Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Winslow Township Board of Education meeting and public hearing of 2026-2027 budget. Today is April 29th, 2026, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
And at 7:45, there will be a public hearing on the 2026- 2027 budget. Public notice of this meeting was given to all board members and associates. In a notice dated
January 8th, 2026, and March 16th, 2026, adequate and electronic notice of this public meeting have been provided specifying the time,
place, and manner in which this meeting is being conducted. It was advertised in the Courier Post, posted in all schools, the administration office, the municipal building, the library,
Bob Dole Center, Edgewood Acres, Elm Town, and the Winslow Township post office. Mission statement? The mission of Winslow Township School District, a large, diverse, and growing community, is to educate all students to
become independent, lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and caring and confident members of their community. The district, in partnership with the the community, and in a climate of cooperation and mutual respect, will provide an academic environment which values experience and
diversity, encourages students to strive for personal excellence, and assist them in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to contribute positively to a rapidly changing world. Roll call.
Mr. Clark? Here. Ms. Dredden? Here. Ms. Gallard? Here. Ms. Martin? Mr. Matthews? Present. Ms. Nieves? She will be absent. Thank you. Mr. Shaw? Present.
Ms. Pitt? Present. And Mr. Thomas? >> Present. We have a quorum. Pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. 2025-2026 district goals. Student achievement. Continue to implement research-based best practices for delivering instruction and accelerating learning for all students, including all subgroups.
This shall include conduct weekly administrative walk-throughs to monitor teaching and learning, utilize the district diagnostic assessment platform to analyze student data to inform and guide instruction, to monitor and track measurable growth
in ELA and mathematics in grades 1 through 9, >> [clears throat] >> to implement creative ways to accelerate student learning by providing additional supports throughout and beyond the school day. Number two, promote a positive
environment for students and staff. Enforce the code of conduct to ensure safety for students and staff and compliance with district policies. Incorporate social-emotional learning opportunities for students to celebrate
positive behaviors. Develop strategies for students with significant behaviors to reduce the interruption of instructional time, decrease negative actions, and improve school attendance. Number three, increase stakeholder
engagement. Explore and expand innovative opportunities to increase parent communication, create parent learning opportunities with the focus on how to support their child's learning, continue to share the accomplishments of Winslow students in all student
activities. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we will ask you for a moment of silence to recognize one of our uh alumni student. On behalf of Mr. Pease, interim superintendent, I'd like to take a moment to inform the board and the
community of the passing of two members of the Winslow community. We recently lost Mr. Ian Durant, Winslow Township High School class of 2005, and Ms. Milan Ahi Whetstone, Winslow Township High School class of 2006. Ian and Milan were part of the Winslow
family, and their loss is deeply felt by all who knew them. Our thoughts, prayers, are with their families, friends, and classmates during this difficult time. At this time, I'd like to ask everyone please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memory. Thank you.
Moving right along to awards and presentations, will there be any awards and presentations tonight, Ms. Pennix? Yes, Mr. President. First, we will have School Number One, Mr. Nathan Davis. Good evening, everyone. My name is Mr. Calkins. I'm the music teacher at
Winslow School One. The students recently performed a concert on Monday, April 20th, and they are super excited to share some of their favorite songs, as well as readings from that program. So, without further ado, Winslow School
One. >> [applause] >> Music is important in our everyday lives. It motivates and inspires us. We can sing, play, clap, and dance. >> [applause]
>> Music helps us connect with people all around the world. Our neighbors, friends, and family. >> [applause] >> Life is better with music. Music helps us hear patterns, sounds, and rhythms. >> [applause]
>> We have begun our musical journey by learning how to read music. >> [applause] >> Reading music is important because readers are leaders. >> [applause]
>> We have learned about many kinds kinds of music like jazz, classical, pop, hip hop, salsa, rap, and the blues. Feeling Feeling like we belong is very
important. We are part of something great. We are Winslow School One. >> [applause] >> Now, we will share our school pep song, "Hungry to Learn". >> [applause] [music] [music]
[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> We have grown so much this year,
and we are still growing. We are looking toward the future because we are the future. >> [laughter] >> We are moving forward. And I know.
>> [applause] [bell] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [singing] [music] [screaming] [music]
[music] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you. >> [laughter] >> All right, folks, we're going to move on, but before we move on, let's give them another round of applause [laughter] for that phenomenal performance. I believe we have another presentation.
Yes, Mr. President. Is Ms. Savannah Heffner in the audience? Thank you. Ms. Heffner, tonight, on behalf of the Board of Education, Mr. Pease, we extend our thanks to you, to the Winslow Township
High School Drama program for your exceptional direction and leadership in this school year in bringing two outstanding theatrical productions, the fall play Charlotte's Web, and the spring musical Chicago the Musical Teen Edition. Your vision, dedication, and creative
expertise shine through in each performance, and your ability to guide your students through such complex and iconic productions speaks volumes about your talent as a director and a mentor. Your work this year has not only entertained, but has also inspired our
students to discover their own artistic potential. Your tireless efforts behind the scenes and your unwavering support of your cast and crew have also created memorable experiences for them. So, thank you, Ms. Heffner, for your remarkable contribution to our school's arts
program. Your dedication enriches our community, and we look forward to many more incredible productions. Thank you. And this is a member of the other cast. Yes, sir. This is my guy here. I got Thanks a lot, everybody. Let's give them
a round of applause. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, you can go somewhere. Job. I believe we have one more presentation by Mr. Deion Davis. Yes, Mr. President.
Mr. Davis will present the 2024-2025 district and school grade report card presentation. >> [snorts] >> Okay. Enclosing your folders, board members, you will see the official copy, which shows our school school scores ranging anywhere from a 68
to 78 points. It's out of total of 78. Our district grade overall was a 76 out of 78, which is the same as it was last year. The following narrative, along with our 24-25 scores, has been uploaded to the
district as well as all school websites, and it reads as follows. Beginning with September 2011-2012 school year, our school district has conscientiously implemented the requirements found in the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act by establishing and
implementing various programs, approaches, and initiatives to address harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Since the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, our school district has made progress in addressing and improving harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and the
school climate and culture by creating school and district-based initiatives, utilizing the My K12 software system for reporting and tracking incidents, and providing ongoing training for staff and students. While completing the self-assessment for
the 2024-2025 school year, we learned that our school district has demonstrated strengths in the following areas: providing ongoing training for staff and students on HIV-related information, implementing programs and approaches to address HIV prevention and intervention,
and conducting and completing investigations within the 10-day time frame. >> [applause] >> As a district, we are committed to addressing >> And Mr. President, I'll read the num- the second one when we get to uh information one. Okay, so we're going to move right along until we can get to
7:45. I like to take this time I have I have some correspondence here that I think I just want to recognize if I may. Um our our very own uh Ms. Lorraine Dredden with the 2026 outstanding foster parent of the year award. Uh
Ms. Maguire 2026 teacher of the year award. Ms. Peters 2026 teacher of the year award. Ms. Jeffries 2026 teacher of the year award.
Ms. Santapa 2026 teacher of the year award. Mr. Dixon 2026 teacher of the year award. Mr. Caldwell 2026 teacher of the year award.
And Ms. Irving 2026 teacher year of the award. And Ms. Rifkin 2026 teacher of the year award. Let's give them all a round of applause for great job they did with the teacher of the award. We're going to move on down
to uh number one under minutes. And I'm going to look for a motion to approve the following minutes of the Board of Education regular minutes meeting minutes Wednesday, April 15th, 2026 open session regular meeting Wednesday, April 15th,
2026 closed session. Can I get a motion? I'm make a motion to approve the meeting minutes of the Board of Education for Wednesday, April 15th, 2026 of the regular meeting open and closed session. Second, Mr. Clark. Any questions?
Roll call. Mr. Clark Yes. Ms. Dredden Abstain. Ms. Floyd Ms. Martin Yes. Mr. Matthews Yes. Ms. Shaw
Yes. Ms. Witz Yes. And Mr. Thomas Yes. The motion has carried. We're going to move right along through the board committee reports. Uh any report from the Athletics and Arts Committee? Our boys and girls track team um went with doing their track um
uh meets uh over the past week um went out and did some phenomenal um results um for the first place team on Winslow Township for the girls 4 by 100 Amara Arango, Olivia Acquaro
um Anaya Robinson and Jasmine Jackson won first place with the result of 46. 39 and our boys um high school 300 meter champion um uh placed fifth place Amaya Rango this
Amaya Rango um Anaya Robinson this is girls I'm sorry Olivia Acquaro and Jasmine Jackson and then the standing finding the final standings um of the meet uh Winslow Township um
Quiet Hendricks for the boys um Jakobe Jacks James Keon and Alf Ali Prince and Osama Tuom um won first place with a time of 3.20.58. And then on the boys high school boys 4
by 100 um Winslow Township um came under Bergen Catholic um the top public school is Winslow Township with a score of with a time of 42.31. And that completes my athletic um uh report for the committee. Thanks a lot,
Ms. Floyd. Move along to the Citizens Advisory Committee. Would there be anything out of that committee? Good evening, Mr. President. No uh minutes are coming forth. Um the meeting was called to order on
Sep- uh April 9th, 2026. Members in attendance Rosemary Hoffman, Tamia Stevens, Tiffany Brown Paul Glickous, Gregory Wake, Patrick Oates, Marcy Tomasello, Jennifer Moss Abigail Murphy by phone. Board members included myself
and Ms. Nowitz. Thank you so much. And at this time I just to recognize our Excuse Excuse me. Go ahead. I'm doing the minutes. Oh, go ahead. Go right ahead, Ms. Martin. >> [laughter] >> Um recommendation update student advisory brought up at last policy
meeting Mr. Peace plans to meet more regularly with students in the district that are on the committee ask for regular updates sent. Thanks to getting this started. Uniformity between schools has not been discussed even when brought up at meetings. All are all four
elementary schools doing same thing. Example, school graduations. Some do move up ceremonies, some do not. Schools five and six are uniform in holding moving up ceremonies. Only one graduation recognized in district which is the high school.
Elementary schools should use moving up or promotional ceremonies. Cap and gown has been brought up for moving up. However, the cap and gown is established for seniors only only. Leave to individual schools decision. Old business pending
discussion regarding recommending a town hall meeting chat with the board member is not recommended to be used to identify the meeting due to just board members attending and not the superintendent. Suggestion made to have town hall meetings at each school to
allow residents of each ward and area to attend each school and has a board representative to attend. Hold off for 1 month to do more research. Um bussing safety issues individual
spoke at township council meeting and was told that they would speak to each school to gain insight and gather information. Our member will ask at the next meeting on April 14th about updates of the student council's I'm sorry
updates of the council's progress. We'll wait for next meeting. Uh Um that concludes the minutes for the meeting. Uh the next CAC meeting will be May 14th at 7:00 p.m. in the business
business administration office. Thank you so much, great Thank you. comprehensive uh report. Appreciate it. Anything out of the Education Committee on the behalf of Ms. Rebecca Nowitz? No. Nothing at this time. Thank you. Anything out of the Marketing Committee?
Uh Mr. President, the Marketing Committee did meet today at 6:00. We were in district President were Martin Dredden and um self
Special guest? Special guest appearance President Joe Thomas. Um We had several positive kinds of things to discuss. However, the actual report I will
present to the board at our first meeting Outstanding. Mr. Shaw, what's going on with negotiations? Anything? Everything's Everything's still good? We're still good with our negotiations. We don't have anything for a while. You're doing an excellent job down
there, sir. Really appreciate it. Operations Committee, do we have anything out of the Operations Committee? Thank you. How about the Policy Committee? Anything? Um Policy Committee, we will we have um a few policies that we will be doing the first reading on Wednesday, May 13th
after um our policy meeting on May the 6th at 5:00 p.m. in Admin Building. Um once we as a policy committee continue to um look through this I sent the email out to all the policy committee um members to review all of the policies so when we have the meeting that day I'll
be able to come in with any updates or any recommendations that we can present to the board. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Mr. Clark, anything coming out of Technology Committee? Nothing new, but we will have our monthly meeting Monday, May 4th at 5:30.
All right, thank you so much. Ms. Dredden, anything coming out of the Township Economic Development Council? Thank you so much. Mr. Matthews, anything coming out of the Municipal Drug Alliance? Not at this time. Thank you. Mr. Shaw, anything coming out of the Township Planning Board?
Nothing at this time and I want to just um report out that uh the chairman of the Planning Board was uh at last night's meeting along with the um board secretary to kind of give the
the community a basic rundown of what the Planning Board does so I felt like that was a really good thing that they uh that they did for the community to give everybody a basic idea of everything that goes into the Planning Board and what we do inside the Planning Board as
far as the development um of Winslow Township and the master plan and the um update of the master plan that will be coming probably by the end of this year. So, that uh that that's uh my report on the Planning
Board for uh this evening. Thank you. And be- before we move on I just want to recognize our Ward 1 Committeeman Mr. Brandon Glicklich is in the in the presence with us tonight. Now, moving on to number 13, adopt a school board representative reports. Are there any reports at all coming out of that
category? Yes, I have a report for school two. Okay. Uh Mrs. McBride, as per usual, you know, sent me a pretty thorough report, so I'm going to read it out. >> Take your time. And I appreciate her for doing so. Uh we had our math ELA SEL night on April 1st
where families came together to enjoy a variety of academic and social activities. All families left with a bag of goodies to support their child's academic social emotional well-being. Due to the inclement weather in February and March, we held our Black History
Month program on April 9th which highlighted the accomplishments of African Americans in theater and fashion from the 1900s to the present. The night featured a wax museum and a fashion show. On April 16th, we had our second grade
spring concert. Our music teacher, Mr. McKay, allowed the students to vote on the songs sung this year. The highlight of the night was the song and animation of Big Guy from SpongeBob. On April 20th, our Perfecting Chords performance took place at the middle
school. Students had the had been meeting every Thursday since January to work with the Perfecting Chords staff learning music theory, rhythm, dance, and drums. The theme of this year's performance was The Sound of Music. We had a full day of
Earth Day activities on April 22nd. Students had the opportunity to plant seeds, create a simulated com- compost activity with pudding, Oreo cookies, and gummy worms, walk through the book trail, read a book, The Great Kapok Tree, play Earth Day Bingo, create an
Earth Day poster, and have an all-around Earth Day learning experience. And the high school Leo Club came to read at their pre- pre-K second grade student students today on April 29th. Uh they read a book and presented
a hands-on activity to all the classes. And that concludes our report. Thank you. Outstanding. Love to hear that. Love to hear that type of learning going on in our district. Wonderful report. Anyone else have a report from their respective uh school? I I just want to
put out there that tomorrow night the middle school will be doing their National Junior Honor Society induction. Um so, if anybody has um free night tomorrow, make sure you come out to see those young uh young men and
women get inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. Their seventh and eighth graders work really hard to earn that honor, and you know, they deserve our support for tomorrow night. Thank you, Mr. Shaw. Academics is very important to us here at the Winslow
Township School District. >> excuse me, Mr. President, what time is that tomorrow night? 7:00? I believe it's at 6:30. I'll double-check. >> 6:30 at the middle school? Okay. Thank you. I have um the school three. Go for it.
>> Um it's in the agenda, um but just I wanted to announce it publicly that school three um will be uh changing their uh spring concert from May 7th to June the 3rd. Um hopefully parents in the community can come out and watch the children do their spring concert. Also, they're going to be having Teacher
Appreciation Week um from May 4th to May 8th to celebrate the um outstanding staff at school three. Um and they're also doing some great initiatives with Breakfast with Superwoman for Mother's Day on May 8th, and Breakfast with the Superhero on June 6th for the fathers.
Outstanding. Anyone else? Yes, sir. >> Go ahead, Mr. Clark. I hear you. School number one, obviously a fantastic [snorts] performance tonight that we want to give them their appreciation for, but also a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to read in Ms. Earland's
kindergarten class, and I am pleased to report that they are very happy and excited to be in school, which is something I don't know that I could have said for myself. Uh very energetic. They told me what they were learning about number partners and different things like that. So, that was a very pleasant
experience, and uh I've been in contact with Mr. Davis, and we're going to set up a meeting to continue to discuss school one. Outstanding, Mr. Clark. Love to hear it. Anyone else? Yes, sir. The high school Go ahead, Ms. Red. Do your thing. Yes. Today, they had their um
honorary recital in the auditorium. And um I think that was very good. They really enjoyed themselves, the way I understand. And uh there's a lot of things been going on in the um high school that's going to go on till the end of the year.
And on um we get into uh May, and May the 5th, they'll be having their spring concert in the auditorium. Uh May the 19th, senior awards. Uh that'll be like at 6:00 p.m. That's a
That's really a great one. And on um June the 9th, they'll be having a small ensemble concert at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium. And um of course,
uh 6:18, uh they'll be having their senior class brunch. And um I think that's really good. It's going to be the auxiliary in the gym. And uh of course, we know 6:18 is graduation
day. And I'm looking forward to that cuz I have one graduating this year. Congratulations. And then on 5:19, the senior awards will be in the auditorium as well. Okay. So, I just wanted to just put a little
bit out about the seniors and how much they have been doing and prior before this. Um I just want to give them kudos. Congratulations. Good to hear it. And I'm going to do my report coming out of school four. It's a hard act to
follow with all that going on in all the districts, but I'll try. At school number four, our dedicated third graders have been working tirelessly year-round to ensure our students are well prepared for testing. This week marks an exciting phase as our
third graders participate in the NJSL AA boot camp where each day focuses on specific standards-driven instructions tailored to enhance their test scores and skills.
To boost morale, Ms. Lori Kelly and her gang created an encouraging atmosphere as testing approaches. They have a special prep rally planned for the third grade students this Friday.
They will prepare to rock the test with motivational rock painting and a brief motivational video that will be shared right now. Well, let's turn around. >> [music] >> Howdy, partners.
Outlaw educators here. We understand that you have upcoming tests, and we're here to give you some important tips. >> [screaming] [music] >> Y'all best be typing with two hands. These pencils are mighty sharp.
Yours better be, too. Breakfast is the most important part of the day. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Hey there, little rascals. If you want to do well on your test, you better get a good night's sleep. >> [screaming] >> That's all the tips we have. Now, it's
up to you. You can do it. GOOD LUCK, PARTNERS. FOLKS, THERE YOU HAVE IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE doing at school four to make sure they're prepared for the test. We're going to move right along. We got two minutes, miss We do. We have two minutes. All right, so
>> We now have one minute. Okay, so we're going to go to page six at the top, number eight, the superintendent's report. I'm looking for a motion to approve the superintendent's report as shown on the top of page six. It goes all the way to the middle of
page nine at the quarter bottom. Can I get a motion? Make a motion to approve the superintendent's report as it's recommended from the top of page six to the middle of page nine. Second, Mr. Clark. Questions?
Roll call. Mr. Clark. Yes. Ms. Dredden. Yes. Mr. Lord. Yes. Ms. Martin. Yes. Mr. Matthews. Yes. Mr. Shaw.
Yes. Ms. Pitts. Yes. And Mr. Tom. Yes. The motion has carried. Thank you. Mr. President, if I may. You may. It is 7:45, so it would be appropriate to move into our public hearing. I'd like to for the benefit of the public and the
board's edification, just go over some ground rules. The public hearing format will be as follows. There will be a motion and a second and a voice vote to open the public hearing. Second, there will be a presentation on
the budget that will be supplied and provided by Mrs. Boyle, our business administrator and board secretary. This is for the benefit of the public specifically. Thirdly, we will then accept comments from the public.
We as a board are obligated to listen to those comments. It's not a discussion with the public in terms of the format suggested by law, but we take input from our citizens. And then following the
last public comment that is made, there will be a motion, a second, and a voice vote to close that public hearing. So at this point in time, I believe we're on page two, item Roman numeral seven, public hearing on 26-27 budget, and it's appropriate to
call for a motion to open up the public hearing. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to call for a motion to open up the public hearing on the 2026-2027 budget. I make a motion to open the public hearing on the 26-27
Winslow Township Board of Education budget. Second. Any questions? Voice vote, all in favor. Aye. Aye. Boyle. It is on. But it doesn't seem to be working. So, you could use this one.
This one's working real good. Okay. So, I want to thank everybody for taking the time out to come to our budget hearing. It's the budget hearing for next year's budget, the 2026-27. Um when Mr. Fasciani gets back,
we'll put the presentation up. Okay. So, this presentation is under the oversight of Mr. Mark Pease, our interim superintendent, and the administrative team. Let me see.
The district goals. Our district goals are of course student achievement, promote a positive environment for students and staff, increase stakeholder engagement, and it's through all of our collective efforts that we present a budget which assist in achieving these
goals. So, the first thing I want to discuss are our enrollments in October 15th, 2024, we had our actual count of students. It comes down to 4,907.
We do that by taking our full-time students, we add back in any students that are sent to private schools, those that are sent to other districts, those that are in the seat at on that count, which was October 15th, that are not residents of
Winslow Township. We back that out, and then we add back our state facilities. So, in October 15th, 2024, we had 4,907 students. October 15th, 2025, going through that same calculation, we
have 4,798, which was a decrease. However, we're estimating for October 26th or October 15th, 2026, that our enrollments will increase slightly by 58 students to 4,856
students. I like that. Okay. So, in 2025, and we always do this under a comparison, so we like to see where we are right now and what we're projecting for the next budget. So, in 2025-26,
which is the year we're operating in, um our we received state aid of $56.7 million to support the budget. And then in the preschool program, we received $3.1 million for a total of $59.9 million
in 25-26. In 26-27, we're receiving $60.2 million, which is an increase of about $3.4 million. Um and our preschool aid went up to $3.8
million, which is an increase of $675,000 for a total increase of 64 total state aid of $64 million roughly. And that increase from the
prior year or the current year to next year was about $4 million. Now, understand that the preschool aid does not support the operation of the or the fund 10 in the general fund. However, we do receive that money from
the state. It's It's grants. It's uh preschool aid, and those funds are in um accounted for in fund 20. And I don't want to go into fund accounting, but I just want you to know that it is
a separate fund. In terms of federal aid, schools usually get very little federal aid to support their operating budget. In 25-26, we received semi aid, which is special education Medicaid aid
of about $46,640. Next year, they're only allotting us about $19,963, and that's a decrease of $26,600 and $77. And even that funding is that total
funding is not necessarily achieved. It's based off of parent and student participation in the semi program. The local contribution for the general fund in 25-26, our tax levy was $55.8
million. The fund balance was $6.7 million. We made a withdrawal of capital reserve or couple of withdrawals capital reserve coming up to $15.2 million, and we made a withdrawal from maintenance reserve of
$1.1 million. So, the total amount was $79 million. For 26-27, we're anticipating a tax levy of $62.2 million, which is an increase of $6.4
million over the prior year. Fund balance of $5.5 million. We are not making a withdrawal from capital reserve this year, and we're making a withdrawal from maintenance reserve of $817,000.
I want to note that the tax levy going from 55.8 to 62.2 is an increase of about 11.59%. This is the analysis of this tax levy increase. The 2% tax levy is $1.1
million. We are having to take a health care adjustment of $4.2 million. We're going to utilize cap bank of $1.1 million for a total increase of 6.4 million. Revenues in the general fund for the
next school year, again the local tax levy 6.2 million, state aid 60 million, uh extraordinary and other aid we're anticipating 1.5 million, fund balance 5.5 million, tuition 4.1 million, uh
we're anticipating miscellaneous revenue and interest on capital and maintenance reserve of 980,000. Again semi 19,963 and the withdrawal from maintenance reserve which is 817,000
for a total operating budget of 135,522,019. And then we get a little pie chart where we can see where the funding is coming from. So state aid is going to supply about 45.5%
of the total cost, our tax levy 45.97%, fund balance is contributing a little over 4%, um tuition from other districts about 3.09%, we're making a withdrawal from maintenance .6%,
um miscellaneous and extra and extraordinary aid and semi is about .74% and again state aid is 45.53. So now we see um the revenues that we have. We're going to look now at our budgeted
appropriations. How are we going to allocate these these funds? So what's planned for 26-27? We are going to purchase uh four additional school buses pursuant to our vehicle rotation schedule, uh new textbook adoptions. We're going to
um invest in technology and software and we're going to continue to provide mental health and behavioral services. In terms of projects, we're going to um partially or we're going to pay a portion of the
high school parking lot. Anybody that has If you parked on the backside of the building, you can see how cruel this winter was to that parking lot. And we're going to do a partial parking lot repaving at the middle school. Those two together are about 1.1 million
dollars. Now what has not changed? We're going to continue to support our staffing needs. We're not going to charge anybody to participate in extra or co-curricular activities. We're going to continue to invest in the district's technology.
Uh we're investing in current and up-to-date educational resources for our students. We're investing in the performing arts and supporting the best outcomes for our students. So our budgeted appropriations um
We have a a advertised budget which everybody will have access to. I believe it was sitting out on the table. Uh we have consolidated the lines. So for instruction, we're going to allocate 44 44.5 million dollars toward
instruction. Tuition, our costs are 17.2 million, student support 14.6 million, administration and information technology 8.4 million,
operation and maintenance is 11.3 million, student transportation 12.9 million, benefits um 23.9 million, uh interest earned on maintenance reserve 500, capital outlay
is 1.8 million and transfer to charter schools is three excuse me 638,921 for a total operating budget of 135,522,019. Again we have a pie pie chart to see um
how the allocations um pan out. Uh 32.83% is being allocated to instruction, so that gets the lion's share. Uh paying tuition costs are going to be 12.72%
of the budget, student transportation 10.81, uh student Excuse me, student support is 10.81, student transportation is 9.56% of the total budget, operation and maintenance is
uh 8.39% of the budget, transfers to charter schools is uh 4.47, uh information technology and administration is 6.21, benefits uh is 17.65
and cap capital outlay is 1.36. But you'll notice that the lion's share is going directly to uh students and instruction. So here we have a three-year comparison of uh appropriations and
uh expenditures. And 24-25 numbers are actual numbers. 25-26 are revised numbers for uh the current year and then 26-27 is what we have proposed. Uh you will see that in
25-26 uh the tax levy is 55.8, we're proposing 62.2 for the subsequent year. State aid was 57.9. It's going to go up to 61.7%
dollars or million dollars, I'm sorry. Um other uh tuition uh we were anticipating 7.9 million. Let me make sure so I'm running across. 3.6, I'm sorry.
3.6 million, we're anticipating revenues of 4.1 next year. Uh other local, we're going from 80 thousand 600 to 980,600. This number is closer to actual revenue
that we earn. Um other financing sources uh 46.64 to 19. Um 19,963 which we recognize as semi figure.
We're going to drop down. If you notice um there is this adjustment for prior year encumbrances is 2.7 million dollars. Those are purchase orders or expenditures that were made in the 24-25 budget, but the services hadn't been
provided or the goods weren't supplied. So it's like an outstanding check when you're balancing your checkbook, you got to carry it over. So those funds are brought over into the next year so that we can pay them when those services are
completed or the items are delivered. So this the 25-26 is revised in the fact that it's got a little more money than what we had originally adopted because those numbers had to come in. Or those prior encumbrances had to roll.
And then budgeted fund balance 6.7 million to 5.5. In terms of expenditures, there are You can see some variances. I'm going to flip the chart or the page and take a closer look at them.
So if we look at the expenditure comparison, we can see in 25-26 we had instruction of 59.4. Next year we're taking that up to 61.7 which is a 2.2 million dollar increase.
Student support is going from 12.6 to 14.6, that's another 1.9 million dollar increase. Information technology and administration is actually getting a slight decrease of 552,914.
Same with operation and maintenance, um that's taking a decrease of 633,933. In terms of transportation, in 25-26 uh we had budgeted 11.5 million.
We have to allocate 12.9 million for next year. That's an increase of 1.3 million. Benefits, we are at 19.4 for this year. It is going up to 23.9 for next year which is a 4.4 million
dollar increase in our health care costs. Uh transfer to charter schools has a modest increase of 45,295. That number however fluctuates, so we can it can go up or down,
but it's still modest. So when we took take a look at our proposed budget, we are um for the general fund, we're looking at 135,522,019. Of that, we're getting revenue of 73,222,187
and then the local tax levy is 62.299,835 or balance that out. In terms of special revenue fund, it's 11.4 million and it's supported by 11.4 million. So, there is no impact on the tax levy. So, the total
budget is 146 million 999 840 dollars. Um again, the um general fund has students that will be participating in the special revenue fund. We pay tuition for those students
of 89,034 dollars. We don't want to show it as a double dip, so we we have to pull it out of both. Uh cuz it's like taking money out of one pocket and into the other. So, the adjusted uh budget is 146
million 901 806. That is combining special revenue fund and the general fund. The tax impact Uh our net valuation taxable is 2.7 billion
dollars. The average residential assessment is 177,700 and our tax rate is 2.141%. So, if your home was assessed at 177,725, your taxes were 3,579
to support the school district budget. In 2026, that same home assessed at 177,700 Oh. Your tax levy to support the school would be um 3,805,
which is an increase of approximately 226 dollars. That concludes the presentation and I'm going to open it up from for comments from from the public. Does any member of the public wish to come forward and make comments on the
budget? Uh please step forward. You microphone and give your name and town of residence and we'll be glad to hear you. Okay. So, I wrote down a couple questions.
Um one is that you said it there was an additional four million dollars for the preschool program and there was a increase and I wanted to know if that four million would include
um before and after care that some of the parents were asking for. And then or would that come from the other funding that you were talking about the fund 10 and fund 20.
Then I have a sheet. Whatever this one is, I don't know what you were reading from, but is this what you were talking about? This paper? Miss Boyle.
Okay, I'm sorry. Cuz you were talking about a pie chart, but this one doesn't have that. No. So, okay. >> that's What's this? This is This is the advertised budget that you have. Mhm. Um And what >> I was just writing down as you were
talking, but I was looking at this, too. So, Mhm. So, we have collapsed certain numbers so that because I can't put this on that. So, there's certain collapsed numbers. I
didn't know exactly what you were referencing or you had a question about. >> this part that I wrote took note of, that was only because of what you were talking about on the slide. When I looked at this, though, I had a question about your student activity fund.
Um and I was going to question like what is that? And is that about the extracurricular activities? Cuz that's the portion of the budget that I needed clarified for me. Okay. I want to clarify that this and I'm sorry >> have anything to do with the other.
What? This is not supposed to be a question and answer. >> forth. Okay, got it. But you can >> can ask the question and then you'll get back to me with the answers. >> Or you can call my office. I And we can have a conversation tomorrow. Okay, that's fine. I'm just going to
get it all out, though, since you opened up the floor. >> Yeah. Okay. So, I don't need to ask the one about the um the student activity because it's for extracurricular activities and you can just let me know where.
Mhm. Okay. And then when you get a moment and go into your question. Okay, that works. Um and then my other question was going to be about the
the semi funding, but again, I can ask that question via email and I wanted to have the tax levy part further explained. Um is that I guess it's just a tax increase on homes because I guess that's
what that came down to. But that's fine. I'll send the email. Ma'am, I'm sorry. What was your name? Bohill. Okay, Miss Bohill. Okay. Actually, um I think this is more like budget adjacent. Is that okay? It's
I think it could affect some of your decisions. It's maybe more general public comment, but I'm feeling a little under the weather. >> another uh open public comment where you can speak on any item. This is strictly budget very uh comments. I was I was
thinking it might be applicable because of the parking lot plans. Um Why don't you just go ahead and make your comment? >> Okay, thank you so much. Um so, to introduce myself, my name is Jenna Forte. I'm uh I live over on Cedar Brook Road in Winslow. I'm a newer resident.
Um couple So, there's an organization called the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association um and myself and two other folks are uh river councilors that represent Winslow. Um and the reason I'm here is to and I'm it's serendipitous
that you all are talking about projects, especially considering the paving um because Rutgers back in 2019 did a uh study of Winslow of storm storm water runoff and how to um essentially
decrease flooding and decrease the like speed at which water is going right into the watershed with all kinds of um unfortunately pollutants. And so, the parking lot projects are perfect um because the Great Egg Harbor Harbor
Watershed Association can um help with grant funding uh in order to do some of that paving, specifically if it's for uh pervious uh surfaces, so the water has a little more time to drain through
and not pool, which I know that there's been flooding issues at the different schools at different times. I I don't know the details, but um I just wanted to get this study that Rutgers did on your desks and um the numbers are kind of big. They do
give estimates for what the projects could cost. They're estimates. There's different layers to the projects, things to consider, but also my main goal is to meet folks that are bought into this and are like, "Hey,
yeah, let's do it. Let's find the money." Because then I can go back to the NJDEP, I can go back to the National Park Service, I can go back to Great Egg Harbor Harbor Watershed Association and find money and grant money to support
it. So, hopefully that would cut some of the budgets, take care of our environment, take care of our watersheds. And I think that's one of the gems of Winslow is how beautiful the nature is here and for kids to be able to play and enjoy that nature, I think that's just really beautiful. So, I'm
just going to pass these out. Thank you for accepting this um slightly adjacent comment. Hopefully it is supporting um a more, you know, economically feasible budget long-term if it even if it's not something that is like, you know, right for tonight.
Um Yeah, thank you so much for the time. Thank you. And your name? I'm sorry. Jen Forte. Jenna. If you provide it to Mrs. Boyle, she'll make sure everyone >> Mr. President.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Appreciate the opportunity. And you may proceed. Hi. Good evening. [clears throat] Uh my name is Joni Page and I had a question or I guess if someone can elaborate more. I'm trying to follow along with you, but I'm interested in
hearing what is the plan in regards to the special education and I believe you said it was the semi program because that was a drastic drop. So, I want to figure out how are you going to accommodate that? Um and someone can answer that question at some point
during this meeting. That's my question for right now. May have some others, but for right now that was a bit uh eye-opener. I have the answers to your question, but this is not supposed to be a dialogue. So, uh
the semi is just funding is minimal funding that we get from uh the federal government. Uh and it's based on participation and like there's applications that have to be filled out on the school level. If
the parents and the students do not participate, then our funding gets reduced, but there is still special ed funding. So, this does not this is not a drastic cut to the special ed programs. So, was this number based on the fact of
parent participation or filling out the form? Is that why the number decreased? Yes, and that's an amount that they they are allotting to uh the school based off of what we turn back in. So, we are going to try to
those numbers up and then they would start to possibly start allocating more funding back to us, but if they allocate a certain amount to us and they're withholding it from another school, if our community doesn't participate,
then the next time they go to slice the pie, they're going to give us less because we're not we're not very responsive. And it's not district personnel. It's you know, the community has to take advantage of this.
So, even though they have 19,000 in for next year, if our participa- participation doesn't reach that amount, we won't get it. So, that's really based on the community. However, if you're just
looking at special revenue, special revenue fund is there. And or I'm sorry, for special ed students, special ed funding is there. All right, thank you. Anyone else like to comment on the budget? Seeing no one, Mr. President, it would
be appropriate to adjourn the public hearing for the 26-27 budget, which we have on our agenda uh at the middle of page two. All right, I'm looking for now a motion to adjourn of the public hearing for the 2026-2027 budget budget.
I make a motion to adjourn the public hearing for the 26-27 Winslow Township Board of Education budget. Second. Any questions? All in favor? Aye. Moving right along back to page
number 10. Mr. President. >> Yes. Right behind that, if we move over to page three, it's the opportunity for the board to vote on the budget. >> Okay. All right, how could we forget that? Okay. We're right now on page number
three at the top, number nine. And we're looking for a motion to approve the school district board budget for 2026-2027 that begins at the top of page three and goes to page four to the bottom.
I need a motion. >> [clears throat] >> I make a motion to approve the Winslow Township Board of Education budget for the year 20 years 26-27. Second. Roll call.
Mr. Clark. Yes. Ms. Dredden. Yes. Ms. Gloyd. >> Yes. Ms. Martin. Yes. Mr. Matthews. Yes. Mr. Shaw. Yes. Ms. Pitts. Yes. And Mr. Thomas. Yes. The motion has carried.
Now, we are at the page 10 at the top. Looking to get a motion to approve the business administrator's board secretary report that starts at the top of page 10 and goes through to the top
of page 18. Make a Make a motion to approve the board secretary's report as it's recommended for approval. Second. Any questions? Roll call. Mr. Clark. Yes. Ms. Dredden.
Yes. Ms. Gloyd. Yes. Ms. Martin. Yes. Mr. Matthews. Yes. Mr. Shaw. Yes, but I have seen from on page 10 from letter B number six A on the
vendors list item number M730, PO's number 603992 and 993. 603993. Ms. Pitts. Yes. And Mr. Thomas. Yes. The motion has carried. We're now at the top of page number 19.
Looking to approve the personnel report as it is on page 19 and goes all the way over to page number 33 to the bottom. Make a motion to approve the personnel report as it's recommended for approval by the
superintendent. Second. Any questions? Roll call. One moment, I'm sorry. I'm flipping pages. Take your time. Okay, Mr. Clark. Yes. Ms. Dredden. Yes. Ms. Gloyd. Yes. Ms.
Martin. Yes. Mr. Matthews. Yes. Mr. Shaw. Yes. Ms. Pitts. Yes. And Mr. Thomas. Yes. The motion has carried. Folks, we have a rare moment. We have an addendum tonight. And let me explain why we have an
addendum tonight. We have an addendum tonight because our boys and girls track team is phenomenal. They went down to the Penn Relays and broke all kind of records, set all kind of records to the point where they got national recognition. And because of this national
recognition, they were then invited to the East Coast East National Track Meet at Morgan State University and this invitation only came two days ago because of their performance over the weekend. Therefore, we got to have a rare moment and have an addendum to see
if we can approve this so they can go. So, at this time, I'm asking for approval for the superintendent's recommendation approval of the following actions for the Winslow Township High School boys and girls team to attend the Puma East
Coast Showcase. Can I get a Can I get a motion? I make a motion to approve the superintendent's recommendation to have our Winslow Township boys and girls track teams attend the Puma East Coast Showcase down at Morgan State.
Second. Any questions? Roll call. Mr. Clark. Yes. Ms. Dredden. Yes. Ms. Gloyd. Yes. Ms. Martin. Yes. Mr. Matthews. Yes. Mr. Shaw. Yes.
Ms. Pitts. Yes. And Mr. Thomas. Yes. The motion has carried. We're back on page number 34 to the Open Public's Records Act. Ms. Boyd, do we have any? Yes, Mr. President. We We responded to two OPRA requests that
came in between April 3rd and uh April 23rd. Uh the first one was from Andrew Carlton. He wanted access to a copy of a listing of all Winslow Township full-time employees, first, middle, and last names including the job title,
position, your campus, office location, date of hire, and email address. Um that information was compiled and approved and we responded to that OPRA request. The second one came in from Benjamin A. Shore. Uh he wanted us to provide an
electronic copy of the video showing an incident involving our He says our client EB which occurred on or around January 22nd, 2024. We were able to supply that as well.
Thank you so much. Going now to informational items. Ms. Plummer, is there any informational items coming from your desk? Yes, Mr. President. I have one. We have for Mr. Pease, principals of schools 5, 6, middle school, and the high school. I have a presentation of
the third marking period honor roll numbers, sir. At school 5, for principals list, silver honors, and bronze honors in fourth grade, a total of 121 students received honors. Fifth grade,
for the same, 124 students received honors. Sixth grade, 125 students received honors for a total of 370 students receiving honors for principals list, silver, and bronze honor roll.
For school number six, grade four, for the same, 93 students. Grade five, 87 students. Grade six, 99 students for a total of 279
students receiving honors. At the middle school, for gold honors or straight A's, there were 58 students. 35 of them being seventh grade, 23 of them being eighth. For silver honors, a total of 116 students. 59 of them being
seventh grade. 57 of them being eighth. Bronze honors, 150 students. 80 of them being seventh grade. 70 of them being eighth grade for a total of 324 students receiving honors.
At the high school, for principals list, ninth grade, we have 13. 10th grade, 14. 11th grade, nine. 12th grade, 24 for a total of 60 students receiving principals list honors. Honor roll, ninth grade, 47. 10th grade,
33. 11th grade, 49. 12th grade, 37 for a total of 166 students receiving honor roll honors. And honor roll honorable mention, ninth grade, 23. 10th grade, 29. 11th grade, 41. 12th grade, 54 for a
total of 140 seven students for a total of 373 students receiving honors at the high school. That concludes my report. And that is outstanding academic achievement for both our students and staff.
Congratulations to those who participated. Great job. I have one informational item item I'd like to present on about Studio 106. It's Emmy time again for our illustrious digital studio 106.
Categories there where they're nominated for an Emmy. Outstanding sports story. Best live [snorts] stream. And best commercial. That's once again, it's the nominations
for this year's 2026 Emmy Awards. Our Winslow performed from the marching band came in third this weekend with a phenomenal performance. Now we're moving on to old business. Do we have anything from old business? I have an informational item. Go ahead.
Um um May 7th, I know our board has the to be honored down at Delphia. Um but also the Winslow Baptist Church in Sicklerville, New Jersey. This is a nationwide thing. They're having a a national day of prayer. It's happening all across the country. So, if you live
in Winslow Township, um the church, if you want to come in and support, and it has seven entities, which is the police department, fire department, EMTs, um education, um uh military, and government. So, if you want to come out, and if you're part of any of those
entities, and um stop in doing a national day of prayer and support, it's happening all over the country. Um but it's being hosted at Winslow Baptist Church in Sicklerville, New Jersey. And our youth league um organizations for football and cheerleading are now starting to accept registrations. So, if
you have children that are in that young age, um you can go on their websites, the Winslow Eagles and the Winslow Elite um um football teams here in Winslow Township. Support our youth leagues, and um bring your children out there and have some fun. And that's it.
Thank you, Ms. Boyle. Mr. President. >> Yes. I had I I located the other thing item that I was going to read out under informational. Okay. Uh it's dated April 20th, 2026. Uh it's addressed to Winslow Township
School District, care of Mark Pease, interim superintendent. Uh Winslow Township School District Board of Education, please accept the scholarship in the amount of $500 from the Camden County Association of School Administrators.
Uh the scholarship can be used for graduating students. Uh so, we received a check for $500. We put it in the scholarship fund for the high school to use for graduating seniors. Absolutely phenomenal.
Now we're going to move on to old business. Will there be any old business? All right. Okay. How about new business? Any new business? Mr. President. Yes. >> Just a um recommendation and a suggestion. Um one
of the um sadder parts of life is that we lose folks. And it's especially sad when we lose them so young. And as um Ms. Plummer I read this evening, there were several My recommendation and suggestion to the board is if, because we are certainly a
board of education, and we're in the business of educating, giving out information, if on our website, um or and or our Facebook, if we could have what I would call, loosely call, uh the memorial corner.
And in that uh we would be able to let people know, staff and students who have passed. If that could be placed on our um website or our Facebook. That's just a suggestion. Do we have any objections or any comments from any of the board members
on the uh suggestion? All right. Thank you. Moving right along, public comments. Yes, sir. The Winslow Township Board of Education highly values the input of citizens in making the important decisions that
affect the children of our community. We believe in the rights of citizens to observe board meetings. To ensure that all of our citizens have the opportunity to attend school board meetings and offer comment, and to ensure that the board can conduct the important business of the district, we ask that speakers
follow the guidelines for making public comments. The board secretary will recognize those individuals in the audience who wish to make comment. We ask that you kindly respect the following procedures. One, all members of the public attending school board meetings must treat each other and the
board with respect. Two, please provide your full name and town of residence only. Three, please limit your comments to four minutes. Four, in the event we're unable to answer your question, please supply your name, address, email address, telephone number where you can be contacted, and your questions will be
answered within a reasonable period of time. Lastly, individuals offering citizen comment are not permitted to make personal attacks on any district employee, board member, other testifier, or member of the public. Thank you, sir. Thank you. At this time, I'm looking for
a motion to open up our public comments. Motion to open public comments. Second. Any questions? All in favor? Aye. Public comments. Boyle. Um Janet Forte. Yes, ma'am.
She may have left already because she spoke. Um Ednita DeDios. Is there a Ednita DeDios? Okay. Uh how about Sonia? Looks like
Garcia. Era. Is it Garcia? You're over for three, Ms. Boyle. >> No, look. I got one more. Uh Jay Pohill. Here we Thank you, Ms. Pohill.
>> [laughter] >> Like a clean slate. Giovanni Pohill and Winslow Township. I live in Winslow Township. Um you know, a lot of you are familiar with me because I'm usually up here because I'm nudged to come up here by
um unfortunate circumstances that usually happen within the school district. So, tonight, what has brought me here is um my child is feeling a bit isolated in the school. And so, um I'm
hoping that we can find a solution for him because every single day he is now not in contact with people that he used to be in contact with and now
his lunch has been switched where he can't see his friends that he previously um saw. So, now when he's at lunch, he is um well, recess, he's walking by himself.
So, um I'm just here to support him. So, I'm hoping that there's a way that we can find an easy solution to fix that because um administrator administration at the school hasn't been supportive and hasn't
heard any of the concerns and um he's just kind of every day being approached by um the security officer which is making him feel uncomfortable. So, I'm hoping that one of you or someone can come up with a solution for that.
It would be if anyone's going to comment, I would suggest the board not comment. It's not proper subject matter for public discussion, but perhaps Ms. Clement Ms. Clement can address the protocols for addressing those issues.
Well, as you and I have discussed as recently as this week, I am committed to do what we discussed. And I will call you on May 4th as I communicated to you. >> Right. I understand that. I just am here
because there has been a board meeting in between when we are supposed to meet up. And again, as you see, I have my uh kiddo with me and my particular child is still going through the isolation
portion of it and has been going through it for weeks now. So, um he was very concerned and pushed me and moved me to come here to kind of ask for some type of support. So, that's what I did and that's why I'm here. I'm
not saying that you haven't said that you will meet with me at some point, but at the same time, this is how he is. So. So, not a problem. I will call you on May 4th as I indicated. Jace, I will call your mom on May 4th as I told her.
And I will see her in a meeting on May 7th as I told her. Okay? So, my name is Mrs. Clement. Okay? And I've already talked to mom and that's what I've committed to do for her, okay? Okay. Okay, thank you. I appreciate it.
That concludes those that have signed up this evening. Okay, great. Thank you. I'm looking at Mr. Fossiani. Anybody? >> No No one's sent any emails at this time. Thank you. So, at this time, I'll look for a motion to close public comments.
I make a motion to close public comments. Second. Any questions? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Listen, will there be any executive session tonight? Uh Mr. President, I'm sure much
with much sadness, great sadness, I have to announce that there is no executive session and I apologize to the board for not keeping them here another hour and a half. Okay. Don't let that happen too much, okay? >> We'll try, sir. So, as a result, I'm looking for a motion to adjourn this
meeting. I make a motion to adjourn. Second. Any questions? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Do roll call. No roll call.