May I call the board of education meeting of Parsy Troy Hills Education to order on Monday, December 15th, 2025 in compliance with chapter 231 public law 1975 entitled Open Public Meetings Act. Adequate notice of this meeting has
been provided as specified in the act in the following manner. A meeting notice was published in the newspaper and on the district website on January 8th, 2025. In addition, the notice of the meeting was posted at the municipal building in the schools and a copy of the notice filed with the township clerk
and transmitted to other newspapers on November 5th, 2025. Daily record, star ledger, parcipony focus, tap into a parcipony patch, and the district website. This special public board meeting is being video recorded as per bylaw 168. The recordings of these
meetings will be available on our district website and on video on the go YouTube channel. We ask that you please refrain from using student or staff names in your statement. Professional professionalism is expected at all times. May we have the roll call, please.
>> Mrs. Abraham >> here. >> Mr. Barios >> here. >> Mrs. Delave >> here. >> Mr. Dvito >> here. >> Mrs. Mayor >> here. >> Mr. Rehea >> here. >> Dr. Wright >> here. Mrs. Chappelle >> here. >> Mrs. Kogan
>> here. >> Please stand for the pledge to the flag. >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America. >> United States of America nation for all.
>> Okay. So, we uh the board called this special meeting um to for discussion of the township pilot agreements. We were under the impression that we
would get um a counter proposal to our ordinance that we had sent them over the summer. Unfortunately, we just got it at about 4:30 this afternoon. So, none of us have actually read it yet, including
the lawyers. Um, so we cannot I mean, we're going to have to look at it. Um, so we and since it's part of a negotiations, we will be going into close session to look at it and have
some brief discussions on it. Um but before because no action will be taken even after executive session. I would like to ask if we could have the public comment se portion at this time so the public
can you know discuss what they need to discuss and let us know what they you know would like before we adjourn to close session. Um if that is okay with the rest of the board members. You okay? >> Any objections?
>> I have a question. >> Oh, >> you have a question. Go ahead, Mrs. Abraham. >> If we discuss it in close session and come back out here and discuss it in public again, if there are any other questions, the public doesn't get a second. >> We can hold a second. >> Okay, that was my question. Thank you.
>> Yeah. >> So, Matt, if you didn't hear that, um, Miss Abraham request Oh, you did hear it. >> Yeah. A second public comment if we if we Yep. Quick question. >> Sure.
>> And you may not know this at this point since you just received it. Um, to the best of your knowledge, are they still going forward with their vote tomorrow at the council? >> That was not included in anything we were given.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. So at this time we will open up to the hearing of the public. If there is anyone who would like to address the board, please come up, sign your name and address in the book at the lectern and state your name for the record and please address the chair. Each person
will have three minutes to speak to the board. It will be helpful if you'd like to address the board. Please come up now and sign in the book so you're ready when the first speaker is finished. And just as a reminder, it's public comment period. So we listen to everything and then after the comment period if we have
you know if anybody's asked a question that we can respond to we'll see if we could do that at that time. So is there anybody who would like to address the board? Hi, thank you. My name is Davos Sha. Uh first question is uh out of curiosity
because not sure how much revenue from the pilot programs did we lose in 2024? How much revenue is the board expected to lose in 2025? Um and you know uh with the forecast cuz
I believe we have so far five students from the pilot but I know from the other tax agreements uh we do get impacted by not getting from you know the office workspace. So it will be great, you know, public knowledge to know 2024 and
in 2025 how much the board is expected to lose uh by these pilot programs. And number two, um the Littleton school, um how much will that offset um you know, uh when is it projected?
because I believe the construction on the website stated it was to be done by September last year. I know it still got postponed, so it's still to be done. Um now, did we get delayed? And did we go
over our budget? If so, by how much for um you know, the Littleton uh school program, and how many kids will it take care of? Uh how many additional classrooms will it add, etc. as well. Thank you. Hi, good evening everyone. Uh, Ravia
Min. Um, my second meeting I've come to for the board of education. And just out of curiosity, has the board of education always uh, hit a deficit or will they always historically speaking without the pilot or is it something brand new and
we're just talking about it or is it a historical issue? And if so, if not, how has it been handled in the past in terms of um getting the uh the funding from the township versus um the budget that the
board sets every year going forward? Thank you. All right. If there's nobody else, I will close the hearing of the public. Um, Dr. Chase, do you want to answer any questions or I I know I think two answers, but
>> um, okay. Uh, with regard to how much revenue I don't have these figures on me right now. I think it would we'd have to essentially look at the number of students that have come from these housing developments and then um, come up with an anticipated per pupil cost and come up with that calculation. I
don't have that on me right now. Um, and and then you had asked about how much we anticipate losing in 2025. It's contingent on how many of our how many children who move in there are actually students. So, we don't know that yet because we those aren't all fully um occupied at this point in time. Uh, and
it's also, you know, when you look at the per pupil cost, um, you know, that's for a child who stays in district. In some cases, we have some students, regardless of how great our programs are, we do have some students who we cannot educate in school
in our current district, but who have to attend out of district placement schools. So, if we had a child move into one of those developments who required out of district placement, even though our per pupil cost is around 2025, some of those tuitions are about $100,000. Then you add on
transportation. So, it's very difficult to project uh the future when we don't know the variables at this point in time. each situation. Um, Dr. McHugh, do you have anything that I'm anything to add about that? >> No, you're you're correct. It it'd be
hard to say how much we're losing since there's no agreement. So, there was no expectation, although there was we're in negotiations and that's what this evening's about. >> Uh, there was another question about Littleton. I believe that I'm I'm going to punt that one to you, too.
>> Okay. So, there's a Littleton phase one and a Littleton phase 2. Littleton phase one was completed last year and it opened in September. It included six uh prek classrooms and one additional support room. And phase two goes to bid
um this spring. It should be done within 18 months. And that will add an additional seven prek classrooms and one multi-purpose room. >> And that was done uh phase one was done within the budget that we anticipated for phase one. >> Correct. Yes. Okay.
Um there was also I'm sorry there was also another question about uh how has there historically been a deficit in in the school district? I have this will be my first budget that I'm doing in Paripony. So I I don't know uh many years back. I
know last year there was a significant deficit which resulted in uh the board waving class size policy and also uh things like um removal of having substitutes at the secondary schools and going to a mass study hall configuration. Uh also anybody who was
retiring was there were certain positions that were not replaced. So there was a deficit last year. Uh I'm we are strongly anticipating a significant deficit this year just based on the uh challenges with the structural gap with
the state between our own our ability to only increase revenue to up to a portion of our budget at the 2% um tax levy and then the expenses rising. And in the next board meeting which is on Thursday I will actually be doing a presentation
with Dr. Mchugh more about those budget pressures that we're facing. Um, but I don't I couldn't speak to former budgets, but I'll defer to Miss Kogan since she's been on the board for >> a while.
The historically the inflation rate was not um as high as it is now. So when we had we've had the 2% cap for probably 15 years now, for a very long time. So we've always been only been allowed to
increase our revenue by the 2% of taxes for a very long time. And when the inflation rate was not very high and healthcare costs weren't crazy, that was manageable. And then through COVID, there was also additional funds that
came in for different programs. So even in those years um there was still not a you know a wonderful gap between the 2% increase and the expenses but the extra COVID money I don't want to say masked
it but helped provide for some of those programs that we could still offer. So, it's been since that extra funding left, the 2% tax levy cap stayed in place and all of the expenses are rising at a much
higher rate than the 2% is what is the main factor in this budget discussion. The pilots and the funding and the extra children are kind of just adding to that issue. In addition to trying to keep
within the 2% cap, we now have more students coming in and more expenses and right now no extra money coming in. So I that is the briefest summary I could give, but I I think you'll get more information from their meeting on
Thursday. And Dr. McHugh wants to probably correct me on something. >> No, no. I I wanted to go back and just say wanted to note that our Littleton phase one and phase two were internally funded. There was no debt. there was no additional expense to to the community. It was done through proper fiscal savings and growing something called a
capital reserve that paid for that. Um as far as uh uh budgets by law each and every year we have to budget so there's never a deficit but what there is is 15 years of reducing services reduce
and at some point um as Dr. Chase likes to say you you're now cutting into the muscle. So you have to do it by law. You must balance. But now you have to make some choices that in in an ideal world you would never consider.
>> May I chime in? >> Sure. Mr. Bears. Um, also, you know, being on the board some time, it's been to the credit of this district
that uh the district tends to run thin without the necessity of cutting into programs. So, for the time that I've been here, if nothing else, now there have been some challenges. Um but this
um this team uh makes things happen and and you know so you know we expanded music uh you know Littleton phase one um you know that was all stuff that you know was thought about and it was like
okay we can do this um and I go back 13 years now so credit to this district credit to the folks uh behind the closed doors here. I think one of the other challenges that uh a friend of mine across the way reminds me on a constant basis that
as everything changes just like household income and household budgets and your gas and your all the things that affect you affect us. Um but now we're looking at 14 facilities and 7,000
students a lot of whom have to go out of out of district. So, you know, I think Montlair right now was in the middle of a problem because, you know, so we have been, you know, knock on wood, very fortunate um to be ahead of this thing.
And um and I don't remember, Miss Kogi, and you're here as long as I have been here. I don't think we've had up until the recent time pilots to deal with. So, we've had expansion in students but not at the projection we're looking at right
now. Thank you, >> Alison. Jack. >> Oh, Mr. Aya. >> Yeah, just uh a couple of things regarding pilots. This is not a loss of revenue that we're talking about. We're talking about an increase in cost. The additional
students require additional teachers, support staff, par profofessionals, and that costs money. and and and when we have potentially when you take into account all of the pilots, we did, you know, a fairly detailed demographic
study which didn't include the current pilot that's up for discussion with the town council, but we were without that. We were talking about 600 additional kids eventually coming into the school district. And at 20,000 a a child, that
is potentially $12 million a year in additional costs that is basically unfunded. So that is why we have been uh as vocal as we have regarding establishing a shared service, shared
revenue per student agreement with the town. And the other thing is uh we know that there's been a problem with the school funding formula 2% cap. And last year or in January of this year, I went
down to Somerville. We we we wrote up a uh uh paper. it was approved, you know, some comments to read to uh they had a uh uh several groups where they discussed reforms to the to the uh
school the state school funding formula which is capped at 2%. And when I heard from other school districts, they have had the same problems that we're having now for the last three years. And I wasn't on the board at the time, but it's credit to the board and to the
school district that they have maintained, you know, fiscal fiscal, you know, responsibility over this. So that it impacted the Paripity School District later than it has the other school districts. But because of the inflation that has incurred, when you have 2% cap
on your revenue increases and you have a 5% growth in your expenses, you're eventually you're going to hit a wall. And that's what happened to us last year and we anticipate the same thing this year and in future years. >> Yes. And we also um to Mr.'s point in
November the state asked for additional comments on their state school funding law and the board sent a response and I'm sure several board members also sent responses. So we are trying to advocate also at the state level not you know
just trying to figure out our own budget. Um, so at this time I will >> I had a comment. >> Go ahead, Mr. Veto. >> So I just wanted to bring up to Mr. to Mr. Rea's point about the demographic study. I think we're about at the point
now where maybe we need to rethink what the what we what we have the demographic study and then look at an update to it. I think now things are changing rather rapidly and I think that it gets very antiquated very quickly. So, it's something
forward. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. >> Um, >> so do we need do we need a motion to go into executive silk? May I have a motion to go in executive session? Mrs. Delofave, >> for the purposes of attorney, client
privilege and negotiations. >> For the purpose of attorney, client privilege and negotiations, no action will be taken upon our return. Uh second uh so the first is Mrs. Delave, Mr.
Devito is second. Do we need a roll call? >> All in favor? >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay. >> Someone's going to call me back. >> Yep. We'll call you back. >> Thank you. >> Do we have to come out of exec?
>> Come out of the exec and then roll. >> All right. Can I have a a motion to come out of executive session? Mrs. Abraham second, Mrs. Chappelle, it's not even late. Um, and then we need a motion to open.
>> Just you're in open just ask for roll call. >> Oh, roll call. Um, back in open session, please. >> Okay. Mrs. Abraham >> here. >> Mr. Barios, >> here. >> Mrs. Delave >> here. >> Mr. Devito, on the phone. This is
um Mr. Raida. >> Yes. >> Dr. Wright. >> Yes. >> Mr. Chappelle >> here. >> Mrs. Co >> here. >> Okay. We're now back in public session. Um I want to recognize council member McGrath in the audience and our board
elect member, Mr. Shaw. Thank you very much um for waiting for us through executive session. I do have a statement to read and then we will open um public session again in case anybody would like to speak. The board of education would like to clarify
the history and discussions with the township regarding pilot agreements. In November 2023, the board raised concerns with the township about the growing number of students generated by pilot and other residential developments and the lack of correspondent corresponding
education funding. At that time, the board requested the township provide the district with a per pupil contribution to help offset the cost of educating these students. The township provided its first written proposal in May of 2025.
The board attempted to continue negotiations with the township after that and received little to no communication back. In late spring of 2025, the board of ed retained special counsel to assist with drafting a proposed ordinance for the township's
consideration. The draft that draft ordinance was sent to the township attorney in July 2025. The district received no official response or further communication from the township until November 24th when the mayor asked for a meeting. A
subcommittee of the board met with representatives from the township on Thursday, December 4th. It wasn't until this meeting that the township requested our publicly available information on the actual tuition costs. The board provided that information the following
Monday, which costs range for in district students between 17,000 to 43,000. The average for our outofd district students is about 65,000. The board was told the township would get back to us in a week. The district
heard nothing further from the township until 4:01 p.m. tonight when they sent a revised ordinance which although increased the township's initial per pupil amount which is still less than our average per pupil amount. Their changes included language that make any
payment to the board elucory. There is no guarantee of any payments to the board and the township has included a number of other limitations that make the ordinance misleading. In short, the ordinance simply does not address the real issue of needing additional funding
for additional students. This is a township ordinance. The board has no authority to vote or agree to it or its terms. That said, the board is unanimous. We will not endorse or otherwise sanction this proposed ordinance because it does not meet the
needs of our community. Because the board remains steadfast in its commitment to its students and staff, we remain open to further discussions in the new year. And now we will motion to
>> take a motion to >> open >> uh >> you don't you don't motion >> open. I'm going to open the hearing of the public for the second um hearing of the public. Should I read the whole thing again? It's we're still being
videotaped. Would any would any of the public like to speak? >> My apologies. I'm still learning. So, follow-up questions, too. So, um in the previous uh well, >> I just restate your name. >> Double Sha.
>> Thank you. about uh hour and a half ago it was mentioned that we have um we will have we have right now about seven prek uh classes we will have about 13 uh prek uh
classes I know in speaking to like a principal of Lake Paripany uh elementary school they're already facing overcrowding um any reason I know there are certain rules like we need some prekmandated Um,
but have we looked at if we really need 13 preK, would that in place balance out the number of students and the incoming students that are coming in uh from a population perspective and balance out uh and equalize the students from Lake
Paripony to Littleton etc. Thank you. That's it. Okay, seeing no other members of the public, we'll close the public section. Dr. Chase, would you like to respond at all or? >> Uh, sure. Um, uh, Dr. McHugh, the principles and the administrative team
and I often talk about the enrollment of students. Um, right now it's it seems like if there's space available, why not just use that space for new students coming in? there's a lot of uh variables that play in including including where the students live, the transportation
routes, um so on and so forth. But what what will happen is um as we continue our development process for the new year, we're going to be sitting with each of the principles looking at enrollment and looking at space and determining what our needs are and what space is available to that um to us at
that time. So, it's it's it's not a one-time conversation. It's something we look at all the time. um many school districts have had to redistrict, which means they move um schools uh the locations of the schools for the students who attend. We're not at that point, but that may be something
that we want to consider based on where the students are coming in. So, I don't have a definitive answer for you at this time, but I could just reassure you that we constantly look at this and that is definitely something that's on the table. >> Okay. So there being no further business, I need a motion to adjourn the
meeting. Mrs. Delofave and a second, Mr. Rehea. All in favor? >> I. >> Meeting adjourned.