Meeting order. Thank you for coming. Can I have a roll call, please? Mrs. Chini here. Mrs. Deli is not here. Mr. Cashion here. Mrs. Morocco here. Mrs. Simmons here. Mrs. Space here. Mrs.
Balone here. Mrs. Oar is not here. Mr. Tower here. We have a quorum. Will you please join me in the I think we're over here. Oh, there's still to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which
it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The New Jersey open public meetings 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 their
interest is discussed or acted upon in accordance with provisions of the act. The Sussex Wanted Regional School District Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having the date, time, and place thereof posted in the school building and notice of said meeting the uh New
Jersey Herald and the Star Ledger. The Sussex Wines Regional School District is a responsive, caring, child-c centered community. Our mission is to educate each individual to become a confident, confident, lifelong learner and productive, responsible citizen by providing challenging opportunities in a safe environment through a partnership
of families, schools, and communities. Thank you, Mrs. Space. Before we move on, I just wanted to uh make a quick statement about for um our teacher appreciation week. I just wanted to say thank you to all the teachers in our district and what they do. um your dedication and your hard work definitely
does not go unnoticed. So, thank you very much for everything. Um at this time, we will move on to the report of the superintendent of schools. Thank you, Mr. Torrella. I don't I just want to echo echo your statements to thank the the faculty and staff this week. We kind of celebrate everybody in addition
to teachers particular thank you to the PTO the central office who are providing various festivities and food items and treats. So, it's a great week. Great. Thank you. At this time, we'll move on to audience remarks. Members of the audience are
invited to make brief comments about items on this agenda and matters of interest to the district. George, state your name and res, please. Andrew 898 Greenville Road. Um, number six on personnel. Is that um I haven't
heard anything about I don't know the correct knowledge of the summer. Yeah, the summer step up. Is this just for this is for special education children right with IEPs right at this time I don't have any more information about summer step up we're kind of looking at
funding waiting for federal government to come through with funding are there any more public comments questions right at this time seeing none we will move on to the board secretary certification Pursuant to
NJAC6A 23A6.10C3, I certify that as of April 30th, 2025, no line item account has incumbrances and expenditures which in total exceed the line item appropriation in violation of NJAC 6A23A-6.108.
Thank you, Mrs. Riker. At this time, we do need to go into executive session uh approximately 30 minutes, hopefully sooner. Uh action will be taken. Uh can I get a resolution, please? Whereas pursuant to NJSA
104-12B, the Sussex Wanted Regional Board of Education may exclude the public from that portion of a public meeting at which the board discusses any of the matters described at NJSA 104-12 B1 through9. Now therefore, it be resolved that the Sussex Wanted Regional
Board of Education shall enter into close session to discuss legal and personnel matters. Now therefore, it be further resolved by the Sussex Wage Regional Board of Education that pursuant to NJSA 104-13B, the time when in the circumstances under which the discussion
conducted in close session can be disclosed to the public is when the need for confidentiality no longer exists. Thank you, Mrs. Reker. Can I get a motion to go into executive session, please? Thank you. I got a second. I'll second. Thank you. All in favor say I. Any Okay,
see you guys about 30 minutes. Thank you. We are back in public session. Thank you for waiting. At this time, we will move on to the presentation of agenda items, please. Thank you. Under personnel, I'd like to move items through 17. Can I get
a motion? Thank you. Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Jini, yes. Mr. Simmons, yes. Mr. Gian, yes. Mrs.
Morocco, yes. Mrs. Mr. Mrs. Yes. Under policy, I move item 22. Can I get a motion, please? Thank you. Can I get a second? Second. Thank you. Any
discussion, please? Yes. Mr. G. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mrs. Morocco. Yes. Mrs. Mr. States. Yes. Mrs. Motion carries. Finance. I like to
move items 1 through 13. Can I get a motion, please? Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? Call please. Yes. Mrs. Morocco. Yes. Mrs. Mr. Yes. Mrs. Simmon. Yes. Mrs.
Yes. Mr. Tortoella. Yes. Motion carries. Special services. I'd like to provide. Can I get a motion? Thank you. Can I get a second? I'll second. Thank you. Any discussion? Roll call, please.
Yes. Mrs. Simmons. Yes. Yes. This is Morocco. Yes. This is space. Yes. This is Yes. I'd like to move it bye number one. Can I get a motion? Motion. Thank you. Can I
get a second? I'll second. Thank you. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mrs. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Mr. M. Yes. Mr. Yes.
Yes. Referring to the addendum under personnel. I like to move items. Can I get a motion? Can I get a second? I'll second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Yes.
Mrs. Morocco. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mrs. Simmons. Yes. Mrs. Mr. Mr. Yes. the policy number one. Can I get a motion? Thank you. Can I get a second? Second.
Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mrs. Simmons, yes. Mrs. Mr. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mrs. Morocco. Yes. Mrs. St. Mrs. Tordella.
Yes. Under finance number one. A motion. Thank you. Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? Call please. Mr. Yes. Mr. Morocco. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mrs. Simmons.
Yes. Mrs. Mr. Mr. Yes. Can I get a motion? Can I get a second? I'll second. Thank you. Any discussion? Are any of these students doing this for like a second
time? Yeah, I don't have that information with me. I think it's something to run down for you. It's not out of the realm of possibility at all. Mrs. Mr. Yes. Mr. Yes. Yes. Simmons. Yes.
Mrs. Mr. Yes. Can I get a motion? Can I get a second? Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Morocco. Yes. Mr.
Mr. At this time, we'll move on to unfinished business. Does the board have any unfinished business? Yeah. Um I would just add to what we discussed the last time that um were ordered. I think they'll be arriving in the near future. The only area we talk
gym features that we perceive you you put them be like along the first side kind of fence. um mount. It's a port I would even call it portable mount because I tried to lift one at the other uh field. Uh trans transportable mount maybe a bunch of
guys that seem to do uh is on order. Um, and the only thing I would add is we received correspondence from the president of the softball league who uh in indicated that the both presidents league and softball seem to be working very well together behind the scenes and
they collaborated to work out field usage this year um so that everybody could enjoy their season and I think that prompted the softball league to send their um application to use the field and just turn it over. Um so they seem to be getting along well. I spoke
to the teacher um who was involved with it who noted in the last board meeting and she kind of gave me the history I guess I think as a past president of softball where um you know long before any of us I think the perception that they had had with maybe and I don't want to put words in their mouth that
softball would get short changed on field usage and stuff at least what was articulated to me but I think that's where some of their concern came from um and I certainly understand that now after she articulated that I can't speak and we can't speak to the greater field
usage in the community. I don't know why that occurs, but certainly for us, you know, we want everybody to enjoy it. So, somebody could put in an application for next season, you know, we'll have to look around that. Like I said, you get that transportable. Has there been any
um injuries or issues? So, check with the nurse and check with the um the gym teachers. Everybody's fine with it. Nothing out of the ordinary thus far. Uh, you know, fortunately this week like five days of rain.
Um, but everybody is fighting. Yeah. Yeah. I'm still hoping that um, so that's the current basketball environment. We're still hoping that um, the folks are coming through with people that they work in the community with make some donations to enhance that.
Um, so I just wanted to touch base about the top. Um, I think my first question is to follow up from previous um, meetings ago. Do the the teachers come
together and decide where they're going each year? Yeah, there's a collaborative process teachers at the grade level. Does it vary like depending I mean it has kids they have in the class because I feel like just the couple years I've noticed like they've
changed like kindergarten will start doing something one year and the next year they're doing something different or like it's it's not very consistent but I'm wondering if there's a reason for that like is like the curriculum changing like what you know speak to it if I look into a little bit more maybe I
can put some information out for you okay yeah with that too I wanted to just let the board know I know second grade just went to Waterlue um yesterday I believe the whole day one um they were outside and I know previously I've been
told that when the field trip's inside parents are more restricted like they can't go they can only have maybe two chaperones um or class parents or whoever but this one without still there were only allowed two I believe from each grade. So I wanted to follow up with that. I know like we're big on you
know parents being involved. I feel like that would be a perfect opportunity to get the parents who want to be involved there. Um I'm hearing some of the parents that were chosen to go were kids specifically that had behaviors which kind of made me upset because I feel
like we're um what's the right word? Uh not giving into them but we're catering to them when I I feel like everybody should have like the same fair chance to have you know mom there, dad there, whoever. Um I had you know parents come up to me
yesterday and specifically say like you know why we didn't go like it was outside and I really think it so well so they have to attend if it's yeah so I know there's been like capacity issues like say it's at an indoor play
area right they can only have 40 people in there but this is out this was outside I don't think they were inside at all um yeah so again I would follow up on that, look into a little bit more detail, but um you know the only thing I can add to it is that uh you know a district might look to restrict
chaperones for for transportation purposes like you only have so many seats on a bus. But what I have been through and through in the past myself as a principal was that if we were going to a venue that's a private venue, you're going to um I don't know medieval times or locally shop or venue like that
like we don't have discretion over the venue. Yeah. So, you know, our trip didn't go there, but parents were very savvy to the notion of like, well, I can go to shop, right? I can go to medieval times if I'm willing to transport myself. Okay. And as a teacher or or building principal, like I'd want to
work with them in that. So, I know second grade they you did have to transport yourself like they didn't want and they had to pay the time. Yeah. They made that very known up front. So, like you either wanted and I feel like for this last trip for this last trip. No, you're wrong. That's the letter that I
got. Nope. my husband chaperone and he wrote on the box. Did he have to pay as well? He had to pay. Yeah. Okay. But he wrote on the box. Something different. Yeah. So the only the only uh like adult that we would cover the district would cover in some way, shape or form would
be like personnel supervising kids. apparent in any way. The other thing I can add is like the uh over time and I wasn't superintendent at the time but the board's taken a look at things like maybe but it was volunteer policy, shackle policies, those kinds of things
and like redesign them that was suited to the board's mission at the time. Um so there's a couple policies that touch on field trips. I mean there's like two 5850 and 2340. I'll put those out to you. maybe take a look at what's currently there. There's probably
latitude for staff and how they um how they oversee shaper rowing and things like that and looking at trips. But that give you some insight and want to take a look at see if it meets with your Yeah. So I think each got I'm assuming different letters. Um, I don't know. I
don't remember what letter I got. You know, check this box. Yeah, if you want to volunteer, check the box. It's $10. And then the teacher would get back to you and let you know. I mean, my daughter's teacher has been very fair and equal and even with like everyone and I'm even like the classroom helper. And I like
she literally like the classroom I'm sorry. You just want to come to the point and identify yourself. So everybody knows who you are. Everybody knows who I am. Um I hear your voice. So my daughter's um teacher has
been very fair as far as you know picking parents. She does it out of the hat. It's never like the same parent. Um, I don't know who went on the field trip for the other classrooms and I don't know who like the parents were
with the kids and stuff like that, but I I could probably say like I'm 99.9% positive that like a teacher isn't going to, you know, take a parent of a child that has behaviors. I could be wrong, but just knowing the teachers, I
don't think that they would do that. I'm not a teacher. I'm a son and a mom, you know what I mean? So, I think it's more. But regardless, even if they even if they did, like I think it would be helpful if they, you know, if a child does have behaviors like to have that parent, but I also do agree that if it's
an outside venue, you know, why not, you know, but my like chapron wrote on the bus, so that maybe maybe that was why it was limited. I mean, I'm shocked like when I saw the note and I was like I'm like you're riding on the bus there, right? Usually it's like a
Yeah. Like you go to space farms like you're meeting you at space farms. You're not getting on the bus and they going to space farms. 15 minutes early, please. Yeah. Like you know what I mean? So I I was surprised. Um so I don't know if this was a new thing if this was I
don't ever remember riding on a bus with my kids with any and my oldest is in seventh grade but I don't ever remember like riding on a bus. I' I'd opt to drive. I feel like we should almost look into that too then because maybe there could be an option. Obviously there's not
enough bus space for like 10 parents to go, but I know you know speaking to teachers too, it's helpful having more parents because one teacher with 23 kids and I will say too getting in the field trips that the teachers want. I don't
know how that all works, but getting that in in the beginning of the year and then making sure that you have a nurse that can go because I remember two times I believe it was my oldest son and my middle son, they couldn't go on field
trips because they didn't have a nurse. So, if those field trips are put in in say September and October, maybe I don't know when they get put in, but if you could, you know, if they're put in those, you know, earlier in the year, and then you have a nurse that you're
like, "Okay, this is like these are your days, like you're going like try not to whatever." And then at least you have a nurse, you know, you have a nurse, it helps with busing, you know, because God, if there's a busing issue, then you're then you're really out. So, you know, silly question. Does the nurse
have to be there just for like medically like people that have um allergies and stuff or just a nurse supposed to be on? It depends on the circumstance. A pool nurse will take a look at the trip and the kids population. So if a whole grade level's going for example, you're going to have a nurse on. Yeah, that makes
sense. What about like the event that you were short and didn't have a nurse? Like are there self nurses? Oh, it's a it's a challenging, you know, that's why I'm saying that parents were there. Why would you need a nurse? So we've had circumstances where parents in the past have assisted with things
like EpiPen possib. Yeah, I got to say something to look into. Yeah, this a little bit of a bone of contention for me in the sense that last week I volunteered to chaperon my eighth grade daughter's trip and she rejected it.
Created an argument in the house. Yeah. wouldn't speak to me for a while. Where were Where were they going? Woodlock Pines that we going to like ranch ranch. Your kids want you to come on their
trips pouring salt on an open wound. So, I know other districts have teachers plan ahead and put on field trips that they want to do in the like summer agenda to get approved.
Um, maybe you can have them plan ahead say, "Okay, we always go to water or we always go to space farms or we always do a library trip or whatnot." And pertaining to the grade, maybe get all of their information information all
their trips that they want to do set in the beginning of the year rather than scrambling mid year or a couple months before. Yeah. Yeah. I mean it's not a bad idea. I have to look at what they currently do and you know for Lawrence in particular
what would last. Okay. Any other unfinished business? Yeah. Okay. Just going off of the class parents thing. I feel like I haven't gotten an update how that's going. Um I know you hear from some class parents that they have no involvement and other
class parents have a little bit of involvement and some maybe have a lot. Um so wondering like if it's up to the teacher how much involvement the class parent has. If we all kind of have like I don't know each class has three, some
have fives, some have none. Yeah. Something a little more sentence shown as what's going on with that. And and it may be a good time to do like a post survey. Yeah. Just to gauge parents perspective, those kinds of things you plan for next year. Maybe get the teachers pointed to like,
oh, this parents don't aren't really responsive or Yeah. Well, so too when I think when we talked about it, it was meant to take some of the pressure off the teachers, right? Like certain teachers weren't having parties and certain teachers were. So to make it fair for everybody, you have class parents, they can help coordinate who's
bringing in what. But I feel like the teacher is not utilizing that and they're still not having parties then like what's the issue kind of thing. You know what I mean? Parents volunteered and they want Yeah. but they don't want your involvement. Like it's kind of I don't know where do you go from there kind of
thing. Just wondering what the the data is or what the point of having it is if it's not being utilized or maybe is being utilized. Yep. Any other uh unfinished business? Last thing. Okay. Sorry.
Like I've been saving it all. It's getting nice out and it's like more like it's coming to you probably as you keep saying like Yeah. Well, it's getting nice out. So, they are going on field trips and a lot of you know happening outside time. I was up in New time. So, I do know at Lauren specifically they're
going outside like a lot more than they were for recess. But I'm wondering um like genuinely curious if any of the grades are going out in addition to like recess like gym. I know Lawrence says Project Adventure. Um I believe Jim
they're not. Could be wrong. Um but it's nice out now. I don't see why they wouldn't be like we're hearing about kids not being able to sit still. Well, let's try to room out them. Instead of reading a book inside, bring them outside to read a book. Like we have two security guards so there's no reason why
one can't be outside and one can't be inside like I any way of making like an outdoor classroom. I don't know if teachers think that they can't do it because I mean I haven't heard of anybody doing it. Now I could be wrong. Maybe they're out there and you don't
hear. I can only comment on without looking into the notion of like I had covered a good chunk of this week when it wasn't you know it wasn't raining so things like recess PE or project vendor like they were outside for all that kind of stuff I don't know if a class you know had the opportunity to go outside
for reading circle or anything just to like I don't know change the environment maybe to learn so most people probably aren't aware but um there's an outdoor classroom behind bar school that um
is that the trail that you're on? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh I believe Mason, one of our teachers uh sons did it as a project many years ago or I want to say Eagle Scout or something like that. Um and it's just become throughout the
years it wasn't prioritized or maintained. So, it's all overgrown and you know you get ticks and all that kind of thing. So that's something you can look at doing with the landscaping company kind of or you know you don't even have to go that lad just out on the playground those those types of things I
can talk about it um so that that does exist there there's a trail back there with um so I think it you're going to have somebody I I'll never forget even and and that speaks to
also the um in greater extent the get Environmental Center used to be a place where um classes up at Ward School in particular, sometimes Warren, sometimes would go up and use a property that was donated to the school district many
years ago. Um when I was principal of War School, two teachers in particular spearhead the whole thing, Mr. Derger and Mr. Coats at the fifth grade level and they would tie it in. It was a great they had a curriculum to go with it. They would uh one example they read a book of a book called Hatchet in in
class and uh you know survival elements and then they go up to the environmental center and they you know let kids build forts and wagons and all kinds of things there there wasn't a huge facility for it. Um there's a little building on the property. So so um shelter became a
challenge if it was going to rain or something like that. you have a portage, John. That's actually where, you know, we talk about um writing up that funding proposal to the greenhouse. I originally wrote that for a pavilion at the environmental center.
And when we pulled the um pulled the information to try to get it done, there's wetlands on the property and it prompt a whole bunch of you can't do anything on the property. And that's when you ultimately nothing was done with that money. Then we shift the gear to this. Um, I'll never forget my first
couple of days on the job. I grew up in a city environment and Mr. Coats, Mr. Tes get hard in center because I, you know, didn't know what it was. And uh, Mr. Coats, you know, talked about widow makers and I said like I have no idea
what what is a widow maker and he looked around and he pushed out a tree and he came out like, whoa, we send kids up here. So then we brought the landscaping company in and said, you know, take a look around. So if you want to start using things like that, you have to do it in a safe way. And certain areas may
be restricted. Certain areas may have you have to come in and have somebody make an assessment of trees that would need to come down or pruned back and um just general maintenance on the overgrow and things like that. Yeah. Can we do something with the the
we have Yeah, we you'd have to get back in there with it. It's just really overgrown. I don't know. haven't. You're more than welcome. You want to come for a tour and check it out? I'll show it to you. Like I think if like we bought it
like a sign there or something. Yeah. There's an entrance way a sign. Um well, we should totally utilize it because then if you start especially the earlier grades, it becomes more likely that once you integrate some type of outdoor older grades, it's going to be it's going to be used. You're not saying ticks are a
challenge up here too and like we can't um put many pesticide applications and things like that down so you're teaching kids about we we we go to the environmental center we had a binder and you had a tick on you we took a tick we charted it we put it safe it's
a learning experience a newsletter out saying, you know, this is what we have. This is what needs to be done to it. If anybody wants to donate their time when we have such a day and the
I just don't know who would be against their kids being outside more like I wouldn't in the interview process. What do you think about this? How do you What would you do with this? Give them that as an initiative. I'd start small with something like the uh large school
property. You know, the the Gard Center is maintained in regard to lawn care and stuff. There's a big open deal utilize that, but it's not that in that capacity that Yeah. Yeah. Facilities. Facilities. It's literally right
there through the woods, but Yeah, because you look at like a bunch of other schools, not public schools like outdoor time is like a critical and the fact that we don't prioritize that. I mean, even recess, I've talked about that before. What is it? 30
minutes what they get. At that age, you need a lot more than 30 minutes of running around. Yes. And if anybody's up there or you want to come check it out, anytime I'm around, I'm happy to do that. Or Mrs. parents too. Yeah, maybe the scouts
would make it another any other business. Um, is there any type of And I guess where the students like at the middle school particularly have any involvement in um the senior community
there's there are circumstances where we bring senior citizens into the building um celebrate them and recognize them for various things around the holidays or the play bring them in as audience members um you know like bagel breakfast type stuff. Want school used to do a big
um senior citizen lunch in right around the holiday season. Some of those things went were discontinued CO just because the nature of the senior citizens exposure to CO and then just not brought back and you know there would be funding involved in some of those types of things not necessarily middle school
stuff middle school still doing that. Um and then there's things like more generic opportunities that senior citizens are part of but it's not necessarily like a senior citizen function. Uh like volunteering coming in to read for uh if you like celebrity reader read across America week those kinds of things. I was thinking more
more along the lines of like the eighth graders going to a senior citizen home and like buddying up like one-on-one and teaching them like, "Hey, here's what you do with your iPhone. Like, here's how we integrate your photos of your grandkids. Like, let me change your background." You know, like it kind of creates like a respect. You don't have
to be a senior. You could be 47. Yeah. I mean, if I we could look into it. I don't know. You know, are there facilities around? Like I don't know. I don't know either, but I just feel like Oh, that would create like a really nice culture of respect, you know?
Yeah. Oh, yeah. The new one by Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We would have to explore that for a couple, you know, different perspectives. Any other business?
None. We'll move on to audience remarks. Members of the audience are invited to make comments about items on this agenda and matters of interest to the district. Any other public comments? No. Seeing none, uh we do not need the
second executive session. So, we will move on to adjournment. Can I get a motion for adjournment? Thank you. Can I get a second? Whoever. All in favor say I. I. No. All right, everyone. Have a great evening.