Good evening and welcome to our special action meeting. And our portrait and we are going to start with our roll call. Mrs. Sugars, if you could please call the role. Mrs. Sheriffane here. Mrs. Gallagher here, Mrs. Niaz. Here, Dr. Mrs. Winters here, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. Stern Here. Going to meet the public. Notice and then we would. Do our pledge. Public notice of this meeting pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act has been given by the Board Secretary on March, the twelfth, 2,024 in the following manner. Posted notice on the school bulletin board at the administration building. Transmitted to the Courier Post, Philadelphia Enquirer, and the clerk of Cherry Hill Township. Please now join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay, so at tonight's meeting we will start with our budget. Presentation and discussion, then we will move into our action agenda. On the budget, and then into our board training on ethics tonight. We are going to be. Delaying our HIV training that will not take place tonight. That will take place on a later date. Okay, so. When I move to Mrs. Sugars, if you could please. Present the initial budget submission So, last week, last board meeting when we met, we kind of laid out where we were, what things were looking like, kind of a worst case scenario, you know, in terms of tax impact, what potential cuts could be. I am pleased this week to, you know, be able to talk about the budget. Again, keeping in mind that this is a 2 step process, the budget that we will approve tonight is due to the county office by tomorrow. That's the statutory deadline. And so that gets submitted to the county office. They review it and then they come back to us with questions or adjustments or what have you. And then on April, the thirtieth, we will have our public hearing on our budget. At that point we will finalize our budget and we will. You know, be able to move forward and prepare for the next budget year. So. Tonight's gonna be a lot of numbers. I didn't put any charts or graphs in just in the interest of time, but I do want to talk about these numbers and go over a couple of things here. So, typically when we break down our budget, we break it down between distributed and undistributed costs and distributed costs are costs that can be attributable to a particular particular grade level or a particular classification. And so. Those, that first group of costs is summarized here. We have our regular regular education. Regular education costs are special education costs, our basic skills and bilingual, our extracurricular and athletic and our other instructional programs, which is a summer program. And so I just want to go over these quickly as we compare them. The first column that we have is what we actually spent in 2223. Where our budget is right now in 2324 and what our proposed budget is for next year so a couple of things I wanna highlight. One. You see a large difference in the special education line. That is not a cut in programs at all. In fact, special education is the one area of the budget where we are actually adding staff. The reason you see a difference there is because we actually reallocated funding. From special education contracted services. We actually moved to to a different budget line and the reason we did that is because it's for ease of budgeting and ease of instead of moving the contracted services amongst the different special education programs, we can kind of just keep them in self-contained and related services. Makes it easier for budgeting. And so we decided at this point to move those contracted services. And I will show you where that increases, in that side of the budget as well. So that is not actually a decrease in special education and extracurricular and athletics. We are making some cuts there. We also took a hard look at some of our clubs and who's participating in the clubs and do we need to budget? For certain stipends because the club isn't actually running. So we based our budgeting on the PCR this year as opposed to just what's in the contract. So there are some cuts there but not it not quite as much as it looks there so over our education costs are increasing by 225,000 about 2.2%. We flip over to the other side and we look at our undistributed costs and these are our costs that that are not. Distributed to a particular. Program. These are things like, you know, our student services, which includes guidance and child study team. Nurse's office attendance office and those kinds of things and this is the line here where I talked about we shifted some of the programming you can see a fairly significant increase in that line of about 3.5 million. And so that's where we move those contracted services to again for the ease of budgeting. And so you can see that, that change was made there. You can also see that we have other increases. Maintenance and security transportation we have a fairly significant increase in partially because of the CPI. Which is 5.8 1% this year. Most of our contractors renewed at that level. And then we'll have some additional transportation costs this year because of the addition preschool students. So we have somewhat of an increase there and then with employee benefits although our benefit medical benefits did not increase we have other benefit lines such as pension contributions and things of that nature that are increasing. We also at this time, even though we didn't have an increase in our health benefits, we like to look at our census, sometimes what we budget for in the previous year, you know, people change statuses and those kinds of things. So we took a look at that and budgeted health benefits based on our current census. So there's a small increase there as well. And so our total support or operational budget, as you can see, is increasing in those areas because of those increases. Overall, Fund 11, now Fund 10 is a combination of Fund 11, which is your day-to-day operating costs. Fund 12, which is your capital outlay costs and fund 13, which is your special schools costs. Funds 11, which is your day to day, the meat and potatoes of your budget, as I like to say. Is going to increase about 7.8 million or 3.3% for next year. We look at our capital outlay budget, you can see that. Some of these areas are the areas that. We absolutely pulled back on because of the change in our state aid this year. So we will have some reductions in that area significantly from our capital reserve account. In 2324 we had applied for some rod grants. We had to provide our local share for those rod grants. Some of those were not awarded. Some of them were the preschool ones were so we're pulling back on some of those projects. We're focusing on things that need to get done and things that are complementing the bond referendum work that we're doing. So we have a significant decrease there. In capital reserve projects as well as a decrease in equipment and construction. And so you can see over all. Fund 12 is going down significantly. And our total general fund budget is increasing by about 4.5 million or a negative 1.8%. We look at this a different way. If we, we often break up our, budget into a couple of main categories, salaries being one. Benefits the other and then what we like to call other which is everything else that isn't salaries and benefits and you can see there, where, where we have some increases there. We have some new, a new category this year. This is the contribution to preschool. We started our preschool program last year. We're expanding it, moving into, we started it this year. We're expanding it, moving it into 2,425. And so the way that. The preschool funding works is it's actually a special revenue fund, but there is a certain amount. Of contribution out of Fund 10 that goes into Fund 20. It's a little bit of a unique situation. We really don't treat any of our grant funding that way. But in this particular case, We have a contribution from the general fund into Fund 20. For preschool and that's broken down into inclusive students and regular education students. And so that's a new category for us this year. Also, we started last year using someone our some of our capital reserve dollars to offset the payment of our debt. Was a commitment that the board had made during the bond referendum. So we will continue that moving forward. And then as I mentioned, the difference in the capital reserve projects, we had a significant decrease there. So if we look at, look at our budget. In some broad categories, you can see that again. We're down about 4.5 million in 2425 versus 2324. So if we flip it over and we start to look at our revenues, you can see that, we have taken another look at our revenues, made some adjustments in various places. We'll talk about that a little bit. Further in the presentation. Our tax increase is about 6.8 million. We had talked last week about the fact that we have banked cap available. We did not use all of the Bank cap. We used some of the bank cap. We also took a second look at our miscellaneous revenues. We were able to increase those as well as we are getting further from the pandemic. We're seeing an increase in various categories such as people that run our buildings and interest earnings and things that rent our buildings and interest earnings and things of those nature of that rent our buildings and interest earnings and things of those nature of that nature. And interest earnings and things of those nature of that nature. So we have an increase in that category. And then unfortunately our state aid as we all know saw a decrease but we did increase our extraordinary aid projection. It was 3.5 million for lap from 2223. We have not, we're just starting our application now on 2324 so we're not sure what that number is going to look like but We anticipate that that will increase as well. So we budgeted 3 million in extraordinary aid this year. Federal aid is our semi-aid. Fund balance I mentioned, we increased that number as well. We talked a lot last year about the benefits of maintaining a lower fund balance. But unfortunately, I think in this environment, you know, that's something that we're going to have to reevaluate. Again, our capital reserve number is low. And then our reserve for conferences is just purchase orders that move between year and years, just a balancing figure in our 2324 budget. It's not really a funding source. So again, as you can see, those are some of the adjustments we made on the revenue side and we'll touch on those a little bit more as we move forward. Again, our budget is down about 4.5 million over the 2324 school year. So what's new in our budget? We had some additional staffing added an additional class at KERSI. And some additional special education personnel at east So. That was the additions that we made to our budget. And what kind of cuts have we made. We've had been fortunate that as we have gone back and reviewed. Positions that are vacant, retirements that we can either bring someone in at a lower salary or we cannot replace the position, some predetermined program cuts that we had talked about and some program relocation. We don't think that we're going to have to actually. Make, you know, we don't think anybody is actually going to lose their job. We think that we're going to be able to through those various mechanisms be able to maintain our current staff. When we do our budget, we have to stop at some point. We have to, you know, categorize our employees. Look at where we are, we have to put together what's called a position control roster. And so we have to take our personnel, we have to make it static at some point. But, you know, during that timeframe from the time that we start that process to now, we know that, you know, there's certain vacancies that either we're having difficulty filling or we know that we can. Move ahead without. There are retirements that have come in, you know, and some other various things that that we know are on the horizon that we can. Make those changes to the budget without actually impacting our personnel. And the reason is because, you know, we have bumped up our revenues in other areas as well if we didn't have that opportunity we would be talking about. We'd be talking about a very different scenario. And again, with non-personnel, you know, we're looking at equipment, supplies, technology, furniture, professional development, athletics. Things of that nature that we take a look at. We always go there first when we're making cuts. We always do our best to try to stay away from personnel cuts. So we start there and then move on to personnel. And on the other side, as we mentioned, we also adjusted some of our revenues. We increased projections in extraordinary to miscellaneous revenues. We increased our use of fund balance. We actually have, we're actually eligible for a spending growth limitation adjustment. Which also allows us to expand our cap. We'll talk about that a little bit more for health benefits this year. And then we use some of the bank cap from 2122 but not all of it. Capital projects we talked about the reduction in that area we talked about. Making sure that we're focusing on projects that need to be done. I would say the top ones on this list would be the backflow preventers and the underground storage tanks and the fire alarm system are needs to be done. Mark will probably tell me that the Duckless splits need to be done. But then also we wanted to focus on as we are moving through the referendum, the referendum covers a lot. However, it doesn't cover everything and so are there things that we can do to complement the work that we're doing finish off the work we're doing so we have kind of a completed project when it's done. So the Creacy bleachers and the rows of bleacher projects or those type of projects, the other type of projects are projects that. You know, we feel are not part of the referendum, we feel need to be, need to be done. So let's talk about tax impact on the general fund. So the tax increase is about 6.8 million. This is a combination of the 2% tax levy. Cap that we have, the spending growth limitation adjustment for health benefits that we were eligible for of 702 and then banked cap, we will use 2.3 of that. The remaining 352 bank cap from 2122 will expire. We have banks still have bank cap for 2223 of about 1.3 million We also have bank cap from 2324 of about 3.3 million even though we went to the full 2% last year, we also were eligible for a spending growth limit. Or I keep saying last year, it's actually this year. We are also eligible for our spending growth limitation adjustment in that year as well. So that's in in the bank should we need it in the future. That's good to know given the situation we find ourselves in. However, you know, that also has tax impact, consequences as well. So. We'll deal with that as we move forward, but for this year, we're gonna just use part of the 2122 bank cap. So the tax increase on the general fund will be the $126 and 97 cents from the 2% increase and the spending growth limitation adjustment of this year, the 702,000. $67 from the use of the bank cap. Total impact would be $194 and 71 cents. The average assessed tone this year is $226,922. So that's about what it's looking like for the general fund tax impact. So we also, we also approve our special revenue fund and our debt service. Our special revenue fund is our grant funding. We don't know other than our preschool. Numbers we don't know what those numbers are at this point and so we budget lower than what we received That's we are required to budget 85% of what we received the year before. We also know that there was a lot of federal funding that was made available to us, ARP, ESR, all of that funding is coming to an end. In fact, most of it needs to be spent. Some of it needed to be spent by this past September. The rest of it needs to be spent by the September of 2,024, a large piece of our ARP funding is going towards. Some of the HVAC work that we're doing. So we know that that's coming to an end. So we did not include that. We did not. Count on that funding moving forward. We also through Fund 20 because of a change in the law a couple years ago now run our student activity in our scholarship funds through fund 20 and so we just kind of plug a number in there that's kind of an estimate of what we think we will see coming in and going out of our student activity funds. And so that reduction in that 4.5 million dollars reduction is not really. A concern at this point again, as we get those numbers as we learn what our title numbers are in our IDEA numbers, we'll adjust those numbers moving forward. This is just kind of a placeholder. And so our revenues are the same as our expenditures in terms of our grant funds. And then as we look at our debt service fund that service started this past year, 2324, new to us again. Our last step payment have been made in 2,018 and so as we move forward with the paying back the bonds that we have already. Sold. We have to make principal and interest payments. We see an uptick this year and next year we'll talk about that in a minute. An increase in what is required for debt service. Debt service is not part of the general fund. It's separate. The tax impact was approved through the bond referendum. However, you know, we like to factor that in as well so people have an idea what the full tax impact looks like. So. You can see here that we do see an increase next year. We'll see an increase in the next 2 years and then that number will start to trend down. So if we look at this over the next couple of years, you can see that it's trending up, 2425, 2526 and then it will start to go back down again and that will have a I, you know, more favorable impact in terms of debt service. So the increase between 2324 and 2425 will be an additional $101. On the average assessed home because of that increase. So, we submit our budget to the county for review. County reviews and approves it. Hopefully. And then we can advertise our budget. We have to advertise our budget prior to our public hearing. That's typically in the carrier post. And then we will have our public hearing on April thirtieth, which is one of our board meetings that's already scheduled. And we don't always make changes between the initial submission and the public hearing. Sometimes we do. Last year we did. Maybe we'll get some more funding. This year and we'll be able to make some changing changes. But for now we need to move ahead with, you know, the numbers we have been given. And submit and start our two-step process here of the initial submission and then our public hearing. So that was a lot of information. So I will open it up for questions. Board members have any questions? I think we are budgeted out. Okay. And lots and lots of budget information that we've been looking at and looking at and looking at. So. Alright, if we have no board member questions. We do have one. Yep, Dr. I don't have a question. I just want to say thank you to luncheon and Dr. Morton and their teams for going about for the staff and finding ways to make adjustments so that we're. As little staff. Changes is necessary that's Thank you. That's great. Well said. Any other board members have any questions I'd like to. Yes. Okay. Alright, thank you, Mrs. Sugars. I know you. Told us you were a little cross-eyed at this point in the day. After all of your hard work on the budget. We really appreciate. Done and I just wanna say thank you for. No, taking a re look at. The bank cap, you being able to back away from some of that. You know, this is a touch. Hello. It's nice to see that you were able to find some ways to. Have other. You know, mitigate that. So thank you. Okay, we now move into our Public comment period. There will be one public comment period this evening and it is now. Public comment. This will be a public comment period for any topic. Related to our school district. Or the operations of our school board. Public common is an opportunity for members of the community to comment on matters relevant to the operations of Terry Hill Public School District. Or within the authority of the Territory Board of Education. The board welcomes diverse opinions on relevant matters. Under established federal law governing reasonable restrictions on speech and public forums. Statements which demean individual community members or groups or which are irrelevant to the operations of the school district. Or our repetitive will not be permitted. Community members who would like to present information not relevant to the school district are always welcome to communicate directly to the district acting superintendent, board president, and all board members of via email or other alternative means. Each person who would like to make a public comment will have 3 min. We always start in the room. And then we will alternate between being comments in the room and comments online. And we also always start with students. If there are any students online who would like to comment, We will encourage you to put an S after your name so we know to call on you first. If you're in the room and you are a student, I'm not sure. I don't necessarily see any, but I can't see everybody. I would encourage you to approach the podium first. So that we would call in you first. Okay, so we will start in the room if anyone would like to speak, please approach the podium, state your name, your municipality. Rick Short Cherry Hill Is the mic on? Yes it is. Thank you. Safety and security. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't see anything in there for safety and security beyond the call of duty. I have bad news today at approximately 1110 am. Someone was hit at Cherry Hill East. There are reports of police, ambulance, and paramedics. At the school today. It is unbelievable. That. We have no money for safety and security. At a board meeting on May. Twenty-third, 23. I want to quote Dr. Rood. Says the lanes go away and then come back back in and people fly through like they're on a mission to kill. So my question for Dr. Morton is, does somebody need to be killed before you actually do something, sir? That is a serious question. Cause recently, I sent an email to Dr. Morton about the budget. And here replied back to me that I sent him a U. Of a person injured. I only sent it to Doc. To Dr. Morton and the school board. Because they should be able to handle that. I didn't publicly post this. I cannot believe that there is no one speaking up for safety and security after another person was hit. What does it take? Does somebody need to be killed before you actually act? It is unbelievable. Unacceptable. It is beyond comprehension. I heard it was a teacher that got hit. I can't confirm this yet. I don't have the 9 1 one calls. But this is outrageous. Again, another video be made. I'm going to get the body camera. I'm going to get everything from it. And you do nothing. You sit there and do nothing, you do absolutely nothing. Again, does someone need to die? Before you actually do something. I'm a little mad. I'm sorry. Because I care. That's why because I care. I don't even cry anymore. I really don't, cause I'm just hardened. I'm just, it doesn't, it doesn't affect me anymore. It just keeps happening over and over again. The student almost got hit at man this year. The student almost can hit it man. Again, you do nothing. You had over 12 people? Back in May, willing to help the district. Dr. Morton turned him away. I don't have anything else to say. Okay, and now we go to the line and the phone number is ends in 7 8 8 if you could please state your full name and your municipality. Hey, this is Jeff Potter. It's hard to follow. This is Jeff Podowitz. I live in Sherry Hill, New Jersey. I live in Chario, New Jersey. I'm gonna ask you not to pass as written preschool expansion. Preschool expansion. Next year we will be we will we should roll back or stop. Preschool expansion. We are again being cheated by the state. This is an example. Next year for preschool expansion, we would receiving 6.1 million dollars for approximately 470 preschool students without disabilities. How, how New Jersey School District for 2,024 2,025 will be receiving. In 2,024 2,02513.7 million for approximately 500 students without disabilities. They will they will they will be as preschool. They will be receiving over twice as much aid per people as we are. That is what fully funding of a priest of free school is. That's what the cost is. Twice as much as we're getting. Alright, and for us That needs to contribute in really 7 million dollars from other funds. But that's not all to make up the difference. For next year from our taxes that does not include the amount of contribution to costs for for buildings. Construction, which will be about 7.5 million dollars for our portion of construction for expensive preschool classroom. So our actual course for preschool expansion are significantly more than what our administration as some numbers I saw yesterday I saw lastly administration is leading us to believe that's what it is about funding a little bit I'm sorry before aFRA specialized funding was it was all categorical aid was all category now 2 thirds of our category of aid was placed into the equalization form and provided as equalization aid under SFRA, aid was supposed to follow the at-risk children into whatever district they were in. Miss Strickland, that's when Swiftly wrote an article from 2,017 in Njspotlight news. John Treble spoke in front of a legislative committee in 2,010. This was not happening. The money was not following the Irish children. At least not into our district. So our equalisation aid was cut 2.9 million and last year our equalization A was underfunded by 2.1 million dollars. Basically the state is making less state aid available to fund the education of students with disabilities. And other at-risk populations in our district. That's what the equalization formula is about. Please note using the different modification, the cases in the SFA formula, many districts have already lost all their all of their equalization aid. Definitely besides reduced lost it in the future if things don't change change that is what's going to happen to us why because the states funding formula will say we are too rich Thank you, Dr. Thank you. Before we go to our next public comment, I just want to make a clarification for everybody who heard the previews public comment before Dr. Padowitz. One clarified that there was no person, no student, no staff person who was hit by a car today in front of our school. I was a misinformation inaccurate information. I just wanted to clarify the record. Okay. We move on to the next public comment if anybody would like to make a public comment. Please approach the podium. You could please state your name and you. Laurie Neary, Cherry Hill. Regarding the budget, concerned obviously about a 3.6% increase. So if we're talking a little over 300 just for this year alone and then we add in the tax on the bond on top of that. That's beyond significant. That's massive. I can't imagine for some of the homeowners. Absorbing that tax. Again, as I said in the previous meeting, the I'm very concerned about the thought process of taxing our way out of this. This problem is a problem with the equalization aid and the way in which they view income. So this will be our problem next year and the year after that. And the year after that and the year after that and so on. Until the formula is addressed and we look at the equalization aid. And how that is calculated and how our income is calculated. However, I am absolutely terrified at a tax impact like that. On the average homeowner just after doing the bond. Which we had to do because we weren't funded. For 10 plus 15 years. So we took on that burden and now. We are facing cuts and we were already at a deficit. And we are just passing that along to the homeowner and we are now pitting our taxpayer against our students and staff. It is a Sophie's choice. I hate it. I'm really concerned and and I hope we do revisit this. And should this state rethink its decisioning and they take a look at this, I think we need to pass that back to the homeowner. Cause this is massive. The average assessed home is not. A mansion drive through my neighborhood. And that's really going to hurt. And I also wanted to question why we didn't mention Mrs. Tong in the roll call. Thank you. Okay, we go back to the line. And I do not see any hands raised online. So we go back to the room. If anybody would like to speak, please approach the podium. Good evening. Good evening. I haven't done this in a long time. You're not used to sitting over there. You're used to sitting over here. Kim Pride Al Cherry Hill. I know that the decisions in front of each of you are massive and hard. And I recognize that. I recognize that we have been as Miss Neary said hit from the state. The taxpayers came forward we supported a 363 million dollar bond it was necessary. But that was a huge impact on a lot of homeowners and renters because the people who own those houses will raise the rents for those renters. Police officers. I have never seen what that is costing us and I mean beyond the salaries and the budget and the benefits. What is the district paying in insurance, liability insurance, to have our own armed forces? I also question if it's such a wonderful model why we're not seeing it throughout the rest of the state of New Jersey and why every other district is contracting with their local municipal police department in a shared service agreement. I'm guessing there's some financial impacts to that. I really want to know have you guys looked at other cost savings and I recognize there's going to be some kind of a tax increase. There's no way around it. But bank cap. 2% cap. On top of the bond on top of all the others is a lot of money for a lot of people in this community. So I just urge you to revisit some of these decisions. Thank you. Okay, we go back to the line. There are no hands raised online, so we'll come back to the room. I mean, Jordan, Cherry Hill. For once in my life I'm a little speechless I'm sure you're grateful for that but I hear it an increase of 300, you know, dollars a year. I don't know where to come up with that. You know, there are a lot of us out there. Who made great personal sacrifice when we go to Yes for the bond. I don't have kids in the school anymore. I still feel like yes to the on because I'm old about the kids. Otherwise I wouldn't be here all the time. And you know, there's been lots of sacrifices in my home. No, we have to pay for that. And now to get hit with this on top, I just don't know where to cut anymore. And I think there's. Taxpayers, it's not really the taxpayers against the parents and children or the teachers and children because there's a lot of taxpayers in my exact situation. And in worse situations that have children in their homes. So if they're making the decisions that I have to make, like, OK, where do we cut medical? Where do we cut food? You know, when we're cutting things like that. Like how much lower can we keep the heat in the winter? If I'm making those decisions, there are parents making those decisions and then they're making childcare decisions and maybe they're making a hard choice to let a kid that's not ready to be at home after school. Alone after school or watching younger siblings because they can't cover the increases and the childcare. So I know, I know it's a hard decision. What really left me speechless besides the numbers is that there were no questions. So it would have been nice to have you discuss it a little bit more. Because it just feels like you didn't care. You know. And even if you had preselected questions just so we could hear what your thought process process was, you know, these things we discussed. In executive session, we think that the public would want to know we talked about this. You know, you asked this, you asked that something to show us that. There was some thought and and consideration. Beyond because if this is this is hard. And I'll figure out a way and all those other parents will figure out a way because that's what we do. But just know, you know, we're, we're sacrificing, you know, a lot. Thank you for your time. Okay, we go back to the line. There are no hands raised on line. We come back to the rim. And I know in Cherry Hill. So I just have 2 questions. I hope you could answer before you vote on this tonight. There was a line item for 7 million plus for the pre K program and fund 20. Will this budget be released tomorrow line by line so we can see what funds what monies are in? For the public to view. Particularly before the April thirtieth meeting. I would really like to know the dollar amount and the 2425 budget that we will be spending on construction costs. For the editions at Kilmer. At the Mallburg School. We do have to fund at least 60% of that. And I would like to know what dollar amount is allocated for the ensuing budget year. I agree, Mrs. Duran. No comments from the board is frightening to me. So I don't know when you all discuss this since last Tuesday night. But, doesn't seem to be very translucent to me as a public member. I think you could do a better job in discussing things in public than I've seen tonight for sure, particularly with this issue. Thank you. Okay, we go back to the line there are no hands online Let me go back to the room. If anyone would like to speak, please approach the podium. Okay, there's nobody else would like to speak. We're going to close public comment. I'm going to. Say a couple of words. First of all, I think regarding this very difficult decision that is being contemplated by our entire community. I would, you know, agree in the sense of it being a Sophie's choice. I think it's a really difficult decision. It's a huge ask. For what the school district, where do we cut? And we are cutting. Just to figure it out as Dr. Morton. Testified last week. You know, we have a 14 million dollar swing in our funding from last year to this year. That's an unbelievable number. So we're. Pushed into a really difficult position. And the community is pushed into a difficult position. More importantly, and you know I hope that and I think some of you who are here tonight some of you are online and many of you in the community you're coming to join us tomorrow when we go to Trenton. And we have a chance to address. What this means. To our community, what this means to our students, what it means to our taxpayers. Yeah, and I hope that you will continue to advocate many of you. And I'm I, we are grateful for the advocacy that's been happening. We will continue to advocate. And my greatest hope is that our voices will be heard. And that we will be able to have a revised budget. By April thirtieth that's my hope I have no crystal ball to know what will happen in the future, but that is my hope. So those are my comments and responses. I think, you know. I want to thank Mr. Greenmam. Who has really kind of taken the lead. Has taken the lead as the chair of the NF. To look at the numbers. Discern the numbers. Distill the information. Make sure that with what Mrs. Sugar's husband also has been sharing via Dr. Morton. That there is a great understanding. You know, these have been ongoing discussions. We've had discussions in our public meeting. We've had them in individual conversations. We've had them in our BNF committee multiple times. So, you know, throughout the year actually starting in November, I think is the first time this is sugars we started talking about budget. That's, Mr. Green, should look it to you for the chair. So, you know, it's been an ongoing conversation. It's a very difficult one and it is not one that any of us. Enjoy having. It's a state of education in New Jersey in some ways is a piece of this. That's the way things. What we're presented with. So I'm going to now, you know, ask Mr. Greenbaum. You know, if there is any further comment we don't have anything for the rest of our action agenda we don't have a curriculum instruction item. So I'm going to turn this over to the BNF item for you, Mr. Thank you. So I had some comments I wanted to share as the BNF chair. I've been involved in countless discussions since the budget. Numbers were released. And one comment we've heard consistently is about the contradictory nature of how our schools are funded. We passed a bond to fix our schools but have a significant budget shortfall. We now face the prospect of our kids watching construction of brand new APRs from the windows of their overcrowded classrooms. We have funding for preschool expansion, but not enough to meet the needs of our operating budget. We face the idea of parents being unable to get academic supports for the kids while seeing the preschool program grow. And the bottom line is these are separate funding buckets. They can't be commingled. They can't be repurposed. None of these things are really being done at the expense of anything else. And if you think that doesn't make sense, you're not alone. Dr. Morton testified about school funding in front of the Senate budget committee last week. A large contingency is heading to Trenton tomorrow to testify in front of the state assembly. I urge all resents to get involved in the efforts being led by the Fair Funding Committee and Zone PTA and supported by so many other wonderful organizations to advocate to restore and stabilize their funding. That being said, I do want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of our administration in putting this budget together. Dr. Morton for providing direction to minimize the impact on our students and staff, Mrs. Sugars and her hardworking staff for putting together a budget that minimizes the impact on our students. We're not going to see any increase in class sizes. We're keeping all of our academic supports in place. Our students should not see the impact of these cuts. It minimizes the impact on our staff. The majority of these cuts are from vacant open positions and it sounds like we shouldn't be seeing anybody actually being eliminated. And it reduces the tax impacts impact on our community with the deficit this big it's inevitable that we need to use some of our bank cap. But this budget does not use all of it from 21 and 22 and it doesn't touch the nonexpiring portion. I hope many will at least appreciate lessening the burden where we can. With that being said, it's time to move the agenda. Thank you. Yes, Mr, would you move the agenda? Okay, the acting superintendent recommends and I move the following. 9.1 initial submission of the budget for 24 and 25. 9.2, maximum travel expenditure, 9.3, motion to approve the use of capital reserve to fund debt service. 9.4, motion to approve the use of capital reserve to fund approved projects for the 2425 school year. And do I have a second? Mr. Mayor and are there any questions or comments? Okay, seeing no additional questions or comments. Mr. Sugars, please open the voting. Okay, board members, you may cast your votes. And we have a unanimous yes vote. Okay, we move on to. We have no other items for human resources. No other items for our policy and legislation. No other items for strategic planning. No other items. For the rest of our agenda except for we will be moving on to item 13 which is our board training. And our ethics training. So. Anyone? We welcome everybody to stay for our ethics training. If you so choose. And at this time. I would like to welcome. Marion Friedman. From New Jersey School Board Association. We are so grateful that you are here today to present to us on our ethics. Training. We just want to make sure we can hear you and that the public can hear you. Thank you for having it. And is on now. Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. And I just want to pass these out. This will be the code of ethics. And acknowledgement of receipt. And also a conflict of interest form that you can. Okay, so thank you for having me tonight. Jesse Adams has been your field service rep and Jesse retired in January first. And we wish him the best and we are literally scrambling now to be able to. The rest of us to take care of Burlington and Camden and Mercer County. So I was very happy to be able to come in tonight. So thank you. For having me. I've actually been with the association for just about 15 years now. So, have had multiple counties. Burlington and Port of Camden when I first started back in 2,009 were part of my counties and I also had part of ocean at that point. So right now I'm working with Mercer and with Ocean. And as I said, we're filling in as needed. And I think we've been able to satisfy everybody's needs to this point. So far so fingers crossed that we can continue with that. So this will satisfy your ethics discussion for the year. And the content that's based in this presentation is not meant to be taken as legal advice. It is information that we're providing from this school ethics commission and also from our legal department. So as you know members usually have some sometimes they're complicated questions. They're not typically like a, you know, a standard 1, 2, 3, black and white question. So if you have questions, we do suggest that you contact your board attorney for those questions. You can also contact us and we'll let you know if we have an answer or if we're going to recommend that you talk to your board attorney. So public service really is the core value that can improve the lives and the world around you. And as a school official, you have the honor and the privilege of serving the public. But that comes with responsibility. So how do we hold ourselves accountable recognizing that the School Ethics Act is truly a minimum set of standards of ethical standards by which all board members should abide. I'm going to apologize for my voice also. I've had an ongoing issue with my voice since October, the fifteenth. It's just my vocal cords. Everything's okay and I'm not sick. Usually after I start talking for a few minutes, my voice gets pretty garbly and people start stepping back away from me but I'm promise you I'm not sick. So the school ethics act that was developed in 1991 was stipulated that it's essential for the conduct of board members of local boards of education and administrators, members of local boards of education and administrators to hold the respect and the confidence of the people. And board members and administrators must avoid conduct that might be considered in violation of the public trust or which creates a justifiable impression among the public that the trust is been violated. So the school ethics act established the school ethics commission for tonight's purposes. The SEC is the school ethics commission and not the securities in exchange commission. It also established prohibited acts, which are the conflicts of interest. Mandatory training requirements for board members which I'll go over in a few minutes disclosure statements personal relative and financial And as I think all of you will know even your newest members will know because they had to have those submitted by the end of January. They're not the SEC is not asking how much money you make or your household makes it asking where your money comes from in your household so that they can determine if there are conflicts of interest along the way. And then it also is established the code of ethics in 2,001 which was 9 years later. So who's accountable? The conflicts of interest and the disclosure statements or provisions that apply to all school officials. That includes board members, charter school trustees, professional NGSPA staff of which I am one, our officers at NJSBA and administrators who hold certificates. That to serve as a school administrator, principal or business administrator. Basically, if somebody holds a position that's responsible for making recommendations regarding hiring. Then or purchase or acquisition of services, they would be considered a school official. So pretty much all of you up here and me and possibly some others at the table are considered school officials. The code of ethics and mandatory training applies only to board members and charter school trustees. You're right, there is a little bit of a delay. I think I'm catching it though. So who enforced the act? The SEC enforces the Act and there are 9 total members of the School Ethics Commission that are appointed by the governor for three-year terms and a maximum of 5. From there can only be a maximum of 5 from any one political party. There are 2 school board members 5 non school officials and 2 school administrators. And I believe right now we have a compliment of 6 that make up the what should be the 9 member. School Ethics Commission. So what their jurisdiction is, is they oversee advisory opinions and ethics complaints. Advisory opinions are can only be done by a school official and you would request an advisory opinion on something that is proposed. Something that has not happened yet. But something that you think might happen. So for instance, when I got onto my board in 1999, another woman who ran at the same time as I did and we had April elections at the time. Came to us in May, I think the end of May, and said my husband's thinking of running for town council. If he should win the election, would there be any conflicts of interest for us as a board for me as a board member? So we submitted that official advisory opinion to the the SEC and they came back to us with. Different provisions and different things that would potentially create a conflict. Any kind of if he was elected, which he ended up being elected. Any kind of shared services with the township. Either she would have to recuse herself or he would have to recuse. So they both couldn't participate at the same time. As I said, we had April elections then. If you went, you know, you had to, we voted on our budgets. Our budget of the 9 years that I was on my board passed one year and so we were constantly going before the town council asking them to keep our budget whole and to not take money. Away from that. So if she portrayed as a board member, her husband wouldn't be able to participate as a town council member. So those kinds of things, any kind of land acquisition that we might try and. Share with the town council all of those things would come into play So it was great to have that information. Ethics complaints or any on something that has happened you perceive that too has happened already so anybody can file an ethics complaint. And it's based on the code of ethics, so they would have to look at the code of ethics and decide what tenant of the code of ethics they felt a board member had violated and then submit a complaint. Or a potential violation. In any given year the SCC tells us that there are generally 85 ethics complaints that are filed and usually 35 advisory opinions. It takes 6 votes by the SEC. So at this point all 6 would have to vote affirmatively to make those decisions public, whether it's advisory opinion or or complaint. So the training that's mandatory for board members is now within 90 days, the first 90 days of a new board member become being sworn in, they need to take governance one or new board member orientation. And I do remember seeing, I remember seeing you at the board member orientation weekend, right? Okay. So I was there for both of those. And what that gives you is the basic knowledge and skills, QSAC information, New Jersey quality, single accountability continuum, HIV, harassment, intimidation, and bullying, CSA, superintendent evaluation information, open public meetings act, and information on the code of ethics. So that has to happen within the first 90 days. And that came into effect for November elections just this January, but it came into effect last year for April election. Folks. So now anybody needs to do that within 90 days. By the end of year 2. You should, you need to take governance too, which is about finance and labor relations. By the end of year 3, governance 3, which is about the board's role in student achievement. And then any reelected year after your first term term is your first 3 years, you would take governance for which is legal updates. The programs are generally modified. Each year and revised to the extent that we're able to, revise them. And we provide those training options through in-person, live virtual and also self-paced online. So those are the ways you can get those. It is important that you guys know that. In order to register for any of the mandatory training your business administrator has to register you it doesn't cost the district any money outside of the dues that you already pay, but your business administrator has to register you. That's so that your BA can keep track. Of where you are with your training as well as NJSBA. We have to report and JSBA is the official organization that has to report on non-compliance for mandatory training to the SEC every year. Okay, your disclosure statements anybody knew who has already done this anybody who's been on the board before needs to do it by April the thirtieth. New school officials must sign that and complete those disclosure statements within 30 days. The start of being sworn in and then returning school officials there's an April thirtieth deadline each year. It is much easier to do now than it used to be when I first came onto the board in 1,999. We did them by paper and boy this is so much easier. I do recommend that when you do that you print it out so that you keep it and you have it for next year so you know what you did next year and if there are no changes you can just reenter that information. And it's a little bit helpful. So the penalties for a violation of the code of ethics. The SEC finds that there's a violation, they make a recommendation to the Commissioner of Education. They do not, they do not have the authority to make any kind of decisions on any penalties. So once they would make a recommendation, but then it goes to the commissioner. So the commissioner then has to can give a reprimand, which is a rebuke by the commissioner. Of conduct violating the standards but it doesn't result in a formal resolution. A censure is a formal disapproval by the commissioner and it is publicized by adoption of a resolution at a board. Member in public. Naming the individual and the violation that occurred. Suspension from the commissioner is you would be bored from engaging in any activity or matter that's board related for a certain period of time and this commissioner can also the SEC can also recommend and the commissioner can approve a removal. Which would mean immediate termination from your board service. So I'm gonna quickly pretty much go through the code of ethics. You have this in front of you. What you see at the top, the A in the green is the actual tenant of the code of ethics and then the standards underneath that. What you would have to with the evidence you would have to prove. In submitting a violation of a code of the code of ethics. So A as I will uphold and enforce all laws, rules and regulations of the State Board of Ed and court orders pertaining to schools desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures. And then again, below or all the things that you would have to do to provide evidence that somebody had violated that tenant. Bees, I'll make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children, regardless of their ability. Race, create sex or social standing. And again, standards below are what you would have to. Submit as, proof. C as I will confine my board action to policymaking planning and appraisal and I'll help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them. So this is one of the big ones that that the SCC is on a fairly regular basis. With board members who go outside of their planning and appraisal. Mandate or responsibility and start to try and micromanage the district. Okay, your superintendent has been appointed by you whether acting or or your your regular superintendent or your permanent superintendent to make those decisions about the operations of the school district. The board is the is the one is the entity. That's empowered to see that the schools are well run, but not to run the schools. Okay. D is I will carry out my responsibility not to administer the schools but together with my fellow board members to see that they are well run. This is again an anti micromanagement statement. Okay, you don't want to be trying to run the district. Anything that could be perceived as trying to run the district. Would most likely be a violation of date. I'll recognize that authority rests with the Board of Ed and make no personal promises nor take any private action. That may compromise the board. So this is really all about making sure that you understand that as board members you are one of 9 so it would take 5 people to make any kind of a. Directive to the superintendent and you can't do that on your own. As a board member, you individually have one vote. And you're only legally a board member when you're seated at a legally advertised meeting with a quorum of the board. Even though everybody in your community sees you as a board member, 24 7. You're only legally a board member and only can take that action. At a legally advertised meeting with the quorum of the board at a board meeting. F is all refused to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups. Or to use the gains for personal gain or for the gain of friends. This is becoming more of an issue today. I would say really in the past couple of years, there are people who are running for the board who sometimes have personal agendas that are based on politics. And we really try to remind board members this is not a political group that you have become a part of. You are here to represent all of the students in your district regardless of their political background or of their parents political background. This is the biggest one that the SCCs violations on. I'll hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools, which if disclosed would needlessly injure individuals. Or the schools in all other matter I'll provide accurate information and in concert with my fellow board members in interpret to the staff. The aspirations of the community for its schools. So this is my, do you remember the ads years ago, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? This is my what happens in executive session has to stay in executive session. If somebody is not able to be there because they have a conflict of interest and participating in that. It's not for you to call them on your way home and say this is what you missed. The conflicts of interest and the confidentiality are for the protection of the individual board member, the board, and for the district. So if somebody's not able to attend those those particular situations, if it's an employment issue or negotiations and they have a family member, a relative who works in the district, it's for their protection that they not be there. Because board members, what was happening was board members were being accused. Of using their influence in their vote. To do favors for their family member who worked for the district. Okay, so that's really important. So everything that happens in exec has to stay in exact. H is all voice, I'll vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer. This means that you recognize that your school official, your school administrator, your chief school administrator, your superintendent is the one that has the educational background, the certification, and the experience to make those recommendations to you. They are the person who's looking to make sure that the person that they are recommending is truly the best fit for the position. And for the school that they will be working in and for that particular job as it stands. It's not for the board members to be going through applications or resumes or anything else. You you're going to take into consideration seriously what the superintendent has recommended. That doesn't mean that you have to vote yes on everything. But you can't vote no in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Okay. I support and protect school personnel and proper performance of their duties. This one comes into play when you're at the school play or what you read a sports function and somebody's talking next to you about having it their child having a teacher and that child is having a tough time. And you say, well, you know what? My child had that teacher last year and my child had a difficult time also. That could easily be perceived as you saying because you're especially because you're a board member now, a board member said that their child had difficulty with that teacher last year too. That teacher must not be a good teacher. That's not what you said at all. But the perception is what is important in the other person's mind. So you're really charged with a point with protecting school personnel in the proper performance of their duties. And I generally recommend that you just don't talk about staff outside of your personnel committee or outside of executive session. As I'll refer all complaints to the Chief School Administrator and will act on complaints at a public meeting only after failure of an administrative. Solution. This is really about following the chain of command. And I'm gonna talk about that in a second. Because. You as an individual board member, remember have no authority to do anything. People will call you though. People will call you and say I voted for you. I had my community vote for you. You kind of, you know, I need you to be able to do this for me. It might be a transportation issue. It might be changing a teacher assignment. It may be a number of things. You have no way of making that happen for them. And so even though your people who care deeply about your communities and your students and your staff. You need to not take that on anymore as trying to help except to refer them to the lowest level of the chain because that's where things will be most expediently taken care of. So if it's a transportation issue, they should talk to the bus driver, then to perhaps the principal or to a transportation coordinator. You probably have a transportation coordinator because you're so large. Then after that it would probably go to Mrs. Sugars because she as a business administrator is probably responsible for that. So that would be the chain that somebody would go through if there was a transportation issue. And you want to let them know what that chain looks like so that they don't have to keep calling you back for the next steps. It's not that you're not interested, it's just that you can't do anything until it comes to the board table. If it comes to the board table. So speaking of the chain of command. Again, this allows issues to be handled in the most expedient way. It also allows for parents and community members and staff and administrators to take care of their situations. Parents and community members have a chain of command. Oftentimes that, I don't know, is that on your website? Do you have a chain of command on your website? I don't I don't recall but I know some districts do. That it shows how to go through the chain of command if you're a parent, a community member. Staff and administrators that is listed that's identified in their negotiated agreement. So they would be able to follow that if it's a staff member, usually you have a building. Union representative that they would go to if it doesn't get. Resolved there they could go to the union leadership which then would come to the superintendent. But these are issues that you're not going out and soliciting. Okay, so if you go to pick up your child at school, your grandchild at school, you're not asking, has that new curriculum that the board just approved or, you know, has the the new technology that we approved. Okay, you can be absolutely cordial to your staff and let them know that you appreciate their work. But don't solicit. You that's not your role. So if somebody calls you, you wanna refer them to the lowest level in the chain, but then you should notify, usually it's notify the superintendent and CC the board president on that. So that they're aware of what's going on. It also covers your back to let them know that Mrs. Friedman called, myself say, and was complaining or had an issue with her daughter's second-grade teacher and I referred her to the lowest to the teacher. And I wanted to let you know. Okay, so that helps you out in the long run also. It also lets the superintendent the board president know that there's something that may be in the chain of command that may follow itself up to them, but usually if something's getting to that point and it's getting to the superintendent, they're gonna let you know there may be something that's coming to you. If I can't resolve it. Resolution also doesn't necessarily mean that the parent or staff member or administrator or community member got what they wanted. It may mean that they understand why they couldn't get what they wanted. Okay. Because people in my dish, my old previous district, people would call and say, I need my bus. Stop changed from the corner of the road from the end of the street to my driveway. Not realizing that and what seems like an insignificant change. Costs a lot of money to do because if you're doing this for one person you're doing it for a lot of people and their staffing there's time involved in the transportation process and all those kinds of things. So most times people aren't really sure or aware of what these things might involve. And that's why you want to let them go to the lowest level. Okay, so these are cases that are related to the code of ethics every case in this list is a violation of not taking any private action that may compromise the board. I'm not going to read through all of these but you have this in your packets and I've also sent it to Dr. Morton so you can have it electronically. If you click on the C. 98 dash 21, first of all, the C means that it was a complaint. The 98, means that it was probably the 90 eighth one that they dealt with in 2,021 okay so the dash 21 is gives you the year. But a board member copied and pasted information from a board email and sent to the non-public comments to township officials. The revealing the board's inner communication had the potential to compromise the board. The information was considered confidential as the board hadn't yet voted on it. Or, really discussed it. It was recommended a reprimand. So anything that says recommended, it hasn't gone to the commissioner as yet. So nothing officially has happened, but the recommendation from the SEC to the commissioner. These all had to do with lot of outside of really just taking that private action and trying to to take care of it. Okay and that's something that you don't want to do. The last one was a board, somebody used a board email to express their personal views on mask mandates and encouraged action. It was sent to the state legislature and members of the public. And that was a reprimand. So that was adjudicated by the commissioner and was felt to be a reprimand. These are also related to the code of ethics. The first one, there were 2 incidents. A member accused the superintendent of changing the graduation date 2 to a personal conflict. The same member as secretary of a local organization was told by the principal that the chorus would not be performing in an annual event. So she texted the chorus teacher to question why. The request for the explanation from a subordinate was administering to the schools. So that was also, that was considered a censure. Okay, members should have declined a meeting with members of the public to discuss a highly divisive board action to change a holiday. The independent action undermines the administration's authority to address concerns and imposes an unnecessary strain on the administration and the board relationship. That was a reprimand. Okay, a board president lost an election and directed the board council to conduct research on another board member who campaigned against them. That was obviously taking private action. It uses it used their position to secure an unwarranted privilege for themselves. And it also cost the district money. By asking the board attorney to handle that. Okay, so prohibitive acts. This is just an excerpt and you will, will see this in your, in the conflicts of interest as well. You do need to recuse yourself if there's a benefit to you or as a school official or an immediate family member due to personal interest, position to secure unwarranted privileges. Financial involvement, service or employment, gift or favor or financial gain. If you have have to recuse yourself because there's a potential benefit to you, you want to recuse not. Epstein, thank you. Who said that? It just went out of I knew it was an A, but I couldn't get there. So you want to recuse yourself officially. Because that notes then that you do have a conflict of interest and that you haven't participated in the discussion or in the vote. Okay, and abstention, which I'm going to go over in a minute also. The word will be up there, so I won't have a problem remembering it. We're saying it, but that just means that you don't feel that you have enough information to make an informed vote. Okay, so here we go conflict and recuse. So when you vote, there's a distinction between an abstention and a recusal. Abstention as you feel that you don't have enough information. To make an informed vote. And that's perfectly okay. A recusal is stating that you acknowledging that you do have a conflict of interest, you have an immediate family member or a relative who works in the district that does not allow you to participate in either that personnel matter. Negotiations or anything that might be considered anything that has to do with the superintendent as well. Okay, so if you and you would need to check with your board attorney also as to whether abstent how abstentions may count or if they count and how a recusal counts and if that counts. Okay. Because that can vary by district. So what's an immediate family member? A spouse, a civil union partner or domestic partner, dependent child or resident or someone residing in the same household. A relative is an expanded list now. Spouse, civil union domestic partner, or parent, child, sibling, and uncle niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, son, daughter-in-law, step-parent stepchild, step-brother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, or the individual or the individual spouse or partner by blood marriage or adoption. And this is all in the nepotism law. Okay, so it became really expansive. And the term relative does not really appear in the prohibited act, but a relative of yours can create a conflict. So you always want to check with your board. We usually suggest it reorganization. Anybody let some the board attorney know if they have any immediate family members or relatives working in the district. Or in other districts outside of Cherry Hill. Because there can be. There can be kind of a domino effect. With negotiations and such if you're on negotiations in Cherry Hill and your neighbor in one of your neighboring districts has one of your relatives there and they are actually at the table negotiating for their particular union. That can influence what happens in your district. So you always wanna just. Recuse yourself from those things. And you would let your board attorney know and then they would remind you and your business administrator and your board secretary usually does too. This is a list that's partial up on the screen, but you have in the packet that I sent around the complete list. This pretty much gives you a good indication of what could be a conflict of interest. The reason I say that you're board attorney and your business administrator or board secretary can help to keep you in a safe space. When it comes to conflicts. Typically Staff is is denoted in an agenda by a number. And students would be denoted by a number. When I was on my board and it was Granted a long time ago, my daughter had mono and was going to need home instruction. I looked at the agenda. There were a couple of student numbers in there. Who knows I never knew my kids number. And so I walked in thinking I could vote, there was no problem with me voting on anything. And our BA came over to me as I walked into the room and he said, Mayor, by the way, this particular item G. Is Eva and you can't vote on Eva's homeschooling because she's your daughter so you would have to recuse yourself from that boat. So that's why it's a good idea for your board attorney. And your business administrator board secretary to know what those conflicts are also so that they can help to protect you in a situation like that. In terms of hiring and personnel. The board may not hire the relative of a board member or the chief school administrator. There are limited situations or exceptions. But if the relative already works in the district. Anybody can run for the Board of Education. You could have 52 members of your family working in the district. Okay, it doesn't prohibit you from being able to run or be elected to the board. But. Once you're elected to the board with those family members who are already working in the district. You would not be able to take part in the superintendent's evaluation. Or or any employment member matters above. Your family member in the chain of supervision. Okay, so if your family member is a teacher in one of the schools principal or an assistant principal wouldn't you wouldn't be able to participate in any personnel matters pertaining to them, any supervisors, and then up to, assistant superintendents and up to the superintendent. Okay, and you wouldn't be able to participate in negotiations also. You would not be able to take part in the selection or interview or selection of a search firm or of the selection of the new superintendent also if you were in the process of a superintendent search. And administrator can't exercise. Their direct or indirect authority over a family member also. So sometimes there's a family member in the district of an administrator and that just means that as they might be approved to go up the chain in the personnel department or in your staff. They wouldn't be able to have direct supervisory experience or over their family member or relative. Somebody else would have to take that. Okay, and you would need to recuse yourself again from those. This is the chart about collective bargaining. So if your spouse and a dependent child or a not dependent child or a child not dependent or relative works in the district. You're most likely not going to be able to participate negotiations or to vote to ratify the contract. If it's yourself. Or your spouse or dependent child who works in another district. Okay, you would like likely not be able to participate negotiations, but you may be able to vote to ratify the contract dependent upon whether that you yourself your spouse or a dependent child, it works in another district. If they are at the negotiating table. You would not be able to ratify the contract. But if they're not, if their rank and file, you would be able to. And then a child who's not a dependent or a relative who works outside of the district in another district. You probably would be able to participate again as long as they're not in a leadership position in negotiations and you would be able to vote. To ratify the contract. Again, we do suggest that you talk to your board attorney about that. Okay, other so the conflicts about not in the unit but the terms of employment are linked That's when another family member or you work in another school district. Your terms of employment are linked overall if you're part of all part of the NGA. Okay, that's where that that piece of of link comes in. If somebody supervised by employees in the district or if an immediate family member relative has that heightened union involvement. And back in, I think it was 2,010. The endorsement of a candidate by a local education or statewide union. Had eliminated somebody if they were elected from being able to negotiate in their first year. And JSBA said, what if the person didn't ask for that endorsement? What if they didn't receive any financial assistance for their candidacy? And finally, the the SEC said that endorsement of a candidate by local or statewide association or union doesn't necessarily create a per se conflict. It's really going to be on a case-by-case basis. So if a board member, if a person who's elected to the board was endorsed by a union, you would have to ask for an advisory opinion on that. Okay. These are all issues with the prohibited acts. I'm not going to go through those because you have them and you can certainly look them up. They're very interesting. This stuff is always pretty interesting. And as I said before, Sometimes something may look like it's exactly a situation that you may have, but there may be one special thing. About your situation that you may have to ask. Your board attorney or ask for an advisory opinion on. Okay. The impact on committee assignments when a relative works in the district. This is fairly new. This came about last year. I think it was over the summer. There was a board president who had a child who was an instructional aide in the district. And one of the members of the board. Asked for an advisory opinion on whether the board president could select. Share people for certain committees. And it would, and we had always been told. That the only thing that having a relative who works in the district would impact is superintendents evaluation and anybody in the chamber supervision above your family member. The SEC said that in this in these cases now can not choose any commit the board president would not be able to choose any committee members nor be on the committees involving the local education association or matters related to the superintendent. So this knocked the board president out of. Providing assigning committee chairs. Personnel. Negotiations, instruction, and finance. She couldn't participate in any of those committees. Nor should she, could she appoint share people to those committees? In the same district another board member spouse. Was a 10 month employee? Is a 10 month employee in the technology department? Again, it used to be that you would just not be able to participate in the superintendent's avail, anything to do with the superintendent or any personnel matters involving supervisors above your family member. The SEC said that they can't be involved in any matters including service on any committee that remotely touch upon or directly relate to the spouse's employment. Including without limitation personnel negotiations and or finance. So these things are being expanded at literally like as they happen. And as people bring up these kinds of of situations. So if you're in that situation, always talk to your board attorney first, ask for their best recommendation as to whether you can. A point or whether you can serve on these committees, okay? Because it can lead now with this knowledge, it can lead to an ethics violation. Okay. Impact on executive session. There was a member who attended an executive session discussion on candidates to fill the vacant board seat. And the board members husband had applied. Another board president attended multiple discussions on a matter involving their spouse. The other members were unaware of the identity that the spouse was indeed. A spouse of a board member of the board president. Both cases the council board council was in. Consulted first. They felt that it was they for some reason had said that it was okay. The SEC said that once there's a conflict there's a conflict and the board member and the board president should have realized that. So. There was censure on both of those. So just be aware. Volunteering in the school. You guys are all people who As I said before, care deeply about your communities, your staff and your students. And you generally have come from volunteer positions in the school. You can still volunteer in the schools, but you need to be aware of the degree of your involvement. And also the degree of authority. So you should not be ever responsible for students or staff or, you know, supervising students or staff or providing them with any direction and the degree of involvement has to do with the frequency that you're in the buildings. So sometimes enlarged districts. A large district that I had several years ago. One of the schools in the one they had 5 elementary schools one of the elementary schools. The teachers expected a. Class parent to be in the building 3 times a week. In their classroom 3 times a week. That would be a problem for the SEC. Another elementary school in the same district, they only felt that the class parents should be in. They were only going to request that they be in once a month. That would not be a problem. Okay. If it appears that you're in meshed in the district or in meshed in the school. That would cause a problem. Okay. You need to think about whether you're giving directions to staff or students. Are you going to be in the building often? Will you be handling any district money? If your PTO PTA homeschool whatever it is at the What's it called? At the, at the field in the Help me. Snack bar. Thank you. Thank you. Zack bar concession stand. If you're if somebody's paying you for something fine okay don't count up money don't take money to be deposited to the bank. You Just don't have anything to do with the money, okay? And then also there's been a lot of questions recently about could somebody on the board be a coach or a volunteer coach in the district. No more. When I got on the board in 99, we did have board members who could be volunteer coaches in the district. That's not the case any longer. And when you think about it, it probably never should have been the case because if you're a volunteer coach and you're a board member and you're down with the team and you're talking to team members or you're talking now to the actual coach. Of the of the team the people in the audience don't know that you're not directing them that you're saying boy that was a great play or to the student you know why you did great on that run. So So again, just always be cognizant of the obligations of the school ethics act. And the code of ethics. Okay, we talked about voting and you're entrusted to review recommendations by the superintendent and then vote in the way that you feel best served the needs of the district and the students. However, you must always consider statutory obligations. So for appointment transfer, removal of certificated or non-certificated staff. A member can vote any way that's not arbitrary and capricious. And there are a couple advisory opinions there that you may want to take a look at. But keep in mind, if you have a student that's on, that's a band member at the high school band in the high school band. And a vote before you comes from the recommendation of the superintendent that you buy band, new band uniforms for the entire band. You can vote on that because it's not just for your child. If the superintendent makes a recommendation to buy your child or your grandchild one uniform, a new uniform just for that person, that would be a problem. Okay, so you would recuse yourself from that. It's not going to happen anyway, but just to give you a kind of scope of things. Social media, okay? Using social media doesn't necessarily mean that you violated the act, but the SEC has recommended strongly. That board members once they are elected, they don't use a campaign social media account any longer, that you put it on hold or put it on pause, whatever the terminology is for that. Because just by using that somebody in your public could. Perceive that you're speaking for the board. Okay, so you want to make sure and we used to say as long as you use a disclaimer that says I'm a board member. I'm not speaking for the board. Nor am I speaking for, have I been authorized to speak for the board, nor does my opinion necessarily reflect that of the board members. That you would be covered. The SEC has found that the content of your speech in those blogs in those postings may render that disclaimer meaningless. If you go to too far in talking about your boardsmanship. Okay, and there's a case in here where that was was in point. And that's where that pretty much came from and that was about 2 years ago, 3 years ago. And this one, a board member asked if as a private citizen it would violate the act if they answered operational questions. About the district on a Facebook page, a Q&A between parents and the board of Ed. Just that statement, answer questions based on operational questions. Answer on operational questions about the district. Would be a violation. Okay, because they would have that information as a board member. You're perceived whether you have additional information or not. By your public to always have more information. And most often that you have. Okay, so always be very cognizant of that. And you never want to jeopardize your status as a board member. This is the disclaimer. The following statements are made in my capacity as a private citizen. And not in my capacity as a board member. These statements are also not representative of the board or its individual members and solely represent my own personal opinions. So then the questions come up. If I use the disclaimer, does that automatically protect me? No, the content of your speech matters. What would cause me to be in violation of the disclaimer. Again, it's the content. If I don't use the disclaimer, does that mean I'm automatically in violation? No, it doesn't, but they do highly recommend that you use that disclaimer. Okay, and then also monitor your content. Unless they use the exact disclaimer no, but you need to use some kind of a disclaimer. Okay, so the guidance is once you become a board member, it's no longer appropriate to use a campaign page. They suggest that you don't have a social media account that is Marianne Friedman, board member in Cherry Hill board member, something like that. The mere liking of a social media post does not necessarily cause a reasonable member of the public to to perceive that you're speaking as an official. In your official capacity and just be careful about very divisive language. There's been a lot of that going around lately and the SEC warns board members should refrain from inappropriate communications that have no place in the educational setting. And public the public ultimately decides on in their community best who's going to serve at the next election. Okay, points to consider. We recommend that you regularly keep a list of board members who have family members or relatives who are working in the district or other districts outside of Cherry Hill consult with your board attorney on ethical issues. You can also check school board notes. That comes out once a week. Once every 2 weeks over the summer. Because we often have advisory opinions and and information on new complaints in there. Just remember, the SCC wants us to remind board members that they may not deliberately disregard and ignore ethical standards that they're required by law to uphold. And enforce when board members. Do so it not only threatens the integrity of the board, it also unnecessarily compromises district personnel. And subverts the very purpose for which board members are elected, namely to serve the needs and the school district. And students. Okay, these are some of the resources that you go to and you can also click on any of those. Sightings within if it's an A, it's an advisory opinion. If it's a C, it was a complaint. Do you have any questions? A lot. This is why my voice by the end is kind of like, Whenever a lot of stuff, very thought provoking, I don't know about. So I think we should have an opportunity to. Okay, but can you one thing. I don't know. I don't, I didn't, and I sorry I just stepped out for a second earlier, but I don't think you talked about. Could you talk a little bit more in depth? You talked about when we're together at the table versus when we're on our own. Can you just talk a little also about like you know, cause it's challenging, being together at the table sometimes they're very long meetings like I mean I sometimes, Something will come through on my phone. It's someone from work asking me a question about work because people where I work work till 9 o'clock at night. Right. So, you know, if there's an emergency, I'm the person. So that's challenging in a meeting, you know, but can you just talk about that like in terms of Like what do we do in a situation like that? It's something comes in our phone or whatever. So one of the things that we recommend is that you put your phones on silent when you come into the board meeting and you're sitting at the table. If you have a family member who's sick at home. Or you think that you may have some kind of an issue. Let the board president know that you may get a phone call. You can have it on virate on your legs so that, you know, if it goes off, you're aware of it, but nobody else is, and then you can say to the board president, I need to be excused for a few minutes. I have, you know, potential family emergency to take care of, then you can come back in if it's if it's okay for you to stay, it's okay for you to stay if you feel you need to leave, you would come back in and say, I'm sorry, I do need to to leave and to be absent for the rest of the meeting due to a family situation. If it's a work situation, it can be the same thing. These are things that each board member really needs to take into consideration as to how they want to handle them. You know, if it's a work situation, but it's somebody's health and safety that's imminent. Then you know that's a real issue. If it's not, if it's, you know, something that somebody else at work can take care of, then you may want to just say I need to step out for a second. Text the person that's texting you or calling you you need to call this person and then cut you know you can come back into the room knowing that it's being taken care of. But those are all situations that you really have to use your good judgment on and use common sense on. But I would let the board president know if you felt that you might have some situation. That might call you out. I've been, when I was on my board, I was the liaison to our sending district. And while I was seated at the board table. A board member that was sitting next to the vice president so they were right up at the front of the dais. Got a phone call. Phone rang, actually took the call at the, at the dais and everybody was like. What is this? And I know that the board president spoke to that person afterwards and said, if you need to take a call, please excuse yourself. So I, you know, we're all human beings. We all have families that we're taken care of. We may have elderly parents that were taken care of or other family members or small children. Relatives. Situations at work. Just let somebody know if you, if you have the advantage of knowing that something might be going on. You've got a sick hit at home, you know, say, you know, One of my kids is sick. I think they're gonna be okay, but if things turn, I may need to leave. And then let somebody know so that the board president at least knows. And likewise, if you're not going to be able to get to a meeting or if you're going to be late for a meeting, let the board president or the board secretary know where the business administrator now there's nothing that well I won't say there's nothing worse. There's a lot of things worse than sitting in the audience and hearing the roll call and have somebody's name called and there's nothing. Crickets. Because then everybody in the audience thanks do these people talk to one another? Did somebody call and say I'm going to be late? I have a work issue or I have a family issue. I'm going to be later. I'm not going to be able to come. So always try and let somebody know. Okay, even if it's another another colleague on the board, let somebody know so that they can relay that information when your name is called and you're not there. Did that help? It did. And I just have a small follow up question again, work very hard not to. Ever have anything sensitive come through, you know, from work on my phone. Cause I work in health care. I know that like in our in the meetings, anything that goes on on our phones, on our laptops, it's discoverable, correct? Yes. So, like, I, you know, that's a sensitive topic, right? Because if it's something like Earth. You know, with one of our kids since, I mean, it's happened. They know I mean a meeting. Why are they texting? But, and I can't respond, I don't know, I find that just it's just tough because we're all. So used to being. Responsive to our phone. It's right. It's such a tough, it's harder today than it was even 5 years ago. So what you should know is you each have a district email account, right? Okay, anything board related should go through that district email account. Nothing should go through a personal account. Because if you're if somebody open requests your emails your attorney will only need to look or your your IT people will only need to look at the server and pull those those emails. Okay. If you're using a personal email address as well. And those records are requested. Those emails are requested. You're going to be paying your board attorney to go through all of your personal emails to pull out, you, anything that's not. That's board related and I don't know about you I don't do anything on my personal account that I wouldn't necessarily want on the front cover of the Asbury Park Press or whatever the the newspaper is, but it would just be to me that's an O. I don't want somebody else going through my emails. I have nothing to hide in them personally, but I also just somebody else going through it. It's like, it's just. It's not nice. So always use your district email account. You could get your text messages, requested and then your board attorney would probably need to go through those. Okay. They would only be they really are gonna. Focus on what's board related. But if you can do it with a phone call. Do with a phone call. Be careful about texting and. Things like that. On your phones because they're not district phones, so their personal phones and they're open to that. Yes. Thank you. So I just wanted to follow up a little bit about the social media piece because I think in our community, as I'm sure in a lot of communities, a lot of discourse around what goes on with the board happens on social media where we cannot respond. And I think it's just a continual source of frustration. I'll just speak for myself that I feel like. We have the meeting, and then people start sending me screenshots of things that people are talking about. On Facebook. But I'm unable to respond. And then the discourse goes on. So. In our the way that we usually do it is we have the official board emails like you said and you know if community members email the board then either the board president or the superintendent responds on behalf of the board so we all can't respond is that common in is that how boards do it? Yes. So my children tell me nobody emails anymore. They're only old people email and I believe them. Because I'm old like that and I like it. But I mean, is there any come from a buy? I know, right? My 15 year old is like, mom, nobody uses email anymore. But I just feel like, you know, it's now like you said, things are different now than they were. 10 years ago, even 5 years ago, I just feel like I just wanted to make sure that we're doing it right because I think it frustrates the community when there's discourse going on around things that the board is doing. And the board looks like we're silent, but it's actually because can't respond as much as we would love to. Right. You know, I'm screaming at my computer screen. Like there's nothing I can do. I know. So if you notice something on Facebook on Twitter, which is now XI guess, Instagram or any other social media accounts that is inaccurate. Is flat out wrong. You can it's not that we don't want you to respond to it but and the SEC doesn't want you to respond to it. But if you can let the superintendent know or the business administrator now or the board president now, and if you're getting these screenshots you can send them to them also and say, I just wanted you to know so that the administrator, the network administrator for that particular social media account can either sometimes they'll remove it because there are protocols that they abide by so there may be protocols that would cause them to remove those things and take them off. The site. Also sometimes I know for a lot of districts that use Facebook they make it so that it's one way information out and people can't comment on it. It's just pushing information out. But you always want people to go to the district for that information. The district website, the district account should be where people go for accurate information. And timely information. Because you all are working, you're doing other things. This is a fraction of what you do in your lives. So you're not responsible for monitoring all the social media accounts for the district, but somebody is. At the district level. And so whomever that person is, so you can either send that those screenshots to the board president and say I just wanted to let you know these are coming to me. I haven't responded but I wanted you to know so you can send it to the network administrator. Okay, that's the best thing to do. Okay, thank you for assuring me. You're doing the right thing. You really are. It's listen, it's very difficult. I, I think. The heavens that I came off of my board in 2,008 to work at NJSBA and that was really right before. Social media and all of this stuff took off because I'm not sure that I wouldn't have been a problem. Let me just put it that way. I mean, I would have learned real fast not to be a problem, but you know it's taken a lot of time to come to these decisions. So you're doing the right thing. I have a question. It might be like kind of crazy, but if we're voting on a personnel matter and you notice that a friend pops up on the list is the best way to handle that is just to recuse yourself from that section. Like we clump our. Action items. So you could you could recuse from from a friend if that's a very close friend, you vacation together, you do things all the time together, you're constantly with each other's kids and things like that. If you don't feel that it's, you know, I would, I would talk to your board attorney about how they would like for you to handle that. Because different board attorneys will guide you differently. It's not necessarily something that you would need to recuse yourself from. I think it depends on that relationship and what the perception might be. Okay. Okay. Hi. Hi. You talked about the difference between abstaining and the refusal. And in a recuse, it's conflict of interest. I have a question. What if it's like both? It's probably a stupid question, but the recusal would take precedence, right? Here's what Trump the abstention. Yeah. Good question though. Thank you. Haven't been asked that one before. Okay, thank you so much. Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mary. That's okay. That's okay. I'm sorry, Mary. That's okay. I'm sorry. Sorry. I know, I know. It's 7. All right. All right. I I'll go fast. I promise. What's that? Well, no, I mean, you know, it's actually interesting because having been through these and also previously watched them. It's one of the more quiet groups in terms of questions. So. I just, I for so I want to thank you because I think the the piece about. And I think this is really, this is one of the bigger challenges I think I experienced and a lot of people experiences. You know, the actual versus perceived. The perception, you know, I think. Just it becomes more and more clear like There's a lot of assumptions and perceptions and I think you may have even heard some tonight, you know, when you were sitting in our meeting, you know, I think like, you you know, what you do or don't do has a ton associated with it. And I think it's just something that it was just helpful that you point it. You need that's throughout your presentations. I wanted to thank you, that's throughout your presentations. I wanted to thank you about that's throughout your presentations. I wanted to thank you about that. So. The other piece, and I guess it relates to this, is you talked about you know, community members have questions or concerns. That you know kind of the way to approach it the chain of command for resolution. And I guess I'm wondering what you're seeing with other boards because I will tell you that We have we have some. Folks that come bring things to us and they get answered and they get answered and they get answered and they get answered with like you know, black and white facts, you know, very clear, very you know, full robust answers and that's not that person doesn't see that as a resolution. I guess I'm just wondering. Like from an epic standpoint. You know, what you do at that point as a board member who continues to see this going on. So remember, you're going to go through the chain of command. So if somebody doesn't feel that there's resolution at any point, then it will eventually work its way up to the superintendent. Hopefully the superintendent can relay that information to them. This is something that we can't do. You know, I'd like you to understand why we are not able to do this exactly the way you want it done. But it may get, you know, there's there are people who will want to take it all the way up to the board. That's when you were able then to have that conversation with the superintendent, okay, what has been tried all the way through. And, you know, what did you try with this person that has brought them now to the board? And sometimes it's just for the board to be able to say, you know, we don't have the superintendent solution is our solution. We agree with that solution. Sometimes that doesn't happen, but it's pretty rare that it doesn't happen. Because usually this has gone through a path. And that chain where it's really been exhausted and the superintendent is pretty much other than the board, the last say, the second to the last say. And if the board feels that the superintendent has done everything in their power to try and get the situation resolved. Then they're going to affirm what the superintendent has has said as the resolution to the problem. That doesn't mean that the person can't continually come back to you. And ask for, you know. Other issues or taking that issue and tweaking it a little bit to make it a little bit different. I think, you know, the best that you can do is continue to listen to people and show that you care about them. Because you do. And you would like to be able to help them, but as an individual you can't. A board you can, but the people along the way in the chain of command are the people who can most expediently help them resolve the issue. And that's the fastest way possible. So, and then if it gets to you, because if it comes to you first and you try and resolve it. Then it's generally going to have to go back all the way through that chain of command. If the person calls the superintendent and says, you know, I want transportation for my child. I want them to be picked up at the driveway. Rather than at the end of the street, he's going to have to go back and talk and tell that person to talk to. So any any attempt to try and resolve it. On any of your own, you know, and within your own capabilities, which you really don't have those capabilities. But if you try to, it just delays the process even further. So for them to really go through. You may just have to keep hearing. What they're, you know, what they're asking you, knowing that the resolution is still the resolution that the superintendent has has offered them. There's really no way around that. Thank you. And probably the last thing, and this is a topic that we talk about a lot. So like amongst ourselves in terms of, you know, Everybody here gets to have their own vote, right? You know, so I guess, you know, I think part of what. Sometimes there's different ways to look at that. Vote and different ways to look at, you know, like. For instance, you know, when I was, when I went through ethics trainings previously, I was always told, I don't know if things evolve, so I don't know if we're still in the same place. You know, I was always told, you know, whatever your vote is, you know, you can have your vote or whatever your opinion is at the end after the board has made it decision and there's a majority decision at that point in time. You know, whether I liked it or not, whether I agree with it or not, I'm part of the board I have to get behind it. I mean is that still how it's being looked at or has there been changes with that? What we recommend and Most of the time board members are going to be in the majority. I mean, for a good portion of the time, but they're gonna come times when you're not in the majority. But that's when you need to be able to say to others. All of your votes are done in public. You can vote in executive session, so all of your votes are done in public. They're all public knowledge. So if somebody calls you and say, why did you vote on that? You can say I didn't vote on that. But I do respect the authority of the majority opinion of the board. And I will support that. I didn't. I didn't vote that way, but I do feel that the the majority of the board makes that decision and if that's what their decision was that I'll respect that. Because if you can't respect as a board member the majority opinion of the rest of the board you can ask anybody in your in your you know in your community to respect that. You need to be able to respect that. Sometimes it's going to go your way and I will tell you I was in the minority opinion a couple of times in my 9 years on the board and it stunk. And It was not easy and I was not happy. And I didn't want to say, you know, this is just fine with me. So I didn't say it's fine with me. I said I respect that the majority opinion of the board was what it was. And I will respect that. I don't, you know, I don't have to run through the streets with pompom saying, Raa Raa, the board voted this way and I voted the opposite way. But I do need to respect the authority of the board. And that's really the only way to do it. Otherwise you can't ask anybody else too. So that has not changed. Thank you, I'm sorry. Lots of things have changed. There, there are and there's a lot. I mean, it was just. I don't know, for me there was something very relevant that was very recent that I, I'm like, oh, we got to make a change. One thing you brought up, you know, what? I mean, it stinks to be in the minority opinion, but all your votes are public votes. You know, you either yay or nay. Either roll call or or hands up or voice vote, whatever it is, but you don't have to say you voted for something if you didn't. And you could say I didn't vote for that. These were my reasons, but the majority of the board decided to vote for that and I respect it. Thank you for letting me ask this question. You're welcome. I didn't mean to delay us. I wasn't that long, Dr. If anybody has any questions, you can give me a call. Okay. Or shoot me an email. Thank you so much. Thank you. Fantastic and so helpful. You're welcome. Have a good rest of the evening. Are there any extra there? I don't I think there are any extras? Are there? Okay. Okay, so We need you too. Thank you so much and. I will make a motion to adjourn at 7 30. 3? Do I have a second? Oh, Dr. Rood! All in favor? Hi, motion carious meeting is adjourned.