Call to order of the Titan Board of Education, February 26, 2026, 5:30 p.m. Stand for the call. Please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance 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. >> Roll call, please. >> Gerald Truhart, >> present. >> Denise Johnson, >> present. >> Gene Buoie, >> present. >> Addy Daniels Lane, >> present. >> Austin Edwards, absent. Yolanda Lopez
>> present. >> Larry Trailer absent. Jeannie Waklham >> present. >> Denelli Deleó absent. We have a quorum. >> New Jersey Sunshine Law. New Jersey public meetings law was enacted to ensure the rights to 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 on. On the rules of this act, the Trenton Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting by publicizing date, time, and place. Therefore posted on the website, the times and the star ledger. Formal action
will take place at this meeting. Our mission statement, all students graduate with the vision for the future, motivated to learn continually and prepared to succeed in their choice of college or career. Have a motion to adopt the agenda. >> So moved. Second.
>> Probably moved and seconded. Roll call. >> Gerald Truhart. >> Yes. >> Denise Johnson. >> Yes. >> Jean Buouie? >> Yes. >> Addie Daniels Lane. >> Yes. Austin Edwards absent. >> Yolanda Lopez, >> yes. >> Larry Trailer, absent. Jeannie Wicklam, >> yes.
>> Denelli De Leon, absent. Motion passed. >> All right. And just just one more thing. Um, just want to make sure the board is recognizes our strategic planning 3R process. If you could etch these uh dates into your your your memory and into your phones, into your calendars.
Uh, the dates have changed. We're moving into April, May, and June for our 3R strategic planning process. April 21st, all these meetings uh start at 6:00 p.m. April 21st, meeting number one. May 19th, meeting number two. June 30th,
meeting number three. Uh the superintendent's office is is working on documentation to come out to all the board members and to the public. Uh that should be coming out uh very shortly, probably by uh by Monday or so. >> We have it today. We have it. Okay. Okay.
>> Just waiting for invite, >> right? Okay. All right. So, thank you so much. Just want to have those dates, >> Mr. Superintendent? >> At 6 p.m. All the meetings are at 6 p.m. at Trenton Central High School. >> All my my apologies. All at Trenton
Central High School, April 21st, May 19th, and June 30th. Thank you. >> All right. Good evening everyone and welcome on this snowy uh Thursday or it's really Tuesday in the week but it is Thursday. Uh just want to thank our
families and our staff uh for your support and our parents uh and our students. God know they had to walk to through many snow banks and snow snow icy sidewalks and all kind of different stuff to get to school. So I want to
thank everyone for your support. We know that we had some temporary transportation issues and I know Mrs. Howard and her team worked with you. I commend our buildings and grounds team for getting the schools ready, cleaning the parking lots and doing our part and
even going above and beyond in some of the city streets and sidewalks trying to make pathways for students as they walk to school. So, just want to say thank you to everyone. I know snowstorms, we don't get to predict the snow. uh our job is to respond to it and I think that
our families and our students, our teachers, our staff, our administrators and everybody responded as we should have to keep our students safe and to get them to school. Currently, um I think the update is that we're working on the calendar which we will announce
because uh we had three emergency days built into the calendar. We've used those. Uh, one was February 16th. Um, we've used all of the days. Therefore, we do need to make up a day. And we also understand that we're still in February
and we have March to go. So, we're going to wait a couple of weeks just to see if we get any more snow because when you get two days potentially that you have to negotiate, it's easier to place two days. At this time, we're thinking that the Friday before spring break that we
have uh that's potentially off is the day that we will come in person. Uh so I wanted to put that out for the public. So if you have plans uh you can put that in your plans. So we appreciate all of your support. So that's all I have. be
safe as you travel as things freeze and the snow melts and uh thank goodness for a warm 57 or 58 degree weekend. So have a have a good evening and just wanted to we have a we just approved the new uh paper of record the
Trenton journal and brother Miles and if Miles want to recognize you brother thanks you for for being here. >> Thank you. All right, we're going to go into uh public participation. Uh so I'll call the names of the
individuals on the list and you all will have five minutes to address the board. So the first person is Judy Martinez. Judy Martinez. Okay. So the next person is Journey
Neil. Journey Neil. Okay. And the third person is Kenneth Miles. Okay, you can address. Yeah, you can come forward. There's a little button.
>> Yes, just press the >> press the button on. >> Yes. >> The person know. >> Yeah. >> Okay. He's the paper >> right there. >> Appreciate it. Thank you.
>> All right, Mr. Miles, you have five minutes. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Good evening. Thank you for the opportunities to introduce myself. My name is Kenneth Miles and I'm the founder and publisher of the Trenton Journal,
an independently owned and operated multidia news organization based here in Trenton, New Jersey. I launched the publication to help close information gaps, provide consistent coverage of local institutions, and ensure the residents have access to
timely, accurate, and accessible information about the decisions that affect their daily lives. I began my career in journalism as a teenager and over the years I've had the privilege of writing for regional and
national outlets. Those experiences reinforce my belief that strong local journalism is essential to strong communities, especially when it comes to transparency, public accountability, and civic engagement.
Five years ago, I founded the Trenton Journal with a clear mission to serve as a reliable, consistent source of news and information for the capital city. Today, through our website, weekly newsletter, and social media platforms,
we reach an estimated Caban audience of 100,000 residents, stakeholders, parents, and educators who are invested in what happens in our schools and neighborhoods. But more important than the numbers is
the trust that we built by showing up consistently, covering meetings, documenting decisions, and providing opportunities for local voices, including high school and college students, to learn and contribute to community storytelling.
As a journalist, I'm accustomed to being on the other side of the microphone, asking questions, and reporting on the work of public bodies. I also understand the responsibility that comes with ensuring the public has clear, accurate information about how
decisions are made and how institutions operate. Reliable communication is essential, particularly when families and residents depend on timely updates that affect students and schools.
The Trenton Journal operates with the diversified revenue model that includes grants, advertising, and community support, allowing us to remain independent while continuing to invest in coverage that serves the public interest. We publish
on a regular schedule, maintain a permanent archive of our reporting, and adhere to standards of accuracy, fairness, and professionalism. I'm here this evening to formally introduce the Trenton Journal and to express my commitment to providing
thorough, responsible coverage of the school district and its work. Ensuring that important information is documented, accessible, and visible to community is central to our role as a local news organization.
Thank you for your time, for your service to Trenton students and families, and for the opportunity to introduce our work. I appreciate your attention this evening. Look forward to continuing to cover the important work of this board. Thank you very much. I
appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Miles. All right. So next we are going to move going into uh board discussion and action on the consent agenda. Can I have someone to uh move the
consent agenda? >> Second. You have a second. >> Oh uh a second. Okay. Okay. >> Roll call. Gerald Truhart absent. >> Denise Johnson. >> Yes. >> Jean Buouie.
>> Yes. Addie Daniels Lane, >> yes. >> Austin Edwards, absent. Yolanda Lopez, >> yes. >> Larry Trailer, absent. Jeannie Week, >> yes. >> Danelli De Leon, absent. Motion passed.
Okay. Next, we're going to move into um executive session. So whereas the p the open public meetings act codified in NJSA 10 colon 4 hyphen six permits the exclusion of the
public from a meeting under certain circumstances and whereas the Trenton Board of Education is the is of the opinion that such circumstances presently exist indicated as follows. any material considered confidential by
federal law, state statute or court rule. any pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiations to which the to which the board is or may be may become a party to and any matter falling within the attorney client
privilege to the extent that confidentiality is required to preserve the attorney client relationship and allow the attorney to exercise his her ethical duties as a lawyer.
The matter is a HIP case. Now therefore be it resolved by the Trenton Board of Education, County of Mercer, State of New Jersey, that an executive session will be held on February 26, 2026 for the statutoily permissible purposes
indicated in this resolution. Be it further resolved that action may be taken by the board when it reconvene reconvenes an open session. Be it finally resolved that the minutes of the
executive session with regard to the above subject subject matter shall be disclosed to the public at a later date and to the extent that the same is not prejuditial to the interest of the parties involved. no longer adverse to
the public interest or does not endanger any individual's right to privacy. Can I have a motion to enter executive session? >> Some moved. >> Roll call. Gerald Truhart, absent. Denise Johnson, >> yes.
>> Jean Buouie, >> yes. >> Addie Daniels Lane, >> yes. >> Austin Edwards, absent. Yolanda Lopez. >> Larry Trailer, absent. Jeannie Week, >> yes. Denelli De Leon absent. >> Okay. >> To executive session.
>> We're journeying to executive session. Never Yes. Can I have a motion? A motion to dismiss. Right. >> All in favor. >> Motion to agend. >> That's all you said. >> Right. No roll call or nothing. >> I was thinking of my job.
>> So, it's a voice. All my favorite. >> Right. She knows she got that written down. Where's my um phone? >> Denise was like they are talking too much. >> I knew Yolanda was sympathetic.
I didn't cuz he knew what a banana was. >> He knew what a man was. >> Everybody. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Okay. We're returning from executive session. I'd like to have a motion to
adjurnn. So moved. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> All opposed. >> Okay. Meeting meeting ajourned.