Call to order Valley Regional High School District Board of Education organization and regular meeting. Please join me. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands. One
nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by mailing copies of notice to the record, filing copies of said notice with the municipal clerks of Hillsdale,
Mdale, Riverdale, and Lake, and publishing said notice in the record on July 2nd, 2025. We'll now go to the election results. So, the board of education threeear term Elizabeth Wood,
1922 votes. James Disbale 2,964 votes. Now, I will administer the office. First is Elizabeth. I, Elizabeth Calderon,
>> I, Elizabeth Calderon, >> do solemnly swear >> affirm >> do solemnly swear or affirm >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey. Constitution of the state of New
Jersey. >> And that I will bear true faith and allegiance >> and that I will bear true faith and allegiance >> to the same and to the government established in the United States and this state >> to the same and to the government established in the United States and this state
>> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people. I, Elizabeth, >> I, Elizabeth Caldero, >> do solemnly swear or affirm >> do solemnly swear or affirm >> that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law for the office of
member of a board of education >> that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law for the office of member of a board of education. >> I am not disqualified as a voter. >> I am not disqualified as a voter. Pursuant to RS94-1
>> pursuant to RS19-4-1 >> nor disqualified due to conviction of a crime or offense >> nor disqualified due to conviction of a crime or offense >> listed in NJS 18A 12-1
>> listed in NJS 18A 12-1 >> and now I will peacefully and just the form and that I will faithfully and partially and justly perform >> all duties of that office >> all the duties of that office >> according to the best of my abilities.
>> according to the best of my abilities. >> Today I need all the help. All right. I James >> I, James Dolely swear or affirm >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States
>> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> to the Constitution and the State of New Jersey. >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> that I will bear true, faith, and allegiance. And I will bear truth, faith, and allegiance >> to the same >> to the same >> and to the government established in the
United States and this state >> and to the governments established in the United States and this state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people. So help me God. >> I James St. I James do solemnly swear or affirm >> do solemnly swear or affirm
>> that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law >> that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law >> for the office of member of the board of education >> for the office of member of board of education >> and that I am not disqualified
>> and that I am not disqualified >> as a voter pursuant to RS94-1 >> as a voter pursuant to RS19 col 4-1 >> nor disqualified due to conviction of a crime or offense >> nor disqualified due to a conviction of
a crime or offense >> listed in NJS 18A 12-1 >> listed in NJSA 12-1 >> that I will faithfully and partially and justly perform all the duties of that office
>> and that I will faithfully and partially and justly perform all the duties of that office according to the best of my abilities. >> Thank you. Thank you. So we move now to Miss Calderon here.
Mr. Guzman, Mrs. W here, Miss Kelly, Mrs. Martin here, Mr. S >> Miss Steph here,
>> Mrs. Var here. Mr. Weaver >> here. >> Now we'll have nomination and election of the president. I'll take nominations. for nominations. I nominate >> any other motions for nominations.
>> No other motions. nomination present. >> Seeing none, I will um um I'd like a motion to close the nomination, please. >> Motion. >> Okay, nominations have been closed. Now I'll call for a vote
to close nomination. Please call the >> Yes. Mrs. >> Mrs. Martin. >> Yes. >> Mr. S. >> Yes.
>> Miss Steph. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mr. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, have a a motion
to vote for Miss Steph. >> Okay, now a roll call. Miss >> Mrs. Mrs. Martin, >> yes. >> Mr. Yes, >> Mr. >> Yes.
>> We have a new president, Miss Sit in the middle. Sit in the middle. camera. Okay. Okay. Um, the president will now request nominations for the office of vice president of the past valley Regional
High School District Board of Education according to board policy code number 0152. motion. the process of nominations. >> I thought we're opening it up to the nominations. >> We're officially open to nominations. >> We're open for nominations.
>> Following >> I nominate Elizabeth Cro. Are there any other nominations? >> Are there any other nominations for vice president? Okay, if there are no further nominations, I have a motion that nominations be closed.
Nominations have been closed. I call for a vote. Yes, >> Mrs. M. Martin. >> Yes, >> Mr. S. >> Yes, >> Miss Mr. Weaver.
>> Yes, >> Mrs. That was to close, right? Okay. So, now we're going to vote in favor of >> Now we have a candy. >> Yeah. So, there's a and we have we're going to do a vote for
Elizabeth. So candidate A >> right motion for that. >> Can we have a discussion? Is there possible candidates are accepting?
>> Thank you. >> Well, for the sake of an election, I'll accept >> longer than I have. anybody's call >> first and then second fall in favor and whoever only cast one vote for the two
>> voting in favor. So the first is in favor of one second. >> Well, you know what? I'll make it. I'm going to withdraw my nomination. All right. Can I do that? Okay. So, we're gonna withdraw candidate B.
>> Yes. >> Okay. So, we're going to take a vote for all in favor of candidate A, which is Elizabeth, please. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Long. >> Yes.
>> Mrs. Martin. >> Yes. Mr. >> Yes. >> Miss Mr. Weaver. >> Yes. Um, all right. At this time, I'm going to administer the uh school board code
of ethics for school board members under NJSA18A12-24.1. The president will read aloud the following code of ethics which applies to all school board members. School board members shall abide by the following code of ethics for schoolboard members. I will uphold and enforce all
laws, rules, and regulations of the state board of education and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures. I will make decision decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and
will to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing. I will confine my board action to policym, planning, and appraisal, and
I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them. I will carry out my responsibility not to administer the schools but together with my fellow board members to see that they are wellrun. I will recognize that
authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action that may compromise the board. I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools
for personal gain or for the gain of friends. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which if disclosed would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. In all other matters, I will provide accurate information and in concert with my
fellow board members interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school. I will vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer. I will support
and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties. I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.
I think we all have signed off on this um acknowledgement everybody. So before we move into the consent agenda, I just wanted to let the board know that item seven on the consent agenda for the reorganization is being
withdrawn and replaced with item seven on the supplemental agenda. The reason for the replacement is that there were some updates that occurred after the original agenda was posted. Um I wanted to give a little description of the specific changes.
On letter B of item seven, the district actually received the agreement. So the language is updated in the item to reflect the receipt of the agreement with Missia. Letter C of item seven, the language was updated since the district
agreement professional engineers. Um letter G of item seven was removed. Essentially, this was a duplicate item. Edwards Engineering was purchased by L2A Land Design. The proposal for the new
year was under the new name, which is L2A Land Design instead of Edwards. So, um, L2A is actually being approved under item M on the original agenda. So, >> G, I'm sorry.
>> Sure. So, G is being replaced. So item G and M were actually for the same professional service provider. It was basically Edwards is under L2A and their proposal is from L2A this calendar year
>> when we still got a little bit >> so when we remove letter G from originalbody Okay. And then letter H was also updated since we have not received the new
agreement from it. If you have any questions, moving on to consent agenda items, we have to >> 24.
I have a motion to move. >> Yes. >> Mrs. W. Yes. >> Mrs. Martin. >> Yes. >> Mr. S. >> Yes. >> M. Yes. Mrs.
Yes, Mr. >> Abstain 7A. Yes, everything. >> Okay. Um, moving on to the minutes. Um, resolve that the Pasin Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education at the recommendation of the interimm superintendent approve the
following Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education minutes. Can I have a motion, please? Is there any discussion? No. Yes. Mrs.
Mrs. Martin? Yes. >> Mrs. Mrs. >> Yes, regular state executive. >> Okay, moving on to comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make comments regarding agenda items and are
limited to three minutes according to the Pasc Valley Regional High School District Board of Education policy number 0167. Persons wishing to speak must upon being recognized rise, sign in, state their name, town of residence, and which
agenda item they are referencing. You have any comments from the public at this time? On agenda items only. Seeing that there are no comments from the public on agenda items at this time,
um we will move on to policy. Um, okay. There is one consent agenda item under policy. Um, may I have a motion, please?
>> After discussion. Yes, >> Mrs. Mrs. Martin. >> Yes, >> Mr. >> Yes, >> Miss Mr. >> Yes.
>> Okay, moving on to education. There is one consent agenda item. Um, I have a motion, please. >> Second. Any discussion? We have a roll call, please. Miss
>> Mrs. Mrs. Mr. >> Yes. >> M. >> Yes. >> Mrs. >> Oh my gosh. I will abstain from that from >> correct.
>> Yes, >> Mr. >> Yes. >> moving on to human resources. There are Okay. 10 consent agenda items. Can I have a motion, please?
>> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Long. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Martin. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> M. Mrs.
Mr. >> Yes. Under finance, there are 15 consent agenda items. Um, can I have a motion, please? >> Any discussion? Roll call, please.
>> Mrs. Mrs. Martin, >> yes. >> Mr. Yes, >> Mrs. Mr. Weaver. >> Yes, >> old business. >> Okay. Is there any new business?
>> Um, I have two things, new to old. Um, first off, thank you very much, for serving. I know that's a very stressful job. We appreciate all you've done. Again, we wish you all the best. Um, and I also just um had a follow question
from um some previous um conversations we had regarding the tower and the Verizon. Um do we have any updates on that? I know there's something there's a lot of talk now in Hillsdale and we have a meeting on the 20th town regarding the
potential of the by Stony Brook. Um, but is there anything else that we know of with the police station or anything else? >> I haven't been informed of anything else. Uh, the count barrel uh administrator reached out to us just asking us some general questions about
our reception in the building and uh not having um cell reception was an issue which I replied back um with some safety concerns as far as outside of uh the building
during the sporting events. >> Yeah. And there's still no possibility of us bringing it onto campus. >> Um >> I know we we reached out to Verizon when we started um as that being a possible solution. I know that there's a lot of um
a lot of discussion in town with some potential problems of having the tower by Stony Brook by some property. Um so is that still something that we have an option for? Because I know we had probably try to pass if you >> from my from my understanding and um
forgive me I've only been here >> a short time. Um it it is something I looked into uh inquired about and and from my understanding uh when we went to various uh cell tower companies no one was interested putting it on our
property um and it and so uh we it hasn't been pursued since then. Um I did speak with uh the Hillsdale burl administrator over the summer. Um just trying to get to know all the administrators and mayors and police
departments. Um and uh he informed me at that time that they were projected to have us out near the school um within the year. So there was no need for me to pursue at that point. >> Thank you very much. >> Do we know the level of like disturbance
it's going to increase it by? like it's going to take it from 0% to 50% 0% to 100%. Like to what extent is it going to improve service? >> 31,000 like I feel like we're comfortably in that range at this point. >> That's
that's what I was informed we were it would drastically improve. >> I think the meeting the 20th people will have questions and they'll give us more information. So we'll get more information. Thanks for bringing that up.
Anyone else on business? Okay. Um, moving on to comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make comments and are limited to three minutes according to the Pasc 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. Is there anyone in the public that would like to speak at this time? My name is Bob McMaro from Riverville. Um, good evening. I'm the parent of four
boys, a senior, a sophomore, and a sophomore at Pac Valley High School and a sixth grader that is attending Hel Middle School. I'm here tonight to discuss briefly the varsity head football coach position at Pas Valley High School. November 19th, I sent an email of my concerns to the Pascat
Valley administration and the athletic director regarding coach Ber. I was lucky enough to have the chance to sit down with Mr. Vanerson on December 4th and we had a good conversation regarding those concerns. At that meeting, Mr. Vancerson stated that he would have to look into some of the things that we
discussed that there were some other parents that he would be meeting with. During the weeks that followed, there were many rumors that Coach Ber was stepping down. So, I was a bit surprised when I was told by outside the district that coach Breener had this administration's full support and will
be returning as head coach. Since I only have three minutes here, I'll touch on a few of my concerns that I said in the email. The Pascat Valley football season was a disappointment and I don't think you would find anybody that would disagree, but the disappointment isn't in the record. Yes, there were injuries and
that's an unfortunate part of the game. But in my opinion, our team wasn't ready for the season and I wasn't the only one that thought that. In fact, Ryan Patty from NJ.com wrote an article after the Westwood game and is quoted as saying, "The Cardinals were the more conditioned team." This seems a common theme um for
Coach Ber's teams because on September 8th, 2024, while head coach at Saddlebrook, he himself posted on Facebook, "We had some serious cramping happening." This past season, Coach Baneer's second season as a varsity head football coach,
and both of them have ended with players not wanting to play for him and not wanting him to coach their children. So much so that the Pasco Valley players started their own petition and submitted the petition with approximately 15 players names to the Pasc Valley administration.
As vice president of the River Riverell Raiders, I can tell you that many of our youth families have the same concerns. Both the Hillsdale and Riverell youth football programs are two of the best programs in the area. They have passionate coaches, prideful families, and kids that like to play football. and
those kids look up to the varsity team. In coach Paneer's opening parent meeting, he discussed how he was going to be involved in the youth programs. Unfortunately, what followed was the exact opposite. The slogan for both Pasc Valley and Pasc Hills is to provide our students with
innovative instruction, versatile framework, and educational resources to develop the skill and knowledge to pursue their passions and advance toward future goals. This should pertain not only to the academics of these schools, but also to the athletics. After what we
witnessed last season, I can assure you that this slogan was not something that coach Baneer adhere to. In closing, Coach Baneer's hiring as a head coach last year was considered questionable by many. Allowing him to continue as head coach would be a mistake and will be placing both players and the program at
risk. Is there anyone else? Hi, I'm Jody Tesser from Lake. >> Can you turn on your microphone? >> Jody Tesser from Woodliff Lake. Um, my husband and I moved to Woodliff Lake almost 15 years ago. And like many of us who moved to Woodliff Lake, we moved
here primarily for the schools. My daughters are now 15 and 13, a sophomore at Hills and an eighth grader at Woodliff Middle. I am an active member of the community. I've been on the PFA since my oldest daughter was in first grade. I served as executive vice
president, head of the fifth grade committee, head of the food service, co-chair of cultural arts, and now the chairperson of senior seminar at Hills. I also sit on the board of Temple Emanuel as the former chairperson of the Religious School Board of Education and currently serve as the co-chair of the
Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Additionally, I am on the board of the Jewish Community Organization of Northern Berkeley County. I'm giving you all of this background so that you understand that I care deeply about our community and I get involved to make help make improvements where possible.
So, I'm coming to my first board of education meeting uh for Hills and Valley tonight. because I see a new opportunity for improvement. Many of my neighbors and I have serious concerns about our schools declining national, regional, and state ranking. We are equally concerned about our students
underperformance in college acceptances relative to neighboring towns with similar de demographics and lower taxes. I want to tell you that I believe my daughters are receiving excellent educations and if they weren't, we would have moved or put them in private
school. Overall, My husband and I have been very pleased with Dorchester and Pasc Hills. Mrs. Schneider, our guidance counselor, has been extremely helpful, responsive, and caring, I do not have any specific complaints about Dorchester or Hills. But I do have questions about
a disconnect. If the quality, rigor, and success of my children's education is as I'm describing it, why has our state ranking dropped from 42 to 59 and for Valley to
61? As a frame of reference, MAWA, whose residents pay much less in taxes, is ranked 51. And if Mrs. Schneider is representative of the professionalism, knowledge, and interest in her student success, why aren't the relationships our school's
guidance departments and college admissions officers stronger. As I mentioned, this is my first board of ed meeting for Hills and Valley. So, if this issue has been raised before, please let me know what the outcome has been. But as we take the next year to
conduct a search for a new superintendent, I respectfully ask that our new hire pri prioritize the improvement of our state, regional, and national reputation. I also ask that our relationships with admissions officers be examined and strengthened.
Is there an oversight committee that looks at these issues and tries to make improvements? If there is, please let me know what has been done. And if there isn't, can we please create one? I obviously have a vested interest in making improvements as my daughters are
quickly approaching college. But whether you have a high school age child or no children at all, improving our school's rank and acceptance into soughtafter schools benefits every resident's property value. Again, please understand I am not coming here to complain or be negative. I am
trying to be constructive as I'm making this request for a committee to examine and improve these issues or at least make this an agenda item for a subsequent meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> There any other comments from the public?
Um I just want to remind you that we are going to um hold everybody to that three minutes. Okay. Thank you. My name is Jose Costa for Rivervale. Good evening, members of the board. Uh, I have three children at Pas Valley High
School, two of which are football players, one a senior and one a freshman. And I want to begin what matters most, the safety of our student athletes. When leadership is disorganized, unprepared, or unqualified, safety is the first thing to erode. This is why I'm here tonight
as a parent and community member to urge change in leadership within our football program. Last season, coach Ber inherited a strong, thriving team. Four players with college offers, several more on the verge, and seven all league athletes. Yet, instead of building on that foundation, the program declined. Our
record dropped from 7-1 to 4 and4. Only two of those four returning first team all league players repeated that honor. Three entire classes that followed, 2027 through 29, have lost confidence in that stat. Nearly 200 community members have signed a petition calling for change.
These aren't just performance issues. They signal deeper problems that directly affect safety. Let me explain how. Player development suffered first. Younger athletes were overlooked until injuries forced them into roles they were unprepared for. The offensive line struggled with basic assignments.
Coaches lacked the expertise to develop players, leaving even our backup quarterback unre. When drills don't translate to game situations, athletes are put at risk. Communication and management were equally concerning. Players often didn't know the practice plan, location, or even what uniform to
wear. Substitution errors cost us penalties and created confusion. On a football field, confusion is dangerous. Morale and credibility credibility broke down. Players questioned play calls and sometimes changed them at the line because they didn't trust the sideline.
Film sessions criticized without teaching. My own son tried repeatedly to discuss his role and was ignored. When athletes lose trust, hesitation follows. and hesitation leads to unsafe play as well. Preparation was inconsistent at best. There was no offensive coordinator. Play calling was
disorganized to the point where players were asked what they wanted to run. Opponents called out our predictable plays before the snap. Coaches had no in school presence limiting film study and installed time. Poor preparation puts players in vulnerable situations. And
finally, direct safety failures, inadequate offseason conditioning, predictable schemes that exposed players to repeated high contact hits, overuse of seniors to the point of exhaustion, athletes playing after missing weeks of practice, and no waiver requirements for
personal. These are preventable risks. My son personally may have lost a chance to showcase his abilities and potentially earn a division one scholarship, but more importantly, he lost trust in a program that should have protected them. This isn't about wins
and losses. It's about leadership, competency, and safety of our children. And in every critical area, development, communication, management, morale, preparation, and safety, the current head coach has fallen short. I urge you to act responsibly and swiftly to
perpetuate coaching change. Our athletes deserve better. Our community expects better and our program cannot afford another year of decline. The future of PD football is at stake. >> Thank you for your time and commitment to our kids.
>> Thank you. >> Are there any other comments from the public? Sorry. >> Good evening members of the board and the community members. >> Before you get started, can you just state your name and your time res? Thank you. >> My name is Mr. Farovic and I live in
Hillsdale. >> Thank you. I have been part of the football program for over a decade as a parent and a supporter. I'm here tonight also because of the 2025 football season and coach Berner. It was not only difficult to watch, it was also deeply concerning
from a leadership, safety, and accountability standpoint. Most importantly, it was it took so much away from our kids. Pasc Valley football has a long-standing tradition built on culture, discipline, accountability, and community. Unfortunately, the new head coach made no effort to carry on these
traditions. He did not take the time to learn them and instead he took them away. This is especially upsetting because the team had one of the strongest rosters we've had in years. What looked like a promising season ended four and four.
And to be clear, this is not just about the record. We also had difficult seasons under the previous coaching staff. The difference is that even in challenging years, the players were supported by strong leadership, clear expectations, and accountability. This season, there was no culture, no
accountability, and no leadership. From the start, the program lacked organization. The team only had one scrimmage the entire season, leaving players unprepared. Even more concerning with the serious safety and liability issues. Physicals are required by July
31st and players are not permitted to participate until they are completed, submitted, and approved. This year, the head coach never reached out to athletes regarding these requirements. A message was eventually sent by another coach mid August. Yet, players still continue to participate when they should not have.
This is a major liability for the district. Additionally, helmet consent forms, which are required for player safety and legal compliance, were never distributed. This is another serious liability. Communication was nearly non-existent. The head coach did not engage with players regarding
attendance, mispractices, mislifts, any school obligations or behavior. The previous coaching staff consistently communicated, held players accountable, and prepared them for life beyond football. This did not happen this year. Practice preparation suffered as well.
Practice plans were not provided on time to assist coaches. Summer in session workouts were short, lack intensity, and were poorly organized. Players missed out on essential strength and conditioning, increasing injury risks and limiting to their development. Motivation and leadership were absent.
The head coach rarely spoke to the players to inspire them or to unite them. Film study, which is critical for football development, was not emphasized. Attendance did not matter. Community engagement also disappeared. In the past year, seniors and coaches
attended Hawks and Raiders games to build future for the to build a future for the program. This year, there was no outreach and no involvement. Game day professionalism was concerning. During games, members of the coaching staff sat on the ground with legs crossed drinking coffee, showing little engagement with
players while the players were competing. On senior night, a moment meant to honor years of dedication, the head coach was nowhere to be found engaging with players or families. I also urged the administration to review equipment inventory is everything
accounted for. We have been discussing this with VK. Um I have personally sat down with him to discuss this. Kids have not brought everything back. There's missing equipment which all falls under leadership responsibility. Finally, I want to stress how crucial it is for a
head football coach to be in the building. A head coach should be accessible during the school day to support students academically. Help them manage grades and guide them through both football and life challenges. Football is not just about Friday nights, but is about mentorship, accountability, and supporting student
athletes as students first. Having a head coach in the football is highly sorry, having a head coach in the building is highly important to the success, safety, and well-being of kids. As a parent, we teach our children that their actions have consequences. The former coaching staff to accountability.
Now it is time for Pasc Valley administration to do the same. The head coach must be held accountable for his inability to lead, for the poor decisions made this season, and for failing to uphold Pasc Valley traditions. Up past the three minute mark. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Are there any other comments from the public? Seeing that there are no other comments from the public, um I have a motion for an adjournment to
second.