meeting that you want to come up and speak upon at that. >> Not next meeting. Next. >> Not next meeting. I'm sorry. Next open session. >> The only problem with that is that with
the date of what happened passing, it's timely. So I would really >> I'm not saying the next meeting. We'll have another public session where you can come up and speak at this meeting. >> Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Thank you. >> Absolutely.
>> I apologize. At this meeting, ma'am. >> Tim Capone, Highfield Road. Um I really had two things that I I kind of wanted to address because at the last meeting when I had mentioned about the bloated administration
um and the suggestion was that in the future you might cut teachers um here's another administrative position that you have to added to the bloated administration and so this is something that especially for new board members that are on here
you know I'm really wondering have you reviewed personnel files. Have you done any preparation for the vote tonight? Any Have you looked at positives and negative negatives for the people that
you're about to vote yes on? Okay. Are you going to the the administrators that are breaking the law in our district? Are you going to vote yes on them? Okay. without any preparation, without having reviewed files and seen the things that have gone on in this
district. Okay, this again continues to be where we talk about transparency. Okay, and whether you're doing your due diligence as board members, doesn't matter if it's the budget or personnel, you have an obligation.
Thank you. Closing the public comment on action items. Um to Mr. Wells, that is a replacement. That that position was a replacement position. It's not No. Um I don't know off the top of my head. Um do we know how many we added this year and last year, but we can get that to Mr. Wells.
We'll get that to you. Um the minutes we are discussing that with our attorney. We have to see what we can put up there legally because the minutes we get or that have a lot of confidential information on there. So we just have to uh Mr. Gart's looking into that of what we can post up for the public to see. So that is ongoing so
it's not hasn't been forgotten about. Um do you have a request I will refer to Mer are you aware that? >> Yeah. Yeah request that's being reviewed at this time. I could also address the investigation question that was brought up. Super
>> and I can assure the public uh that any complaint that is brought to the attention of the district is handled in accordance with board policy and regulation 9130 public complaints and is appropriately investigated and that is how this matter was handled.
>> Thank you. Um so I think that answered Mr. Capone about this is a replacement. It's not a new position. I didn't say last last meeting that we would become teachers. I said we would look at all personnel and and because that's where the money is. It's a personnel and programs. Um and I do believe this board
does do its due diligence. Um and they can speak for themselves, but I will speak for all I will speak for them. Um the amount of hours we put in minutes and meetings, the amount of information that we are given that I know for a fact because we can see when board members open up uh certain documents or Google Docs that Dr. Bania sends out almost
five times a day if not more give or take. um the constant flow and stream of of information we get. So I would absolutely um say yes, this this board does above and beyond what other boards do. >> Um Mr. Aquino, uh motion do agenda.
>> Sure. Um upon the recommendation of the superintendent, I'd like to move action items 6.1 through 9.8 with the correction of >> 9.1 and 9.2. It has the wrong year listed there.
>> No, it's correct. >> It's correct. >> It was approved April 27th, 2027. >> It was originally put You want to explain that, Miss Ning? So 9.1 is rescending the resolution that
was was approved at the last meeting. So this is rescending that resolution. >> Yeah. It's the wrong year. >> Yeah. Because that's why it's being rescended. That's how it was. Okay. There it was. >> Okay. >> There were time. >> So they're both being rescended. 91 >> 9.1 is rescending it. 9.2
is the new one with the correct date. >> Okay. >> Need a second. >> Second. >> Any questions or comments for the board? >> Seeing none, roll call. Miss Shony. >> Mrs. Aquino. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Petri, >> yes. >> Miss Brett, >> yes. >> Mrs. Fitzgerald, >> yes. >> Mrs. Melendez, >> yes. >> Mrs. O'Neal, >> I abain from anything that has to do with Christian Humphrey. Yes. Anything else? >> Mr. Orzillo. >> Yes.
>> Mrs. Faggera. >> Yes. Dr. Gordano. >> Abstain on anything has to do with substitutes or substitute rates and yes to everything else. >> Can I rectify something? >> Go ahead. Mind. Go ahead. >> Abstain is 7.23. Anything related to job
coaches specifically Angela Sanchez. >> Same. Anything related to the township? >> Okay. All right, public comments. Other that's on anything throughout the district. The board of education again welcomes and encourages input from the public being mindful of privacy rights
regarding students and board employees and to avoid any potential liability on the part of the speaker. The board encourages references to specific discourages, excuse me, references to specific individuals. While directing your comments or questions to the board president, please understand that the public comment portion of the meeting are not structured as a question and
answer session, but rather are offered as opportunity for you to share your thoughts with the board. The board president may need to refer an issue to the superintendent if the particular issue has not been handled through the appropriate chain of command with the school district. However, responses may be provided at the end of the session. There are times when comments and
questions will require additional fact gathering before response is given. Any item of interest throughout the district This will be the time, ma'am. The the first the first parent who came up. >> Good evening, board. Kicia Taylor, 402
Mountain Ridgeway, Bud Lake, New Jersey. Um, as you guys can see, I'm proud Mo. >> Can you speak up a little bit more? Get closer to the mic. >> There you go. You got it. >> I'm proud Mo. I have four kids in this district. One is special needs and CMS.
There was a teacher who was recently let go. Um, not going to say any names because you guys said not to, but if there is a way to, I guess, directly talk about that to see what's going on. Um, as a special needs mom,
it's hard to trust people. And, um, the teacher was like, "Oh, she's been in my child's life for four years." So to see her world turned upside down, to see
my world turned upside, it hurts. Obviously, um there hasn't been Mount Olive is very good at notifying parents, but when it came to this issue, um I don't think any
of us were notified about what exactly was going on. I know there's protocol. I know there's daytoday that happens, but it's a little nerve-wracking, especially tonight with all these awards to hear about community and collaboration and
there's no collaboration with this. Um, I'm not a person that based on rumors, that's why I'm here tonight. I don't know what you guys can do, if you guys can look into it, um, and let the parents of the special needs class and
CMS know what's going on and maybe can work with you guys. Um, maybe it is my duty to be here tonight and moving forward come to more board meetings so that I can be a little bit more present so that you guys can understand us as special needs parents where we're coming
from. Um, that's all because I don't know exactly what you guys can give us, but that's why I'm here tonight. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, take two. Stephanie Sherman, seven Carson Road, Bud Lake, New Jersey. And
I'm really going to try not to cry too much. >> My husband and I have two children in this district. Our younger son is six years old and is in the autism program, and our older son is in the fourth grade, both at CMS.
I'm here tonight to speak about something deeply important to our family. Trust, stability, and our severe concern regarding the recommendation to not renew Mrs. Terrapayas. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but when you have a
child with special needs, that village becomes much smaller. As parents, it is incredibly difficult to trust others with your child. For families like ours, that trust carries even more weight because my son cannot come home and tell
me about his day. He cannot tell me if something went wrong. He cannot advocate for himself. So when we find someone we trust, someone who understands him, supports him, helps him grow, that relationship
becomes invaluable. Just one year ago during our IEP meeting, the district strongly recommended transitioning my son into a full day kindergarten ASD classroom. I was hesitant. I was concerned about a new environment, a new teacher and
whether my son could handle such a big change. But through multiple meetings, including with Mrs. Huffman, and many reassurances, we were encouraged to move forward and we were introduced to Mrs. Pas. We ended up trusting that recommendation
because of her and she has been everything we were told she would be and more. Under her care, my son has made real measurable progress. He is beginning to communicate his needs, saying fishies when he wants a snack,
help when he needs help, change when he needs a new diaper, and he's making progress with toilet training when that has not been successful before. These are not small milestones. These are life-changing steps for our family. They happened because of consistency,
patience, and a teacher who truly understands how to reach him. It is difficult for families like ours to understand how a teacher who was strongly recommended to us during such a critical transition is now being recommended for non-renewal.
Earlier this year, the district itself highlighted Mrs. PZ for her contributions within the CMS s'more. This past issue, I have a packet here containing that Mrs. Mousaro, Principal Mousaro praises teacher appreciation week on the front
and just pages later, the district proudly features Mrs. PZ's class as a standard of success. During staffing shortages, she was trusted to support multiple classrooms within the program. you don't publicly recognize and rely on
someone if they're not effective. And speaking of staffing shortages, I also have in this packet a printout pulled directly from the district's frontline portal today. There are currently 11 open critical support positions in special education. You are missing six
ASD professionals, two ABA facilitators, and three ESY summer staff. Removing a trusted, highly effective autism teacher when the program is already struggling to fill 11 critical support roles is a risk our children simply cannot afford.
This situation also raises broader concerns about stability and leadership within the building. My family, many families in this community are aware of ongoing tensions and turnover that have affected confidence within the program over time. Regardless of internal
disagreements among adults, those conflicts should never come at the expense of students, especially students with autism who depend heavily on consistency, structure, and trusted relationships to succeed. This impact extends beyond one classroom. My older
son sees that what this teacher means to his little brother. He sees the care, the effort, and the progress, and he is upset. When children can recognize the value of a teacher, but administrative decisions do not reflect that same
value, it creates confusion for the entire school community. Families notice when trusted educators disappear without explanation, especially in programs serving vulnerable students. In closing, we're asking this board to prioritize what
matters most, our children, their progress, their stability, and the trust that families place in this district every single day. We respectfully urge you to reject this non-renewal. We trust that our advocacy tonight will
be received in the professional spirit intended and that all students will continue to be supported with care, consistency, and fairness. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Sorry, hopefully you can hear me. Good evening everyone. Alyssa Wetzel, 12
North Mount Olive Road, Bud Lake. Um I am a lifelong resident of Mount Olive, a proud member of the class of 2001, a mother of three children who all attend school in this district, and a 21-year veteran special education teacher. Over the course of my career, I've taught nearly every grade level from pre preK
to the 18 to 21 populations and worked across the full continuum of special education from in-class support to highly specialized self-contained programs. I alo I have also served as a school counselor, transition coordinator, and a child site team coordinator. I share this not to review
my resume, but so you understand that I'm speaking from both professional experience and personal reality. I understand how this system works. I am here because I was recently informed that Miss Terara PZ's contract will not be renewed. I'm speaking tonight because I am a
parent of a student with autism. My son Harry, who will be a kindergartener next year, is scheduled to be in her K to2 autism spectrum disorder class. In my 21 years as a special educator, I have learned a great deal. But nothing has shaped me more than being the parent of
a high needs child. That experience changes you. It forces you to see the world differently. As the special needs parent, we're constantly fighting. Fighting for what our children deserve, fighting for others to see what we see, and fighting for what is right. It
shouldn't have to be that way, but when your child has significant needs, you do whatever it takes. I will be honest, I was deeply uneasy about my son transitioning from a two and a half hour preschool program into a full day kindergarten. I wanted a half-day
placement. I had real fears about whether he would be understood, supported, and cared for in a way that he needs. And then I met Tara. From the moment I stepped into her classroom, spoke with her, and observed how she runs her program, something shifted. My fears faded. She gave me a sense of calm
and reassurance that I had not felt before. I left knowing, truly knowing that my son would be safe, understood, and cared for with patience, kindness, and genuine love. She didn't have to say much. She looked at me and I knew she
gets it. Harry will be okay. That matters more than anything. Educators who actively want to teach in an ASD classroom are rare. Educators who have done it for 21 years and still want to do it are even rarer. These are not typical classrooms because these are not
typical students. Many of these children are non-verbal and experience significant dysregulation and have many complex sensory needs that most people cannot fully understand. At times, behaviors escalate emotionally, physically, and unpredictably. The work
is demanding in every sense of the word and the data reflects that. In New Jersey, approximately a third of special education teachers leave their positions each year due to burnout, stress, and lack of support. More than half of schools report difficulty filling these roles. Some positions remain vacant and
others are filled by individuals who quickly realize realize that they are unprepared and leave. And yet, you have someone right here, someone experienced, committed, and passionate who wants to stay and do this work. Mount Olive is known for its strong special education
programs. Families move here because this is what the district offers. My husband and I chose to raise our family here for that reason. When our son was diagnosed with autism just after his second birthday, we knew we were in the right place. We believed he would have access to the best support possible.
Unfortunately, right now, that belief is being shaken. As special needs parents, we do our homework. We ask questions. We talk to other parents, staff members and professionals both inside and out the district outside of the district. And I have done that. I can assure you. I can
say without hesitation, I have not heard a single negative comment about this teacher. Not one. What I have heard is Harry is so lucky to have her. She really knows what she's doing. She loves those kids. She is amazing and she advocates for her students. My son has
made more progress with her in one year than in the last three. She got my son potty trained and if you are an autism parent, you know that is no small thing. And from Tara herself, I genuinely love what I do. This is the kind of teacher I want for my son. Someone who will speak
up for him since he cannot speak for himself. Teachers like this are not always the favorites. Sometimes they ruffle fe Sometimes they ruffle feathers. I know because I am one. But they do what is right for their students. And at the end of the day, isn't that what this is all about? the
kids. You cannot manufacture that. You cannot replace that easily. I promise I'm almost done. ASD teachers are a different kind of educator. Their classrooms do not look like gened classrooms and they shouldn't. Expecting them to refle expecting them to reflect a misunderstanding of what these
students truly need. So I ask you before making this decision, have you truly examined her program? How often have administrators been in her classroom? Have you taken the time to see what she does every single day? I urge you, go see it, experience it, spend time in her
classroom. I am confident she will welcome you with open arms like she did me. And if this decision stands, then I have to ask, what is the plan? Who will replace her? Because you not you cannot just place anyone into into a classroom like this. These environments require
experience, skill, patience, and heart. New teachers often walk in unprepared, and many walk right back out. And we are also talking about kindergarten through 2 grade foundational years for any child. For a child with autism, these years are even more critical. The wrong placement, the wrong support, the wrong
teacher, those decisions have lasting consequences. This is about children who cannot advocate for themselves. This is about families who rely on you to make thoughtful and informed decisions. And this is about an educator who has dedicated 21 years of her life, four of
them here in Mount Olive, to some of the most vulnerable students and still shows up wanting to give more. Please ask the hard questions, look deeper, and reconsider. Do not rubber stamp this decision. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
I am Jensie Susan Thomas. I reside at Mount Olive District in at 117 Crunch Drive, Sanders. Good evening y'all. I am Isaiah Isaia's mom, student of Mrs. Tara Pies. Eight months before when I applied
for the kindergarten registration for my child. I was nervous when I was assigned to CMS. The impact of Miss Sara for eight months was incredible. His growth was not slow or steady but was exponential growth. He didn't
know how to read a word or write a word before he entered kindergarten. Today, eight months down the line, he reads books and writes sentences. I don't know if it is the lesson plans or her approach, but Miss Sarah was
magical. She is a gem. Being a parent of special needs child, changes are very hard and overwhelming for neurodeivergent children. I being a substitute teacher myself, I know how neurotypical children are happy and
excited when they see their own classroom teacher come back from training or meeting. This will be a big burden on our children who already has so much going on in their bodies and minds to regulate. When Miss Tara is so
amazing to our children, what impact would you do if you remove Miss Tara from the classroom? If you see more than half of the classroom parents are here to support the teacher, then I would assume you can understand the difference she has made to our children and to our
families. I ask you all to consider our joint request to keep Miss Tarapas for our children and for our children's classroom. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. The time Good evening, members of the board and
administrative leadership team. My name is DJ Johnston. I live at 28 Bennington Drive in Flanders. I have three kids in the district. I know some of you up here. It's nice to see you. Thank you for being a part of the board. Um and um I'd like to express I don't know Miss Tara, but it sounds like she's really
wonderful and I hope that she gets to stay in this district. Um, I'm here this evening to formally express my concern and deep disappointment regarding the handling of a very serious incident at Matt Olive Middle School involving a reported threat of school violence last week. We recognize my wife and I and
family and appreciate the immense responsibility entrusted to this district and its administrators, particularly regarding student safety. It is precisely because of that responsibility that we feel compelled to speak publicly about this matter. On Wednesday, May 6th, our 14-year-old son
learned through another student about an alleged threat to shoot up the school reportedly made by a fellow student. While he did not initially know how credible the information was, his concern increased as the day went on. Immediately after dismissal, he
contacted us, my wife and I, and urged us to notify the school as he was generally concerned by what he had heard. That evening, we discussed the situation at length as a family. Because our son did not hear the alleged threat directly. And because we were uncertain how to appropriately handle
secondhand information, we made what we believed was a thoughtful and responsible decision. We instructed him to report the information directly to the school staff first thing the following morning. On Thursday morning, our son followed these instructions. During home room, he
went to the main office to request to speak with an adult, but he was turned away and told to return later due to testing logistics. He returned again at the start of the first period, this time accompanied by two other students who had also heard the same information. At this point, they were allowed to
speak with a member of the guidance department and report what they had been told. Later that day, our son and the other students involved were removed from class for extended periods and questioned regarding the reports that they had shared. By midafternoon, my wife and I were notified by email that
our son had been disciplined for raising false public alarm and failure to report and assigned a 4-hour Saturday detention. He was disciplined. He brought this to the attention of the administration. He was being disciplined and he was very unsure on how to handle
this. This response was shocking and deeply troubling. We promptly spoke with the administration. Initially, we were informed that the administrators believed our son may have originated the report. This was later corrected, and we were explicitly told
that the school had determined he was not the source of the alleged threat, but merely one of several students who discussed it after learning about it on Wednesday afternoon and then reported it the following morning. By the end of the day, Thursday, the
administration informed us that the investigation had concluded and the alleged threat was deemed unfounded based on a denial by the student accused of making it. While we understand the conclusion of the investigation, we're concerned by the rationale used to justify the disciplinary action taken
against our the student who in good faith attempted to report potential safety issue. that's our son and the other uh of his friends specifically. We were told that our son should not have discussed the information with other students and should have reported it to
the administration immediately. When I questioned the administration on that numerous times, they said to me directly, "No, he should have immediately as soon as he heard this gone right to report this." When meanwhile, he's 14 years old. He's in the middle of a class day. He's trying
to go about classes. He doesn't even know what to make of it. trying to manage his classes. So, you know, that's that seems pretty crazy. Um, however, he he did report it to our knowledge at the first reasonable opportunity and did so at our directionizing uh at our direction.
Penalizing students under these circumstances, sends a troubling message. Most concerning to us is that at no point during this process, either during the investigation or in our direct conversations with administration, was any concern expressed for our child's
emotional well-being or sense of safety. Neither our son nor the students involved were asked whether they felt afraid, nor were they offered counseling or reassurance. Instead, they were treated solely as disciplinary uh subjects rather than a students reacting to what they believed could have been a
real and dangerous threat. They really had no idea. He had no idea. He didn't know how to handle it. And he was he was nervous and just like what should I do here? And we were nervous too. Like we didn't really exactly know what to do. So in our discussions with the administration, it was it was really
frustrating for us. Before concluding though, I'd also well just to speak back on on the disciplinary action. The administration told me, like I said, that he needed to report this without talking to anybody.
And I know from my group of friends in their 40s and 50s in the neighborhood that when they hear something like like that, they're probably going to call a friend and see what they think. And that nobody really knows always what how to handle it, let alone a 14-year-old. and to be penalized for not reporting that
right away and then to re to be uh penalized for reporting false false claims that they said when she didn't know. But I'd like to go on and and um I believe it's important to provide additional context that underscores why this situation should have been handled
with greater care and seriousness. The student alleged to have made these threats is understood to be a struggling student. There is publicly accessible social media content which I have with me associated with this student that predict depicts troubling behavior
including violent imagery, harassment of other Mount Olive students by name, including my son, our son by name on Tik Tok and presentations that reasonably raise concern among peers and parents. Other parents have expressed concern.
These materials are public and if members of the board or administration have not reviewed them, I strongly encourage you to do so in order to fully understand the broader context. Additionally, our family has had a prior documented history involving this student. Um, in March, our son filed a
harassment, intimidation, and bullying complaint after repeatedly being subjected to derogatory statements targeting our son's race, gender, and religious beliefs. While the district ultimately determined that the incident did not meet the threshold for an HIV finding because he wasn't scared enough
to go back to class, basically is what they said. The fact remains that concerns regarding this student's conduct had already been formally raised and documented just in March. The middle school justified the disciplinary action taken against our son, this particular disciplinary
action, and the other reporting students as intended to serve as a teachable moment. I agreed that this could have been a teachable moment, but not in the way that it was handled. The lesson these students learned was not about responsibility or safety. Instead, the lesson delivered was that reporting concerns about potential school violence
may result in punishment, particularly when those concerns involve a student perceived to be part of a protected group. That is a dangerous message to send in today's school environment. If students fear disciplinary consequences for speaking out, particularly when reporting secondhand
information out of a concern for safety, they may ch may choose silence instead. Um, that outcome benefits no one and directly undermines the district's commitment to proactively addressing threats and protecting students. We raise these points not out of anger,
even though yes, we are angry and we we are really frustrated. I mean, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal to some people. And it felt like the administration really kind of looked down our at our child. I don't know how they approached the other child, but when I was speaking with the administration, I didn't I didn't feel
sincere concern. I really didn't. I was um just talked to in a way of well, he should have done this. Meanwhile, he could have been a victim. Who knows if these threats were real. There's already a past history with this person. And if you saw what was in my phone, which I'm not going to post anywhere, but I I will
share with anybody, it's very scary. And if it was my daughter who's 11, I mean, I I I would, you know, be really be freaking out. I mean, and not that my my daughter's more important than my son, but you know, you know, we're we're very concerned. Our expectation is that Mount
Olive Schools foster an environment where all students are encouraged to report safety concerns in good faith and are met with support, guidance, and care, not discipline for attempting to do the right thing. Thank you so much for listening. >> Thank you. >> I appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
I appreciate hearing that previous parents input because >> Can you say your name and address, ma'am? >> My name is Precious Pill. Phone number >> Oh, just name and address. >> Just your address. I don't know your phone number. >> 37 Whipper Road.
I appreciate hearing that previous parents input because it seemed as though Mount Olive Middle School was gaslighting our family when we opened up several um HIP reports when he was called a
several times and it the school made it seem like that wasn't something that ever happened like it wasn't an issue. They just swept it under the rug and all of these children who that hate speech. They didn't even get disciplined.
Come to find out that this guy's child got disciplined with a 4hour detention. It's just it's heartbreaking and it's okay. So, at any rate, I have this quote
here on the homepage of Mount Olive School District. It says, "The Mount Olive Township School District, a guiding and unifying partner in a dynamic community, educates, challenges, and inspires all
learners within a safe, nurturing environment. to discover and develop their unique abilities as literate, ethical, and contributing citizens of the world. It's not signed
by anyone. I'm not sure who wrote it, but I want that for my child. I want that for all children in this district. I want them to also go to a school where it's safe and nurturing,
where the school cares about growing the minds and abilities of ethical, literate, and contributing citizens of this world because they are our future. I would like to know why is it that Mount Olive Middle School did not
receive that awards that CMS received of no place for hate? Is it because of all the hibs possibly being opened up of other people being called all of these hate speech and the school not being and the school
not doing anything about it? Is that why they have that year-long um that year old poster up there for last school year and not this school year? I would also like to know is there an
update about how much money is being allocated for history? I asked about this weeks ago and it's possible that there is a response about that somewhere but I don't know where to find it. Okay. I from what I understand
less money was input into history. And it's just so troubling when I hear when I read about and when I hear about when I hear from my son about what he's learning in history and it's continuously only being
aimed toward Caucasian history as opposed to American history. It says on this on this website here on the main page and this quote that the district is a guiding and unifying
partner in a dynamic community. America is dynamic. Why aren't we educating our students on American history? I would like to know, like I said, how much money is being allocated for that?
Because I did ask about that weeks ago and I'm not sure where find the answer for that. >> Okay. >> I would like to know why is it that Junth, our national independence day, is never mentioned, never taught about in school. It's a part of our American
history. And I would like to know, unless perhaps this was mentioned somewhere, and again, I don't know where to find that answer, why isn't that taught in school ever?
And so I also asked about why is this a place of hate? Why is that okay? Why are the punishments when these students are putting all of this hate on our students, on our children? Why is it that the the investigations are always
unfounded? Why is it that the punishments aren't a little bit more than a slap on the hand? When is when are you guys going to do something about that? When are you guys going to start caring? When are you guys going to start living up to this quote that is on our
homepage? >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Tim Capone, Highfield Road. Um just a comment on the on the last response that he gave as far as you know how much the time the board puts in and
you know how you're really diligent about the things that you do instead of hearing broad statements. I would love to hear those details like how many of you have reviewed personnel files? I would love to hear that answer. Okay. I'd love to hear about the budget. What
did you actually do to prepare for the budget? How much time did you actually spend doing that? Okay, because at the board meeting last whatever two weeks ago, okay, there was a comment made about
why are we spending money on a charter school. That's mindblowing to me that if you were prepared as board members to vote on a budget that you wouldn't understand budget lines, which leads me to the question of what are our administrators doing to make
sure you understand that, especially new board members, what preparation have you had or are we taking the word of your committees that the committees are saying we approve of it and therefore all nine of us vote yes. And we do the same thing
with personnel. And we do the same thing with each one of these issues because you don't actually know what's going on because you're not being properly prepared and informed about the things that are occurring. Okay? That's not transparency. Hiding behind committee meetings is not
transparency. Now, I I do have some more financial questions. So, how much of the new budget is unallocated? Okay. So, at the last meeting, you said
you have a million dollars that you're getting from extraordinary aid that's not in the budget. That means right off the bat, you have a $1 million surplus, but you didn't reduce taxes by $1 million.
You talked about health benefits. that you make sure that to make sure that you have enough money, right? That you say everybody's getting family benefits, but we know they're not. So, what's the actual gap between what you're paying,
what you're anticipating paying, and how much you actually budgeted? That's got to be a significant amount because you have to have people that are single or only single with child, and you're not paying that family benefits. So what are the actual numbers here and
why wasn't that line even if you just took half of that and reduced the tax rate? So, I'm curious about how much is unallocated. And part of the reason that I'm I'm curious in that is that the last BA, okay, and the BA before that, okay,
told me that we were almost 20% unallocated in that budget, meaning that your budget lines were inflated by 20% total, which is what gives you the free money to do all the things that you do because you have money floating around.
Okay? and it's just built into those line items. Now, I had asked about the curriculum instruction budget and the response that I got 10 days later, okay, was that we have 15 people that
are hired out of that budget, 15. And of those 15, the number I was given was $2 million. Now, I didn't do my due diligence and fact check that. So, I'm going to take you at your word that the $2 million in our curriculum budget is
the question I asked, which is for personnel. Okay. So, again, when we're talking about being topheavy and the number of administrators you do, my question continues to be, what do these people do every day? The state gives you standards. There's a
state curriculum. What could they possibly be doing on a day in day out in to to create curriculum? There needs to be an answer to that. Now, you have a lot of parents here
>> that seem to be very upset about a non-renewal. Now, I'm not going to speak to that. I don't know anything about it, but I have to tell you that I'm intrigued. Okay? I'm very intrigued on what that process is. I'm also concerned from a budgetary standpoint that if all of
these parents seek napal placements, what's going to happen to your budget? question is the board of ed meeting there is a board policy that you have to reply within 48 hours right I know that this is technically directed to the board
president but does that mean that it doesn't apply questions here there's no responses for they don't have to the administrators people have to actually follow up and send the questions to the administrators because we're not going to make that gap that we're not going to make that jump
for them. I mean, I'm sure most of these people don't know that. If that's the case, and I think you should be pretty honest about that if that's really what you're going to do. I mean, like I said, I didn't get my answer for 10 days, and that's only after I followed up.
I had a couple stories, but, you know, from a time standpoint, I'll skip those for right now. Okay. Um, but I I had one other question that I was hoping Miss McDermott could answer. Um, I was wondering what grade levels and subjects
do we teach about alcoholism, drug use, DWIs, and DUIs? Martin Wells Miller, 25 Woodrest Avenue, Bud Lake, New Jersey. You know, I'm really proud of the parents that came out here tonight. I wish that we'd have more parents coming out. I hope all
those parents with special needs people start attending CPEG to get their message across to have a stronger uh advocacy for special needs in our town. And for the father who spoke here tonight, if I was him, I would with my son. My son would never come here to
serve detention. I take my son out to go have a party, bring two friends, go to New York City, go to a hockey game, basketball game. I think that when you have a child which has encourage to come speak to someone to say, "Hey, we heard there's a problem." All right, come to you guys for help and then he becomes
the victim of asking for help. There's a problem there. I've seen it happen before in the past where you're trying to protect a protected individual class of a person at the expense of others. So, I'm hoping the board goes back and reooks at this situation for that young man and un undo what has been done.
Okay? It's not too late to do the right thing. Okay? Now, I know I can be a critic out here and I am thankful for all the board members who are on this board. I may not have to agree with all of you. I don't have to always, you know, be on the your side or the other side. But at the end of the day, what I
care about is what's right for Mount Olive. Okay? And like I said, at the end of the day, I think you guys should sit back, rethink that situation with the young boy who had the courage. I know of three parents that went to the police department over this. I actually put a post up at first. I ended up taking my
post down over this. Okay. So, I think that this really needs to be considered. And I also know that that one individual, this wasn't his first time, it was his third time putting together a hit list. So I don't understand why that one person because they're a protective
quas class, their rights are more important than that father and that kid's rights. Okay? Are you afraid to be sued because that person protected class? Well, guess what? That father and that kid can sue you guys, too. Liabilities on both sides.
All right? And I really want you to listen to those parents because my heart broke them talking about their kids. It really did. Like I almost started crying because I know what it's like to deal with people with special needs. All right. So I really want you to think. I don't know circumstances behind this. I
know in the past that you sometimes you don't new contracts, you reward contracts to get rid of one person to bring a new person in. And I all I care is that you bring in the right person for the right job. And from what I heard from those parents, she was the right person for the right job. But I'm not part of the meetings. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Oh, one last thing. 95% of the questions I ask of this board don't ever get responded to or answered. So, I want them to be prepared not to get their answers. And that's what it's been in the past. I know right now recently
started answering some questions this year during the live meetings, which is refreshing, but we've gotten years beyond years of people not answering the questions. And it would be really nice to get the answers to the people closing public session.
So I'll start a little bit. So thank you to all the parents that came out as a parent of a of a special needs child who's now 24 and and is on the spectrum ASD. I I absolutely understand um and can empathize with with what you're going through without a doubt. I also
had a cousin with Down syndrome that I took care of, babysat. Um, you had to potty train. My older brother and I got in fights at school when when kids made fun of her. Um, she's no longer here with us. So, so I empathize with you and I understand what that's like. I remember the first time my son had to go
to preschool disabled class and my ex-wife followed him in her car from the bus pickup with me on the phone in my office telling me everything, him getting off the bus and everything. So, so believe me, those do not go what you're saying does not go on deaf ears
with any board member up here. There's also laws that the board has to follow. Okay. We don't have it's not in our pre our our authority to when a when a a teacher um is not being unrenewed or being let go or an a is being let go.
That's not our our our wheelhouse step in and tell the admin that we want that teacher to stay. What that teacher can do is meet with their union representation. There's something called the Donaldson hearing where that teacher could come in front of a full board in a private session and plead the cases why they think with the union representation
the reasons why they feel with with data with with with with you know the reasons why the admins are saying they you know are not doing that. So so that's that's really the answer. We can't go into detail. I can't tell you the things that personnel may or may not have um or been told through the course of there's
certain things we can't share with the public when it comes to laws. Our educators have rights and there's certain things. So, it doesn't fall on deaf ears. Believe me, when when special needs parents in our district speak up, this board since I've been on it has always listened. So, it doesn't fall in deaf ears. And I I my heart goes with
you because I know how difficult that is. Especially, you know, when you have a child that, you know, requires a little extra care, a little extra love, and a little extra hugging and a little extra everything. And we as parents need that, too. So, so that's as far as I can tell you about that. I can't go into
great detail. give you the answers that you want um that you asked for. But but that would be my recommendation if they get back to you. There is the law mechanism of Donaldson hearing with that person. You meet with the union and come in front of the board in close session. So again, I'm sorry I can't give you
more information on that to Miss Peele. Um I gota answer one question. Dr. Dr. Brewer, did did uh Moms win No Place for Hate one year or last year or the year before? >> Didn't it come to >> Didn't it come to No Place for Hate came in? >> Yes, it started >> but it just started last year, right?
Yes. But we didn't win the award for it like like CMS. >> And that's also that's also set the number of activities that they do. Okay. So certainly um Moms also has their additional um support period that they added in home room this year. Okay. So that goes beyond No Place for Hate, you know. So Miss Wilky also you also
referenced access for next year. So this um the whole school is trying to develop things embedded within the schedule itself. >> Um our history curriculum can be found on the website. Can it be? >> Yes. Under atlas. So if you go under our um main website there's a section called
curriculum and atlas in which you can review all our social studies curriculum. Um that's and and that will explain what June Junth is taught and different things that were required by by law to teach in history. Okay.
>> Um I do agree, Miss Peele, that I believe this district does live up to those. >> I'm sorry, Mrs. I apologize, >> Mrs. Peele. I I I do believe our district lives up to that slogan. Um, I know it's not we're not always perfect every single day because we're humans, but I believe that and I believe all my
fellow board members and the administration and our teachers believe that. Um, Mr. Capone, there's a lot of things there. So, you're absolutely right. You don't have to wait two weeks to get information. Um, and I I assure you I'm trying to see what I can answer
right now. Um um well I will leave it up to Miss Shy to get you the answers on the questions you asked for for the finances. Um hopefully we get that to you by Tuesday. I mean not by Tuesday by Wednesday. Um I don't know how to answer and I don't
know if Dr. Banjo can answer that. I don't know. Put you on the spot right now. We don't know but what what what our curriculum people do day in and day out. I mean that's a very long arduous question to answer. I don't think to put you on the desk but maybe that's something you know >> I don't even know how to really answer that. >> I feel very confident answering that
question. Go ahead. >> Certainly as a supervisor um in a district of this magnitude one of the primary areas is the fact that to get into the classroom right certainly providing that support to teachers feedback to ensure the alignment um with respect to our district curriculum. It's really critical to understand that
there's a difference between when you talk about state standards curriculum as well as um lesson plans. So from a curricular standpoint, the state provides um state standards, right, which we're very fortunate to live in a state as New Jersey, one of the highest performing in the country. Um however,
as a district, this is why we also have a great deal autonomy in the state of New Jersey. You know, a lot of school districts, very proud of that. And part of that district responsibility is the development of curriculum. um there is no state approved curriculum per se. There's state standards. However, it's
the responsibility that burden falls on the shoulders of a district to develop that curriculum. So part of a supervisor's responsibility is to work alongside with their staff in order to develop that curriculum and see that implemented in the classroom. So part of most of their day is spent working with
teachers inside that classroom doing observations collaborating to ensure there's consistent across the grade level building um districts. So that's really critical about their um work also um providing professional development. You know these um supervisors are
content area specialists um they come to us a number of years experience teaching in that area of um subject area. So they do have a great deal of understanding work alongside with our experts to ensure that the professional development is not only properly assigned. We want
to hear teacher voice. That's a big part of what we do. So supervisors had to develop fantastic relationships with their teachers to ensure what kind of PD they need and that's where they then develop and go out and make sure that that alignment um is done not only as far as the needs of the teachers but
also with students and most importantly a part of that is also data analysis. You know they really dive deep into what's going on not only at the state st um assessment level but also within our district. We are fortunate that we do have benchmarks that we establish in
every grade level in which we want to make sure that doesn't matter what elementary the school they attend that they're having the same kind of experience. So part of that supervisor's role is to I want to say dive deep into that data to make it more meaningful in order to ensure our students are achieving um as much as they can. And
that's just the tip of the iceberg certainly. >> Thank you. Um and to Mr. Johnson uh thank you for coming up. Um real quick Dr. Dr. I don't believe those students were disciplined. Were they? Did they Were they disciplined? >> So, Miss Wilki is in the process of having conversations with families to um
follow up on the incidents from last week. >> Okay. But there's been no consequence handed down as of yet. >> Mr. Johnson, we can't. Public session's over. >> So, Miss Wilky had conversations with all families and she's in the process of following up with all of them.
>> Okay. Super. Um, we can't really go into detail about other students. Um, regardless of of what they identify as, um, this district takes very seriously when a child um, how do I say this with being proper, has
things going on in their lives, and we know a lot of our students do have a lot of things going on in their private lives. again has someone who had a child um have things going on in their private life and and and have to go through these these motions and as a former counselor who's counseledled students
and had to screen students and um do mental health assessments and and and it stays with you for a long long time. Um so that's not some something we take very lightly here. Um and I believe you know our students are safe here. Um, I'm
sorry that happened to your child. Um, without a doubt. Um, but but I do think and I think a lot more people than not will say um that their children feel safe and I would never tell a parent if you feel and this is what I'll say to you and I don't care about the attendance and all that stuff. If you
feel your child's not safe, do not send them to school. Um, I say that to parents all the time. I never would send my child and put my child in harm's way if I felt they're going to be absolutely safe. Um, so we can't get too much into the investigation and things that happen, the protocols that have with the admin because we don't like, you know,
rest assured when the admin in any building is something's brought to their attention, they immediately isolate the student. Security is involved um if it's deemed a credible threat of whatever happens, there's proper protocols and things in place that trigger other things to support that student or to support the school um in those
endeavors. So, I know Dr. Ban is is on that with with Mom's Middle School. um and she's been keeping the board pretty up to date and and and a breast of the situation there. So, it's not that the board does not have information um about it.
We're moving on to old business. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Wells Muller. Um I don't think you have any questions. Um thank you for the kind words that you do appreciate although you don't always agree with the board members, but you do appreciate the work we do. Um and so that that was something very nice. So, I
appreciate that. Um, and with that, we're moving on to business. >> Excuse me, Dr. Gardano. >> Yes. >> Could I address the financial questions? >> Do you have the answers right now? >> No, sure. >> So, the one question was how much of the
budget is unallocated? Unallocated cost in the budget are all of our support services, attendance, health related services, guidance, administrative tech, the principal's
office, the superintendent's office, and um all of our health benefits. They're all unallocated. The total unallocated is about $80 million projected for 2627. About about $31 million of it is our
health benefits. When we were at the budget hearing when we were talking about how we budget for health benefits for new staff, new staff, we budget family benefits >> because we don't know what they're going to take.
>> But our health benefits is allocated by what plan you're in. We just don't budget family across that fault when I ask that question. Sure. >> We have many people across the gamut, parent, child, two adults, family,
single. Um, so it's it's it's large. the X a we're not sitting on a million dollars in X a million dollars is our budgeted revenue for each year um what I had said at the budget hearing that the district spends
$4 million we report in expenditures to the state and we pray that we get at least a million to cover our projected revenue so that is not a surplus by any means Um
and um the question about 20% uh the last BA and before that person about 20% is unallocated that that could be a fair statement just because of what it represents $83 million out of our
projected 135 and that portion as we discussed it at the budget hearing. Our budget is made up of instructional and support and the support is coded as unallocated. >> Thank you. All business from the board.
>> I I have one question in in the discussion that we just had um and the explanation that you provided uh in terms of the remedies or records that the person with non-renewal has. um it's just for clarification purposes but when
the person or individual is given the non-renewal uh notification in that notification I I assume it is provided uh the language and how they can appeal the decision and come in front of the board right
>> correct they're also provided if they would like their statement of reasons as well so that there's a there's a whole process in which they're informed >> your microphone a little bit >> I'm so sorry can you hear me Yes. >> So a part of that process is also they can request their statement of reasons right as to why they are going to be
non-renewed as well as a process in order to challenge that if you want to use that term. >> Thank you. >> Also their union representation is involved in those conversations as well. >> So we move on to old business.
I'm I'm going to call it old business because uh I requested last week, but I'm going to formally request it now. Um I would like to request the data for the mom's attendance on Friday, May 8th, as
well as the uh detentions that were given out for Saturday related to last week's incident. >> I can speak to the attendance right now. >> Okay. Um certainly when um requested at the um school level as far as attendance is concerned there was not any variation
of that. Um so we're looking at the um Fridays we had about 94% it did not deviate um from um the prior years 94.5 93.8 um this Monday past Monday is 96.5 so um
the attendance was there was no >> noticeable change. Okay. >> So, >> okay. >> And then I can follow up as far as um the dispute. As I shared, Miss Wilki is in the process of meeting with families this week. >> Thank you. >> New business,
Mr. Neil. >> It's old and new business. CPEG is tomorrow night. If you don't normally get an invitation, you can always email CPEG. Email. That's you could find it on any social media or um on the district
web page. You email them your email and you get an invite tomorrow night at 7 o'clock online on Zoom. >> That's it. >> All right. Board comments. Mr. Petri. >> Uh congrats to all the award-winning
staff members. Uh just an update. Our baseball team went beat West Mars yes yesterday in the county tournament six to1 and apparently robotics did very well in Houston from what I was told by one of the participants it's the best
they've ever done. So congrats. >> Thank you sir. Miss Brett >> congratulations to all the recipients. >> Miss Melendez >> congratulations to all the recipients. Mr. Aquino, >> I just want to say wonderful job at the
military ball this weekend. Mrs. um Fgera and Mrs. um Fitzgerald and I were there and it was an outstanding evening. Really well done by our students. >> Super. Uh Mr. Ozilla, no comment. Miss
O'Neal, >> congratulations to all of the teachers. There were some great ones on that list and ones I miss very much. and I was so happy to see them and hear all about everything they've been doing.
>> Miss Fcher. >> Yeah. Um first, uh congratulations to Doug Ferry on 30 years uh in the district. He's retiring after 30 years here. Uh including being brave enough to be the coach for the middle school baseball team for many years. So, didn't
want to go uh without mentioning that. Um, one other thing I just um I want to thanks all of you who come out and come to the mic and are brave enough to write statements and send emails and and tell us these things. Um,
the only way that we are going to continue to improve as a district is if we continue to get this honest feedback from all of you. And I know the joke is like, oh no, you know, we're coming up to the mic again. I don't think you understand how much we appreciate it. And I know I personally appreciate that
we don't have to agree on everything. Disagreement is not the same thing as hate, but we can disagree on some things and still move the district forward. So, I really appreciate anybody who takes the time to stay engaged in our board business, engaged in the district, and actually come here and talk to us about
it and and pay attention. You could be anywhere else. You could be spending your time on anything else. And um I really appreciate that for our job. um like criticism, disagreement, accountability, that's part of it and it and it should be. It's what we've all signed up for. And I hope that those of
you who are really committed to um continuing to help us improve the district, this is how we're going to do it together. It's working together and not working separately or working against each other. So, please know that we are always happy to have you here. We're always happy to have your feedback and we hope you will continue to do
that. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Fish. I had didn't realize I had my mic up. Uh, Miss Faggera, >> tonight's meeting is always one of my favorites as a as a teacher and hearing all the speeches and the inspiring words that were said tonight. My heart is
smiling. Um, I also shared sentiments on Military Ball. That was fabulous. I also want to congratulate Mr. Bosch and all of our dramaers on a spectacular performance of Frozen. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing that last week and um
good luck to everybody taking the NJSLA next week in our elementary schools. >> Thank you. Uh no comment from the board president. Motion to recess in the confidential session. >> So moved. Recommended resolved that the board meet in confidential session for the purpose of discussing negotiations
personnel matters attorney client privilege pending or anticipated litigation confidential pupil matters be further resolved that the matters discussed in confidential session be disclosed to the public when the reason for confidentiality no longer exists. Action will be taken. Action will be taken. We are in close session. Thank
you. And genie's here. Come on. >> We have six. You really don't need to wait for everybody. We have five people. >> Nicole, please take roll call. We're back in remote close session. >> Mrs. Aquino >> here. >> Ms. Brett >> here. >> Mrs. Fitzgerald here.
>> Mrs. Melendez. >> Mrs. O'Neal >> here. >> Mr. Ozilla here. >> Mr. Petri >> here. >> Mrs. Faggera here. >> Dr. here. Okay. Can I have a a motion uh to approve resolution an action item 10.1?
>> So moved. >> Second. Question or comments from the board. Resolution for residency hearing of student assigned ID number 65018556 and the student assigned number 65019238. Whereas on May 4th, 2026, committee of
the Mal Board of Education held a residency hearing for the above reference students. And whereas on that date, the parents of the above ref referenced students attended and participated in the hearing. And whereas on May 11th, 2026, the committee after hearing and considering all the proofs and testimony presented recommended to
the full board that a find based upon the residency investigation performed by the board's directors of security and the testimony of the parents that the students have not been doiciled with the Mal School District since late December of 2025. Now further be it resolved that the board finds that the above reference
students were not legally entitled to attend school in the district during the period from January 5th, 2026 through and including March 9, 2026. And be it further resolved that the parents be assessed tuition for the students in eligible attendance in the district schools in the total amount of $1,800. And be it further resolved that the
board will consider entering into a payment plan agreement with the parents for the above tuition and hereby authorizes the board's business administrator to negotiate such an agreement subject to the board's approval. Be it further resolved that the students be disenrolled from the district and that the parents inform the board whe the students will attend
school or otherwise receive an education pursuant to New Jersey compulsory education law. Be it finally resolved that written notice of this decision and of the family's rights to contest saint before the commission of education shall be served upon the parent as required by law. Roll call. >> Mrs. Aquino.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Petri. >> Yes. >> Ms. Brett. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Fitzgerald. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Melendez. >> Yes. >> Mrs. O'Neal. >> Yes. >> Mr. Ozilla? Yes, >> Mrs. Faggera. >> Yes, >> Dr. Gordano. >> Yes. Motion to adjurnn.
>> All in favor?