Notice is hereby given of the regular meeting of the board of education of the town of Westfield in the county of Union, New Jersey at 6:30 p.m. or thereabouts on the evening of Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 in cafeteria B of Westfield High School, 550 Dorian Road, Westfield, New Jersey. The purpose of
the meeting is to transact the regular business of the board and to transact any other business to come properly before the board. This is to advise the general public and to instruct that it be recorded in the minutes that in compliance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 entitled the open public meetings act the Westfield school
board on Thursday March 26th 2026 caused to be posted at the office of the board of education located at 302 Elm Street Westfield New Jersey and delivered to the Westfield leader nj.com the Westfield library town clerk of Westfield tap into Westfield district
website and patch.com a meeting notice setting forth with the time, date, and location of the meeting. Patty, may have a roll call, please. >> Rob Bonaccia >> here. >> Kent Diamonds >> here. >> Brendan Gallagghan >> here. >> Charles Galinus. >> Leila Melli >> here. >> Sonel Patel here. Kristen Sonic
Schmeltz. Julie Steinberg >> here. >> Mary Wickens. >> Uh, can't we do this in a flex loop, please? Uh we are going to move right into announcements and recognitions. We will start uh with those recognitions because
I know everybody can't wait to get back and get to homework and other things, right? Um, tonight we are proud to recognize the Westfield High School girls basketball team for their outstanding season. These student athletes showed great commitment, resilience, and teamwork all season long. They pushed themselves to improve
while supporting each other every step of the way. Their hard work and unity are clearly reflected in their success. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the coaches and families whose guidance and encouragement continue to play an essential role in these students athletic journeys. The Westville High School girls basketball team captured
the NJSIA North Jersey Section 2 Group Four Sectional Championship. Um, and I will tell you, I was lucky enough to get to the uh, state championship game. I know it didn't work out exactly how everybody wanted, but um, if you wanted to see real teamwork, real effort, real
heart, real fight to the end, all you had to do is go watch that game. Uh, it was great, great effort, great great effort. Um, and you really made Westville proud. So, congratulations. It was it was it was excellent play. Uh, so before I ask Coach Liz McKon up to say a few words, let me first call
each member of the team up to receive a certificate of recognition from our superintendent. He's over there. As you accept the certificate, please proceed to the stage to await a photograph. Your families will be invited to take pictures as well. Uh, we'll start with Laya Hayer.
Uh Darby Hubner, Sophie Lane, Megan Logan, Elena Stewart, Maron Fowler, Violet Hughes, Payton Reed, Kate Simbour, Katie Lane,
Erin Whan, Jella Hollands, Angelina Tessator, and the team manager, Kayla Rose Reading. Uh now for uh the three coaches, we have uh coach Zach Warswick, uh
we have coach Brian Simki, and head coach Liz McKon. Coach, the floor is yours. Uh first, I would like to thank your kind words. Um that means a lot. These girls have worked their butts off uh not just this entire season, not in the
offseason, but their entire careers. So, um I it's very hard for me to not get teareyed when I know how well they represented Westfield and they just put on a great performance at Ruckers and I couldn't prouder of them. So, I'd like another round of applause for them because they're just amazing.
Um lucky for you guys, I had a banquet so I won't go through my whole 15-page speech. I'll just give you the highlights, but um for those that are not familiar with our team, um this is just an amazing group of women. And um I'm just going to go through a couple highlights. Um we finished the season 23
and 8. We reached the county finals for the 10th time as a program, nine of the last 11 county finals we have been in. Um we went back-to-back sectional champs. We were here last year. Um this is the first time in school history that we went back to back and we've won three sectional championships in the last five
years. Um, and we made a state final appearance, which is only the second time in school history. So, these women are just amazing. So, very proud of them. Um, we did have some, um, well, a lot of records broken this year. Um, our point
guard, junior Maren Fowler, she tied the single game record for assists with 11 verse Wong Hills in the state tournament. Her 145 assists this season is second in school history. and her seven three-pointers in our county game vers Catholic tied the school record for
threes in a game. So, congratulations. Uh, senior captain Sophie Lane, she scored 535 points this season, which is the single season scoring record. Um, she's also the seventh female to score a,000 points in school history, ending her career as the fourth all-time
leading scorer with 1,222 points. Uh, another senior captain, Megan Logan. Um, Megan has been on the team for four years, and she finished in the top 10 for every single category in school history. She's 10th all time in steals
with 164. She's ninth all time in scoring with 96 points. She's sixth all time in assists with 242, second all time in rebounding with 703, and she holds every single record for blocks. In a in a single game she had eight and
she did that twice. In a season she had 121 which was this year and for her career she has 263 blocks and the sole leader. Um so we want to thank you for this recognition. Um like you said in the beginning they're a great group to
watch. Um you would not be wasting your time coming down and down the hall and watching them play. They do a great job. Um, the most impressive thing is that our gym is filled with young girls that idolize these girls. They are heroes to them as they should be. They handle themselves and represent us um to the
best of their ability both on and off the court. And I couldn't be prouder to be their coach. So, thank you very much. All right, we'll move next to announcements. I think there are only three. Uh, Kent, can you start, please? >> Sure.
Westfield Public Schools summer steam camp registration is now open. We are excited to announce that this year's program will expand beyond science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to now include creative art experiences. Also new this year is a full day camp
option. To learn more, please visit visit the steam camp website posted on the district homepage. Thank you, >> Brandon. >> Yep. >> Grade 1 registration remains open for the 2026 2027 school year. Detailed
instructions requiring required documents and registration forms can be found under the student registration tab on the district website at www.westfieldnjk12.org. The next regular public meeting of the board of education will be on Tuesday, April 14th in Cafeteria B at Westfield
High School beginning at 7 p.m. The meeting will be livereamed via the district YouTube channel which viewers can access on the board tab on the district website. >> Excellent. Uh that's the announcements for today. Uh I have >> Oh, you have one? Oh, sorry, missed that one.
Westfield Public Schools proudly celebrated Readacross. Is this an old one? >> Yeah, >> it's an old one. Never mind. >> I did not. >> But it was really Look, it's really important. It was a good It was a good
one, right? It was If you're going to If you're going to use another one, that was the one. Definitely. Um, now I think we're good. Um, so we'll move to the report by district administration. Dr. Gonzalez. >> Yes. So, I I'll keep my uh remarks brief as uh we do have a second meeting this
month. Um but I did want to acknowledge that this month uh we will continue our referendum and budget presentation road show. Uh starting last month, we've been attending all of the school-based uh PTO meetings in order to provide information
to uh the school community about our school budget for the 2627 school year as well as providing updated information regarding the progress related to each school's uh referendum projects. In particular, we're providing some uh
renderings of the proposed uh elevations, external uh elevations that are going to be added to each of the schools. And by elevations, I just mean the outside uh views of the schools. Um we are also using the opportunity as we present to each school to also present
the renderings for the schools that the students uh may be attending after they leave that school. So, for instance, uh any elementary school that feeds into Edison School will see um the renderings associated with the intermediate school uh media center at Edison School as well
as the high school edition. If you're on the side of town that feeds uh Roosevelt Intermediate School, then you would also see your elementary school, Roosevelt Intermediate School Media Center, as well as the high school. and and all of that is really to demonstrate to the
community uh the value of a proposition that is associated with this referendum that really allows all of our students to maximize the benefit across their entire uh K12 experience. In addition, um starting in uh actually in two weeks,
no actually on Monday I think is our first uh coffee with the superintendent. So, at the elementary schools, we will be uh revisiting our coffee with the superintendent whereby uh myself and members of the uh cabinet level administration uh will be out during the
drop off in the morning with some coffee, waters, and and some light refreshments along with a um pull-up banner that will show uh some of the renderings associated with the uh with the projects. really trying to seek the opportunity to engage with members of
the school community about the upcoming projects. We want people to continue to be excited even though they don't see any shovels in the ground at this time. Um there there's still a lot of activity and we want to ensure that folks has ample opportunity to uh engage in those conversations. And and last but not
least, on April 14th, our next board meeting, we will plan a presentation that will include uh an overview of the progress uh that I just shared for each of the schools as well as a presentation by our construction management company who will be present also to identify
their role in the uh progress that is being made and the progress that will get us to uh September 2028 opening. Uh so a lot of work uh ahead of us, a lot of information coming and we're excited to share that in the weeks ahead. Um and
that concludes my report this evening. >> Excellent. Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez. Um we would uh next would be our high school student representative report, but Ben is very busy studying. I am sure he wasn't able to make it today. Uh he will be back I think for next meeting.
Um either that or we have to get the teachers to give him less work. Um, now move to board committee reports. Um, I do not believe that curriculum or finance have met since our last meeting. That's accurate all the way around. Okay. Uh, I do know PPG has met. So, uh,
Sonel, if you have a report, >> uh, the PPG committee met on March 19th from 4:00 to 5:30 in the Elm Street second floor conference room. Committee members in attendance included Mary Wickkins, myself, Laya Morelli, and we met with Dr. Gonzalez, and Dr. Greer.
Dr. Gre Greer began by presenting an overview of the district's application to the New Jersey Department of Education to participate in the limited CE pilot program. The committee discussed how this pilot opportunity aligns with the district's strategic plan goals by supporting efforts to expand and diversify the educator
candidate pool with the intent of strengthening recruitment pathways and ensuring the district remains competitive in attracting highquality staff. The committee then discussed the status of the district's cell phone ban policy update. While no policies were formally reviewed at this meeting, the
superintendent shared that the district is awaiting additional guidance from Strauss Esme regarding policy language and implementation considerations for next year. Dr. Gonzalez reported that the administrative team is actively reviewing the NJDOE guidance and will share information through staff and
district newsletters so that families in the broader community understand what changes may be forthcoming. In preparation for future action, the committee reviewed key decision points that will require board direction, including determining the scope and stringency of the district's approach beyond the state's baseline, whether
restrictions should extend to school buses and school sponsored events outside the regular day, and which device storage method will best fit building operations and student supervision. The discussion also addressed whether the district should differentiate expectations by grade level, how progressive consequences and
confiscation procedures should align with the code of student conduct, and what emergency retrieval protocols would be necessary if locked pouches or school managed storage are used. The committee also noted related considerations about device management tools and strengthening digital citizenship
instruction with programming that supports healthy technology use. Following up on prior discussions, the committee reviewed updated drafts of the 2028 2728 and 2829 school calendars. The committee reaffirmed that the current
working drafts assume a student start date on the day after Labor Day for each year and continue to aim for an end date in midJune whenever feasible. The committee noted that the placement of holidays and cultural observances can create challenges, including conflicts with staff professional development days and the potential for interruptions to
instructional continuity when observances fall intermittently during the week. The committee discussed the importance of reviewing calendar options with administration and the association to understand impacts on students and staff and it reiterated interest in exploring approaches that support ending
the school year as early as possible. The committee also acknowledged that as observances continue to evolve, the district may need to consider how recently added observances are reflected in calendar development and what instructional considerations would be necessary in any instances where schools may be open on cultural or religious
observances. The committee concluded by reviewing and refining the draft board goals action plan. Members confirmed that the plan now identifies three key activities for each board goal for a total of 12 activities across the coming year. The committee noted that consistent with the
discussion from the March 16th board meeting, the draft has been shared with the full board and will be discussed during unfinished business. The PPG committee will collect board feedback, make any necessary revisions, and prepare the final document for placement on the April 14th board agenda for board
consideration and a vote. Uh the next PPG meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, April 9th. Thank you. >> Excellent. Thank you. Uh we will now move to uh recognize the public on agenda action items only. Uh
this public comment will also serve as the public hearing for the uh for the budget. Uh during this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on agenda action items only, including uh public hearing on the budget. As a courtesy, please allow
current students and staff of Westfield Public Schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if applicable. For the record, the specific action items they are commenting on. Uh those are the color-coded items on the
board's agenda at numbers 9 to 12. and asked that all remarks be directed to the board president or designate, not to individual members or staff. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and
cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should
be referred to the responsible building principal, superintendent of schools, or the board of education either by telephone, letter, or email. Although the board may not respond to items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the
meeting, the board president may terminate the participant statement. Continued disruptions may result in removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker statement will be limited to three minutes in duration. Seeing no public comment, uh I will uh
close both the public comment and the hearing on the budget. Uh we will move to board action. Uh I will make a motion to approve uh the March 16th, 2026 regular board meeting minutes and the executive session minutes. So I have a second, please. Sonel, we do this voice
vote, I assume. All in favor? Any opposed? Any abstensions? That passes. Uh I will also move the uh item nine, the governance item uh on our agenda. I'll move item A uh for board approval. Do I have a second?
>> Second will be Kent. >> Patt Rob Bacia. >> Yes. >> Kent Diamonds. >> Yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan. >> Yes. >> Charles Galinus. Laya Mr. Sonol Patel. >> Yes.
>> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. >> Julie Steinberg. >> Epstein. >> And Mary Wickens. >> Okay. Uh we'll now move to the personnel items on the agenda. Sonel. >> I'd like to move items A through Q under
the personnel section of tonight's agenda. Can I have a second? Second. >> Thank you, Kent. Dr. Gonzalez, is there anything you need to at this point? No. >> We have one retirement. I apologize. Um,
this evening we do have one retirement and that is uh included in tonight's agenda, announcing the retirement of Dr. Andy Perry. Dr. Andy Perry has served as the principal in the Westfield Public School since January of 1992, dedicating
more than three decades of leadership to our students, staff, and families. For many years, he has led the Washington Elementary School community with a steady student- centered approach, and um he joined Washington as the principal in 2006.
Under Dr. Perry's leadership, Washington Elementary School was named a national blue ribbon school in 2019, an honor that reflects strong teaching and learning, a positive school culture, and a community that consistently shows up for children. Dr. Perry himself has
emphasized that this kind of success is never the work of one person, noting that it takes a village and recognizing the combined efforts of educators, family, and the district in supporting and helping students thrive. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Perry has been known for
building a true sense of community and for creating school spaces where students feel known and celebrated. He has consistently highlighted the importance of family engagement and the meaningful traditions that connect school and home, including events such as Washington's women's tea, which
brings special guests into the school to celebrate learning and relationships. Dr. Perry's lasting contribution is not only in the recognitions he's earned, but in the everyday culture he helped shaped. High expectations paired with care, pride in school, and a deep belief
in what young learners can do when surrounded by adults who work together on their behalf. We thank Dr. Perry for his extraordinary service to the Westfield public schools and wish him great health, happiness, and fulfillment in his retirement.
Ready? Ready for a vote. >> Well said. Yeah, we're ready for vote. >> Rob Bonacio, >> yes. >> Kent Diamonds, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus. Laya Morelli, >> yes. Sonol Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz,
>> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens. >> All right, we'll next move to finance and facilities. Kent, >> yes. I'm going to do it in two parts tonight. Uh first I'd like uh to move item A which is the 2026 2027 budget. Um
before I ask for a second let me give you some highlights. Total expenditures in the general fund are 142.5 million. Taxes to be raised are 128.4 million. Debt service uh is 2.2 million but taxes to be raised and that's 1.4 million. So
the total budget is 146.7 million but taxes to be raised are 129.9 million. Um, included in this budget is 1.265 million for a bunch of projects which will uh you know Mckenley Biler, the Edison
auditorium, uh field improvements at Edison, Roosevelt uh floor replacements, um Westwood High School courtyard upgrades, gym and cafeteria upgrades, and districtwide security enhancements among others. Uh also in this budget is
a surplus of one and a half million uh which is great. And then also want to highlight that this budget includes an increase in medical and health insurance of $5.2 million, which is about 20% increase year-over-year. Um, and that is it for that. Do I have a
second on the budget? >> Second. >> Thank you, Brendan. >> All right. Rob Bonacio, >> yes. >> Kent Diamond, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus. >> Laya Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, Julie
Steinberg, >> yes, >> Mary Wickens. >> Okay. And then secondly, I'd like to uh move items B2K under the finance facilities, but I also would like to call out some donations here. First, we
have the Westfield boosters donating $2,395 to purchase banners for the Westfield High School softball field dugout. So, special thank you to them. And second, we have an anonymous donation of $175,000. Yes, you heard me right, for new
playground equipment for Wilson. So tonight's donations are 177,395 and our year-to- date school total is a whopping $483,19144. >> Ken, may I say something about the anonymous donation? I was asked to by the Wilson PTO.
>> Sure. All right. >> Um, the Wilson PTO reached out to me as the liaison and asked me if I could make a quick comment on it. >> Okay. >> Is that okay? >> Um, so I'm just going to read what they they sent me. Um, we're currently in the process of securing a significant philanthropic gift to support Wilson
Elementary. Details are still being finalized and the donor has requested to remain anonymous at this time. We are grateful to the Wilson Project playground committee for their continuous effort in building support for this project. And I just want to say how proud I am and how impressed I am with the Wilson PTO and the Wilson
community for securing this donation. >> Excellent. Uh that's it. That's all I have. And All right. >> May I have a second? >> Second. And then I'd like to make a couple comments. >> Yes. And Brendon. >> Yep. >> Go ahead. >> Uh I'd like to call out uh items C, D,
E, and Yeah. to CD and E. and they are the first contracts being awarded for our bond resol our bond projects. Um we among those projects we have a contract for just under 600,000 for phase one of
Wilson Elementary School. It's uh some grading and site preparation work. I believe it involves uh moving some playground equipment. >> What? >> Washington. Sorry. Did I say Wilson? I meant Washington.
Um then we have another contract for 1.75 million uh for bathroom renovations at Tomakus Wilson and Westville High School. And the third contract being awarded tonight is uh just under 2.7 million for uh the media
center renovation projects at the two two intermediate schools. Um the first of many many contracts over the next couple years, but uh I guess Later this spring, there'll be some shovels in the ground, quite literally. So, it's exciting.
>> Long time in long time in the making, and it's finally coming to fruition. >> All right. Ready? >> We're ready. >> Rob Bacio, >> yes. >> Kent Diamonds, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus. >> Leila Morelli, >> yes.
>> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. Julie Steinberg, >> Ebstein. Mary Wicens. >> All right. Next, we'll move to curriculum, instruction, and programs. Laya. >> Uh, tonight I'd like to move items um
under the uh A section of um curriculum, instruction, and programs, which are the field trips. I have a second. >> Thank you, Kent. All right. Rob Bonaccia, >> yes. >> Kent Diamonds,
>> yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus. Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens.
>> All right, those motions carry. Uh we'll now move to unfinished business which is the discussion of the board goals action plan draft. Um Sonel just I'll have you introduce it and then we'll we'll go around and comment. >> Uh sure. Just to recap uh in August
after the NJSBA training uh board members were asked to submit suggestions for board goals. Then we worked through them in the fall and in October the committee report recommended review and after reviewing the with the NJSBA field representative we um came up with four
bold board goals that were board goal one was around reviewing and strengthening board governance protocols. Goal two would increase board and committee use of data. Goal three is build board capacity around HI oversight responsibilities. And goal four was engage in ongoing board development and
activities towards certification. Those goals were voted on and approved by the board in our December meeting. Uh last uh when we met when the PPG committee met in when we last met, I don't know when that
was uh we went through action plans coming up with the idea to um come up with three action items per board goal coming up with a total of 12 which is uh what I had read in our committee report. We proposed that or really uh sent that to the full board last Wednesday, April
1st. We're looking for feedback from board members. So, we've gotten some feedback already from uh Julie and anybody else that has feedback. Please send it to um myself and Mary. We will be meeting this Thursday to uh review and discuss all the suggestions that are
sent in, the feedback that's sent in so that we can prepare a final presentation for the action items for next tu by next Tuesday, which we will after Thursday's meeting, we will then have out to the full board by the weekend so that everybody can review it prior to next
Tuesday's meeting. >> All right. So, I'll open the floor if anybody has additional comments to add. This isn't the only time, by the way. If stuff if if things come up, you know, as you review the goals and, you know, over the course of the next week, like, please feel free to to step in. I just wanted to make sure we had the public
time. Julie, go ahead. >> So, I uh wrote down my remarks in advance, but um if if this isn't all if there's any questions, let me know. But I just tried to write it all down so it would be cohesive. Um, first I wanted to
say thank you to the PPG and um to everybody who took time to create the action plan and for all the hard work that went into getting it prepared. Um, I do want to take a moment to frame my feedback at a high level and also clarify how it connects to my prior
actions and votes here. Um, over the past year, we've had real governance concerns raised around roles, communication, and how we function as a board. This came up in public discussion, in our training with the NJSBA, and in our self- assessment,
which pointed to to gaps in accountability and shared understandings. So, my expectation was this action plan would directly address those issues, not just through structure, but also how the board actually carries out governance. But what I see is a plan that while well
organized largely assigns ownership to the board president, PPG and the superintendent with limited reflection on governance as a shared responsibility of the full board and from a governance standpoint that's a concern. The NJSBA guidance is clear
that the board governs itself collectively and if that isn't reflected in how work is structured, responsibility can concentrate and accountability can diffuse. I also want to connect this to my voting pattern on the monthly HIPP reports. My concern has never been about whether or
not the reports are provided. They are. It's about whether or not the board is receiving information in a way that allows us to actually fulfill our oversight role. Right now, the reporting is largely static. It doesn't allow us to easily see patterns, trends, or whether interventions are working over
times. At times, I haven't been able to fully reconcile the information presented with what I'm seeing in other settings, which makes it difficult for me to rely on it for oversight. And from a risk and controls perspective, which is really the lens I'm always looking through, that makes it difficult to rely
on the information for meaningful oversight. And without that clarity, it's also difficult to ensure that things are aligned with expectations and priorities. I would also note that this dynamic is not limited to HIP reporting. We see similar patterns in other areas
and in those cases we're being asked to take formal action but the information provided is largely limited to summary summary resolutions without consistent visibility into the underlying data or process and we don't always have a place in which we can have conversations about
that. We're limited through the very nature and structures that we have to work within. And that's not anybody's fault. That's the nature of what we have to work with. Um, and we need to come up with a creative means to address that. While I understand that certain actions
may be constrained by statute, the board still has a responsibility to be sufficiently informed in order to exercise oversight. And when information is provided in a way that limits that visibility, it becomes difficult to confidently meet that responsibility for
me. When I look at HIB on the action plan, I see a strong focus on compliance, training, reporting, cadence, and policy review. And those are important, especially as district goals. What I don't see is the board side of that. The
controls and structures we actually need to carry out in our oversight role. Reporting is our primary oversight tool. And I don't see it as a defined role for the board in shaping how that reporting is structured, what information is included, or how it's used.
I also don't see a focus on improving usability of the reporting itself. Whether it allows us to identify patterns, evaluate whether or not whether or not changes in policy, process, finance, whatever interventions we are recommending as a board are
actually working over time. And without that, we're receiving not information but not necessarily a form that supports effective oversight. I do think there's an opportunity here. Um and obviously this isn't just for HIB. It's in other areas too. I do think
there's an opportunity here. My understanding is that more robust porting systems uh capabilities exist within our current systems. Um and when we've had the ability to engage more directly, including with vendors, it's helped us better understand what's actually happening. Creating space for
that kind of engagement would help strengthen our ability to oversee this area. I do think there's an opportunity to reconsider whether or not our current structures are giving us enough space as a board to fully engage meaningfully in governance. So for me, this is all connected. The
same concern that has informed my hip votes is what I don't yet see resolved in this plan. If the plan is more clearly anchored in governance responsibility for the full board and strengthened to how we receive and use information for oversight particularly in but not exclusive to the hip area I
would feel much more comfortable in supporting it. I think we're close. I think a lot of hard work and good effort has gone into this. I just don't think we've underressed this underlying issue. I do think it reflects progress and again I appreciate the work that's gone into it. Thank you.
Thank you. Uh Brendan. >> Yeah. >> Uh first you guys have put together a very comprehensive set of uh suggested action plans uh for the board goals. Uh
want to give a couple suggestions and they two of them actually sort of contradict with each other but the the reasoning is is worth hearing. Um, this board has gone through a lot of change over the last couple years. Um,
we went from a seasoned board to a very novice board and now we have a mature board again. And we don't we have to balance leveraging people's experience with channeling uh information to the top.
You don't want to create an experience gap uh if if a few key board members decide to not run for reelection or lose their term. Um where we're left with a a vacuum of leadership and experience.
And the best way I can see to do that is undo a change we did a couple years ago. Uh at one point this board had nine operating committees. That was too many. But we've consolidated down to three. And that makes it so that information is
lumped together in similar categories. And like finance and facilities makes perfect sense. You can't do anything facilities related without it affecting finance. Those were two separate committees that were combined for the right reasons. Um we had four different committees that
have since are now have become PPG. What that does is it makes it so there's one instead of having seven or eight board members gain experience running a committee even a small sort of inconsequential committee you now have a few board members with experience that
are chairing the committees and junior board members are aren't getting the same kind of opportunities. Again goes back to the power vacuum if leadership changes. Uh so I would I would suggest the board
analyze the committee structure um and create one committee for sure a super committee of coordinating among the committees. Uh we had called that long-range planning in the past when I was board president I took the committee
chairs and made them the committee so that it became a super committee for coordination purposes. While we have three standing committees, you have three chairs plus the board president. There's your uh subquorum threshold and can allow committees to
meet or committee chairs to meet on a regular basis to share information and uh strategize going forward. Uh and just so that's all under goal one. and they do contradict because we don't want to have
we don't want to waste everybody's time but we don't want power to be left or a vacuum to be left if somebody leaves and then when it comes to in uh is it committ goal two or uh yeah goal two uh don't use data for data sake make it
meaningful um there should be a strategy behind what data is requested from committees of the administration everything we ask for takes manpower uh the last thing we want to do is create burdens because it sounds like it might be good to know about X, Y, and Z
and then not have a plan to implement based on the results of that data. Um, so value our administrators time, value board members time, don't create reports for no reason just to say we we're looking at all the data
and uh yeah, I mean we we have a functioning board. There's no there's no question about it. So little things can be tightened up and I look forward to seeing what happens. >> Excellent. Excuse me. Thank you. Um
other comments? Okay. Um so again um thank you for the comments. Thank you for the thoughtfulness. Again um if anything comes up, we have a moment where we say, "Gosh, I wish I would have said." Um, we can still we can still do that, whether that's commentary or even specific suggestions to include, you know, as far
as the indicators. Uh, I want to thank the committee as well for all this work. I want to thank the board for continuing to push this work along. Um, we do a lot here. There's been a lot of budget stuff going on. There have been a lot of plenty of other things going on. Um, but we all have to make sure that we can
walk, chew gum, and do many other things quite frankly at the same time. Uh, and this board's become very adept at that. And I want to thank also the district administration for helping us along in in in doing that as well. Um so with that that's uh I'll close unfinished business. There is no new business
submitted for this meeting and I'll move now to liaison reports if there are any seeing none uh I will move to our excuse me to our second public comment session. Uh during this portion of the meeting members of the public are invited to address the board of education on any
topic. As a courtesy, please allow current students and staff of Westfield Public Schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if applicable for the record, and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or their design, not to
individual board members or staff. The board asks that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New
Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should be referred to the responsible building principal, superintendent of schools, or the board
of education either by telephone letter or email. Although the board may not respond to items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the board president may terminate the participant statement. Continued disruptions may result in a
removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker statement will be limited to three minutes in duration. Seeing no one approach, uh I will close the second public comment session. Uh and with that, I will make a motion to adjurnn. Do I have a second?
Kent. Uh, we do a voice vote. All in favor? >> Any opposed? Any abstensions? We are