Good evening and welcome to the Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education meeting this Monday evening, May 19th, 2025. Call to order, please. Mr. Yami and roll call. Mrs. Vargis, here. Miss
Calderon, here. Miss Guzman, Mrs. Swang, Miss Keller here, Mrs. Martin here, Mr. Stankis present.
Miss Stephins present. Mr. Weaver. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by mailing copies of said notice to the record, filing copies of said notice with the municipal clerks of Hillsdale, Montdale, Rivervale, and Woodcliffe Lake, and publishing said
notice in the record on August 26th, 2024. First, we have our routine matters and we have our interim superintendent report. We would like to welcome Mr. Dirk Phillips, our interim superintendent, as this is his first
meeting. Um, stage is yours. Thank you. Uh, I would just like to thank the school community first of all for welcoming me. Uh, it's been an interesting two weeks. Um, got to see a lot of the schools. Got to see uh, a little bit too much of the Passac Valley
High School kitchen. Um, but I will have to say that um the unfortunate event that happened um the morning of uh that Thursday morning, I did get to see a a great team come together and really um
early in the morning uh just make a lot of difficult decisions in the best interest of of the student and the school community. um and throughout the day um took everything into consideration and put a lot of thought on how they were going to move forward and progress and and put together a plan
that was um in the best interest of the school and the students um in a time that we were administering uh AP exams which is always a difficult time because of the students having those high state
uh exams happening. Um, we are trying to uh get ready for the end of the the school year and and all the special events that are happening with that, including recognizing our staff, which is happening tonight, uh, our students, um, our athletic programs, our music
programs, and of course, graduation. So, I look forward to being part of all those events. And I I thank everyone. Thank you, Mr. Phillips. Next, we have Mr. Yami uh
speaking regarding the board elections. So, it's my pleasure to announce that the board elections are coming on J on November 4th, uh 2025. And um just wanted to let you know that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education will have two
vacancies, one from Rivervale and the other from Woodcliffe Lake. Um, also the full term, it's a full term for the school board and it runs three years. Uh, candidate must file nominating petition with the county clerk for their
name to appear on the ballot during the November annual school election. The deadline to submit the nominating petition is 400 pm Monday, July 28th, 2025. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4th, 2025.
Prospective school board candidates can download candidate information from the New Jersey School Boards Association website and that is going to be on our website. Uh be up there shortly. Um and you'll be able to hit the link and be
able to see um what you need to do. Uh the schoolboard candidate kit includes information about nominating petitions, legal qualifications for school board candid candidacy and the role of the school board member. uh information about the New Jersey School Ethics Act
and important dates in the school election process are also included. Now, there are sample nominating petitions out there on the website at New Jersey School Boards. However, they do recommend that you check with the county clerk because all counties run things
differently as far as the petitions concerned. Uh the school, we are not involved with this at all. So, it goes to the Bergen County uh county clerk. So, please contact them and they'll be able to help you with any questions that you have and go through the process with
you. And like I said, it'll be on our website and uh anyone in either of those two towns may uh apply. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Yamami. Next, we have Miss Stefins with the
Curriculum Instruction and Technology Committee report. Uh I'm Katie Keller. I'm actually going to be giving the report tonight uh just because it made sense. Okay. So, uh we met last week uh
May 15th uh with the the district. We met with Mr. Dr. Backenheimer and Dr. Russo along with Miss Graziano uh Miss Rodriguez Grimshaw and let's see Mattis. Miss Mattisuch and Miss Lee and we talked
about um status reports on evaluation pro projects like science um and let's see here we have music. We talked about world language. Um the music program is
actually going to have honors band and choir pilot um for the next school year 202526. Um we talked about the reading program over the summer. We talked about
um let's see algebra 1 and algebra 2 will be back to back this this coming year. Um, it's a multi-year process and it's going to, um, the scores from this year and this last year are going to really be the true judgment to see how
the students perform. Um, let's see. Sorry, I'm going over my notes because I did have a toddler hanging all over me while we were having the call. Um, so here we go. We have the laptop refresh
coming up and we talked about what was good for the order. It was a pretty pretty simple, easy meeting. It didn't last very long. Um, and we had uh several presenters. So, looking forward to the next
meeting. Anyone have questions for Miss Keller? Yes, please ask all the questions. Nope. No questions. Thank you, Miss Keller. Next we have our student reports and I believe this is the last one,
right? Thank you both. We really really uh appreciated and enjoyed having the both of you here. Um and first we'll have Andrew Varian from Hills. Hello and good evening everyone. Uh first I'd like to start off
with classroom items. Uh, first today to celebrate the end of AP exams, Senora Sulard's and Madame Schmidt's AP French and Spanish classes took a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where students explored exhibits highlighting French and Spanish culture. Students
have said that this visit was a fun way to wrap up the end of the year of their hard work and language study. In addition, the AP Spanish class had a in-class celebration on Friday um to continue the celebration of the end of AP exams where students uh made Spanish
style treats like guacamole, carneasada, and churros all while listening to Spanish music and having fun with their friends. Uh next, addition additionally to uh the end of AP exams, Mr. Scurbo's AP World class will be heading to Ellis Island on Thursday, May 22nd. Uh, and
this trip is a fun way to wrap up the end of the year as the class will get to experience important part of history that they have studied this past year. And after that, on Monday, uh, or Tuesday, May 27th, uh, Mr. Scarbo's AP art history class will be visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art where they
will will see many artworks that they have studied in person and celebrate the hard work they've put into this past year. Moving on to co-curricular items. First, congratulations to the 12 Pascat Hills DECA members who traveled to Orlando, Florida in early May to compete in the International Career Development
Conference. Over five days, the teams competed in different types of business role plays such as team decision-making events, solution projects, and business operation events. Overall, the competition hosted around 10,000 participants representing over 20 different countries to compete against
each other. Uh the team worked hard by practicing their projects and studying for their DECA exam which counts for their final score to advance in the competition. Then lastly, they enjoyed a night out at Disney to celebrate their hard work in competing against some of the best teams in the world. Uh next, congratulations to Pasak
Valley Regional Robotics Team, the Pioneers. The team qualified for the world championship and uh from the first mid-Atlantic district championship where they also won the impact award which is an automatic ticket to the world championships. At district the team
placed 13th out of 139 other teams and at world the team competed in the Johnson division where they ranked 26 out of the 75 teams. Overall, the team had six wins and four losses while at Worlds. And additionally, the team uh mentored three other teams who also
qualified for Worlds that same uh the same year. Two from India and one from South Africa. Congratulations to the Pasak Hills Pioneers or Pasc Valley Pioneers. On May 14th, Pasak Hills hosted its uh graduation band and choir
concert and its freshly renovated auditorium. The night started with performances from the jazz band and then concert band. And then the concert transitioned into performances from the choir featuring the chamber choir, concert choir, arpeggi bros which is an
allmale choir, acousta chicks which is an all female choir and unaccompanied minors which is an co-ed aquapella group. Lastly, the night concluded with a celebration to honor the seniors who have dedicated the last four years to the hills music programs. Thank you to
Mr. door and Miss Elen for this special night. Uh last Friday, May 16th, the Teens Against Cancer Club honored cancer survivors and members who lost uh who lost loved ones and battles. Uh this event lasted five hours where members of
the club honored two Pasc Hill students, senior Jamie Brown, who just had leukemia and recently became cancer-free, and sophomore Dren Ba, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has quickly begun treatment. During the event, participants took a a part in a
luminari where hundreds of bags with candles inside were placed around the gym floor and each person uh had a name on the bag honoring their fight with cancer. This event currently raised over $24,564 and the donation portal is still
open for all those willing to donate and all money being donated is going to the American American Cancer Society. Uh next for athletic items, congratulations to Pascal Hills seniors who recently have signed to play collegiate sports uh next year. First,
Anthony Blackford who committed to the University of Maryland Baltimore to play division one baseball. Uh Blackford recorded 45 strikeouts in this past season hitting with a having a hitting percentage of 365. Next, Josh Wright, who committed to East Straburg
University to play division 2 football. Last season, Josh recorded 48 tackles and five sacks. Additionally, two track stars Meredith Kola and Dylan Barrett signed with their prospective colleges early last week. Dylan signed with Stevens Institute of Technology for cross country and track. In 2024, Dylan
ran a record time of 9532 mile and a 439 mile. And lastly, Meredith Kola signed with Ithaca College to run track. Um, and Meredith recorded a one a 61 second 400 meter and a 27 second 200 meter. Congratulations Anthony, Josh, Dylan,
and Meredith. Next, congratulations to the girls golf team for placing third at the Stant Stranton Ridge state sectionals last week. The girls held a strong position and were able to outperform impressive teams like Demeris and Montville, reaching an impressive score
of 388. Junior's Alana Kuru shot an impressive 92 and Talen Stephins shot at 109 on the course while senior Elizabeth Wong shot a 93 to help the team place third overall. It was a great effort and exciting way to cap off such an successful season. Congratulations
girls. Uh next, congratulations to CJ Driver on setting the new Bergen County boys lacrosse all-time point record. Uh this year alone, CJ scored 50 goals and had 34 assists on his senior season. and CJ has uh currently 310 points with
eight uh 180 career goals and 130 career assists. CJ has been a major part of the team's past success. And additionally, CJ led the Hills team to its first ever league title victory back in 2023 with a win over Ferlon. Tomorrow, the team faces Old Tapan in its second league
title in its second league title match. Once again, congratulations CJ and good luck tomorrow. On Sunday, May 18th, the Pasc Hills Unified Program participated in its 5K cool school student challenge. The Cool Student Challenge is an inclusive program established to have unified
champion schools participate participate in the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K while raising money and awareness for the Special Olympics of New Jersey. Students and staff came together for a fun and meaningful day showing their support for inclusion, teamwork, and a great cause.
Um, for my fun fact, last Friday the yearbook committee went to the Marriott Courtyard in Pramis where they met with designers and editors for the school yearbook uh yearbook and designed the next year's theme for next year's yearbook. And for my joke of the day, in honor of graduation coming up and being
a senior, why don't seniors uh write in pencil on the last week of school? Because there's no point. Thank you. And this concludes my board report of 2025. Thank you, Andrew, and good luck. Next,
we have Ella Goi from Pasc Valley. Hi. So, to begin my report tonight, I'd like to start with PE's classroom items. Um, so firstly, PE's jazz band performed at the NJ State Jazz Finals this month on May 3rd and had one of their best
performances of the year. Junior trumpeter Carolyn V won an outstanding soloist award and the band placed third in the site reading category missing first place by less than one point symphonic band jazz band and chamber jazz ensemble hosted their rescheduled
concert on May 14th at PV the PV bands will continue spreading joyful sounds until the end of the school year with with per farmers market on June 5th art and music festival on June 8th. And finally, at Pave's graduation on the
17th, for Pave's second classroom item, Colleen Magcguire, who is the ex executive director of the NJ um SIA, was invited by different groups in PV's AP Gov classes as they work on their public policies projects uh to answer different
questions about themes in sports like transgender as a athletes, parental behavior, and also NIL. She graciously said she uh would like to meet in person and not virtually. Um in essence, this is like
the governor Murphy of NJ sports coming to meet kids in our school. And though she was to come on the 8th this month, the kitchen fire postponed her visit and she offered to come on the 20th instead. It's amazing that she's coming to speak with groups of our students and at that
in person. We look forward to her visit. Next, six students from PV Choir were selected for the All Region Jazz Choir and performed a jazz concert on April 6th at Livingston High School. On April 10th, PV Choir and Tri Music Honor
Society hosted Spring Festival, a vibrant night of performances by over 25 faculty, students, alumni, and guest musicians celebrating creativity, collaboration, and community. On April 25th, Pave Chamber Choir had the honor
of performing at a festival at Monontlair State, working directly with renowned composer Jake Renstead and joining the Montlair Choir on two of his works. A record-breaking 12 students from PV choir were accepted into the
2526 NJ all-state choir, which is an incredible achievement. In May, Pey Choir hosted two coral festivals with George Wright and Holder Middle Schools, welcoming future singers to experience PE's program firsthand. And finally, on
May 15th, Pey Choir presented our spring concert, We Are One, a moving evening of music, guest musicians, powerful soloists, and a few surprise alumni appearances that made it truly unforgettable. For my last classroom
item, Mr. Sherman's video production classes have been very busy over the last few weeks. Last Thursday, PVTV students went to Temple University in Philadelphia to attend the Mid-Atlantic High School Video Production Awards, which are hosted by the Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences. The video production program was nominated for seven different awards, including best magazine program. Senior Jaden Martinez walked away with the best arts and entertainment/cultural affairs award for his piece on the Iceland trip that many
Valley students took back in February of this year. The students also got to tour the studios and facilities at Temple and meet several people who work in the industry. It was a great day overall. Also in April, the video production classes participated in the annual New
Jersey 10-day film challenge where students all over the state have 10 days to write, shoot, and edit a 3 to four minute film based on the prompt which is provided on day one. Last week, the results came in and one of the films submitted by Ty Gaspino, Shawn McInness,
Ryan Giggliotti, and Michael Tedesco won best film in the NJ North section of the competition. Their film, The Scholarship Score, moved on nationally and competed to win best film among the other states that participated. Early Friday morning, it was announced that their film won best
film nationally. This was a huge achievement for the video program, which has been competing in this competition for almost a decade. Finally, the video production program will will hold a film festival on Wednesday, June 4th at 7 p.m. in the PV auditorium to showcase
all the amazing work students have produced this year. Admission is free and we invite the community to come out and watch some amazing student work. Moving on to PV's co-curricular items, PV Model UN attended another great conference at Applied Technology High
School, representing a variety of countries and working together to resolve real world issues and even some Marvel universe challenges. Congrats to freshman Sarah Campon and Hazel Kamunto for their honorable mention representing Romania on the Human Rights Commission
during their first ever conference. And also congrats to Sophia Cotner for her award her award, excuse me, winning position paper representing Quake Daisy Johnson in the Marvel Universe Crisis
Committee. For my fun fact, the final competitions for this year's Valley Cup will be on May 22nd at our Valley Cup assembly or pep rally. The events include a performance from the band, a soccer tournament, a relay between the
grades, dance crew competitions, and a hungry hippos contest. We look forward to the culminating Valley Cup assembly for the entire school. Good luck to all of the grades with the final Valley Cup week. And for my joke, why do fish never go on summer
vacation? Because they're always in a school. This concludes my report. Thank you, Ella. And we have you for one more year. I don't think you'll be here, right? But you'll be at Pasc Valley. Can I just jump in real quick? Yes, Mr.
Weaver. So, I I know you're being recognized with a with a number of other people this evening. Um, I just want to thank you both and recognize your extremely mature approach. Um, you showed a maturity beyond your years and all of your reports. Um, you had a front
row seat to some interesting conversation throughout the course of the year. Um, and you know, I think you came here every month to shine a spotlight on your classmates. Um, but it was the way that you delivered it, um,
that made them shine. So, thank you both for the time that you took throughout the course of this year to do that. Well said, Mr. Weaver. Next, we have the minutes from April 28th, 2025, the regular meeting and the
executive uh session. Any Can I get a motion, please? So move. Second. Uh any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Yami. Miss Calderon.
Yes. Miss Keller, yes. Mrs. Martin, yes. Mr. Stankis, yes. Miss Stephins, yes. Mr. Weaver, yes. Mrs. Varis, yes.
Next, we will have the student. Uh, we will have recog recognition. So, we're just going to shift things a little bit. So, So, I ask that when uh when your name is called, if you could please come down uh accept your certificate or your award
and then please take a picture with um the superintendent and the board vice president. Resolution of appreciation for Ella Gley, Pascak Valley High School student board representative. Whereas Ella Gley was selected by her classmates to be the Pasak Valley High School
student representative to the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education. And whereas Ella provided input from a students point of view to the board of education. And whereas Ella has completed her term as student representative to the board of
education. Now therefore be it resolved that the board of education wishes Ella Gley continued success in her education and her pursuit of other activities. Next, we have the resolution of appreciation for Andrew Varian, Pasak
Hills High School student board representative. Whereas Andrew Varian was selected by his classmates to be the Pasak Hills High School student representative to the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education. And whereas Andrew provided input from a student's point of view to
the board of education. And whereas Andrew has completed his term as student representative to the board of education. Now therefore be it resolved that the board of education wishes Andrew Varian continued success in his education and his pursuit of other
activities. [Applause] [Applause] Next we have staff recognition for 2024 2025 teacher of the year Pascak Hills
High School. Whereas the Bergen County Teacher Educational Services Professionals Recognition Program, jointly sponsored by the Bergen County Association of School Administrators and the Bergen County Education Association, has established a selection process for
the Bergen County Teacher Recognition Program in our district. And whereas the nominating committee has selected Dr. Arthy Malia for distinguishing herself through exceptional contributions to her students. And now therefore, be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional
High School District Board of Education recognize the nomination of the 2024 2025 teacher of the year at Pasak Hills High School, Dr. Arthy Malia, science teacher. Next, we have the 2024 2025 teacher of
the year at Pasak Valley High School. Whereas the Bergen County Teacher Educational Services Professionals Recognition Program, jointly sponsored by the Bergen County Association of School Administrators and the Bergen County Education Association has established a selection process for the
Bergen County Teacher Recognition Program in our district. And whereas the nominating committee has selected William Kanig for distinguishing himself through exceptional contributions to his students. And now therefore be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education
recognize the nomination of the 2024 2025 teacher of the year at Pasak Valley High School, William Kanig Science Teacher. Unfortunately, Mr. Mr. Kanig was unable to attend tonight. Next, we have the 2024 to 2025
Educational Services Professional of the Year from Pasc Hills High School. Whereas the Bergen County Teacher Educational Services Professionals Recognition Program, jointly sponsored by the Bergen County Association of School Administrators and the Bergen
County Education Association, has established a selection process for the Bergen County Teacher Recognition Program in our district. And whereas the nominating committee has selected Megan Pedigano for distinguishing herself through exceptional contributions to her
students. And now therefore be it resolved that the Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education recognize the nominations of the 2024 2025 Educational Services Professional of the Year at Pasak Hills High School
Megan Pedagano Librarian. [Applause] the 2024 to 2025 educational services professional of the year at Pascak Valley High School. Whereas the Bergen
County Teacher Educational Services Professionals Recognition Program, jointly sponsored by the Bergen County Association of School Administrators and the Bergen County Education Association, has established a selection process for the Bergen County Teacher Recognition
Program in our district. And whereas the nominating committee has selected Joanna Catz for distinguishing herself through exceptional contributions to her students. Now therefore be it resolved that the Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education
recognize the nomination of the 2024 to 2025 educational services professional of the year at Pascak Valley High School, Joanna Katz, school social worker, student and family resource liaison. Next, we have the 2024 to 2025
outstanding support staff member at the district offices. Whereas the Pasc Valley Regional High School District has commissioned a committee within the district to establish a selection process to choose a support staff member of the year to be recognized for the
district offices and each high school. And whereas the nominating committee has selected Irene Cassa for distinguishing herself through exceptional contributions in her work efforts to the district. And now therefore, be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional
High School District Board of Education recognize the nomination of the 2024 to 2025 outstanding support staff member of the year for the district offices Irene Cassa purchasing compliance officer. Unfortunately, she could not
attend. She has a new grandbaby and so she is off with that grandbaby. But congratulations to Miss Cassa. Next, we have the 2024 to 2025 outstanding support staff member at Pasak Hills High School. Whereas the Pasak Valley Regional High School
District has commissioned a committee within the district to establish a selection process to choose a support staff member of the year to be recognized for the district offices and each high school. And whereas a nominating committee has selected Christopher Tachi for distinguishing
himself through exceptional contributions in his work efforts to the district. And now therefore be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education recognize the nomination of the 2024 to
2025 outstanding support staff member of the year for Pasc Hills High School, Christopher Tachi Custodian. Congratulations. [Applause] Next, we have the 2024 to 2025
outstanding support staff member at Pasak Valley High School. Whereas the Pasc Valley Regional High School District has commissioned a committee within the district to establish a selection process to choose a support staff member of the year to be recognized for the district offices in
each high school. And whereas a nominating committee has selected Janet Murray for distinguishing herself through exceptional contributions in her work efforts to the district. And now therefore, be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education recognize the
nomination of the 2024 to 2025 outstanding support staff member of the year for Pasak Valley High School, Janet Murray, Main Office Attendance Officer. [Applause] [Applause]
Next we have the 2025 Morgan Wooten Award for Outstanding High School Basketball Coach. Whereas the Naymith Basketball Hall of Fame has selected Jeff Jasper as a recipient of the 2025 Morgan Wooten Award for Outstanding High
School Basketball Coach. Whereas this prestigious award is granted by a national committee that includes Hall of Famers, high school media members, tournament directors, and others who have made significant contributions to the game. Whereas this recognition
highlights Jeff's dedication, passion, and unparalleled contributions to high school basketball. Whereas Jeff has been a pioneering figure in New Jersey high school basketball since 1971, leading the Pasak Valley high school girls basketball program to
historic achievements. Whereas with over 1,100 career wins, he is celebrated as the winningest girls basketball coach in New Jersey history. Whereas Jeff has successfully led Pascak Valley to six
New Jersey state titles 1981 to 82, 1989, 2005, 2008, and 2017, 14 state sectional titles and 34 league championships. Whereas in 2024,
he received the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association, further establishing his legacy in the sport. Now therefore, be it resolved that the board of education extends its heartfelt congratulations to Jeff for his
remarkable achievements and contributions to high school basketball and recognizes his exemplary dedication to fostering athletic excellence within our community. Now therefore, be it resolved that this resolution be included in the official minutes of the
board of education to honor and acknowledge Coach Jeff Jasper's outstanding career and accomplishments. [Applause]
[Applause] So if I could Just two quick things before we move on to the next resolution. Um, with regard to coach Jasper, um, I had coached basketball at Park Ridge for a number of years and was
hosting an event at Park Ridge. uh the second year of the event was about 2010 I think and we were playing Paramis Catholic and we had lost four starters in the span of three games and we were
supposed to have a great team that year which is why we scheduled Paramis Catholic and Paramis Catholic came into our gym and smacked us and after the game coach Jasper walked over to me with the program and a
handwritten note on the cover. Um, I won't share what was on that program. Uh, but I will tell you that that program is displayed prominently on my bookshelf in my office and I do see it every day uh when I walk in and those
words that he shared with me that day um stay with me forever and it's something that I've always appreciated. Uh, so thank you. The second thing that I will say is I love coming to BB for games. Um, but I don't come to see Coach Jasper. I come to see Mrs. Jasper. Uh,
because she's always the first person you see when you walk into the gym sitting on her cushion seat. Um, and I always love saying hello and seeing her smile. Uh, because we know behind every great man is a greater woman. and uh we
thank her for sharing her husband with us for all these years um because it's a partnership and you both are uh Pascag Valley girls basketball.
[Applause] Well said again, Mr. Weaver. Next we have a resolution of appreciation for retiring staff. So be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of
Education at the recommendation of the interim superintendent recognize the following staff in our district retiring during the 2024 to 2025 school year. Christine Back, Dr. Barry Backenheimimer, Barslaw Beash, Irene
Casa, Owen Havon, Kevin Kian, Andrew Lewis, Lillian Murray, Charlene Schwarzman, and Yas [Applause] Usami. Next, we have a resolution for National School Communicators Day.
Whereas Friday, May 9th, 2025 was National School Communicators Day, which recognizes the incredibly valuable work of school public relations professionals in our districts. We are for fortunate to have Joe Orlac, Tracy Lee, Michelle
Ramirez, and our interns Josh Baskin, and Isabelle Nahas Fineran Fineran who tously who work tirelessly to ensure effective communication with students, families, staff, and our community. Now
therefore, be it resolved that the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education recognize Joe, Tracy, Michelle, Josh, and Isabelle for their commitment to telling the story of our district and our students day in and day
out, for serving as a strategic partner to district leadership, and for always working to amplify our message. [Applause] I know everybody here wants to stay for
the entire board meeting, but if you do, if you feel like you would like to step out before we move on to the next parts of the meeting, we will not be offended. So, if this is where you would like to go, feel free.
Next we have a presentation in uh the anti anti-bullying bill of rights which is a self assessment report from 2023 to 2024 given to us by Dr. Sean Strus. I can see it.
Go ahead. Good evening everyone. This is the first time I've cleared a room. Well, almost. Anyway, good evening. I'm here this evening to share with everyone the results that we received from the department of education pertaining to
our school and district scores from the anti-bullying bill of rights HIV self- assessment for the 232 24 school year. So this is from last year. The names of the individuals that appear on the screen in front of you are very much at the forefront of our efforts to rid acts of HIV from our schools and I'd like to
acknowledge them and thank them for their ongoing efforts. Miss Monteneire, our anti-bullying specialist here at Pasc Valley High School, and Miss Zimmerman, our anti-bullying specialist at Pasc Hills. Excuse me. For more than a decade, actually since 2011, our
district district has conscientiously implemented the requirements found in the anti-billing bill of rights. During this decade plus of implementation, our schools continue to make progress in addressing and improving improving harassment, intimidation, and bullying. We continue to work to improve on the
school climate and culture by creating and implementing programs and activities for students and staff and celebrating the week of respect. The data on the next slide suggest the ongoing efforts in the implementation of the HIV laws. I'm just going to give you a
moment to reflect on that to look at that before I continue. What you have before you is a snapshot not only from this past school year 23 24 but going back several years. To place these scores into perspective I think it's helpful to know
that the maximum score is a score of 78. This data comes to us from the department of education was just released less than two weeks ago. There are eight core elements in the self assessment and under each assessment there are indicators. There
are a total of 26 indicators with a range of scores from 0 to three. Hence the maximum score that any public school in the state of New Jersey can receive is a score of 78. For example, the eight core elements in the self assessment the department of
education looks for regarding HIV programs in all schools pertain to programs, training, staff instruction, implementation, curriculum instruction, personnel reporting and
investigating. And in those elements, the indicators range from a zero to a three. With zero indicating that a school did not meet the expectations, a one school partially met the
expectations, a two, the school met the expectations, and three, they exceeded it. So for the 2324 school year, last school year, you can see both Pasc Hills, Pascal Valley High Schools, and where their scores are.
Self assessments are led by the anti-bullying specialists and the school safety teams. The school safety teams are comprised of stakeholders in our district respected by schools. The anti-bullying specialists in each school as well as a building
administrator, students, staff, parents, and community members all comprise our school safety teams. There's a school safety team at Pasak Hills. There's a school safety team at Pasak Valley High School led by the anti-bullying
specialist. They complete the self assessments. The self assessment is completed at the end of every school year is submitted to the state in July. The state takes the next 10 months to verify the self assessments twice
during the school year. once in January and again in the summer in July, late June or July. Every school is responsible for providing okay evidence of how the self assessment was
scored. With that being said, I think equally important or perhaps even more important is how we got here. What are the programs? What are the activities that led our district, each one of our schools to earn these scores? I've highlighted several of them right
here for you both from the student perspective, student centered approach, as well as the staff. At first, I would just like to discuss and to highlight some of the things that we've done this past year for the students both at Pasak Hills and Pasc
Valley. In looking at the bullets in front of you, you will see a pattern. You will see a theme and that is intentional. The majority of our program, the majority of our focus has been with our underassmen in grades nine and
10. The reason behind that is we look at the data and we look at the trends. Where are most of the incidents of HIV occurring and they're occurring with our underassmen, our younger students? To address that, here's a
sampling of some of the things that we have done and will continue to do. Freshman class meetings every year, multiple times a year, orientation, excuse me, activities, including the signs of suicide program. This year, we brought in two particular programs, healing space for our freshman and
sophomores where we met with them in their PE classes, in their health rooms specifically, and focused on building healthy relationships, setting boundaries, and of course, digital safety that can be interpreted as using social media. brought a partnership for change again
in grades nine and 10 which focused on teen dating types of abuse supporting friends and safety planning. We implement the weeks of respect and we expanded activities throughout the year including World Cultures Day, wellness week and many other activities that
highlight and celebrate all of our students. We emphasize and continue over the years getting our students involved, making connections, working with both our co-curricular and extracurricular clubs and activi, excuse me, organizations emphasizing inclusivity and acceptance.
And we've provided multiple resources to our students, parents, caregivers, and families to support pro appropriate and proper interactions. for our staff. We provide annual training
through safe schools which is online platform on harassment, intimidation, bullying, bias. We provide a professional training for the anti-bullying specialists and the administrators through Strauss Esme, one of our policy
writers. We attended workshops on the science of suicide curriculum and training for our wellness counselors or student family resource leaison. cats was here a couple moments ago. She experienced and went through that. We had PD training for anti-bullying specialists and myself, the anti-bullying coordinator, to ensure
that we are properly implementing the ABS and the Bill of Rights. We continue to use Hipster, which is our anti-bullying software. We can monitor and track all incidents of HIV. What allows us to
uncover areas of concern, grades, hotspots, things that we should be aware of and mindful. We increase staff awareness of students and at risk marginalized students. We hold monthly meetings, case managers, school
counselors, and the administration working together collaboratively identifying students who may need our services more so than others. Okay. And we made a concerted effort to connect students to things that they're passionate about so that they can find
adults, trusting folks, peers in the school that they can form a connection. So these are just some of the things, the activities, the programs that we've done that we've put in place for students and for staff here. And in conclusion, I would just like to
share at this point in time, okay, that for 24 and 25, the activities and the programs that I just discussed continue to be in place and will be expanded on over the course of the summer and throughout the next school year. The
school safety teams will reassess at the end of the school year. They will work with their school teams and the anti-bullying specialists and things what we can do to improve constantly improve our ongoing efforts to combat HIV in our schools. Thank you.
Next, we have comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make comments regarding agenda items and are limited to three minutes. According to the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education policy number
0167, persons wishing to speak must upon being recognized rise, sign in, and state their name, town of residence, and which agenda item they are referencing. Would anyone like to speak? Just state your name and just write
right right and your town or residence. Turn on the mic. There you go. My name is Sedria Fertovic and I live in Hillsdale, New Jersey. Good evening everyone. My name is Sadria Feratovic and I'm a junior at Pasak Valley High School. I live in I live in
Hillsdale and I'm proud to be a part of the Pasak Valley community. As an athlete, I wish I was not standing here alone but with my teammates because I know many of them feel the way I do. I'm here I'm here tonight to speak about the new football head coach. As someone who has been playing football for 12 years,
I've had the chance to learn from some of the best coaches. Two of the best coaches I've had are coach Len Kusamano and Coach Bill Wigle. Coach Wiggle is more than just a coach to me. He's a mentor who has taught me a lot about football and about life. In the in the
two years he's been a coach. He has been with our team. We've had two really successful seasons. He is 16 and five at Pasc Valley and has won a sectional title which hasn't been happen since 2014. But what really sets Coach Wigle apart is his character. He's not just a
great coach, he is a really nice guy off the field. He's always offered advice and he's always open to talk to. He He's been a positive influence on me and my brother who has also played for WGO who has also played for WGO for a year. I think it's I think that it's something
that's really valuable. I think that it's something important to have a coach who is also a teacher at the school. This way they can support us on both on the field and off the field. If we have any problems with our grades, behavior, equipment, our coach can help us out if they're in the building. Plus, having a
coach in the building helps out a stronger relationship between the players and coaches. This could be really helpful in developing futures, future leaders, and even coaches. It's also important to keep the Valley tradition from hiring people from the school. We've had some great coaches in
the past like Coach Neielsen and Coach Kusamano. Now it's time to pass it to Coach Wigle. He's got the experience, the knowledge, and even the the heart to lead our team to even greater success. He's a great role model for our team both on and off the field. In
conclusion, I would like to say how important it is for the board to approve a head coach who cares about our own growth and growth as student athletes. A good coach can make our hu make a huge difference in our lives. They could teach us valuable lessons, help us develop important skills, and support us
when we need it most. I hope the board will consider this when they make their decision. I think it would be awesome for the co for the team and the school if coach Wagle is approved as the head coach. My support for coach Wigle is for what he means to me on and off the
field. My support for coach Wagle is no disrespect to anyone else who has applied for head coach. Thank you for listening and to me and my thoughts and I look forward to your decision. Thank you, Cedria. [Applause] Anyone else?
Hello. Uh Mike Smith River. Um I'm a parent of twins uh that are juniors at PV. Um I'm talking about I have to cite the agenda number. I guess seven. Um and I just have to tell you, Gummy, very
proud of your kid. Um it takes a lot for a young man to stand up here and talk. and it was uh I've known him since he was a little guy and see his teammates here it means a lot. Um, listen, I'm a third generation teamster. Uh, I'm a big union believer and a big part of the
union, as you all know, is uh, years of service and dedication. And, uh, I know things are different, uh, in regards to appointments compared to voting. But one thing I'd like to maybe for the future, uh, to have, um, insight from not only players, but parents when it comes to,
uh, who coach our our kids. Um, I've coached since uh my boys were probably kindergarten all throughout the town uh till 8th grade till they came here. So I know what it's like to sacrifice uh time that you know we don't working and then
right to the fields. Uh so I can't say enough about uh what what coach Wel and as uh Gummy said, Coach Kusamano and all the coaches have done. Uh if I've done that many hours with junior sports, I could just imagine uh what they do for high school. So, I I don't know. You
know, I don't want to be here. I'll be honest with you. Um I just settled the New Jersey transit strike, so uh it was uh it's been an exhausting week. Uh so, but I I had to come because I wish more people talked about those that go above and beyond for our kids, uh such as
Coach Wigle. And it's no disrespect to whoever is being recommended. Um, but I felt it had to be acknowledged that um that I appreciate what he has done. Uh, Cous has done, the boys appreciate it. You know, we were champs last year and
it speaks for itself. So, I don't know what speaking will do beyond just coach knowing what he means to us. Uh, but I do think that um maybe this has the board think about involving parents and
uh students when it comes to certain things. Uh I know the collective bargaining agreements, you know, if it was something in the CBA, you all would know how the rules go. I guess this is done by uh appointment and it's different, but I think we have to acknowledge the uh the adults in this
school that go above and beyond. And uh you know, I I just wish that we could continue with what we were building the last few years. Again, winning a championship last year and my boys last ne next year is their last year. Um it just kind of it's kind of heartbreaking
that um a man who uh sacrificed so much uh can't complete the job with my boys. But I do respect uh what you all develop in regards to how this process is done. But I uh maybe plant a seed to involve parents and the students or the athletes when it comes to these changes. Uh
because I think that um you know we h we have a something to say that that maybe could be heard as well. So, I just want to again thank anybody in this room, Jasper, all the all the people who go above and beyond the teaching. Uh, you all help us create some amazing young men and women. And, uh, and I just, uh,
again, everything that Gummy said, I I I say times 10. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Anyone else? I'm Allison Wigle and I am from Hanover, New Jersey. I'm here to also speak about the football appointment. Bill Wigle is
my husband. Um, there's a lot of things I'd like to say tonight, but I won't say them, so I'm going to say this instead. Um, first of all, I'm not really a football person and football adjacent. You know, I'm learning to love football over the course of our lifetime. But,
um, I am an English teacher. So, I'd like to begin with a story. A tale of two towns and Scotch Plains where I teach and Whippy where I live. Both towns have something terrible in common. Consistently struggling football programs. In the last 10 years, Scotch
Plains has had five head coaches. only one of them was a teacher in the building and that was just for three years. Now keep in mind Scotch Plains is not a slouch town. Um I personally have coached two NBA players, one major league soccer player and Rashawn Garry
who was a number one high school commit um recruit in the country and 12th overall draft pick in the 2019 draft. and he played during this time. And even with Rashan Garry, in 10 seasons, Scotch Plains had only 26 wins
and 71 losses and zero playoff appearances. Let that sink in. Zero playoff appearance. I know that you guys are from Pasag Valley, so you're used to playoff appearances, but that is not the case everywhere. Now, let's talk about where I live, Hannover Township. My
daughter is a cheerleader at Whippony Park, another school with a struggling program. In the last 10 years, they had three head coaches and only one was a teacher in the building for just one year. The record over that span, 32 wins, 61 losses, also zero playoff
appearances. Football games are miserable to watch, even when your daughter's a cheerleader. Now, let's contrast up Pascag Valley. Now, I might not need to say this to all of you, especially the players and their parents and stuff, but in the last 25 years, PV
has had two head coaches who have been in the building as teachers for all 25 years. And I want you to really let that sink in. All right? I want you to let it sink in. All right? During the time that PV had these
coaches, right, they had seven appearances in a state sectional playoff game, including three wins, most recently last season, and countless other playoff appearances. That is not a coincidence. That's a pattern. Having your head coach in the
building matters. It builds consistency, trust, accountability, and culture. It means that the coach is part of the school, not just showing up after hours. It means athletes can check in,
get support, and see their coach as part of their daily environment. And here's the part that people don't often talk about. It's actually a lot more work to run a losing football program. Losing programs drain administrators, teachers, parents, and
communities. Losing programs come with constant complaints from parents, unhappy players, low school morale, drama on and off the field, frequent coaching turnover, and repeated exhausted hiring processes. Remember,
Scotch Plains Whip Park had eight head coaches in 10 years. When things go bad, people look for someone to blame, and it often ends up on the desk of the principal, the athletic director, and this very board. I know it might be tempting to hire Ted
Lasso, but when it comes to wins and losses, you want Bill Bich. And while people may tolerate what losing for a little while, here's what I can tell you from experience. People really hate to lose. And people who are used to winning, they hate to lose even
more. So, if you've been lucky enough, as you all have been, to be part of a stable, successful, respected program, you should do everything you can to protect it because once that culture starts to unravel, it's really hard to get it back. Just ask Scotch Planes in
Whippony Park. What looked like a promising state championship run for 2025 now becomes a big question mark. And that's heartbreaking turn of events for the class of 2026 who deserved
better. And the truth is you had the person who could have kept the momentum going. His name is Bill Wigle. He was the most qualified, experienced, and accomplished candidate that applied. And guess what? He comes with the added bonus of being a teacher in the building
for 25 years. I want to thank you for listening to me speak. and I implore you to rethink this appointment and choose the most qualified candidate, the one already in the building, already leading this team. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Waggle. Anyone else to speak? Just state my name where I'm from. State your name, town of residence. All right. I'm Jason Fuche and I'm from Hillsdale. All right. Okay. I'm going to keep this short, but as a upcoming senior, uh,
I've been under Wle and Press for a very long time. Uh they taught me discipline, confidence, and how to be a leader. And growing up in football, I was not I I started football pretty late, and I was a pretty timid guy. I wasn't really with
all contact and I was kind of scared. I'm going to be honest with you. But under Preston Wel, they taught me to rise above that. And they taught me that whatever fear that I have inside of me, my desire to win is always stronger.
Um uh I loved them not only as a coach but as a father. My father was pretty absent in my life uh pretty much all my life and they uh were able to fill those shoes as a father and I respect whatever
decision you guys make. But just know that these guys work really hard for uh what they do for this team and uh they made this uh Pass Valley brotherhood to me.
Thank you, Jason. Anyone else for comments from the public? Okay. Next we have policy for which we have four consent agenda items. Can I get a motion please? So moved. Second.
Discussion. Roll call, please. Mr. Yomi. Ms. Calderon. Yes. Miss Keller. Yes. Mrs. Martin. Yes, Mr. Stankis. Yes, Miss Stephins.
Yes, Mr. Weaver. Abstain one. Yes to everything else. Mrs. Varis. Yes. Next, we have education for which we have eight consent agenda items. Can I get a motion, please?
So moved. Second. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Usami. Miss Calderon. Yes. Miss Keller. Yes. Mrs. Martin. Yes. Mr. Stankis. Yes.
Miss Stephins. Yes. Mr. Weaver. Yes. Mrs. Varis. Yes. Next we have human resources for which we have 18 consent agenda items. Can I
get a motion please? So moved. Second. Any discussion? So just a question because this came up last year with regard to athletics at both schools. We didn't get the
appointments for the fall until in the summer. So, I'm just curious like is that going to be our practice going forward or are we going to try to get all of the appointments on the agenda for the June meeting? June.
June. June. Okay. Any further discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. You saw me. Ms. Calderon. Yes. Ms. Keller. Yes. Mrs. Martin.
Yes. To everything except for seven. No to seven. Mr. Stankis. Yes. Miss Stephins. Yes. Mr. Weaver. Abstain seven. Yes to everything else.
Mrs. Varis. Yes. Next we have finance for which we have 29 consent agenda items. Can I get a motion please? Before um I just want to make an announcement. Sure. Okay. So on finance number 15 we um there was a
an error in the dollar amount. Originally it said 64,000. We have now corrected to 68,000. Uh each unit costs 34,000. So, we're purchasing two. So, it would be 68,000. Sorry about the error. Uh number 15, that's a that's a
maintenance reserve with it says 68. Oh, I know. We corrected it. Oh, I just wanted you to know in case you saw it previously. You wonder what the change was, but we did change it to 68. Originally was 64,000, but two units at
34,000 is 68,000. It's a good thing you're retiring because we cannot accept these. Could have said it was a typo, but I don't. It was my error. Can I get a motion, please? So move. Second.
Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Yami. Miss Calgaron. Yes. Miss Keller. Yes. Mrs. Martin. Yes. Mr. Stankis, yes. Miss Stephins, yes.
Mr. Weaver, yes. Mrs. Varis, yes. Next, we have old business. Anything. New business. Next, we have comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make comments and are limited to three
minutes. According to the Pasak Valley Regional High School District Board of Education policy number 0167, persons wishing to speak must upon being recognized rise, sign in, and state their name and town of residence. Anyone?
Can I get a motion to enter into executive session, please? So move. Second. We are now in executive session. The board will not return to the regular board meeting, but we'll take no action and will adjourn from executive session.
Thank you.