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But that's not You're all very quiet. Said you're all very quiet. I don't even need the We're now in session. Uh >> good evening and welcome to the West Orange Board of Education public board meeting on June 16th, 2026. Uh thank you

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for your patience as we had a executive session that ran over a little bit before this. I would like to thank you all for being here in person and those of you watching from home for joining us tonight. I'd like to welcome my fellow board members as well as Mr. Moore and Miss Lamin and our two student liaison down at the end. Uh Miss Lamin would you please take the roll call.

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>> Dr. Bryant >> here. >> Mr. Ker >> here. >> Mr. Stevenson >> here. Miss Vera >> here. And Mr. Rock >> here. [clears throat] You want to read the public notice out? Thank you. >> The New Jersey open public meetings law was enacted to ensure the right of the

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public to have advanced notice and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interests are discussed or acted upon. In accordance with new legislation designed to modernize public communication, notice is hereby given to pursuant to NJSA 353-5

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that the complete text of each legal notice issued on behalf of the West Orange Board of Education may be obtained or viewed on the district website. Visitors can also view the New Jersey Secretary of State's legal notices website. Once the required display period expires, notices will be

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transferred to the legal notices archive. Archive notices will be available for a period of one year. Please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and may be broadcast on local TV and the district's website at a future date. >> Thank you, Miss Lin. Uh, please stand

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for the pledge of >> allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic of stand indivisible >> uh in consideration of the closed and public meetings of May 4th, 2026. Do I

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have a motion to accept the minutes? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. If any comments hearing none, Miss Lamin, please take the role. >> Dr. Bryant, >> yes. >> Mr. Ifer, >> here. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Miss Vera, >> yes.

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>> And Mr. Rock, >> yes. >> All right. And next, good evening to our student leazison, Adam Bareric and Nefertitary James, would you two please share your final or are you Yeah, final student liaison report with us. >> Good evening. Starting with the

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scholarships and academic honors, a $30,000 STEM scholarship was awarded to the Saltorian Ava Neritic, who won the Thomas Van Arsdale Memorial 4-year scholarship and the National 2026 Alumni Essay Award. She's currently will be attending Carnegie Mel University. A

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full Navy ROC scholarship was awarded to Aaron Feny who earned a full tuition scholarship to George Washington University for excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership. The National Merit winner this year, Ana Vazu Devon, won a highly competitive

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National Merit $2,500 scholarship selected from 15,000 plus national finalists. And finally, county scholar athlete Lucy S. Brennan received a scholarship at the annual Essex County Scholar Athlete Awards banquet. Moving on to elite program distinctions, the

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AFJ ROC national honors for the ninth year earned the distinguished unit award. For the third straight year, they won the Silverstar Community Service Award, putting them in the top 3% of units worldwide. The FCCLA National Qualifiers finished with Marissa Miller and Oral Lily Henderson, winning gold

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medals at states and qualifying for nationals in Seattle. Justine Susetti took home a silver medal. Moving on to visual and per performing arts. The West Orange High School art show at the library library media center was

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transformed into a gallery displaying grades 9 through 12 paintings, sculptures, and textile installations. The New York Philarmonic workshop uh where West Orange High School students, music students participate in an exclusive master class with teaching

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artist Udo Kanazawa. And finally, a dance concert with the department successfully hosting its annual showcase featuring student choreograph story storytelling. Finally, finishing off with culture, diversity, and inclusion. AAPI Heritage

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Month um was displayed this month with the Asian Culture Club and United Asian Voices hosting a community night featuring traditional attire, live performances, and regional cuisine. Flag raisings at West Orange High School hosted official community flag raising

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ceremonies outside the Conford office to observe both Pride Month and Junth. >> Okay. Good evening. Oh, good evening. We're going to move on to elementary and middle school highlights. So, congratulations to Logan Longsworth was selected to film a photography segment

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for the new reading rainbow season series. Um, Hazel Elementary honored America's 250th birthday with music, community, and history. At H at Washington Elementary School, fifth graders built an on-ampus sustainable

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rain garden. And middle school math leaders from Edison and Roosevelt competed at the Essex County mathematics competition. And I would like to congratulate all middle schools, all middle schools had their promotion ceremonies today. So, congratulations for their

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Okay, [clears throat] up next is community support and the graduation countdown. So, $1,000 was donated to the Wester's Lions Club to fund save for the project graduation for the senior night of Funplex. Um, and the seniors also did

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their elementary school senior walk out where they saw their old um teachers and kids were just clapping for them as they walked past the halls. um some upcoming events and past events. I'll start with the past events. This Monday was prom for the seniors. So, you

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know, that was really that was really eventful. And then upcoming is graduation on Thursday, the last day of school at 5:00 p.m. And I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible opportunity to serve alongside the

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board. Witnessing firsthand your dedication to our students, educators, and the entire Westerners community has truly been an inspiring and invaluable experience. This fall, I'll be attending Ruckers University, New Brun New Brunswick, where I plan to major in history on a pre-law track. I'm

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incredibly excited for this new chapter, and I carry with me a deep appreciation for the impactful work being done in our schools. Thank you once again for your leadership and making my time on the board so meaningful. I wish you and the district continued success. >> And to finish off the liaison report,

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I'd also like to articulate my appreciation for the opportunity to work with the board as a liaison. The lessons and skills I learned throughout my experience as a student liaison truly left a meaningful impact on my life. As I continue my journey at Ruckers University, like my fellow board member here, Nefertitari, majoring in

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electrical engineering, I will always remember my origins as a student liaison. I advise any rising seniors to apply to be a student liaison, as the experience and lessons learned will change your high school experience and significantly prepare you for your future. Thank you.

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>> Thank you both. and and as a Ruckers alum, I think you made a great choice and hope you have a great time there and good luck. All right, next up we have Mr. Moore. It is time for your superintendent report. >> Thank you, President Rock. Good evening, everyone. I'm happy to see everyone

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tonight. Tonight will be a celebration of our professionals, teachers, and educational professionals alike. But before we get started, I have two certificates for outstanding achievement. one for Adam Barakat, our student

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liaison, who's done such an outstanding job, but equally but equally, Nefitari James, who has also done such an outstanding job. I'd like to take a picture and present you with uh certificates along with our

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board president and vice president, Maria. Board President, vice president. A few more things before we get to our big event this evening. Tonight, I would like to welcome Miss Renee Lampin,

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who has been our assistant business administrator and is now our acting business administrator and our board secretary. in the absence of Miss Tanya Flowers. So, I'd like to welcome you, Chana. Welcome, and we look forward to working with you.

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And now, finally, I call to the podium Principal Oscar Guerrero to present our students with the Mountaineer Trailblazer Award. Good evening everyone. Sorry it's a lot

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uh longer walk down to the podium here in the auditorium. Um I I'll be quick. Uh it's a it's a great honor to u recognize two of our students, our graduating senior uh students with the Mountaineer Trailblazer Award. uh to

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tell you a little bit about the award. uh it is bestowed upon a student uh or students whose ideas and actions result in a lasting contribution to the West Orange High School, excuse me, to the West Orange School District and whereby such contributions enhance one or more

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of the following: culture of our district, student life, school environment, curricula and instruction, training, career development, civic or community devel uh involvement or educational activities or programs. Miss uh Mr. and Mrs. Panel, the parents

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of former student Dylan Panell, could not be here tonight, but they asked me to read this about the award. Trailblazers are those who pave the way for others by breaking new ground, by challenging obstacles and never giving up. They possess courage, determination,

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and innovative thinking. They inspire and motivate others to carve their own path and make a difference. They say, "Believe you can, and you're halfway there." This award was inspired by our son Dylan who beginning in 2009 petitioned the board of education about

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having a junior ROC unit at West Orange High School. The members of the board challenged my son to circulate a petition to see if there was any interest in the student body. When he next appeared before the board, not only did he have over 150 eighth grade student signatures on his petition, but

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he also had the support of the assistant principal at the time, Hayden Moore. teachers, administrators, board members, and local and state government officials. Dylan wrote letters to New Jersey's US senators and representatives to military and to military officials in

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Washington DC to gain their support. And finally, after four long years, the Mountaineer Squadron was introduced at West Orange High School at the beginning of the 2013 2014 school year with my son named the first squadron commander.

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Dylan never gave up and worked above and beyond to see his dream a reality. That is the basis for this award, the Mountaineer Trailblazer Award. Over the years, other extraordinary students from West Orange High School have won this award, including Vanessa Leman, Sandra

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Guerrero, Marley Diaz, Mason Bashkoff, and Eleanor Cucas. When Prince when Principal Guerrero informed us who was chosen to receive this honor this year, we were so excited. So, on behalf of my husband, Donald and myself, and on behalf of our own

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trailblazer, Lieutenant Commander Dylan Panell, we congratulate this year's Mountaineer Trailblazers and wish them each only the best. I'd like to call up our two recipients for this year's award, Mr. Miles Burton and Bran Kuram.

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Just to quickly tell you a little bit about these two individuals. Get your certificates, guys. Miles Burton, uh, Mr. Zakella was kind enough to provide this on behalf of Miles Burton. Miles Burton is an outstanding, exceptional young man whose tireless service to West Orange High School has left an inedible

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mark on our community. As a champion of our sports media association, his visionary work created a professional yet deeply supportive culture, a true family environment where every athlete is celebrated. Unfailing in his commitment, and highly dependable in

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meeting deadlines, Miles dedicates himself daily to highlighting all the good our school has to offer. As a student, he consistently takes the initiative to learn, pairing his extra extraordinary talents with a rare and genuine humility. His departure leaves a

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significant void at West Orange that will not soon be filled, largely because what he we admire most about him is the constant effort to put others first. reflecting on the impact of impart excuse me of remarkable young individuals much like the incredible

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honor I had coaching and forming a lasting friendship with Dylan Panell. I genuinely feel Miles Burton is a wonderful and fitting selection for this distinguished honor. Congratulations Miles. And from Mr. Pink Ning Burhan Kuram has

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been a dedicated member of the youth advisory board for the past three years serving as the vice president during his junior year and president during his jun senior year. Throughout his tenure, he has distinguished himself as an exceptional student leader committed to

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creating safer communities both locally and across New Jersey. Burhan's impact extends far beyond West Orange. He played an active role in transportation safety advocacy at the state level, testifying before the New Jersey legislature in support of the new 50hour

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graduated driver licensing bill, which was recently signed into law. At the annual You Got Brains Champion Schools Award Showcase, Burhham was selected from more than 200 student leaders statewide as the recipient of the prestigious Quick to Lead Award. This

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honor recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to transportation, safety, education, and advocacy. Congratulations to Burhan on the incredible impact he has made in the school community and throughout New Jersey. Thank you, Burhan.

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Sorry, that's all right. No worries. Okay, for the moment we've been waiting for. All right. Tonight, we have the honor of recognizing our faculty and staff nominated for the governor educator of the year and the educational service

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professional of the year award. I ask our principles, directors, and supervisors to assist in this process. And we can begin with our principal, high school principal, Oscar Guerrero, to recognize his nominees. Mr. Guerrero,

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long time no see. All right. Um, I'd like to call up Dr. Chung to assist me in uh celebrating our two recipients. I will start out with our governor's educator of the year. Uh, Miss Mickey Schultz, would you please come up?

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Miss Jodica Costanza says this about about Miss Schultz. Miss Schultz sets high expectations and challenges students to reach their full potential. Her classes are rigorous, engaging, and designed to prepare students not only for success on the AP and Rucker exams,

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but also for the demands of college level coursework. Year after year, her students earn AP scores that exceed state and national averages, which is a testament to her expertise, dedication, and commitment to excellence. More

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importantly, she inspires cur curiosity, excuse me, resilience and a love of learning in her students. We are grateful for the lasting impact she has on our school community. Please join me in congratulating Miss Mickey Schultz. Thank you.

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Good evening everyone. I'll wait till they're done. Good evening. It's really a a present and an honor to be here tonight. Miss Mary Kho, can you please come to the front? Mary Kho's internship in the school

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counseling office began in 2010 2011 school year in September of 2011. We were fortunate fortunate to have her accept a position as a school counselor at West Orange High School. I have had the opportunity to watch Miss Kho's professional development the past 15

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years. It is an honor to present her with this award tonight as the recipient of the educational services professional of the year. She is a phenomenal school counselor whose dedication, compassion, and professionalism make an immeasur

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immeasurable impact on our school district and school community. Miss Kho is always willing to support the counseling office, collaborate with colleagues, and collaborate with colleagues and assist administration in any capacity needed. Consistently going

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above and beyond, she gives 200% of herself to ensure students and families are heard, valued, and supported. Her genuine care, positive attitude, and tireless work ethic inspire everyone around her. Whether advocating for

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students, guiding families through challenging situations, supporting students and families with post-secary options, or offering encouragement and assistance to her peers, she is the example exam example of grace, empathy,

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and an unwavering commitment to excellence. She is probably hating this moment right now. She is truly the heart of the school counseling office. Thank you. High school. At this time, I ask Mr. Lionel Hush, Principal Lionel

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Hush of Roosevelt to step to the podium. Evening everyone. The uh educator of the year nominated for Roosevelt Middle School was unable to attend this evening as she has a

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previous commitment for one of her children. But I do still want to at least honor her and recognize Miss Jennifer Marino. I prepared all this words for her. Um, but she's not here to hear them. So, I'm not going to not going to say them all to you, but just recognize that you have

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a over 20 year veteran who's one of the last cars to leave every evening whose dedication to our children is is is recognized. you know, she has a strong commitment and understanding of what it

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means to be an educator. She's a great role model to many of the younger educators that we bring into our community. So, I'll share with her my words for her because they are personal, but she's not here to receive it, but at

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least she is recognized as an educator of the year. Now, only reason why I'm gonna call her up here right now because I know it's going to embarrass her, Miss Carolijigi. We recognize Miss Carol Fijia as a governor's educator support staff of the

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year. To know Carol is to know someone whose first instinct is always to help. Whether it is a student in need, a parent with a question, or a staff member facing a challenge, Carol is always there with a smile and

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willingness to step in. As the face of our off main office, Carol is often the first person people meet when they enter our school. Her kindness, warmth, and positivity set the tone for everyone who walks through our doors. Simply put, she is the heart of

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our office and in many ways the mother to so many in our community. What makes Carol even more special is that her commitment to serving others extends far beyond our school walls. She has given a tremendous amount of her time on countless committees and parent

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organizations to help our children and volunteers her time supporting victims of domestic abuse through a call center. demonstrating the same compassion and selflessness that she brings to our school community every day.

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No task is beneath her, no challenge scares her, and no person leaves without feeling some level of support. She gives endlessly of herself and makes our school and our community a better place because of it. So, Carol, thank you for

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your dedication, your generosity, and your unwavering commitment to those in the West Orange community. We are incredibly fortunate to have you and we could not think of a more deserving recipient of this award. Thank you, Miss Carolich. >> Thank you very much.

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Ratstown Liberty Middle School. Oh, we have representation. Mr. Oshowski. Very nice. Mr. Oshowski, assistant principal. Thank you, Mr. Moore. Good evening, everyone. Tonight, I have the distinct

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privilege of honoring an educator who doesn't just teach literacy, she lives it and breathes it. Please join me in celebrating our educational service provider of the year, Dr. Carmen Gordio. For over 28 years, Dr. Gordio has been an exceptional force in education. She's

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instilled a profound love of reading in generations of students. Over the past two years, she's transitioned to the vital role of academic support teacher where her unmatched expertise has continued to transform the lives of our students at Liberty. What makes Dr. Gordo truly extraordinary is her

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innovative heart. She refuses to let reading be a passive chore. Instead, she utilizes a dynamic of a a dynamic variety of instructional techniques to maximize engagement, deepen comprehension, and foster higher level thinking. Nowhere is this more evident

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than in her work with some of our reluctant leader leader some of our reluctant readers. With patience, skill, and literacy experiences, Dr. Gordio meets students exactly where they are, confidently guiding them until they emerge as enthusiastic lifelong readers.

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Dr. Gordo, you embody the very principles that you teach. You are an inspirational influence on us all. Your infectious enthusiasm creates a ripple effect across Liberty Middle School. I thank you for your decades of dedication. Congratulations, Dr. Carmen

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Gordio. Please now join me in honoring our Liberty Middle School teacher of the year, Lette Vil Lobos, or as many of our students affectionately know her, Mrs. V. Lette has been a pillar of the Liberty community since the doors opened in

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2005. As an art teacher, she brings an elite level of expertise to our students, guiding them through painting, ceramics, or graphic design. Year after year, students leave her room with the skills to create, the tools to express themselves, and the confidence to push past the boundaries of what they thought

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was possible. But if you look around Liberty, you quickly realize that Lette's canvas extends far beyond the four walls of her classroom. Her touch is everywhere. It's in the vibrant murals lining our hallways, the school banners she helps with, and the school newspaper that she edits. If there's a

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club that sparks joy in community, Lette can likely be leading it. She's the adviser of our art club. She's led our crochet club, our newspaper club, and perhaps most significantly, she is the director of our drama club, leading the charge on our spectacular annual spring

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musicals. Her energy is so magnetic that it draws our entire community in with our parents lining up to help with our school plays. She collaborates with our PTA to host family paint ceramic nights. And she's contributed to our visual arts gallery and our art wing. Lette, I thank

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you for making Liberty Middle School a brighter, more beautiful, and infinitely more creative place for the last two decades. Congratulations on being our teacher of the year. Thank you. Next up, we ask Edison Middle School,

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Principal Melendez. Good evening, members of the board of education, Superintendent Moore, colleagues, families, and guests. It is my true honor to recognize Edison Middle School's governor's educator of the

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year, Miss Giovana Bay. Miss Bay is the kind of educator every student hopes to have and every school hopes to keep. As an ELA teacher, she brings enthusiasm, creativity, innovation into her classroom each day,

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making learning engaging, meaningful, and memorable for her students. Her genuine care for children is evident in everything she does. She consistently goes above and beyond to support her students academically, socially, and

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emotionally, ensuring that each child feels valued, seen, and is capable of success. Beyond the classroom, Miss Bay is the a curriculum leader, a collaborator, a team player, and a trusted colleague who

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willingly shares her expertise and supports those around her. her vivacious personality and her infectious laugh. Go ahead, laugh everyone. Bring joy to our school community and

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create an environment where students and staff alike feel welcome and inspired. We are truly fortunate to have Miss Bay as a member of our school community. So, please join me in congratulating Miss Giovana Bay on this welldeserved recognition as the Governor's Educator

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of the Year. Congratulations, Giovana. Thank you, Mr. Melendez. Next, I call on our first elementary school, Miss Marie Deo. Principal Marie Deo of Washington School. Legend. the greatest

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Marie. >> Good evening. Good evening, board members and superintendent Moore. The governor's educator of the year at Washington School is Dr. Nicole Mardle.

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Dr. Mardle received her doctorate in education from Rooker University. She was also married a week ago to Mr. Adam Shanley who's in the audience. Dr. Mardle represents everything that is

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good about education. She demonstrates a true dedication and interest in her students, parents, and community. She's an instructional leader, a great professional, and an

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outstanding role model. She is passionate and trustworthy with a clear vision of desired success for all her students. She has also created a rainbow of

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cultures in her classroom where all students feel welcome and important. I want to thank Dr. Nicole Mardle for her wonderful leadership as the teacher of the year and for all

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the educational contributions she makes to Washington school. Thank you. Thank you, Marie. Next, I call on Principal Eric Price of St. Cloud.

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Good evening. Uh, thank you, Mr. Moore. Thank you, Board of Education, for allowing us to celebrate our beloved faculty and staff. Today, we honor two incredible pillars of St. Cloud Elementary School who embody the heart and soul of West Orange. Jill Loren and

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Charlene Williams. Jill Loren. Yeah, definitely. Jill Loren is the absolute heart of of St. Cloud School. Every single day, she walks into her first grade classroom and

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turns learning into pure joy and magic. To her students and their families, Jill is not just a teacher for a school year. She is a memory for a lifetime. Long after the first grade reading logs are put away, families remember her

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warmth, her laughter, and the way she made every child feel uniquely seen and loved. But Jill's magic doesn't stop at the classroom door. She is the spark that keeps our entire staff connected. As our ultimate master of ceremonies,

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the MC, she brings us together. Whether she's coordinating our staff Halloween costumes, organizing unforgettable celebrations, or opening up her own home to host us, to celebrate our community. Most importantly, Jill is the first

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person there for any colleague in a time of need. She protects, supports, and lifts up lifts up this community. Jill, we are profoundly blessed to have you. Thank you for your energy, your big heart, and for bringing so much fun and

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love to St. Cloud School every single day. And now for Charlene Williams. It is my absolute honor. It is my absolute honor to recognize Charlene Williams as our educational support staff of the year.

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Charlene is the administrative assistant at St. cloud and she is the cornerstone of the school. Again, every single day, she is the one uh of the very first persons uh to arrive at our school and the last to leave. It is her unmatched

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grace and kindness with our students, our staff, and our families that helped to make St. Cloud a community deeply grounded in love and gratitude. To say Charlene wears many hats is an understatement. Aside from flawlessly

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assisting me in every aspect of school management, she seamlessly steps in to whatever role our community needs. On any given day, she is our nurse, our counselor, our PTA liaison, our

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master party planner, and the school documentarian capturing our morning announcements. Charlene, you are fiercely loved by our entire staff. We are endlessly grateful not just for your dedication and service but for your genuine friendship. Thank

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you for making St. Cloud a better place for us all. Congratulations. Okay. Next, I ask our uh principal from Redwood, Dr. Kimmy Jackson, please come to the podium. Good evening everyone.

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Tonight we're honoring Patricia Burke and Angela Tortunis. It has been a my it has been my pleasure to work with Patricia Burke for the past 20 years in every role she has held at Redwood. Yes, you can clap for her

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both as a classroom teacher and an academic support interventionist. Patricia has demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to our students. Patricia is deeply collaborative, always eager to learn and continually seeks

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ways to refine her practice. She builds strong, meaningful relationships with her students, earning their trust and becoming one of the most requested and respected teachers in our school. Her positive energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to go the extra mile are felt throughout Redwood Elementary and

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beyond as she was uh nominated by a fellow colleague in another school. Her classroom has always been a true learning community, engaging, joyful, and focused. Working along, oh, I'm sorry, working alongside Trish has been

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incredibly rewarding, and her impact on our students and staff is immeasurable. For these ra reasons, I wholeheartedly congratulate Trish Burke as our educator of the year. Next we have Angela Tortunis. I am so proud of Angela Tortunis, one of

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our most dedicated par professionals as an our educational service professional of the year. With over two decades of service in in our district, she has become an invaluable part of the Redwood community. Her commitment to our ID

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students is extraordinary. She works patiently and consistently with programs like Edmark to help students strengthen their reading skills, always celebrating their successes and supporting their growth. Beyond the classroom, she shows

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the same level of care. She serves as our Redwoods corner guard each day, ensuring the safety of our students and families, and she is known throughout the neighborhood for her warm relationships she maintains with both students and their parents. Her

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generosity is unmatched. She regularly brings in home-cooked meals that make our staff feel like family. Especially her salmon and her sweet potatoes with garlic. I love it. Her dedication, compassion, and deep connection to our community make her

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truly deserving of this honor. She represents the heart of Redwood and I cannot think of a more fitting par professional to celebrate as our educational service professional of the year and the year that she's retiring. Congratulations. Okay. Next, we call Principal Mark

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Lawrence to the podium of Mount Pleasant School. Good evening everyone. Congratulations to all the recipients this evening. Thank you, Mr. Moore. Thank you members of the board of education for allowing me the time to recognize

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such wonderful educators. First, I'd like to recognize our Mount Pleasant teacher of the year, Mrs. Melissa Jenkins. When you think about the qualities that make a truly exceptional teacher, words

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like caring, dedicated, patient, and compassionate immediately come to mind. Melissa embodies all of those qualities and so much more. Teaching first grade is a challenging

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job in education. First grade is where students continue to develop the foundational academic, social, and emotional skills that will shape the rest of their journey in elementary school. It requires a special kind of educator.

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Someone who could balance high expectations, nurturing support, who can challenge students while making them feel safe, valued, and successful. Melissa has this uncanny ability to meet every child. exactly where they're at

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and to help them grow. She recognizes that each student is different and she works tirelessly to ensure that each child in her class receives the support, encouragement, and challenge they need to reach their full potential.

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This particular year, she's embraced the unique challenges that come with teaching a particularly energetic boyheavy class. How's that? Is that accurate? and she does it with a smile and she

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does it with grace. She's handled every situation with patience, care, and positivity. Her classroom is a place where students feel supported, celebrated, and loved. Her dedication extends far beyond the

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school day. She's often in our school, the last one to leave on Friday afternoon when everyone's getting ready for the weekend. There's Melissa Jenkins at the laminator. There's Melissa Jenkins at the copier. And she's

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often times the last one to leave. Her commitment never seems to stop. And I'm in awe of her work ethic and the way in which she goes about each and every day. Simply put, she leads with her heart.

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Her positivity is contagious. Her dedication is unmatched. and her impact on students and families of Mount Pleasant is immeasurable. We are incredibly fortunate to have her as a member of our school community. Please join me in congratulating our

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Mount Pleasant teacher of the year, Melissa Jenkins. Now, I'd like to recognize our Mount Pleasant Educational Services Professional of the Year, Mrs. Lisa Strus. This is a long time coming and welldeserved. Lisa began her career in

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the West Orange public schools in 2003 at Roosevelt Middle School before serving students at Edison and Liberty. In 2012, she joined the Mount Pleasant family and for the past 13 years, she's been an indispensable part of our school

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community. The role of school counselor is often is difficult to capture because so much of the work happens behind the scenes. On any given day, Lisa can be found resolving conflicts, comforting a student who's having a difficult day,

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supporting a parent, collaborating with teachers, or helping to solve problems that impact our entire school community. She approaches every situation with compassion, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for children.

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Beyond her daily responsibilities, Lisa teaches lessons, stays current with the latest research and best practices in school counseling, serves as the adviser for the West Orange outreach team, coordinates community service initiatives, and leads a few of our

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favorite annual events, our Martin Luther King Day of Service and Career Day. What makes Lisa truly exceptional is her ability to build meaningful relationships with everyone she encounters.

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Students trust her, parents value her guidance, and staff members rely on her expertise and support. I know I do. When I was offered the opportunity to become the principal of Mount Pleasant, one of the things that excited me most

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about the position was knowing that Lisa would be by my side. If you know anything about elementary school, your school counselor is pretty much your assistant principal. Every principal hopes to have a trusted partner who shares their commitment to

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students and families, and Lisa's been that partner, and so much more. A great school counselor is invaluable, and at Mount Pleasant, we are fortunate enough to have the very best. Please join me in congratulating our educational services professional of the

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year, Miss Lisa Strus. Thank you, Principal Lawrence. Next, I call to the podium um Principal Dave Marian, Kelly Elementary. Good evening everybody. Uh thank you for uh allowing me to be here to recognize

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uh two amazing individuals and two pillars of the Kelly community. Uh we're going to start I'd like to welcome up our governor educator of the year for Kelly Elementary uh Caroline Collazo. was hoping I wouldn't have to use these, but guess I have to. All right. Caroline

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Collazo exemplifies the very best of what it means to be an educator. Her dedication to her students, her families, and our school community extends far beyond the expectations of her role. She consistently goes above and beyond approaching each day with

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passion, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child feels valued, supported, and capable of success. Her students are at the heart of everything that she does. She treats each of them as if they were her own,

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building strong, nurturing relationships that create a safe and welcoming classroom environment. Miss Collazo knows her students deeply, not just their academic strengths, areas of growth, but their personalities, interests, and worries. She uses this

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knowledge to tailor her instruction, ensure equitable opportunities, and meet each child's academic, social, and emotional needs. Her classroom is a place where students feel heard, respected, and encouraged to take risks in their learning.

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In addition to her except her her In addition to her exceptional work with students, Mrs. Collazo is a pillar of support for colleagues and families. She communicates openly and compassionately with parents and guardians, partnering with them to help every child reach

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their full potential. Families routinely commend her for her kindness, her responsiveness, and her genuine care for their children. What makes Carolyn truly stand out, however, is her willingness to step up

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whenever there is a need. Without ever being asked, she has taken on additional responsibilities to ensure smooth functioning of our school. Whether supporting grade level initiatives, participating in schoolwide events, mentoring new teachers, or helping colleagues, and the building

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administration troubleshoot challenges, she does so selflessly and with a positive spirit. Her leadership is quiet yet powerful, rooted in service and as a a desire to uplift others. Mrs. Collazo is not only

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an outstanding educator but also a model of professionalism, compassion, and integrity. Her impact is felt daily in the lives of her students, their families, and the entire school community. For these reasons and more, she is

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deeply deserving of the recognition as Kelly Elementary School's Governor Educator of the Year. All right. At this time, I would like to welcome uh Kelly Elementary School's educational service professional of the year, uh Isabelle Navoa,

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who has her own cheering section. Isabelle is an exceptional educational service professional whose kindness, authenticity, and unwavering positivity brighten every corner of our school community. From the moment she walks through the door each morning morning, Isabelle

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brings a warmth that instantly puts students and staff at ease. Her presence is a gift and her impact is felt profoundly by everyone fortunate enough to work alongside her. Isabelle is especially remarkable in the way that she connects with students. She

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is patient, encouraging, and consistently attentive to each child's individual needs. Whether she's supporting a student academically, guiding them through a social challenge, or offering a quiet moment of reassurance, Isabelle makes every

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student feel seen, valued, and included. Her ability to balance structure with compassion allows her to foster an environment where all learners thrive. In the special education setting, Isabelle's common, flexible nature is invaluable.

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No matter what the day brings, unexpected changes, challenging behaviors, or complex student needs, Isabelle remains steady and upbeat. Her positive outlook help main helps maintain a sense of stability and

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comfort, which is essential for students who rely on predictability and supportive environments. These qualities do not simply make her effective. They make her extraordinary. As Isabelle prepares to cross our

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threshold for the final time this Thursday to embrace her well-earned retirement, we offer our heartfelt wishes for joy and contentment in her future endeavors. This transition, while celebratory, signifies the conclusion of an era

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defined by her remarkable consistency and the profound care she has woven into the fabric of our school. The departure of Isabelle leaves a void at Kelly School as we lose an elite professional whose role as a cherished colleague and

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mentor has left an indelible mark on us all. We celebrate your recognition as the Governor Educational Services Professional of the Year. A distinction that truly reflects the compassion and integrity you have modeled throughout your tenure. We remain deeply grateful

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for your years of selfless service and wish you a retirement filled with the same light that you have brought to the Kelly School community. Isabelle Nooa Next, I would like to call Principal Joel Castillo to the podium of Hazel

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Elementary. Good evening, Superintendent Moore and members of our board of education. It is my distinct honor to recognize two outstanding members of the Hazel Elementary School family whose dedication, professionalism, and

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commitment to our students exemplify the very best in education. Let's please give a big round of applause to Kim and Joyce. First, we proudly celebrate Kim Greenwald, our governor's educator of the year. As a first grade teacher, Kim

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inspires a love of learning each day through her passion, creativity, and unwavering dedication to her student success. Thank you for being you, Kim. We also recognize Joyce Sodto, our educational service professional of the

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year. As our library media specialist, Joyce enriches the educational experience of every student by fostering curiosity, literacy, and a lifelong love of reading and discovery. Please join me in congratulating and

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thanking these exceptional educators for their positive impact they make on our school community every day. Thank you, Joyce. Thank you, Kim. Thank you for our next our last elementary Gregory

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Elementary. Tonight, Gregory's having their own celebration tonight, so they were unable to attend. Um, but I'd like to acknowledge their recipients at this time. Principal uh, Micaa Ramshandani

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Huitt. Um, and of course, educator of the year goes to Julia Co, K3 special education teacher. And tonight's party is for a very special person in their building, a

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dedicated educational service professional of the year, Dawn Brennan, administrative assistant. Thank you. Next, I would like to call on the director and the supervisor of the West

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Orange Early Ch Childhood Learning Center, Director Kalishia Darlene and Supervisor Samantha Arakaya. Good evening everyone. Today director Galishia Derlin and I

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would like to give this honor to someone's as the educational service professional of the year, Miss Donnie Cortado. Please help me welcome The West Orange Early Childhood Learning Center is proud to endorse Don Lee

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Cortado as our educational service professional of the year because she consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication, skill, and commitment to our prek learners and school community. Donna Lee's instructional support is rooted in developmentally appropriate

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practices and she works collaborative with the classroom teacher to implement engage in hands-on learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of young children. Donna Lee has demonstrated flexibility and adaptability throughout the

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different changes that have arisen within our school community. She's wonderful. Her impact on students learning is evident in the growth we see in her classroom. Students demonstrate stronger foundational skills, increased independence, and gre greater confidence

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in their learning. She maintains a calm, nurturing presence that fosters a safe and welcoming classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed. Her

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impact on student learning is evident throughout the growth we see in her classroom as she works with her assigned classroom teacher. Students demonstrate stronger foundational skills, increased independence, and a greater confidence in their learning. Every single year, she

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maintains a calm, nurturing presence that fosters a safe and welcoming classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed. Her professionalism, dedication, and genuine love of children make her highly effective in her role

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and truly deserving of this recognition as the educational services professional of the year. And we thank you for everything that you do. Thank you, Donna. Thank you. And for our final presentation tonight,

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our Betty Malena, Early Learning Center, we have Kristen Fitzgerald, supervisor of special services and Dr. Derek Resa, director of special services. Good evening everyone. I would like to

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begin by congratulating all of tonight's award recipients. Being recognized by your colleagues is a tremendous honor and each of you has made a meaningful impact on students, families, and staff that you serve every day. Tonight I have the pleasure of recognizing some truly exceptional

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individuals at Betty Malina Early Learning Center. First I would like to acknowledge our Governor Educator of the Year who could not be with us tonight, Miss Janet Spain. Janet brings creativity, enthusiasm, and joy into her classroom

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every day. Whether she is planning engaging hands-on activities like making pumpkin slime or planning creative crafts, she has a special way of making learning meaningful and fun for her students. Her classroom is a place where children are encouraged to explore,

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create, and glow grow. And while her talents in the classroom are remarkable, many of us know Janet for another reason. She is also our resident baker. Her coffee cake has become legendary, and I think it's safe to say that she has brightened more days with her baked goods.

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Next, I would like to recognize two outstanding educational service professionals, Miss Gabrielle Werner and Mr. Donald Massie. [snorts] Our first honore is Miss Gabrielle Werner, affectionately known by students

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and staff alike as Miss Gabby. Miss Gabby has a gift for connecting with students. Her energy is contagious and is not uncommon to hear her singing as she engages students in learning and helps make every session enjoyable. She brings positivity, patience, and

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encouragement to everything she does. Beyond her work with students, she is always willing to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever it is needed. Gabby, thank you for the joy, enthusiasm, and support you provide each day. Congratulations on this well earned

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honor. Our second educational services professional honore is Donald Massie, our custodian. To call Donald a custodian would only tell part of the story. Donald wears many hats throughout the day. He's a problem solver, a

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friendly face, a listener, a therapist, a bodyguard, and often the person everyone turns to when they need help. No matter the situation, Donald is always willing to step in and do whatever is needed to support our school community. His dedication goes far beyond maintaining our building. He

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helps create an environment where students and staff feel safe, supported, and cared for. Simply put, Donald is everyone's go-to person. Thank you for the countless ways you support our school each and every day. Please join me in congratulating Gabby, Donald, and Janet for their outstanding

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contributions and for making our school a better place for everyone. Thank you everyone. I just want to congratulate all the recipients. Um great reflection on how wonderful our district is. We have very many many

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talented teachers and educational professionals alike um that care for our kids and really give 110. So we really appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time. administrators to really uh give

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us a little background of each of your nominees. We appreciate that as well. President Rock, that would conclude today's presentation. Um just to conclude my report, out of 12 investigated cases of HIV for the month

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of June, only three were founded. So, thank you and thank you for [clears throat] the time. >> Thank you, Mr. Moore. Uh, and just echo your congratulations to all of the awardees tonight. They're recognized. For those that don't know, the teacher of the year program, the governor's educator of the year, is part of the

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national teacher of the year program. So, of the people that were selected as the teacher of the year at a school, they're eligible to be selected as the county teacher of the year. Uh, one of those county teachers of the year will be selected as a state teacher of the year, and one of those state teachers of the year will be selected as a national teacher of the year. Just a couple years

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ago, our Miss Dunlevy uh was the Essex County Teacher of the Year. So, I hope to see one of our awardies tonight. Also selected as the Essex County Teacher of the Year later this year. Um without objection, we'll take about a 5minute recess. If anybody wants to take a picture of the step and repeat, feel free to do so. If anybody wants to get

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up and move around and get warm, uh we're trying to address the cold, but yeah, just a little movement might help. So, we'll we'll uh come back in session in about five or 10 minutes. We'll be coming back into a session momentarily. Thank you all for your patience.

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All right, we will come back into session uh next and thank you again, Mr. Moore, for your report, which is where we left off. Uh next up, we will have committee reports and comments from the board. Anybody have anything down here? No. >> Uh thank you, President Rock. Just want

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to again uh congratulate all of the recipients of the nominations of educator of the year and educational support uh personnel of the year. Thank all of those individuals for their service to our schools and to our

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children to our community and for their demonstration of commitment to West Orange. >> Thank you. I think from Mr. Ricker. >> Yeah. >> Uh good evening. Um, in my role as liaison to town council, I spoke with

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councilwoman Michelle Castelino about a few things. Um, we talked about the budget. We talked about making sure that um, students in the West Orange school system have residents in the in West Orange and a few other things. Um, the

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other thing that I wanted to point out, bring up tonight is that when we have these meetings, it's very important. I hope that everyone's listening. I know I'm listening and I took a few notes and I just wanted to touch on I think four points that I want to make regarding

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going forward. The first one is that um I agree that it's important, it's essential to have uh members of the board go line by line on the budget. Now, thankfully that happens. Uh I know

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it happened this year. uh but I want to make sure that there's uh a statute within our rules that says it must happen before we can vote on a uh budget going forward. So I intend to uh uh

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uh bring that up at at the appropriate time to get that passed as a rule. The second thing is there were a lot of concerns about or questions about grants and have we put out any grants uh and what's the status of them is and I'd like to start having that as an update

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regular on a regular basis so we know if we're applying for the grants and what other grants are available to us and you know where where we are with that process. Um the third thing is that there's a lot of talk about people who

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you know want to raise taxes, want to give more money. Um that's one thing but there should be a vehicle for people who would like to donate beyond you know PTA and I've spoken with uh um Mr. more

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about that and we we I look forward to forming some sort of uh charitable trust so that if people have the ability and they want to give money to the to the schools they can do it. And then finally um I think it's very important when people say you know when we're in the

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middle of this budget process um what is we we see what's going on now but what does next year look like? What does a year after that look like? So, I'm looking forward to making sure that we start addressing that early in the next budget process so that a lot of the

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things that might happen that should happen will happen just to to clean up the process and tighten it up a little bit because there are two issues here. One is the issue of our budget and a lot of that we can't help whether it's health insurance or the

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state. But the other thing which we can help is we need to increase the confidence that people have that we're doing the right thing that we're all doing the right thing and that we're doing our homework and that's something that we can fix and I'm sure we will. Thank you.

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>> Thank you Mr. Anything from Miss >> Good evening everyone. Uh first I would like to congratulate all the recipients for the teacher of the year 2526 and basically mine is non-negotiation

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but uh as we prepare to close the school year 2526 I would like to take a moment to recognize and celebrate many accomplishments talents and contributions of our students staff and community through the

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through West Orange School District. First, I like I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all art and acting teacher from Ericson Middle School, Rosville Middle School and West

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Orange High School as well as to all participating students. The recent performances, productions and art display reflect not only the tremendous talent that our students have, but also the countless hour of

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preparation, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our teachers. Their commitment of to supporting creativity and students grow was evident in every showcase and

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performance. I also had the opportunity the opportunity to attend the art showcase at West Orange Public Library. The artwork displayed by our middle schools and high school student was truly exceptional.

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Many of the pieces reflect powerful personal stories and demonstrate how music, art, and writing can help a can help students overcome struggles related to mental health

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and emotional well-being. They work show courage, resilience, creativity, and the importance of providing students with healthy and meaningful ways to express themselves. In addition, I would like to thank Miss

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Rob, Miss Robinson, and Mr. Brmpton for the invitation to participate in the pride black racing ceremony at West Orange High School. As we all know, the price flag raising has become an

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important tradition at West High School. It is the celebration that affirms, supports, and creates a possible, welcoming, and inclusive environment for our students, staff, and community members.

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Congratulations to Miss Samloot for organizing the wonderful celebration of Italian culture and for continuing to support scholarship opportunities for our students. Events such as this helps

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celebrate diversity, promote cultural appreciation, and provide meaning meaningful opportunities that encourage a students success and community connection. Through this school year, West Orange

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students and staff have continued to demonstrate excellence in academics, the arts, athletics, leadership, and community engagement. These accomplishments remind us that our

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schools are more than places of learning. They are spaces where students grow emotionally, socially, creatively, and academically. As we close school year 2526, I would

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like to thank to our teachers, administrators, counselors, par professional, support staff, parents, Mr. board as our chief of the schools and most important our community members

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for their continued dedication and commitment to our students. I would like to congratulate our students for their hard work, perseverance and achievement through this year. I wish everyone a safe,

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restful and enjoyable summer and I look forward to another successful school year ahead. It's hard to say at this time, but you know, hopefully things can get better for next school

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year. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vice President Beer. Uh, all right. Next, I would like to share my board president's report. Want to start by thanking Dr. Jackson uh for her invitation to visit Redwood Elementary School. Uh, earlier this month, Dr.

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Resta and I uh visited the school for a morning. Uh we had the the pleasure of witnessing the student, staff, and faculty there uh hard at work. Uh and to witness the great community that that Dr. Jackson has created there. Uh now I see why Mr. Stevenson's always proud of his red goets. So there you go. So thank

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you to Dr. Jackson for that opportunity and to Dr. Russer for accompanying me. Uh I want to congratulate Liam Coleman. It's one of our graduating seniors who earned his Eagle Scout award this earlier this week uh this weekend. It's one of the many uh Westnard High School students that's gone through troop six

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and earned his Eagle Scout award. Uh it's amazing work what they do uh in that troop um with some of our young men. Uh his Eagle project was to create uh bluebird houses that they're little birdhouses that were about two or three dozen of them that were put out throughout the Essex County Park system

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uh to help promote the the growth of the bluebird population in the area. Uh the district recently hosted the UNICO awards dinner where several of our students were awarded scholarships. UNICO works closely with our West Orange High School Italian Club and the district is grateful for that collaboration. In fact, the culmination

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of the awards season throughout the district has allowed us to end the school year with the wonderful reminder of why we all work so hard and do what we do. From our littlest learners to our graduating seniors, I wish everyone the best. The next item on the agenda is the second reading and adoption of the revised and new mandated policies listed

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on the agenda. These policies have been reviewed and revised by administration and presented this evening for second reading and adoption. They have a motion to approve the list of revised and new mandated policies found in section 9A board policies on the June 16, 2026 agenda. >> So moved and President Ruck, I do

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encourage our board colleagues to uh affirm the second reading and the adoption of the of this policy change as put forth. >> Uh is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Is there any other discussion?

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Seeing none, Miss Lin, please take the role. >> Dr. Bryant, >> yes. Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Miss Vera, >> yes. And President Roth, >> yes. >> All right. Next, we will have questions from the public on agenda items only. Any community member who would like to make comments or ask questions, please

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come to the podium at this time. Uh, but add a thing to our usual instructions here before we get to comment. The board asks that the members of the public please be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Employees have specific legal privacy rights afforded by New Jersey

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law. Therefore, the board and administration will not respond to any comments and/or questions regarding individual employees. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. Members of the public should consider their comments in light of the legal rights of those affected or

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identified in their comments and be aware that they are legally responsible and liable for their own comments. Uh, with that being said, please state your name and home address for the record, then begin your comments. Please limit your comments to three minutes. Do we have any members of the public here in the audience tonight who wish to make a

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public comment? >> Good evening. Uh, my name is David Burstein. Uh, I live on Hoover Avenue in West Orange. Um, I'm here tonight um not just as a parent, a taxpayer, and a voter, but also as the founder of

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Priceereflect.com. Many districts, not just West Orange, are facing difficult budget decisions. Before cutting staff, raising taxes, or reducing programs, districts should be benchmarking their contracts. That is

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why I've collected more than 120,000 contract rates from 226 school districts across New Jersey. I wanted to bring to your attention item 11 CA 9 uh the list of nursing providers

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on page 16 of the agenda. I uh needed some time to process the item. So I want to take a moment to read part of it back to you. Starlight Home Care would charge us next year school year $67 per hour for an RN

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and $57 per hour for an LPN. Bya, however, would charge a $77 per hour without distinguishing between an RN and an LPN. If approved, that would be a $20 per hour difference for LPNs depending on

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which provider is used. But what stands out to me is not just the difference shown on the agenda. It's what's not on the agenda. The agenda does not say that the district would be approving a 10% increase for BIATA when Starlight's

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increase would be under 2%. The agenda also doesn't say that West Orange would pay BIA nearly $20 more per hour than Cranberry School District pays Biata for an LPN. Considering the financial stress facing

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our community and the impact of these decisions on our teachers, our staff, our students, and taxpayers, perhaps there's an opportunity to revisit these rates with the nursing providers and ensure that we are paying the appropriate amount.

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And if coverage needs to be in place right away, perhaps the board could approve the rates that are not in question tonight while giving the higher or less clearly explained rates a closer look before final approval. Thank you for your consideration.

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>> Good evening. Deb Cohen, uh 26 year teacher at the high school and Roosevelt, um and I live in Madison. Here we are in June. The tax levy passed. Drastic cuts were made and many of us are left wondering what next year will look like. At some point earlier this year, the board of ed gave Hayden a

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budget for next year. I believe he pushed back showing what it would do to the district, how it would impact the students. Regardless, the BOE said, "Nope, we aren't raising taxes more than 2 and a.5%. We aren't taking advantage of the healthcare waiver that would allow us to increase the budget to help cut fewer people or save certain things." First, it was teachers, staff,

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guidance counselors, media coordinator, administrative assistants, librarians, etc. Then word got out that the Paris were going to be outsourced, which in reality means that they're being fired from the district and told to apply to an outside company. Then came word of cuts to arts and music. People splitting being split between schools or moved

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around to cover the gap by those who let go. Then two of our technicians who allow all the technology in the building to function, which leaves seven to cover a district of 14 buildings. Nothing's making sense. Alternatives from the public were asked for. They were given some. Not a lot, I admit, but they were given some. and they were given some

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from the union, but the answer was still no. Throughout the process, it has been repeatedly stated that our goal is to keep students first. Everything impacts the students, some cuts more than others. As I've said before, we all knew there would be cuts, especially when the BOE refused to even consider raising taxes a little bit more to help prevent

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some of the deepest. The most recent cuts have me angry. Cuts that affect students, their college applications, and their ability to feel safe at school. I hadn't planned to bring up athletics again. Eight coaches were let go, and my understanding is that their reliance cut significantly in the budget. I was pleasantly surprised. We have been told over and over again that

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sports are sacred. Sports are the reason that many students come to school. But once again, I was proven there is an emphasis on sports that does not apply to other areas of the district. Midmay the cuts hit the extracurriculars at the high school and they hit hard. Sports may be why some students come to school, but extracurriculars not only do that,

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but are safe spaces for many students. Some of the clubs that were cut, drama club, unity club, math club, civic leaders of America, the literary magazine, cobblestone, and many, many more. Many of these students also use these clubs on college applications to show commitment, leadership, variety of activities they participate in, and so

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much more. Why are sports sacred when these clubs are as important, if not more, to students, some students? Again, I'm not diminishing sports. I'm saying there's too much emphasis on them and not enough in other areas. If students and safety come first, these extracurricular clubs need to be reinstated. For many students, they are

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the safe places where they can be with their people and be themselves without worrying about what others think. It's their mental health break in a world that is stressful and unfair in many ways. They deserve a safe space to be in for at least 45 minutes once or twice a month, but also to know where they can go if needed outside of meeting times.

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And for the record, almost every club that was cut cost literally the stipen of the adviser around $1,600. Some are a bit higher with no additional cost. How is that helping the enormous deficit? These clubs need to be reinstated. Good evening, Jay Jenkins, Pleasant

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Valley Way. Uh, the irony is not lost on me the evening that we honored teachers of the year that I I'm about to talk about an issue here with the AVID program that you pulled the rug out from those teachers that inspire. Um, I was

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there in the cafeteria to a soldout standing room only award ceremony for the AVID program watching all of these kids from both sides from all levels of of our town getting awarded. The thing that I was most proud about is not only

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to watch these kids be on honor role but had high honors. There were more kids with high honors there. Now, the the thing that I also got mad about is that it's being cut. For those kids with parents that have memes, it's not going to be a problem. They're going to be

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able to go to tutors, get everything done. For those that don't, that's the program where they were getting inspired by teachers. The same thing you just awarded teachers for them. You just pulled the rug out. That's one thing I just do not understand. The other thing on these budget cuts, and correct me if

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I'm wrong as they go through, beside Avid, you're cutting coding. We are in 21st century. Coding is critical and you're cutting the program. Mr. Zakeller just said something about sports media. There is no sports media. There's no

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sports media. So that's gone. Um Dr. Bryant and Mr. Ikar said something that is very important. One of the things that I would charge you as a board is to think outside of the box. other communities save their programs, save their art programs and their sports

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programs by going outside of the box and getting the community to come and help raise money. I would ask you in the future because I do both athletics and arts. I choreograph the musicals to please reach out to this community. There are people here that will help.

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They have they are just as invested as you are. But to just say now we're just going to cut everything. What ends up happening is the kids that lose that inspiration, they're going to other schools. They're going to other schools. And then what was the gym or the jewel

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of West Orange is now gone because those kids aren't here anymore. So I would beg of you to do that. The other thing, and now I know I'm quick here, they're still on the on the board. Your freshman athletics, no one has said anything [clears throat] as to whether they're cut yet. And there are kids that are scared to death and unsure of what

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they're going to do. So if if it's it is going to be cut or either way, I would hope that you would let people know so then those parents can do what they need to do and those kids can know what they need to do if it's something that they want to do and continue on. Thank you

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Vicky Jenkins, Pleasant Valley Way. Uh congratulations to all the teachers of the year. I'm actually a teacher of the year in my district as well. So congratulations. I'm a parent. Thank you. I'm a parent. I'm a professional artist. I'm a teacher. I am the choreographer for the past two years of

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the musical. And I am now co-president with my husband who just spoke for the BA boys basketball um booster club. Challenges exist all over. How we respond to them and how creative we are in solving them and how clearly we communicate with the community is what makes the difference. We're watching a pattern of cuts. He just spoke about it

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all. language cuts, sports media, TV studios sitting empty, fall play cut, just to name a few, $1,700 clubs. I Ready, which no one likes and is has lawsuits against them, is almost a half a million dollar we're paying. You can

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save all your clubs right there. Um, you're not taking a careful look at the value and the respons. This is not responsible leadership. I'm disappointed by what is happening in the performing arts. There's been a lot of quote unquote thoughts by administration that are not professionals in your field of

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what needs to be done in these productions and for students to move forward. You cannot strip away the staffing, the support and turn around and say it no longer works and should be cut. That is just a trick. What makes it even harder is these same

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student achievements are the first ones highlighted and celebrated when it's time to promote the district. We proudly post their performances, their creativity, their awards, and then we're cutting all of these very programs that makes them successful in the district. It's not about whether this child plays

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professionally or goes into the arts professionally. It teaches them teamwork, resilience, accountability, expression, and pride. Finally, security. With so much going on, we have not spoken about the issues that have gone on in the high school. Thankfully, we have amazing professional staff that handle things. However, lacking was the

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guidance and support for nervous kids and their anxiety going forward. What's the bigger solution, not just a band-aid? Kids and staff deserve to feel safe. So, state law, no phones, what's our plan? I agree with it. Okay, but

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what is our plan? We can't even email our kids. I understand you're afraid of being hacked. I get that. But every parent should be able, at least two parents should be able to email their kid. If I want to talk to a parent and CC my son because he should be involved in the conversation because you know

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there's three sides to every story. I can't even CC him. Parents should be able to email their kids. We have a thing at my district called Parent Square. Um as soon as something happens, an alert goes out. We had a lockdown just kind of like what you do but

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immediately. So there's no guessing, no rumors, no anything. It's going to help you at the end of the day. Let's think out the box. As my husband said, bus app doesn't work. Do we have solar panels? Have we looked into that? My district has MacBook Airs that we lease.

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We have them for every single kid, and we have two high schools. We need to communicate cutting is not the only solution. Please do better. >> Um, good evening. My name is Jaden Jenkins of Pleasant Valley Way. I'm a rising junior and I'm on the basketball team. Um, first I would like to talk

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about the cutting of the AVID program. Um, the AVID program has helped me go from I was a very unorganized student when I first came into the high school and a lot of times I didn't know when I had tests when I had different stuff. So I wasn't as good as the students I could have been. But when I joined the AVID program, all everything I had,

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everything, all my studies, all my organization, everything became a lot better to me. Um the AVID program helped a lot of people because just like as my dad had said earlier everyone a lot of people are on the high honor honor roll

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which is a big help for the students and the schools in general. The next program I would like to talk about is both um advanced digital photography and sports media because those are both two things that I would like to do when I get older. And cutting them both out is

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something that hurts me for colleges as I would go into a college with something that I want to do but not know how to do it at all. I don't understand how you guys think a student can go from high school and then go into a major and they didn't do that in high school and be okay.

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The next program I would like to talk next thing I would like to talk about um is how important everything is to the school. The sports media program is important because you can see all these other schools, all these other districts, all the stuff they get, all the b all the all the teams, all everything, all even the programs that

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they have all get these different media days, all these different stuff, all these different they're all promoted, everything. It seems we don't have that. When you look at games for even basketball for our football team gets it a lot, but when you look at games for basketball, baseball, they're not that packed. When you look at all these other

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schools, they have everyone in the stands. You look at Planefield, a school, a town that isn't as big as us, but they're still all their town, all their stands are always packed. They're always everyone's in the gym loud supporting. We we don't have that, it seems like. Um I would like to talk

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about uh I'll talk about sports media. I like to talk about the I like to talk about um advanced digital photography as that is another thing I would like to do. Um I need to go into college knowing how to take pictures, knowing how to use cameras. If you cut that program, people aren't going to

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know what they're doing. And that's all I want to say. Thank you. >> Hey, good evening. Andrew Lambertson, 15 Florence Place, and I teach special ed here at the high school. I'm just going to share two anecdotes about EDG staff

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uh members uh in my short time here before I get to my questions. Um about a month ago, we had an edge of staff sub. I don't know what she was teaching, but she was in the uh uh LMC workroom uh while I was there um working and eating

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lunch. Uh and she was making a call to somebody personally um with uh you know, it sounded like a multi-level marketing uh scheme, which is another word for a pyramid scam uh or a pyramid scheme. And

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uh that was going on at the high school here. And I had another sub who uh was subbing for a par where I have two paras in my uh LLD class. Asked him, "Who are you here for? Who's the student?" And he said, "I don't know." And I said, "Okay,

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well, what do you have the schedule?" "I don't know." And then he just sat there on his phone in the corner for the rest of the period. Uh, so when we say we don't want strangers in our schools, that's kind of what we're talking about since Edge of Staff is now going to be staffing the Paris. Um,

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so I got two questions uh, regarding the business office uh, is the business office currently under investigation and uh, will the board and the superintendent be transparent whether or not there is an investigation going on right now at the business office? Thank

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you. Oh, hi. My name is Kate Shifflet. I live on Oak Avenue and I am well, I have one more day of being a freshman. Okay. Um, I have two questions for the board. U, the first, can you please provide a full

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list of classes and clubs that have been cut for the 2026 2027 school year? Um many clubs have been informed that they have been cut like personally to the clubs but providing the community with a full list would help everyone plan for the future. Similarly, having the full

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list of cut classes will ensure that there are no surprises for students working toward particular classes such as AP and capstone courses. My second question concerns the community collaboration budget survey in which the community shared their

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innovative ideas and suggestions with the board. Have you considered any of these ideas and if so which ones? Thank you for your time. Hi, my name is Elizabeth Shifflet. I live on Oak Avenue in West Orange. I'm Kate's mom. I also have a son who's a

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middle schooler at Roosevelt. Uh, in addition to my role as a mom, I'm also a psych professor at Ruckers Newark and I study learning, motivation, and decision-making. So, that's gotten me thinking about how those research topics relate to some of the things going on here in West Orange. And one of the things that really stands out about the

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decision-making research is that people really don't like uncertainty. And you know, when your kid comes home, tells you that five of the seven clubs that she's been involved in have been cut for next year, it's not just the loss of the outlets for all of those interests that you feel. It's the

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uncertainty about what's going to happen next. Will those last two clubs still be there for her in a couple of years? What about the AP courses that she's really hoping to take in her senior year? Will those still be there? Will they still be there by the time my middle schooler gets there? So this is why people keep

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asking for a plan. It would really help decrease the uncertainty and decrease the anxiety. So any information you can provide about what the district's priorities are over the next 3 to 5 years would be appreciated. And then on the learning and motivation side, one of my research topics is math anxiety. One

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of the big findings there is if you want kids to succeed in math, it's really important to get them to like math, right? Instead of them being scared of math or feel bored by it, right? Uh, I'm not so sure that that's happening with the I Ready program, which seems to be

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universally hated by students. So, if there is some way that we could save money by switching to a curriculum uh that kids might like more, that seems like it would be a win-win solution. So, thanks very much for listening. Please. >> Good evening. Abby Fogle, West Orange

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resident and mom up to a second grader and incoming kindergartener. I'm here with West Orange Parents for Education. First, I want to give congratulations to all of tonight's honores and thank you for all that you do for our children. Last year, when we asked what WO could do to affect change related to our school funding crisis, we heard a clear

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message. Advocate to Trenton. We studied. We modeled. We advocated. All leading to an invitation by our assemblywoman Rosie Begulli to meet in Trenton with representatives from the governor's office and the NJDOE. We are proud of the inroads we have made so far, but the work is far from over. It's

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going to take all of us, residents, BOE, and district staff to continue to push together in Trenton with our various coalitions across the state. But even if we make miracles happen in Trenton, we know changes will take years to implement and they won't solve the entirety of our financial challenges. We

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will still be facing budget deficits year after year we don't make if we don't make these changes locally as well. I want to acknowledge the last few months have been hard on every single person in this room including all of you up front. Um we knew that significant

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cuts were coming and yet many of us still felt blindsided by the specifics. We still don't fully understand the rationale behind many of the decisions and how they support both long-term financial sustainability and high educational quality. I'm asking again for your 3 to 5year plan tied to both

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educational and financial outcomes. And I'm continuing to ask for the creation of a community budget advisory committee made up of caregivers representing all schools across our district. Its members should lend additional expertise in budget analysis and financial planning while also helping build community understanding and support for these

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difficult decisions. Also, one area I'm asking you to examine even more closely than you already do in the coming month is our investment in technology and the returns we get from those investments. Are we confident in our forecasting of these costs? I Ready, for example, is approximately a 100,000

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less in this agenda than was in the amount detailed in the budget documents. That's a significant number. If savings of that size can be found there, where else should we be taking a closer look before making future cuts to staff and programs that directly impact students? There are also so many different

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platforms and devices that each have their own associated costs. Whether there is room to still evaluate before you sign contracts again, or it's in preparation for next year, I'm asking you to more deeply consider the following. Are we maximizing the capabilities of each platform? If not,

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are there ways to consolidate better trainings or resources we can be sharing with families so these platforms are better utilized or maybe even cheaper options that do similar things? Are we achieving the educational outcomes these investments were intended to produce? Specifically with I Ready, a six-f

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figureure contract each year, are we gaining enough benefit? As for onetoone devices in the classrooms, is that necessary? Where can we begin to change this practice to help manage our maintenance and replacement costs each year? Bottom line, as you know all way too well, we have a lot of work ahead of us. This community is engaged, informed,

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and ready to roll up our sleeves. Let's work together to find the best solutions for our kids because our kids deserve that plan. Hi, my name is Emily Peas, eight Harvard Terrace. And now that we're at the end of the school year, I can officially say my parents are now my kids are rising second and fourth graders at Gregory

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Elementary next year. I'm speaking on tonight on behalf of West Orange Parents for Education and I want to echo the concerns that some of my other fellow parents are raising this evening regarding three important issues. First, the need for stronger state level advocacy from our district leaders to support WOP's efforts to ensure that the

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unique funding challenges of West Orange are understood by our state leaders. Second, the concerns around the financial impact of technology investments, particularly at a time when many families and experts are questioning the amount of screen time young children really should have in their lives. And third, a continued need

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for a transparent 3 to 5year strategic financial plan developed with meaningful community input, including the creation of a community budget advisory committee. I support all of these priorities, as my fellow parents will speak more about tonight. However, I would also like to address a more

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sensitive issue that is closely tied to the broader challenges of rebuilding trust within our district. As announced by Mr. Moore tonight, Miss Lamin is serving as acting business administrator. And we noted in the agenda that the previous BA was not uh does not appear in any of the personnel

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actions or reappoint resolutions in the agenda. While the acting BA is listed as a reappoint in her role as assistant business administrator, we did not notice any vote of the board approving the interimm appointment and we did not see any open job listing for a business

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administrator outlined in the agenda as is the case with other roles. I fully understand that personnel matters are confidential and cannot be discussed publicly. I am not asking for any details about any individual employee. Rather, I'm asking for clarity about the

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district's plan for this role moving forward. Specifically, what is the administration's timeline and process for ensuring that the business administrator position is filled on a permanent basis? Given the significant financial challenges our district continues to face, including ongoing

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structural deficits, this is one of the most critical positions of leadership in our district. The community deserves confidence that there's a clear plan for financial oversight and long-term fiscal management. Many residents are also aware of recent neighboring towns with

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news like Montlair involving challenges with their financial leadership, which understandably has heightened concerns and fueled speculation. While personnel matters can't be discussed, providing transparency about the district's process and plans would go a long way

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towards reassuring the community and ideally squashing unnecessary rumors going around the town. Trust is built through communication, transparency, and accountability. As we look ahead to another challenging budget cycle, I hope the administration and board will take

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every opportunity to strengthen that trust amongst the educators, administrators, families, and taxpayers. Thank you. Hello. Um, good evening. I'm Margarita Sansoto, West Orange resident, Redwood School parent and taxpayer. I'm here as

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well with the West Orange parents for education. Um, I'm here tonight because I believe we all share the same goal, creating the best possible learning environment for our kids. With that in mind, I'd like to raise a few areas where clarity and collaboration would

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really help families feel confident about the path ahead. First, um, many of us are concerned about, as we're freezing here today, about the raising air condition and infrastructure issues. Um, we understand that our buildings are old, are in need of updates, and these

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updates have a budget impact. Considering this, could we have a clearer sense of the plan moving forward? Um, as we look forward to towards the next year, academic year, could the district share an outline of the steps being taken, the expected

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timelines, and how we can stay informed as progress is made? Um, second, I'd like to echo what my other the other parents have said. I'd like to encourage the board and the superintendent to actively support current advocating efforts in Trenton for improvements to

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the state funding formula. As the next fiscal year approaches, it would be very helpful to understand now how the district plans to engage with legislators and partner with and other stakeholders in the community so those efforts have a greater impact. Um,

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finally, I join other voices and request a review of our technology spending and how it connects to student learning. Um, our district has made significant investments in devices and digital tools and families are simply hoping to understand the impact. Um, are these tools improving outcomes? Do teachers

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find them useful and conducive to meaningful learning environments? Are there areas where we can adjust and strengthen our approach? a clear picture of what's working and what isn't with significant input from teachers would help ensure that every dollar is being used effectively.

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Um I want to say that these questions uh come from a place of partnership. We all want what's best for our students and we as parents appreciate the opportunities to be engaged and informed. After all, this is all about our children who get

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only one chance at their education. Our kids deserve a plan. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Aaron Asenza. I live on Oxford Terrace in West Orange. I have a first grader at Gregory Elementary and a preschooler. And I'm here with the West Orange Parents for Education. At the May 2026 board

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meeting, many parents spoke about what they described as a growing trust deficit between the district and the community. Recent events surrounding the apparent departure of our business administrator only reinforced these concerns. Over the past several weeks, rumors and speculation have circulated throughout the community. We've heard

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everything from resignation to termination to investigations involving outside agencies. Whether any of these rumors are true is really not the point. The point is that parents and taxpayers have been left with no clear information, creating a vacuum that has been filled by speculation. This is

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particularly concerning because the business administrator plays a critical role in the financial management of our district. Given the budget challenges we've faced and the community's ongoing requests for transparency and accountability, it is reasonable for residents to have questions about a leadership change in such an important

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position. While we understand there may be personnel matters that cannot be discussed publicly, we are asking the board to provide as much information as legally possible regarding the status of this position and the plan moving forward. Transparency builds trust and silence often has the opposite effect.

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Thank you. Hi, I'm Jeff Harris, uh, West Orange resident and parent and member of West Orange Parents for Education. Uh, first I'd just like to shout out the, uh, students that came up here to speak. Um, I don't know them, they don't know me,

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but, um, it takes courage to come up here and speak to anybody a board of education. So, well done. Good jackpots. and hopefully they can encourage their their friends to to come and say what they feel. Uh recently members of

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were invited by Assemblywoman Begoli to Trenton to meet with representatives from the governor's office and the New Jersey Department of Education. We had a very positive and productive meeting where we discussed a financial model for state funding along with very specific policy recommendations that would modify

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the state school funding formula. Under the current formula, West Orange is one of the most negatively impacted districts in the state, and this contributes significantly to our structural budget deficit. But we're not alone. Recently, New Jersey Education

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Commissioner Lily Laauo visited the Cherry Hill School District, which is in a similar situation to West Orange. Superintendent Moore, members of the board, we need to get more attention on West Orange. Please reach out through your channels to the Department of

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Education and invite Commissioner Laauo and Governor Cheryl to visit West Orange and understand our unique situation. is a parents group, but if we can get administrators, board members, educators, and even students to appeal to the state, this will amplify our

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voices and hopefully get Trenton to give West Orange the attention we deserve. WOB has also been attending the municipal budget meetings in town to learn more about their process with their budget advisory board and what takes place in the town council's public

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budget meetings. We've seen some pieces that could work for a community budget advisory committee at the BOE level and some things we think that should be different. Members of this board have been receptive to creating a community budget advisory committee in recent meetings. What are the next steps to set

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this up? is certainly not the only group who cares about education quality and how it's driven by the budget. We remain ready and willing to help facilitate the creation of this budget advisory group however we can. Lastly, we continue to ask for a plan for the

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West Orange School District as we know we face an annual budget deficits. Parents, students, and all taxpayers deserve to know what the vision is for our district given our financial reality. If possible, can you please provide a timeline on when a 3 to 5year

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plan will be drafted and presented to the community? Thank you. My name is Larry Winrob. I'm a West Orange resident with a rising 11th grader here at the high school and a rising eighth grader in private school at Gold Academy. I'm here with the West

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Orange parents for education. woke. My friends have covered our advocacy in Trenton and they've asked for your help. It's important and I echo their those requests. But I want to focus though on the upcoming year and how we can improve

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as a community. W began because a group of parents saw the chaos and the pain in the 2025 budget process and we want a better, more collaborative process. Everything we are doing is to build a world where BOE members, town leaders,

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residents, caregivers, students, teachers, and administrators work together to figure out how to best apply the truly limited resources we have to maximize the quality of education in our town. The environment

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we are in is not one that makes this an easy task. Many of us fell short this past year in building that world, myself included. We know that there will be hard choices to make again this upcoming year. I am heartened by some of the dialogue we are

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beginning to see. Mr. Moore responded to our request for information on I Ready and other education technology. We have met with many of you on the BOE individually and as a group. continues to grow with dozens of caregivers willing to roll up their

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sleeves and do the hard work to find solutions, not just raise concerns. And I am grateful to Mr. Stevenson for initiating a respectful and useful public dialogue at the last board of education meeting, albeit at a very late hour. Um, and I'm heartened by Mr.

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Eker's comments about the need to get started on the upcoming year's budget and work together. These are the kernels of trust that can be nurtured into the better world that we want to build. But in order to make that real, that will have to be more proactive work.

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In fact, there are many questions we still have about what the impact of these cuts are for the upcoming school year. We've heard about clubs, high school athletics, what the elementary school class sizes will be. There's still a lot of

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unanswered questions. We need a multi-year plan. I can tell you tomorrow what our state aid is likely to be next year if the legislature doesn't change the law. Though we are working hard for that. The

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work on the fiscal year 28 budget needs to start now. There must be dialogue. All stakeholders need to be included. Many discussions over the last year felt as though we as parents and caregivers were bystanders as the administration

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and the teachers spoke over our heads. We can do better as a community. If we fight, our children lose. Our kids deserve a plan and we are here to work with everyone to find solutions. Please join us in this world where we can find

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a collective solution to the problems that we face. Hi, Christa Pencilon, West Orange resident of 10 years and a member of I'm a mother of five kids attending West Orange High School, Roosevelt Middle School, and Hazel Avenue Elementary. Mr. Moore, I want to say

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that I know how deeply you care for our kids and this community. And it's with that spirit of care that I ask you and this board to re-evaluate all of the screen time being used in our children's classrooms. We've gotten off the track of how our kids learn best. And the trajectory of more typing, more reading

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on screens, more math on the computer is harming our kids' love of school, their learning, and their mental health. Anecdotally, I've seen it with my own children, and I've spoken to many other parents and teachers who feel the same. It's our job as parents and administrators to protect our kids from

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companies more concerned with their profits than the well-being of our kids. Let's start with I Ready. Have they provided randomized control studies or peer-reviewed journal articles proving their efficacy? I can tell you they have not because they do not exist. They offer a very expensive

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solution while also being accused in a lawsuit of collecting kids data and sharing that data with thirdparty service providers without direct parental consent. Have we received satisfactory responses to these accusations? Has I Ready proven to be

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effective for all of our students and not just those who are academically below grade level? The over $400,000 being used on I Ready could be used to keep clubs and art and music teachers. Why are we prioritizing expensive

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unproven tech over the arts which have shown to activate brains in a way that supports learning across literacy, math, reasoning, and mental health? Google is no longer the search engine it once was and is now feeding our kids AI summaries. YouTube with questionable

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content is accessible on onetoone devices. Kids have even found ways to play video games in class. Ask teachers what it's like to keep kids on task on computer screens, which they associate not just with school, but with entertainment. Research suggests the average student lasts just six minutes

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before drifting off task. It's simply not how our brains work. My ask is to please bring humanity back to education. It's how our kids thrive. Pause the renew renewal of I Ready and to do a deeper dive into its value and its safety. Get rid of devices in K

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through2. Move away from onetoone computers to to computer classroom cards. Implement screenfree days and impose screen limits. Return to pen and paper and stop cutting the paper budget. give our middle schoolers screen-free

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recess and not advisory. We have the opportunity to be a leader on these issues and inspire other districts to teach kids through human connection and empathy. It's our duty to cultivate an atmosphere where our kids get an education that lights them up and

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prepares them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. Algorithms can detect wrong answers, but not confusion. Decades of research has proven humans learn better when reading from paper than on screens. Handwriting is thinking. Empathy is

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relational. Skills developed on offline are more robust and embodied. I'm asking for a thoughtout plan for how we implement tech in our classrooms made in conjunction with parents and a way for parents to easily opt out. >> Please wrap up

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>> of tech that they're uncomfortable with. >> Good evening. Cara Piterelli, 16 Wtover Terrace, Gregory and UBK parent, member of West Orange Parents for Education. I am here tonight to speak to two issues for the upcoming school year. One is class sizes, and one is PE.

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New Jersey mandates uh require that all elementary school students receive 150 minutes of PE and health instruction per week. Middle and high school students are required to have 220 PE and health minutes per week. Those minutes are not currently being met, at least at the

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elementary school level. Given that specials have already been cut down to 30 minutes each, how is the district going to ensure that our kids get their required minutes? As a teacher myself, I can attest to the fact that kids have less gross and fine motor development compared to children 10, 15, and 20

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years ago. They need all of that PE time that the state requires to build those skills. In regard to class sizes, Superintendent Moore, in your letter to the community dated April 29th, 2026, you said, and I quote, "To maintain the optimal educational experience, my duty

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as superintendent required a laser focus on prioritizing students and preserving reasonable class sizes, 25 for elementary and 30 for secondary. And yet, we are already seeing prospective elementary class sizes for next year at 26, 27, and 28 kids per class, not

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accounting for any new enrollments over the summer. My own child cannot return to our neighborhood school because with one section removed for next year at Mount Pleasant, there will already be 26 kids in each class. That means that instead of my child attending the school that he can walk to, the district now

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has to continue to pay for door-to-door transportation for next school year. District office staff are telling schools that although the goal is 25 kids per class, technically the elementary schools can enroll up to 30 per class and no limitations will be put into place to prevent that. This

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directly contradicts the promise you made in your letter. Have you ever been a solo teacher responsible for the education of 30 children simultaneously? It's not productive. You're playing whack-a-ole. Behaviors increase exponentially. Engaging lessons disappear. Students learn less despite

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teachers best efforts. Our West Orange teachers are amazing, dedicated professionals who are highly skilled at what they do, but they are not magicians. They cannot give every student the attention they need when classrooms are bursting at the seams. In your letter, you also stated, "Research

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and experience clearly demonstrate that exceeding 25 students in an elementary setting negatively impacts learning outcomes." Decades of research have been conducted to back this exact point. And yet the district is ensuring that our students will in fact have their learning negatively impacted. This board

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needs to commit to ensuring that no elementary classes have more than 25 students enrolled across all schools in the district. Thank you. My name is Jason Fager 24 Belgrade Terrace in West Orange. Uh and I'm here with

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We now have a balanced budget for the 202627 school year. Our paras are being turned over to private profit. Our schools will have fewer teachers and our class sizes will grow. And the community is working hard to find ways to plug the holes of our lost programs. We heard and

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believed that these were hard decisions, but we also heard that these were necessary structural changes. But having now seen the detailed budget and union contract, which genuinely, thank you for following through and sharing, I'm left wondering what has actually changed that will structurally prevent us from going

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through this again next year or the year after. The major drivers of the district's budgets are teacher salaries and benefits, transportation costs, and building maintenance. But we haven't heard how any of these things are actually structurally changing towards sustainability. In the absence of a new

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union contract, how are we paying for the carryover contracts baked in salary and benefits increases without further staffing cuts? How do we expect transportation or building maintenance costs to go down? It may be that you know the answers to

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these questions already. If so, please tell us. Otherwise, we heard from this board at a previous meeting that the state is not coming to the rescue. Respectfully, realistically, the state actually does

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appear to be one of the most viable options for a long-term structural fix. I encourage you strongly to engage in that process and expend your energy lobbying to get those changes over the finish line. We've heard some encouraging words about

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a more open and collaborative budget process. Please follow through and establish a community budget advisory committee. We're deep enough in the numbers at this point to understand the situation we're in, but these decisions must be made with transparency and in

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collaboration with the community. The conversations that we had in April and May, we should be having those now for 3 to 5 years from now. Our kids deserve a plan. Thank you. Hello,

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Mount Pleasant Avenue. Um, I have a kid over in Mount Pleasant Elementary about to have one in Kelly. I'm u I don't have a big intro this time, so it kind of fits the crowd size this time. I'm pretty sure we could fit the library again. Maybe a large

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custodial closet, which might be warmer. And actually, erratic crowd sizes is one of my focus points because as I think I might have mentioned last time, I would like to harness this energy before it disappears. And it it it's just

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disappearing. And there's got to be better ways to help kind of keep this momentum going in different formats. This meeting serves a purpose. It does. We just need need more things. So I'm I'm hoping to bring some hope and

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positivity this time actually in that uh we could do great things you know beyond this meeting with uh other things lots of possibilities keep people engaged. I want to publicly thank Mr. Edgar for following through and getting in touch. We had a nice chat and uh I brought one

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of my main goals in there which is improving tools and process which includes the idea of you know smaller small group workshops and things the budget workshops and I would love to be part of that. I would love to encourage more and I would love to cast like a broad web to catch more people in

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different settings because not everybody can show up to meetings like this. Nobody not everybody feels comfortable. Some people like engaging digitally and so on. Lots of things we can do and I want to start working on that especially you know personally over the summer and

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I'm going to work with anybody I can um the board hopefully more more and so on the the union the vote people which reminds me that our kids plan but the committee good things we will get there. I want to work with everybody and I

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think we can do wonderful things together and and part of that is just making the work that happens more visible because you all do things that the the school district does things. It can be hard to see that from over here. And there are ways to make it more

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visible. And part of that is also making more things happen that are visible. And that that's a tough thing to start on because few people enjoy working more in the open, working in a glass house in front of large crowds. But it's

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something you can get used to and force yourself to like. And in the end you realize that there's no no need to be scared of hiding things or being out in the open unless something is wrong. But you know that would be less and less if we we're visible and such in the first

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place. Next year I'll aim to be a volunteer at the core over at Mount Pleasant again. I might end up on the Kelly PTA. I might even get involved with the council PTAs which I think could be doing more. I'm going to be continuing to volunteer with the Mountaintop League. I hope we can

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work together more and on all those things. And I just really encourage anybody just if you want to work together, small workshops and all things. Get in touch. That's it. Good evening. My name is Kelly Morris

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and I live at 64 Southgate Drive in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. and I'm an Eastban captain from Camden County in South Jersey. Eastband stands for Education Support Professionals Advocacy Network. This dedicated group of NJA members works across the state to unite,

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organize, promote, and advance ESPs. They strive to uphold their rights, protect their benefits, and elevate their careers. Eastban advocates on behalf of ESPs such as the incredible power professionals that work in the West Orange School District. I traveled

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almost two hours to get here tonight because I'm appalled at the unconscionable decision made by the board of ed to sack your dedicated power professionals power professionals in favor of a private for-profit company. It's extremely unfair that budgets impact our lowest paid employees the

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most. Why is it that education support professionals never have the backing of the board of education members that they elected? I've been to numerous board of ed meetings this spring and the usual culprit for these budget cuts is the exorbitant cost of healthcare. However,

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that's not the case in West Orange. Instead, it has been regular overspending which has caused this issue. Since this seems to be simple fiscal mismanagement, it's abhorent that the solution is to fire loyal education support professionals who have done their jobs faithfully. These support

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staff are tasked with caring for the most vulnerable children in the district. and you want to turn that level of care over to strangers who have no investment in the West Orange community. I simply don't understand this and I'm sure neither does anyone else here. My biggest issue though is

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your board of ed president, Brian Rock. He is first and foremost an NJA employee and he has used my union dues and the dues dollars of every education support professional in this district to gain the knowledge and experience that led to this current despicable deal. A few

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weekends ago, he ran a workshop where he told membership chairs that they must work to get more support staff to join the union. Why would they do that if this is how their union brother treats them? I don't understand how you can sleep at night, Brian. You are employed by an association that fights for

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employees, negotiates to save jobs, pensions, and health benefits, and helps to broker better deals than union members had previously. At least that's what you're supposed to do. Instead, you sold these people out. I hear you're running for mayor now, too. Do you

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seriously expect me or anyone here for that matter to let you use our NJA pack dollars for that? I can't even imagine the West Orange community voting to support you in this endeavor. I question your ethics if this is how you treat your union brothers and sisters. Do you

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really think the Democratic Party is going to embrace you after this? You have betrayed and deceived every one of these power professionals for personal gain without considering their livelihoods or the negative consequences for the students in West Orange. You sir

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are a disgrace to our union and frankly I don't know how you live with yourself. >> Amy Tai 256 Harding Highway, Carese Point, New Jersey. I live by the Delaware Memorial Bridge. If that gives you a little insight how far I drove.

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I came here because I wanted to support our community here and also the staff as well. I am an ESP Eastband captain, but I'm also an employee of Penn Grove Carney Point School District as a secretary and I'm

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very proud. We have the business administrator that left Montlair because of the financial difficulties she left them behind and I'm the president of that and I'm very upset and I hope to God that you guys do not send any of

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your business administrators or assistants down our way because we don't need anymore. With that being said, I wanted to take a note. I came here um and I seen this young lady who worked diligently

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taping, setting up, making sure the sound and all was good. I was like, "Wow, this she's a hard worker." And I was like, "Thank God." You know, she's got a great job still and all. She then asked the gentleman that was setting up that beautiful thing for all the pictures tonight as well.

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What made me sad and sick is that I found out while I'm sitting there that this woman's job is now being cut. But you all look good. You all sound good. And there's that woman worked. You wouldn't have known that she was getting fired at the end of this month. How are

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you as elected officials by the people that are here sitting there and looking at this woman who made you look good tonight? Not good, but made you sound good. And that's the sad part. You are ruining people's lives and you were

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elected to save the students lives in this districts. And that's the sad part that's coming here. I'm amazed at the parents that showed up tonight. It is your job now to run for office and replace the people that have ruined your

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students educational aspirations because that's what they're doing. in five years when those aids that have been fired and there's a shell in this building because you let people that probably live here

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that make the least amount of money go so you can pay thousands of dollars to a private company that don't care one bit about any of you know what they care about the money they're sending out of state New Jersey I'm very proud to be in

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New Jersey and you should be proud about sitting up there. I spoke at our DA for NJA and I want to make sure everyone sitting here, Brian Rock does not represent NJA. He represents somebody that's taking our money to make himself

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think that he looks good. He's done a very piss poor job. Hi, good evening. My name is Katie Witig. I live at 49 Manga Road and I've been sitting here never so happy to have a sweatshirt in my car because I'm freezing. You know, I was sitting here

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thinking, am I going to speak or am I not going to speak? And I have to say that I'm very happy that I'm going to speak. And I'm going to tell you why. Number one, I was going to come up here and say how it was nice to come to a meeting where there wasn't a whole lot of animosity. There was a lot of

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positive information and encouragement from people that were speaking. And then that kind of went downhill a little bit. Um, so I'm here for two reasons. First, I'm going to put my parent hat on and say I have a son at the high school. He's going to be a junior. And we keep

438
02:46:45.760 --> 02:47:01.359
hearing about what's being cut, what's being cut, and what's being cut. But I want to take a little bit of a different look at it and say it's terrible these things are being cut, but also what are the opportunities we're now going to miss out on of new things that our

439
02:47:01.359 --> 02:47:17.279
school won't be able to bring into it. And I'm taking this from a very personal point of view. My son proposed multiple new clubs at the high school. And none of them are even being considered. I will say off the record, he didn't even get responses to his emails when he

440
02:47:17.279 --> 02:47:32.720
proposed the clubs, but that's a whole other thing. But and if he had two clubs that he wanted to introduce, I have to imagine there's multiple other kids that had other opportunities and ideas of new things that a district could do. So, not only are we losing items, but we're also

441
02:47:32.720 --> 02:47:48.800
losing the opportunity for new things. Okay. Now, I'm going to put my parent hat over here, and I'm going to put on my other hat. I have the wonderful um opportunity right now. I'm serving as the president-elect of West Orange Council of PTAs, and in 15 days, I'm the president of the West Orange Council of

442
02:47:48.800 --> 02:48:04.640
PTAs. And I'm very excited that um Superintendent Moore and I started to have conversations about the formation of the budget committee. So, we are still and this is our plan over the summer. West Orange Council is going to serve as the conduit with the finance um

443
02:48:04.640 --> 02:48:20.479
group um to look at, you know, everyone's been asking for the community involvement, what that's going to look like. We started to have some conversations about what that's going to look like so we can answer the questions that parents have been asking for and how we can work together for that that

444
02:48:20.479 --> 02:48:36.960
clarity and that transparency that everybody has wanted. So, Mr. Mr. Moore and I have spoken. He announced it briefly at our final meeting of the of the year which was in May um of the West Orange Council. So I'm excited that over the summer the plan is to continue to flush out what that's going to look like

445
02:48:36.960 --> 02:48:53.520
continuation of the budget workshops last year but also a variet how we're going to get involvement from all of the schools and what that's going to look like. So that is something that is in process. So I just wanted to end on a positive note. Tonight was a great opportunity to hear a lot of positives

446
02:48:53.520 --> 02:49:10.840
that are coming and I think um I hope that I guess working in nonprofit forever it's all about the positive and how we're going to look at it. So I just wanted to end public comment on maybe more of a positive way and that this is the beginning of something wonderful. So thank you.

447
02:49:15.920 --> 02:49:32.399
>> Hello Josh Goldfarb. I live in West Orange. become a teacher at Roosevelt and the president of the WOEA. Today we have celebrated the teachers and the ESPs who are honored as educators of the year. They are hardworking and dedicated professionals who have earned this recognition and congratulations are in

448
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order to all of them. Unfortunately, this is also the night that the board of education is voting to cut loose the over 230 power professionals who work in the district. These employees have dedicated years to this district. They have helped our most vulnerable students with unwavering professionalism and

449
02:49:48.880 --> 02:50:06.080
dedication and they are being let go. Every single person in this room and in this town should be in agreement that this is a tragedy. Here's what they are being offered by the private company. It's edustaf. Regardless of training level or experience, all par professionals will be paid exactly the

450
02:50:06.080 --> 02:50:23.200
same. They will get a rate of $185 per day. That is only $10 more than the current rate for substitute teachers. These professionals who are responsible for monitoring progress of students, ensuring IEP compliance, deescalating behaviors, they have specialized

451
02:50:23.200 --> 02:50:40.160
training, and maybe changing diapers are getting only $10 more than a sub. Factoring in the longer workday for power professionals compared to substitutes, the hourly rate for power professionals will actually be less than substitute teachers. As for health insurance, they are being

452
02:50:40.160 --> 02:50:55.040
offered the lowest level health insurance allowed, which is not comparable in quality to what they currently have. They basically just have insurance if they have to go to the emergency room and one doctor's visit a year. As for the pension, there really is

453
02:50:55.040 --> 02:51:11.279
none. They do have the option to sign up for a 401k, but there is no matching contribution from the employer. So, that's not really a pension. That's just a savings account. As for sick time, they will acrewue 40 hours per year of sick time and none of their unused sick

454
02:51:11.279 --> 02:51:26.640
days that they have earned in West Orange will carry over to Edustaf. Those days that they have saved in case of a rainy day, they're gone. Last month, I reported the results of a survey which showed that 80% of power professionals said they will definitely would not or

455
02:51:26.640 --> 02:51:42.800
likely would not return to West Orange if they were outsourced. Many of them said, however, it depends on the compensation package. Now that that compensation package has been announced, I believe that this number is almost certainly going to become a reality. It isn't just that they are being laid

456
02:51:42.800 --> 02:51:58.560
off. It is that they are being laid off and offered much less money in every way while being expected to do just as much as they have always done. The idea that our school district will come out of this unscathed is unrealistic. Damage has already been done to our dedicated

457
02:51:58.560 --> 02:52:14.399
par professionals and to our reputation. But it is not too late. You still have the ability to do right by our powers, by our staff, our students, and our community. I urge the board urge the board of education one final time to vote against this plan or abstain if you

458
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are conflicted and prevent the prevent the irreparable harm that will come to our town. Thank you very much. >> Good evening um board members. Cindy Matu Brown. I live in West Orange, Corwell Circle. I too did not plan to

459
02:52:34.240 --> 02:52:50.640
speak this evening until I just heard some comments. Um but I will acknowledge Mr. Ifer um your statements and I appreciate you saying that it should be the board's work to start correcting what has happened. That's an acknowledgement that there has

460
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been some errors that have been made along the way. I realize that this is not solely on your shoulders. I know that Superintendent Moore is new in this role, but it is your responsibility ultimately.

461
02:53:07.200 --> 02:53:23.279
The failures that came from the business office, and this is not personal, but the reality, the failures that came from the business office, those do lay solely on your shoulders. You review the budgets, the reconciliation records,

462
02:53:23.279 --> 02:53:39.840
and it's not until after the fact, not until after a $79,000 fine by the IRS are you now talking about doing something about it. That was solely your responsibility. to the members of the public who are

463
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here and those who are listening. Just a short story from a person who was not involved in labor in unionism at all. I came from a charter school in the city where I grew up in very urban

464
02:53:56.720 --> 02:54:14.640
district, brown and black students. It was a revolving door. Those kids had no stability. their education was not guaranteed to them and nobody cared. I went out and I went to NJA and asked

465
02:54:14.640 --> 02:54:31.279
for help because I knew that our educators, if they were respected, if they were paid comparable salaries, our students are the ones who would benefit. I did that because it was a need.

466
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10 years later, that union still exists at that charter school and it's Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City and we have stable teachers and our students are excelling. I can't sit here and let anyone think

467
02:54:45.840 --> 02:55:02.000
that the work that labor does is selfish. We are here in a middle class existence because of labor. If we don't take on these fights, we don't have weekends. We don't have holidays. We

468
02:55:02.000 --> 02:55:17.840
don't have paid sick days. We don't have weekends. We fight as a labor union for our members because it's absolutely necessary to ensure that we have quality educators in these buildings.

469
02:55:17.840 --> 02:55:34.640
And at least three of you up there have been on this side. I feel that talking negatively or not correcting the record when it comes to our members because I am an NJA staff member but before that I wasn't a member

470
02:55:34.640 --> 02:55:52.080
of the labor union. I see my time is up. Thank you for your attention but please do not make the union look like we're the bad guys. We're here fighting for our students because we fight for our educators. into Glouster County. Thank you so much for coming

471
02:55:52.080 --> 02:56:19.600
out. Thank you. My name is Jason Davidson. I live in town. Um, when all this started, you took a lot of heat cuz you said we got to live in the real world. and you had a plan and you said, "This

472
02:56:19.600 --> 02:56:36.080
is how we're going to save some money." And there were goals. We're going to try to do this. We're going to try to do this. We're going to try to do this. And we're going to try to do this. And there were expectations that certain things were going to happen. That were going to prevent a disaster. That a certain percentage of the staff was going to

473
02:56:36.080 --> 02:56:52.720
come over and it was going to be okay. And you guys have very important jobs. You say you have no choice, but the only thing you have is choice. And when you make a decision to follow a plan and

474
02:56:52.720 --> 02:57:07.920
things do not go as planned, there's no shame in changing your mind. The Paris are not transitioning to this new company in the numbers that you need to maintain what

475
02:57:07.920 --> 02:57:24.560
would arguably be the most important role, boots on the ground. Without the boots on the ground, everything falls apart in the school. We also I've been going to all the meetings,

476
02:57:24.560 --> 02:57:40.479
even the edges meetings, asking questions. Dr. Rees has been fantastic because when something comes up that he doesn't know about, he's like, "We got to work on that. We got to make it better." I think we could acknowledge that we do a great job here, but we're not perfect. And one area

477
02:57:40.479 --> 02:57:57.520
where we can improve is training. there is not the training that we need because it's tough, it's expensive. Um, edge of staff and the district is not prepared to take on the training required

478
02:57:57.520 --> 02:58:13.040
from wiping the slate clean, getting rid of all the paras. We won't be able to recover without cost that exceeds our savings. I think as you're getting the new information,

479
02:58:13.040 --> 02:58:31.200
I'm hearing shock from people above the Paris, not in the rooms, that they're not going to just take this job. But anybody who thinks about it, nobody would take the

480
02:58:31.200 --> 02:58:46.319
percentage of pay cut that's being asked of them. The least experienced Paris who fresh out of high school, took the test, no college degree, they're getting a raise, maybe they live at home, maybe

481
02:58:46.319 --> 02:59:03.040
they don't pay insurance, they're fine. Everyone else getting better jobs and we're not going to have what we need to prevent the kids from failing. And and I've heard people say, "I'll do it temporarily, couple, not not many, then get something

482
02:59:03.040 --> 02:59:19.120
better. I don't know what to do. They're feeling pressure. And I know my time's almost up, but I've also heard I think what people were counting on that they would do. >> Please wrap it up. >> Yeah. That they don't want to fail the >> they don't want to fail the kids and that two wrongs don't make a right. But

483
02:59:19.120 --> 02:59:33.760
the the other wrong they're talking about is what's being done to them. And and I don't think anyone wants to fail these kids. And I don't think there's any shame in saying this isn't going to work. We're evaluating it. New information. Maybe we should find another way.

484
02:59:33.760 --> 02:59:53.760
>> Thank you, sir. Yeah. >> Hello. Good evening. Uh Patty Richardson. I live in Bernardsville, but I am a 25-y year veteran teacher in this district. I My heart is broken.

485
02:59:53.760 --> 03:00:10.800
My colleagues, their hearts are broken. This community, their hearts are broken. We are not numbers. Our power professionals are not numbers. They are human beings. They have

486
03:00:10.800 --> 03:00:28.960
families. They have responsibilities. And here we are. We're going to outsource. As a middle school teacher, I feel like we're sort of the the lost,

487
03:00:28.960 --> 03:00:43.279
forgotten child. We have worked really, really hard. We just underwent the reconfiguration six, seven, and eight. Now we're going to an eight period day.

488
03:00:43.279 --> 03:00:58.640
We're going to have 25 to 30 children per class. We're now going to need to teach new curricula. But you know what? I am so incredibly proud of the people with whom I work

489
03:00:58.640 --> 03:01:17.760
because we are a family and we find solutions to problems. If I don't know how to teach something, I will go to someone who does. All of these amazing human beings who we celebrated tonight, that is what West

490
03:01:17.760 --> 03:01:36.000
Orange is all about. That's who we are. Why can't we be innovative? The last time I spoke at the last board meeting, there was a woman who spoke before me and she said that she raised over $100

491
03:01:36.000 --> 03:01:54.399
million. Why are we not using our resources? Is it about pride? We have to do better. There are people who who are experts in their fields. Why aren't we utilizing

492
03:01:54.399 --> 03:02:14.080
that could save our paras? How am I supposed to effectively do my job when I have somebody who doesn't know how to do their job because they're outsourced? That's not to say that there aren't good

493
03:02:14.080 --> 03:02:33.120
quality people, but at the end of the day, you're making our lives, our jobs more difficult. You are putting our children in harm's way. I don't envy your job. I don't.

494
03:02:33.120 --> 03:02:49.840
But you do have a responsibility. We have to look past pride. We have to do what's best. And I've heard time and time again, it is about our children. And it sure is. I participated in our pro in our

495
03:02:49.840 --> 03:03:09.680
graduation today. It was phenomenal. Please, I implore you, think outside the box. Do what's right for everyone. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you all for those comments. Mr. Moore, did you want to respond to some things? >> I do.

496
03:03:09.680 --> 03:03:25.359
First, I just want to thank our guests from uh I know you traveled a long way. I just want to welcome you to West Orange because although uh comments were made that I would like to address from you, I want to welcome you because um if anyone knows me or our personality, this

497
03:03:25.359 --> 03:03:43.120
is who we are. So, welcome and let me speak a little bit here. you said I love what you said about being human and we do share the same and if there was an email shared to our woke group which I thank for all their hard work but we are

498
03:03:43.120 --> 03:04:00.080
trying to do less screen time to be honest with you but there are some standards that have come in and there are new standards that are coming in which require our students that are younger to do some work with um uh their computers their screen time and so forth

499
03:04:00.080 --> 03:04:15.680
And we do have some of those that we try to strike a balance with. Um but we talk about that in our meetings with um our curriculum people. What would that look like? I know we're going to do script. I know we're going to try to do my kids

500
03:04:15.680 --> 03:04:32.240
could use the handwriting. It's terrible. So I know that we're going to try to do some handwriting, but we do work within the confines of some standards and things of that nature which technology drives. We try to improve our test scores and I

501
03:04:32.240 --> 03:04:47.120
ready was one of the ways we've done that and we found some success with it because it gives immediate feedback for in terms of um diagnostics and assessment and we've been using that and working with it. We haven't had it we

502
03:04:47.120 --> 03:05:04.720
haven't been in full use um both in math and English for too long. So we are trying to work with that and uh see what that looks like and is it complementing and maybe we can taper off a little bit more going towards the future a little

503
03:05:04.720 --> 03:05:20.399
bit but we are working with it and with the increase of class sizes we think it's very important that teachers get a diagnostic and immediate feedback on how students do with math and English which are foundational and we want to make

504
03:05:20.399 --> 03:05:36.800
sure of that. But let me um I'll get back to that and we'll talk about but I want to talk a little bit about human. None of us on this board and I'm going to mention Brian's name here our president.

505
03:05:36.800 --> 03:05:51.040
You know I've got to tell you I want to apologize to Dr. Dia Bryant because I should have addressed the crowd on tone when someone decided to tone police on Dr. Deb Bryan, but said nothing to people that went to the microphone and

506
03:05:51.040 --> 03:06:07.680
used curse words and other defam, you know, I I'm probably going to get the word wrong. So, just poor language towards people on the dice. No one here chooses to do cuts. That's not a choice we made.

507
03:06:07.680 --> 03:06:24.240
We didn't go, "Oh, let's get up and cut and let's figure out how to do that." The one thing about President Rock is he did educate us on why the deficit happened and where we lost funding. He inspired us to then reach out to the

508
03:06:24.240 --> 03:06:38.960
state level which our woke group has done a great job of as parents reaching out there. But I want you to know we too sit with Boli and we too sit with people at the state level as well. We're not always going to be working in the same

509
03:06:38.960 --> 03:06:53.680
rooms because we're kind of in the industry working on our jobs. So that looks a little different. And sometimes you may feel, oh well, you didn't include us. That's not transparent. But we are moving on it every day and we're

510
03:06:53.680 --> 03:07:09.920
working towards it. But it's not that no one's going to include it. We want to include you. I went to the council of PTA and the woke group. I expect to work with us work with them as well so that I can have a

511
03:07:09.920 --> 03:07:25.200
diverse group of parents talk about the budget a little bit so that everyone's included and woke can bring their expertise to more parents in our community because I have a lot of support from parents that are outside the woke group but I want to engage both

512
03:07:25.200 --> 03:07:42.080
groups and all groups to work together. There's nothing to fear because I'm just doing exactly what was presented in front of me. And it is the truth. It's unfortunate though when you talk about cuts or deficits.

513
03:07:42.080 --> 03:07:57.279
Everyone says, "Well, why would you cut here? You don't cut here. What decisions that this and that?" Let me explain. All things are important to the kids. And I'm going to argue with you that arts are important, but so are sports.

514
03:07:57.279 --> 03:08:12.240
They're just as important. And I'll give you another argument about athletics. And by the way, freshman sports are not cut. That's not how that works. What happens is if we see an efficiency that we don't have enough people on a team, then we don't have the freshman team. We

515
03:08:12.240 --> 03:08:28.640
move to JV and varsity only because that's important in terms of being fiscally responsible. But getting back to it, athletics are important in our society today for students with education. Do you know how many students we put in college on scholarships? Only

516
03:08:28.640 --> 03:08:44.560
athletics have brought millions of scholarships even over academics for students. And I'm not saying that to promote academics over the arts because I think they're all important, equally important. And that is the human view.

517
03:08:44.560 --> 03:09:00.479
None of us are trying to do that. Do we have to strike cuts? We did have to cut, but it's not cut to cut you to insult you or cut just arbitrary. We tried to cut across the board where we can, which

518
03:09:00.479 --> 03:09:17.120
included athletics and it included arts. It's easy to think that we're focused on one thing over another. And that's not true. And no matter how many times we put out, if I put out an email, I say it's not transparent enough. We didn't see this.

519
03:09:17.120 --> 03:09:32.479
We didn't see that. Okay. But it's also not going to make you happy. It's the reality. No one is happy. But I will say Brian Rock I know works for NJA and he's a very big supporter of

520
03:09:32.479 --> 03:09:48.080
where he works. He understood that. He's been in close sessions battling for things in support of NJA as well. So it is unfair to just decide to

521
03:09:48.080 --> 03:10:04.399
uh categorize him as someone that doesn't care or has been a traitor or he has not done that. And I speak the truth to you because people clap for it doesn't make it right. So I say that I have no reason to

522
03:10:04.399 --> 03:10:21.200
support him. But I say it because it's true. He hasn't done that. And as far as Avid is concerned, I was the person that brought Avid to West Orange. It was me because I find Avid to be

523
03:10:21.200 --> 03:10:38.319
important. This year, my son was in Avid, but Avid costs a lot of money to use their intellectual properties and it's a subscription. But, you know, I don't want to get into

524
03:10:38.319 --> 03:10:55.279
trouble, but we do plan to infuse things into our college prep programs, which we've learned from other programs such as AVID and other things that we can help the kids with because maybe we don't have enough money to subscribe to

525
03:10:55.279 --> 03:11:10.000
it and we can't and what happens is you have to dedicate teachers to it. But when you dedicate teachers to just that program, when I make when there's such um abundant cuts, I need those teachers

526
03:11:10.000 --> 03:11:28.560
to teach other classes in which are like graduation requirements or our AP courses. So we have to use the staff at its maximum and that's why we can't keep everything. I used to have it as a

527
03:11:28.560 --> 03:11:45.359
feather in my cap because it was one of the best things I can do for the middle student. I don't want to lose it, but I have to make tough decisions. You can't. No one needs to say anymore that I envy your

528
03:11:45.359 --> 03:12:00.720
position and this and that. But what I would rather you do is just understand the situation for the reality of a deficit or a cut and what that means. It does mean that sacrifice must come. It

529
03:12:00.720 --> 03:12:16.160
does mean that there are some cuts to take place. But personal attacks against some of the board members that are volunteering their time. Okay. personal attacks against me, but whatever. It's okay. I'm

530
03:12:16.160 --> 03:12:30.720
still going to be polite and do the right thing and follow the contract and make sure that we do the best and the most optimal things for our students. But we're going through a time where it's not reality to think it could be

531
03:12:30.720 --> 03:12:52.560
the same. That is just banging your head against a wall and hoping for another outcome. It's not that's not what's going on. We are literally trying to fix something

532
03:12:52.560 --> 03:13:10.880
that we see. We will include others, but we have to straighten out our house internally. When you first get into a job such as myself and you unearth or you realize things or you learn along the way, then

533
03:13:10.880 --> 03:13:27.680
it's a matter of letting it go or addressing it. And I choose to address it because that's the only way we will make it better. But it will take time, steps, and progress.

534
03:13:27.680 --> 03:13:44.880
And we're going to need the time to get situated. So as far as a few things so I can ease some minds the fresh the uh freshman sports it's based on enrollment. If we saw that some

535
03:13:44.880 --> 03:14:01.279
teams did not have sufficient numbers then yes we use that as a cut because we need to make cuts somewhere. Why do we make these cuts on to these programs? because we turn each and every one of those cuts back into the classroom to

536
03:14:01.279 --> 03:14:16.960
save our teachers. That's it. There's no magic. That's what we use the money for. No one wants to raise class sizes, but we had no choice because when you

537
03:14:16.960 --> 03:14:32.800
lose staff members, you have to still provide uh spaces for the students. And unfortunately, that increases it. And I'm sorry that our teachers have to teach 25, but yes, if the question was, have you ever taught more than that?

538
03:14:32.800 --> 03:14:50.880
I've taught in Patterson, New York City, and those classes are big. They're bigger than 30. But I'm not saying that that's what we need here. And I'm not saying that's the most optimal educational

539
03:14:50.880 --> 03:15:10.880
position. But I'm telling you that these are the realities of what happens in this fiscal challenge. With regards to sports media, that's not finished. We're trying to find a way to incorporate that into our Mountaineer mentor program where we're teaching a

540
03:15:10.880 --> 03:15:28.720
new group of kids how to um upgrade our websites and how to focus on our students doing uh sports and taking the pictures and announcing and reporting. So, we're giving kids those experiences, but we're going to do it through another

541
03:15:28.720 --> 03:15:45.279
program. Sports media was a program that was outside of us and it was LLC by someone else. So we may call it sports something different for Mountaineers, but we're using the skills we learned from that partnership which we were

542
03:15:45.279 --> 03:16:01.279
grateful for to to use it in another way which would also help us fiscally by having our mount our mountaineer mentors do it. Um, let me see if I can just make sure I

543
03:16:01.279 --> 03:16:18.880
told you about that. The I told you that we were the uh community budget is not lost. It's just a matter of um also trying to include our PTA which I kind of explained. So, we can all do that. And as far as maximizing platforms, so

544
03:16:18.880 --> 03:16:34.800
all our tech, I like to do a met uh with all of our programs, not just our tech. I like to do things on metrics and to see if they are effective by running numbers, using data points. Yes, we get

545
03:16:34.800 --> 03:16:50.560
feedback and input and we appreciate that, but sometimes we rely on our data points as well to guide a decision. And some decisions parents agree with, some parents don't. But, you know, being the

546
03:16:50.560 --> 03:17:06.000
steward of the district, sometimes I also have to implore some decisions I think that are best for our students based on the data or the metrics that I um I I go through with our curriculum

547
03:17:06.000 --> 03:17:26.800
team. Ryan, thank you for the time. >> Mr. Moore covered most of it, but two things I'll add. Uh there was a a question we mentioned before we cannot comment on any specific personnel uh issues but we can say that there is no

548
03:17:26.800 --> 03:17:43.200
investigation any claims or rumors to the otherwise are unfounded and irresponsible. So I could just say that generally speaking. Um we also do have a walk-on resolution that will uh appoint Miss Lamin the acting uh business administrator. So that will happen later

549
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on our agenda tonight. Um, as for advocacy in Trenton, we I have been in contact with our legislators and we'll continue to do so. Uh, I like your idea of inviting the commissioner and governor and I will attempt to do that. I can't guarantee either or both of them will come, but we we can try. Um, and I will add some more homework for Mr.

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Winrap because we talked about healthc care before. Uh, there is a bill that's been introduced by Senator Gopal which will attempt to address that. Um, so your homework would be to research that and and see what you think and whether that can help reduce health care costs here and or throughout the state. Um,

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otherwise I think Mr. Moore touched on all the other things. Uh, any other comments from the board? >> Um, I have a few more than usual just because um, thank you Mr. Moore for your comments. I appreciate that. um last

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year's budget season and this year's budget season uh exceptionally challenging, but not just the challenging part that happens behind closed doors, but more of the um othering

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the consistent insults and sort of below the belt language that is thrown about um haphazardly. the misinformation and malinformed

554
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um comments and sort of things that come out. And so I just wanted to put a couple facts in the room for us. In grades K through 12 in the state of New Jersey, children are required to have two and a half hours a week of per

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of physical education. Elementary school students are required to have 20 minutes of recess a day. I think that's important because we heard differently tonight. I also want to address it'll be random

556
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because there are so many facts that come out and I just want to make sure that like we say what they are. There's a conflation between I Ready as a curriculum and as an intervention tool and as an a screener.

557
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Those are three different things when we talk about what happens in a classroom. The state of New Jersey actually supplements um I Ready. I think maybe two years ago that policy went in place through both

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focus and bridge grants. I would like to know how we're supplementing that. Um, and even HIT funds, which is high impact tutoring funds. Um, it is a mandated screener by the state of New Jersey. And there was a

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very scathing, rude, condescending email that came in to our director of curriculum this week from a from someone we all know. And it was quite disappointing that the person hadn't done their research. Um, and

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would insinuate that this was something excessive and misaligned. Um, and it it it was someone I respect and and I have to look at that slightly differently. Um, Trenton, it is my daily work in my

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normal job. Um, and so I'm constantly working on the formula and many other areas. There are some bills around pilots in public schools right now at the state when we talk about community development and economic development.

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There is a bill from the SDA that is billions of dollars that can be capital funds. um their shared service and even safe route to school legislation all sitting at the state that I in my day job look

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at every single day. Very important. We've sat here and we've listened to people sort of say like give up your pay and you know and I just want to reiterate that our town council members

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make between 37 and 47,000 a year and have access to health benefits and even retirement benefits. This is solely a volunteer job. I personally am here because I don't want to be the parent that's always

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complaining about what's going on with my kids. I want to be a part of the solution. And I think that's an important distinction for us to all hold as a community that we all have some skin in the game as taxpayers and

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parents here in this community. I think it's also important to know that in the last 10 years, there have been at least five superintendent. I think I'm on six interim acting or permanent or

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otherwise. And if you know what that does to a district, to its contracts, to its direction, to its human resources, it is volatile and it makes it really hard to stabilize

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things. And much of our job as the board has been getting underneath the hood of what happened in each one of those situations and how we rectify it both in policy and

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in fiscal behavior andor discipline. Um the cost won't come down. I don't know. You've been to the grocery store. They're just where they are. I think it is a matter of us being clear about our priorities and to your points about a

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plan and how we start to move according to those values and priorities. I think the final thing I'll share is um well two more things. One is for you Hayden. Um in the high school we cut the

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deans, we've cut counselors across a number of schools. We cut the sack and we've now cut AVID. Abbott is also in a strategy change. So, their product will likely look different in the next two years, but that scares me about the

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mental health supports in the high school. Um, it doesn't come up much here. I don't know why, but it should come up and it's something that I think we need to visit um and look a little bit more closely at. The last thing I'll say is that I'm

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always up for public discourse and conversations about hard things. I truly believe that we can be tough on issues and gentle with people. And

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that as a social experiment and an intellectual exercise last season and this season, I don't know that we've done our best. And just as a community and a person that lives here, it is increasingly

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more difficult to even have discourse when some of the discourse sounds almost worse than the way my 10-year-old yells back and forth with his friends. And so my encouragement is that we get better at having conversations. We get

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better at factf finding. We get better at negotiating the real things. and we sort of, you know, do the things that are necessary to make things move forward while holding each other at least in a psychologically safe space as

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we try to solve this problem. That's all I got. >> Thank you, Dr. Bryant. Anything for Mr. Stevenson? >> Thank you, President Ruck. Mr. Wrop, what's your number for next year? >> I'm sorry. Is your number higher or lower than what

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we received based on your projections? Will it be $12 million higher? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, you you should expect a structural deficit next year. Well, because I'm saying that to you because again, people come to the mic say certain things, but the reality is

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is that those deficits are structural, right? And so you take out healthcare, put it to the side, because this board acted three years ago to change healthcare. We have a lower impact on healthcare than other districts similarly situated. But uh salaries for

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our district in and of themselves next year will go up approximately $5.5 million. And so when you talk about state aid and you say, "Well, it'll go up slightly." If it's not going up by $5.5 million and then in excess of that, then we know

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where we will stand next year. That fair? Okay. Um, you know, it people this is an interesting position to be in because you know when you're when you're when you sign up for this and you're elected,

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you know, there's always some skepticism, sarcasm that comes with it. So, it is extremely cold in this room. mentioned that >> it's extremely cold, but we can't turn off the air conditioning because if you turn it off, it may not

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come back on. And on Tuesday, summer enrichment begins in this high school for our children. And last year, uh, the air conditioning did not work. And so the performances

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that normally occur at the end of summer enrichment were not in this auditorium because it was in excess of 90 degrees in here and they occurred in the cafeteria. It cost $800,000 is one of the uh because I think sir you brought it up

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one of the one of the maintenance items that has yet got kicked off the maintenance list of the projected $4 million over the approximate five years. $20 million worth of capital improvement investments that got reduced

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in this budget from four million to 1.8 million uh to save more jobs and that's a fair trade-off, right? And and that's the reality of it. Despite the fact that

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somehow or another as board members our constraints of disclosure possibly people coming to talk in public comment may not understand the trade-offs. You guys have done work and so you maybe understand the trade-offs more than

588
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anyone else. Right? So those are those are the the unfortunate realities that the $800,000 to ensure that the RTU unit the chiller will work if it gets shut down that

589
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$800,000 has been wiped away and there's a possibility that our kids will not have air conditioning in the summer or when kids return in the fall. Uh you may also because people again this is the most attended board meetings in the last

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few months. Uh this board two years ago approved air conditioning for our elementary schools. We know it's getting hotter in the months of September and October and late part of April into May

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and June. Our kids test in May. both the NGLSA and the final ready assessments in hot buildings that don't have air conditioning. Uh this but this board set aside funding for air conditioning for all of our facilities, all the

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elementary schools uh provided that PSENG gets all the transformers in place will be fully um air conditioned by the fall. That's the reality. This board despite the constraints of budget because again we

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only operate with about 26% of that $200 million for which we have flexibility continues to make investments despite the challenges that um we're constrained by

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with respect to I think Dr. Brian made a good point. There is a conflation between curriculum uh particularly with IE as the board member who four five years ago President Iraq we

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led the change to change the elementary school curriculum both in ELA and math. Everyday math was the curriculum. It was an insufficient curriculum in my opinion to serve our children. Uh we went to I Ready. Uh, not

596
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again. I did not I wanted a curriculum change. The curriculum change was recommended by our curriculum folks and our teachers. That was what was selected. With respect to ELA, uh, which we haven't talked about tonight, it's not as criticized, I suspect, as uh, I

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was units of study. We disbanded units of study and went to the HMH curriculum. Again, not the curriculum that that I necessarily personally would have chosen, but it was voted upon within the teacher community based on the choices that were given by

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our curriculum department. So, we have HMH as a curriculum in the elementary school. So, again, I think it's unfortunate that the reality of the successes that have been um realized

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under Mr. Moore's leadership, certainly since Mr. Rock and I have been on the board, sometimes gets pushed by the wayside when you have these very unfortunate circumstances of finance. That's I want to ask you, Mr. Wro, the

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question about what's your number. And lastly, I'll say someone invoked Cherry Hill. And as I've said here before, you did. I don't like to make those comparisons between districts because inherently funding although it should not be that way always has a political

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connotation associated with it. So you have your numbers in your in your algorithm. West Orange received more money than Cherry Hill. Correct. >> No problem. What what what what I what I do know is that the comparison of Cherry

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Hill to West Orange, West Orange has a higher medium income, higher property values than Cherry Hill, but yet West Orange received, you know how much in equalization aid? Approximately $16 million in

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equalization aid. Do you know how much Cherry Hill received? Zero. And so if you take your political calculus, a community such as ours by the numbers more affluent than the

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community that you referenced, sir, we receive $16 million in equalization aid to their zero. And so we continue to lobby for parity and fairness. uh you will have communities

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throughout the near 600 school districts in the state who would also argue that West Orange already gets its fair share and in comparison to Cherry Hill probably gets 16 more million dollars of a fair share than it should. That's the reality that we face. So these are tough

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decisions. People come to the microphone and say why did why did this person and they personalize it which is why Mr. Rockweet read the the statement about invoking people's individual names and the reality is is that from a collective

607
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bargaining standpoint uh reductions enforced due to budget aren't personal. Last in first out within those provisions within collective bargaining agreements datadriven cuts with respect to programs

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as Mr. more indicated uh like with freshman sports and other things. I support as I said last time a advisory committee with respect to the budget actually went a step further and said I don't know what the cost of this

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is. I don't mind going to referendum every year to see whether or not the community would vote to raise taxes in excess of the 2%. That for me is how transparent this is.

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We go to referendum and those who come to the poll and vote and they say raise my taxes up to this amount or raise them beyond that amount. I don't know how we frame the question. If they say raise my t, if a majority of people in this community say raise my taxes 8%, I will vote to

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raise the taxes 8%. And my colleague should do the same. And if they choose not to when it's election time for them, they should be voted out of office. That is the transparency of what should happen. Thank you, President Ro.

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Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Uh, anything from >> I'm freezing. The more you speak, the warmer you get. The problem is that we all freeze while you speak, Mr. Stevenson. >> But it's okay. Uh, Miss Ver, anything? >> No.

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>> Okay. Um, all right. Then we'll move on to our resolutions. Uh, >> go ahead. We'll >> be done soon. Uh, first, may I have a motion to approve the personnel items A1 through A7? >> So move. >> Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a

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second? >> Second. Thank you, Mr. Ifer. Uh, let's start by congratulating the following retirees. Eileen Milano, a ESL teacher at West Orange High School for her 31 years of service. Dannis Orango, a lunch at Redwood Elementary School for her four years of service. Janet Capala, an

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administrative assistant at Liberty Middle School for her 21 years of service. Bonnie Dom, a par profofessional at West Orange High School for her 26 years of service. Elaine Del Cole, a pair professional at Kelly Elementary School for her 10 years of service. Alonzo D Ramis, a PAR professional at West Orange High School

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for his 17 years of service. Angela Gonzalez, an administrative assistant at West Orange High School for her 22 years of service. Bonnie Goodman, a pair professional at Washington Elementary School for her 24 years of service. Isabelle Gar Noa, a pair professional at Kelly Elementary School for her 21 years

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of service. James Hollik, a pair professional at West Orange High School for his 22 years of service. Gregory Cororb, a network manager at Central Office for his 26 years of service. Tamara Raduk Smith, a par profofessional at Betty Matalina Early Learning Center for her 5 years of service. Angela

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Tortonis, a paraprofessional at Redwood Elementary School. Clap for Redwood uh for her 24 years of service and Karen Weinstein, a PAR professional at Betty Malina Early Learning Center for her 24 years of service. Thank you all for your service to Western students and our

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school community. Best wishes to you on behalf of the board of education and welcome to the club where every day is Saturday. Is there any other discussion on personnel? All right. Uh, Miss Lamin, would you please take the role? >> Mr. O'Brien? >> Yes. >> Mr. Eker? >> Yes. >> Mr. Stevenson?

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>> Yes. >> Miss Vera? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Rock? >> Yes. >> Next. May I have a motion to approve the curriculum and instruction items B1 through B7? >> So, >> thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Vera. Any discussion?

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Seeing none, Miss Lamin, please take the role. Dr. Bryant, >> yes. >> Mr. Ker, >> yes. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Miss Vera, >> yes. >> And Mr. Rock, >> yes. Next. May I have a motion to approve the finance item C, special services items A 1- 12 and business

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office items B 1- 51? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Ifer. Uh, any discussion? >> Seeing none, Miss Lamin, please take the role. >> Dr. Bryant. >> Yes. >> Mr. Yes. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes.

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>> Miss Vera, >> yes. >> And Mr. Row, >> yes. May I have a motion to approve reports items D1 through two? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Ker. Any discussion?

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Seeing none, Miss Lampin, please take the role. >> Dr. Bryant, >> yes. >> Mr. [clears throat] Ker, >> yes. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Miss Vera, >> yes. >> Mr. Ro, >> yes. So, I go back to the the business office

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ones. I did want to briefly recognize a couple um donations that we got. Dr. Joanne Polara donated $1,000 to Kelly Elementary School in honor of the 10th anniversary of renaming the school for astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. And the charities aid foundation America care

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CVS Health. The grant donated $115 to St. Cloud Elementary School uh general donation for one or more St. cloud programs. Uh we also had a $400 grant for from the Pikatini Arsenal for the pumpkin chuck competition. Believe that

627
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was a technology uh club that and I think they didn't throw pumpkins this year, wasn't it? Something else because they didn't have pumpkins. I forget, but they threw something really far and they got some money. Uh and we also got um yeah, but just wanted to recognize those

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things. Uh and then we did reports. So lastly, can I get a motion to approve the two walk-on resolutions number one and number two? >> So move. >> Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Vera. Any other discussion? >> Seeing none, Miss Lamin, please take the role. >> Dr.

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>> Yes. >> Mr. Ker, >> yes. >> Mr. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Miss Vera, >> yes. >> Mr. Rock, >> yes. >> Thank you all for that. Uh, next up, we have petitions and hearings of citizens for any agenda or non-aggenda items that you still wish to discuss. You will have

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three minutes to speak. Please approach the podium at this time and state your name and address for the record. Seeing none, thank you very much. Our next board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 20th, 2026. Meeting will be held in the West Arch High School Auditorium. We will not be going

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into executive session after the close of this meeting. There will be no further business discussed and no additional action will be taken. May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion. >> Thank you, Dr. Brian. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Ker. All in favor? I >> you are welcome to stay as long as you'd

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like. Mr. Stevenson, thank you all for joining us tonight. Our meeting is now adjourned. >> We wish you a good night.