everyone's here W okay no delayed meetings already I like to call the or um I like to call to order the regular meeting of the bo bota board of education for Tuesday January 16 2024 please stand for the flag salute [Music] bear with me the New Jersey open Public's meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice uh and to attend the meetings of the public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed Ed upon in accordance with the provisions of this act the bota board of education has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having the daytime plac and thereof posted in the Boda bur Hall communicated by letter to the record file with the clerk of the burough of Boda and posted on the bota board of education website F Mr s c the roll call pres Mrs olivarez president Mr olivarez pres Mr Chavez absent Mrs Cruz present Mr Navaro present Mrs Oliva Mrs ret pres Mr Miranda pres we have the cor also president Damian uh superintendent Daman Kennedy board attorney Thomas cin School business administrator board secretary eronel assistant board secretary Elizabeth Ruiz who we love and adore and student representative is absent today um I'd like to open the floor to hearing of the citizens on agenda items only does anyone have do I can I have a motion to open Alvarez Mr Alvarez do I have a second olivo Mrs olivo any board discussion all in favor any opposed there's any member that that would like to come up and address agenda items only you will have a second portion of this agenda to discuss anything else you have five minutes please state your name and street address no street address oh just name we always do but anyone I'd like to have a motion to close hearing on uh citizen agenda items only do I have a second all in favor any oppose moving on to section 31 of the agenda superintendent room Mr kenned you have the floor good evening first we will be celebrating our five-year prek anniversary on January 30th at Steen School we're going to be having inviting our original prek back uh with their families that's going to start at five o'clock please RSVP if you're interested in coming Middle School will host our Winter concert next Monday January 22nd at the middle school step sign was installed at the prek transition building Window and Door decals will follow our new our new kitchen equipment from the healthy meal inceptive Grant was delivered and installed we got a new range in the high school New freezer new cooler and new warmers all the old equipment that is still uh working was uh repurposed at Steen school and the middle school the EV charge at the rec center was installed we are waiting on the cage delivery and final inspection and then we will hopefully have our electric bus out on the road rape detectors have been installed in all high school and middle school bathrooms and locker rooms in total we will now have 15 Vape detectors in the high school and eight in the middle school and planning for redistricting is underway our admin team has been meeting and discussing the plans I know community and staff have been asking questions I will be hosting uh some meetings in the upcoming weeks to meet with our staff first and then our families to answer any questions and talk about how where and when the move will take place thank you Came live today four moving on to 41 um resolutions that I mean approval of the minutes for December 19th regular public meeting session I have a motion to approve 4 One motion Mrs rocket do I have a second second Dar Mrs alare any more discussion Mr yes Mrs Alvarez yes Mr Alvarez yes Mrs Cruz yes Mr Navaro yes Mrs Oliva um wasn't here that so yep I'm gonna do the same that you brought that up um I think we need to clear Mrs alal she was not an elected official December 19th sorry it's okay we're learning we're here to protect you thank you so you going to State uh Mrs rord yes Mr Randa yes motion carried thank you than under policy we have nothing 69 moving on to resolution 69 for the educational section um cover 61 through 68 is there a motion 69 motion motion this is rocket do I have a second Alvarez Mr Alvarez any board discussion call Mrs alal Mrs Al yes Mr Alvarez yes Mrs Cruz yes Mr Navaro yes Mrs Oro yes Mrs Reet yes Mr Manda motion carried moving on to resolution 75 of the Personnel section which is the approval for agenda item 71 through 74 do I have a motion to move 75 ol Mrs olal do I have a second Naro Mr Naro any board discussion roll call Mrs alal Mrs Alvarez yes Mr Alvarez yes Mrs Cruz yes Mr Navaro yes Mrs olivo yes Mrs rucket yes Mr M yes motion carried moving on to 88 resolution for the finance section do have appr uh sorry which is the approval of consent agenda items 81 through 87 is there a motion to move 88 motion olivo Mrs olivo do I have a second second Mrs rck any board discussion or Mrs alal Mrs Alvarez yes Mr Alvarez yes Mrs Cruz yes Mr Navaro yes Mrs olivo yes Mrs rucket yes Mr Manda yes motion carried on 91 build and ground the approval can you hear me now does that mean I have to repeat all of this yeah yes should we do it again all of them beginning okay moving on to 91 of the building and ground section somebody have a question he just let us know they couldn't hear oh okay they want to speak on that the other speakers are on probably pick up your voice okay all right moving on to buildings and grounds which is approval consent the gems 91 do I have a motion to Resolute 91 Alvarez Mr Alvarez do I have a second second Mrs Alvarez oh double A any discussion roll call Aron Mrs alal Mrs Alvarez yes Mr Alvarez yes Mrs Cruz yes Mr yes Mrs olivo yes Mrs re yes Mr M yes motion carry we're moving on to the committee reports I know there isn't any need um I I guess I just assigned the new committees um I do want to thank everyone for volunteering your different committees I had to really shuffle a lot of stuff however I think you you've received your new committee we've added um some additional parts to the committee such as the to cover construction reviews cover referendum reviews and also cover um am I missing something Community engagement Community engagement and PTO right yeah um you know we have to unfortunately and fortunately we have to broaden our re our you know our services I know you guys put in a lot of hours and this is tough I just think that these next two years are going to be instrumental to the progress in bod um you know there's a lot of chatter out there negative positive doubtful and I want to cover the positive and the doubt right because the negative you can't change people's hearts they typically just come they're bred that way but when you take the positive and you you know you you bring positiveness to the doubt and you cross them over to the light It Shines on theoda it's a real arrogant statement but I'll take it the truth of the matter is this is probably one of the most um Innovative years or the next two years for bagot is transcending for sure um so I needed to add more committees primarily because the pto's our schools apparently few a handful of people never knew that our schools were shifting um just my personal opinion is that we one of the few towns if not maybe the only small town that caters to one budget two elementary schools with the same grading levels and we have to prioritize the process our our classrooms are becoming overcrowded I don't want to use the word over because Kennedy will probably swing on the right but but it is definitely enrollment has increased um we've just added a third fourth grade classroom is that correct hence having to hire a teacher and go through the whole process um has done a great job with the management of financial budgeting but it is our core responsibility to try to find areas that have some voids that we believe may be able to save us or provide us more time in the future or eventually be in trailers so why I did the PTO was because the PTO are going to shift they're going to need a voice because you know presidents are presidents people more people we have to help them smooth transition and they're going to need a voice from the board from Mr Kennedy to make sure that goes smoothly and for any parent confusion Community engagement P Goa tends to do a lot of nice things um and and get that wheel in the house but somehow we the Outreach isn't perfected not that any Outreach is perfect I personally believe that we could do a lot more with the Outreach and it's probably the wrong thing to say correct me if I'm wrong but we're up here because we got elected means we have a base of community followers through them by way of them in our residencies we can share some of those channels and they can help us enhance or bring light to the the amazing things the administration is doing um in boto all the time events and parties and kid parties so I just I'm trying to Hance that on the construction and on the referendum I know we have buildings and grounds however there's a new set of eyes somewhat in the construction referendum because colors are going to come into play someone has to put more hands into to watch what's going on so that we can prevent hicups after the fact is that fair so I apologize if I maybe um giving you a little more tasking but we we needed we got this referendum through um the vote turnout was in favor five to one however the vote percentage was but five to one and it's our due diligence to to kind of get it done all right so I but if you do have any personal something you didn't like pull me aside let me know and I'll try to figure out what I can do however I think I've gotten to know most of you and you're all powerful players so it's hard to throw you in you know the same place so I moved you around fair enough okay so any reports for the committee any committee reports any old committee no next on the agenda any old business no old business um Mr Kennedy thank you for and fan Liz because that's a trio right there no one knows it but that's what it is um we just got a new sign for the 18 and 21 and a lot of people ask me what is that so so hence why Community enhancement is is like what is it what is it people what is it so and and I did hear that they're going to meet with a with a previous board member school or kids are GNA get together so I think that's wonderful guys because until you have a child you know as a family member you never know what the future is and you're always afraid to let go so that that program really does wond so thank you for that thank you for that next on the agenda for new business any new business moving on to 31 open the floor I would like to get a motion to open the floor hearing of the public Alvarez Mr Alvarez second Mrs alal any board discussion all in favor any oppose is there any member of the public who would like to address absolutely anything um for the Board of Education please state your name you have five minutes k anyone I'd like to take a motion to close hearing of the public Alvarez Mrs rucket Mr Alvarez is a second is that correct got that list any discussion all in favor any opposed okay no executive sessions this evening have a before you close I just say that we have a student athlete of the week that was nominated from bagoda who would that student be Michael liel Jr Michael I am definitely very proud so if you all can vote on New Jersey I would really appreciate yeah yeah we will that's not we're not taking that vote here as confence no no no listen um be safe out there for the public we don't know if we're going to call a delay open by 8 o'clock we should have a decision so by 8 o'clock we should have a decision um be safe put you know salt a lot of ice and help your neighbor help your neighbor help your neighbor oh wait wait wait really quick guys I got to give a shout out I did attend a um so just to clear the record is actually good thing I I I I attended with Susan um Muslim Heritage Muslim herit we had we had some because I think it's it's it's ideal we had some some objection some concerns as you know State and schools um religion and schools are not you know don't combine and but I have just learned that it's been granted that there will be a Muslim Heritage it's a Heritage versus a religious so so I think it's something we need to learn so on the record I'm just speaking based on what I've just learned um so it's considered a Heritage a January the month of January will now be Muslim heritage month if even so we'll get the right proper understanding congratulations to the Muslim Heritage Community right because we have Hispanic heritage we have you know a lot of I don't want to just keep up women's history month but there's just way there's pride month and there's so kudos to them I mean we have a lot of things and we only have 12 months so we'll have to be splitting soon but but the truth is for whomever went ahead and progressed in making that a vision kudos to you right we have a a large Muslim Community in our district so I want to acknowledge them and not forget them that's part of the inclusiveness and acknowledgement the but what I would do want to say it was a phenomenal learning experience um the artwork that they had there to present and it just you know it's just so so large right so you Morocco and I learned a lot of new Arabic countries a lot of countries yeah great and just just what they did right like the pottery the um the um the teas the the desserts it was T Sunday no Saturday Saturday it was sat in the community center in Te um I don't know it's long vote Park oh the RO yeah I hope one day we have a community center because that was lot and a lot of food you got a ticket couple restaurants donated meals meals food um you know well attended it was well attended yeah I mean several hundred people and that was we went at 3:00 it was three or four hours yeah so prior to that you can only imagine the food but I will say this for the members of our Muslim Community they treated Susan and I very welcoming right yeah very I mean they received us they took pictures with us they fed us they wanted to feed us some more um they had they had poster Foods they it was just such a nice experience and warming experience so and I think it's going to be every year now so I would recommend that we look forward to that and it actually sparked something um there was some sort of like science fair in some way shape or form and I was saying to Susan I think we should do a science fair right in bota we should bring that back I think we should all get involved and bring a science fair I also think that we should do a multicultural we did that we should yeah but we got this is the way I'm thinking so when my son was in St Joseph's it was based on every country so you did a board you talked about their hot topics whether it was music your dress code and the food so when I was in St Joe there were like 15 countries so everybody you invite the public it's not just the school Community it was in the evening hours and then everybody will come in so they'll taste Puerto Rican platter Dominican platter you know Moroccan platter whatever platter plus you get like what's your key flower and your you know what represented your country so it's something we should do maybe to get community engagement going yesen lar scale one of Florida they had a multicultural they had like every year but I me at this point was really big and they would do like show dances we used to we we've done that here Trina remember in Bixby and they did dances our kids were in the dances we Multicultural more vender driven I guess it was we had families too no but I I want to involve the child I think that it's ideal if we just get the children to build the concept I think what happens here is each child represents their nationality so we wind up with with a lot of Spanish obviously and then some Irish but if you or if you have it you're signing a country to everyone then that's that yeah I think we should definitely consider Mr Kennedy we're asking you if you would consider that one day okay that's all so move more work M do I have a motion to Jour this meeting motion Cruz Mrs Cruz Mrs Alvarez was that you yes for a second all in favor good night everyone good night