Mhm. >> Mhm. >> You're on. Good evening. It's Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, and I like to welcome you to the meeting of the South Brunswick Board of Education and to call the meeting to order. We will be standing for the Pledge of
Allegiance, but I ask you to please remain standing out of respect for one of our little first graders who passed away from Greenbrook. So, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge >> Allegiance to the flag of the United
States of America and to and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, under visible with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing. >> [crying] >> Thank you. I'd like to read the statement of
advance notice. The New Jersey Open Public Meeting Act, NJSA 10:4-6, known as the Sunshine Law, was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the interests
discussed or acted upon. The primary purpose is for the board members to discuss and vote on board business. In accordance with the provision of this act, the board secretary has caused notice of this meeting 48 hours prior, including date, time, and location to be posted in the
South Brunswick Public Library and the Board Office, filed with the Township Clerk, communicated to the Home News and the Star-Ledger, and it is also posted on the district website. Roll call, Mr. Polawski. Mrs. Laura Hernandez. Here. Miss Devin
or excuse me, Miss Deepa Karthik. Present. Miss Alicia Khan. Here. Mr. Roger Krishna. Yes. Mr. Mike Mitchell. Present. Mr. Barry Nathanson. Here. Mr. Devin Patel. Present. Dr. Smitha Raj. Here. Mr. Rajesh Sony. Here.
We have a quorum. Awesome. Now, I'd like to open it up to have approval of the board minutes. So moved. Mr. Mitchell, second, Miss Khan. Um does anybody have any questions? And now I motion to approve the board minutes
of March 5th and the executive minutes of March 5th, 2026, and the board minutes of March 19th, 2026. Mr. Patel and Mr. Krishna. Now, I will have the report Wait, I want to make sure she's here. She is here.
>> [laughter] >> I get to pass it over to our student representative. Good evening, everyone. I'm excited to share a few updates from the high school. On April 8th, our social studies department hosted Revolutionary Roots, a local history presentation connected to
the American Revolution. Organized by librarian Lisa Meganello alongside teachers Christopher Hines and Justin Negreval, the event honored the 250th anniversary of our nation. A panel of local history experts brought the past to life, giving students a deeper connection to the history right
in our own community. The annual art gallery at South Brunswick High School took place yesterday, where we showcased the artwork of students from our district, grades preschool through 12. Looking ahead, junior prom will take place on May 15th. A quick reminder that packets and payments are due tomorrow,
April 24th. Also, our annual mental health fair is taking place tomorrow during all lunches. Be sure to stop by. Student government elections are also approaching. Interest meetings have already taken place, and student council sitting interviews will be held next week. Our Parent Ella Players will be
presenting Greece on April 30th, May 1st, and May 2nd. Pre-sale tickets are available during all lunches on April 29th, so be sure to grab them early. Tickets will also be sold at the door. School spirit has been especially strong this week as we lead up to our spring
pep rally, taking place tomorrow, April 24th. With the theme Battle of the Classes, students have been participating in various spirit days and lunchtime activities, all building excitement for the spirit night. Additionally, our annual powderpuff game will be held on May 20th. We have 320
students registered. All proceeds will support the Crisis Response Canines, a nonprofit organization that provides comfort and care to individuals affected by personal community crisis. Moving on to athletics, our boys spring track and field team captured the Red Division Championship on April 7th,
scoring an impressive 102 points across 15 events. This marks their 17th division title in the past 22 years. Girls lacrosse is also off to a strong start with an 8-3 start this season. Girls golf has secured back-to-back wins this past week, posting their best
scores of the season in each match. Boys golf has also started their season 4-2, highlighted by wins over Metuchen, Monroe, and J.P. Stevens. With their recent victory over Edison, Coach Homan earned her 100th career win. That concludes today's updates. Thank
you all for listening, and enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you, Annie. Thank you so much. Now up, our superintendent, Dr. Bragen. Thank you, Mrs. Hernandez. Uh we have a lot to cover tonight, but before we begin, I do want to recognize one thing. Our board president, Mrs. Hernandez, was
actually the Teacher of the Year for her school at Gilder Mott Elementary School in Trenton. So, congratulations on that, Board President. We are proud to celebrate and honor our 2025-2026 educator and educator support persons of the year. These outstanding individuals exemplify
dedication, passion, and excellence in their service to our students and our school community. Their commitment to fostering learning, supporting student services, and strengthening our schools makes a lasting impact each and every day. And we are grateful for their contributions and the positive difference they make
across the entire community. Please join us now in recognizing and congratulating these exceptional members of our community as Ms. Eisman leads the recognition ceremony. Ms. Eisman. >> [applause] >> All right. Good evening, everyone.
Members of the board, our honorees, friends, families, and colleagues, and everyone tuning in from home. I'm Blair Eisman, Director of Programs and Professional Development, and I have the honor of recognizing this year's educators and educational support people of the year. This is a time-honored tradition in
South Brunswick dating back to 1996. Each year staff, students, and parents are invited to submit letters nominating staff members across the district. A selection committee then has the difficult task of reading hundreds of nominations and scoring them on a given set of criteria.
In the end, just 24 exceptional individuals are selected, and that brings us to this evening. Thank you to those who submitted nominations and the selection committee, as well as our administrators who surprised each honoree in their building with the special announcement, and for
also being here tonight. Thank you to my assistant, Mrs. Rachel Kalibas, for all of the behind-the-scenes work she does, months in the making. She takes great care in making tonight special for her for our honorees, and I couldn't do it without her. Thank you to the PTO from each building.
They purchased one of the honorees' gifts, a desk name plate you could see here. I'm grateful for your continued support of this program. And lastly, thank you to the Ed Foundation of South Brunswick for their generosity as well. Marty Abschutz and Bobby Bender and some other
board members are here tonight. They purchased the second gift that our honorees will receive will receive. It's a framed print that you'll see in a few minutes as it ties to our theme for the evening. Please visit edfoundationsb.org to learn about their work and how you
could support the foundation. To start, I want to share that I found my inspiration for tonight's recognition program when I visited a Hindu temple last spring. I immediately noticed the peacocks woven into the ceiling and throughout. They were beautiful, intentional, and symbolic. And I began to think about
birds more broadly and what they have in common with educators and support staff. Like birds, tonight's honorees are builders. They create environments that are carefully constructed to support growth. And that doesn't happen by accident, and neither does a strong learning
environment. They are also guides. Birds teach their young when to stay close and when to take flight. In the same way, tonight's honorees know when to provide structure and when to step back, helping build independence and confidence. There's also a sense of community and
coordination. Think about birds flying in a formation. Each one plays a role, adjusting to support the group. Schools work the same way. When we are aligned, supporting one another, the whole system moves forward more effectively. And then there's resilience and
adaptability. Birds migrate, adjust to challenging environments, and keep moving forward. School staff do this every day, responding to students' needs, shifting plans, and navigating challenges while staying focused on what matters most.
And finally, like birds, there's a beauty in the work. Not always in a flashy way, but in the small meaningful moments, growth, connection, breakthroughs that often go unseen but matter deeply. So tonight, as we celebrate our
honorees, I'll share the bird chosen for each as they accept the honor and the framed print that they'll receive to remember the occasion. At this time, I'd ask President Hernandez to join me at the podium to help congratulate our honorees.
I also ask Brooks Crossing and Brunswick Acres honorees and administrators to join me here, and when one school sits down, the next school can come up just to keep the program moving smoothly. So, without further ado, I'll start at Brooks Crossing with Mrs. Lisa Malarkey,
first grade teacher. She is being gifted >> [applause] >> She is being gifted the penguin, which is a symbol of resilience, community, and partnership. In the water, a penguin penguin's travel together as a raft, and on land they huddle closely to protect
and support one another. Mrs. Malarkey reflects those same qualities with her {quote} "Fabulous Firsties" each day. She creates a classroom where students feel safe, supported, and connected, guiding them through the important transitions of first grade with patience, joy, and care. Mrs. Malarkey
builds strong partnerships with families and colleagues, knowing that children grow best when surrounded by teamwork and encouragement. Like the penguin, Mrs. Malarkey shows that strength is found in kindness and unity. Congratulations. Aw, Jen, we ruined it for you. Sorry.
Where's Jen? >> [laughter] >> Mrs. Regina Whitlock is a special education paraprofessional in the RISES program at Brooks Crossing and a long-time former teacher in the same building. She is receiving the chickadee. Chickadees are symbols of teamwork and adaptability and are
messengers of knowledge. These birds do not flee the warmer places. They keep busy holding down their home turf, reminding us that life keeps going even when the weather outside is uninviting. When the classroom teacher was unexpectedly out for an extended period, Mrs. Whitlock stepped up seamlessly,
taking on teaching responsibilities and ensuring students continue to receive consistency, structure, and support they needed each day. Her calm, dependable presence provided stability during a time of change. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Jennifer Moffitt is a third grade
teacher at Brunswick Acres. She is receiving the oriole, which is a vibrant songbird symbolizing joy, creativity, and good fortune, and her students are undoubtedly fortunate to have her. Orioles are also known for weaving remarkable nests, a sign of patience,
skill, and the ability to build something both strong and beautiful. Each day, Mrs. Moffitt builds a classroom where students feel inspired, capable, and eager to learn. Much like the oriole's bright song, Mrs. Moffitt's energy and positivity draw draw children in and make school a place they
genuinely want to be. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Sheetal Mehta is a special education paraprofessional working with students with autism at Brunswick Acres. She is receiving the parrot, which symbolizes communication, wisdom, and love. Parrots are deeply social, using
their voice with purpose. Mrs. Mehta supports students with extraordinary patience, compassion, and calm, helping them grow academically, behaviorally, and socially, while always ensuring they feel safe and valued. Her soothing voice can calm even the most challenging moments, while her steady presence
provides the consistency students rely on. Like the parrot, Mrs. Mehta shows that true strength lies in connection, understanding, and lifting others up through care. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [applause] >> MRS. COLLEEN Walker
is a special education teacher at Cambridge. She is receiving the stork, which in ancient Rome represented devoted parental care and protection, and it's also associated with new beginnings. Because storks migrate and return seasonally to the same places,
they also symbolize dependability, stability, and consistency. Mrs. Walker leads with steady compassion and deep commitment. She understands each child's unique needs and works with intention to help them build confidence and independence in a nurturing environment. Mrs. Walker extends the same sense of
care to her colleagues, offering thoughtful guidance whenever it's needed. Her presence brings comfort, ability, and a sense of renewal to those around her. Congratulations. Mrs. Sheikh Mahmudur Mahmudur Khodar is a She is receiving the robin, which
reflects resilience and honor. It is a reminder of strength and is known for its steady song that signals hope while enduring difficult and shifting seasons. In her role, she plays an essential part in ensuring the safety and well-being of students during their most active time of day. She provides structure,
guidance, and care in both the cafeteria and the playground, helping students navigate social interactions and transitions. Through personal, unimaginable loss, Mrs. Khodar has shown extraordinary strength, grace, and resilience. Like the robin, she continues to show up each day with a
quiet courage and unwavering dedication, offering a constant and reassuring presence children can rely on, reflecting the true spirit of being rooted in resilience and rising with purpose. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Megan Pilzinski is a special education teacher at Constable
Elementary, and she's receiving the bluebird, beloved for bringing light and joy wherever it appears. Known for its keen vision, it also represents the ability to see potential in others and help them soar. Those qualities reflect Mrs. Pilzinski each day. She meets challenges with grace,
professionalism, and unwavering dedication, always focused on what students need to feel successful, confident, and included. One parent shared that Mrs. Pilzinski's care has touched her daughter in profound ways, helping her feel feel seen, valued, and understood. Like the bluebird, she
brings kindness and comfort to those around her. Congratulations. >> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Might be the largest RSVP I ever received. >> [laughter] >> Mrs. Nancy Blackburn is a preschool
paraprofessional at Constable. She is receiving the Pelican, which is a symbol of selfless love, devotion, and community. It's known for care It's known for caring deeply for its young and working closely within social groups. It also long represented generosity and protection. Queen Elizabeth actually
used the Pelican as a symbol of motherly dedication and sacrifice. These qualities beautifully reflect Mrs. Blackburn. She gives herself each day with warmth, patience, and unwavering commitment to students, always knowing when a child needs encouragement, guidance, or an extra measure of care.
She has a purposeful presence and is a steady hand, mentor, and true friend to her colleagues. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mr. Ronald Olshefski is a special education preschool teacher at Dean. He is receiving the Heron. Like the Heron,
he leads with calm wisdom, dependable purpose, and a graceful presence that helps young learners thrive. He's deeply appreciated by families and colleagues for the care, positivity, and dedication he brings. He recognizes the unique potential in each student, works tirelessly to help every child meet
their goals. With patience, kindness, and understanding, he supports the academic, social, emotional, and developmental needs of our littlest learners, where they all feel safe, valued, and excited to learn. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Alka Shah is a preschool
paraprofessional at Dayton. She is receiving the Goldfinch. The Goldfinch is a symbol of grace and healing, joy and tenacity, and protection and ultimate triumph. Mrs. Shah is deeply committed to student success using creativity, wisdom, and resourcefulness to turn everyday moments into meaningful
learning experiences. She has created a sense of trust and reassurance for students, families, and colleagues alike. One parent shared that the worries of starting preschool quickly disappeared because Mrs. Shah greeted their child each day with love and kindness, creating a safe and welcoming
environment from the very start. Her warmth and patience Her warmth and patience are felt in every interaction, and students light up with excitement when they see Mrs. Shah. Like the Goldfinch, she brings energy and light to Dayton. Congratulations.
>> [applause] >> Mrs. Brielle Morgan Tesauro is a fifth-grade teacher at Greenbrook Elementary School. She is receiving the flamingo, which is a symbol of balance, renewal, and vibrant individuality, as well as focus and the importance of nurturing one's potential. Because they get their color from what
they eat, flamingos reflect the idea that what is invested and nurtured helps shape what we become. Through inquiry-based, student-centered science instruction, she helps students think critically and ask questions. Families note her ability to make science accessible and inspiring,
encouraging students to see themselves as future scientists. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom through her work with the science fair and yearbook, creating meaningful opportunities for student engagement and pride. Mrs. Miss Morgan Tesauro brings confidence and
curiosity in every student she teaches. Congratulations. [applause] Mrs. Nisha Shah is a special education paraprofessional at Greenbrook, and she is receiving the swan. The swan is a symbol of transformation and is also known for its quiet strength, loyalty, and protective nature. Though common
appearance, swans swans are deeply devoted and steadfast in caring for those around them. These qualities wholeheartedly reflect Mrs. Shah as she remains solution-focused in both structured and fast-paced environments, ensuring every child feels included and successful. A colleague shared that Mrs.
Shah seamlessly steps in to support all learners in physical education, modeling skills, redirecting behavior, and encouraging participation, so every student is engaged. Students respond to her energy and often light up when she joins in alongside them. Congratulations.
>> [applause] [applause] >> Mrs. Jennifer Leach is an instructional support teacher at Indian Fields. She is receiving the dove, a well-known symbol for peace, gentle presence, and harmony. It's also known known for its soft, calming coo, and it's often called the
GPS of the bird world, with an extraordinary ability to find its way and guide movement across great distances. Just like a dove's navigation ability, Mrs. Leach helps chart the course for students who are struggling, identifying their needs, guiding interventions, and finding the way
forward towards success. She is a trusted colleague and leader at Indian Fields, wearing many hats. But even in a fast-paced or challenging moment, she is able to provide clarity for both students and staff. Congratulations. >> [applause]
>> Mr. John Beecher is head custodian at Indian Fields, and he did give his permission to share that he and Mrs. Beecher are retiring this year. >> [applause] >> He is receiving the owl, which is a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and quiet
strength. Known for its observant nature and ability to see clearly even in challenging conditions, it represents guidance and knowledge. His colleagues have gushed about his calm, reliable presence as he ensures the building is safe, clean, and ready for learning each
day. Like the owl, he often anticipates needs before they arise and responds with thoughtful, practical solutions. They also said that through his many years of service, he has been the quiet force that keeps the school running smoothly, especially during those high-pressure moments and large school
events. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Nora Budakavoli is a preschool teacher at Monmouth Junction. She is receiving the hummingbird, which is a cherished sight and a symbol of joy, love, and the ability to move through life with energy, grace, and lightness. A hummingbird is also unique in its
ability to hover in place and even fly backward, something no other bird can do. This remarkable agility reflects adaptability, precision, and the ability to meet each moment exactly where it is, while still moving forward with purpose. If you were to visit Miss B's Mrs. B's
classroom, as her littles call her, you would see this beautifully reflected each day. She creates a calm, nurturing, and joyful environment for young learners, and she leads with patience. One parent shared that their child comes home excited to talk about what they learned and proud of their progress, a
clear reflection of the joy and confidence Mrs. B fosters each day. Congratulations. >> [applause] [applause] >> Mrs. Diane Lee is a special education paraprofessional at Monmouth Junction. She is receiving the crane, which is a symbol of fidelity and quiet vigilance,
and is known for its presence, long migrations, and cooperative nature, often taking turns as a lookout to protect the group. Like the crane's steady journey, Mrs. Lee brings consistency and calm support to students each day, seamlessly adapting to a new grade level while main- while
maintaining reliability and reassurance. Her quiet vigilance is evident during inclusion opportunities, where she carefully observes, supports, and guides students to ensure success across settings. Like cranes watching over their flock, she remains attentive and responsive to all of her students.
Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Leslie Buck is a language arts teacher here at Crossroads North Middle School, and she is receiving the goose, which is a symbol of watchfulness and guidance, and in ancient mythol- mythology is seen as a divine messenger. Geese are highly
social birds that travel in tight tight-knit formations, showing loyalty, protection, and teamwork as they move toward as they move forward together. They're also known for their alertness and strong sense of direction. They off- They often guide and safeguard
their flock. You might have seen how one goose will wait for their young ones to safely cross the street before crossing themselves. These qualities reflect Mrs. Buck in her writing classroom. Like a goose guiding its formation, she leads students with direction, humor, and care. One parent shared, "My son has
grown not only as a writer, but as a thinker in Mrs. Buck's class. She helps him step outside his comfort zone and choose stronger, evidence-based arguments, even when they challenge his usual thinking. He comes home excited about writing in a way I never expected." I would say that is moving
her flock forward. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mr. Jaime Olvera Patlan is a custodian here at Crossroads North, and he is receiving the woodpecker, which is a symbol of persistence and attentiveness, known for its ability to look beneath the surface and uncover what is needed.
It also plays an important role in maintaining healthy environments, quietly strengthening the space around it so others can thrive. These qualities reflect Mr. Patlin's impact on Crossroads North. He approaches his work with quiet determination and care, ensuring classrooms are not only clean,
but truly ready for learning. He pays attention to the details others may overlook. And like the woodpecker, Mr. Patlin's work is steady, intentional, and essential, quietly strengthening the foundation of Crossroads North so everyone can thrive. Congratulations.
>> [applause] >> Ms. Emily McMahon is a special education teacher at Crossroads South Middle School. She is receiving the wren, a small bird known for its remarkably powerful song, often said in folklore to sing louder than its size would suggest, and according to one of Aesop's fables,
it's called the king of birds. Ms. McMahon brings warmth, enthusiasm, and purpose into her work, whether leading professional development for staff, stepping into leadership roles, co-teaching writing, or supporting students as they grow as learners. From the beginning, she has been a trusted
collaborator, offering guidance, encouragement, and thoughtful strategies. Like the wren, Ms. McMahon may be humble in presence, but her impact is powerful. Congrats. >> [applause] >> Mr. Anthony Sudnik could not be here tonight, but we'd still like to honor
him. He is a custodian at Crossroads South, and he's receiving the peacock, which among other things is a symbol of watchfulness and protection, with its eyes representing awareness and a steady presence that notices what others may overlook. Mr. Sudnik brings creativity and vision into everything he does,
especially in his work with students in the multiple disabilities program. He doesn't simply complete tasks, he invites students into his creative process, helping them contribute to bulletin boards and interactive spaces. He collaborated with students on a mission control space center project,
where he helped design interactive panels that allowed students to experience learning in a hands-on, meaningful way. Mr. Sudnik is consistently attentive and supportive. His calm presence and willingness to help ensure that both students and staff feel supported. Like
the peacock, Mr. Sudnik brings brings both beauty and awareness to Crossroads South. Congratulations to him. >> [applause] >> Mr. Ryan Webb is a health and physical education teacher at South Brunswick High School, and he is receiving the cardinal, a symbol of warmth, passion,
and vitality, known for its strong family bonds and role as a guardian in nature. Bright and easily recognizable, it also represents presence, loyalty, and the ability to form lasting connections. Cardinal groups are social and adaptable, with individuals joining
and shifting within flocks over time, reflecting how relationships grow while meaningful bonds remain. As an educator and coach, he is fully present each day with no off days. One student shared that from their first day as a freshman through 5:00 a.m. swim
practices, Mr. Webb remained a steady, positive influence who treated every obstacle as a challenge to overcome, and made students feel supported through every step of their growth. His connections extend well beyond a single year or class. Colleagues note that he continues to greet and remember former
students in the hallways, maintaining relationships that last longer after they leave his classroom, much like the cardinal, whose strong bonds persist even as flocks naturally shift and grow. Congratulations. >> [applause and cheering] [applause]
>> Ms. Rupal Patel is a safety paraprofessional at South Brunswick High School, and she is receiving the sparrow, a symbol of joy, protection, and community resilience. Like the cardinal, sparrows sparrows also thrive through strong group bonds, and remind us that even the smallest presence can
have a meaningful impact through everyday acts of care. Ms. Patel reflects the spirit throughout the school community. As noted in nomination, she is often one of the first faces seen in the morning, greeting staff and students with a warm smile that sets a positive tone for the day. She consistently steps in without
hesitation. She treats every child with patience and kindness, building trust through small but meaningful interactions. Students who may struggle to engage are drawn to her respectful approach, and over time they begin to feel more comfortable, included, and valued within the school community.
Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Mrs. Apex Patel is not only a physical therapist in the district, but the only physical therapist, serving all preschool through 12th grade students with PT needs, including those on home instruction. Tonight, she is receiving
the egret, a bird often seen alone and symbolizing independence, balance, and inner strength, but moving calmly across wide spaces. Mrs. Patel remains positive and fully present in every setting she enters. Colleagues shared that she channels her expertise into meaningful,
student-centered supports that build independence, access, and dignity for learners. Even while navigating significant challenges this year, she has remained grounded and committed, reflecting the egret's quiet resilience and balance. And like the egret, she is
rare in her reach, impacting, bringing calm, clarity, and growth to every space and student she served. Congratulations. >> [applause] [applause] >> And last but not least, Ms. Viviana Martinez is the assistant to the
assistant superintendent of human resources at Central Office. Tonight, she is receiving the eagle, a symbol of strength, determination, and confidence, and one she knows well as a Marine veteran. Known for its remarkable vision and eagle-eyed perspective, the
eagle represents leadership, clarity, and the ability to rise above challenges. It is also seen as a national treasure, and those who work with her see her as a treasure as well. Ms. Martinez brings discipline, focus, and composure to every challenge she faces.
She is steady. Ladies, don't cry. >> [laughter] >> Trying to hold it together. She is steady under pressure, mission-focused, and committed to getting the job done with precision and integrity. In her daily work, she manages complex, high-volume responsibilities with calm
efficiency. As noted in nomination, she is the person who shows up and executes no matter what situation is thrown at her, often juggling multiple district priorities while remaining composed. With an eagle's higher perspective, she anticipates needs, identifies solutions,
and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Her dependability makes her a trusted anchor for colleagues, and she is frequently described as the go-to person you can always rely on. Someone who provides uncertainty uh clarity in uncertainty and stability in fast-moving
situations. Her presence elevates those around her and strengthens the systems she supports. Grounded in her values, Ms. Martinez rises with purpose and leads with unwavering dedication. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [cheering]
[applause] [cheering] >> OH, THERE'S THIS SIDE. SO, THIS does conclude tonight's recognition program. I'd like to extend my congratulations to President Hernandez as well. And quick shout-out to um Brooks Crossing, Greenbrook,
Indian Fields, and Cambridge students who allowed me to borrow some of their artwork from the art gallery to to bring here tonight and share with you. So, thank you. I turn it back to you. >> [applause] >> Well, tonight, you guys are the best of
the best. Congratulations on all that hard work. I'm honored to sit in this class of Teacher of the Year with you. This year, we appreciate all you do. I know that there's lots of parents out there, and when Sunday night
comes, you go, "Oh, thank god they go to school tomorrow." And when August comes, you go, "Oh, thank god the summer's over." So, we thank all those teachers, all those paras, all those administrators who day after day
come to work with a smile, give it a 100% to complete our village in South Brunswick. Thank you so much, and congratulations. >> [applause] >> So, we're going to continue with our board meeting, cuz we have really
important stuff to do, and it's so exciting. You are very welcome to stay, but we're going to take a couple minute break, cuz you are very welcome to go, also. Thank you. >> Can we shut the door in the back, please?
Here we go. Okay, it did really get quiet [laughter] and bam, then there was one. >> [gasps] >> Okay, we're going to superintendent is going to continue with his report right now. Dr. Bragan, back to you. I feel like I'm on TV. And now back to our
show. Awesome. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Um The Joan Kirkes uh student art gallery was held yesterday at South Brunswick High School and proved to be an inspiring and vibrant celebration of our student creativity. Um the cherished district tradition was once again a tremendous success and was
very well attended by family, staff, and community members. The event showcased the incredible talent, imagination, and dedication of our student artists across all grade levels. I want to thank everyone who participated in and supported this wonderful event wonderful event for helping to highlight the importance of
the arts in our schools. I was actually fortunate enough to talk to a couple of the artists in residence who were painting there. It was great just talking to them and um learning about their creative process. And I actually got to spend some time with Mrs. Kirkes as well, so it was a an added bonus.
I want to give an update on our preschool lottery program. Um as you know, we have our preschool um expansion uh our preschool program as a result of our preschool expansion aid we get from the state. And this this coming up school year, we're actually going to add three classes.
And even with that uh addition, we had 400 people approximately submit interest for approximately 260 spots. The families have all been notified and those that didn't get selected will be placed on a waiting list. By June 1st, families will receive additional information including their assigned
schools and details about the registration process. It's something we want to look at next year. We have to apply to the state if we want to expand and for the year following next year, we have to have those applications in by November, I believe. And we're going to look to see if we can expand it again because the need definitely exists.
And we want to get as many of our our children into our preschool programs as possible. Um South Brunswick High School is excited to host a district-wide chess-a-thon this Saturday, April 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students from across the
district will come together for a day of strategy, friendly competition, and fun. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, build connections, and showcase their talents in a supportive environment. We look forward to a great day of competition
and community. In addition, we have the South Brunswick School District Parent Academy in partnership with the South Brunswick Municipal Alliance, the South Brunswick student the South Brunswick School District Parent Academy will present an important session focused on how substances may be
concealed in everyday items. The presenter is a former DEA agent, Doug Collier. The presentation is going to be Tuesday, April 28th at 6:30 p.m. at Crossroads North. This informative session is dedicated to raise awareness and provide families
with practical knowledge to help keep our students safe. We encourage all parents that can to attend. Um South Brunswick uh we don't want anyone to miss this year's exciting musical musical performance of the beloved
classic Greece. It's brought to life by our talented South Brunswick High School students, the Pirandello Players. The performance dates are April 30th, May 1st, and May 2nd. Please join us for an evening or an afternoon possibly on May 2nd of music, dance, and outstanding
student talent. We hope to see everyone there. It's a busy time we have here. We have Super Night of Jazz coming up. Um please join us for a special evening of music and community at Crossroads South Middle School on May 8th at 6:00 p.m. Guests
will enjoy inspiring student performances while savoring a delicious variety of soups served with fresh bread followed by an assortment of delightful desserts. This event promises to be a wonderful opportunity to come together, celebrate our students, and enjoy an evening of
connection and creativity. And we look forward to seeing you there. I want to talk about our health center transition and provide an update. While we appreciate the service provided by our current partner, the district is transitioning the management of our health center.
Following a comprehensive review of submitted RFPs, we are recommending approval of a new health center partner, Family First Primary Physicians, at tonight's meeting. This transition is dedicated to ensure high-quality care, long-term sustainability, and enhanced services
for our employees. The proposed organization is led by a physician, providing strong clinical leadership. Our priority is [clears throat] a seamless transition with no disruption to employees' access to care. Following approval this evening, informational sessions will be scheduled
to share details and address any concerns or questions. We remain as a district fully committed to supporting the health and well-being of our staff and look forward to the opportunities this new partnership will bring. And lastly for me tonight, we're going
to give a redistricting update. At this point, I would ask our team to come up to the the podium. All right. Peter Radeen. I'm going to join you up there, too, as well. Okay. So, good evening, members of the board and South Brunswick community. My name
is Peter Radeen. I'm director of special projects. Oh, you go ahead. Sorry about that. So, I I I need I needed my device. Uh before we begin this process and we we share this information tonight, we think it's critically important to um share all the data and the stuff we've been working on
as we formalize this plan and we're able to roll it out to the public and to the school board tonight. Um I've only been a part of this process since December, approximately 5 months, but the people that have been working on it behind the scenes have been dedicated to this for a long period of time. And a great deal of effort was when has
been put into this to make sure we get it exactly right. And we do what we need to do to adjust for the changing demographics and some of the impact of the developments, but also trying to maintain as much continuity as we can in our programs. So, I'm grateful for all the efforts that our team that's going
to come up here and speak to you as well as all the people behind the scenes have put in for this. So, without further ado, Mr. Rutine is going to go over some of the highlights and some of our other team members are going to add and interject as we go through. Thank you, sir. Sorry about that. Thank you.
So, it's my privilege to present the final redistricting plan for the 2026-27 school year. I'm speaking tonight on behalf of our dedicated lead team and co-chairs Christina Veldasari Sarah and Rob Sears, who are both with us this evening.
This work is a result result of a vital partnership that also includes our director transportation Jill Adington, our superintendent, and the district senior leadership team. Together, we have ensured this plan is educationally sound and fiscally responsible.
In a moment, we'll begin a thorough presentation of the redistricting plan. Our hope is that as this presentation goes along, many of your questions will be answered. That said, we have a QR code projected for you now. Please feel free to scan it, and then as we go
through the presentation tonight, if a question comes to mind, you can enter your question via the Google form the QR code brings you to. The QR code will appear again toward the conclusion of the presentation. We'll address some questions tonight, and others will shape additions to the FAQ
that we've already created and will continue updating. More to come on that FAQ later in the presentation. So, to understand where we are going, let's remember why we started 18 months ago. The data tells a clear story of our
changing district. Currently, for the 25-26 school year, we have 399 kindergarteners compared to 677 12th graders. While our graduating classes are larger, we are facing an influx of 1,663 new students projected to enter our
schools from approved residential developments. This growth is not a maybe, it's actively happening. At [snorts] first glance, one might not see a problem since enrollment has been declining and space is available as a result. But, here's where things get tricky.
This map highlights the concentration of that growth, specifically Beekman, formerly known as South Brunswick Center. That development alone accounts for 1,776 units, approximately 63% or 2/3 of all
the 3,177 plus approved units are located within the Brooks Crossing Elementary attendance area. Because new developments disproportionately fall on one side of Route 1, if boundary lines were to stay as is, the new construction would have a
much more significant impact on some schools than others. This image helps to illustrate this. If our district doesn't take action, this is what the result of the new construction would be. Some schools and classes would be overcrowded, while others would have open seats available,
leading to an inadequate >> [snorts] >> uh leading to an inequitable educational experience for students. In addition, some schools would run out of space with enrollment exceeding their building's capacity. So, it's not that we don't have the space overall to accommodate many new
families, we do. We just don't have enough space in the zone schools to get that get the new students. So, this work started long ago when the redistrict when the district first learned of the significant growth that could be coming our way and contracted
with a demographer to learn more about the impact to our schools. About 18 months ago, the district took the important step of forming the committees necessary to explore this topic further. Our district's process was built on four pillars: stakeholder input, including
surveys and community stakeholder team input, research, involving site visits to surrounding districts, a core leadership team, and detailed data and planning. This slide summarizes the massive groundwork completed. To highlight a
few, we tracked student enrollment in a zero-set database, conducted building-by-building capacity reviews, transitioned through leadership changes while maintaining a focus on communication through regular briefs and community letters, visited three neighboring districts to
learn from their models, and interviewed three former administrators to learn more about the last time this type of work was done right here in South Brunswick. So, now we transition to the present reality of April 2026. We've moved from
theoretical to a concrete plan based on the most up-to-date data available. So, to emphasize the scale, 3,177 residential units are approved and are at various stages of completion. It's important to just reiterate,
they're at various stages of completion. This volume of new housing is the primary driver for the necessity of this redistricting plan. From those units, the the demographer projected a yield of 1,663 students, of which 782 are
elementary-age students. We must ensure we have the seats and the staff to welcome these families without overcrowding our existing classrooms. It's important to note that yield is from the approved residential developments only, which does not include any new future approved
residential development or turnover from existing South Brunswick housing. As shared at the Board of Education presentation in December, while our study did explore a variety of options to address the challenges ahead, redistricting emerged as the best path
forward to address our immediate growth. Since that time, all of the focus has been on building the most appropriate redistricting plan. Redistricting maintains the current K-5 structure, affects the fewest number of students, and ensures continuity of the
high-quality instruction that our township is accustomed to. It allows us to accommodate growth slowly as we monitor and plan for the future. Additionally, it affords us the opportunity to quote, kind of right some wrongs as we call it, in our tran- current transportation routes.
Above all else, this plan allows us to strategically monitor residential development growth and student enrollment in real time, so that if and when additional chat changes are needed in the future, decisions are based on
real-time data that happen over time. Now, let's look at the specifics of the plan. Let's begin with a bird's-eye view of what this plan encompasses, and we'll provide context from there. Start with preschool.
So, preschool does not operate with traditional home school assignments. While some students may find themselves in a home school that they eventually go to, it's not based on that. So, in and out of district placements will continue. Um as Dr. Brigan had mentioned, there's
an addition of three classes that is happening. Um so, there's no change to preschool operations impacted by redistricting. Now, let's move to our current kindergarten through fourth grade students. Okay. All rising first through fifth
grade students whose attendance boundary is redistricted will attend their newly redistricted school. So, about 284 students will attend a different elementary school in September of 2026 than they do now.
The reason we always put the about there is because the numbers are always fluid. We may have a student enter today and exit tomorrow. Um so, as of the last time we updated it, 284 students is our impact in terms of those sitting in kindergarten through
fourth grade seats right now that will be in a different elementary school in September of 2026. To give um a little bit of context to that as well, there are currently 70 about 70 fourth
graders who will rise into fifth grade next year that are part of that. And we'll talk more, but we want to be clear that they are part of that plan. And we'll talk more about the support in place, but we have a significant support system that will be put in place that
will ensure that those students are well supported, and also give them the opportunity to make a lot of friendships in fifth grade when they go with those students to middle school to their newly redistricted middle school a year later as well. Our current fifth graders.
So, for our current fifth graders, these are the students who are rising sixth graders. So, about 53 students will begin their middle school journey in their newly redistricted middle school. So, not a large number that we expected
it to possibly be a little larger. These are all students who have not yet stepped foot in middle school, but there are 53 who will go to a middle school that is different than what would have been zoned for them this current year. All right, current sixth through 11th
graders. So, those are students who will be in seventh through 12th grade next year. There is no change. Students in those grades will remain in their current school. So, this plan, to be clear on the number
there, allows for 106 rising 7th and 8th graders to stay in their current middle school while their zoning for their elementary school has changed, meaning that those students
would be zoned to a different middle school based on the new zoning map, but we have decided to keep them in their current middle school to maintain their current continuity in their middle school experience. The previous slide provided an overview
of the plan. This and the next slide will provide some context to that plan. So, this table breaks down the elementary home school assignment for each of the new developments alongside each school's current enrollment. As you can see, Brooks Crossing
currently has 537 students and faces a projected yield of 446 more students from developments like Beekman in the years ahead. Conversely, schools like Mama Junction, Constable, and Greenbrook have no new developments and can help
absorb the growth from other areas. This helps to explain the general idea behind our redistricting plan, which is that we have created space in the schools that will experience growth, and we have reassigned sending zones to allow the schools with the space and no
expected development growth to welcome additional students. While the significant impact is primarily felt at the elementary level, this gives more context to the demographer's projected growth felt at the middle and high school level as well. This chart ultimately provides the projected number of students from each
of the new residential developments along with the corresponding zone schools. As shared earlier, this only includes projected growth from these new developments, not from future development or existing turnover of homes. Here you can see the side-by-side
comparison of our current elementary boundaries on the left versus the redistricting, kind of our phase one as we anticipate something possibly down the road, um for the redistricting map on the right, the boundaries for September 2026. The shifts are targeted and intentional.
The September 2026 redistricting map shows the new boundary lines encompassing where students from new developments will go to school, as well as students from existing neighborhoods whose assigned school will change for this coming September.
On the screen is now a slightly enlarged view of that new elementary zoning map, which will become available to the community tomorrow on the district website. This map has been created purposefully in high resolution, which is helpful so that you can zoom in and everything
remains clear. I'll give you an example of that now so that you'll see what families will see starting tomorrow on the website for clarity for them. >> [snorts] >> So, being an example of starting to zoom in, and if you even wanted to take it further and see the exact street and get
closer, say you're on Bayberry Court, again, we developed it to make sure that there was a high level of resolution so that you can always zoom in as far as you needed for yourself. And the colors are labeled in terms of which ones relate to which sending school
so that you can see exactly where your child goes to school based on the map. So, now that we provided the plan and context, here's a summary of what redistricting accomplishes for our district. It minimizes disruption by impacting a small percentage of students.
About 284 current K-4 students of the 2,288 experience a school change. About 53 current 5th graders who will already be transitioning from an
elementary to a middle school will attend a newly redistricted middle school. There is no impact to current 6th through 11th grade students. It provides stability today while giving us the necessary time to track growth
and monitor real-time numbers, which is a very real challenge. As we've shared over the last year or so, we've been on site at each of these residential developments multiple times. We've spoken to construction site managers, lead project developers as well. We've watched the progress and sometimes
the lack thereof. Many of these developments have changed name or ownership, and construction advances and delays have impacted each development differently. We've been monitoring these developments over the course of this study, and continued consistent monitoring over time will be crucial to our
understanding of long-term enrollment trends. So, it avoids premature transportation costs as students trickle in and allows us to write some wrongs in transportation. This not only opens necessary seats, but is fiscally responsible at a time when
our district is facing some significant budgetary challenges. This creates and redistributes seats. It opens capacity in the high growth schools and utilizes space in schools not experiencing growth. It maintains the quality and consistency
of our instructional programs, and it lays the foundation for a phase two implementation if and when necessary. Just as the district was meticulous in monitoring development and growth in determining the need for this redistricting plan, the ongoing monitoring from this point forward will
determine if and when a phase two is necessary to accommodate the future students projected by the demographer. All right, and so what are our next steps here? Well, the work doesn't stop tonight, or actually our plan is to move immediately into implementation phase.
Our next steps include a comprehensive support plan for redistricted students. We will be sending personalized letters to every impacted family by May 15th. Additionally, district administrators will be in touch later in the spring and
into the summer to share support plans for students who will transition to a newly redistricted school. Finally, we will launch a street-by-street district listing on our website tomorrow so every resident knows exactly where they stand for September.
We encourage everyone to visit our dedicated redistricting plan webpage when it is launched tomorrow. It will feature a message uh about redistricting, information about the detailed street-by-street listing, and the updated attendance map,
and the detailed FAQ as well that we mentioned as part of that uh QR code at the beginning. So, we're hopeful that this evening's presentation answered many of your questions, but as promised, the QR code is back on the screen for you to scan if you'd like to submit a question.
As mentioned earlier, submitted questions will help shape additions to the FAQ we've created and will continue updating in the weeks ahead on our website. That FAQ will be linked to the redistricting website that will go live tomorrow. The core and community input teams have
provided valuable insight in shaping this work over the last 18 months. And in our most recent meetings, they helped identify questions and topics that might need further clarification for the public. We thank them for these insights and have modified this evening's presentation to include some of the
questions they identified. While we review those questions now, feel free to submit additional questions. So, does redistricting impact existing housing in the township or only new developments? This is both.
Due to the size of our township, bussing constraints, and enrollment and space allocations in our buildings, both had to be factored into the redistricting plan. Is there an impact to special education programming? There is not a widespread programmatic
um impact. Um there are no widespread programmatic changes at this time. That said, students with IEPs have individual individualized programs. So, as is the case now and has been in the past, a school change could be recommended if a student's programs
needs were to shift. This would be a discussion with your child's case management team. Is it possible for families to have students in two different middle schools? There are 11 siblings
who would be impacted over the next 2 years by this. The district will follow up with those families directly about what their options are moving forward. So, this is kind of a two-parter that came. Uh so, are those being redistricted able to open enroll and
remain in their current school? And then, you know, kind of what if I agree to forego bussing and transport my child? Unfortunately, we can't do this. While we understand the changing that changing schools can be difficult for students and families, the new attendance boundaries were carefully developed to balance
enrollment across schools and ensure each campus has the staffing and resources needed to support all all students. And for the part two, while we appreciate families' willingness to help with transportation, transportation is only one part of this
big challenge. Class sizes, staffing, and available space at each school have been planned based on the new boundaries and projected enrollment. So, because of this, we are not able to make these exceptions through open enrollment. Are feeder or sending schools, meaning
from elementary to middle, remaining the same? Yes. So, Wansor Acres, Cambridge, Indian Fields will continue to send to Crossroads South. Brooks Crossing, Constable, Greenbrook, and Monmouth Junction will continue to send to Crossroads North. Just want to
make one note. Our new development, the Beekman development, while we've made some adjustments and sent some students to North, that development will be going to Crossroads South. Are transition plans being made to support impacted students? I hope that you heard a little bit about what I
shared about transition plan. So, yes, this work is already underway and leadership at both the elementary and middle school level will be in touch with plans later this spring and into the summer. We are all committed to supporting students through this process. Again, those impacted will
be supported and will have a direct communication as well. And then, our last one here is when and how can I find out if my child is impacted? And I hope you heard this a few times, but tomorrow the redistricting website will be launched.
When that's launched, on our webpage we'll include a high-resolution map and a street-by-street listing so that you can determine where your child goes to school. By May 15th, there will be a letter sent to all impacted families. Direct communication
will happen. So, I'm going to put the QR code back up just one last time here just in case anybody missed it and still needs to, but more importantly, you know, Robin Christina here I know you've been monitoring the questions. So, before and as we wrap up here, just want to see if that's
working, anything that needs Right, good? No questions. Good. Perfect. All right. So, it probably means the community team did a really nice job in predicting what some of those questions >> [laughter] >> Thank you to them for letting us add that, but we're going to continue to monitor and as Peter said, the FAQ will
go live tomorrow. We plan to be updating that weekly as the questions come in. Thank you. And if you didn't hear, that was Christina sharing that weren't as many questions coming in, but we will monitor and we will continue to update the FAQ online. We are thankful that our
community team provided much input. A lot of the faces I see here on the board were part of that community team and and present last night as well. And so, we thank you for your input there. And again, the FAQ will be updated regularly. So, with that, that concludes
the presentation for our redistricting and I will turn it back over to you, Dr. Brigan, at this time. Thank you. Want to have any questions? No. I Any questions from the board right now? Okay, we do have a couple. Mr. Patel.
Thank you very much, Mr. Brigan, for this presentation. It's a wonderful explanation that you guys did and hard work to you guys, you you and your team. So, one question I have regarding the development that's on the intersection of South Crossings and I
think Route 1 by the I think that's also Heritage Plaza. And the kids we are sending it to Constable, I guess, or or Cambridge. Cambridge. Are you just speaking about the development that's closest to the high school, Shoppes at South Wait, as you're
heading to Plainsboro? Uh-huh. Yeah. So, initially that development was slated for Monmouth Junction. If you've driven by it, it's pretty big. If we were to send that development to Monmouth Junction, they don't fit. Existing The building is not designed, it doesn't have enough classrooms. So, if we were at the current state of Monmouth
Junction school, they can only go up two classrooms in full-size rooms. That's far more than can fit there. Thankfully, many moons ago, before probably any of us worked here, the way the lines were drawn, Constable is sort of like the
middle of an Oreo cookie and Cambridge is on both sides of it. If you look at the existing map, that remains. That has to do with the walker Cambridge and Constable are very close. So, the walker community is right there. And then other students were bused cuz they were being bused further anyway. So, there are existing bus routes that go all the way
down if you look on the map. I don't know if we can bring it back up from the Cambridge area that were already in proximity to that new development. So, one of the later changes we had to make were to move that development to Cambridge where they can accommodate the space.
We're going to be redistricting some of those students to other schools, including me, over at Constable. And that allows us to make space for everyone, but also to maximize our transportation, which is the fiscally responsible decision long-term. So, that's why that development moved.
Good question. No, but my concern was transportation because it's the Route 1 and heavy traffic. And then you have to make a jug handle to New Road, I guess, right, to come to your school? Or they will go to Raymond
So, because I know it's going to be a lot of traffic for you too. >> So, you said when you pick up at that community, what do you have How do you get there? Yes, we would have to go to Route 1 and go up to Cambridge school. But we do now like we do with when we pick up the academy, that whole area, we
do go on to Route 1 now. So, it wouldn't be a change. We use Route 1 for many of our schools. >> Yeah, that I agree, but you just want to make sure that New Road always congested, you always had time to get there. Yeah, unfortunately. Yep. So, good. Thank you.
Are there questions? Mr. Soni. Yeah, thank you. So, Hi, Rishash. Yes, I know the answer, but I'll still ask. The schools that are currently max capacity, do we have we left enough buffer room so that if there are new folks coming in,
we don't have to redraw it again and they can be adjusted? And part two of my question is, is there a any visible change on the class sizes that we should know? So, in the schools that are at capacity, Constable being a perfect example of of
one, and uh yes, there is space in terms of the sections and we made sure of that. We were very careful about that. We probably spent the most time reviewing that with Dr. Brigan, especially because and human resources because of the staffing impact. But the bigger impact
is the question you asked is to make sure that if students if there was some, you know, new turnover in some of the existing homes there, right, that we had the space for them. And so, yes, we do have the space in the current sections to absorb that even though we brought them to a much higher number. Yes. Class sizes.
And then class sizes, we we worked under the guidance of Dr. Brigan in terms of, you know, maintaining class sizes in in a very much like we have now. And he gave us that guidance a long time ago. And so that we always worked with that. And when we even planned out how much
space was available in some schools, again, like Constable, we made sure that we didn't just say, "All right, we're just at the max, so we're good." You can't do that, right? Because students may come in at that point. And so, we gave ourselves some room for buffer, but we all did it
within the class size parameters that we are accustomed to and are pretty similar to what we have now and are accustomed to now. Anybody else? Barry. So, we've discussed this over the time. I'm
member of the community, too. So, Peter, and you and I have discussed this. We're talking about and I'm thinking about the community because I don't want to read Facebook tomorrow
with incorrect information. This is regarding existing things that are being built as of today, not things that
are not going to be affecting uh the schools for next year, correct? I do want Okay. Yeah, that is correct. And I'm going to go back to the first part of your question, which is these are the developments that have been planned for
and some have more students coming in now than others, but we have a a good idea of what that flow is like. But it is absolutely the ones that have been approved and that we always worked on. We do know that there are some that are coming to fruition and
that we're going to need to keep an eye on. But it is not only the ones that are just sending a lot of students. There are some that are being built right now that we're aware of and that we're planning for. Um but for right now, the reason for the
slower approach to this and the slower impact on students is because we do know that come September, all those developments are not done. And in a few months, they're not all done. So, yeah yes is the general answer to your question that we're focusing on the
ones that have been approved and the ones that are in motion. Yeah, absolutely. Just to provide some additional content context. As we've been working on this, you know, it's developing, it's changing weekly over the last 18 months. Jill has been and transportation has been a huge
resource because every time a child's moving in, right? The transportation gets alerted. We've had 141 new kids already in the last year register in our schools as of March. That's gone up. If you talk to the administration of Brunswick Acres, they will tell you that 211 Henderson, the development, is
already sending them kids regularly. Beekman has a multi-stage rollout. The first section is done. It's already fully occupied. You go there, every driveway is full. We've done it multiple times, all three of us in the car driving around to look at these developments. Uh their first section is
done. Their largest section is in progress now. It will depend on how quickly that gets wrapped up and people are able to move in. There are a lot There's a lot of fluidity here with when these developments are completed to when students come, but this is a very real problem. We have 141 kids who moved in
before we could even make this plan. It It's live and well. So, VC, you brought up you brought up a a project that's probably one of the bigger ones on the border of Plainsboro and South Brunswick. But a lot of those
since I happened to pass it the other day, a lot of those are vacant. So, uh are you are you you and I know what what's happening, so you but you could tell
uh the people that are listening and the board that you're working with the township to get updated uh figures on who's moving in, that kind of thing, too. Like We're absolutely trying our best. We've been connecting with developers on that.
Um and actually the real estate folks in the main offices have been really helpful. Um so, just so that you know, Jill's here. She has a contact there. You're right, the one at Shocks Crossing has been um newer to the move-ins. We have received a few. Um we had a few families who shared they moved in before they had any internet or way to
communicate with us, so we've been in touch with some of those folks. Um but over 100 of those units are sold. So, whether they have moved in or not, they have shared with Jill that they those are the numbers you know, of sold units. So, again, the Beekman, the the largest one, that number four that you saw on
the earlier map, phase one's already done. They're into two. Um they're progressing. Some of these other developments are a little slower, but as we watch June, July, August, September, that's going to be a very different story um uh from what the developers are sharing. And again, as Mr. Ratine shared, we're
reliant on other people's information here. And and that's why under um what I think was very great decision and leadership with Dr. Bregan, we paired this down as much as possible right now. This phase one I mean, again, no one wants to be impacted and and it's a lot of families,
we understand who this would be challenging for, but this is far smaller than what we initially were presenting and talking to you about. And that's because we really do want to watch the development grow over time. We want to make sure we're making informed decisions over time. So, this will be difficult for a small section of our
population in the community, and we're going to watch. And if we're lucky, it buys us, right, 5 6 7 years for us to look at this again. And if we're unlucky and it has to be sooner, we have all the information we need and we're well poised to do it. So, uh we are at the mercy of the development a little bit. Um construction timelines, we don't
control. Contracting, we don't control. Uh but we are monitoring that basically weekly, uh the four of us and and Dr. Bregan. Good. Thank you. Any other questions? I just had a So, uh in your um So, for this talking
about to on on this presentation, it was very simple and easy to understand. I wasn't part of the committee, but for me, you know, gathering all this information today was very easy. And you know, I'm I'm glad that we kept uh the number approximately 10% of our uh total
elementary population, so which is good. And 53 students being impacted is not a bad number at this point in time. Uh my question was in your presentation, you had a line that said that uh phase two if and when necessary, right? And I heard from uh your colleague also that
uh you're relying on information that is, you know, third-party sources kind of. So, you know, your best you are giving us a best guess estimate, Now, my question is uh number one, at what point do you start the phase two if and like what's
your trigger for that? And the second thing, and not that you may have the answer right away, but just my question. And the second part of my question is at what is that that level by which we will think or we will come to an understanding that we are now at capacity?
Right? Because you don't control We don't know the demographer may have told us certain numbers, but we don't know how many actual kids exist in a particular family that are moving in. And what grades they might be in or whatever. So, at what point you're going to sort of say, "Okay, now we are at capacity as far as elementary schools
are concerned or high school is concerned or middle school is concerned." How will we guess that? So, the beauty of I think what we did for clearing out some space is it gives us the time to watch it in real time without worrying that come September, we're going to fill up Brooks Crossing
and and be worrying about it. So, I think the first part to your question is is more about watching the trend over time and and seeing what's happening. So, yeah, we are a little bit reliant upon the information that comes in, but I think we're going to be really deliberate and careful about where we
got our information from and watching it firsthand when new residential developments are being filled up and moving in. We have the space available that as students trickle in, we're not going to hit capacity in the schools right away.
And it gives us a time to step back and think about what we want to do next. Now, the second part is we have some thoughts already about what phase two would look like. We're not ready to share that yet because we need to see if what's what we believe will pan out over time will pan
out. But we have several other kind of components of the map that shouldn't be public because right now it's based upon what we believe will transpire. But the good news is we're not starting from scratch. When we get to that point of getting to a point where we're saying,
"Hey, we're we're starting to creep up here, right?" And hey, at these schools, we're going to add a section, which we have the space to do. So, first thing is we might even add sections there. We're not going to run out of space. We're going to add some sections there. Now, as we add sections, we're starting
to say like, "Okay, now we may need to start thinking about this phase two, right? Um let's take a look at the plans that we had discussed previously when we built phase one plan and see if that factors into how we're going to do this. Um but it gives us the time because we created enough space that based upon the
trend of how quickly kids are coming in now, they're not going to hit a surge in which we would need to shut down a building quickly. It would hit a surge in which we would need to probably first open new sections because we still have the physical space there. And then at that point, that would probably trigger
a little bit more of like, "Okay, now it's time to really start thinking about phase two." When we start to open new sections in those buildings where we open space. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. So, one one very quick question on those developments and
things you mentioned, I'm I'm still trying to understand I'm assuming this is geographical redistricting. So, I'm assuming they're in the same location and how they can go to different schools. So, again, that's 11 families. And to
clarify, it's actually 11 over a two-year period. So, it's a smaller number in this coming year and then a few the year after. The reason being that um as presented in the plan, we are unable with the number of elementary schools that we have, our elementary schools are small, right? We have
neighborhood schools. So, we can't do an open enrollment or keep our fifth graders because it will require the hiring of many more staff members and adding many more sections. So, we can't do it there. But in the middle school, it's a little different. The buses are centrally moving to that location. There's only two of them. Class sizes are all They have many more sections.
They can spread children out into. So, we were very happy to be able to accommodate that change for the rising seventh and eighth graders, the kids who were already in middle school. So, when we speak about those 11 families, we're talking about families whose fifth grader built basically the whole family is being redistricted, but we're
allowing this rising seventh and eighth grader to stay. But we have to start so all right, we have to begin the process that new fifth grader. But we're going to work with those families, right? Those families might choose it's more important for their kid to make that move and to keep the siblings together. And some families might say, "It's a
short walk across the campus. We want consistency for one and we're going to start the other." We're going to work with those families. But it's 11 over a two-year period cuz the sibling age gap might be one year or two. So, it's it's not very significant for either year. The district can handle that with those families individually. Does that help? I
mean Okay. Good? You're good. I I I just want to say the work that you guys put into this is amazing. Like I'm on the core committee and on the community committee.
Like when we talked about even tonight with, you know, teacher of the year and support staff of the year, and we look at what we do here, the over and beyond that you four did, you can't even fathom it unless you saw
it. Unless you saw them driving around and and flipping out on each other at 12:00 at night with Zoom meetings and saying, "Oh my god, it's supposed to open. It's not opening. They're saying it's here. It's not here." And so, as the board president, on
behalf of the board, um we appreciate so much of your hard work and how you have totally gone over and beyond what you're supposed to be doing to make a very, very difficult situation go as smooth as
it can. So, thank you so much. Okay. Um next up, this is our board committee and our liaison reports. So, we've only had one committee meeting since the last time and that was education.
Mr. Nathanson. Uh yeah, the uh board got the uh presentations from last year last meeting. It was regarding some uh about some testing and things that
were coming down the way. If you didn't get that information, please communicate with us. But that that's basically what was happening. Yeah, cuz the new test NJ SLA is coming in and it's a whole different format. Um that they're doing and the
the time frame is different. So, that's what they kind of told us. Right. Okay. Um lia- liaison reports. Saw that uh this is not the liaison report, but I just want to shout out to our student rep uh Navya Jain. I saw in the district wide
uh newsletter say that she was kind of elected as a FBLA uh community service vice president. I know she just left, but kudos to her. Congratulations to Navya. Uh Second, uh that's the liaison report. The sixth I had opportunity to uh judge
at the at the science fair last week at sixth grade science fair last week and it was awesome. Uh all the uh kids did wonderful jobs. Everyone kind of uh had a unique perspective of all the science projects. So, it was a wonderful to wonderful to see the all those young mind at the
foundation at the projects uh done. And then yesterday uh last night we uh along with others uh school board members attended us uh Joanna Art Gallery. It was also again wonderful work by the our students uh and um the the
and we can see some here, but it's a wonderful work that our art teachers are putting their effort in. So, kudos to kids and teachers. Thank you. So, I'm going to piggyback on that and I'm going to give a big shout out to Mr. Sears over there and his fine arts department.
Yeah. Because the artwork, the from the show itself, I walked around from our littlest guys. It's just amazing. Oh, there you go. Okay. Blair. Blair. Stand up, Blair. Stand up, Blair.
Blair's in the back. It was It it was just amazing just amazing, but also with our fine arts department. The reason why I brought you up is because I am the liaison to Brunswick Acres
and um I went to their Seussical. Blew me away. Blew me away. These little baby They're babies. These kids are babies. And the acting and the singing and the effort from the staff and the
scenery I love plays because it always I'm just so not good at that stuff. So, it just blows my mind how you can like have a whole whole town on a tiny little stage. And then switch it up. And to see it happen on a little stage and how realistic it
was is amazing. And then go all the way through our middle school and up to the high school and um our fine arts department all the way around is um yeah, kudos to you guys. It was awesome. Yay, Brunswick [applause] Acres. That was great. That was really good.
So, oh, also wait, I can't forget. I also attended I saw Mr. Morales was here before. Um the special education parent advocacy group. Um I'm liaison for that and he does that once a month. He brings the parents in. This uh month he had a
uh guest speaker on um functional behavior analysis. It took something that was is a very kind of tough concept to understand and bring it down to something that was very easy to understand and really helps those parents along. I actually asked
him for my district. Um do do you guys the presenter like for gen ed teachers when we get our special ed kids in there and how we can better address them and they do all that and I think that's wonderful. And then Mr. Morales also explained IEPs to the
parents and so they can understand better for for their students. So, um that was my liaison report. Do I have any more, Mr. Nathanson? Uh I also attended the uh art show yesterday. I have to give a shout out to all the
principals and all the uh art teachers >> the art teachers, the principals, and the art the artwork was phenomenal from everybody. But Blair always hides in the corner over there
and uh she did a hell of a job because and I mentioned it to her when they first started uh they believe it or not the uh all that was crammed into what is technically the wrestling gym and
boy, that was crowded. And now it was just laid out perfect. Uh I I don't know the final numbers, but when I left it was almost 3,000 people from South Brunswick
that You got You got to love it. 4,352 people last night. Yeah, that's awesome. And [applause] uh and on top of that the flow was just so good. It was just you know, because you used to walk through and it was like oh
my god, you know, I'm going to knock over a piece of art or or something like that. So, that was fantastic, Blair. I I have to tell you, you know, and all the people that were involved is you know, I spoke to a lot of the art teachers and
it was it's an amazing job that Now, I have to one thing, okay? I have [snorts] to give a shout out to our spring sports, which is season I love, okay? Uh so, I got to see
uh girls lacrosse a couple times. I've seen baseball. Uh I saw softball uh this past Saturday, which the weather was fantastic. It was home. So, I usually go to home. I don't go to all the away stuff.
Uh it's amazing. Uh again, our coaches are just unreal and I got to have a a conversation with a man I haven't seen in a long time, our baseball coach Lou Barrella, and he
hugged me like I was his brother, which is interesting, but I haven't seen him in a long time. So, you know, it it's I recommend anybody on this board, if you're not sport fans or you're sport
fans, to just come out and make your presence known. The weather's beautiful even just to sit there and watch a game even if you don't even understand it. Okay. It's just seeing the kids and the coaches. It's important.
Good. Thank you. Okay. Did you want to Okay. All right then, we're going to move on. Um old business at this time, we have none. New business at this time, we have none. We are going on to our public comment section. We will have two
public comments. The first public comment is on agenda items only. The Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of
community interest. Complete copies of policy 0167, which govern this portion of the meeting, are available to the public at the auditorium entrance, online, or by contacting the board office. To permit the fair and orderly expression of comments, we ask that
participants be recognized by the presiding officer and prephrase their comments by announcing his or her name, place of residence, and group affiliation, if applicable. And by completing the sign-in sheet. Please print legibly or we may be unable
to document your name for the permanent record. Each statement made by made by a participant shall be limited to 3 minutes. No participant may speak more than once on the same topic. Mr. Palaski will indicate when you have
15 seconds remaining. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question board members. No discussion between a participant or respondent shall exceed the 3-minute time limit with the total time limit of
1 hour. It is our plan to listen to each member of the public. Once all questions and comments from all members of the public are made, the Board of Education may respond or via a respond via email in the most timely and efficient manner.
All questions and comments made will be noted. Please note, differences of opinions are welcome. Disrespect is not. Before I ask Mr. Palaski if you have anybody registered, just remember that this the first one is just for agenda
items. Do we have anybody registered for agenda items? We have no registrations. >> Okay. Do we have anybody that like to speak on agenda items only? Okay. So then moving on, we will move on to our consent agenda review and
walk-through, Mr. Pulaski. Pretty concise consent agenda this evening. We have some transfers, financials, a bills list. We're approving the acceptance of funds for chapter 192 193. We're approving the board meeting calendar. Uh we're approving some transportation
contracts. We're awarding some bids. We have in 1.8 uh a we're recording an award of extraordinary aid, or excuse me, extraordinary unspecified services. That's our broker of record uh for health and prescription benefits.
On 1.9, we're recording and awarding a contract for the operation of our management of our health center. 1.10, we're approving purchase orders over the bid limits and awarding a contract. 1.11, we're authorizing disposal of uh some property that's outlived its useful life. >> [snorts]
>> 1.12, we're reading and adopting uh it's a second read and adoption of policies. 1.13 is abolishment of some policies that uh are no longer in effect due to adoption of new policies. We have our HIV, harassment, intimidation, and bullying reports on
1.14. 1.15 is our student field trips. And then we have some travel and related expense reimbursements. Also part of this consent agenda, we have a memorandum of understanding for um a mutual understanding between both parties concerning the voluntary um
school nurse uh mentorship. We have some tuition rates that we're approving in 1.18. In 1.19, we're doing an out-of-district placements. Uh >> [snorts] >> 1.20 is an approval of an extension of professional services as well as 1.21. 1.22, uh we're approving some
professional services, which is uh Insight Health Incorporated. And the last motion we have is our personnel. There's any questions? Okay. None at this time. >> Welcome. We're good. May I get a motion for the consent agenda?
So. Mr. Patel and then Mr. Sony. Oh, we have questions? No, no. They're They're for that's their motion and that's second. I didn't hear them. Roll call vote. Make sure everybody you have in front of you a piece of paper that will um allow you to abstain from your travel
for the uh school board's convention next year. So, roll call vote. Ms. Laura Hernandez. Um yes, except I'm a I'm abstaining from item 1.16-7. Ms. Deepa Karthik. I don't have the number for the
abstention. Got you. I'll note it. Ms. Alicia Khan. Yes, except I abstain from item 1.16-9. Mr. Roger Krishna. Yes, abstain from item 1.16-14. Mr. Mike Mitchell. Yes, but I abstain
from item 1.16-9 16-8. Sorry. Mr. Barry Nathanson. Yes, and I abstain from item 1.16-12. Mr. Devin Patel. I am abstaining from item 1.16-11.
Dr. Smitha Raj. Uh yes, uh abstaining from item 1.16-10. And Mr. Rajesh Sony. Yes, except abstaining from 1.16-13 and no on the out-of-state travel. Again, my
rationale is um air travel costs extra. We should make every effort to find it in the tri-state area. Fully supported, but uh again, more push for um tri-state professional development, so uh so Understood. Thank you. you.
Consent agenda carries. Okay. I have to do all in favor, right? No, we just voted. Okay. Oh. One of the things that we voted on today is Indian Fields is in for a real treat.
We just voted on Mr. Peter Rutine to be um the commander-in-chief over there at Indian Fields. So, we are very happy to have you over there. I know that your staff is ecstatic. Your kids are ecstatic, and we would love if you would love to get up
and say a couple words for us. Well, thank you. I think this might be the most amount of airtime I've had at a board meeting. Um but uh I uh I couldn't be more thrilled to be back with the staff and the students at Indian Fields. Uh for 5 and 1/2 years, I
called it home, and I stepped away for an opportunity that I think I uh brought some good work and some good products to uh the work that happened at the board office. And at this time, uh pleased to know that come July, I'll be back at Indian Fields
and look forward to some great work. Um stepping away also gives a new perspective, and you learn some things um when you kind of go around the district and do some other work. And so, I'm happy to come back to a staff and student population that I've always admired, and
I'm thankful for um Gary Admon who has held down the fort uh and will continue to do so. Uh he's in the back there. Uh him and >> [applause] >> Along with him and Allison Boyd, the assistant principal, uh we have already started our transition work together
having met already. Uh so, thank you uh for the appointment. Thank you for mentioning it, and I look forward to doing some great work with the students and staff at Indian Fields. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Okay, so we're now on to our second public comment. This public comment is
for any topic. Um I remind you of my verbage prior to when we had the the first one. Um differences of opinion are always welcome. Disrespect is never welcome. If anybody Do we have anybody registered
for any Okay, for anything. Okay. So, this uh second public comment is on any topic. Do we have anybody in the audience that would like to come up and comment on anything? Go ahead. Go on. Go on. One of you Go right up to the podium. Please We have a paper up there.
Just state your name. Hi, my name is Jean Collis. Um I work here in the district. Um I uh I have a a little bit of a concern about the the health center. Um speaking for myself,
um I utilize it quite a bit for my um prescriptions. Um I'm concerned about Integrity Pharmacy um going away because I use that for my prescriptions. I get them at a zero cost,
and that is going to um be a bit of a financial um hardship uh for me if if uh that does wind up going away. So, I wanted to just um ask for consideration um of your your
consideration on that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Hi. Good Good evening. My name is Silvina Barbosa. I also work in the district. Um my concern is uh about the same, the transition that you're going
to do for the health um services. I'm a I'm a little confused or um concerned. I saw the presentation that in the in all the work that you guys put to explain and to uh inform the community in the changes on
the redistricting on the for the schools. But I haven't seen anything any information about this change. There is nothing. I also um emailed
the superintendent several times, and the response is always the same. We are going to talk in the future. We are going to meet with these people. But how can you uh make a decision and do make a change if you don't have the the all the whole
all the the information necessary? So, I'm also use the facilities. I use I have my primary care doctor there, and I I don't want to lose that. It took me more than 20 years to find a doctor that
cares, and is very difficult. So, that's my main concern. How could I mean, what are going to be the changes? Like, what kind of services that we're going to get?
Uh is going to be the same level of care? And but all that. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anybody else? Okay. With that, I'm going to close that portion of the section.
So, please note that the next scheduled Board of Education meeting is set for Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 7:00 right here. Good night, South Brunswick. >> Move on motion. Oh, I always forget.