Good. >> Roll call. >> Miss Kelan is absent. Miss Gara >> here. >> Dr. Hayden >> here. >> Miss Gunderman >> here. >> Mrs. Morano >> here. >> Mr. Walsh is absent. Mrs. Zay >> here. >> You have a quorum. Please join me in the flag salute.
>> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty for all. This is a
maybe this is a public meeting of the board of education of the bureau of new providence. Adequate notice of this meeting has been given in accordance with PL1 1975, chapter 231, and that a notice was made in conformance with section 13 of the act. Whenever the business of the board requires it to
convene to close session, the session will begin no later than 9:30 p.m. At the conclusion of the need for close session, the board will reconvene to the public portion of the meeting. At that time, the board will complete any business that may be before it, and the public will then be given the opportunity to be heard before the
meeting is adjourned. The following notice was posted on August 5th, 2025. The New Providence Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Thursday, August 14th, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the New Providence High School Middle School
Media Center, 35 Pioneer Drive for the purpose of personnel and policy matters. Um, tonight we're going to go a little out of order and Dr. Zerley will uh give the report of the superintendent of schools and then we will open up for public comments on specific agenda
items. Dr. Zerley. Thank you, Miss Cicaro. This evening on the agenda, the board will see one revised policy and one new regulation for approval on first reading. This policy and regulation is use of electronic communication devices.
And I'd like to just take some time to speak to them. After much research and discussion throughout last year, the administration this summer took the time to have deep conversations about the role of technology in adolescent lives. This led us to the decision to revise
policy 5516 to reflect a change at the high school level, grades 9 through 12. While revising the policy, we also found it necessary to introduce a new regulation to accompany it, which outlines procedures and information to implement
and comply with the policy for all grade levels preK through 12. On Tuesday, I informed the staff, students, and parents in a letter which outlined the why behind the choice to make this change. Now, we believe in order to be
proactive in responding to the growing body of research showing the impact of excessive screen time, especially the constant pull of social media on tweeners and teenagers, as well as the addictive nature of social media and the difficult position it places our
students in to self-regulate, increasing their stress levels and reducing meaningful in-person connections. We must take these intentional steps to limit the use of personal technology. We want students and parents to understand that our goal is to support
students and being more present in the physical world where they are present, engaged, and more fully connected. This change is not intended to be punitive or to restrict communication between families. Rather, we are looking to help
students foster a deeper learning, stronger connection, and healthier habits. For the purpose of the revised policy 5516, electronic communication devices refers to, but is not limited to cell phones,
smartwatches, and Bluetooth earbuds. The change for grades 9 through 12 is that students in these grades must place all personal electronic communication devices in their lockers at the start of the day. Electronic communication
devices will remain there secured until dismissal. The exception will be for juniors and seniors who have open lunch privileges. They will be permitted at that time to access their personal electronic comm communication devices and leave campus
for open lunch. Upon their arrival back and re-entry, those electronic communication devices must be returned and secured in their locker. For students in grades seven and eight, there has been no change to the policy. However, what is written in the policy
will be enforced, which states that students in grades seven and eight must keep their personal electronic communication devices turned off and placed in their lockers secured for the duration of the school day. We do recognize that teachers in grades 7
through 12 may at times incorporate the use of personal earbuds that directly connect to a student's schoolisssued iPad as a part of instruction. In such cases, students will be permitted to use their earbuds under the direction of the teacher. For elementary students, there
is also no change in the policy. They must keep their personal electronic devices turned off and placed in their backpacks or their lockers throughout the day until dismissal. Of course, we recognize that some students may need to access or keep on
their person their electronic device for medical reasons such as monitoring. In this case, students will set up an IHP, which is an individualized health plan with the school nurse supported by a medical doctor's note. Building
principles in the next few weeks or two weeks will be communicating directly with students, families, and staff to share school specific procedures and expectations related to the revised policy and new regulation. This will include information for high school
students about locker access, enforcement guidelines, and any building level supports put in place to assist them with the transition. In closing, we understand that mobile devices and personal technology are an integral part of modern life. We all
ourselves use them. So, we're in no way looking to strip our students from the use of their personal devices. However, we are committed to helping our students while they're here in school develop healthy, age appropriate habits around
technology that will hopefully extend way beyond the school day. Thank you to the board for your partnership and working on the revision of this policy and the new accompanying regulation. I'd also like to thank our parent community in advance for trusting us and
partnering with us to always do what's in the best interest of our students. At this time, I could take any questions from the board or comments. Thank you, Dr. Zerolley. Now is an opportunity for the public to be heard on any specific agenda item.
Seeing no one, I declare this portion of the meeting closed. Um, action items, Mrs. Gunderman, personnel. Uh, I'd like to move to approve items one through three as listed. >> Roll call.
>> Miss Carol. >> Hi. >> Dr. Hayden. >> Hi. >> Miss Gunderman. >> Hi. >> Miss Vana. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Zay. >> Yes. >> Uh, board policy. Mr. Walsh is not here. Uh, we're these are first reading for policy 5516
55 5111. policy 3322 and two regulations 5516 and 5111. I'm going to ask uh Mr. Yugoloro to speak to them. I >> get a second first. >> Oh, sorry. >> Second, >> Stacy.
Thank you. So, um we just heard about um policy and regulation 5516, which is use of electronic communication devices. We also have a revision to policy 3322 which is staff members use of personal electronic communication communication
devices. There's a change in title so that applies to all staff and it also uses the same uh terminology of electronic communication devices prior to now it was um personal personal cellular telephones. Um that also
expands in a little bit more detail what uh applies as an electronic communication device for staff and um what the expectations are for their personal use of it um while they are performing professional responsibilities.
The other new policy or revised policy and regulation is 511 eligibility of resident non-resident students. It is a mandated revision that comes out of a change to uh 18A um which now requires school districts to charge tuition to
non-resident students. Um and there was a inconsistency uh with our policy and that our previous policy. So we made a revision um to bring our policy in line with that uh that change in statute. And again it is a mandated uh revision. Uh
and that's it. I'd just like to bring to the board's attention, we do charge non-resident students tuition to come to New Providence School District, uh, K12, preK12. However, we do have in one of
our policies, if you are a senior student and you move out of town, I believe it says in February, April of your senior year, we would then not charge you for those remaining months of your senior year. At this
point, the statute says we have to charge them. However, we can charge them $1, but we have to charge them something. Just to make sure everybody understands that. >> Thank you, Dr. Zerley. Uh, roll call. >> Makara,
>> I. >> Dr. Hempson Hayden. Hi, >> Miss Gunderman. I >> Mrs. Morano. Hi, >> Mrs. Zayn. >> Yes. >> Now's an opportunity for the public to be heard on anything. just give your name and address, please. Thank you. >> There's there's a button right on the
bottom there. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. Uh Katherine Viber, nine the arbors. And I um also should tell you I'm the co-president of the PTSA for those of you who don't know that. Uh could we have an update on the HVAC systems for the schools? >> That's my only question.
>> Sure. >> Um for all. >> Okay. Um, at this point, Robert's finished the startup process. Um, and they're just finishing um, going through making sure that it's all connected in the, um, controls and it'll be ready for
the opening of school. Um, Salt Brook School at this point, they are completing the electrical upgrade pre-work. The electrical upgrade is supposed to be done on Tuesday and the plan is once it's up and running on Tuesday that we could begin the startup
process. Our hope is by the end of next week that there'll be some air flowing into the into the schools and we'll go from there. Um at the high school middle school, the electrical upgrade is totally complete. Units are all on the roof. They're in the process of this
week uh connecting all the units with refrigerant, electric, and controls. Our hope is to have that done by the end of the week, beginning of next week. And again, as Salt Brooks, start the startup process by the end of next week. So,
it's going to be a tight time frame, but we're we're trying to get done before the start of school in the last week of August to have some air flow. Um during the year we will be going through um making sure that it's on to the systems and making sure it's running 100% and the punch list will be done during the
school year. But um at this point we're in good shape to try to get some air into the classrooms at the beginning of school. >> Great. Because people have questioned there's two units. I'm going to say they're units. I don't know if they're units by the dumpsters at >> Yeah. So the the two units by the dumpsters are for the auditorium. the
auditorium, they're supposed to go on the roof on Tuesday of next week where the crane will be coming in. Um, I look at that a little differently. Um, that by the beginning of school may be not 100%. Um, but it will be on the roof and they'll start the hookups next week, but that is scheduled to go up there on
Tuesday. Uh, the roofers and the curbs are all in. Um, they're just waiting for some duck work to be put in tomorrow and Monday. And like I said, Tuesday is supposed to go in. >> Great. Thank you. We're all very excited. Yeah. Very interesting. Thank you.
Okay, we're looking for an adjournment. >> Okay, everyone, enjoy the rest of the summer. Thank you. >> Thank you.