Good evening everyone. I would like to welcome you to the January 20th, 2026 board of education meeting. We are calling the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. And if everyone could please rise for the pledge of >> allegiance. United States of America to the stands
nation for all. >> Reading of the meeting notice. 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 the provision of the act, the Verona Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be published in the Star Ledger online and posted with the Township of Verona and the Verona Education Association. Postings of this meeting setting forth
the time, location, and agenda were posted at the Verona Board of Education Office and on the Verona Public Schools District website. Copies of tonight's agenda and resolutions have been made available to the public via the Board of Education website.
>> Um, Dr. Riley, if you could please call attendance. >> Mr. Walker, >> Mr. Per >> here, >> Mr. Nodic >> here, >> Mrs. Drisco >> here. >> Mr. Boom >> here. have a corner. >> Thank you. Moving on to our agenda. I need a motion, please, to approve our
minutes from our reorganization meeting on January 8th, 2026. >> Motion by >> Mr. Boon, seconded by >> Second, >> Mr. Per. Please call. >> Mr. Per, >> yes.
>> Mr. Kotic, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Frisco. >> Yes. >> Mr. B. >> Yes. She passes. >> Thank you. Moving on to our superintendent report by Miss Diane Geppie. >> Good evening. So, uh on February 4th, um the high
school will host its second annual college admissions panel. Starts at 6:30 in the auditorium and representatives from various colleges and universities will be present and on uh we'll present and take questions on the following uh trends in college admissions making
applications stand out activities and extracurriculars early planning for college applicants for students in grades 9 to 11 what are the most impactful steps they can make uh to strengthen their future applications letters of recommendation
what do what role do those letters uh play in your admissions decisions the impact of demonstrated interest the role of context. How do you evaluate students within the context of the high school, particularly one like Burn High School, which offers open enrollment in AP and
honors courses? Uh so we we kind of sit in a different situation because we don't gate deep. Um and application changes and common uh challenges and common mistakes and advice for parents. What should parents be doing now to support their students
through the application process without overwhelming them? >> So that um I'm not fine. Did you go to that last year? >> You did not. Okay. Um uh I I didn't stay for the whole thing, but I did stay for go to part of it. Um it was very
interesting. Lots of good information for parents, especially if you have a a first child getting into that process. Um it is inclusive schools week. Um uh child uh our both child actually
functions as a parent group within the community and they provide support for parents of students with disabilities but they also function as our our special ed uh parent advisory council which uh is in code. Every school district has to have what they call
CPAC. New Jersey DOE loves their acronym. So um but really um this is the our fourth fourth annual inclusive schools week. Um it is an annual celebration of inclusivity and acceptance. This year's theme is
children first building a stronger tomorrow which emphasizes prioritizing every student's right to learn in an environment that supports their diverse needs, embraces their unique abilities and fosters a sense of belonging. It means to recognize uh that when schools
are designed to support students with disabilities, they become better places for all learners. Um so Monday, u Monday has a theme of inclusion in the academic classroom. So we're asking students to be inclusive
is no sweat. So wear your favorite sweatshirt or sweatpants or both so you don't come halfdressed. Um, Tuesday is inclusion in music. Dream of harmony. Wear your favorite pajamas. Wednesday is inclusion in art. Represent
a range of colors. Uh, in uh that true inclusion brings to artwork. Wear your favorite color. Thursday, inclusion in physical education. Team up for inclusion. Wear your favorite sports team apparel. Friday is inclusion in the schools and community. Be inclusive in
Verona. Wear your maroon and white. Um, there is also an inclusive school week contest again this year. Last year it was a poetry contest. This year it is a collage contest. So we're asking students to create a collage that demonstrates inclusivity at their school. There will be one winner from
each of our Verona schools with a $50 prize for each winner. And I just want to reiterate again this year how lucky Verona is to have child as both a parental resource and as the district CPAC. um they are truly collaborative uh with us and I can this is my third
district. That is not always true. Um very often those two groups um function as we have it check it off. It is the law we have one or um they're not as collaborative. They do what you know
very often they bring they can bring more complaints than they can solutions. child is extremely collaborative and work uh with our uh child study team staff and and Mrs. Simmons in really collaborating with us to improve our
schools. Um with regard as an example uh with regard to inclusive schools week, they create the lesson plans, procure the resources and materials, put everything together and hand deliver to the schools for each grade level.
just an amazing amount of work because we all see the importance of inclusive schools week but we know that our teachers are crushed with um just so much stuff and so making sure that this comes off the ground without a hitch. The uh child folks do a tremendous
amount for us so we really appreciate them. Saturday, January 24th is um our Verona um uh spelling be which is hosted by the Verona Junior Women's Club and held at FM Brown. Um it includes our fourth and
fifth grade students from across the district and the superintendent and mayor have historically been judges and it will be my fourth spelling be. And it's always a fun event. A little controversial last year though, let's hope it's not.
uh garden state coalition of the schools which um Vernon public schools is a member of uh meets with their monthly meeting tomorrow. Uh they are hosting Dr. Danielle uh Barry of the Education Law Center who will speak on the topic of school finance. Where do we go from
here? I'd love to hear where we go from here. The fiscal cliff is real. Um and uh well we had a cell phone ban here in Verona. I do want to point out that uh former Governor Murphy, it's weird to call him former Governor Murphy because it's only been what a day.
>> About seven hours. >> That's right. Because today is the 20th, um signed a law earlier this month mandating that districts create policies restricting device use during school hours to improve focus, engagement, and mental health with guidelines to come uh
from the Department of Education. key details on the law very spec very very similar to what we did here in Verona. What many districts have done uh has uh the mandate is that every public school district must establish policies to restrict the use of internet enabled devices. Uh the policy applies for the
entire school day from first bell to last bell. Uh the goals are to combat uh distractions, improved academic performance, and address social media's impact on the adolescent mental health and bullying and uh local school boards will have to develop specific rules.
We're done with that. We may have to tweak ours a tiny bit because at the high school only, students are allowed to uh use their phones during passing time and at um study hall and obviously lunch because our kids, most of our students don't stay on campus for lunch.
would be. So, we'd have to go back and take a look at whether or not we're going to be required to tweak that. Um, the background of this is um Governor Murphy's initiatives followed recommendations from a state commission that focused on social media's effect on
adolescence and it's 2026. We know what social media does to adolescence. We've known for a long time. So, uh we're we're good. We're good with that one. And that's my report for Thank you. Does anyone have any questions or comments for Mr. Juppy?
Moving on to our business administrator report. Dr. Riley. >> Yeah, I just have a few updates for tonight. First, I just wanted to start by thanking everybody for the warm welcomes uh as I've gotten to know the the school and the community at large. Um it's been wonderful to help me with the transition and getting to know
everyone. Uh tonight, we'll be presenting our January 20th bills lists. Um, in addition regarding the development of the fiscal year 27 budget, Dr. Geppie and I held meetings with all of our budget managers uh to review their requests, those are all now
completed. Um, we now turn our attention to balancing our anticipated revenues and our budgeted appropriations. So everything that we spend money on um and aligning that into what we expect um and plan for in terms of the revenues for
next year until the the governor and the state releases the budget uh later at the very end of February. Um with regards to facilities, just a few updates as well. Um the ongoing flooring issue at Forest School, uh Mr.
Spinoella and I will be meeting with the vendor regarding uh the tiles there in the in the uh entrance um to review our options moving forward in order to remediate that situation as well as the playground issues. Um I'll be meeting uh having a meeting later this week
regarding the ongoing issues on the playgrounds and hope to find a resolution to move us forward there as well. With regards to our trees for schools grants, uh I wanted to take a moment to publicly thank Carol Thomas for her time, her dedication, and commitment to the project in the
community. Uh we'll be looking forward on moving that project forward soon. Um and and welcoming um an awful lot of uh tiny little saplings to our our school community. >> Hopefully not this week. >> Uh not this week, uh fortunately.
Um, as a small reminder from our tech office as well, we have some outstanding Chromebook insurance fees which are now passed due. So, we're working uh as a district with our families as well to collect those outstanding payments. And uh speaking of this week and the weather, uh I wanted to give a shout out
to our custodial maintenance crews for their work on uh the two weekend storms. only since I've been here. Um, we we have to get away from this uh this this pattern that we're in with with weather on the weekends, but um I just wanted to give them a public shout out for their
work and their dedication to getting our snow cleared out. >> Thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions or comments? I >> I just have one question. Um uh Dr. Riley, on the playgrounds on the
uh litigation, what else is So, that is exactly what the meeting will be. Um, I will be meeting with the the attorney um in order to bring us up to speed on where we are with that um and what our options are moving forward
>> and I I'll bring that report back next week. Yeah, I'll bring that report back um and just, you know, keep the board apprised as to uh how we're moving that forward. I think with the transition um I think some time has been allowed to pass. Um I will not let that kind of
time move by anymore. Um we we will move that forward so we have uh some situ you know a resolution >> moving on to our student report. Brian, we missed you last week. Payton did a great job but we're glad you're back
your report. Thank you. >> Good evening. I hope everyone is doing quite well. And so recently in athletics, uh the swim team had competed in three meets last week with the girls team coming on top against Boomfield, St. Benedict's, and Caldwell with the
home meet against Caldwell also being senior night. And the swim program continues to um demonstrate a level of depth and competitiveness. As yesterday, nine Verona swimmers qualified and competed in the Super Essex County Championships.
Boys basketball recently held its senior night on January 15th, recognizing the dedication and contributions of its senior student athletes. And on the other hand, the girls basketball team recently earned a significant victory against Newark Academy, marking Verona's
first win against them since 2019. The winter track teams have um also had a strong showing this month as on January 11th at the SEC Championships at Ocean Breeze, the girls team finished second overall with the boys team
placing fourth in the Liberty Division. And returning to Ocean Breeds on the 14th, the girls sprint medley relay team consisting of Lauren Foley, Caitlyn Skeleo, Sienna Griffin, and Gwendelyn Neil uh had broken a staggering 11-year-old record with a time of 4
minutes 15 seconds.19. And this performance also qualified them for the New Balance indoor nationals, which are to be held in Boston on March 13th. So, congratulations to that record-breaking team.
Beyond athletics, uh the Ronad Deca team had competed in districts two weeks ago. And this week, members of the mock trial team will be participating on an educational field trip to the Essex County Courthouse this Friday with competitions beginning next week. And Verona's Avant Guard is holding an open
mic night at the Verona Public Library on Friday, January 23rd from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. And just to reiterate from last um meeting two weeks ago, um BHS's honor national honor society is still running
a warm clothing drive till the 26th of January. And donations of coats, hats, gloves, hoodies, and other warm clothing items in decent condition are being collected for Pony's Kitchen and Angels on the Ground. And collection boxes can be found all across the town, including
the community center, public library, all district public schools, and several local businesses. So once again, please consider uh donating outgrown, gently used, renew items to people in need, especially during such a cold winter season. And that is all I have for
tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ryan. Anyone have any questions or comments? Moving on to our committee reports. Did education meet? >> We met this. >> Okay. Education, would you like to >> Sure. >> report on that? >> Yes. And uh Mrs. Kenoting, please uh
fill in any gaps. I'm sure there's plenty that I'm going to leave. Um, uh, yeah, there was quite a bit on their agenda, but um, let's take a real high level, uh, view here. Um, uh, the superintendent report talked a lot about the impact of child. Um,
um, also we talked a lot about the, um, uh, plans and ongoing plans for teacher training. Uh, mostly focused on, um, how to handle, um, a healthy mental outlook for the students. Um and a lot of
training is uh paying off. Um just making sure that we're putting the students in the best place uh to succeed. Um we also talked uh about some of the workshops on uh helping teachers uh better position students for um
mathemat uh excuse me success in the mathemat ma mathematical uh areas. Um, and then we also discussed uh some new potential um ads to the curriculum. Most interesting is uh the and I'm going to get the title
wrong here, Invest Ed, Invest Ed, which is uh as the title would uh would indicate. Um so that would be an excellent class to uh take a look at. uh also in addition to um oceanography, another level of oceanography. This is a
revise of what was previously there. Um and um those were the two big highlights. And then we also um took a longer term view on um strategical outlook with our world languages program. More to come in that area in
the coming months. I'll pause there. Anything I'm missing? Thank you question. >> Moving on to public comments on agenda action items. Anyone from the audience would like to come to the podium,
please state your name. You have three minutes. Seeing none, Moving on to discussion items. New business or old business? Anyone from our last meeting have anything to discuss? None. Correspondent?
None. Moving on onto our action items. I need a motion, please, to approve resolutions uh personnel resolutions A1 through A6. Motion by >> Mr. Kerna, seconded by
>> second >> Mrs. Coney. Any discussions? Um I just want to say two congratulations um to FM Brown to Miss Katherine Orsini on her retirement. Um she was a teacher
when my boys were there and also to Miss Lauren Till on her retirement from Brookdale as a fourth grade teacher in June. So congratulations to both of them. Any other discussion? Dr. Riley, if you could please call RO.
>> Mr. Per, >> yes. >> Miss Kenot, >> yes. >> Mrs. Trrisco, >> yes. >> Mr. Boom. >> Yes. Motion carries. >> Thank you. Moving on to our education. I need a motion to approve resolutions B1 through B6.
>> Motion by >> Mr. Seconded by >> second any discussion being seeing none Dr. Riley call >> Mr. Per >> yes Miss Kenotic
>> yes >> Mrs. Frisco >> yes >> Mr. Yes, she carries. >> Thank you. There are no resolutions for athletics and co-curricular and none for facilities. Moving on to our finance. I need a motion, please, to approve
resolutions E1 to E2. >> Motion by Mr. Pera, seconded by second Mrs. Kotic. Are there any discussions? None. Dr. Riley. >> Mr. Per. >> Yes. >> Miss Kenotic.
>> Yes. Mrs. Prisco, >> yes. >> And Mr. B. >> Yes. Passes. >> Thank you. Moving on to governance and policy. I need a motion to approve resolutions F1 through F3. >> Sorry, we tableing F1.
>> We have some HIV investigations that I expected to be done for tonight, but they were not completed. >> We need >> you need to make a motion to table. >> So, I need a motion to table uh resolution F1. Motion by Mr. Boon, seconded by >> Second.
>> Mrs. Kotic. Any discussion? >> Dr. Riley, if you could please call roll. >> Mr. Pera? >> Yes. >> Miss Kenotic? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Frisco? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Boom? >> Yes. Passes. >> Thank you. And now I just need a motion to approve resolutions
F2 and F3. >> I just had a question on especially F3. Um I guess who is advising changes >> uh for these particular changes. No, as a matter of fact, these are all um we we
have a um policy advisory uh organization, Strauss Esme. There's two in the state, Strauss Esme and New Jersey school boards. Um so what I can do is I'll share with the board um the rationale for each of these changes. Most of them are
>> minor. Yeah, that most of them are really um silly like the word pupil being changed to the word student. Um some of them like for instance sexual harassment used to be sexual harassment um a policy for support staff and for
certificated staff. Those two were abolished. They combined into one. It does reflect the inclusion of Title N um into the sexual harassment policy. So that's an administrative code change because the code's changing um
So those four abolished policies all have to policies and regulations have to do with the fact that we're combining everything into a staff sexual harassment policy that includes title N. But I can I can share that out tonight. >> Do we make changes to these like every year or
>> every two months? They come out with a recommended changes an update every two months. Now there are times where um earlier in my tenure here um I was going through policies that really were outdated. So they were not necessarily
you should change this but these haven't been addressed in quite a while. Um some there are for instance let me see for regulation um 9130 public complaints that should have been a revision. We
didn't have that regulation. So And sometimes there are um when Pam was on the committee, when Mrs. Prrisco was on the committee, we looked at um our uh enrollment of I can't think of um not
enrollment age >> placement. Yeah, we and we we made changes to how we place students after February 1 in order to help the the budgeting process. So some of them do come from internally. None of these are are are those.
>> You're welcome. >> One other question from Mar on that. Um >> to the extent that the policies are designated as mandatory, which four of the six are here, um does that signify that there isn't that there should be a wholesale adoption of them as revised or
is there still opportunity to comment on our end? That's a great question and um if I don't answer >> let me let me see if I can get um you can revise a mandated policy and make it more stringent. You can't make it less strategic.
policy. Not mandatory. Mandatory is their understanding. Every United States >> and Most of them are either governed by
18A, which is uh statutory code. You're attorney, you know what that is, or 6A, which is the the uh administrative code. Um they got into trouble with the transgender policy because the state of New Jersey came out with very specific guidelines for transgender students that
we were thought we were supposed to follow. And so, um that's what got challenged. It has an occurrence could not district could not just adopt policy mandatory end up
surprised to learn that And they have their recommendations are mandated recommended >> right or >> option. Looks like the most of the revisions are designed to move um procedural language out of the policy into the into the
regulation >> which is which is appropriate >> the way it should be formatted >> with the exception of the HIV policy because there used to be an HIV policy and an HIV regulation and procedural component was in the regulation >> and now it's all in the policies. The
policy is like 30 pages long. >> Oh wow. I always had to separate certificated staff and support modify one. >> Thank you. >> One other quick thing. Speaking of policy, this won't take long, I promise.
Um the um I know we're waiting on um results from this Murphy's cell phone ban uh to adapt our policy. When do we expect to have insight to open that back up? >> That's such a good question because we're waiting on the Department of
Education, >> right? So, it could be um since we have to implement it in September of 2026, we'll probably get it October August 15. >> Probably
>> I'm probably correct with October. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Um so, we need a motion, right? We didn't get to that point. Correct. >> Motion. um we have another reading period so we can chat in between the two um policies
in new in New Jersey and while not every regulation has to be read twice I do I put it out there anyway. Um so we have plenty of time between now and our next meeting to have conversations. >> Okay. >> Motion by
>> moved. >> Motion by Mr. Farna. Seconded by >> second I think we had our discussions. We call >> Mr. Pera. >> Yes. >> Miss Kenote. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Prrisc. >> Yes. >> Mr. Boom.
>> Yes. >> Thank you. Moving on to public comments. Anyone from the public, please state your name. You have three minutes. Seeing none. Thank you. Um, moving on to our next scheduled public meeting is
going to be held on February 10th, 2026, beginning with confidential session at 6 p.m. and public session at 7 p.m. in the Verona School Learning Commons. I need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Motion by Mr. Boon, seconded by
>> Secondic. All in favor? I >> I >> It is 7:31. And our meeting is now over.