WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=6nVBznxAuJ0

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 6nVBznxAuJ0):
- 00:00:00: Opening Remarks and Superintendent Report on TOIS Incident
- 00:05:46: Public Comment Ground Rules, Time Limits Explained
- 00:06:35: Thomas Denno: Patch Article, Allegations of Misreporting
- 00:11:45: Alex Hayes: Communication Breakdown, Ineffective Bullying Policies
- 00:16:44: Arian: TOIS Incident Handling, Lack of Communication
- 00:19:26: Jonathan Shutman: School Climate, Culture Survey Needed
- 00:25:55: Liz Jeffy: Parents Want More Transparency, Communication
- 00:28:47: Grey Sound Telerico: Past Bullying Mishandling, HIB Process Flaws
- 00:33:55: Allison Ocon: TOIS Issues, Communication Gaps, Town Hall
- 00:39:57: Sam Fields: High School Safety, Bullying, Special Needs
- 00:47:14: Jacob: Media Outrage, Bullying Complaints Being Ignored
- 00:52:32: Carolyn Stack: Dismissing Student Experiences, Student Voices
- 00:56:02: Natalie Tortoella: Talk to the Kids, Threatening Lawyer
- 00:58:53: Alex Hazokur: Anonymity, Fear of Retaliation in Community
- 01:00:28: Approval of Minutes, Personnel, Financial Items
- 01:02:21: Discussion of Healthcare Plan, Leaving State Plan
- 01:14:57: Bus Lease Rebid, Discussion, Financial Approvals Continue
- 01:17:39: Special Education Week Resolution, Continued Board Approvals
- 01:19:35: Old Business: State Teacher of the Year Recognition
- 01:20:24: Board Members Address Public Concerns, OTIS Incident
- 01:30:47: New Business and Adjournment


Part: 1

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Okay, this meeting of the the Ocean Township Board of Education comes to order. We already opened the meeting upstairs in executive session. Um, I will begin with the president's report. Um, so I

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just have a brief statement here. Um, the events in at one of our schools in the last week were concerning to all of us. Please know that the members of the board have read emails, social media posts, and remained in contact with our superintendent. We take any matters

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related to the safety, security, and student well-being seriously. We recognize that in the fast-paced world of internet news and social media, information spreads quickly, whether that information is accurate or not. We recognize that some are here this

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evening to share their concerns and we will continue to listen and carefully consider what is shared. At this time, Miss Welden would like to provide her report which will include some clarification, points of reflection, and a path forward. Thank you.

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>> Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to address the event that took place at TOIS last week. Although I cannot comment on the specific circumstances involving confidential student matters, I want to reiterate what I wrote in my

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letter. Our students safety is and will always be our highest priority. I assure you the TOIS staff and administration were laser focused on

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student safety throughout the event. The staff's prompt response and attention to established safety procedures helped ensure that students who were not directly involved in the incident were safe and supervised in

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school. As I stated in my letter, we recognize that communication with families should have occurred sooner. For that, I apologize. The administration has already begun

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taking steps to improve the timeliness and clarity of our messaging moving forward. At the same time, during any school-based incident, our first responsibility must be to attend to the

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immediate needs of students and staff, gather accurate information, and then communicate with families as quickly and appropriately as possible. I also want to clarify there was no

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ongoing security threat to the school. A shelter in place was called to allow medical professionals to move quickly and safely to our nurse's office and to provide privacy to the individual receiving care.

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During a shelter in place, hallways are cleared, students remain in their classrooms, and instruction continues as appropriate. I understand how incomplete information or social media posts may have caused

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concern and confusion. As we move forward, we remain committed to continuing our work to strengthen school culture and climate. The TOIS administration will be meeting with students as they have throughout the

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year to reinforce expectations and supports including bullying prevention, respectful and appropriate language, being an upstander, seeking help from trusted adults, and developing positive

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character traits and behaviors. We will also engage the TOIS parent community in future discussions to seek their feedback on both short-term and long-term opportunities for improvement. Tonight, I ask you to continue

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partnering with us as we work to model appropriate behavior and respectful interactions for our students. The middle school years are important and impressionable. Students are growing socially, emotionally, and

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developmentally in ways they do not understand. And they are learning how to navigate new challenges, relationships, and responsibilities. That process is not always smooth. And students will make mistakes and stumble

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along the way. When they do, it is critical that we, the adults in their lives, guide and support them while holding them accountable in appropriate ways. In school, we will continue to teach our students the importance of

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making good decisions, thinking before they act or post, seeking adult help when facing difficult situations, speaking up for others, and learning from mistakes. These lessons are an

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important part of adolescence and of helping students grow into responsible, compassionate young people. Please know we remain committed to make making each of our schools welcoming, safe, and spirited places for our

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students to learn and grow. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Weldon. Uh Mr. Hastings, do you have any uh school business administrators report for this evening? No, I'll hold uh information for the uh finance agenda. >> Thank you. Okay. Public comment. Board

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of Education uh recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves themselves on school matters of community interest. Public comment is not a question and answer session. Specific questions

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specific questions can be directed to the administration. Superintendent's contact information is on the deis. We encourage you to contact her with any questions. Public participation shall be governed by the following rules. Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to 5 minutes duration. No

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participant may speak more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard. The presiding officer may request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum. Would anyone from the public like to comment on any item at this

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time? a little bit. >> Yes, please. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Thomas Denno, uh, Route 66 in Neptune. I'm legal counsel to two young twins who were the victims of some really bad breasts that

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was occasioned by something called patch long branch having to do with an interaction they had with a boy a great ahead of them and that poor fella is starting to read some bad press about himself and his family as well and he doesn't deserve that and none of these boys do. So, I came here tonight to try

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and lower the temperature of this town a little bit, to lower the heat a little bit, except when it comes to patch long branch because I want to tell you what they did. There's a someone there posing as a reporter named Carly Baldwin and she wanted a story and Carly wanted a

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story about random acts of racism. So, she used these three boys as pawns to fabricate a story. And if you read her story, it went something like this. Two young white supremacists were hunting in the halls of your middle school, searching for Latinos so that they could

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find them, beat them with metal objects, call them racist things. Nothing sells papers like a story like that. I was outraged when I read it myself. And one of the things they did that was significantly bad was she put in the

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third paragraph that she confirmed all these facts with local police department. That's your police department. And I knew that was false right away because juvenile matters are sealed and police don't talk about that. But what did that do? It made everybody

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believe that you had this giant racial issue in your school when you didn't and people went berserk over it. I've already tracked it's been shared over a hundred times with over a thousand comments. And if you read those comments, they're terrible. They're talking about these boys who can read

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the internet like they're the second coming of Hitler. They're the worst people in the world. Then it got dangerous. You have people out there posting that they uh we should go to find these boys and beat them with weapons. Then the post started that we should find their parents and kill them.

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There's one post said, "Let's go there now and hang them." Okay. All of this because Carly wanted a story. And that's a rotten thing to do. Nothing racial like that happened. And I have to tell you a little bit about this matter. Usually I don't talk about clients

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cases, but I got to clear something up for these boys. All three of them. None of them deserve what they're going through. One of these twins was born with a condition calledtosis. It's an asymmetrical presentation of his eyes. One looks bigger than the other. He gets teased and bullied so much about that

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that he actually asks his parents if he could have plastic surgery, change his face. Okay? And I don't have to tell you who's been teasing him about that. Patch didn't tell you about that. Patch didn't tell you about an altercation in the park between two of these boys. the the weekend before where the young twin rode

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his bicycle away, did what he was taught, leave the scene, don't stay and fight. Patch didn't tell you about all the kids reporting now that there was a social media post saying, "I'm going to beat up one of the twins today." Patch didn't tell you that there was a boy sitting in a classroom telling his peers, "I'm going to beat up one of the

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twins today." And that twin found himself at his locker and someday a video will come out showing that he was assaulted. He was beaten first and then the other twin arrived. And none of these boys deserve what they're getting on the internet. And if you compare that to the story Carly told, it's rotten. It

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caused everybody to get angry. It even caused the state senator to start talking about it. Well, I went to the head of patch in Manhattan and read him the riot act and told him what he's going to happen to him if anything happens to these boys. He knew his story was fake, so he took it down. And then

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the senator, who's somebody I admire, took his story down. But I don't know if I can get to that many people in the community. There's over a thousand comments and they're not just coming from Ocean Township. So, I wanted to come here today and tell you the situation was grave. It was bad. And I want you to trust these people to do

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their investigation. Trust the police. But if you intended upon coming here tonight and telling Carly Baldwin's story that this was a random attack by racist kids, you're doing the wrong thing. Ocean Township has got to be take the lead here and be better than that.

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Please don't run with that story. I hope you get up here and you tell everybody on the internet, erase what you wrote. Leave these three boys alone. Turn the temperature around and trust these people with the process. You elected them for a reason. They're going to take care of this the right way. Please, by

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all means, don't spread the information when you get to this microphone tonight. I know a lot of people are being encouraged to come here and make a big show of it. Please don't do that. Think of the boys before you do that. Thank you very much. Next.

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>> Anyone else? uh Alex Hayes Ocean or Oakhurst. Um it would have been helpful to know that an attorney was sitting here. It would have been helpful um for you all to um you know introduce the attorney on the deis. Um as many of you know me, nobody's going to tell me what I can or cannot

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say at a meeting. Um, I felt like I was just in court in a one-sided court. But anyway, I'm not really here to talk about what happened. Um, but I do want to address the communication breakdown um, and

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uh, some ineffective policies. Um I think what a lot of people have posted online um and even like wrote to me personally um you know are things that I've been saying as a former school board member either when I was behind the deis on the board or you know just a

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parent who comes to nearly every meeting for seven years um I will call out ineffective um policies and management administration when I see it as you all know um I as a parent as a PR p prof professional um as a journalist Um, as a

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pragmatist and as somebody who hopes for the future, I really can't accept that we will do better. I think that that is a weak argument. Um, it's been made pretty clear to this um board over the years that there's a problem on our

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campuses with bullying um and violence. Um, I believe the district is not doing all that it should be doing to combat it. Um, I think sure parents need to do better about educating kids. Nobody should put their hands on anybody. Um,

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but something is not getting through to the kids. So, I appreciate Miss Weldon at least committing to making that more apparent in school that you keep your hands to yourself and you teach basic stuff like that. But, um, there needs to be a better speakup culture. That's

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pretty important in corporate culture these days. I don't think kids and our parents feel like they can come to staff or to the board or to whoever. Um, so speak up culture I think needs to be addressed. Um,

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I'm a little thrown off because I was not expecting that opening. Um, so my notes are a little bit discombobbleled. Um, let's see. I I think it as I brought up many years ago, this district does not know how to adequately respond to crisis

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situations and um crisis communications is very important and I think you lost a lot of parent trust which is sad um by the way things were handled this past week. Um, I was actually going to read a whole bunch of

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comments, um, not really related to the incident, but of a lot of parents voicing their utter almost disgust at their level and lack of trust for this district. And I don't get the feeling that you all truly taken that that to

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heart cuz I think you could have made some bold changes over the years. Um, and it's something you simply refuse to do. Um, Sorry, I got to look at my notes here. Um, my reputation took a bit of a hit in the

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past week and I think trying to build back that reputation is going to be difficult and it saddens me. I know I've been a critical person um to this board a lot, but something like what happened yesterday, it just doesn't move the needle forward.

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Um, let's see. I think what um it's not just the fight or bullying or violence on campus. I think this district needs to address um certainly

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racism on campus, anti-religious uh speech on campus, and you need to do a better job about being transparent and open to parents and taxpayers. Um and I think you need to revise your discipline and uh punishment. I think we

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need to make a stronger effort to curb um ineffect uh inappropriate speech on campus. We don't really know what the answer is, but I think whatever you've been doing and I think Mrs. Welen has addressed it is not working. So comments

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like it takes a while to make changes doesn't really fly with a lot of parents anymore. You guys need to make bold changes and make things happen. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, I'm Arian from Wayside. I wanted to take this opportunity to

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share my concerns regarding how the incident at OTIS was handled. As someone who has worked as a high school counselor in another district for the past 19 years, I am very familiar with crisis response protocols and the

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importance of timely and transparent communication with families. In a situation such as this, communication to parents should have been sent prior to students leaving for the day. Many children came home scared, upset,

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and concerned. And as a parent, we should have been given the opportunity to be prepared to support and speak with them about the incident. Additionally, because my child was recently the victim

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of a founded HIV incident at OTIS, it is especially concerning to me that this type of behavior appears to be occurring more frequently. I sincerely hope that what occurred is

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addressed appropriately and with the seriousness it deserves. It is important that the district sends a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

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In regards to the email communication that was sent the morning after the incident, it was inappropriate and lacking critical reassurance for families. At no point did it clearly

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state that students were safe. The wording minimized the seriousness of the situation and read more like a notification regarding a medical emergency than what we are hearing is a hate related

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incident that impacted the school community. I believe there needs to be reflection and change regarding how aspects of situations like this are managed administratively.

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OTIS often receives negative attention and I believe it may be worthwhile to examine why families continue to feel this way. Thank you. handing out a uh publication will go in

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New Jersey education report soon and uh state a bridge uh copy of this will be done by Alan Perol that will be in the post of so I'm going to address some of the points as you know I'm Jonathan Shutman I live

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on two Shirley Drive in Ocean, New Jersey. Uh, I thought the lawyer's comments were very interesting because always these are complex issues. I've written to this board in the past about the climate we live in in this country

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and the way that negativity is modeled from the very top of our country. I know that's a political comment, but it's a true comment. and how ICE has been represented in our country in such a way to make everybody of concern. But that's

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not on what I'm here to talk about. Although I have warned you that you should be ready for if that were to come. The other thing that I wrote to you most recently was about a movie I saw which I would recommend to everyone called Mass. And at first I saw it on Netflix and I thought, well, this might

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be about something Catholic, but actually it was about a school shooting and it was about reparations and somehow reconciliation that the parents tried to have under the circumstances and it was done in a middle school and it was from England. Very very I think moving. It

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moved me no less uh movie. So I would recommend if you haven't seen it, take a look because our schools in many ways and not just Ocean Township are probably overburdened, under supported and consequently

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probably not doing the complex work that needs to be done. And some of the complex work I've tried to uh communicate as a former educator and somebody who does write on these issues. And basically what needs to be done now is a survey needs to go to this

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community and the survey needs to look at what's going on with the climate and culture in the schools. How do people see the schools? I mean they can go to nichch.com. They can go to greatschools.com.org. They can go to usnews and world report and they can also go to the state

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department. But the bottom line is what's going on here. So we can look at all these websites and unfortunately they will tell us that this school system folks is average or less based on a confluence of reporting and rankings.

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So I don't know if you know that or not but that's the case. So the real question is what are we going to do about it? And obviously there are issues of culture and climate. So a survey could go out to the community and it should be drawn in such a way that it's anonymous and questions are very open

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and with a survey staff should be given a needs assessment and ask yourself what do you really need from us? We're having some maybe problems here or what do you see our problems to be and how can we support you? What kind of supports do you have right now? But let the staff

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freely speak to what is needed. And maybe maybe some of these plans might meet something. You might even want to have some focus groups. Invite some people in from the community. Not just people who have children in the school, but people who live in the community

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because obviously we hear news reports and we don't know really what to make of them. And so on the one side something is said and on the other side something else is said and who knows what happens. But it's really concerning when this stuff is out there. But the real question is what are you

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board of education superintendent doing about this? Now I find it kind of interesting and I know this is going to be not taken well but we have declining enrollment. We have declining test

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scores and we have um unsettling uh public relations and the superintendent has been awarded with a substantial raise. So I'm not exactly sure what that means for a job well done has been reported in the coaster and if

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they have misrepresented you as a board of education please let us know that. but they set a job very very excellent and very pleased with the work that has been done. I maintain that part of the problems in Ocean Township are how people are hired and it's been my

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experience over 35 years that there is a distinct hiring practice that we know nothing about. People are promoted from within. We have no idea what the standards are. We have no idea how recruitment is done. And part of it is our fault. It's my fault. It's people

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who are here. It's part of our fault because we don't come to board meetings. We don't ask questions. Of course, we're told we're not going to get any discussion. We're not going to get any dialogue. We're not going to have a real meeting of trying to find common cause.

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But folks, we don't show up and they do what they can. And sometimes I think unfortunately what they do is they cheerlead. And so here's the last thing I'm going to say. There's something about the word Spartan that makes me very uncomfortable. You can know that the Spartans in Greek culture were

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warriors. They're winners and losers. And there is something about this this orwillian sense of we're Spartans that I think gets in the way of the climate and culture of the community. I think it's time to address it. It's time to look at all those helmets that are all over the

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website and they were shown on these little kids. They all were had their identity protected in the presentation lately and it was a bunch of Spartan helmets. It was disgusting to me, I must say. Now, I want to say something about the middle school. Mr. >> Shman, Dr. Shman, could you please bring

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your comments to class? >> I will bring you since I've told you folks that I think what's going on in the middle school should be highlighted and some of the work that Mr. Arman was doing with the staff seem to be what's needed in this district. and an unfortunate incident occurred. But I I

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looked at the PowerPoint and I read what he's up to there with his staff and he's really trying to address the problems whereas you people fund the middle school at the least amount. >> Good evening Liz Jeffy Wayside. Um I too was uh very concerned as many were about

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the incident at the intermediate school last week. It was disturbing for many to hear and see what has gone on through you know social media and the press this week press this week. Um not a good look for our community and and sad ultimately

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that this is where we're at as a community. We've been asked to accept that the email sent to parents that reduced a violent altercation and shelter in place to what was described only as a medical situation without acknowledging the seriousness of what students and staff witnessed or

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experienced. Parents deserve more transparency. It's quite simple. We have this conversation here a lot. Parents want more communication. We are not getting it. I get a I get a message every time there's a drill in a school in my son's school when there's an

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actual shelter in place. We fail on that and we had time. There was time that evening. If it didn't happen by the times the kids came home, there was time. We've acknowledged that failure. I'm wondering what steps are being put in place to fix that. What is equally concerning is the lack of meaningful

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engagement with students and families in the days that followed. This could have been an opportunity for school leadership to come together with this community through an assembly, student focused discussions, parent meetings, something about bullying, bias, school

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safety. Instead, it was radio silence. We all kept waiting for this district to tell us what we were reading wasn't true. We understand you cannot share specific information, but there is a difference between sharing something, providing ongoing communication, and

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remaining dead silent. This incident occurred during the NJSLA testing week at OTIS. Parents received repeated reminders about making sure our children got enough sleep, ate a healthy breakfast, and were prepared for their tests.

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Coming to school on Wednesday after this incident on Tuesday, many students do not feel emotionally or physically safe in the very environment where they were being asked to succeed. My own child has expressed that he does not feel safe if

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these students return to school. This is heartbreaking to hear as a parent. I hope the district understands that families are looking not only for discipline and accountability, but for reassurance, communication. Let us know

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that student safety, respect, and school climate are being taken seriously moving forward. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello, Grey Sound Telerico Wayside. So, during my time in this district,

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I've seen many bullying incidents. One involved my child's fourth grade class. A student repeatedly bullied and threatened classmates, prompting multiple police involvement. After the student made terroristic threats, several students said they felt unsafe. We met with the principal and

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superintendent. As a crisis psychiatric emergency professional, I raised concerns for both the victims and the aggressor, but they were dismissed. I was told, "He's all talk. We guarantee their the safety of our students." That same day, he assaulted a student in

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class, sending that child to the emergency room while another student had to intervene. The class was traumatized. My child was traumatized. Only after parents retained attorneys did the district act. The student was sent out of district. The family later moved. A

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few years later, that same youth stabbed and killed his father. I ran for the board of education in 2019 because of both the bullying in this district and the administration's mishandling of it. I wanted to bring my experience as a mental health counselor to the district.

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In October of 2019, a teacher was assaulted and I attended the board of education meeting which took place in the high school gym to support the teacher in efforts to change our climate. Without these events, you would never have even met me. After I was elected, the pandemic hit in 2020. I

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pushed to create a mental health wellness committee which was implemented. My goal was for school-based professionals to assess the bullying climate, review data, and provide recommendations so administration could partner with mental health experts to make meaningful improvements.

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Rather than prioritizing staff, and I also was on that committee, rather than prioritizing staff and student safety, the focus was more on pushing through administration contracts. And they do have email supporting this. The committee became a show and tell of activities which was positive but its

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original purpose to confront bullying with data and accountability was lost. In 2021 I opened the district's hib process letters. State law sets clear requirements for HIB investigations. Yet fewer than 50% of determinations letters were being sent to parents. So again,

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hired an attorney, met with the former superintendent and the current superintendent, then assistant superintendent, and developed a proposal of a stronger process to protect both victims and perpetrators. The only changes adopted were adding mental health contacts to letters and removing

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principles as anti-bullying coordinators because principles already oversee nearly everything in our district in the schools and shouldn't also run investigations. They just don't have the time. Each school has a safe a school safety committee. typically the principal staff member who's also

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present and two counselors or teachers that meets twice a year to review HI reports, identify trends, and improve school climate. At the time, I found major flaws and reported it to the district. The school safety committee did not present findings or trends to the board and community. Even though I

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did ask, when cases reached the board of education for approval, the information provided was so minimal that the board of ed had to rely entirely on the school's account and execution, which is most likely still the case today. So, in 2021, I submitted a full review and improvement process, and that was also

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dismissed. Over the years, there's also been DCPMP residential abuse investigations at the high school, and parents and the board never heard about it. I quickly learned that the board ad often functions to protect and support administrative decision-making as

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reflected in its voting patterns. That hasn't changed. Members who speak up are labeled divisive, unsupportive of administration. I also testified at the state level in support of stronger anti-bullying laws and served on the LD11 school policy review committee to advocate for victims and help districts

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build safer school climates. In closing, the bullying culture in our district, it must end. We need effective data-driven policies, procedures to protect students and staff, plus training on how to conduct HIP investigations correctly. We also need an ongoing committee of

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parents, teachers, mental health professionals, guidance counselors, police, and students to examine these issues and drive real change. Change that I have advocated for since 2017. Continuing as we are is negligent and it's gone on for just far too long. I

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stand with students, victims of bullying, parents and teachers. No one should come to school afraid or traumatized. No one should leave it in ambulance with broken bones. I also stand with the parent who appealed to hip determination after her disabled daughter with autism was assaulted and

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then dismissed. She should not have to appeal to the state, but she did. And the state agreed with her. And now I'm told that the administration and board attorney are fighting that appeal with talks parony and threatening to require the child victim to appear in court to be interrogated seemingly to pressure

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the family to drop the matter. We need to do better. I share this as a parent, a professional and former board of ed member. We must confront this issue directly, use interventions that work, protect our students and staff, and deliver practical, actionable safety

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solutions to parents and the taxpayers. Thank you. Hello Allison Ocon High Ridge Road in Wayside. Superintendent Welden, President Dalton, and members of the board. I stand before you this evening as a concerned parent

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of a fifth grader at TOIS with another child soon to follow behind. I am active and engaged. I attend all PTA meetings, participate in board meetings when possible, volunteer at school events regularly, and served on the recent district-wide electronics policy task

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force. I stay informed. I read district communications carefully, and I maintain ongoing conversations with my son about his experiences at TOIS. Yet, despite these efforts, much of this school year has felt unclear and difficult to navigate for me as a parent. I have

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often struggled to understand where concerns should be directed and whether they will be taken seriously, how information is communicated, and whether parents are truly being kept informed and included. I want to emphasize that my comments tonight are not solely about last week's incident. Rather, they

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reflect a broader pattern that I have observed throughout our first year at the middle school. Here are some examples. When my son entered fifth grade, neither the parent information session in June nor back to school night in September explained that science and social studies alternate by marking period. After receiving his schedule in

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August listing a science teacher, I spent weeks confused about why my son had not yet attended the class before I was able to piece it together. That may seem small, but it reflects a larger communication gap that we have experienced time and time again. Similarly, the first time he stayed

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after school for a club, I was waiting at home watching the clock, wondering where he was and not able to reach him due to the lack of reception at the school, which is a whole other issue, until he finally called me to say that his bus hadn't come. After much confusion and talking to the administration about what had

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transpired, I learned that the Wayside bus is always the last to come. Again, not a big deal had I known. I then could have made an informed decision about picking him up versus letting him hang around waiting for a late late bus. We strangely did not receive a formal fifth

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grade welcome letter from teachers, which also included a school supply list until mid- November, which at that point was simply comical. Grades are often entered into Genesis long after assignments or tests are completed, making it difficult for parents to meaningfully support their children

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academically in real time. I was also surprised to discover that many of the books on this year's Battle of the Books list had already been read by students during their fourth grade book club at Wayside. Greater coordination between schools and grade levels would strengthen continuity and

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further enrich the student experience. When I received the fifth grade health letter just last month, one sentence jumped out at me which read, quote, "In the area of sexuality, students will learn about the growth patterns of males and females during adolescence and learn strategies to remain abstinate and

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resist peer pressure to become sexually active. I am pretty open-minded, but that was a tough one to imagine for my 10-year-old." So, I did as suggested and reached out to his health teacher, who responded immediately and set up a phone call for the next day. During our conversation, she reassured me that in

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fact that was not content given in fifth grade and wasn't sure why the letter said as much. I am sure this was not the first year that letter went out and caused consternation. If not accurate, why is it still being sent to parents? Another concern for many families is the loss of parent teacher conferences after

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fifth grade. When I raised this issue at a PTA meeting, I was told that conferences at the upper grade levels are simply too difficult logistically. Yet neighboring districts continue to provide parent teacher conferences well into high school. Even report cards, which should provide insight into a

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child's growth and development, often contain either generic pre-selected comments or none at all. I understand that teachers are balancing enormous workloads. And I want to be very clear. My concerns are not directed at individual teachers. In fact, I have found my son's teachers to be

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responsive, supportive, and deeply committed to their students. Our teachers deserve far more recognition for the work they do every day under increasingly difficult circumstances and I sincerely thank them for their dedication. However, all of these concerns lead me directly to the events

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of last week. Like many parents, I first learned about the incident through social media and messages from people outside our district rather than through direct communication from the school. I was shocked to learn from my son that students experienced a shelter in place situation without any notification to

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families. I appreciate Superintendent Walden's subsequent communication and our personal exchanges regarding the matter and I do believe that the lack of communication was an error in judgment that will not be repeated. However, the larger issue remains. Many students do not currently feel safe at school and

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many parents no longer feel confident that they're being adequately informed or heard. That erosion of trust cannot be ignored. If you take away one thing from me tonight, please let it be this. Our community deserves an honest evaluation of the culture, communication

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practices, and leadership structures at TLIS. Parents should not feel that their only opportunity to voice concerns is during public comment periods where no dialogue or response is permitted. I would strongly encourage the district to consider holding a community town hall where parents, administrators, and

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district leadership can engage in open and productive conversation. I also believe initiatives such as a fifth grade ambassador or mentorship program could help students and parents transition more successfully into the middle school environment. I'd be happy to talk more about that with the

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administration. Ultimately, many of these issues are not impossible to solve. In many cases, they require clear communication, stronger collaboration, and a renewed commitment to partnership between families and the district. We can do better, and our children deserve better. Thank you for your time.

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>> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Sam Fields. I'm a senior at the high school and I'm a resident of Wayside. Um, I'm the co-president of the Spartan School of Business and Finance and I've been a class officer for the class of 2026 for the past four years. So, this has

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prompted me to speak on behalf of students and some disturbing developments that I've witnessed the past four years. Firstly, a safe learning environment begins with the safety and quality of the building. This spring and the turning off of the boiler, there have been a few handfuls of leaks in ceiling

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tiles around the school. Much water has fallen on students, and some are suspicious of its cleanliness. Additionally, this has led me to be suspicious of the presence of mold in the ceilings and walls accumulating over the years, and how often is that evaluated in that of asbestous as well.

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Long periods of time exposed to mold can result in severe cardiac issues later on in life for staff and students. It also makes conditions more hostile for those with asthma and other respiratory abnormalities. There is a pipe in the girls locker room that reads replace by

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2021. The water bottle bottle filter reads red on their filters almost all of the time. What are we drinking? Just recently in one of the newest wings of the school, a classroom had a large leak soaking a few students. It also had the potential to cause extensive damage to

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wires. It's the TV productions room. In a severe case, and certainly possible in this case, it could have resulted in explosion, fire, and other fatal conditions. In addition, when a hacky sack got stuck behind an oven in the home economics classroom, upon pulling the oven forward, many clumps of rat

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feces were discovered, a health code violation in a room for food making at the highest extent. This infestation exists all over the school. People witness this all the time. With the level rise of rodent rodent related viruses and other detriments rodents can

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cause, this issue should be handled with swift urgency. The guidance office has been displaced because of flooding, leaving students no privacy with their counselors. In order for students to feel safe in the building, they also must be treated with respect. With my own eyes, I've seen

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oneon-one bullying on many occasions. We speak of the dangers of AI, overuse of technology, vaping, smoking to name a few. But the idea that inerson bullying does not exist has become harmfully accepted. I have noticed that this severe act of treatment has harmed

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students with special needs. Some of whom are not aware that they are being mistreated, but quote included in popular friend groups. Their vulnerabilities are exploited for the exploited, I'm sorry, for the humor of students that seem nice but are actually the meanest in the school. And you wouldn't expect these students to be a

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part of these groups. These are athletes. These are student leaders taking part in such actions. I request that this board hold the administrators at each school accountable as well as teachers who have who I have spoken to who allow this to go on. Complacency is the biggest issue here. I've also come to know that

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students have left this district because of bullying mid high school career. On the topic of students with learning needs, it has also become apparent that they do not get the proper assistance they need. Major cuts are coming to their child's study team. They provide essential services for all students yet they are deemed unimportant in the

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budget. Is the recent retiree in that department going to have their position replaced? The child study team worked wonders wonders for my brother and I would be ashamed to see these essential individuals downgraded. On a recent shadowing trip through the f um future educators club, I had the opportunity to

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sit in on an elementary school class. In the afternoon, the teacher instructs an integrated class students learning with IEPs, 504 plans, and other that others that are considered mainstream. For the first entire hour of that afternoon, the teacher goes without an assistant, an assistant specializing in special

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education. This main teacher cannot assist other students at the same time. To not provide students with legal documents, you're binded legally to these documents stating their classrooms must have a second teacher. It is illegal. these documents. You are breaching what you agreed to in these documents. It is criminal. You are

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neglecting students and parents who have worked tirelessly to get these crucial accommodations for their children that last for their entire academic careers. I, as one who has a 504 plan, I'm going into college because I have that. Imagine the other students who may not even have accommodations now to help in

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their future. I also do not understand why budget cuts are coming to vital departments of our school, yet costs of transportation continue to increase. I hope you can take the time to address that. Another pivotal support for students are the student assistance counselors. I hope that you along with the administrators in the elementary

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high schools have sent sincere apologies to the current high school sack counselor who underwent a horrendous whirlwind. She dedicated several years to developing key support groups and other meaningful projects to assist our younger students. Her position was removed in the elementary schools. You moved her to the high school on a leave

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position that then she then had to apply and interview for to become full-time someone who dedicated so much time and effort. She really does spend a lot of her own time and money to provide an incredible space for students to feel comfortable and safe. And yet you made her reapply and reinter for a job that

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she already had. That essentially threw her under the bus. This year does not even count towards her tenure. So you could just get rid of her and say we're done with her. Removing the position of a sack counselor at the elementary level is upsetting. Precedents and supports that are needed for younger age prove most effective for success in the

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future. Why are there no sack counselors in the elementary schools? Why are there is only one guidance counselor per elementary school yet there are instructional coaches for the teachers? >> Mr. Fields, could we sum this up uh because we're already over the 5 minutes. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I just have

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>> I have a few more points if I can have a minute to a minute 15 to finish. I thought that instructional coaching could be provided by experienced administrators as well as workshops on professional development days. Students are being cut off from being provided with vital resources. There is a state for state sponsored program the districts use for therapy, but is only

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accessible for middle and high school level students. Another disservice to elementary level. As someone who would not have survived high school without a sack counselor, I am disturbed and fearful that this board's priorities for their students are not in order. Additionally, major changes to the high school, such as approving the entire schedule, has only proved detrimental to the success of our students. Have you

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ever considered moving the start time of high school forward? A little change in that regard could go a long way. Lastly, I would like to touch on a new development in the high school. Myself, along with a few other students, have founded OTHS's first Jewish cultural club, club 18. We provide a space for Jewish students to feel safe and comfortable, as well as one for

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non-Jewish students wishing to learn about the Jewish people, their history, and culture. We are in our second of three years until we can become board approved. I wanted to put that on your radar and hope that we achieve your approval and work with the other cultural clubs that you have approved. It has become apparent that there is a severe double standard towards Jewish people in this district and around the

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world. We were denied from having an assembly of any kind despite an African-American history month presentation as well as one for Hispanic culture month. We have been very productive having two to three quarterly meetings throughout the year which has included the Holocaust survivor speaking event holiday events and educational initiatives. To conclude, I would like to emphasize the importance of effective

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board of education members. Those that put students forward, respect the law and personal put their personal agendas behind them. At a previous meeting I attended, I only noticed sight hostility through facial expressions and speech towards the speakers who had come. Some of them are here today. And as elected officials, a sense of dignity for those

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brave enough to speak here should be expressed. And I also want to note to note that the students are fully aware of the wrongdoings that this board is, you know, complacent of and the administration and the taxpayers I hope should be too. teacher. Students who are supposed to have a second teacher in their classrooms, those parents should

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be aware and they should be contacting the school administration superintendent right away to ensure their students are getting the proper education they need. Please do your due diligence to take actions on these urgent matters I've discussed. Thank you for your time. Hello everyone. What happened at Ocean?

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>> Sir, I'm sorry. Can you share your name? >> My name is Jacob. >> Thank you. >> So, what happened at Ocean Township Intermedia School became national outrage almost overnight. Headlines spread across social media. People rushed judgment. Students families were labeled before the full story was even

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known. And now after the damage is done, important details have been questioned. Stories are changing and even trusted outlets like the patch reportedly remove coverage because information was inaccurate or incomplete. That should concern every single one of us. We live

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in a time where being first matters more than being right. Media outlets race to publish emotional headlines because outrage gets attention, clicks, and shares. Social media takes those headlines and turns them into facts before investigations

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are even finished. And once the narrative is created, the truth almost seems to not even matter anymore. Meanwhile, real people pay these prices. Students receive threats. Families are harassed online. People are publicly judged by strangers who never know the

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situation and they do not know the full story. And the scariest part about this is how quickly people are willing to believe the worst in each other without any evidence. From accounts shared by the students and the community members, this incident did not begin as a random racial attack like

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many people were led to believe. According to those accounts, there have been many bullying issues beforehand. The seventh grader reportedly entered into the sixth grade wing and confronted the younger student, grabbed him and shoved him into a locker. A brother stepped in when he saw someone

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that he cared about being hurt. That context matters because context always matters. None of none of this means fighting is acceptable. Violence should never be the answer, but fairness means telling the entire story, not just the version that creates the most outrage

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online. And we also need to ask harder questions that maybe one many people are afraid to ask nowadays. Would the story have been form framed differently if the races were reversed? Would headlines immediately assume racism? Would your social media react the same

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exact way? Would context have been ignored? Or would people have focused more on the self-defense and the protecting of the sibling rather than everything else? Those questions are uncomfortable. But avoiding uncomfortable questions is exactly how trust in media disappears.

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People are tired of these selective narratives. People are tired of these halftruths. People are tired of being emotionally manipulated before the facts are even verified. And while everyone is focused on viral headlines, another issue was exposed. Bullying within the district itself.

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After reading countless comments from parents, former students, community members, one theme kept reappearing over and over again. bullying complaints being ignored. Parents saying they reported problems repeatedly. Families saying that they had to remove their

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children from the district and nothing has been changed. Students feeling unsafe while administrators fail to act until a situation like this explodes publicly. If those concerns were taken seriously earlier, maybe none of this would have happened in the first place. The truth

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is this. When institutions ignore the problem, pressure builds. When media ignores context, division grows. And when society rewards outrage over accuracy, all of us lose.

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We should not want faster news. We should want truthful news. We should not encourage mob judgment. We should encourage facts, fairness, and accountability. Because once trust is broken in our schools, broken in our leadership,

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broken in our media, it is very incredibly hard to rebuild. Truth matters, context matters, and justice without facts is not just at us all. Thank you. Thank you. >> We have any other commenters at this

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time? >> Yes. have to go out. >> I want to see Oh, you mean online? Is that where you're >> Okay. All right. Let me Let me >> Let me do that. Do we have any online commenters? >> We do. >> Yes.

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>> Carolyn Stack, you can go ahead. >> Mrs. Stack, you can go ahead. Mrs. Stack, can you hear us? >> Yes. Sorry. >> Okay. >> Hello. Yes. Hi. >> Hear you. >> Sorry. Thank you. Uh, just have to get back to my comments. Okay. Um, my name

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is Carolyn Stack. I'm a Wayside parent. Um, I am the Wayside PTA president, but I am speaking on my own accord. Uh, these are my own thoughts. I'm not speaking on behalf of the PTA or the board. Um, I wrote a long email to this board last week expressing my concerns

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regarding the TOIS incident and um, I'm not going to repeat those comments again, but I would like to address a certain narrative that um, seems to be taking hold um, online over the past couple days and um, has been reinforced by the attorney that opened up this

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meeting um, that I find very troubling. Um and and one of the most troubling parts of this situation um is watching adults dismiss the lived experiences of students in favor of protecting narratives and and seemingly reputations. Um when a lawyer stands up

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at a board of ed meeting and says don't listen to the rumors, it completely misses the point. Um these are not rumors to the children who are walking into that building every day feeling unsafe, unheard, and unsupported. What is especially concerning is that

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many of the students are now afraid to speak up at all. Their fear of retaliation, of being ignored, or becoming targets themselves. And when children no longer feel safe reporting what they are experiencing, that is a sign of a much deeper cultural problem within a school community. And at what

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point in time do we stop prioritizing adult comfort and public image over student well-being? If the administration and the board truly want to understand what is happening, they need to start speaking directly to students in that building honestly, openly, and without

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defensiveness. Ask them about the culture and climate inside to ask. Ask them if they feel safe. Ask them if they feel respected by their peers, if there is hate language, bullying, intimidation, and disrespect that is becoming normalized. and most

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importantly create an environment where students feel safe enough to answer truthfully. I feel so strongly that students voices matter and I think that this administration and this board do too. Their experiences matter. If multiple children are expressing fear, anxiety or

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concerns about the culture within a school, those concerns should not be brushed off as gossip or exaggeration. A school board's responsibility is not simply to manage the perception. It is to listen, investigate, and create an environment where students feel

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physically and emotionally safe. The repeated dismissal of student concerns sends a dangerous message that children will only be believed when their experiences are convenient for the adults around them. And that is not leadership. That is not accountability. And it is certainly not how trust within

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a school community is rebuilt. I hope that this board and this administration takes what the children are saying in that school seriously. Thank you. >> Thank you. Do we have any other commenters? Yes. Um Natalie Tortoelloo.

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Natalie, if you can go ahead, Mrs. Toello, can you hear us? >> Hi. Can you hear me now? I'm sorry. Sorry, I'm at the soccer field. Sorry. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can hear you. Thank you. >> Okay, great. Hi, uh Natalie Tortoella Wayside and uh a former board member. Um

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couple of comments. Um first, I want to echo Miss Stack's remarks. Um that was actually my initial comment to come on here was to tell you talk to the kids. Um they're not going to come to you. You need to go to them. Talk to the kids. Talk to the leaders.

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Talk to the kids that fall between the cracks. talk the kids, they can tell you what's going on. Um, I put in my email to the district and the board, I'm really disheartened that there was no assembly. Um, my daughter and her friends said that, yeah, the teachers

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weren't talking about it, but all the kids were. So, again, they were expected to sit there and take a standardized test that affects their placement for next year while this was weighing on their minds, and no adult in the room addressed it with them. To me, that was the biggest communication failure of

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all. And I want to point out the irony that we had a lawyer who essentially started the meeting um in a in a by threatening people what we could and couldn't say um and being very intimidating about the situation and what we can and cannot

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say. And I think that that speaks to the heart of the matter. Um that these students um all of our students are learning from us and echoing what they are seeing at home, what they're learning at home, and what they're seeing in the hallways. So when they go

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back to school and the situation is ignored, they think, "Oh, well, I guess it really." And at the end of the day, I don't care if the kids were pink, purple, or polka dot. A child left a public school in an

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ambulance. That should be the line for everyone involved. There should be no further discussion. That's the line. A kid left in an ambulance. Who are we as a society if that's okay? That's all I have to say. Thank you for your time.

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>> Thank you. You have any others? Okay. Alex Hazokur, just want to remind everybody that you can come up a second time after everybody else has had their turn at the microphone. It's a little factoid that not everybody knows about. Um, I just real quick, um, there was a

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lot of talk about all these people posting anonymous online and I knew like everyone saying go to the meeting, go to the meeting and I I in my head I was like not that many people are going to show up because of the reason why so many people are posting anonymous because they fear retaliation and

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retribution in this town. So I think that needs to also be addressed whether it be from other parents, whether it be from administration, whatever. If you don't realize that people are afraid to come out publicly,

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Lord knows I'm not, to publicly come out and talk to you about some real issues. That's another huge problem. And um I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard some board members haven't responded to everybody um or that emails

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to the board have not been addressed. I hope that's not the case because I feel you have an obligation as elected officials to respond to people whether or not you individually choose to or not or Mr. Dalton does. Um but I hope every email has been addressed. Um, and the

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fact that you all don't accept a back and forth or like you don't speak and the fact that you board members hardly ever speak up or even ask any questions and some of you also look down of course uh when I speak but when others speak

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they look straight at the person. Um the it's comical. Um there's a new business and an old business and that is the time when each one of you can talk and I guarantee you nobody's going to talk and state something publicly tonight and I find that pathetic. Thank

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you. >> Any other commenters? >> Okay, this closes public comment. Um approval of minutes, Mrs. Gilman. Yes, President Dalton.

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>> Move to approve items 71 and 72. >> Second. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Hastings. >> This is for 71 and 72. Mr. Brady, >> yes. >> Mr. Cobert, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dam, >> yes. >> Mrs. Gilman, >> yes. >> Mr. McCarthy, >> yes.

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>> Mr. Schneider, >> yes. >> Mr. Stolton, >> yes. Personnel Mr. Schneider. >> Motion to approve personnel items 81 to 88. >> Second, Mr. Hastings.

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This is personnel items number 81 through 88. Mr. Brady, >> yes. >> Mr. Cobert, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dam, >> yes. >> Mrs. Gilman, >> yes to all recuse from 8.4 and 8.8. >> Mr. McCarthy. >> Yes.

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>> Mr. Schneider, >> yes. >> And Mr. Tolman, >> yes. Uh, section 9, financial management and resource services. Mr. McCarthy, >> move to approve items 91 through 910. Do I have a second? >> Second.

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>> Hastings. >> Yes. So, before we vote, I just wanted to point out two items on the agenda. Uh, Point of procedure. I apologize. 91 through 9. Oh, 10. But is it 91 through 910 or 911? Apologies. 91 through 911. Discussion on

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912 through 9:14. >> Right. >> Apologize. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. McCarthy. Uh, we'd like to acknowledge donation by the Torella family of drum pads and kits uh to the high school band.

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Additionally, uh I would point out to the board that we have discussion items uh starting at uh 9:12 uh through Thank you. 9:14 um which talks about uh the state uh

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healthc care program. Uh, as we've discussed many times over the past several months, actually over the past several years, as we go through our budgeting process, uh, we talk about the impact of healthcare costs and the um, exit of school districts from the state plan, leaving that plan with a higher

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risk pool of participants. Uh, we've talked about the double-digit uh, increases in the premiums that are being absorbed by the district. Uh and we've talked about the district's experience factor and our ability to go out and market our plan to uh to other

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companies. Uh about two years ago, we went out and marketed our experience and it came back as an unfavorable number. Our experience is basically the premiums we pay in versus the cost of the services uh the

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carriers pay out. So above 100% uh costs money to the uh the providers and uh under 100% uh means we're paying in a little more than they're paying out. So obviously being below 100 makes us more attractive to other districts. Uh being

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above that number uh not so much. So two years ago we went out and uh we were significantly over 100% and in speaking to the broker uh there was not much chance of us getting a better rate from a different provider. uh we went out again uh this year uh to

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get our experience and the experience came back at a favorable rate uh below 100% and the broker began looking into options for us to move away from the state plan uh and into another provider.

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Um the um broker uh received a proposal from New Jersey Solutions Joint Health Insurance Fund. Uh they're a group that has 90 participating municipalities and school districts within their fund. Uh

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they're a uh public entity uh in that they represent various public um uh entities themselves. That's the makeup. Um and what they've done is as they've admitted school districts, they started with municipalities but then went into the school district market. Uh they

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mirrored the state plans. So they created their own version with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of Direct TED, Direct 15, Educators Plan, and the uh Garden State Plan. So those plans have been mirrored uh by this group uh

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through Horizon, and because they're able to admit um uh participants with a lower experience factor, they're able to obtain better rates for us. So, as we look at the um state plan that's had

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double digits uh upwards of 30% over certain years, increases in in premiums, um we've uh looked seriously at this offer uh to move our plan out of the state plan and into this plan. Uh there's no change in the benefits that are being

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offered. Uh the uh plan is offering a savings uh of of anywhere from uh one to several million dollars in terms of our budget. Um the um the prescription plan

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will no longer be with Optum, but it'll still be through the Horizon Group. It's just called a different name. And again, the plan benefits are the same. Um uh Brown and Brown, our broker has asked that we look at this uh now in that we have to provide 60 days notice to exit

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the state plan uh for us to then move into another plan. Uh by doing this now, it increases the amount of savings um that the district will experience going forward and impact the uh second half of of next year's

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budget. Um we've looked at uh the forecast by the state's um um analysis company AON that looks at the state health plan and they've uh put out as recently as March an indication that we will again see double-digit increases in

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plan costs going forward for the state uh plan. um they've looked at the uh um claims and the experience of the remaining members of the pool and have confirmed that uh that district should expect that sizeable increase again if

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you remain in the school employees health benefits plan. So um again uh open it to the board for questions. Uh but this is a discussion item that um that uh we've put on the agenda. It's a

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recommendation from our broker Brown and Brown who is a large provider within the state. Um they've done some analysis for us uh and in looking at a 0% increase in the state plan next year. Uh they're looking at about a 10 to 12% savings for

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us. Uh and if that um uh goes as is feared to upwards of 30 to 33% significantly more. >> Okay. >> Mr. Mr. Schneider and then Mr. McCarthy. >> Yeah. Don thank you Mr. face things uh for being open to looking into other options. Is this is this considered a

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private insurance plan or is it you said it's modeled after the state plans? >> It's modeled after the state plan, but because it's through a joint insurance fund, it's considered public technically public. >> And is the savings we're talking about against potential increases that are being estimated? So it won't be real

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dollar savings like >> the savings are being estimated against a zero increase by the state in one model which is highly unlikely and a 33% uh in a worst case or best case if we were to change uh model. Uh so that's

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dollars that we've budgeted for next year that could be re reallocated elsewhere. >> Okay. Thank Mr. McCarthy. So what is the I was under the impression that previously when we that this idea had been brought up it was it was not necessarily a good idea and now this

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one's this seems to be uh this seems to be a very good idea from what I'm seeing. >> Yes. >> What has changed? Is it just that the what was presented to us by this entity was compelling enough to provoke us to reconsider our benefits issuer? >> I would compare it to a credit rating.

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Okay. Okay. So, the district had a poor credit rating uh because of the experience we've had under the state plan. Uh a poor credit rating for the other districts within that pool of the state. So, we're not only putting our poor experience in uh we're being measured against other districts that

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are basically have poor um uh experience because the uh better uh lower risk uh districts are moving out of the state plan. So as those uh districts move out, the the experience is getting worse and

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worse. Uh so we're left with less favorable and less favorable uh districts within the state plan, which is costing them more and more to uh to provide um uh benefits. So what's changed is our experience. Uh our credit rating, if you will, has gone up and

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improved significantly over the past 18 months. So we're now more attractive uh to providers to take on as a customer. >> Follow question. Are we are we able to forecast what this is going to do budget-wise the total delta for us?

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>> Yeah. So as I mentioned it looks like uh if there was a zero increase in the state plan we'd realize about a 12% savings or million a half dollars. Uh if the state goes to around 33% you could look upwards of $5 billion in savings.

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>> Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. Yeah. >> The plan sounds great. It sounds like there's no change to the to the teachers as well. Um so it's all upside. So is there any downside risk in your opinion to this move? Um well it's it's um never easy in terms

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of the experience of the participants of the plan. So um you know my own experience will be uh you know I'll have to perhaps get prescriptions reviewed again by the doctor have them resubmitted uh but they would be approved uh because it's the same plan.

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It's the same network that's approving those prescriptions. So, uh, you may have the experience of having a particular prescription and every year, every year and a half, uh, you go to get it filled and they say, "Oh, sorry, it's not the co-ay, it's the real cost." And

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that's because, uh, the prescription company asked for a reauthorization, uh, by the doctor of the necessity of that medicine. Uh, so that's a paperwork shuffle, um, that, um, that we all go through from time to time with our prescription plans. Uh, in terms of

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doctors, it's still the Horizon network. So, it's the same network. In terms of the benefits and the co-pays and the caps and the various services, chiropractic, mental health, all those various items, uh, they all match dollar for dollar between the two plans. And

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again, uh, the GIF created this plan to mirror the direct 10, direct 15 school employees, uh, I'm sorry, the educators plan and the garden state plan. So, we're not entering to create those plans. We're simply joining a plan

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that's already been established that matches what we have. Um, if we had poor experience over the next year, two years, we could see increases as well. Uh but we're always able to exit this plan and move back into the

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state plan. Uh and again, it's a lot of anxiety and a lot of frustration in process and paperwork for folks. Uh we don't certainly want to see that. Uh we only do this once and and be successful and and um you know, move forward and

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realize those savings. >> Thank you, >> Brady. Um, one question I have is so what create what I'm assuming what creates this poor credit score or this poor experience is when our members are using the insurance more so than what

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we're paying into it. Is that what creates this negative experience? >> Yes. >> Okay. So are we the experience will change when we use this new plan as well, right? or it could only change depending on

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individual health and >> okay >> and matters and issues >> and if this so tonight this is up for discussion if it were to be approved at a future meeting when would this go into effect for members? >> Well, we'd have to provide 60 days notice to the state to get out. >> Okay.

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>> Uh so under the current timeline it would look like a August 1st uh start date of the new plan. >> Okay. Because typically isn't it July 1st, January 1st for insuranceances? >> It is. So they're giving us 11 months on this particular deal. And that's why I mentioned that if we,

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>> you know, wait longer, savings will be less because we'll be less time in that plan and spend more time paying the state rates >> and the districts will be seeing a savings, but would it also would the staff members, the people insured, will

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they see savings in their what their contributions are as well? >> So the staff's contributions are based on what plan they're in. >> Correct. So those in the educators plan or the garden state plan are paying a percentage based on their salary. So they would not necessarily see a savings. The direct plan is based on the

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premium. The premiums are slightly less. So they could see a a small decrease in their contribution. >> But staff would still have the ability to choose direct 10, direct 15, the regular plans that they're currently offered just a different uh

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>> they're actually even called the same names. Okay. Yes. Any other questions? >> So, when will this be up for approval? Next. Next meeting. >> Our next meeting. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Any other of the discussion items

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then? Mrs. Gilman, >> can you explain 9.4 of our bus, please? Have to be recently. >> Sure. Uh so a meeting or two ago we approved

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as a board a lease financing bid which means we would have um arranged for financing over time over seven years for buses uh to pay them off. So we were looking at purchasing 10 buses and two maintenance vehicles. Uh that's a

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significant cost to the district. Uh so spacing that out over time was a better option for us rather than taking it all out of one or two budgets. Uh, additionally, the district is ending an existing 5-year lease for buses. So, that payment for that lease is currently

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in the budget. So, we're not actually putting new money necessarily into the budget for an additional lease. We're continuing on with this payment structure. Um we put out a bid uh for uh for the financing of this uh uh

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transaction and um we had the opening and we received three uh offers. However, one of the office offers was sent to the wrong uh um wrong part of the building and was not available at

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the actual opening. So, because that was received and received on time but not open during the regular opening, uh we spoke with the attorney and the easier option was to cancel those results and put it out for rebid.

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Uh in talking to the um gentleman uh from uh Hunter Edge Services Commission, his feeling is that we'll still get a very competitive bid. Um and um so we're not uh concerned that uh we've missed the vote or or we'll get a higher cost result.

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>> Thank you. >> Okay. So that brings us back to items 9. >> So this 91 through 911, >> right? >> Thank you. Thanks. >> Mr. Brady, >> yes. >> Mr. Covert. >> Yes. Mrs. Dam. >> Yes. Mr. Gilman.

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>> Yes. To all recused from 9.2 Youth Wrestling Camp. >> Mr. McCarthy. >> Yes to all. Um, I also recuse from 9.2 youth wrestling camp. >> Thank you, Mr. Schneider. >> Yes.

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>> Can I just What? Why are you recusing yourself for that? Just cuz I'm just asking cuz Jack's probably >> Yeah, I don't think you have any. >> Okay. I just want to make sure. Okay. Thank you. >> And Mr. Dolan. >> Yes. >> Motion's carry.

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>> Uh, Mrs. Dan, section 10, please. >> Yes. Move to approve items 101 through 104. And would you like me to read the proclamation for 10 five? >> That would be wonderful. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Resolution for special education week.

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Whereas 242,000 children receive special education instruction in New Jersey. And whereas more than 16,000 special needs children are enrolled in preschool and early intervention programs in New Jersey. And whereas thousands of parents, teachers, child study team members, and school administrators give

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generously of their time and energy to support the learning needs of special education students. And whereas since 1985, New Jersey has proclaimed the second week in May each year as special education week in New Jersey. And whereas the theme for special education

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week 2026 is the magic of education. And whereas the public school districts of New Jersey make a major contribution to the public welfare by preparing thousands of exceptional per persons to participate as citizens of this state and as members of society. Therefore, be

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it resolved that the Township of Ocean Board of Education recognizes the students who have worked so hard and accomplished so much and their parents and educators who have provided support to these children and continue to look for ways to improve our schools to promote the achievements of all

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students. >> Thank you, Mrs. Stan. >> Mr. Hastings, >> do we have a second on these motions? >> I miss this 101 through 104. Mr. Brady, >> yes. >> Mr. Cobbert, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Dam. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Skilman. >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy.

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>> Yes. >> Mr. Schneider. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dolan. >> Yes. >> Motion car. >> Okay. We're at the section of the meeting for old business. >> Yes. Mrs. Gilman. >> Yes. On May 5th, I attended the last New Jersey School Board Association meeting

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uh of this of this year and I just wanted to point out that the state teacher of the year was recognized at that meeting and her name is Jillian Ober from Freehold Burrow and she did her student teaching in the ocean district under our own Cara Tavar and

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she had a wonderful experience that she spoke to me about great memories of ocean. uh she was recognized for her work in biiteracy grades uh K through 12 and as an equality uh champion. So it was really nice to see her uh

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recognized. She's going all over the state to speak uh in different venues and uh she was very uh complimentary about our ocean experience. >> Thank you, Mrs. It was very nice. >> Any other members of the board have

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anything else for old business at this time? Mr. Stalton have something like to say. >> Yes, please. >> I think that um well, one one comment I just want to say out the gate, Mrs. Walden, I hope that you understand uh

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how much I'm sure this week has weighed on you and all of our administration. Uh, and I do want to say in response to the way that you've handled this situation, I would vote again to approve the raise that we gave you 10 times over. Um, so thank you for how hard you

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worked. Uh, and I appreciate that. and your willingness to take accountability of the gaps in how this was handled uh models to our students something very mature uh and and and echoes what it

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means to be a Spartan which is to take accountability for our failures as well. Um and so I I commend you for that and I appreciate that. Uh, as a parent who is apprised of all of the

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specifics of this situation, I can say undoubtedly that I'm extremely proud of the way that the administration handled everything that happened this week internally. Extremely proud. Their internal response was impeccable. Uh,

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and that goes uh without question. Um and and the administration I I would I would really like to just echo and and underline that the administration has identified a gap in the external handling of this situation that they are going to work on and I hope that that

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does not fall on deaf ears. There was a lot in public comment tonight that does not fall on deaf ears with this board. And I hope that the town knows that we seem to get beaten up very much and I I accept this because it was my own decision as a board member with the rest

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of my board to do this, but we seem to get beaten up very much for not having interchange here in public comment. And I stand behind that decision as well because our board chooses to try to force the discussion to be between the parent and the administration.

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And I cannot say enough how responsive our administration is. And if you still feel after this meeting that your desires or your questions are not being met and they can be met, that's a very important point that they can be met because there are certain facts and

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issues that by law are not allowed to be discussed with all of us. You can reach out to our administration. They will be extremely responsive to you. They absolutely will. And my final comment that I would like to make personally is there have been a lot of comments

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tonight about the institution, right, and the institution's response and and I think the institution has identified areas for improvement clearly and they've said that over and over in letters and in comments tonight. But we as a community, as a Spartan community, have an opportunity to take

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accountability as individuals and to understand that we all participate in this community on a daily basis. And the discussions that we have with our kids at home are most important of anything else. And that that is what matters is that as individuals, we decide that we

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will not accept or tolerate certain actions. And we understand that every day we are continuing to work together to get to a solution that we can all be proud of. And I hope that that is something that we all understand as parents in this community that it falls

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on all of our shoulders together to get through these types of things and to pull some sort of positive out of them. And that's all I have to say. Mr. Dol, thank you. >> Do we have other members? Yes, Mrs. Dan. Um, I want to thank everyone for coming

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out speaking tonight. Um, I want to thank everyone who has sent emails. I think that it's being told that we don't want to hear what you have to say. It's been said over and over again, and that is not true. We appreciate hearing from you guys. We heard a lot of great things tonight. I'm sitting here taking notes.

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Miss Weldon is here scribbling a million things down. We want to hear what you have to say. We want to hear your recommendations and what your kids are going through. We want the kids to come here. S I believe Sam came here. What he did was wonderful tonight. He should be

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very proud of himself. We want more of that. Please come and please talk to us. I know it likes to seem that we don't want it, but we do. I want everyone to hear that. Thank you. >> Any other members of the board?

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>> Yes, Mr. Brady. I just wanted to also talk to the teachers and the administrators at OTIS and everything because being teacher myself, I can completely understand how difficult this week was and is and will continue to be

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and the learning experiences that are going to come from those from the students and from the staff and from the administration. And there's no guide book. There's even the most seasoned administrator, the most seasoned teacher, these things. There's no one telling you what to do and you go

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with you go with your gut and you go with your instinct and you hope that what you're doing is correct. and we come back and we reflect and we think about it and I just know that all the teachers and all the staff are doing that just now at the same time the

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administrators and I know that they're going to reflect on this and think back to the students that they're going to talk to and be with and guide and lead every single day. I teach fifth grade. It's in it's in middle school grade here. It's not where I teach. So, I'm

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with you in the middle school and it's a we're going to take this and we're going to grow from it. We're going to learn from it. And we all work with what we think is we all have the children's best instincts when we make these decisions and we grow from them and we learn from them. And I just I'm here with you and I

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I feel you and I want to grow with you. So, I think we're all going to continue to grow from this and I just keep up the good work. Keep doing the hard work. >> Any other members of the board? Okay. So, I want to think in a measured

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way. Um, there's a lot I'd like to say. Um, so I'm concerned that there are automatic assumptions sometimes that we're not asking questions, that we're not having discussions. And I am always proud of

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board members who are driving from I don't know where on a business trip and call me and we spend an hour and a half on the phone that Miss Weldon and I have spent probably the last week she's probably had more conversations with me than she's had her husband. Um

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if there is anyone sitting at this table and I I try to be humble as a leader but I I need to say this. I spent the majority of my time as a middle school principal. I have opened brand new middle schools. I have built a culture in middle schools. I also recognize that I'm a board member

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and not an administrator in this district. And I always check myself with Miss Walden and ask if I'm overstepping when I ask questions, when I make suggestions because I spent the majority of my career doing that in very fine districts and I always prided myself on my

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relationships with students and even going back as an interim now, I went and visited my adult students who were in the post-graduate program and had a great visit with them last week. What I have heard in all of my conversations is a deep level of concern

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and reflection and a desire for continued growth and improvement of this district. And I feel assured in all of those conversations. Then I know that Miss Welden in every conversation will allow me to go as deep as I can and

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then says to me, you know, ask clarifying questions and asks if that was enough, if if I need to provide her with if she needs to provide me with anything else. So the the the work is happening. For some people, it doesn't

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happen in the way they would like. And I understand that. That's an outside perspective. There are multiple perspectives. My hope is is that we're partnering with families. Parents are trusting us with their children. And that is a a a special

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trust. I spoke to one parent today. The adolescent years are some of the most challenging for parents and for the children themselves. I can't tell you the number of conversations I've had with parents who would say, "But Mr. Dalton, you know,

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we've talked to our child about this." And I know I know but they're adolescence and sometimes the children are all great children. They're all great children but they can make serious errors in jud judgment. They can get caught up in a moment and there do need

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to be consequences for that. I'm concerned when I hear certain discourse that assumes that that's not happening. And I'm sorry board. I have to say this. When we're accused of facial expressions,

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I think that we need to think about the facial expressions we get when we speak as well because they're not warm and fuzzy sometimes and they're not welcoming and they don't encourage us to speak up. So, if we're going to accuse people of things,

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we need to think about the same. I have high hopes for the future. I have high hopes for students. I remain concerned when we talk about students in a negative light because they are children. We need to be very careful about that.

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Thank you. Any new business? On a positive note, I think I saw that DAO Avenue has a mini bike bus going on. So, I think that's great and I love to see it. So, keep that going. In Wanasa, if you'd like to join us on the bike bus, we'd love to have you.

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>> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> So, your picture looked great. >> It is great. >> Thank you. Motion. >> Motion. >> We have a second. Second. Thank you. Eating fives.