Everyone ready? Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 104 through10, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by advertising such notice in the Home News Tribune, the Asbury Park Press, the board office, the schools,
and on cable vision channel 118 and Verizon Fios Channel 24 and by filing such notice with the township clerk. The special meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025. The board will take formal action on the appointment of the interim superintendent and other
agenda items. Mr. Widell, >> the Old Bridge Township Board of Education acknowledges that the law of the state establishes that members of the public, including members of the board, have the right to record public board meetings using audio or video recording devices, provide that the actor recording does not interfere with the business of this public board
meeting. Therefore, the board makes it known that any such recording is to be considered the private recording of the individual and in no manner represents the official record of this board. The board therefore takes no responsibility for such private recording and completely disavows any future use.
>> Roll call, please. >> Done. >> Here. >> Francisco >> here. >> Giardano >> here. >> Jri >> here. >> Mone >> here. >> Slade >> here. >> Solicowski >> here. >> Benitason. >> He just walked in. He's good.
>> He's here. >> And Dantino >> present. >> We have a quum. >> Thank you. Can everyone stand for the pledge? >> I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for its oney. >> Good evening. Thank you all for coming. Um I think we don't have any like progress towards goals today with the exception of actually you know what for the progress towards goals I'm going to tell
everyone how we got to the point that we are tonight. So for the interim process we did have 15 resumes submitted which was a two-hour Zoom meeting to narrow it down to interviews. The board h had two four-hour nights to conduct seven
interviews and discussion to choose the interim process for the superintendent search that has been going on as well. We had six executive search firms that applied to be our search firm for our superintendent. We interviewed one in a one-hour
meeting. The update from the search firm as of now is there are 15 applications in the pipeline. The district and the firm are collaborating on the focus group schedules. There should be at least 13 different focus groups. All board members have been interviewed and there will be three public sessions
totaling in 24 different focus slots for the public and staff to and community to have say in who our final superintendent is. The in-person community sessions will be in person is scheduled for Thursday tentatively scheduled for Thursday,
September 11th with virtual nights um the week of the 15th and the week of the 25th. So those dates will be forthcoming. Um the district is also working on a web page to keep the public and the community informed as far as the superintendent search. Um, the board
told the executive search firm that we would like to get this moving quickly and the board has agreed with a goal of trying to make our vote on our final superintendent at the October 28th meeting. So, this superintendent, the
interimm superintendent, we're hoping is just a few months. So, that is my progress towards goals and um things like that. Does any of the board want to add anything to that? Okay. Um, do we have any correspondence?
>> No correspondence received. >> Okay. So, hearing of the residents on the agenda item, I'll open the mic. Seeing none, we'll close the public session. Can I have a motion for certificated
personnel item one and two? >> Miss motion. >> George second. >> Any discussion? >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Done. >> No vote. Abstension. >> Francisco. >> Yes.
Gerardano, >> yes. >> Joel, >> yes. >> Mone, >> yes. >> Slade, >> yes. >> Solowski, >> yes. >> Benitas, >> yes. >> Dan Tuno, >> yes. >> Resolutions one and two for certificated
personnel passes. >> Okay. So, with that, um, he's doctor, right? >> Dr. Bragan will be our interimm superintendent starting September 1st. So, we welcome Dr. Ban to the district.
Thank you. Um hearing of residents on any district item. We'll open the mic once again. Now Dr. Brian, Bernie Bragan, Bernard Brian. There will be a sign in, but you can
speak first and then sign in. >> There's no binder here. It might not be there. It's okay. >> Uh my name is Brooke Richards Patterson. Um I just wanted to congratulate Dr. Braen and welcome him and wish Mr. Citadino well. Um could you just maybe
go over a little bit of his background? That was it. Good job. I'm happy everybody came to unanimous decision. By the way, just for clarification, it wasn't necessarily unanimous, but it was board consensus. Um, I don't have his information on me.
Does anyone have it on them? >> Go ahead. Yeah, I can. >> So, Dr. Bragan has been in education for about 30 years. He has been a superintendent in the local area. He was assistant soup and soup in Hlet Township just south of here. Uh, he has been
involved in the tri district, Atlantic Highlands, Henry Hudson, and Highlands. He's been involved in the Mammoth Ocean Ed Services Commission and he was in Edison for a couple years before relocating to Virginia. He is now relocating back and he will start he
will be here somewhat working with Dr. Hooker, Dr. Tui and Mr. Widell in the coming weeks. He will officially start on September 1st, but he will be here a little bit between now and then. Uh in his Virginia school district where he's employed right now, their administrative council meeting is today and tomorrow.
So tonight was impossible for him. The board will be meeting with him briefly in executive session shortly. Uh but he is a fully qualified candidate and the board consensus was reached after the
the uh process that Mr. Danuo described. >> Thank you. All right. Any other residents? Okay, then I'm going to close the mic for the board. Any old business? Madame President, >> go for it.
>> So, it's obvious everyone knows that I was conflicted out of this process and I do not know anything about what transpired over the last 3 months with the board of education search uh for an interim or a permanent superintendent.
Um, however, I do have some reservations and as a board member here, I have the right to express my concerns and my opinion. Yes, unfortunately my wife is an educator in this district and I was conflicted out and I have had no contact
with any board members or anyone to discuss my concerns and my reservations. Um obviously uh I have no issue with um Dr. Brangen. I I think that uh you know he comes with a a a very good
resume to be a interim for four and a half months. However, that's where my reservation begins is why did this board have to choose someone outside the district to be the steward for four and a half months when we have extremely
qualified people within our ranks, who understand our school system, who have already learned and understand how we do things. to bring someone in for four and a half months in my opinion doesn't make sense because there's going to be a large learning curve here for that
person to get acclimated and I just want to know exactly what my fellow board members were thinking to exclude the six or seven or maybe four or five board um um qualified candidates who applied from within the district. We all know who
they were. I know them based upon rumor in the district and speaking with them and and just asking, you know, you know, how things were going and uh quite frankly, you know, I I am I'm a little perturbed and I think I'm owed an explanation. I think also the public and
the staff is owed an explanation on why four and a half months we bring an intro in and that there was no qualified people within our district. That's troubling to me because you know what? I think he may be a wonderful candidate. I think he may do a wonderful job of four and a half months, but it's going to
take two and a half months to get up to speed on how we do things. And yes, luckily we have Dr. Hoki here who it's been in the district for for 10 plus years and who understands how we do things. And I think that he's going to be leaning on her to get things done. So
I I don't know the rationale and I would like to know the rationale for my fellow board members on why four and a half months we couldn't pick someone from within and if this board is going to consider an internal candidate for the position for for permanent I think that
our history and for our township and our for our our system I think that it will be a a a a very important process to to consider highly internal candidates for the permanent position. However, based upon what I'm seeing here tonight, I
don't think that's the process that's going to move forward because if we felt that four and a half months to bring an interim in, that is an indicator that there's going to be really no consideration for an internal candidate as far as I'm
concerned. And that's troubling because this district has had great history with bringing people up through the ranks and who have been exceptional leaders, exceptional stewards. And for the last 20 years, we've had
exceptional stewards, leaders who came up through the ranks. And I believe that the process should have been that you know what there should have been one of the applicants from within or we have wonderful assistant superintendents here who could have been very easily acclimated and
implemented and put into the position as interim and brought someone up from within the ranks who applied for the interim to get some learning curve experience. Very important. I can't see the board going out and then bringing in a principal in and making
them a superintendent but I having no central administration background. So I would like to know an explanation. Um if the president wants to explain to me and the public all well and good. If another board member wants to pick up the pieces and explain the rationale for four and a half months.
I think that the public and the staff of the Oldbridge public schools should understand. So, that's where I'm going to leave it. And if I'm out of line, I know Mr. Parton would have already interjected himself to tell me to close my mouth.
However, I am entitled to speak my mind after the vote. I didn't ask about, you know, specifics of the process, but I'm asking for generalities which I want to be shared with the public. Thank you. >> A few things that I can um clarify. There were three
that applied, not four or five. Um I'm not going to speak for other board members as far as how they felt um with how those interviews went. As far as the permanent position, the search firm was instructed um that all
internal and external candidates are to be to to be treated the same. There is no special treatment being given to internal candidates or any special obstacles that internal candidates have to be given. everyone is given the same treatment and all um for the permanent
position all candidates or all people coming in are given the exact same level playing field. So the um the search firm will has that's why they're coming to the public and to the staff and things like that to say what do you guys want
out of a superintendent? What qualities are you looking for? Things like that. They're going to compile that. They're going to go through all of the candidates that applied and being what the public, what the staff, what the
board want out of their candidate, um they will present the slate. Now, the board will get a list of every person that applied for the permanent position, but they're going to present a slate of who they think fits that um those
qualifications the most. The board has already scheduled two full Saturdays 8 to 4 to conduct interviews for the um the slated position um to go through that process. But we don't
know who's coming in on that slate until the search firm finishes their process. But as far as how people felt and how they voted, um that's why it was no offense uh to Miss Richards. Uh, I wanted, you know, it wasn't a unanimous
decision. There were people with multiple votes as far as who the candidate would be. So, I'm not going to speak for other people on that part. >> Madam President, I appreciate the explanation, but my my question wasn't answered. Uh, my question was, why did
we choose someone for four and a half months who really has no issue or any kind of background with our district, and it's going to take that person uh some time to get up to speed? So, in my in my estimation, I'm not I have nothing against this candidate or the >> I get that I was giving my fellow board
members a chance to answer for themselves. >> I think that there is a transition period, >> Rich. I was giving other board members a chance to answer. >> I I Okay, but I didn't see any other board member trying to jump in. >> Well, I'll jump in. >> You kind of did before. >> Okay. Very, very, very good. Thank you, >> Rich. I'll jump in. Um, not to discount
any of the qualifications of any of the candidates. They're all qualified. Um the board actually had to get reeled in during those meetings to focus on the job at hand which is an interim. You know our main focus the the endgame is for the permanent that's where our main
main focus is going to be but you had to have somebody who had superintendent experience whether been interim. There are some professional interims that are out there. So it's not that we discounted other internals or other candidates. Um, but we actually
when we all got reeled in was that it's really just an interim position for a few months. And I don't even want to discount what the interim does, but just just watching the shop until, you know, we get a permanent um position. I mean, the assistant superintendent are
here to help. Um, but it's a lot of load for a big district. So once we all regained that, we realized, okay, not to say the interimm's not an important spot, but we needed somebody with with superintendent experience. Interimm, this guy has interimm experience as well. He has qualifications.
Um, doesn't mean that the other some internals didn't have the qualifications, but our main focus is the big picture down the road, the permanent spot. Um, so that's why wasn't an easy decision, but we just had to find somebody short-term. Like Jen
said, December uh October 28th, we're going to make our decision for the permanent. So, it's July. I you know, I don't think it's it's a bit it's that big of a deal. Um for that aspect, um the bigger deal is why we hired a firm is to get a long-term full-time position
and that we're taking super serious two Saturdays that were showing up from 8 to 4. So um so it's again it wasn't easy but don't think that we discounted any of the qualifiers that were in for the interview. I'd like to add uh Jay to what you
exactly said just to be a little bit more prescriptive about the whole process since you know it's a good question done it's a very valid question everybody should know about this we add a set of questions right we all came together drafted a set of questions probably 10 15 questions right we asked
the same questions in the interview process across all the candidates both internal and external and each of us put kind of a matrix as you were asking right I went back to my notes and I was like trying to refer the same set of questions how everybody answered and yes there is a reason of course why you know
we chose this candidate to me again you know from my perspective right um Mr. Bernard Ban or Dr. Benard Ban has managed uh uh school sizes much more bigger than Oldbridge right first of all
and he has had practical experience in redistricting and of managing uh similar budgets or much higher budgets if you look at it some of these aspects are the immediate needs of the district even if it is the next four months next four months is so critical for everyone whenever I meet people in the community
as I'm going around in the summer everybody ask what happened to taxes right we cannot be living and breathing this kind of taxes including myself I might move out some of you might move out we cannot be living in a township by increasing taxes like this even if it is
an interim it is treated equally as a strategic position if things go south yes that superintendent or interim superant is accountable right so in my opinion I treat this candidate and this position as equal applicable as a superintendent to be in charge so these are some of the aspects why you know in
my opinion I voted for the interim and Um the few other things are he comes which a it comes with a much more uh experienced leadership qualities right that is something which we need to guide all of us along I'm not trying to
compare one or the other in this district including myself or anybody else we all including yourself or some of us we all bring different perspectives and different backgrounds and experiences to the table and so is that person whom we have chosen he also comes with much more senior and much
needed immediate experience and that was the reason you know which we I I voted for at least and probably you know some of us came to consensus. Thank you. And I I would also like to add um there was a concern within the board that if someone in central administration was
moved up to the interim and then they were not the superintendent permanently that they would have a difficult time going back to the position they were in and we could possibly lose them as we would have their position already replaced in whatever position they were in before they became the interim.
>> Is that fair, Mr. Parton? >> Yes. I I do appreciate, you know, some more cander and some more information. Thank you to my colleagues for explaining and there's validity to what you said. I I I I get it. But I just want to make sure
that the public and staff understands the rationale. Uh and I have one final question and that question is um is this interim going to apply for the permanent position? >> That's up to him, Mr. D. We we do not know that yet.
applications are out. Applications, some are being processed, but the deadline is not for months before the uh the final opportunity to submit those applications. >> So, of the 15 applications that the search firm has received, he's not one
of them at this point. >> They didn't give us a list of who's already because they won't tell us as it's coming in. They have to see from the public what and the staff and everything what we want as a candidate. Um, but we won't get the list until the
deadline's closed. >> I'll just clarify. >> Go ahead. >> As of right now, we we are hired we have hired HYA as the search firm. So, HYA, as soon as they were hired, they put out a preliminary job posting on their
website as far as this superintendent position is open for Oldbridge Township Board of Education. So, based on that opening and they have thousands and maybe hundreds of thousands of hits on their website, you know, they see anyone that is willing to just apply for,
they're getting that job application and they're they're submitting their their documents. The real focus now over the next couple months which I've started on meetings with different focus groups and eventually the community will be there is going to be community events or focus group events in which a leadership
profile is ultimately built. Essentially, HYA will be asking members of the community, members of the different focus groups of what they think the strengths of the district are, what they think the the weaknesses are, essentially like a SWAT analysis, opportunities, threats, you know. So,
they want to be able to accumulate all the responses from whether a group of teachers, a group of power professionals, um a group of administrators, a group of board members, or the community at large. They want to take all the responses they get at these meetings and build what's
called a leadership profile. Then when that leadership profile is created, it gets posted even more. And it it gives exactly what we as a district are looking for in a candidate. Then someone that didn't submit an application or a
submitt already, one of those 15 people, they read that profile and say maybe they were teetering back and forth of do I want to go for that job or not. they read that profile and say, you know what, that really matches me as a a professional, as a person. I really want to apply. Or there's some people that
are going to read that profile and say, maybe I'm not ready to to commit and and go to the next level. I'm still you know need some more experience or or something where you know my values don't match the values of overage. So that is what we are building over the next uh few weeks over the next couple months a
leadership profile which will then be posted by hya and allow additional candidates to then read that profile and submit again. So until that process is done we will not know which 15 we don't know what 15 candidates have submitted until we get further along in this
process. Then we get the full list. And again, this board asked that question. We want to be able to see every single submitt submission of a of a candidate that was interested. So, you know, some different search firms can say, "Ah, we're going to give you the best 10."
This board did not want that. They want to be able to see and identify and vet all every candidate. They just want to be able to see and and know who's in the pool. So, that is the biggest um update I can give. We don't know those 15 people. We don't know if Dr. Braen um
will apply ultimately as his decision if he wants the permanent position. Um but that's where we stand as of right now. >> So I've been part of the superintendent search prior. I was able to participate back when Dr. Brennan was here. Uh
unfortunately for me the laws have changed and I was excluded this time around. I know it was 13 years ago but 13 years ago was a long time ago. And I know that you know we had asked Dr. Brennan a question as being a a interim if he would be interested in the
permanent search and you cannot tell me that you did not ask this gentleman Dr. Reagan that would he be interested in the permanent position because that's a very critical question the board's going to ask especially when you do things paralleling one another. So my question
is, was that question asked to him? And what was his response? And if no one wants to respond, that's fine. You want to keep that private, that's fine as well. >> Yeah, we're not we're not going to tell that publicly at this point, Rich. It's it's >> very well. >> It's a completely legitimate question, but it's a personnel issue and big decisions are being made by individuals
and by the board. So at this point, we can't talk about that publicly. >> I respect that, Mr. important, but I just want transparency and I want to make sure that everything is on the table so the public and staff know what's going on. And I guess that answered my question. Thank
you, Mr. Part. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Vice President, and the board members for answering my concerns. I appreciate you very much. Any other old business? Any new business? Okay, I do have new business. I have a
question um for David or Mr. Ryell and I think Dr. Tui was uh I kind of prepped him for this question. So we saw the governor had signed paperwork um regarding like kindergarten and preschool you know being mandated. Now we already have full day kindergarten so
we're a step ahead on that. But what does that possibly and and I know there's no definite and nobody knows what's going on with money but what's that possibly mean for funding >> or are the future? So, um, couple things. Number one, since we already have full day kindergarten, most likely we're not going to get an increase in
student, uh, state aid for that program. Um, if it was the will of the board to review our preschool application and move forward with that, then that's something that, um, we can continue doing. I could dust off the presentation from 3 years ago, present it, and see if we do actually get the funds and if it
would be, um, again, the will of the board to move forward with that program. That being said, when it was discussed three years ago, some of the concerns that were raised included um the impact on special education classes, the um staff and having the amount of staff necessary um and also the facilities.
You know, as right now, our preschool program is housed at Glen School. Next year, we're going to have nine classes at Glenn and five classes at Southwood for a total of 14 classes. Um, you know, the facility at this point is kind of maxed out. So, if we are to move to that program, we'd have to look at all
options um to have an actual building or some sort of facility for our preschool program. Um, the amount of money per student um didn't necessarily cover the transportation, which was our big issue. Um, and some of the issues that districts are actually facing now with
their current uh preschool programs uh where they submitted with the grant. So, um I guess to be determined in terms of uh increased funding for preschool, but the amount of money necessary to transport the students, both gened and special ed to the schools was uh pretty
large when it came towards um that uh component of the grant itself. >> I think it was like 400,000, wasn't it? >> I think it was 800,000. >> Oh, 400 for the year and then eight for the following year. >> I have a question. So, Dr. Tu, you're still referring to the grant that we talked about, correct?
>> Uh there's two parts of this. The first part is the grant which is still active and we can apply for that. Um but it's my understanding that Governor Murphy put into effect um the mand mandating a full day kindergarten districtwide. There's only like 10 or 12 districts that don't have that. And then preschool
was >> I was talking about preschool. >> Yeah. It was placed on the table as an option, but I don't know if that's actually going to come to fruition. I don't know if Governor Murphy knows how many preschool teachers are actually out there. Um there's not many. Um and but if there's anyone on the board who wants to work again in a elementary setting or preschool, um they're more than welcome
to. >> So if we talked about um applying for the grant again, we'd still be under the same constraints of a having to reduce services to some special education students and b not requiring special education students to be taught by
special education teachers. Would that still be true? Because that's why I voted no for it the first time. we would have to re-evaluate the provision of related services which was originally proposed as an in push-in model. Um if we were able to have a larger building or a different facility um it's a
possibility that we'd be able to continue the pull out model as well as the push-in which is what the state is actually recommending. Um however your your second statement is true that um the model for the state is 10 students uh 10 general education students or what
we would have now as tuition based students and five students who are identified as need special education related services for 15 total students. Um but the state does not mandate that that preschool teacher has a uh special education certification. Um what it does mandate is that there is a master
teacher who goes into the classroom and provides strategies for that teacher uh to uh facilitate the instruction for those students who have an IEP. Um and therefore again that was one of the reasons why the board was not in agreement to that three years ago. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So I misunderstood the I guess the
bill. So they're just right now encouraging the preschool. They're not mandating the preschool just yet. the the kind full day kindergarten the the two bills the the kindergarten portion is now mandated every every district and again I think there's only 10 or so has
to have full day kindergarten in place by 2030 the the difference with the prek is that essentially what the governor did is making he he is looking to mandate that the grant is available so that is really funding he needs to to
the expansion of funding and they're trying to get more funds to it but they in order to expand those programs statewide. He's putting a mandate or attempting to put the mandate in that the the grant is available >> for the future. The mandates of the
grant were getting loosened so that we could Okay, thank you for that clarification. >> Any other new business by the board? >> All right, we thank everyone for coming out. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and you know the heat wave kind of stays away for a little while
and we can enjoy the nice sunny days. All right. Uh motion to go in executive session. >> Will make a motion. >> M will second. >> All right. Thank you. >> All in favor? >> All in favor? All right. We're going to the exe. >> Where? We have to go to the other
building. >> We're going to the conference room, right? >> We were going to go to the conference. >> He's on Zoom. So, we have to go to the conference room. >> Hey, Lil. Lily, I have to go to the conference room. So, don't move the car.