Notice is hereby given of the regular meeting of the board of education. Let me try this way. Of the town of Westfield in the county of Union, New Jersey at 700 p.m. on the evening of Tuesday, April 14th, 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 April 9th 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 the time date and location of the meeting. Patty, can we have a roll call, please? >> Rob Bonaccio >> here. >> Ken Simons >> here. >> Brendan Gallagghan >> here. >> Charles Galinus >> here. >> Leila Morelli >> here. Sonel Patel here. Kristen Sonic
>> here. >> Julie Steinberg >> here. >> Mary Wickens >> here. >> Uh Brendan, would you lead us in the flag salute, please? Sure. So before we start, uh this is going to be the last board meeting for two of our board members. Um and we have uh some
resolutions for them that I will read into the record. Um we'll start with uh Brendan Gallagan. Uh whereas Brendan has served for 13 years on the Westfield Board of Education with dedication to the children, families, and community members of Westfield. And whereas as
president of the board of education from 2022 to 2023 and vice president from 2021 to 2022, Brendan Gallagghan demonstrated steady, experienced leadership. And whereas Brendan Gallagghan has served on every board committee during his tenure, including
as chairperson of the legislation committee, where he monitored and communicated key developments in state and federal education policy, as chairperson of the facilities committee, where he helped shape the district's long-range facilities planning efforts, and as chairperson of the policies committee, where he applied his
extensive and institutional knowledge of board policy to oversee important updates and revisions. And whereas Brendan Gallagghan brought to the board his collaborative approach, the collaborative approach of a lifelong Westville resident and graduate of Westfield Public Schools, class of 20 uh
2007. And whereas as a liazison to the New Jersey school boards association, Union County School Boards Association, Westfield Green Team, McKinley Parent Teacher Organization, and other community organizations. Brendan Gallagghan represented the board of education advocating for all students
and families in Westfield. And whereas Brendan Gallagghan has been recognized by the New Jersey School Boards Association as a certified board member, a master board member, and a certified board leader. Now, therefore, be it resolved that this board of education recognizes Brendan Gallagghan for his outstanding volunteerism and service on
the Westfield Board of Education from 2013 through 2026. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Brendan Gallagan on April 14th, 2026. And be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution attesting to the appreciation of the board of education becomes part of the official
minutes of this meeting. Congratulations, Brennan. Thank you. Next, um, a resolution to recognize board member Charles Galinus. I'm going to go with CJ because, um, whereas CJ has served for three years on the Westfield Board of
Education with dedication to the children, families, and community members of Westfield. And whereas CJ represented the board of education advocating for all students and families in Westfield. And whereas during his tenure, CJ was a member of the curriculum, instruction, and programs committee, policy, personnel,
governance, and legislation committee, and finance and facilities committee. And whereas CJ also served as liazison to the Union County School Boards Association, Franklin Parent Teacher Organization, and as chairman of the Governor's New Jersey Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on
Adolescence. Now therefore, be it resolved that this board of education recognizes Charles Galinus, I'll be more formal there, for his volunteerism and service on the Westville Board of Education from 2023 to 2026. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Charles Galinus on April
14th, 2026. And be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution attesting to the appreciation of the board of education becomes part of the official minutes of the meeting. Congrats and thank you. So, I don't want to move on without offering you guys the chance. If you
want to um speak, I guess I'm I'm looking at you. So, if you have something, >> you know, I I just wanted to thank everyone for a wonderful three years. Uh, I think we all, you know, had a very interesting three years with the referendum and with, uh, getting kindergarten started. That was my one of
my soul, my big goals when I started. So, it's lovely to see to end on a on a good note and to see that you're all on the upswing. Uh, my children are still in school, so I'm in the Westfield public school, so I'm excited to see them participate uh and continue on. Um,
and and that's it. you know, I I uh have every faith in in in all of you, and I know that the new members coming in will get a good education uh from all of you. Uh you are as welcoming to me as I'm sure you'll be to the other new folks. Uh and that's that's that's roughly it.
I just I just hope you know in the future uh you know, if I can give a farewell validtory statement, I would say I hope you all continue your excellent tradition of working on things like uh AI and social media and digital citizenship. I know you have done that
and just continue because it's changing so radically. Uh and I hope you, you know, maybe encourage the kids to do volunteerism, things like that to help stave off the effects of social media and whatnot. But um yeah, with that, I uh I yield the floor back.
>> Thank you, President. >> I'll address the board at the end of the meeting. >> Okay. >> All right. He wants to see how it goes. All right. Fair enough. Fair enough. >> He's taking notes, right? >> Yeah, that's right. That's right. I gotta be careful how I run this one because he's
>> satellites are connecting in outer space, connecting data s data centers that you may or may not have been involved in building. Rob, >> fair enough. No, not I'm staying away from those, that's for sure. Um, all right. So, with that, I guess we will move to the report by district administration. Dr. Gonzalez. >> Uh, yes. Just announcements.
>> That's true. I did forget about announcements. Thank you. See, I'm already moving on. That's Brendon's putting that in his notes right now. Forgets announcements. I mean, good. >> Um, so I Mary, you have one or >> I do. >> All right, start there. >> The parent teacher council hosted board
candidates night on April 8th at Westfield High School. The recording can be found on the district website as well as the district YouTube channel. The board election will take place on April 21st and your mail-in ballots should have arrived.
>> Okay. >> Thank you. Two Westfield High School students, Juliet Learner and their own Benjamin Zho have been selected to attend America's Youth AI Festival in Massachusetts this July. Representing Westfield High School as New Jersey Student AI senators. They will be joined
by Dr. Gonzalez, who was also selected to participate in the 2026 leadership and innovation fellowship. Juliet and Ben will collaborate with students from across the country to explore artificial intelligence, its impact on education and society, and the importance of responsible and ethical technology use.
Student delegates will help debate and shape a new national student center AI policy for K through2 public schools, while Dr. Gonzalez will engage with education leaders from across the nation on the future of AI in teaching, learning, and school leadership. Congratulations.
>> Make sure he buys you lunch, right, Ben? >> Uh, uh, Brendan. >> Yes. >> The Westfield Public School District is hosting coffee with the superintendent through April and May to share information about the referendum projects. Upcoming April dates are as follows. April 23rd at Jefferson
Elementary from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and April 30th at Franklin Elementary from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. >> Uh Julie, do you have one? >> Westfield Public Schools will have an early dismissal this Friday, April 17th,
for staff and services. >> And I think Kristen, you have the last one. The next regular public meeting of the board of education will be on Tuesday, May 5th 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. Thank you. >> Excellent. Now I think we had to drum roll it a little bit so we went with that. So now report by district administration. >> Sure. Uh this evening the superintendent
to report is going to um take us through an experience where we will finally be able to hear an update on uh the referendum work that has been taking place over the last really 12 months. Uh this fall we had the opportunity to hear
from FKA architects as they uh work to prepare these plans and uh prepare them for submission to the DOE, prepare them for the work with our um engineering and construction management professionals in order to get us to the point where we
will eventually see um these plans come into actual life in our classrooms and our buildings throughout the school. So this evening I'm going to um defer my uh report to FKA legacy uh FKA architects and legacy construction management um to
provide an update on the referendum and an overview of our construction management process. So at this time I'd like to invite uh both teams up and they will uh walk us through the presentation. Is it good now? Okay, there we go. All right. Well, good evening and uh thank
you uh for having us tonight. I'd like to thank Dr. Gonzalez and uh Patty Ramos for inviting us here to uh to speak before you and give you an update on the referendum projects. It is a project that we're certainly um excited about as
your construction management firm and uh honored to be part of uh since it is the second largest referendum that has ever been passed in the state. So I'm not sure if you were aware that I did. I did. So, um, my name is Brian Meade and
I'm one of the principles of Legacy Construction Management. And we have here, um, first we have, uh, Connor O'Brien. He's principal and project executive. We have, uh, Mike Berry. He's principal of FKA architects. We have Lou Shidler, who's one of the project
architects. Christy Dhy, project architect, and William Tate. So, we're each going to walk you through uh, part of this presentation or the whole presentation. I should say to give you an update on on the projects and where we stand. So just to give you an outline
of what the presentation is going to entail. So I just introduced the project team and we'll explain to you what each of our roles and responsibilities are in this process. We'll give you an update on the status of the projects, what the timelines are for construction, uh a
review of the designs, and what the next steps are. So uh we actually had our first job meeting today with the first group of contractors to which contracts were awarded. So we are off and running with your projects.
To give you an idea uh quickly as far as uh FKA architects and legacy what our roles and responsibilities are. So FKA they are the the designers of these projects. So, they've been working for several years with uh with the administration and with the board
working on the programming and getting the the referendum passed. And since then, they've been uh diligently working with the administration um the educators work making sure that the program's properly implemented in the design through the various stages of
design, the schematics, the design development, construction documents. Uh we're currently through bidding and into bidding on some of the projects and ultimately uh construction. So they will be working uh we'll be working side by side with FKA throughout
the the whole process in pre-construction and during construction. As far as legacy's role, we are your representative on the project. Okay? So we are your dedicated advocate looking out for the best interest of the board of education
starting with pre-construction. uh working with the team to make sure that the plans and specifications are as complete as possible to provide the best protections for the board of education uh throughout the whole construction project. Um, we will have uh project
managers on site throughout construction, overseeing the work by the contractors and making sure that everything's done in compliance with the plans and specifications and working to facilitate any challenges uh that present themselves throughout the course
of construction to keep the projects on schedule and on budget. So, with that, I'm going to turn the mic over to uh to Connor, and he'll walk through some more roles and responsibility specifics.
I'll put it here. Is this loud enough for everybody? Okay. Uh, good evening. As Brian introduced me before, I'm Connor O'Brien, project executive with Legacy and one of the principal members as well with Legacy. Um, I will have a continuous presence
throughout the projects um and be a main point of contact for the administration um throughout the process. As Brian mentioned, we'll have project managers spread throughout the district uh through the projects, but I'll be the main point of contact for any higher up stuff, but also overseeing RPMs and
working with FK to make sure that everyone's held accountable and that we're moving towards the the goal of the projects, which is on time and on budget and uh working through any of the problems. Um we laid out some of the roles and responsibilities for everybody involved with the with the referendum and that includes the board as well as
the administration. Um as the board and the administration your role is obviously approving the contracts that we work through working with uh setting the priorities for the specific schools with the administration as well as the stakeholders that are involved with those schools. Uh coordinating with FKA
making sure that we're meeting those those requirements through the design aspects. Um, also from the roles as the board and administration, you guys would get updates from legacy throughout the process very similar to this, but also on on other platforms to make sure that
not only is the board and administration, but also the public is aware of what's happening. So, we'll work alongside the administration to make sure that all that is happening in accordance to make sure that everyone's happy with the progress. Um, as Brian mentioned, the different phases through the construction a little bit. Um
pre-construction is is where we're mostly been up to today where we finally started our kickoff meeting. Um but through that um we have a role in making sure that we have cost estimates for certain projects um that we need to make sure that we're hitting the target for
the budget through the design with uh FKA. Um we'll also do the constructability review for the projects. So we'll make sure that um from a construction standpoint that the the design makes sense that it actually is going to be able to be achieved. Um, and we'll review that and coordinate
with FKA as well as Johnson Urban who's the engineering uh consultant on the projects. Um, we have on-site presence as Brian said. Um, and they were there to obviously do the QAQC uh portion of the construction. So, they're going to make sure as the drawings and the specs
are followed. um make sure that the coordination for on-site with the students and staff that they're following through with that that their site is set up according to what we approve where their fence is where they're entering. Um I will go into more detail that in a little bit more in the the presentation uh into the safety side
with the students and staff. Um we also review the the budget overall budget master budget but also the project budgets through the process of the job. Change orders are uh part of construction. We review them alongside with the architect and engineers making sure that they're valid, they're
actually properly broken out, and that we feel that they're fair. And at that point, we give the recommendation to the board and to the administration for approval. Um, we review the schedules, the individual schedules, the master schedules of the whole referendum, making sure that we're on target hitting
that. If there are delays, is there ways that we can improve? Um, working through the contract requirements that we do have. We'll get into a little bit more detail that um regarding the bidding and what options we have through the construction because I know there's always questions as we uh possibly hit
some delays and what our options are. Um student staff protection again we'll get into a little bit more detail that but the overall making sure there's separation from the construction workers and the students and staff as well as the public who are not students or staff just might be using the the area walking
through the sidewalks and using the uh fields. Um, we make sure that all the work aligns with your academic calendar. So, you'll have testing that are at certain times of the year. We make sure the contractors don't work during that time period to disrupt it. Um, we make sure that um if there's assemblies,
graduation, all that is part of Legacy's role to make sure it's properly coordinated. Um, you know, if there's a a snow day or something like that that gets used and now we got to work a day that was uh off in your calendar that now is being used as a regular day. We have to coordinate the contractor. they can't work that day that school is
supposed to be shut. So, um there's a lot of coordination. We have bi-weekly construction meetings throughout the whole referendum. We also have bi-weekly administration meetings to make sure that any little things that we're hearing from the administration or the staff, students, anybody, the public,
that we're addressing it. We don't want to have a continuous repeated problem, we want to fix it and correct it along the way. Um and then also through our role is through the close out. So when a project is done, making sure that the school, the staff, uh the facilities,
they get all the documents that they need to make sure for warranties through the process. FKA plays a big role in that as well. Making sure that the training is done. There's a lot of little components through the whole process from start to finish. Um again, it's a little bit of our role, a lot of
it, but um we can go on to the Oh, I can hit it right next slide. Sorry, wrong way. Okay. Um, we mentioned a little bit about FKA and their roles. Um, and the engineering consultant, Johnson Urban. Um, as Brian mentioned, FKA is the
architect of record. They're leading the design. They're leading the schematic design, the development, the construction documents, um, the bidding. Uh, Mike and his team will get through that as well, some of the bidding and the construction administration. So that's a lot of submitts, RFIs, um
approving the change orders officially through AI AIA documentation. Um we have structural engineers involved, mechanical engineers, electrical, plumbing engineers. They work uh in coordination with FKA making sure that the drawings and the designs are
properly put together. We check the constructibility. We also have weekly meetings uh the three uh firms uh remotely so that we can go through any little things to make sure we're all aligned. Um we also have environmental uh components of the project. These are
old schools. There's a chance we come come across something. We test everything that we can before we go out to bid to make sure we know what's there, what we have to deal with. And also if there's a requirement if we un un unforeseen item comes up that we make sure it gets tested and we're not
exposing not only the workers but also the students and staff. Um and then Mike uh works through and his team FKA works through the DOE submissions and the approvals OSC to make sure that all all the documentation and all the bids align with the bidding requirements to ensure
we do not have any issues or challenges through the process or any legal issues that the district would have to deal with. Um, I think and at this point I will turn right over to FKA. Thanks Connor. Good evening everybody.
So um our part of the presentation will take you through a status update of what's been done to to date uh a brief view of the timeline and the project process and then also a review of some design uh guiding principles and then
the designs themselves. So for the progress of what's been done to date uh we have bid several uh projects for this summer. uh you can see the list here uh on the screen. Uh the idea with some of these was to prepare uh initial work for
the coming construction of the renovations and additions such as Washington. Uh we we bid a site work package to install the drainage there and prepare the playground area so that can be relocated before the construction of the addition happens there. Um the same with
Franklin, we have the drive loop going in, the front entry modifications and the relocation of the mechanical unit that's currently sitting in the courtyard of that school. And then at Edison and Roosevelt, we have the media centers uh renovations. And then Tomquist Wilson and the high school, we
have some restrooms being renovated over this summer. So those those have all been bid. The Franklin projects are out to bid right now, or at least one of them is. Um so that will be awarded soon. So the LA the final project was
the electric service projects for all nine schools. And if you recall we put this out early because of the industry lead times on the electrical equipment so that we can get a head start on this and we can have the electric that we need for the addition and the air conditioning installed in time for the
construction. So, what we've what we've been up to since we we were here in the fall is we've been advancing designs on all the projects with all of the consultants, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, civil engineering, structural engineering, environmental. Uh we've
begun the agency review process. Uh we've had a couple of projects go over to soil erosion approval for Washington and Franklin. We've submitted uh to the Department of Education, Edison and Roosevelt for final educational adequacy and received that approval.
McKinley is is being sent down now with the rest to follow. We've initiated reviews with the town of Westfield building department. We've already submitted uh drawings in advance of the construction so that we can get a head start on the permit review process. And
then we've we've prepared template uh technical specifications and milestone schedules for all of the projects. So you may recall this slide from the last time we were here. This the uh graphic of the overall schedule. Um not
much has really changed on this schedule since we showed it to you last time. The only difference is that McKinley uh the McKinley project because of the complexity of McKinley and the way that the addition interfaces with the existing building uh we fasttrack that
project to be out to bid uh this summer instead of uh the beginning of the fall where the rest one rest of the ones will be. And if you recall the guiding the guiding piece of the schedule is the full day kindergarten component for the six schools. So the other projects are
kind of built around that schedule and occur in between when the full day kindergarten projects are going on. So this is this is what we call the project life cycle. So these are the phases of the project. The first four uh rectangles represent
the design phase. So it starts with a program phase works through schematic design, design development and construction documents. So those are increasing levels of details of the documents as they move forward. Um the construction document phase is where the
full day kindergarten projects are right now. You can see McKinley is is advanced from the rest of them. We're about 60% complete with that phase in McKinley and about 30% on the other ones. Uh following that we have the intermediate school renovations and the high school
addition and renovations. And then you can see the last block is construction and and as Brian and Connor had mentioned, those projects are shown there to begin over this summer. So some guiding principles for the
designs that we're about to present to you are listed here. Foremost, universal design. Everything we do in renovations and new construction is considering inclusive and accessibility in in all the new
construction and renovations. Secure and safe uh buildings is is a a guiding principle. Flexible design strategy is incorporated in everything that we're doing re including reconfigurability of
classrooms so that they can be used for alternate things in the future if needs change long term down the road. We're looking at designs that foster collaboration and hands-on learning. And we're designing the infrastructure to be technology ready
for the future. In addition, we're looking at both inside and outside the building clear circulation patterns and wayfinding to make it easy to navigate sites and buildings and also make the path pathways accessible
for materials and we're looking at high uh lowmaintenance durable materials that are going to last a long time to protect the district's investment in this construction. We're also looking at building systems that are energy efficient
and sustainable. And finally, we're respecting the architecture of the existing building. We have several historic buildings here, but in every case that we're adding on to, we're queuing on the existing architecture. And you'll see this in
some of the designs as in the designs that we present to you, how the new is going to relate to the old in a complimentary way. So, we're going to review the design at this time for each of the each of the
schools. And I'm going to call up Lou right now. So, each of our project architects will review the projects that that they're um currently working on. Okay. So, this is obviously Franklin. This is an aerial image of what the existing school
looks like on the site. Um, as you can see, it's it's a little tight. So, it presented some challenges in regards to how do we fit an addition in to accommodate the growing needs of the school, but also how do we do so while
preserving the historic look of the uh early mid1 1920s original school building. This is an aerial same aerial shot, but now showing where the addition is placed. Um, it's placed within that
center courtyard. um centralized on the existing circulation of what you currently have between the 1920 29 original building and the uh 1955 edition on the on the uh far end.
Um and along with this it also gives an opport presented an opportunity to further enhance the site surrounding the uh school which one is the an enhancement to the main entry as well as
the uh drive loop along Newton Place. So this image shows uh a view from the Newton Place side of the school. Um,
this drive loop is uh an expanded uh loop from what you currently have and it's also offset from the building uh which just redefineses the arrival into the school and alleviates some of the uh or will alleviate some of the traffic um
from the street. And it also allows to present a spatial buffer from vehicular access and entry into the building. Moving around the building to the left uh towards Prospect. This is a view from
that corner. So now we get begin to see uh that new uh drive loop as well as your um proposed new uh renovation to the main entry um which I will talk about on the next slide.
So this main entry um matches and complements the existing scale proportions and detailing which was drawn from the existing uh language of the uh 1929 school. Um and it just uh
reinforces the building's civic civic presence and just further reestablishes that this is the main entry while providing full accessibility. um to address the contemporary standards
of accessibility guidelines and laws. Um now moving around to the opposite corner, we now begin to see uh a view of the addition that is set back in the courtyard.
um which now starts to present a thoughtful layering of architectural styles uh new and uh while also um not taking away from the historic colonial revival style of the uh 1929
school building. Uh and now this is a full shot of what that addition will look like. Um, it has an emphasis of glaz uh glazing elements that are vertically proportioned uh to echo the
height and rhythm of the original um school while also giving some um modern feel to it. And just adding a little more natural sunlight into your the new classrooms that um the students will be able to uh enjoy and enhance the
learning environment. Now on to Washington. This was another um somewhat difficult task to figure out how to add an addition um because the addition is going where the existing uh playground
is. And we know that was a big um important piece to the community in terms of community uh gathering uh before and after school. So the addition extends off the end of the
1955 wing. Um and you'll see on the further slides that this also continues the uh existing lines of the original school in terms of materiality um window heights and and uh and the
such. But we also are able to provide some more contemporary elements and design pieces to to this. Um so this is a view of the courtyard and um this is a separate addition from the
main obviously. Uh this this little addition is for a music room um which fosters some programmatic efficiencies because it is AC will be situated across from the multi-purpose room. Um and it also provides some open air separation
from your core academic wing and classrooms uh to ensure that the music instruction which is inherently dynamic and expressive does not disrupt classrooms that need a little more um quiet space for learning and instruction.
Now coming around to uh to the front corner of the addition, you can see the end continues on with the uh with a matching brick and style of windows. Um so this fits in with the existing look of the school. Um but also
able to somewhat quietly add a little uh contemporary touch to to the addition. Um, and then on the opposite corner as we're coming around, you just see that continuation of uh of elements and you
start to see that there are some site elements that we were able to incorporate within the design to soften the look and the scale of the building. Um, provide some ADA accessibility to all entrances of this new addition. And it also just helps us to create a little
more buffer again from from the streetscape and the the school building itself. And now for the exciting part, the relocated pl um playground um which
was obviously a central part of this design. Um it preserves community centered spirit um that is historically associated with this school. Um, and it also by offsetting it further from the street, it fosters a more
secure campus oriented environment. Um, allowing us to connect that outdoor space with another side entrance into uh the connecting point between the existing school and the addition.
And that is Franklin and Washington. I will pass it along to Christ for dinner. Uh, next up we will talk about Jefferson Elementary School. So, just as a point of reference, um, Summit Avenue is on the bottom portion of the screen, um,
with Boulevard, um, at the top. The two additions that will happen at Jefferson are the classroom wing, which is the lower portion of the screen, um, closer to Summit Avenue, and the multi-purpose room edition, which is
closer to Boulevard, um, that you can see on the screen. The classroom wing is on the south portion of the site, closest to Summit Avenue. Um, it utilizes existing circulation of the existing building and pulls off of some
of those datam points to bring into the new circulation into the classroom wing. The multi-purpose room addition is an elementary size basketball court, accommodates an elementary size basketball court, um, some storage and
also an office. Um it is at the north side adjacent to boulevard and also near the existing main entrance of the building. There are accessible paths that connect the addition to the existing building. Uh they're surrounded by open lawns,
pedestrian walkways, and courtyards. This offers multiple gathering and instructional spaces that you'll see later on in some of the renderings. Um, two components for the classroom wing that you can see on this image are um, the skylights.
The skylight is an element that divides up the lengthy corridor of the addition for the classroom wing at Jefferson. Um, it also brings in natural light into that corridor um, and helps divide up the space. This is an image of the classroom wing
um, from Summon Avenue. So, it features low-rise design which is comparable to the scale and the appearance of the existing school. The lower slope roof keeps the consistent scale and massing proportional to the existing building and the neighborhood with a horizontal
emphasis. This is an entrance of one of the uh classroom wings. You can see in this image that we're using materials like the brick is used to clad the addition and consistent with the traditional pallet of the existing building. There's translucent panels
above the windows that will help provide diffused natural light into the instructional spaces um as well as a contrast on the facade. As for access to the classroom wing, um the entries are accessible through
gradual slope uh walkways, ramps, and steps. They connect to the existing pathways that surround the campus. Um this offers areas for gathering spaces. They're created through these multilevel spaces that are created from the natural
slope of the site. And here's an image of um within that classroom wing addition uh creates an interior courtyard. So this allows for an outdoor instructional space. Um providing a flexible outdoor environment
for teaching, group activities, and learning opportunities. Um one of the another great feature of this element is that it brings a lot of natural light into the adjacent corridor. And this is an image of the multi-purpose room addition. So this is
a view from Boulevard and shows that the new addition offers an opportunity for the school's name to be presented. Um it's adjacent to the main entrance which is over to the left portion of the screen. Um the se the lower portion
element uh steps down the scale of the multi-purpose room and it's positioned slightly behind the main entrance um kind of complementing that original structure. And as for the materials, the facade uses a combination of materials that
relates the existing building while providing a contemporary presence. Um there's brick the translucent panels which were seen in the classroom wing. This offers diffused light while allowing privacy and use for sports in
that area. Um and we have fiber cement panels on the front as well. Okay. Next up is McKinley. So, as a port point of reference, Osborne Avenue is at the lower portion of the screen and Pearson is um the
upper right corner. The addition for McKinley is to the right side of the screen. It's a three-story edition. It's consistent in height and style with the existing building, um specifically the 1908 portion, um of the original portion of
the school. It's a clean, simple shape. It makes it easy to navigate while maintaining the school's traditional character. The architectural language, scale, and materials are consistent with the original building. It's intended to preserve the school's traditional
aesthetic. It's has modern elements and materials that are respectfully incorporated in the addition. Um, they are refining the materials and the features. The addition will extend the front pathway to the new entrance, preserving
the large open lawn space adjacent to the building on both the front and side portions. Um, and it's still providing sidewalks to provide safe pedestrian circulation and accessible circulation as well throughout the site and to
access the building. One of the great features that we've integrated in to McKinley is offering a true um main entrance to the school and it's providing also with this main entrance provides adjacent
administration space. The highlights of it are the arch vertical entry element which displays the school's name proudly. Uh the glass provides natural light to the lobby area and also the rooms above. It has that elevated roof line at the main entrance which adds uh
emphasis and hierarchy and the visual focus for the main public entry. And this is a view from Pearson Street. Um it's just showing some of the traditional materials that we're utilizing on the addition.
Um with some cast accents the that frame key architectural elements. It provides details to break up the facade as well. There's um some areas like the curtain wall of glass that brings natural light into corridors providing welcoming and
inviting areas for circulation. Thank you. >> Hi. Um so on your screen you see the existing Tomquist Elementary School overlooking uh Baltimore Avenue. Uh what this image shows is the it highlights
the space limitations which prompted the uh need for the expansion for the uh kindergarten classroom. You can see right now that the site is is very tight regards with regards to the um the massing
in this proposed addition uh overlooking Baltimore Avenue. Again, you can see how we expanded the the new kindergarten edition just behind the school with an interstitial space that creates some
relief, but also universal access down to the lower level for uh wheelchair access and just transitioning uh through the site. This view right here is facing back and
you can see how the the new addition uh borrows from the existing fabric of the uh masonry and seamlessly integrates with the the campus. We introduced a new ramp system and staircase down to a
plaza that slightly slips past the addition to kind of create an integrated design uh respecting the the landscape, the scale and the integrity of the existing building.
Um here is just another view showing the play area. We wanted to make sure that the building was a organic extension of the existing Uh this view back shows you the uh transition from the finished floor of the addition down to the lower play
area. One feature here to point out is uh we wanted to conceal the uh existing mechanical behind. Um this just kind of shows you that we wanted to create visual access across the uh the outdoor area with uh
intuitive pathways. And then here it just shows you that relief that was mentioned earlier between the two uh the existing and the addition. It also provides natural light into the corridor of the addition by the
new kindergarten and LLD side. On your screen, you see uh Wilson Elementary School uh six classrooms uh renovations with two small groupoup learning instruction uh
classes divided by one classroom. The concepts here were we wanted to create a modernized environment for the students in an open space utilizing uh new teaching methodologies. We wanted to
bring in natural light. You'll notice that the furniture here is actually mobile. We integrated new bookcases, individual cubbies, and a reading nook for the students because we thought that was important uh as part of the uh
design. Here's just another view showing you the uh another perspective of the space. Here uh is Edison's media center. The the overall plan view just kind of giving
you a sense of the the space as a whole. This view shows you the entry with an integrated screen that would allow for information. We wanted uh to integrate books as part of the bookcases as part
of the base design. Uh here's an overall view showing you the lightness of the space. We integrated new acoustical ceilings that would absorb uh some of the the sound. The natural light is a big part of of our
design. We wanted to make sure that the lighting scheme used daylight harvesting as part of the technology. All the way towards the back, you'll see the the genius bar, which is a feature that we thought would pull students into the space. At the center of the space, we
have mobile furniture because we we imagined that this space would have various usages. Here's a closeup of the Genius Bar. Here's a view towards the opposite direction. Just kind of giving you a overall of the uh the layout. We wanted
this space to be mobile in the sense that we had the opportunity to train to transform the uh furniture for various uses and uh teaching methodologies. Facing here is the instructional
classroom in the back. And here's an interior view of it with the acoustical ceiling and uh a tiered seating layout. On your screen here is Roosevelt uh the media center which is similar in
a sense that we wanted to create an open design. Uh this is facing the Genius Bar entry. Here's a view through the entire space showing you the layered system that we
created for zones. We wanted to have a a collaborative area for students to to work together. We wanted individual spaces. We borrowed from uh the idea of a multiver multi-unit learning
environment. You can see here new lighting system also integrating the uh natural light with the design. There's mobile furniture at the center of the space with visual access through the
entire media center. Similar to Edison, here's a view facing the uh screen and the classroom towards the back. Similar to Edison, we wanted to make sure that we were able to have a classroom that was isolated from the main space. You
can see the new uh acoustical ceiling system with the tiered seating. This view shows you the overall space facing the opposite direction. We have uh interactive screens uh mobile seating
and various mobile furniture that would allow the space to transform depending on the teaching methodology. Thank you. Thanks, Will. So, Westfield High School. So, the addition happens in the lower
corner of the site uh on the corner of uh Dorian and Trinity Roads. So, here you can see the addition in front of the what's now currently the gym entrance to the right of the site in
that corner. And you can see here the new uh drive loop that that uh connects across Dorian Road. This is a front view of the school with the addition on the right side. And one thing about the high school is there's really three entrances to the high
school. You have the main entrance in the center, you have the auditorium to the left if you're facing it, and the gym entrance to the right. So, one of the things that the design does with the drive loop is not only does it connect all three entrances with pedestrian
circulation and accessibility, the fact of the drive loop being there emphasizes the main entry which is set back from the other two entries in a more prominent uh focused kind of a way. So, this is a close-up view of the
addition. So you can see some of the elements here resonate with the existing architecture of the differing scales of the buildings. The ups and downs and the pushes and pulls of the facades of the building are are um evident in the new
addition as well as the materials of the windows, the datim lines of the trim and the the uh capstone banding all match up with the existing architecture to blend this addition into the existing.
And one of the exciting features of this addition is is the ent new entrance to the gym. So right now uh the gym entrance enters into a lobby and then a stairwell behind and then directly into the gym. So this is being built in front
of that. And what what happen what's happening here is a new accessible entry to the addition. And then we have this transparent circulation piece that's going to connect the first and second floor of this area and provide a more logical flow into and out of the
gymnasium and also the new addition. So, it's going to connect all of those areas and make them all accessible and provide some interest to the outside of the building. So, here's another shot more back towards the corner of Dorian uh in Trinity. You can see the gym structure,
the existing gym structure in the background. In the foreground, uh what you're looking at is the wood shop area on the corner, which has is going to have a a glass uh door that can open to the outside for outdoor uh projects and
and um learning as well as sidewalks that connect that to the front of the building. And finally looking backwards, this is the oppos opposing view uh of the auditorium there on your left. And you can see the drive loop coming around to
the main entrance and the new addition in the background. So those are are the designs and you know I hope you you can see the the guiding principles that we had emulated in these renderings that we just presented to you.
So, uh, as I mentioned before, I'll go into a little bit more detail. I know this has already been a long presentation. So, I will go through it and allow, uh, some questions for the board. Um, so, as as we know, we're into still into design with several of the projects, but now we're into
construction. So, I do want to lay out kind of what the next steps are in the overall. Um, this is here, this will be on the presentation will be on the website. This offers a little bit more detail. So, the electrical service, we awarded that. We have nine schools that we're doing that at. We have the kickoff
meeting was held today. We have nine bid packages covering site work, restrooms, media centers, HVAC relocation, and some uh drive loops. Um, obviously, some of those are pending board approval, but those are for upcoming summer. So, we have quite a few projects just slated
for the summer. electrical will take place over uh till the following summer uh because the the lead times with the transformers and the specific switch gear. Um but the summer projects that's uh all to be completed before school starts up. Um then uh we are working
through some additional uh DOE submissions. Um then we are finishing up the uh bidding packages for additions and renovations at uh a bunch of schools. As Mike mentioned before, we're at 30% with some of them and 60% with McKinley. Um the intermediate school
renovations, um locker rooms, um designs, the approvals will be set ready for bid for 2027. Those are still in the infasy part of the process, but we're working through those um so we can get, as you know, work already awarded. Some will go and they'll trickle in behind,
so we're not inundating the district all at once. and we're planning to uh complete according to the original schedule we all signed up for. Um the high school program and their uh renovations they're advancing through the design uh construction targeted for 2728.
Um and again through the the again some of this is repeated but there's a lot of coordination efforts through um one of the approaches that we have to make sure is um again with the on-site presence it's we're going to look at them in clusters because of the the wide range
of the town with the schools. So our project managers will be set up accordingly so they're not jumping over uh the schools so that we can spend more time on the sites. We'll look to have trailers set up at certain projects. So again, we're we're able to spend the adequate time on the projects and make
sure that the quality control and assessment is done properly. And again, I just I recommend looking more at the details uh for anybody into the the presentation so you can see more of it. Um a very important part of the process
that I mentioned earlier is the safety and um staff and the coordination through the construction. Um we have had several meetings with the site security personnel with the district um to make sure not only the the bid documents and the specifications that we have to work
with align not only with the state requirements for school but also with the school specific requirements. So we then had those meetings. We made sure that all those that all that information was into the specifications. So the contractor when they sign that contract they're agreeing to what the district
has to have. We then will carry that through all the construction meetings to make sure that it's reiterated through that that they're following not only the background background check requirements, but they're wearing their badges when they're in common areas. Um that they're also staying within their
construction fences. Um there is uh safety components. What we say is inside the construction fence, that's the contractor's responsibility to maintain the OSHA requirements for liability purposes. We do not want to expose the district by us telling the contractor
how to run the safety on their job sites. Um, but if we do see something that is uh a little bit uh too too much on a job site, we will talk to the site super or the point of contact, point out the the concern we have and recommend that they address it according to their
health and safety plan that they have to keep on site. Um, OSHA if there's any ever an issue they have the right to come. We have to provide them documentation. Um we have to provide uh field incident reports but again we work in coordinance with them not for them.
Um background checks as I mentioned before um once we do set that up the district will set up just like any other background for personnel. So if there is an issue the district would find out they let us know we make sure that contractor or that employee for that uh for the contractor is removed immediately from the project. Also, if
there's a security issue, um the security team will have the protocols where they're set up, where they need to go. We'll have daily sign-in sheets to make sure everyone is aware of who is on site and when they're on site. Um contractors cannot just come to a school just because it's convenient for them,
access an area. They have to coordinate through through legacy. So, we take that responsibility. We don't put it onto the school. We don't put on to facilities. We don't put onto the custodian. That's our job to make sure that they are only here when we approve it and they can't go anything outside of that. Obviously,
if it does happen, we address it. We make sure it's documented. We speak it at the next meetings. Make sure it's not a reoccurring issue. Um, we also want to make sure that we protect the school as far as the structure, not um making sure we disrupt the neighbors. Some of these schools are right up against
neighborhoods. So, we want to make sure deliveries don't show up at 5:00 in the morning to drop a dumpster. Uh we want to make sure that we're avoiding bus drop offs and and student drop offs at certain busy times. Um again, we plan for it as best as we can. We make sure it's documented and if we h if
something's happening, we get the phone call. Our PMs are to go and address it immediately to make sure whatever is happening stops. Um and then there's environmental controls. Again, we'll do the testing as as required, but construction is loud. It is dirty. It
is, you know, dusty. We'll make sure if there's any sort of dust getting outside the construction area causing an issue that it gets addressed. If there's garbage blowing around, we don't let them let their site be dirty. We also make sure that they're not letting outside the fence get dirty or other items. They know. We tell them at the
very beginning of the kickoff meeting. They're going to be blamed for anything that happens, whether it's them or not. So, if it's dirty, they're going to get blamed for it. If it's damaged, they're going to get blamed for it. So, we recommend make sure they take their pre-construction photos before they start. you know, they're going to get blamed for all the cracked sidewalks
even if they didn't go near it. Um, so we try to give them as much preparation to prepare for what could happen. We're very experienced in this public sector as well as FKA as well as many as the contractors. So, this isn't their most this is not their first time, but in the
construction world of the public world, it's the lowest responsible bidder. We don't get to pick and choose who we work with. We may not even work well with some of the contractors that do show up, but we do prepare the same way we prepare for everyone. We are going to get the worst of the worst and we're
going to plan accordingly. We're going to prepare to that that one day maybe there's issues. So, we overdoccument. We create a file, make sure everything is stored in the cloud. So, if there ever ever an issue that unfortunately an attorney needs to be involved with, we just hand over the documentations they
deal with it. We all want the projects to go successfully. So is the contractors, but at the end of the day, the contractor is here to make money. That's their business. Um, and then is this your slide, Brian? >> Yep. Sorry. Oh, boy.
>> All right, >> I'll hand this back to Brian. Sorry, I skipped over his last slide. >> Okay, so just real quick in in closing. Um, sorry. >> So, so there there's uh a lot of exciting work ahead and um we're looking
forward to it. It's also a lot of hard work ahead. Like Conor mentioned, we don't have the luxury of choosing who we get to work with. So, um we're going to get good contractors, we're going to get the challenging ones, but our collective experience here in front of you, we have
our our playbooks to deal with those challenging contractors. And um so we're we're ready for it. So um again, our our goal and our role is to protect your interest and the best interest for the for the community in these projects. We
know that the referendum, the driving force was the um kindergarten program starting in September 2028. So all of our schedules and our planning are beginning with the end in mind and working backwards. all the work that's happening this summer, setting the stage
for the major projects and uh and yeah, that's uh that's our presentation. So, thank you for allowing us to come here this evening, sharing it with you, and we'll turn it back over to Dr. Gonzalez. So, at this time, I'd like to open up
the floor to any questions uh from members of the board of education for the uh project management team uh here this evening. Julie. >> Yes. Um, well, first of all, thank you for so much work in a relatively short
period of time. Um, and to everybody on the board and Dr. Gonzalez, Patty, um, and your entire team for, uh, just a tremendous amount of work. is is very impressive and I'm very excited to um be part of it and uh for what's coming up
this summer uh and to see the work and to see um shovels in the ground. Uh I do have a specific question because as we were watching I was seeing um a lot about parking. This is a very specific question, but I'd like to understand um
some of the ADA changes, especially around parking because I imagine parking is changing. And I was wondering if you have a sense at this point about um handicap spots um in and around the different schools and whether or not there's going to be change the number of
them. Um because I do see that you've also opened up several handicap spots. I saw at the Jefferson site and I think at one of the other elementary school sites you actually are giving more clearance on each side for several of them. So I just wanted to see whether or not there's the same number or if there are more or less for the different schools
and um in total. Bless you Mary. Um, and if you could comment on that because that's always been um a little bit of a challenge. And also like if you have a sense of um proximity to um uh
handicap accessible egress um to uh the ramps that you're building in too because I'm sure that that's been part of your strategy. >> Sure. So thank you. Thank you for that question. Um we as you know most of this parking is on the street uh for a lot of
the schools. Um so uh we we have looked at that and the accessible routes of all the schools we actually have to show them on our DOE plans they review that as well. Um we do have opportunities um particular like at the high school
where we have the loop to add accessible parking in a more close way to the set to the front of the school. Um, so everything we're doing in terms of the the new is is looking at the accessible routes from where the parking is to
inside the building and then what we can do within the building within our own renovation and construction area. Obviously, all of that is going to be um accessible as well. So, in terms of quantities, I don't have that information in front of me right now,
but we can we can put that together and send it to um >> But is there been an effort to make sure that, for example, not only are they close to the ramps, but also that the ramps are always entering at the main office? So, for example, at Jefferson, I was noticing that there are new spots
with much more egress on both sides, but they're entering from the rear, which is fine, but I just want to make sure also that there's front entry so that people, both students and also staff and visitors, >> can enter the main office with dignity.
>> Um, that that is the goal for the work we're doing. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Ken, >> thank you. Thanks for the uh the great work you've done. Um just a couple questions. The PSNG the electrical lead time. So we're on target with that.
There shouldn't no hiccups planned at this point, right? >> Just simple formally answer it. >> Yeah. >> Is it on >> because that was so important? >> Green is on. >> That makes sense. Um, so the, uh, we've
already had on-site meetings with PSNG to be ahead of it. We already got the ESI numbers. Um, we've already got transformer locations that were in the drawings that we went out to bid. So to make sure that we don't have any movement, any change orders going in to start a job. Um, so we're good. the
biggest transformer which is going to be at the high school. Um the longest lead time we were told by PSEG was 12 months but again we're not finishing that until the following summer. So we're we're actually way ahead being that the school with PSCG we are at the top of the
priority list along with hospitals. >> Excellent. Okay. Thank you. >> Um some of the schools are dark at night. Is any plans for external lighting or enhancements external lighting for safety reasons? Just I'm just throwing these out to
whoever wants to take them. >> Okay. So, uh at at the addition where we're doing the additions and the drive loops, >> um we're looking at lighting in those areas. Um, you know, in terms of the existing building where we're not touching, we haven't really looked at
those areas, but where where we're where we're adding to or or renovating on, that's where we're looking at lighting. >> Thank you. Um, the Tomakra school, just so I know because I'm familiar with that school more because that's where my kids went. Is the back hill being eliminated when
you put the kindergarten wing on? Because that's a pretty substantial pool. >> Yeah. So that was a a a interesting exercise where we had to kind of scoop out some of that hill >> and um so we're we will be excavating some of it and then uh intro in introducing that new ramp system that
you saw with the staircase, >> but we would have to basically chop down to level it out with the uh existing soccer field level. >> How about the hill that's paved because I know the kids love to put their bikes down that >> Oh yeah. So that side, the opposite side, we're going to keep that uh essentially where it's at. >> Perfect.
>> All right. >> Thank you. Um, >> thank you for your question. >> The Jefferson School, uh, the outdoor classroom, just as you guys have gone through it, it looks great, but I know Tom was adding an issue, so they put a canopy over it. Is there at some point in the future the option to be have a
canopy go over that outdoor classroom for the little kids? >> I know you can say no. It's okay. >> Right. Right now, it's not programmed to have an outdoor canopy. Um, one of the features about that versus Tamocquis, uh, is we are adjacent to buildings on
either the existing building on either side. Um, the depth and the amount of sun that enters into that space is not as um pronounced as what you see at Tmacquis. >> Okay. >> So, in the future, could there potentially be an option for that? Um,
we could definitely look into that, but the amount of sunlight that is entering into that space is is not as as much as some of the neighboring schools. Okay, thanks. And then it's just a question when I saw the Wilson one. I know we've got new furniture for grade one and grade two.
Is that going to be in line with the furniture that's going to go into Wilson? Do you know what I mean? >> You know, the new >> Yeah. I mean, everything that we've been doing has been keeping in mind the existing and the and the future purchases. So, with the flexible
seating, both the color scheme, the the tech, you know, the finishes, uh, we're we're attempting to be able to make them so that they're going to be as interchangeable as possible. In in the world of kindergarten, you're probably going to see less in individual um desks
as you would see probably uh larger tables for them to to work through, but again, following a similar sort of uh design and and color scheme that you see across the board. So what we're doing in first and second grade is certainly going to be influencing what we do in
kindergarten as well as what we do in third, fourth, and fifth. >> Okay. Thank you. That's all my questions. Thank you. >> No more. No m. Yeah. Uh great presentation. It's really nice to finally see some renderings uh
in how they'll sit with the existing schools. Um, Mike, I know I've asked you about this before, but uh, when it comes to the things that will stop a project, uh, technical things that require coming from a manufacturer, whether it's switch
gear, HVAC equipment, all that kind of stuff. Where are we in the process of having that specked out? And are we going to be looking at that as a separate bid or combining those all into one uh combining everything into different bids but based on school
instead of pulling those out separately? >> So we haven't finalized exactly how the bid packages are going to be grouped or not grouped at at this point. Right now we're we're designing everything and that's part of part of an upcoming discussion that we're going to have. Um
in terms of lead times um you know we identified the electric as as the major one that is sort of showstopper. That's why we did what you know we organized the projects the way we did. Um the rest of these we've we in conjunction with
Legacy have developed a schedule that that um is sufficient to to handle the addition uh and renovation work that is in the referendum. Do you guys want to add anything or
>> so through the the process uh when the jobs start there are the the long lead items which you're you're concerned about and we make sure we work with the contractor to make sure that they submit those items for approval first so that they can get released um as as quickly as possible to make sure we get them on
time. Uh after that um one of the things that Legacy does is we have relationships with manufacturers that we can call and we could get honest answers from the manufacturers as far as the status of of lead times on on various
things because contractors aren't always forthcoming with the most accurate information. They share with uh with us what's to their benefit. So, we use our relationships that we've developed over the years with the manufacturers to, you know, to verify what what they're
telling us. And if there's a discrepancy, then we'll, you know, consider what our options are and we'll we'll address those. >> Thank you very much. >> Mary, I think you're up. >> Thank you. Um so obviously from my
expression earlier I have I'm not on the finance committee. So number one I'm completely blown away um by everything that you guys have done. First I want to say to the architects I appreciate as a
longtime like a lifetime resident here that you have kept the integrity of the um neighborhoods and the schools into your designs. I think they're beautiful. all of them amazing. In addition to, you know, accommodating our students with
special needs and thinking about thinking about their um how much how much they can enjoy and um be part of that the school communities and um the legacy company. Sorry, I'm terrible with
names, but um I'm I'm very excited that um you have incorporated like somebody being just anybody who's done home construction, having somebody there on site that like a, you know, a general
manager who's there to take care of issues um and is present is very important. you know, going through this process for us, you know, in case things come up. And um in addition taking into account the
safety of everybody that's not only in the school, the kids and the staff, but also the neighborhood. So, I thank you for that. And um also taking into account um all environmental issues that may arise from all of the construction.
So, thanks a lot. Anyone else? Um I'm gonna I'll ask one question. Um just about the the numbers. So I know we're bidding out some projects already and we're getting some stuff in. How are we doing with respect uh to the budget
itself? Are we seeing, you know, coming in under ideally would be nice or or at? Where where are we where are we seeing the projects coming in? >> So far so good. No, we're The first pro the first set of projects we've uh we've bid out so far have have all been under
the budgets we have established. Um the one project being the um um entry we had a little hiccup with the bid uh where we didn't the low bidder didn't include what he should have. So that one that one's kind of like the only exception.
But all of the other projects are well within or well underneath I should say the budgets that we had put together. the the main entry is on tonight for Franklin to be uh rejected and then we're going to go out to rebid that one because the the low bid did have a
defect in it and the second lowest bidder was another $300,000 which was a significant increase. So, we are rejecting it was above budget the second we're going to go out to rebid though. >> And Patty, what's our timeline on that bid and reawwarding of a contract? >> The rebid will be opening. We're um
advertising it on Thursday and it'll be a u opened on April 28th. >> So hopefully we can reawward on the 5th so it doesn't delay the project. >> Fantastic. >> All right. Um well I want to echo everyone's thanks um for all the hard
work. Um I want to make a note that a lot of this came from a lot of community input as well. Um and our architects, our construction managers didn't just talk to us. There were a lot of community meetings that that they were present with at at these board meetings as well. So what we're seeing is a true
collaboration. Um and the only other thing I guess I would add is we have a lot of work ahead, a lot of construction ahead. Um, it's going to require a lot of what nobody likes to have, which is patience. So, definitely, you know, I certainly encourage our community to to
to report the things they see, talk to us, and but also be willing to work with our team because, you know, these guys are are working a few miracles, but they're not miracle workers. So, the more we can all collaborate and continue to go that route, the better we're going to be. Thank you guys so much for coming out and uh and doing this presentation.
>> Rob, if I can. Yeah, I would I would just like to close out by um also acknowledging all the the work that has gone in. Um the individuals you see this evening uh are just a portion of the team. You know, the the other architects, the other uh project
managers, the engineers, uh even bond council who have been working are are the professionals who represent the interests of this board, who represent this interest of this community to be able to protect our interest, but also to be able to support the this project's success moving forward. Um, so they
certainly are are supported by a team behind them. Um, but all of those individuals have been working uh, you know, non-stop to get us to the point where we are today. Patty and I certainly could have stood before you and presented this presentation uh, this evening, but we thought it was important
for you to see and hear directly from the other professionals who are uh, working on this. and and I do want to thank you guys personally for the work and for the opportunities that um are going to be afforded to our students in the coming years. Um Patty and I did
have a chance to see u this team in action this this uh this afternoon as Connor led the first construction management meeting. Um he may seem like that cuddly teddy bear right now. Um but I assure you our interests are well uh
well guarded, well protected, well supported. Uh and and our construction uh companies I think will will absolutely follow uh the lead of these professionals. Um but they'll do so because they are being guided professionally uh strategically,
effectively and efficiently. Everything that you heard today, we were able to see in in a hour-long multi-page agenda that touched on each of these uh clearly and explicitly. So again, I just want to be able to make sure that the board of
education is aware that those who are watching and those who are listening uh have the the absolute confidence in the team of professionals uh who are going to make um this dream a reality for Westfield. So thank you and thank you all for this uh opportunity. >> Thank you.
Excellent. I think you have a new nickname, Connor. That's That's good. >> That's gonna follow me around for a long time now. >> All right. Um, so we'll move uh we'll now move to the next item on our agenda. That is our high school student report. That's uh Ben.
Right before spring break, WHS with a combined effort from the SJA and community service club completed its annual community service week. The week was a success with students packaging a thousand toiletry kits to be distributed to local organizations and writing a thousand cards to be sent to veterans in
Union County and healthcare workers at Overlook Hospital while watching a student teacher basketball game in which the students came out victorious. Proceeds from this game will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project in honor of Dr. Nelson. Books were also collected during this week which have been sent to the Book of Bridges Foundation and the
Weso Public Library. And finally, WHS families, clubs, and classrooms adopted 40 families, surpassing last year's number, purchasing toiletries and cleaning supplies for families in need. On behalf of the SGA, we are so proud of the spirit, service, and sense of
community that the WHS community has demonstrated. Together, we've shown that we care. Speaking of community, the the Red Cross Club completed two water safety outreaches. First to Franklin Elementary School on March 23rd and then to Jefferson on April 10th. Club volunteers
delivered a water safety ed water safety education session to third graders using a curriculum designed by the American Red Cross where third graders were certified and learning some foundational water safety rules. Never swim alone, follow pool regulations, wear life jackets properly, and know what to do in
an emergency. The 45minute sessions were interactive throughout, including videos, presentation making, and physical games to keep the students engaged. From high school all the way down to third grade, events like these are what foster a more connected Westview.
On April 9th, 35 WHS journalism students were inducted into Quill and Scroll, an international honorary society for high school journalists. This recognition adds yet another achievement to the extensive list that the WHS journalism program has garnered this year. It's very welld deserved and for it the
seniors who were inducted will also be enjoying their chords at graduation. WHS also had a strong showing in the 2026 Math Works Math Modeling Challenge. This is a prestigious international competition where teams just have 14 hours to apply mathematics and data
analysis into a realworld problem. This year's prompt centered on the financial impact of online gambling and of 770 competing teams. one of WHS's three entries advancing to the final to the second round of judging, sorry. This
places them in the top 20% nationwide. The team composed of juniors Paul Palace, Rion Diaz, Emma Simpson, Nate Doul, and Vivian Zoo earned the distinction of successful in triage. These students in actively taking their smarts beyond the classroom environment
are an excellent example of the passion for learning that WHS fosters. Both the Westwood robotics team and the science Olympia team have ended very successful seasons. The former finished 18th in their division of 48 in the state tournament, earning exemplary for one of the robots innovative design and
programming. And the latter earned their best placement all of all time, 21st out of 28th at their state competition. I'd like to extend a congratulations to both these teams for their hard work, dedication, and ingenuity this year. Recently, David Good, a biologist and
Yanamami American, returned to WHS for another yet another visit, speaking to Global Perspectives and Spanish classes. Good has been a frequent guest speaker at WHS over the years and his culture as a member of the Iroka Terry community and indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest allow him to present in a way
that intersects his own lived experience and scientific expertise, which students for sure will not be able to find in in a textbook. Last Monday, WHS hosted a screening of his recently completed documentary, which received special recognition at
the DOCNYC film festival, chronicling his journey to reunite with his mother. Special thanks goes out to the WEA, the PTSO, and Mrs. Fennis for making both visit and the screening possible. Finally, on April 10th, Folio held their
decades coffee house. I was actually attending in person for the first time ever. From self-composed music to poetry reading, it was actually a really moving experience because I got the privilege of seeing firsthand the depth of artistic talent that exists at WHS WHS.
There's something important about having a place like Folio, especially in the role it plays in offering WS WHS's artists and creatives a sense of community, an audience, and room to grow. It reminded me of just how much is happening at WHS that doesn't really make it into our monthly reports and
that there is truly something for everybody here. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ben. Uh we'll next move to our board committee reports. We have uh three to go. So we'll start with curriculum, instruction, and programs. Ila,
>> the SIP committee convenes yesterday, April 13th at 6 PM and received several important updates relating to district initiatives in curriculum, instruction, and professional learning. Um, we reviewed the update on homework and grading policy revisions. The committee
received an update on the ongoing work of the district committee charged with revising the district's homework and grading policies. Over the past two months, the committee has engaged in a comprehensive review process aimed at modernizing these policies which have
not been updated in over a decade. The primary goal of these revisions is to establish a clearer framework to guide teacher decision-making while also promoting greater consistency and coherence across grade levels and common courses. The committee shared that draft
versions of both policies are expected to be completed by the end of the current school year. These drafts will then be shared with the SIP community, faculty, and staff for feedback. Following this phase, the updated policies will strategically will be
strategically piloted during the 2026 2027 school year. This pilot will allow the district to gather feedback, assess impact, and make any necessary refine refinements prior to full implementation
in the 2027 to 2028 school year. The committee also heard from professional development coordinator Mrs. Anna Munoz, who provided a comprehensive overview of the district's professional learning program.
Um, Mrs. Munos highlighted the breadth and depth of opportunities available to faculty and staff, emphasizing the district's commitment to ongoing professional growth. Key components of the district's professional development program include structured professional
development workshop days focused on priority instructional areas. A comprehensive new staff institute to support onbo on onboarding and early career development. Job embedded consulting and coaching particular in the particularly in the
area of small groupoup instruction virtual workshops centered on inclusive education practices participation in out of district workshops and conferences and grant-f funded initiatives to strengthen early literacy instruction.
Mrs. Munos also noted that professional learning this year has been delivered through a variety of formats including in-person sessions, asynchronous courses, and virtual workshops. This flex this flexible approach allows the district to better meet the diverse
needs of the staff while also evaluating which formats are most effective. Um we also discussed resource um adoptions, Otis and school links. The committee received information regarding these two new platforms to support
student learning and post-secary planning. Otis is a platform designed to unify assessment, grading, and data analytics to support instructional decision-making. School links, a college and career readiness platform that enhances student
planning um through interest exploration, goal setting, and alumni connection was also presented. These tools represent a continued effort to streamline systems, improve data access, and better support students academic and
future readiness. The next SIP meeting is scheduled for May 4th at 9:00 a.m. >> Thank you. >> Excellent. Thank you very much. Uh, next finance facilities, Brendan.
>> Yep. The Finance and Facilities Committee met on Friday morning. Um, we spent a lot of time talking about the referendum and I'm not going to do that again. Um, starting with health benefits, uh,
March was stable uh, for our medical insurance. Uh, it's a welcome change. It's not a it's not a reduction, but it's at least it's not getting worse. Uh but with the good comes the bad and our prescription costs were up 26%
compared to the same time last year. Uh the most of most of that is from uh more of our staff taking GLP1s. All good things. They'll get healthier. Long-term savings will be there, but we're not it's expensive now. We operate on a year-to-year budget cycle. Uh but
healthy staff is good for us long term. Um, next we talked about uh an creating an SOP for our RFPs. So an operating procedure for our process where we solicit proposals from our professional
service providers. Uh we created a timeline for reviewing all of the major recurring professional services. So that'd be our attorneys, our auditors, architects and engineers. Um, couple others in there. Uh, food service
>> and insurance brokers >> and insurance brokers. It doesn't include things like special education service providers, that's handled entirely administratively. Uh, we set uh parameters for when they should be reviewed and when they shouldn't. Like even if we agree that we
should review our architect every five years, we're going to be in the middle of a project. we're not going to make a change without real good reason in the middle of a project. Uh so things like there's some flexibility, but there is a framework to follow.
Um it's good to always see what's out there. Uh we also talked about a code of conduct for our transportation services. Um, right now there's only a very vague reference in the student code of conduct
that says students must behave on the bus. Uh, with even vagger punishments if they aren't. Uh, so we we talked about uh, sorry, Patty and Lisa uh, out of the transportation office have put together a draft of what that might look like and
it'll go through uh, Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Bolton and I believe PPG before it comes to the full board for approval. Um, also on transportation, uh, Durham Bus has agreed to renew their bus routes for
next year at three and a quarter% which is under what they were. They could have increase the contract under our current terms. Uh, which is pegged to CPI or 38 point almost 3.6%. Uh, so because Patty put the request in
early, we got in early before diesel doubled in price. So, thank you Patty. Um, also now that we own two buses, uh, we spent 50 $50,100 less this year on busing, uh, than we did last year. Uh,
once we add in the cost of, uh, hourly wages for our bus drivers, we're still saving well over $30,000 this year with two buses. >> And that's just for athletics >> at the high school. >> That doesn't include field trip use or anything else >> or or our indistrict routes, right? That was just the comparison athletic. So,
the pilot program of two buses seems to be paying dividends already. Uh, good job, Patty. Uh, and then we looked at the district travel policy. Uh, no real substantial updates there. Any questions? >> Kristen,
>> are we planning on adding any more buses? >> If I said yes, Patty would kill me. >> Well, in general, like what's the plan for adding more buses to the fleet? Um, we're definitely going to be reviewing that in the next few years, especially with more programming coming on board
with the referendum. It's just a matter of budgeting and where we're at. Um, but it's definitely something that we always have in mind that we're looking at. >> So, uh, from the time we decide we need a bus through it goes through the budget process and then the order is placed.
It's about a two-year window from the time we say we need it till the time the bus shows up. Um, so so just something to keep in mind. Uh but 20 30 more buses. Pat, it'll be fine. >> Excellent. All right. Uh next, uh
policies, personnel, and governance. I think that's Mary. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh the policy, personnel, and governance committee met virtually on April 9th from 4 to 5:30. In attendance from the board were
myself, Sono Patel, Rob Bacio, Leila Morelli, and uh administrators Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Greer. The meeting began with a personnel review by Dr. Greer focused on several updated technology department job
descriptions, including network manager, assistant network manager, systems administrator, and instructional technology specialist. He was very patient in uh letting us know the differences between all of those jobs. Thank you so much.
After discussion, the committee recommend uh recommends placing these job descriptions on the board agenda for consider consideration and action. The committee then reviewed regulation 5600 and received an overview of the
draft student code of conduct which is designated to balance clear behavioral expectations with active student support to strengthen school safety and community responsibility. The draft organizes responses through a
four tier continuum and that emphasizes developmentally appropriate interventions, restorative and collaborative supports and due process safeguards while also addressing modern conduct concerns such as digital misconduct, deep fakes, bias
incidents and HIP related protections. The committee discussed the plan to convene a stakeholder committee to gather feedback after which uh the administration will refine the draft based on that input. The PPG committee will then review the updated draft at
its May 5th meeting with the anticipated timeline calling for a first reading by the board on May 12th and a second reading on June 16th. Drafts and resources were included in the PPG agenda as well as the most recent superintendent check-in. There's
no board action recommended at this time. The committee concluded with the review of the feedback shared during the board meeting regarding the 2026 board goals action plan draft. While points of contact contact may be identified to
support coordination and the administration may provide logistical orformational support to facilitate the work. Implementation and accountability remain with the board consistent with the board's roles and responsibilities. Following that review, the committee
recommends placing the action plan on tonight's board agenda for a board vote with the shared understanding that this plan is owned by the full board of education. In addition, as part of the annual review of the board handbook in preparation for the upcoming
reorganization meeting, any board members who have recommended edits or updates to the board handbook are asked to share them with the PPG committee chairs, which is Sonel and myself by May 3rd. The next policy, personnel, and
governance committee meeting is scheduled for May 5th, 2026. Thanks. >> Excellent. Um, yes, public. Okay. Uh, during this, we're going to move to uh public comment. This is on agenda action items
only. Uh, during this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on agenda action items only. These are the color-coded items marked 9 through 13 on the board agenda. There will be time at the end of the meeting for uh the public to address items that
are not uh on as action items on the agenda. As a courtesy, please allow current students and staff of the Westville 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, and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or designate, not to individual 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 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 one in approach, I will close the public uh comment portion of the
meeting and move to board action items. Uh I will make a motion to approve the April 7th, 2026 regular board meeting minutes. May I have a second, please? Mary. I think we can do this just uh voice vote. All in favor? Any opposed?
Any abstensions? Okay, that motion carries. Uh Kristen, would you move the governance items on the agenda, please? >> Sure. I'd like to move items A and B under the governance section of tonight's agenda. Can I get a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Kent,
>> any questions? >> Are we going to be having a discussion on B? Is that correct? >> Yes. Yeah, this is the time. Yeah, if you have comments. >> Anybody want to have a discussion on B? >> Yeah, go ahead. Go right ahead.
>> Okay. Um, so, um, thank you. So, I, um, I appreciate the work that has gone into this plan. And I I want to also thank Kristen and Rob particularly for last week and the previous um open
discussions that we've been initiating here at the board of education because I really feel that it's extremely healthy for us to be having open conversations like these. Um and it's it's a relatively new thing since I've been here and I I just want to say how
grateful I am for you both introducing this kind of dynamic. So, thank you. Um, I know it's it's a it's a big change and I I truly am grateful to you for doing it. Um, I'd like to talk about some of the choices in reviewing this plan that I
see reflected based on the feedback that was provided um in the meeting last week. Um, I did update did review the updated version. Um, and I want to note that I don't see any substantive changes
to the structure. While there was a separate discussion document where all of the feedback was captured fairly accurately, it was not yet reflected in the action items themselves. And that's a choice.
From a governance perspective, I think that's important. The concerns that were raised particularly around board ownership and oversight go to the core of how I believe this plan should function and I don't see those elements yet incorporated
and that is also a choice from an execution perspective. This deliverable was delayed by several months. It was commenced in December. Uh during that time additional board members including myself offered to
assist with the development of the plan but the drafting remained limited in participation and ownership more no not in participation sorry in ownership. At the same time we are often reminded to be mindful of the administration's
time and capacity. And in that context, it's very notable that in reviewing the document drafting history over the past five months, this work, which is fundamentally a board responsibility, appears to have been primarily relied
upon as uh the superintendent rather than the select board members who were given access to author and edit it. And I would note that clarity and transparency around document versions and access are an important part of that process
and that that too is a choice as was reinforced in our NJSBA training. The board acts as a body not as individuals or subsets and that principle should be reflected not only in how we vote but in how we set
direction and develop our board goals. And that distinction matters. The board is responsible for setting direction and overseeing outcomes while the administration supports implementation. Under New Jersey law, the board sets the
direction of the district and the superintendent is responsible for carrying out that direction. And in that context particularly board goals should define the direction and priorities of the board itself not the function as a
district implementation plan. When a plan is structured primarily around administrative activity it becomes difficult to see how the board is carrying out its role. More specifically, the plan focuses on activities, training, report and
cadence, and policy review, but it does not clearly define how the board carries out its oversight responsibilities. The governance layer, how the board interprets information, identifies patterns, and follows through, especially with areas that the board
itself has clearly identified and noted within our own deliberations and conversations as problematic. is not yet articulate not yet articulated and that is a meaningful choice.
I think this plan provides a solid compliance and structural foundation strengthening board ownership oversight and governance structure would better align it with the purpose of the board goals. So for me, this comes down to a
choice about how we should govern. Whether we more clearly define and take ownership of our role as a board or continue with a structure that does not fully reflect it. Whether we choose to continue to clearly define and exercise our role in governing ourselves and the
administration or whether we continue to allow these lines to remain blurred with the administration effectively both implementing these and district goals as well as overseeing themselves and the board. And for me, the choice is clear. I'm not
able to support the plan as written. And I would alternatively support taking additional time potentially through a retreat in the next couple of weeks or so to revisit how we approach the board governance, not just in terms of participation, but in terms of ownership
more closely with that purpose. Thank you. Any other comment or >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Um I just want to talk
about the board goals and some of the things that went into it. Um for me in in my opinion um in deliberating this with all of you here, thank you for that. Um when I read the
document, I read it very differently. Um the ownership of the goals uh clearly rests with either committee chairs, the full board or the board president. There is oversight from um administration in
different areas. Um the checklist however that is on the uh goals document provides for full board ownership and oversight. uh when completing tasks outlined in the goals. The full board also has the
opportunity to review all committee agenda and minutes if not directly involved with a particular section which provides transparency and connection to all aspects of the implementation and follow-through of the goals as outlined in the board handbook.
Um in terms of um some of the concerns that we had heard last week with um HIB and how that is rolled out. Um it is in our
board policy for HIB that uh the superintendent can give us the information as late as the day of the meeting. Um I recommend if there are we have to review that policy yearly. So, if there are any concerns or feedback
that um would alleviate some of that pressure of getting it late that we can uh review that when we get to the policy review for this year for the HIP. Um in terms of
uh let me hang on one other thing. Okay. Um in terms of governance in my um understanding of it um the board governance um for board of education means we're acting as communities
representative bodies. We set policy um we hire and evaluate the superintendent. We oversee the district bud budget rather than managing day-to-day operations. Um we are here to ensure the district is
run well which is part of our goals. Um we comply with state standards which is why we make policies and we maintain public trust through transparent ethical and strategic leadership. I think the way that we have organized our
committees um uh before Dr. Gonzalez came. I can speak to how the district was run beforehand. I and and Brendan as well. Um we did not have anything put out to
the public. We did not have any um communication in terms of I mean Google Docs is a lifesaver because you can just go in and um see from each committee what has been going on and everybody has
um I I believe we have enough time to when a committee meets uh read what has been written. If we have any questions, we go to the committee chairs and then we bring up any concerns or things we have in that nature. Um,
in terms of, you know, there was question of why it took so long, there is no there is no statute of when the board goals need to be finished or completed by. It is recommended that they start in December. Um,
but it is it is up to each individual board on when they are able to get to those action items and able to put them into into implementation. I actually think it worked out uh very well for us because we're going to be having two members coming, two new members coming
in. Um and we can start fresh um with the board goals and also the board handbook when we get feedback from everybody on uh briefing them those new members on those items. Um, I just want to state like in for me as a
board member and what the board goals mean to me is that we are here to um support our superintendent that we hired. We are here to um support each
other. Um we are here to do the work and uh read what is put out. Um, these board goals were voted on a long time ago. The HIPP policy was voted on on March 4th, 2025.
Um, it takes the majority of the board for things to happen, not just um, one or two people. Um, we all have to work as a team and yes, we will disagree. Um but as far as the board of ed goes uh
the you know the majority um rules and none of these are actions that the board takes alone. It acts upon the recommendation of the superintendent of the schools. Um our role is he
recommends things to us. We review them. We discuss it with him because he is the chief administrator that we hired. Um and um we it is absolutely necessary when we are discussing board goals that
also align with our district goals to have his input and other administrators input into that um into that process. Um lastly, um I just want to say the um comment that suggests
that the drafting of the board goals was done primarily by the superintendent. Um just so people know, what we do in PPG is that Dr. Gonzalez, um we we all sit around the table. He is
the one with the doc up on the screen for us and we discuss everything but he takes the notes. So if his name is in the document more than anybody else's, it doesn't mean our input is not in there. Um he is the one taking the notes for us and we thank him for that because
he's actually knows how to use the equipment. Um um I do appreciate the dialogue. I do appreciate the different perspectives. Um I do
appreciate that we can have civil conversations on, you know, different ways we feel about how things are being run. Um I'm of the belief that if we are going to be a cohesive unit, we have to
have trust in our superintendent. We have to have trust in our other board members. um that we are all doing our due diligence and doing our part in um putting what we say in our committees
out there for everybody to see and to talk about and to discuss and to question and to um give feedback on. Thank you. Is there some? >> Yeah, sure. Um, thank you Mary for going
through the process of how we got to got to this point and I just wanted to emphasize what we did at this last meeting which was to we spent a good portion of the meeting going over the suggestions and we discussed a lot about the difference between administering and
governing. Um the the four of us in PPG, the Ford board members there felt comfortable that our board goals represented what we wanted to put forward as our goals to um not to administer but to govern. And that's why we put it on the agenda for tonight. But without that's not without having had a
lot of discussion going through um all the feedback that was sent in by email or discussed at the last meeting last week. Um so that's how we got to where we are. Anyone on this end?
Anyone on that end? You >> good? >> Ready for a vote? >> Are we >> Does it seems like we're ready? Does anybody else have any CJ? >> Yeah. I mean, this is >> Sorry. Sorry if I missed. >> No, no, that's all right. That's all right. I mean, this is uh this is a
topic that's very important to me as well, as you probably know. I know I've asked a lot of uh questions in the past. I'm I still have a lot of concern that this is such an ephemeral topic that you know uh we just we really want to you know
all be you know aligned on on the governance aspect of it because it's so difficult to really wrap our our minds around. But I I I wanted to um you know I wanted to echo uh what Julie had said before uh with respect to making sure
that we're all aligned on you know the governance philosophy. It's a little rich for me to say that since I'm not going to be there for that but but I wanted to express my opinion anyway on that front and uh you know um you know leave off with this last vote uh just
letting pe people know and putting on the record how I felt about that. So, >> I wouldn't say that you lived it. I mean, that's I wouldn't go there. >> And it and and I don't think I appreciate CJ and I and I appreciate Julie having different perspectives. I
think it makes us uh a better a better board. And I think it gives the like you said, Julie, having these discussions out. I I think it's really good for the community to see and and for us to get a better perspective of where our thought
processes are because you're right, we don't have the opportunity other than here to meet as a whole, you know, unfortunately because of the laws. So, it's it's very difficult. When I first got here, it was very difficult for me
to not be able to talk to everybody at the same time. So, it I totally understand that perspective. Um, and and uh I I appreciate all the uh work that you guys have done. CJ, we're going to
miss you. Okay. >> The only thing I'll think I think in all of this is a couple of things. I I I think expanding our ability to discuss in public, I I I'm very much with you. I think that's something that we we definitely wanted to see more of. I think it's definitely something we can
do more of down the road. Um I also appreciate coming out of this the idea that we may need more time as a group, you know, just to just to meet and the laws absolutely present a level of difficulty for that. you know they're designed with the right intention in mind which is the board should not be meeting to do things in secret but you
know an unintended consequence of it is it's very hard for the board to get together and consult so I think even within these goals um there are opportunities for us to discuss how we can get more creative about getting the team together so to speak which I which is very important feedback and to do
that not just with the leaders that we have working with us here but also even from some outside sources. We have a great NJSBA rep in gene who came and did one training and is there but if there's ways even in the course of that through also long-term planning because we all have you know time and things that we
have to do that we can make that a little bit more commonplace and and kind of add that into layer I think that's you know however anybody's going to vote on the goals I think that's just solid feedback regardless so um unless there's further discussion the motion on the table was to approve governance A and B
there was a second any other discussion before I ask Patty to move to a vote. Okay, Patty. >> Rob Bonaccio. >> Um, yes. >> Kent Diamond, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> no. >> Leila Morelli,
>> yes. Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> no. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Okay. Uh, that carries. Mary, will you move? Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
>> Yes. Going right there. The personnel items on the agenda. >> Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to move items A through L under the personnel section of tonight's agenda >> before I even asked. Okay, Kent, thank
you for the second. >> Um, >> he's like there. Are we >> uh Dr. Gonzalez, I know you want to speak? >> Yes. I I have one retirement this evening that I'd like to celebrate, and that is the retirement of Mike Altman,
our Edison uh intermediate school drama teacher, uh who has been a cornerstone of the Ed Edison Intermediate School community for the past 22 years, shaping experiences that have reached far beyond the stage. While he worked hard to build a pre premier, highly respected theater
program, his impact extended to every student who walked through the doors of Edison Intermediate School. Through his public speaking curriculum, Mr. Alman worked directly with each student in the building, helping them find their voice and develop the confidence to present, perform, and advocate for themselves. He
had a rare ability to connect with students in a way that felt personal and lasting. And he brought a genuine love for his craft to his teaching every day. Mr. Mr. Altman leaves behind a program and a school culture that is stronger because of his vision, his dedication,
and his belief in students. His influence will continue to be felt in the confidence of the young people he mentored and in the arts community he helped build at Edison Intermediate School, and we wish him well on his retirement. >> Um, can I just say one thing?
>> Can I speak for you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, Kent and I both had children um, go through the theater program with Mr. Alman at Edison and Leila. Sorry >> and Sonel. Okay. Okay. And Julie,
>> all of us. >> All of the people with children on the board. >> Kent and I are right here. Like I just And I don't want to speak for you, but I I just want to say that my Sorry. Geez, you're making my
We'll meet at the diner. Um, I just want to say that having uh ch children who uh some might call different because they don't play sports or things like that. The theater program was like a lifesaver and Mr. Altman was
always there for those kids and made them a family and made them want to continue into the high school. And I am I read it and saw he was leaving. And even though I don't have kids here anymore, I was so like upset for the
kids coming up that are not going to experience Mr. Alman. >> Yeah. Can I just add something to that? Um the other thing that Mr. Alman did at Edison school. Um I think Dr. Bolton, you know, was a very big part of this is he taught the public speaking class. So
everybody had to take public speaking. And so every student who went to Edison at one point or another if they were under if they he was teaching there had Dr. Al Mr. Roman and um he taught people
who whether they spoke too much or they were scared to speak how to speak with confidence with cadence. I remember my son came home and uh he had a video of Mr. Alman and uh Mr.
Alman uh was giving an example of how to do a one minute stump speech and he had something in his lap and he held it up and he said, "This is a KISS album." And then he did a one minute speech
about why he loved them. And it was calm and it was smart and it was badass and it made me know that he was going to be a great teacher for my son. And my son and my both of my kids, they both
learned so much from that experience. And I've never met a parent who didn't feel taken in by him. He also ran a summer camp with his wife that was so tremendously accessible financially and
emotionally to so many kids. He's just made such a difference in the district. Um I also don't know a teacher who didn't really love him. Every single teacher I've ever met has just felt like he was such a terrific colleague. It's a I wish him only the best in his
retirement and I just feel like we were very lucky in the district to have him and I felt the same way Mary when I saw his name come up. >> Thank you. >> Hey >> Rob Bonacio. >> Yes. >> Kent Diamond. >> Yes. >> Brendan Gallagan.
>> Yes. >> Charles Galinus. >> Yes. >> Leila Mr. Yes. >> Sonol Patel. >> Yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. >> Yes. >> Julie Steinberg. >> Yes. >> Mary Wickens. >> Yes. >> Okay. We'll next move to the finance and
facilities items on our agenda. Kent. >> Thank you. Um sad to say there's no donations tonight, so no toe board. I will just say the year-to- date total is $522,99144. But I think we kind of blew it last meeting with 175,000 anonymous
donations. So it's okay. We still have time. >> There was like three business days between the last meeting and when this agenda was finalized. >> All right. So I'd like to move items A through K on tonight's agenda. May I have a second, please?
>> Thank you. So she's calling out now. >> Rob Bacio. >> Yes. >> Kent Diamonds. >> Yes. >> Brendan Gallagan. >> Yes. >> Charles Dwinus. >> Yes. Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes.
>> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Okay, next item are the policy items on our agenda. Uh, Mayor, are you up? You're you're up again, I think. Yes.
>> And guys, I'd like to uh move item A under the policy section under tonight's agenda. This is for school district travel. Can I have a second? Sonel, thank you. Oh, sorry, Brandon. I
missed you. >> Okay. Okay. >> Rob Bacio, >> yes. >> Ken Diamonds, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> yes. >> Laya Morelli, >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz,
>> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. Mary Wickens. >> Yes. >> Uh, next the curriculum instruction and programs items. Laya, >> I'd like to move item A under the curriculum instruction and programs
portion of the agenda tonight. Do I have a second? I'm gonna give it to CJ >> because I think this is like a very >> No, I was going to say I think this is a very monopolized table here.
>> I see how it is. Ila, >> I didn't see your See, >> okay. >> Rob Bacio, >> yes. >> Ken Diamond, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagher, >> yes. >> Charles Galina, >> yes. Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes.
>> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Okay, I will call the board's attention to the notes for the record. Uh, there is no unfinished or new business for the board. >> There is no That's true.
>> Um, yeah, we'll we'll we'll get with you under new business. I know you wanted to speak, so let's let's go with that first. Sorry. >> Thank you, Rob. Before I begin my farewell remarks, I need to start somewhere else. Seven years ago last week, this district locked do lost Dr. Derek Nelson,
principal of Westfield High School. Dr. Nelson died donating bone marrow to save the life of a child who he would never meet. Let that sink in for a second. A great man in a leadership role in this district, a husband, a father, chose to undergo a procedure, not for recognition or obligation, but purely to give
someone else the chance to live. It's an extremely extraordinary act and in my view it is exactly the kind of selfless voluntary heroism that the soldiers medal was created to recognize. For the past several years I've asked this board every year for permission to pursue
recognition through the United States Department of Defense and we've not gotten there yet. And as my as I thought about what my final act as a board member should be, this was the only thing that felt right. Not a policy, not a contentious vote, not a budget line.
this honoring a great man properly. So with that, I'd like to place one final motion before the board. And yes, Patty, I will send you the text before you ask for it. I keep clicking and it shoots to the
bottom of the text. Okay. I absolutely hate this. Okay. Whereas board of education member Brennan Gallagghan has pursued formal recognition for the heroic actions of Dr. Derek Nelson through the nomination of the soldiers medal with the United
States Department of Defense. And whereas Mr. Gallagan's tenure on this board of education will conclude prior to the resolution of that effort. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Westfield Board of Education authorizes the soontobe former board member Brennan Gallagan to continue to pursue this nomination process on behalf of the
board and the district without a time limitation until such recognition is duly considered and awarded by the US Department of Defense. MBA further resolved that Mr. Gallagghan is authorized to update, amend, and supplement the nomination materials and supporting documents as necessary to reflect the revolving federal POS
personnel assignments and evolving federal procedures, requirements, and standards. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Kent. Any comments? >> My Oh, >> good. Oh, Kristen, sorry. Go ahead. >> Just jump in there. >> No, go ahead.
>> Um, my only comment is thank you. No joke, I have written down Dr. Nelson update question mark because I just think it's so fabulous that you've been working on this and I was hoping it wasn't going to go to the wayside. >> I'm not going to stop. >> Thank you. And that's from earlier in
the meeting, Brendan. So, it's not because you were >> Yeah, we didn't know you were going to do it. >> Kent did. But >> why you tell Kent not? >> Because he'll keep a secret. >> Well, I just want to say I appreciate it. I worked with Dr. Nelson. He was my
supervisor when I was uh here and he was a very great man. Not only uh a great um supervisor, administrator um but just a great person. He cared about the kids. He cared about his
staff. And um I'm so thankful for you, Brendan, for continuing this and wanting to continue this even after you leave. >> Of course. Thank you. And with that, I think we can go to vote. >> Rob Bonacia, >> yes. >> Ken Diamond, >> yes.
>> Brendan Gallagan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> yes. >> Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Sorry, I didn't know that was coming in
new business either, but I'm glad we did it. Um, and now, >> all right, and with that, I'll shift gears a bit. Uh, you guys all know I'm a numbers guy, so let's hit some numbers. Let's go back to June 5th, 2012. That's the day I decided to file a petition to
run for a one-year unexpired term on this board. My parents didn't believe me until 3 weeks later when the leader reported on it. From that day to today, it's been 5,078 days. If we go back further, my first day of kindergarten to the day of graduation,
September 94 to June of 2007, that's 400 4,672 days I spent as a student in this district. So combine that's 9,750 days of my life connected directly to the Westfield public schools. To put that in more context, from the day I was born
until today, that's about 72% of my life. Uh, and about 70 37% of that has been sitting on this board. So over twothirds of my life has been spent in this district either as a student in the classroom or sitting on
this stis which probably explains a lot more about me than I care to acknowledge right now. So let's just move on. And before anything else, I sincerely want to thank this current board, not individually, but as a group, because that's what we are. We're a group. We're a team. Your commitment to students, the
willingness to engage in difficult issues, and the shared vision for where this district needs to go is evident. And just as importantly, the cohesion of this group matters. The alignment is what allows good ideas to actually turn into positive outcomes. So, I sincerely thank you for the work you're doing, how
you're conducting yourselves, and most importantly, what the future holds for this district. They're in your hands, good hands. Over the last 13 and a half years, I've had the privilege of serving with 29 different board members. I will not take the time to thank you to them
individually, but there are a few who had a particularly meaningful impact to me, and I do want to acknowledge them. I'll start with Jenny Lights. You're the only board member in district history who may have served for longer than I have. You're the first person who made me feel like I belonged here, and you helped me
find my sea legs. You taught me how to do this job and to this day I still reach out when I need a sounding board before something goes public. That kind of mentorship sticks and I thank you. Mark Freriedman, you ran the finance committee for your entire tenure on the board. The things you taught me about how to explain con complex budgetary
concepts in simple, easy to understand terms is invaluable. At the end of the day, the bucket is only so big. You can pour it into a lot of smaller pots, but when it's empty, it's empty. The clarity has stuck with me ever since. Mike Belan, you and I have served together for six years. We're on just
about every committee together from finance and facilities. We also made through the rounds through policy and curriculum. At this point, you're a personal friend, and I value the conversations and brainstorming sessions we've had over the years. Rob Garrison, we also served together for about six years, although in about
three unconsecutive disjointed terms. You brought a level of insight into labor law that changed how I appreciate the decision-making process and the value of a positive relationship with our labor unions. You helped me think through proposals before they ever came to this table. And like Mike, you're a
personal friend. And I appreciate everything you've taught me. Amy Root, you were the board president while I was the vice president. We didn't always agree, but we always worked. We always agreed to row the boat in the same direction. when it came to board leadership. You were instrumental
in my development and I appreciate that. And I'd be remiss if I did not mention Gretchen Olig. I would not be here without you. And I mean that both figuratively and literally. Your decision to run for a full term instead of the partial unexpired term created an
opportunity that allowed the 23-year-old Brendan to decide to throw his hat in the ring. Without that, I wouldn't have run. I could I can try anything for a year. but more importantly, your mentorship, your leadership, and your guidance shaped me both as a board member and as a person. You're not just
a colleague, you're a friend, and I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. I also need to thank Gwen Thornton and Ray Penny from the New Jersey School Boards Association for their guidance, support, and advice over the years. And lastly, Dana Sullivan, our former business administrator. She's not here tonight, but it would be a mistake not
to recognize her. When she arrived to this district, we were in a precarious financial position. We had roughly $700 in our reserve accounts and had a $90 million dollar operating budget. That's not a margin. That's not even a rounding error. That's pocket change. She brought structure, discipline, and a long-term
view of fiscal stewardship. And her departing recommendation that we hire Patty Ramos as her successor has been without a question a gift that keeps on giving. That foundation made everything that followed possible. And what have we accomplished? Over the course of my tenure, we've gone through
14 budget cycles, representing about $1.8 billion dollars in operating expenditures. We served more than a thousand staff members across five bargaining units. And I served on our negotiating team for 12 years, 12 of my years on the board, chairing it most of those years. During that time, we've
approved 26 different labor contracts totaling roughly $2 billion in labor cost between 2013 and 2031, when our last contract expires. We transition from a two or three-year contract cycle to a five-year cycle, which adds stability. And for anybody
who's who's lived through negotiations, it's a meaningful quality of life improvement for all involved. It makes Patty's job of forecasting future budgets a feasible task. Lastly, because we switched to self- insurance, we've been able to complete approximately $20 million in maintenance work and another $21 million in capital
projects. uh all things that would not have been done uh well most of them wouldn't have been done without voter approved referendums. Uh and the most recent referendum, the second largest in state history. And
for anyone who's gone through even one referendum, you know it's not fun. Uh we did it three times. And as a numbers guy, one metric I've come to rely on is what I call the academic effic efficiency index. It's not a real I concocted it all on my own, but it does guide much of my fiscal
emphasis while on this board. The metric takes a combined cost to educate a kid from kindergarten through 12th grade and puts it up against a composite score based on AP, SAT, and ACT scores. On that basis, Westfield ranks at the very top, not the not near the top, the very
top of all districts in the state. Some districts like Milbour and Princeton may outperform us slightly on raw scores. And it's good to have competition that causes us to strive for improvement, but they do so at about a 40% higher cost of educating that student. It's not just so that's just not my
opinion. Westfield is the best. The numbers support it and I have all the data to back it up. I will not go through it all right now. Like 65 more minutes and I'm done. I swear. >> More data. More data. We're delivering top tier outcomes at a
level of efficiency that is frankly completely unmatched across the state. Keep it up. Now, as a board member, the most consequential decision we'll ever make is hiring a superintendent. I had the opportunity to lead that process. And I think I speak for all of us when I say I
think we made the right call. Dr. Gonzalez is the state superintendent of the year after all. We also made structural decisions that matter long term, including elevating Dr. Bolton to the deputy superintendent of schools, uh, creating stability, continuity, and a clear hierarchy and
leadership. While I served as board president, we moved our elections back to April, uh, to keep a focus on local governance and decouple this board from state and national politics. We also had a budget issue, but I don't want to talk about that. In the years since, we've put three
budgets directly to the voters, and all three were approved. What this tells me is when you explain things clearly enough, people will always vote yes or at least they'll trust you enough to to vote yes, even if they're not quite sure.
Beyond my service to this board, I'd be remiss to not mention that I've served on the board of directors of the New Jersey School Boards Association along with its legislative committee, finance committee, audit committee, and their nominating committee. I served as vice president of the Union County School Boards Association and on the executive
committee of the New Jersey Inter Scholastic Athletics Association. I'm the only Westfield board member to ever earn the highest level of certification from the NJSBA, culminating as a certified board leader, which if nothing else proves that I have spent a lot of time in training
sessions. And I'll close these remarks tonight with what's left unfinished. First, the referendum projects. We've been talking about this and planning it for seven years. The taxpayers have committed about a quarter billion dollars in funding. Don't lose focus.
Second, cohesion matters. A divided house is not just slow decisions. It causes talented employees to start looking elsewhere. Work tirelessly to fold our new board members Patrick and Anthony into the board culture. Third, continue to aggressively pursue board certification through the NJSBA.
that investment in good governance will pay dividends. Fourth, continue building partnerships with the town government, especially with respect to shared services. Things we've been talking about for years like trying to figure out how we can get the DPW to plow our lots or take over more
field maintenance or even uh share IT services. They're all areas for sharing the limited tax dollars of the Westfield residents. We've made progress here, but keep pushing. Fifth, pursue opportunities for alternative revenue, namely special ed
tuition once the district projects are complete and reach out to Mountainside before they lock into a renewed contract with Governor Livingston. Mountain the Mountainside High School population could easily be absorbed by WHS without much effort. And my back of the envelope math is straightforward. The revenue,
including the cost of additional positions, will more than offset the cost of staffing full day kindergarten once the referendum projects are done. Don't let something controversial stop the stop you from doing something right. And finally, our relationship with the
WA. The lack of animosity we have maintained for decades is rare. It's one of the strongest intangible assets this district has. Protected at all costs. In closing, just over 70% of my life has been tied to this district. As a student, as a board member, I've seen it
from both sides. This district is strong and not by accident, but because of by the people who show up, do the work, and make the hard decisions every day. And for me personally, it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve this community that raised me. I'm proud of the work we've done here, I'm confident the work will continue. And while the
time I'm sad that my time on the board is coming to an end, I'm always available if the board needs anything, especially as you transition committee responsibilities. I'm just a phone call away. Thank you all and thank you to Westfield for giving me 14 years of your trust.
>> Thank you very much and really thanks to you both. I mean putting yourselves in this position to serve is absolutely outstanding and exemplary for our students and for our for our town. So thank you guys very much again and for all the time spent. Um gosh, now I have
to move on. Now I have to move on to liaison reports. Uh any any from there? I actually have one to to bring up. Uh just today actually and Brendan's talk reminded us of it. Uh today uh Dr.
Gonzalez, Patty and I sat down with the new mayor uh to talk about continued chair services, talk about um how, you know, additional efforts for the board and the and the town to continue to cooperate. So, um it was exceptionally
wellreceived. Um certainly some how do I want to say this? The mayor is certainly somebody willing to get moving on things. Um this was not a session of let's talk and we'll cycle back later. it was concrete ideas, actual thoughts, and how fast can we get some of this
stuff moving. So, um, it's a it's a it was a great sign and a good sign for continued partnership. Um, so I wanted to mention that obviously because of what it was, but also because I wanted to make sure you knew we checked one thing already off the list of stuff. So, that's that's that's good. We're already we are already trying to make you happy. That's good.
>> I'll add something else. >> Oh, great. >> You're a phone call away, right? That's um any other liaison reports while we're here? All right. Um I will now open up the meeting to recognize the public uh for non-aggenda items. Same rules that I
mentioned before apply. Seeing no one appear, I will close this portion of the public uh this the public session. Uh the board actually has to we do need to move to an executive session. Um, so I will ask the board to approve the following resolution. Be it resolved
that the board of education move into private session for the purpose of discussing matters rendered confidential by state and federal law, including personnel matters. And be it further resolved that any discussion held by the board, which need not remain confidential, and the results of the discussion will be made public as soon
as practicable. Be it further resolved following the executive session, the board will adjourn without returning to public session. May I have a second, please? CJ's got that one. Uh we can do a just a vote by hand. All in favor?
Any opposed? Any abstensions? We are