Thank you. Uh this is a very exciting night. We do have a lot on the agenda this evening. There will be several presentations with the first being led by me with the assistance of Mr. Ugluro on the next 5-year strategic plan. I would like to just announce that
unfortunately we will be moving the belonging and community presentation that Mr. Keaney was going to be presenting into the future as he did have an emergency last minute and wasn't able to be here. Um, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the board members who have worked
collaboratively together to synthesize the information that we had from our needs assessment survey along with each strategic planning forum to create what will be presented this evening. I also would like to thank each and every participant that came out to voice what they felt is most important to see over
the next five years in shaping our students future. The latter presentation um that will be given will be given by Dr. Harvey this evening. He's going to articulate for the board the new behavioral development program that will be housed at Sawbrook
School. I'd like to take a few minutes now to provide an update on our kindergarten enrollment for the 2025 2026 school year as well as share information regarding the students on our exception list. As of today, we have 96 students
registered at Saltbrook School and 51 students registered at Alan W. Roberts. In alignment with our redistricting plan and board of education policy 2312, seven students on the exception list, all of whom meet the eligibility
criteria, will be permitted to attend kindergarten at Roberts and remain there through sixth grade. Tomorrow morning, we will be sending out official notification to these seven families via both email and regular mail. With the reassignment of
these seven students from Saltbrook to Roberts, our updated kindergarten enrollment will be 89 students at Saltbrook and 58 students at Roberts. Based on these updated numbers, we will move forward with four sections of kindergarten at Saltbrook and three
sections of kindergarten at Roberts. However, I do want to note that if kindergarten enrollment at Roberts reaches 64 students or more prior to the start of the school year, we are prepared to open up a fourth section. We will continue to monitor enrollment
closely and we will keep the board updated on any changes. All incoming kindergarten students families have received a save the date for their kindergarten orientation which will be next Wednesday, June 4th. The seven students who will receive notification tomorrow morning should plan on
attending kindergarten orientation at Allen W. Roberts. Tomorrow, May 30th, families will also receive kindergarten screening letters from each building respectfully. Should any families have any questions, I recommend that they reach out to their respective school.
That's all I have. Thank you, Dr. Zerley. At this time, I would like to call up Jennifer Klay. I'll wait for check. Hi Jen. Hi. Welcome back. Good to see you. Good to see you. Uh so in
recognition of uh Miss Klay as a board member for the last five years, um I'd like to read her proclamation and we have um a plaque for you. So whereas Jennifer Klay has ended her service on the board of education of the Burough of New Providence after faithful service
over the last 5 years and whereas the members of the board of education are cognizant of the fact that Mrs. Klay had greatly contributed toward the welfare of the children of the burrow by her energy and sincere application to all matters which have come before the
board. And whereas Mrs. Klay has served as curriculum instruction and technology committee member, finance, facilities and safety security committee member, personnel management and communication committee member, New Providence Bureau Council board representative, New
Providence Education Foundation board representative and government relations and board policy. Now therefore, it be resolved by the board of education of the bureau of new providence in the county of union that the personal and collective gratitude and appreciation of the members of the board of education
are hereby extended to Jennifer Klay for her loyal and untiring dedication to the community and they do hereby publicly commend her for the excellent example she has thus presented to the present and future members of the board of
education approved this 29th day of May 2025 and signed by the order of the New Providence Board of Education. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Thank you. You Wow. I would also like to just take a moment
and recognize Mrs. Rebecca Kiglio who couldn't be here with us tonight for her service to the board as well and we'll be recognizing her at a future board meeting. Thank you. Um, okay. I need a motion to approve uh the res resolution.
Second, [Music] Miss Costalano. Hi, Dr. Epson Hayden. Hi, Miss Gunderman. Hi, Miss Moreno. Hi, Miss Zayn. Hi. Great. Thanks. At this time, I would like to call up Dr. Zerpolley and
Mr. Uluro for the presentation of the strategic plan. Thank you, Miss Cicaro. So, welcome everybody to the new Providence District strategic plan for 2025 through 2030. Rooted in purpose,
growing together. This plan represents our shared vision for the future grounded in our commitment to excellence, innovation, and student success. I promise this was working before. Okay. Here you go.
Okay. The New Providence School District. Here we go. Okay. The New Providence School District is a comprehensive prek public school district located right here in Union County. We have approximately 2400 students and a studenttoteer ratio of
12:1. We're very proud to deliver high quality instruction in a very supportive learning environment across four schools, two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Our district over many years has been defined by exceptional academic
achievement, a dedicated faculty and staff, and a very supportive and engaged community. And we have a deep commitment to the whole child here in New Providence. Our schools over many years have earned state and national recognition, reinforcing our mission to
provide an outstanding educational experience. What is happening backwards? Okay. Our mission is uh to cultivate intellectual growth to promote personal integrity and foster responsible citizenship by providing a nurturing and academically rigorous learning
environment for all of our students. Our vision is to empower our learners to achieve excellence, to adapt to change, and contribute meaningfully to a diverse and dynamic world. This year as a district, we set out to establish the core values that our
community would live by. We are rooted in these core values which would guide every decision we make. These values were not created in isolation. Rather, they are the result of an 8month district-wide process that brought together students, teachers,
administrators, parents, and community leaders. Together, we engaged in thoughtful conversations about what defines New Providence and what core values we want to live by. The outcome of that shared journey includes six
guiding core values. They are captured by the acronym rooted and they include radiating respect, opening pathways to inclusion, owning our responsibilities, tapping into our
curiosity, exercising perseverance, and demonstrating citizenship. These values form the foundation of our educational philosophy and reflect the character of our entire school community.
Now to begin with our strategic plan, we wanted to establish that our strategic plan is guided by a set of 10 key themes that form the acronym foundation. These 10 the themes emerge directly from
the voices of our constituents, students, staff, families, and community members through extensive listening sessions, district-wide surveys, and a thorough review of qualitative and quantitative data. Here are the themes.
Future readiness, operational efficiency and accountability, understanding through equity and access, nurturing mental resilience and emotional intelligence, developing leadership, advancement through innovation and
modernization, teaching and workforce development, inclusive community and stakeholder engagement, ongoing safety and well-being, and navigating sustainability and fiscal responsibility. Each theme reflects a
shared priority and represents the foundational elements necessary to support the success of every student in New Providence. Together, they provide the framework through which we will pursue academic excellence, well-being,
innovation, equity, and community engagement. The board of education has established seven overarching strategic goals that will guide the district's progress from September 2025 through June 203 um 2030.
These goals will be implemented through a range of initiatives over the next five years. Each year, the board through its board committees will develop annual goals that will align with and advance one or more of these strategic goals, ensuring
a consistent focus, accountability, and measurable progress. This slide represents all seven goals in totality. Each goal that you'll see following this um slide is structured by the goal. We
then show how the goal directly aligns with key themes and which key themes and then we talk about objectives to meet that goal. Our first strategic goal focuses on balanced integration of technology to
enhance teaching, support student-driven learning, and foster leadership and agency, all while preparing our students for the demands of a rapidly evolving future. This goal is rooted in the belief that technology should not replace strong instruction, but rather
elevate it, creating opportunities for exploration, creativity, and ownership. You will see that this strategic goal directly aligns with several key themes. To highlight a few, future readiness as we equip students with digital fluency
and adaptability needed for success in college, career, and life. You for understanding through equity and access by ensuring all students, especially those furthest from opportunity, have access to highquality digital tools and
connected learning environments. and D for developing leadership by fostering student voice ownership and leadership through purposeful future ready technology use. To support this goal, we will establish clear grade banded
guidelines for classroom technology that promote balance of face-to-face instruction and meaningful digital learning while encouraging our students to own their learning through goal setting. For our second strategic goal, we're
focusing on strengthening data-driven instructional practices to improve student learning, inform teaching strategies, and support continuous academic growth across all grade levels. In today's educational landscape, actionable data is essential not only
for measuring progress but for personalizing instruction, closing learning gaps and elevating outcomes for every student. This goal closely aligns with four strategic themes. O for operational efficiency and accountability by leveraging data to
inform decisions, streamline instructional supports, and monitor student progress with transparency. Another is you for understanding through equity and access by identifying and addressing achievement gaps to ensure that all students particularly again
those in greatest need receive timely and targeted support. This goal will come to life by a development and implementation of a district-wide system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting student performance data across all grade levels and subject areas.
We will ensure that all instructional staff have access to real time relevant data to guide differentiation and instructional planning by embracing a data-informed approach. We commit to instructional excellence that is
proactive, precise, and student centered, ensuring every student learner is supported and challenged to to achieve their full potential. Our third goal reinforces the district's unwavering commitment to the mental
health well-being of all students through the development and implementation of a comprehensive social emotional learning framework. We recognize that academic success is deeply connected to students emotional resilience, sense of belonging
and overall well-being. By embedding social emotional learning into daily instruction and school culture, we create environments where every student can thrive not only intellectually but emotionally and socially as well. This goal aligns to five critical themes of
our strategic plan. T for teaching and workforce development by equipping staff with the tools, strategies, and training needed to foster emotionally safe and responsive classrooms. I for inclusive
community and stakeholder engagement by partnering meaningfully with families and community organizations to create a shared commitment to student wellness. We plan to achieve this goal by establishing a district-wide seal
framework that promotes mental wellness, emotional regulation, and resilience at every grade level. We also plan to educate students, staff, and families on the impact of technology use on mental health and implement
strategies that promote balanced mindful digital habits. And finally, to enhance the community and family engagement through collaborative initiatives that support both SEAL and digital wellness. We truly believe that by cultivating a
culture that supports the whole child. We affirm that emotional health is not separate from academic success. It is essential to it. Strategic goal four emphasizes the importance of strengthening the capacity and wellness of our staff to ultimately
improve student outcomes. We know that when our educators are supported, wellprepared, and empowered, they are better equipped to support students in their academic and professional growth. This goal you'll see, aligns with five critical themes in our strategic plan.
I'd like to highlight one, nurturing mental resilience and emotional intelligence. Because by supporting staff wellness, we are modeling and sustaining the mental health and well-being of both educators and students, creating a culture of care
that benefits everyone. Now, to achieve this goal, we'll establish a comprehensive prof professional development framework that pro uh prioritizes mental health literacy, inclusive practices, executive functioning support, and responsible
technology integration. We will develop develop and implement district-wide initiatives that promote staff wellness, including mental health supports. And we will create a system to monitor and address staff workload and retention. By
strengthening the wellness and capacity of our staff, we will not only ensure a healthier work environment, but we will also directly enhance student outcomes, creating a cycle of success for both educators and learners.
Strategic goal number five is to design transparent, inclusive, and effective communication with all of our constituents. This goal focuses on fostering open, transparent, and inclusive communication to ensure that all of our stakeholders, students,
families, staff, and the community are well informed, are engaged, and connected. Clear communication is the foundation of trust, collaboration, and shared success in our district. Again, you'll see that this goal aligns with
five of our 10 themes. Um, I'd like to spotlight the first one, inclusive community and constituent engagement, because it recognizes that by deepening trust through accessible two-way communication, we engage our entire
community in meaningful conversations about our stu student success and well-being. To achieve this goal briefly, we will design and launch a dynamic communication platform that centralizes access to district updates, performance metrics, curricular
resources, and schoolwide initiatives. We will establish a tiered family engagement model that includes structured outreach such as parent training workshops, informal forums, and feedback loops. This model will be inclusive of diverse voices across our
community, ensuring that all families voices are heard and valued. And finally, we will implement a communications audit protocol to assess and improve the clarity, consistency, and responsiveness of both internal and
external district communications, ensuring that our messages are effective and accessible to all. Through transparent and inclusive communication, we know that we will build stronger relationships with our community and create an environment what where all
constituents are informed, engaged, and empowered to support student success. Strategic goal number six reflect reflects the board of education's commitment to ensuring equitable and
sustainable resource allocation that supports student access, engagement, and success across the district. This goal emphasizes not just the importance of funding, but the strategic and responsible use of fiscal resources to
meet the diverse needs of all learners. It aligns with key three of our 10 key themes. One that I really want to spotlight particularly at this time uh in this year is navigating sustainability and fiscal responsibility because by developing a
multi-year financial plan, we will be supporting the long-term district health and responsible use of district resources. To fulfill this goal, the district will align financial investments with our instructional priorities. We'll promote
transparency and stakeholder understanding of district spending by clearly communicating resource allocation decisions and long-term financial plans. And finally, we will strengthen the annual budget development
process by incorporating data on student participation on program impact and resource utilization to guide equitable and strategic funding decisions. Through thoughtful planning and respons
responsible fiscal stewardship, the district will ensure that every dollar invested contributes meaningful to student learning, well-being, and opportunity. Our final strategic goal, goal seven, underscores the district's ongoing
commitment to strengthening school safety and student well-being through enhanced facilities, secure technology systems, and expanded mental health supports. We believe that students learn best in an environment where they could be physically safe, emotionally
supported, and equipped to thrive. This goal aligns with several key themes to highlight. One, N for nurturing mental resilience and emotional intelligence by expanding access to mental health services and embedding social emotional
learning to help students regulate, persevere, and grow emotionally. To realize this goal, we will enhance both physical and digital security infrastructure across all schools to create self safe, well-mon monitored and
responsive environments. We will expand student access to mental health resources and seal supports that promote emotional regulation, resilience, and an overall well-being. And we will implement clear district-wide protocols and training for staff and students
focused on crisis response, digital citizenship, and responsible technology use. Through these efforts, the district will ensure that all members of the school community feel protected, supported, and empowered to succeed. To support the successful
implementation of the district strategic plan over the next five years, the board of education will align its annual goals by committee to mirror the priorities of the strategic plan. These guiding goals shape the district's focus and are
advanced through the work of the board's three standing committees. curriculum, instruction and technology, personnel management and communication, and finance, facilities, and security. In close collaboration with myself, each
committee ensures its goals are rooted in the district's strategic vision. Together, our board committees, as you as you will see shortly, have developed smart goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and
timebound that will promote progress and accountability. The administration under my leadership will be responsible for leading the work and ensuring each goal is brought to life. For the 2025 2026 school year, the
board of education has identified four overarching goals. The first goal is to implement and monitor the strategic plan. The second goal is to complete the 2526 budget process in a timely and compliant
manner aligned to state statute. The third is to support the professional growth and capacity of district leadership, teachers, and support staff. And the fourth is to monitor ongoing housing developments and assess its potential impact on student enrollment.
I just would like to take a moment to explain that these are the overarching annual goals of the full board. In the next slide, I am very happy to welcome up Dr. Mson Hayden who is the chair of our curriculum instruction and committee
technology who will go through the specific goals for that committee and how they are aligned to our strategic plan and vision and then you want to stand here because the mic okay smart goal um this was one that
came up kind of time and time again when we were in our strategic planning sessions. So was a very big one for us to happily focus on which is focusing on a balanced classroom technology integration by grade bands. So by January 2026, uh the board will be
developing and presenting to the entire board a set of technology integration guidelines by these different grade bands of K to 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9,12 created in collaboration with teachers and instructional technology staff to
optimize the balance between digital tools and face-to-face learning. So we're using classroom audits. Um, we will be establishing baseline iPad usage and a planned reduction to achieve age appropriate optimized technology use
with full implementation by fall 2026. And this will focus back to the past goals that Dr. Zerly and Mr. U focused on of strategic goal number one with integrating technology in a balanced way. So enhancing but not
replacing face-to-face learning. Smart goal number two for our committee focused on promoting digital wellness, which means that by March 2026, uh we'll be developing and delivering a district-wide digital wellness initiative that includes at least one
student workshop per grade band, the same grade bands as the prior slide, one staff professional development session, and one family engagement session focused on the mental health impacts of technology and strategies for mindful balanced digital use. Again, another
topic that came up quite frequently with our strategic planning meetings. And this smart goal ties back to strategic goal number three, to strengthen the district's commitment to students mental health and well-being through a comprehensive SEAL framework. And our third and final
curriculum committee goal is aimed at specifically the middle school and an academic and behavioral focus. So by June 2026, the middle school leadership team will implement a datainformed intervention plan that reduces student discipline referrals among special
education and at risk students by 40%. strengthens classroom environments through consistent routines and relationship building strategies in at least 75% of observed classrooms and monitors progress using quarterly data meetings that analyze behavioral trends
to close achievement gaps across learner subgroups. And this being a bigger smart goal aligns to three separate strategic goals. Goal number two to strengthen datadriven instructor instructional practices to improve student learning and inform teaching strategies and
support continuous academic growth. Goal number three to strengthen our commitment to students mental health and well-being through anCCL framework. And goal number four to strengthen staff capacity and wellness to enhance student outcomes. Thank you, Dr. Mson Hayden. And at this
time, I'd like to invite up Miss Morano, who sits on the finance, facilities, and security committee. Hello. Um, so our two goals are basically can be summed up as trying to futureproof the district from building safe, sustainable, and student
centered systems. So the first goal that we are here discussing tonight is our smart goal is develop a fiscally responsible and sustainable school budget. It's basically our top priority every year. But um by April 2026, the finance and facilities and security
committee will develop and recommend a fiscally responsible school district budget that remains within the statemandated tax levy cap while also maintaining support for the core instructional programs and student services and strategic priorities. While at the same time, the committee is also
going to identify more long-term budgeting uh strategies strategies, excuse me, to prepare for future scenarios as we've done every year um remaining, you know, keeping the cap in uh in balance when it might not be feasible. And additionally, the committee will strategically allocate
any remaining bond referendum funds uh towards infrastructure improvements that align with the district's priorities. Um so these two this smart goal excuse me aligns with two of our strategic goals. Number six to ensure equitable um and
sustainable resource allocation to support student access and engagement as well as strategic goal number seven uh to strengthen the school safety and student well-being through facilities, tech and mental health support. And then our second smart goal is to strengthen
safety and student well-being which aligns uh once again with the strategic goal number seven. So, uh, again, by May of 2026, we're going to complete a comprehensive review of all school security systems, emergency protocols and digital safety practices, including
visitor access, surveillance, cameras, communication tools, and staff training, and present up present updated policies and priorities um recommended to ensure alignment with current safety standards and instructional needs. And then once again, this is going to align with strategic goal number seven to
strengthen the school safety and student well-being through facilities, technology, and mental health support. Thank you, Miss Morano. And at this time, I would like to welcome up Miss Gunderman, who's the chair of our personnel, management, and communications committee. And we have uh for our
committee two goals this year. The first one is advancing staff development and wellness to support student achievement. By June of 2026, the district will enhance staff capacity and wellness to improve student outcomes by implementing
a professional development framework focused on mental health literacy, inclusive practices, executive functioning, and technology integration. Additionally, d districtwide wellness initiatives will be introduced,
including mental health supports, wellness days, and peer support systems. This will align with our strategic goal number four uh to strengthen our staff capacity and wellness to enhance our student outcomes. And the second goal for our
committee is enhancing family engagement and communication. always something that we hear come up a lot about how we can really um build the connection uh from all of our community groups. So, by June of 2026, the district administration
will produce a short video introducing the strategic plan and parent organizational roles and responsibilities to be shared at back- tochool nights. To support this, the personnel management and communications subcommittee will hold at least two
joint planning sessions with the board and parent groups to develop clear, inclusive communication strategies. The district will also begin implementing electronic payments with QR codes for student fundraising and school events to
better align with parent organization practices. And this uh aligns with two of our strategic goals. Number five, to design transparent, inclusive, and effective communication with all constituents. And number six, uh to
ensure equitable and sustainable resource allocation to support student access and engagement. Thank you, Miss Gunderman, and thank you to all of the committee chairs and the committees who worked very very hard with myself um in several meetings to
really create this year annual committee goals that will be directly aligned with the strategic vision over the next five years. We're very excited as a district to embark on this transformative journey guided by
our newly adopted uh hopefully on June 26th when we approve it strategic plan um rooted in purpose growing together. The successful implementation of our strategic plan is a collective endeavor led by myself as the superintendent and
supported by our entire leadership team. This cohesive leadership team is committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and responsive educational environment, ensuring that the strategic plan vision becomes a reality for
students, staff in our school district. On behalf of the New Providence Board of Education, we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the strategic planning process. Your input, your collaboration,
and commitment played a vital role in shaping a shared vision for our district's future. We're confident that this strategic plan will propel New Providence students through the next five years, grounding them in character, academic excellence, and well-being, and
prepare them to thrive in an everchanging world. The board looks forward to seeing this plan come to life and encourages all members of our community to remain actively engaged. Your continued involvement is essential as we move
forward from planning to action. To keep our community informed, the district leadership team will provide regular updates through presentations at scheduled board of education meetings demonstrating how we are progressing toward each of our strategic goals.
Thank you once again to the entire board. This was um a large task um to take on and I want to say that I'm very thankful that we all partnered together. I think that what we were able to produce is going to be something very
special over the next 5 years. I'm also very excited that we put a new spin on the way that we're going to create our committee goals to directly align to the strategic plan. And I know that the leadership team is really looking forward to getting started on this this summer. So, thank you very much to every
board member. At this time, I'm going to introduce Dr. Harvey for our behavioral development presentation. [Applause] I'm going to make sure this clicker works first. It does. All right.
Cool. All right. Thanks to everybody um for allowing us to come out tonight and introduce and discuss a new program that is being developed by the Office of Special Services. The behavioral disabilities program that will begin this fall at Salt Brook School is
designed I don't even move it to the right slide. There we go. I'm going to get we're going to stay on this slide the entire time and I'm just going to speak. I know that's how that's going to go. Um the behavioral disabilities program um is designed to support students with special education services
who are demonstrating behavioral or emotional regulation difficulties. When we talk about behavioral or emotional regulation uh disabilities, what we're referring to are conditions that impact on a child's ability to control their emotions and behavior. As you can
imagine, struggles here often lead to difficulties with learning, socialization, and overall development. We have noted that there has been an increase in the last several years in district in the number of students who are showing significant struggles in this area. For some of
these students, a lack of emotional regulation can result in a lack of control um over behavior and impulsive decision-making um that can lead to significant disruption of the learning process for that student as well as other students in the class potentially leading to
safety issues and concerns as well. So while learning to regulate emotions and manage behavior is an important part of any elementary school classroom, there are some for whom this process is so difficult that a speciallyesed environment is required to enhance the
development of these skills. Right? So why build a program to serve these students? I think anytime you are considering the development of a program, there are several factors that you have to be able to consider. Number
one being is there a population that currently requires the service and is this population likely to be consistent over time. Um not only have we seen that there has been an increase in the number of students um at a young elementary age and again I'm talking about kindergarten
through fourth grade specifically um who have required these services. Um, one of the things that I talk about most often when I work with um, directors from other districts or whatever is specifically this age group specifically having these types of issues. This is a
pervasive issue not just in New Providence but across the um, across the state and this is something that we don't see going away anytime soon. We also then want to be able to consider whether we can build a program that will improve on the options that are available to that students currently
have. Can we do a better job for our students than what is currently available? If not, then there's no need or there's no reason to run the program. However, one of the things that we have seen is for those students who require then again that specialized environment that we don't have in district, what we
have wound up having to do often is looking for out of district options um either in private schools for students with disabilities or in public schools for students with disabilities. While these are useful because it gets to some of the core issues, it is difficult um and costly certainly, but is also very
difficult to take a student, especially a young elementary student, away from their homeschool environment and place them into an an alternative setting. Being able to have a program such as what we're proposing and what we're beginning to implement here in district allows for smoother transitions for
students to and from the program and allows for better um um results and goals um as they achieve as they achieve their their um objectives going forward. So when we talk about what the program will look like, we are striving to
create an immersive environment in which students will continue to build on their regulation skills in a small, safe and important uh and supportive area. One teacher and one aid will serve in the classroom and each child will have an individual behavior plan with specific
goals. Progress on these goals will be monitored continuously throughout the school day, approximately once per half hour. And students will be intimately involved in what specific skills that that they're developing. They will know what their goals are, what they're working towards, and they will know how
they're achieving them, how well they're doing, and what areas they need to continue to improve. A token economy will be employed throughout the school day, and students will have the chance to earn towards tangible rewards offered in the class store. and oh what a store
it will be. Uh I've been told it will be great stuff. I'm working on my own behaviors uh just to make sure that I can earn some of these items. Um in addition, students will be able to receive explicit instruction in social decision-making and social skills
development and have the opportunity to practice these skills throughout the school day. And in the event that a student struggles with their behavior during the school day, we have also created an intervention room immediately across the hall. um from the classroom where students can go to to calm
themselves down, to reflect on their behaviors, and to return themselves to a state that is ready to return to class. Um this room will be staffed by a second aid who will also be expressly trained to provide appropriate intervention to ensure that students are returned to
their learning environment as quickly as possible. Would also like to take a moment to talk about our partnership with Newark. New Mark, for those of you who don't know, is a state approved private school for students with disabilities. Um, they have been specializing in the area of specifically
behavioral disabilities for more than the last 20 years. Um, in addition to providing quality services sometimes to students from New Providence, um, they have also developed a consultation component to their program. Um, one of the things that we noted as as the team
and I work toward their facility is that they are well aligned. this model that they have is well aligned to something that we can bring into the school system and develop in our own way. It is something that leeches over very well. What we also noted um ironically when we
toured other public programs that are also offering behavioral disability programs is that most of those or many of those um had also been developed in partnership with Newark as well. So we feel like we are in good hands by continuing to explore our relationship with Newark. This relationship will
include training in all aspects of the program for our staff, which by which I mean our teachers, our aids, our child study team members, behaviorists, and administrators. The multi-day training over the summer will take place during their extended school year program um
and will cover all of the areas of behavior management, social decision, decision-making, instruction, data collection, resource management, what have you. In addition to the training, Newark will also be consulting with our team throughout the year, coming on-site and
helping us to build, implement, and most importantly maintain um an important and a strong program. Um in fact, I was on the phone with them today. They were offering to provide help with curricular supports, um looking at the design of the classroom. They are very detail focused and they want to make sure that
each detail entering and exiting the building, all of those things are taken care of in a very thoughtful manner. So, we have appreciated their support to this point. And in terms then of the types of skills that we'll be emphasizing in the program, as you can see on the board, it's our intention that students who enter the program receive instruction
and practice that they need so that they can re-enter more mainstream class settings. As students become more aware of their behavior, as they begin to learn that recognizing emotional changes helps them to regulate their own behavior, they will learn that improved social problem solving, social skills,
and emotion management will lead to greater success in the classroom and the playground, enabling them to be able to demonstrate more closely their true potential in school. And one of the questions that I'm often asked is, how are students selected for this program? So I do want to point out that this is a special
education program. So it is designed for students who are eligible for special education andor related services. That means um if you have an IEP that there is an IEP team that is comprised of child study team members, of parents, the teacher, um potentially related
service personnel, the behaviorist who are all working collaboratively to make decisions about whether or not a student will enter the program, when the student will exit the program, and what types of changes will be made to the program over the course of the time, always to match up with the students individual needs as
they go forward. Our focus, as with any special education program, is to provide intensive supports when needed and to help students to enhance their skills so that they are better able to be successful in less restrictive environments as soon as possible. And so we're very excited to
be able to provide this program to the students of New Providence and we hope that this will allow us to provide quality instruction, intervention, and hope to students that and families that we have not been able to access previously. We have worked to build and implement this program over the last two
years and we are very excited to see it implemented. Um I would like to take a moment to thank the board of education um as well as Dr. Zerpolley and Mr. Ta for all of their ongoing support and enabling the program to come to fruition. And I would like to thank some of our staff um who are here this
evening including Christina Picarillo, Colobby Robuk and uh um Miss Hawkins who will be seeing very shortly um who is on the agenda for this evening for the work they have done and the work that they will continue to do as well. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank
you. Do any board members have any questions? I did have one. Um, with with piloting this first at Saltbrook, are there plans to eventually consider two separate programs, one at Saltbrook, one at Roberts, or does it really just depend
on, I guess, the number of referrals from IEP teams you're really getting from each school, depending on which one has a higher needs based at that point? Sure, it's a great question. So, at this point, we are looking at just having the one program and having it housed at Saltbrook. That happens to be where the
most advantageous space uh issue was and availability was. Um obviously if um referrals dictate then we would have to look into other programs but um not to make anybody nervous I think at this point we're focusing on just the one program. Thank you. It's a great question.
I'd like to just take this opportunity to thank Dr. Harvey. Um I know that when we came back from COVID things were most certainly not easy for anybody. Um and I think that who it truly impacted were our students. And over time, we saw many
students struggling in ways that we never saw them struggle before and really looking for ways that we could help them. And I know over those years, Dr. Harvey and I had many conversations and he has advocated for these students
and for a program like this where we can house it right here in our district. It allows us to bring students in and when ready transition them out and with the hopes that they will be in the mainstream class. Um so I just want to
thank you for your advocacy um and for your hard work on this. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you everyone. So, uh, the board does plan to approve the, uh, strategic plan goals and the annual goals at our
next meeting in June. Um, and before that meeting, uh, we will be posting the strategic plan and the goals on our website. So, you can be looking out for them probably either tomorrow or Monday, I'm sure. At this time, I would like to declare a public hearing on the 2023
2024 school self assessment for determining grades under the anti-bullying bill of rights act. Mr. Uglioro, thank you. In the fall of each school year, the school safety team at each school conducts a self assessment
of their school's implementation of the anti-bullying bill of rights act. The school safety team assesses implementation and performance in eight core areas. These are element one, the HIP program, element two, training, board of ed approved HIP policy and
procedures, element three, other staff instructions and training programs. Element four, curriculum and instruction on HIB and related information and skills. Element five, HIP personnel. Element six, school level HI incident
reporting procedure. Element seven, Hib investigation procedures and element eight, HI reporting. And in October of each year, the district anti-bullying coordinator, in our districts, that's the assistant superintendent, reports each school's self assessment grades and
submits them to the department of education. We then await for the department of ed to approve our district and school uh scores. Uh this month we have received our letter from the department of ed approving our
2324 school year self assessment scores which are as follows. Uh AWR 72 out of a possible 78 points. Saltbrook 75 out of a possible 78 points. New Providence Middle School 73 points. New Providence
High School 78 po uh 70 points for a district average of 73 out of a total of 78 points. As required by the New Jersey Department of Ed, we have posted these official scores on our school district website by the deadline of May 21st,
2025. And we are now right here reviewing the district and school grades at a public board of education meeting as required. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ugaloro. I now declare the public hearing on the 2324 school
assessment for determining grades under the anti-bullying bill of rights act closed. And now is an opportunity for the public to be heard on specific agenda items. Specific agenda only. Seeing no one, I declare the
public meeting closed. Um, at this time, 202526 school year annual resolutions. Let me I I need a motion. Second. So, we're doing a lot of housekeeping
going into the new school year, and most of these resolutions all pertain to um us moving forward for next year. Um, roll call. Miss Castalana. Hi. Miss Kara. Hi. Dr. Esson Hayden. Hi. Miss
Gunderman. Hi. Miss Morano. Hi. Miss Zayn. I. At this time, I need approval of the minutes for the business and close session on April 24th, 2025. So moved. Donna.
Roll call. Piscana. Hi, Miss Guaro. Hi, Dr. Eson Hayden. Hi, Miss Gunderman. Hi, M. Morano. Hi, Mrs. Zayn. Hi, Mrs. Morano. Um, finance actions. I'd
like to move uh to approve items 1 through 18. Second. Good. Thank you. Uh, it's a lot of bills that we're paying taxes. uh the architect for post-referendum services. Uh Jim, is there anything I'm
missing? Um yes. Yes. Yeah. Just uh just to touch on the architectural services, the additional funds. Um what they're going to do um we're projecting out that we are going to have some remaining funds. Um so what they're going to do is look back at the items that were uh not
um awarded at the time, which are the cafeterias and the gymnasiums. um do a redesign um to possibly get them to within the budget that we have left and move from there. So, this is just the preliminary phase for them to redesign the work.
Um before we move on, I would also like to um thank uh the Landry family for a generous donation to Salt Brook Elementary School. Um I would also like to thank the athletic booster club for their donation to the high school.
um donation from the high school PTSA in the amount of $25,000 to install customized digital graphics in the high school middle school hallways. Um the generous donation from Mrs. Joselyn Cruz Alfala from the
USA Eastern uh New Providence High School Athletic Department boys tennis team. And last but not least, um we're approving the acceptance of the local recreation improvement grant in the amount of $70,000 which is going to be
used towards replacing the Salt Brook playground. Um roll call. Miss Galona. Hi. MO. I Dr. Hayden. Hi. Miss Gunderman. Hi. Miss Morano. Hi. Miss Zayn. Hi. Uh Dr. Mson Hayden, education. No facilities. Oh,
did did I miss one? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'd like to approve items one through two listed below. We're approving uh the school emergency bus evacuation drill and disposal of old
technology. Roll call. Miss Kalano. Hi. Miss Karo. Hi. Dr. Aiden. Hi. Miss Gunderman. Hi. Miss Moreno. Hi. Mrs. Zay. Hi. Now, Mrs. Dr. Epson Hayden, education, I'd like to approve items one through
nine as listed below. Seconded. I um biggest things to highlight approve and authorize our school district affirmative action team to conduct needs assessment. Um developing the comprehensive equity plan for 25 and 26
through 27 and 28 school years. Um everything else is kind of business as usual. I'd just like to note for the board that um for items eight and nine, you'll see that you are approving the authorization of the needs assessment and then you are actually approving the plan. Um that's
what we discussed in our board huddles and the only reason it appears that way on the board agenda is because the state has asked us to approve both of those and we didn't have a board meeting in between just so so that I could clarify that.
Miss Costalon. Hi, Miss Carara. Hi, Dr. Hayden. Hi, Miss Gunderman. Hi, Miss Morano. Hi, Miss Zayn. Hi, Miss Gunderman. Personnel. Yes. I'd like to move to approve items 1 through 20 as listed.
Second. Um, so we obviously have a lot of appointments. I know there's a few that Dr. Zerly will point out as well. um some resignations including a special retirement um and the um ratification of
the agreement with the um assistant principles and directors association. Dr. Zerling. Great. Well, we do have some new hires here in our audience. So, I would like to um welcome Kelly Hawkins who actually is currently doing a leave
replacement for us at Salt Brook School. Um, she did teach for some time, took some time off, and she's back in the profession. We're very excited, Dr. Harvey and I, that she will be the teacher of the behavioral development program. She has some experience with this, and she's very excited to take on
this opportunity and challenge. Um, I'd also like to recognize um, Miss Ruth Azoro, who has been with us prior um, to being appointed tonight. Um, Ruth was with us for about five years. she took some time off to uh spend time with her
family and we're very excited that this opportunity presented itself again and that we can bring Ruth on board once again. Um we also have Mr. Anderson, Russ Anderson in the back. He is a social studies teacher here at New Providence Middle School. I'd also like
to say he is a Pioneer graduate. Um so he's a pioneer pride through and through. He coaches for us as well. Um but we're very excited that he's going to be taking on the role as department head of technology for the new school year. And then lastly, we have Miss Kelly here. Um she will be our new
assistant principal at New Providence High School. There were over 80 applications for this position. The team and committee um that was led by Mr. Henry interviewed seven candidates. There were two finalists that came to me and Miss Kelly was the final candidate
and we're very excited to have her. She has over 20 years experience in education, um many years in the classroom, she was a dean of discipline, and most recently an assistant principal. So, we're very excited to have you come on board. Congratulations
to you all. Got a vote right here. Oh, I'm sorry. One more one more piece. Um I did want to point out uh Mr. McGeein, who has been here for 25 years. This is his 25th year here in New Providence, has been an extremely
dedicated employee for many, many years. I have um been so lucky and fortunate to work alongside him during my time here at New Providence. He was a science teacher. He then became a department head of science. He became the department head of STEM. I'm sorry, he became the department head of
technology. Then he also in the interim served as an edte specialist. and he has been a huge asset to our entire administration as well as all of our teachers, K12. Um, he will be retiring. Um, I wish him the very best in
retirement and his new adventures. Um, and I just like to thank him for all of his years of service here in New Providence. [Applause] Roll call. Miss Costana. Miss Kara. Hi. Dr. Epson Hayden. Hi. Miss Gunderman. Hi, Miss Morirano. Hi, Miss Zane. Hi,
board policy. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. [Laughter] Welcome. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations.
Congratulations. Okay, now we're going to do board policy. Thank you. We have a number of new policies uh on the agenda tonight for first read. Many of them are mandated revisions
um based on uh the comprehensive equity plan that are required to be revised and updated uh based on the comprehensive equity plan. Um there are a couple of new policies included as well. Um, one of them, the attendance areas is
required by the comprehensive equity plan. And you'll see we have one policy and one regulation on the prevention and treatment of sports related concussions and head injuries that are revisions, but they're required ones uh to make
sure that our practices in the district align with the most recent recommendations on responding to concussions and head injuries uh put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Need a motion. Roll call.
Miss Galana. Hi. Miss Kara. Hi. Dr. Hayden. Hi. Miss Gunderman. Hi. Mrs. Morano. Hi. Miss Zayn. Hi. Committee reports. Curriculum. Nothing new at this time. Finance.
Nothing new right now. Personnel, nothing new. I think you've seen it all. I think we've seen it all tonight is right. Um, any old business, Jim? Do you want me to give an update? That'd be great. For the HAC real quick. All right.
Okay. We'll start with Roberts. Um, right now at Roberts, the power transfer has all been completed. That means that all the power needed to run all the new equipment is to the building. Uh we're in the process of
getting the equipment with a startup. The manufacturer, which is Carrier, has been out to the site twice. Um in both times they're still trying to get the um wiring to where the manufacturer will be satisfied. Um we're hoping that it will
be done this week. Um HNS is there at second shift. So they're there for this entire week to work on the wiring that's recommended by Carrier. Carrier's coming back Monday. And the hope is at that point um the plan is is to um get it running in portions or phases. So the
building's broken up into different portions and hopefully next week will be uh portion number one and then they'll work through um get that running and then move on to the next section. Um, just keep in mind it's not like uh switching a switch as my as the
contractor told me. It's very complicated. Um, each of the um systems on a roof work with multiple rooms. So, all the wiring and the system has to run according to what the manufacturer requires. So, we're getting there. We're
very close. Um, and I hopefully by next week we'll get some air going into the rooms and then finish up in the beginning of June. So, it's a good thing. Um, we'll go to the high school, middle school. 100% of the unit ventilators are in and operational.
JCPNL, uh, the poll is up. Transformers in. They ran all their wires to the transformer and the electrician ran all the wires from the transformer to the box in the uh, garage at the high school middle school. Once they're finished up,
we'll get an inspection and then we'll plan to um switch the power over probably one weekend in June. Once that's done, um we will get all the rooftops on the roof, which will be done after graduation and then we will finish
up in the summer and the projection date of ending at the end of the summer is on target. So, I don't see any issues there. And last but not least, Saltbrook. 100% of the unit ventil ventilators are installed. This was great that we got this all done during the year. The original plan was this all
was going to be done in the summer. Uh but we did open the building up to second shift and we found out a way of putting the units in without disturbing any of the asbestous that were in the rooms. Um it's working out very well. Um over the weekend they one of the weekends, I think it was last weekend or
the weekend before they put all the rooftops on the roof. So now they're working on putting the refrigerant lines and hooking up the ones up on the roof. They are trying to get a date from JCPNL to put the pole in. So at Salt Prep, none of the electric has been um worked
on yet. Um they're hoped to get that done in June and the beginning of July. And again, once that is done, u it will be operational by August. So, I believe by the end of August, we should be set with the first phase. Like I said, you
approve the resolution for some design work. If all goes well, we'll go out to bid or maybe even see if HNS will want to quote on it. Um, but none of that work will happen to the following summer. So, I just want to be clear with that. So, whatever we do decide and we
do approve, that work will not be done to the following summer. Any questions? Okay. I just want to thank you, Jim, for staying on top of that. Um, I know it's been a a long, very long ongoing project and we really appreciate
your effort. Thank you. Um, at this point, um, I don't think we have any new business. It's an opportunity for the public to be heard and I think we have some students that want to come up. There you go. Yeah, it's on. Oh, okay. Do I click the
button? No. Okay, cool. Um, I'm Alisa Cochaba and I'm a ninth grader at New Providence High School. I live at 17 Dogwood Lane. And I'm Kayla Fenan, also a 9th grader at New Providence and I live at 71 Fairview Avenue. We would like to invite you all to join us on
Unity Day on Saturday, June 7th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the high school gym where the diversity, French, Japanese, and Spanish clubs are going to be taking part. And we have a lot of fun stuff planned, including the Zimba Zuru activity by the Japanese club where we
hope to make a thousand origami cranes as a symbol of peace and unity. And we also have a passport activity for elementary school children with prizes donated by local businesses. And then we would also have dance and music performances choreographed by Keys to
Success, which is a New Providence nonprofit dedicated to music education. Our hope is to bring all us all together as a community that celebrates the oneness of the human family and we hope you all will join us. Thank you. And I just want to reiterate that that's uh Saturday, June 7th at 4
o'clock. Yeah. 4 to 6 p.m. Yep. Thank [Applause] you. Anyone else? an opportunity for the public to be heard on any subject. Sure. Hi, Sun Labal, 1532 Springfield Avenue.
Uh, I want to thank the students. We gave them no notice at all, so they did it kind of impromptu. So, Alyssa and Kayla, big thank you. Uh they also mentioned keys to success which is a local nonprofit uh dedicated to music education for children that are
disadvantaged. And it's my friend and neighbor Jihun Krisa. I'd like her to talk a little bit about the the nonprofit as it really relates to belonging and community. Hi, Jihun Kurska 1536 Springfield Avenue and um
I want to say that um keys to success was inspired by the excellent music program here in New Providence. I have three kids who went through the system participating in or um band, marching band and chorus. Um um and I started the
organization in 2016 really with the help of volunteer moms and their kids and um that was nine years ago. Since then we've had a trickle of kids coming in from New Providence to help out in New uh in Newark. But last year, we
actually brought the gathering out to New Providence because the New Providence United Methodist Church opened up a space for us to meet. And that has been a really encouraging um development just to see how welcoming
and inclusive our community is and um and it's really grown into a really um really fun and loving group. So, I'm really excited to bring that to the high school in um on on June 7th and just
share with everyone. Thank you. Thank you so [Applause] much. Anyone else like to come up? Seeing nobody, I declared uh the public meeting closed. I need a
motion to recess to close session for student matters related to HIB and personnel. Thank you everyone. Have a great summer if we don't see you. This is it. Not for us.