all right everybody I think I think Molly's good to go to live stream so we're going to get started thanks all right uh thank you everyone I'm calling to order this special board meeting of the Collingswood board of education for Wednesday July 17th 2024 appropriate uh notice has been advertised call to order please Mr Chu here Mr Craig here Mrs Maya here Mrs mulski here Mrs Savino here Mrs szer here Mrs Sher and Celia here Mr tab here Mrs Kaden here please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands na under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all before we get started uh this evening I wanted to take a moment um to acknowledge um two significant losses to our community last week Diane Sant a uh Collingswood resident and the hearton soul of Oakland Public School for 35 years she was the secretary there passed away as well as Joanne Ranon a retired Garfield Elementary nurse and we wanted to take a moment uh to acknowledge the um the amount the tremendous amount of work and love and care that both of those women um poured into our Collingswood and Oakland Community uh that being said we're going to transition over to what we're here for tonight um it's a little bit of a different flow because there is only one item on our agenda this evening so before we get started with um public comment I did want to just take a moment to explain what is actually on the agenda for this evening so we will be voting on a a res a resolution to authorize uh the submission of specifically the bond proposal question uh some have asked us about why it's phrased the way it is and we wanted to clarify a little bit of that before we got started um we consulted this all of this is done uh through a bond attorney who specializes in these sorts of things much much more than any of us that are sitting up here today um it is important for the question to be very specific about what it is that we are going to the community to ask them for and not contain extra extraneous details that don't specifically um that are not specifically something that the community has the ability to vote yes or no on everybody is entitled to their opinion on all of it that is for sure the truth however what you're specifically voting on has to do with uh the the money that we are asking you uh to to go to go into your taxes and that we are using those money for the specific facilities related to Good Shepard the uh the renovations to the Zay North School building and the athletic facilities behind the high school here uh we there the other information it isn't that it's being hidden it's that those are not things like the the closing of sharp and Garfield Elementary School those are not things that the community can vote yes or no on those are board actions that will be taken if and when a bond proposal question passes so that is the reason for that it doesn't mean that we are trying to to hide anything we are being very transparent about uh what the uh effects of this referendum are what the impact of it will be we will continue to be very clear about what all of that is in all of our Communications going forward in referendum roundtables we'll be having in any materials that are um that are dispersed it is a a consequence of the referendum it's the way that we are able to purchase the building however it isn't a uh an action that the public votes yes or no on so the if you if you are looking at the agenda the bond proposal question is two paragraphs then the rest of that where it says do you approve this bond proposal question is all things that the Board needs to vote about um that that I'll give um our board secretary our business administrator uh Mr Garrison uh our architect and all the different nuts and bolts of how um this referendum comes to pass is do I have all that part correct yes okay great um so so that's the that is what is on the agenda for um voting tonight so with um with that being said we are at our opportunity our first opportunity for public comment the purpose for this public comment section is to dis discuss items listed on the agenda so at the moment that is specifically any items anything that you would like to make public comment about that has to do with the bond referendum anything else is is to be wait is to be saved excuse me for the second public comment section the public is reminded that attempts to resolve all concerns and complaints should first go through appropriate staff members and administrators the intent of public comment is to give the community the opportunity to provide feedback to the board we will be actively listening and taking notes so that we can take all that is being said into consideration if appropriate clarifying comments may be made at the end of the public comment section for more detailed responses to concerns communication may go out later in the week by the appropriate staff members or administrators or be discussed by the board during future committee meetings members of the public are welcom to speak and expected to do so with the utmost sensitivity for everyone in attendance and In fairness to all who wish to speak there's a strict three minute time limit Ms Coleman has her uh her timer that is loud enough that you can usually when you're up here you'll hear it start to to ding to give you the heads up um so three three minute time limit per person for public comment please come to the microphone stand uh and state your name and address for the record Wayne Rossy 114 East Palmer ra um I a big believer and I have been for years before this proposal started that collinswood needs to have grade level schools I feel that this is a significant Equity issue as I feel that neighborhood schools have uh unfortunately reinforced residential segregation they have uh not been sufficiently inclusive and that we've watched the schools get older and older uh and not frankly the kind of uh um facilities that are necessary for modern education experience for the children of our schools I think it's very unfortunate that a lot of the discussion hasn't really focused on kids and what they need uh and how and we can make sure that the plans that are going forward are focused on all Collingswood students it's you know there's been way too much in my opinion US versus them mentality when this is meant to be about the only investment we can make as far as I understand it uh that we'll invest in all of our students and I I think that being able to take that step and and to make that investment is deeply important thank you good evening members of the board my name is Jen Rossi 114 East Palmer Avenue I wanted Tok thank uh Miss Coleman specifically about the responsiveness of my recent Oprah requests and I'm looking forward to getting more information I recently held a survey which was open to anybody who was at conversations or by Word of Mouth to participate in regards to uh this Bond referendum that's a complex issue with a lot of things going on at the same time um but I'm hoping with the conversation that's coming up this in up coming Tuesday over at the community center around inclusion and inclusive schools we'll be hitting on the uh District's goals for Dei including Ada accessibility for the buildings as well as staff to support the students within those buildings for existing 504 plans and IEPs I'm hoping we can have some further discussions specifically around the specifics um on the improvements to the fields some people are very concerned about the artificial turf um more on the long-term goals for uh the sharp and Garfield buildings and those communities and and for safe routes to school I know that is going to be a very complex issue involving the burough and the county so um there's a group of people who are very engaged and want to make sure that our kids are getting tuned from school safely so and also um maybe some more discussions around uh shared services for things like programs and resources with our recent budget um crisis that we've landed ourselves into and you know some previous uh people in government have helped us get to but we're uh hoping that we can make sure that our kids are still kind of getting what we were expecting for them to get when we uh moved to Collingswood and got our families involved with the Collingswood Public School District thank you have a good evening good evening gret and KY uh 920 Grand Avenue uh Colwood um I just had a question because I was um I was online looking at the agenda as well would will there be a it cuts off the question even when you go landscape is there way to get the full because it kind of cuts off half the words and half the words just so we can see all of yeah like online everything's perfect but no it's not I I tried to read it online on on one side on one side you can read it on the other you can't thank you I'm too short for this hi Becky SE 10:30 Grant AV I have two kids at sharp a rising second grader and a preschooler first and foremost I appreciate the opportunity to come and speak before an important vote this evening there is a lot in this referendum that as a parent I love from investing in our facilities and really integrating our students at a younger age I really desperately want to support that for our town however since the referendum's been made made public the last several months I've seen an increase in division among members of our town I've elevated these concerns in meetings with Schoolboard members and District leaders and honestly the divisions persist and worsen whether it's whispers about secret meetings that happened prior to the referendum going public to build support or adults including adults in this room who are talking about those kids at sharp and how a charter school May finally come in and help them learn or our entire School Community not having a chance to weigh in on the closure of our school before the proposal was finalized these are very real issues that concern me I'm proud to be a sharp parent I love our school Community I am proud that my kids are in a genuinely diverse classroom setting and that they enjoy learning with one another where we have Rising second graders who are eager to come back to school in the evenings and play spelling games and math games with each other that is directly because of the community they have and the teachers who are there to support them I know we can do better I know that sharp our test scores which I hear in these meetings often we can improve but our kids are genuinely making growth our kids kids are learning with one another they're finding joy and they are progressing to take that away and to stifle that and dismantle this community while our kids are growing is something I don't think that we should be doing as a community and please don't mistake I want us to have integration among our elementary schools we desperately need it but we cannot do this at the expense of an entire School community that is making progress so my ask is twofold please delay this vote and this referendum and then please come back to the design drawing board and bring our community in so you can do this with us and not to us thank [Applause] you hey I'm uh Brenda Bowski I live at6 Harvard Avenue um I am here to speak in favor of the referendum I'd like to speak um kind of to this to a a similar point to what the the previous speaker mentioned which is how divisive um this topic has become in our community I have seen two very different very passionate um uh schools of thought around the issue and around the plan and I've seen a lot of people getting um very heated very emotional and I I think that's okay I think it's a very emotional issue because it's a really big change that affects our kids so of course there's going to be emotions around kids but what I wish that folks would take a step back and look at a little bit more broadly is the idea that this referendum can heal division in our town that this referendum brings everybody together it takes us a step away from micro neighborhoods and micro schools it actually addresses the very problem that's become apparent in the community discussion around the topic of the referendum I think that our town is too small to be divided into such small pieces and I see those pieces fighting with each other right now and that's not doing the kids any favors so I'd really like to every everybody consider that the problem that you're feeling the reason that you're so maybe uncomfortable even talking about the referendum with your friends and neighbors is that it's divisive and that it's that division the plan is trying to address I also would like to talk about the idea of plans for the future or change being labeled as divisive as a tool to stop progress I think a lot of very Progressive ideas through human history have been labeled divisive when in fact they were progress toward a more just and Equitable future thank you jul schneer [Music] avenfield of Education Board of [Music] Education and I can translate to English because I can but hopefully what you understand is I'm very concerned um and I would like to represent that many Spanish speaking and only Spanish speaking members of Collingswood might not know about this plan and might be directly affected by this plan and I haven't seen an effort by the district especially because everything has been electronic the PowerPoint that's very well done cannot be translated even on the computer um so I would hope that there would be some information that would go out um by paper because again sharp which we understand our community we don't send things out only by email because a lot of families prefer paper so there are a lot of things the district could do to get that information out both in English and Spanish and this is started in April and I haven't seen that happen and this is a genuine concern because regardless of my belief on the referendum I think everyone should have a right to have an opinion on the referendum and I don't think that's happening right now and again the families that are most affected that are you know that go to Sharp and Garfield might not know that in a few years those schools might not be available to them and they might they might like the plan but they we don't know um I think there's got to be some improvement in that area um so I hope you will take that to heart [Applause] R Wilson I live on 109 East Franklin Avenue in Collingswood I have a rising seventh grader at the middle school and I have a rising fourth grader at newbie you say your goal is to increase equity and diversity to improve the quality of education and access to opportunities for all our kids let me be clear I am very on board with these goals what I am not on board with is closing a thriving School in the middle of the neighborhood you claim to be helping the school that actually has more diversity than any other Elementary School in Collingswood I've heard all your reasons for closing sharp and I can't help but feel that you're choosing the financial bottom line over what is actually best for our kids you can show me all the architectural drawings and spreadsheets you want at the end of the day what you're doing is closing the most diverse School in Collingswood and putting the money into the wealthiest and whitest part of town how a group that how a group that claims to be led by Progressive values supposedly striving for racial equality can claim this is the best plan is beyond me I'm a proud liberal a progressive liberal and being told that opposing this plan means I'm quote pro- segregation is ludicrous some of your supporters have said this online the goals of this plan are great the execution of this plan is utter trash you have wonderful elaborate drawings of the new sports complex but no one ever bothered to do something as simple as counting the classrooms in newbie to see if they could accommodate your plant spoiler alert they cannot I'm still waiting to hear how we're going to fit eight classes into six classrooms sharp is going to be left empty until TBD Community Center that we have no funding for who knows maybe we can sell Garfield and use a little of that money to Bus kids who knows there are holes in this plan big enough to drive a Mac Truck through being against the plan is not the same as being against the goals I demand a better plan one that takes Community feedback seriously one that listens to everyone not just those who already agree one that puts kids and teachers over the financial bottom line your job is to convince us that this plan makes sense this requires communication active listening willingness to be flexible and above all transparency you have failed to do your job stop gaslighting us and telling us that what we see happening in this District isn't really happening saying you want Equity while closing the school with the most black and brown kids saying you want Equity while making those kids go farther to get to a predominantly white school saying you can't afford to keep your schools adequately staffed while taking raises yourselves saying you can't afford to pay teachers while leasing a huge building at $71,000 per year a building you're hoping to buy one day but in the meantime are using it as your offices well most of it it's unused Meanwhile we're losing Arts programs music electives fundamental High School courses and stretching teachers to the breaking point telling them to do quote more with less I think y'all need to be doing more with less stop kicking the can down the road because guess where that can lands right on our kits how can you expect people to trust you with Millions more dollars when you've so badly mismanage the money you already have the most heartbreaking thing is that when this fails we're going to have to wait another six years before we can hope to access his funding again thank you Miss Wilson obviously we need the money and because there's AIC and poor planning our kids are once again missing out hi my name is Liz Young I live at 158 New Jersey Avenue um I did reach out with some of these earlier and I applaud you bethanne for getting back to me very promptly um some of the responses were described earlier but they just um require some more clarification first of all I ask if there's any way to make notifications for meetings such as tonight's more readily available to the community as a whole I understand that legally all that is required is posting them at the schools and in the newspaper which I should add based on our previous person is only provided in English um but that does not adequately reach all members of the community such as those without school- a children or unable to have paid subscriptions to local newspapers or those of us who are not taking their kids to school during the summer secondly it needs to be made abundantly clear that once approved there can be no changes made to this question it also needs to be made to abundantly clear to the public that Garfield sharp will be closed if the referendum is voted yes this is not currently included in the verbiage of the question it makes the question misleading to uninformed voters I understand that legally closing selling or repurposing school buildings does not need to be put out for public vote but I think this is an important component of the referendum that is purposefully being left out is this where we are we only do what is legally required and don't take the extra step to ensure that information is equitably distributed to our community as a whole speaking of all information at previous INF info sessions I've heard it touted how the architect of record did great work for our last referendum approximately in 2006 however some people here myself included may recall the last referendum vote in 2018 in which Garrison Architects proposed a new sports field tied to several other building upgrades resulting in just $13 million in costs this referendum was voted no and because of the wording of the question the stadium a 1936 WPA funded project was torn down with small metal bleachers provided in its place now we are once again given an opportunity to improve our sports facilities tied to additional questionable facility upgrades bringing the total cost to $44.5 million additionally I understand that the referendum includes closing sharp and Garfield in order to increase the need for additional seats has the board considered the two large multif family housing units that the buau has currently announced across two locations a total of 120 apartment units are are to be built that does not include the 60 units that are slated to be senior housing has the board considered removing fourth and fifth grade classes from our current buildings and utilizing those existing classrooms as much needed resource teacher space Library space space for art language and therapies given the current methods of informing the community or lack thereof as well as management of current budgetary funds you are asking a lot of residents to Simply trust you with $44.5 million and no succinct plan in place lower um fory holster uh 12 Pacific a Collingswood um it's funny cuz I I had thought I had a a plan about what to to say but then I got in here and I looked around and my I need I need you to speak into the microphone sorry otherwise they won't be able to hear you in my daughter spent years in this building with with the marching band tossing Flags I supported her and and the entire situation um it's not about the band essentially it's also about um the way the district is displacing funds okay so how can we do better like it's it's very personal for me um my suggestion is that we change things to a point where parenting is about more support teaching is about more support um I'm back teaching in the district and the district has supported me in a ridiculous way as we all know so I just want to thank you and um she's now thriving because of the the music department so please let's keep it going okay thank you your hey I'm Megan Dent 220 Woodland Terrace and I just wanted to come up and thank you all for doing the really hard work of making hard decisions and hard choices and coming up with a plan and a vision for our kids and our ch in our community to build and solve some of the problems that we're struggling with right now and set us up to be able to continue to grow into the future um I think right now we have as everybody knows a lot of teeny tiny towns spreading resources Way Too Thin all over Collingswood which is a teeny excuse me teeny tiny schools in our teeny tiny Town um and I think this plan creates a new modern School building for our fourth and fifth grade students to bring them together sooner and build more of a cohesive of community um I think it puts them in a new modern building with more resources it also allows for a much more inclusive School environment not only in four and fifth grade but K to3 as well because there will be more students together um so I'm really excited about this vision and this future for our town I'm really excited about having more and better improved recreational space and facilities and I'm also excited about the efficiencies of scale that this plan will create because we'll be able to concentrate resources and do things more efficiently and give our kids more of what they need to grow and Thrive and learn no matter what that is so thank you and I'm excited for this future hello I'm Flora let valz 728 Belmont ab and I recently graduated collinswood high school this building this year and whether right now we're talking about the referendum and from when I read from the paper it's all about construction work taking down old buildings building up new ones and whether or not you think that is a good idea I feel as though that is not the most urgent issue all of our schools are facing cuz right now we're losing key staff members in all sorts of areas teachers like school counselors translators like in in my high school alone I know we had to recruit some students to help translate because kids couldn't like do their classwork all right and instead of putting money into Construction work I feel like we need to focus on the essentials that we are lacking which is more teachers and just more staff members in general because how can any school function new building or not without any staff to run [Applause] it good evening my name is Claudia betran I live on 21 gourman Avenue um Flora just gave me the right prop for this conversation because this is what we were supposed to be looking at tonight not a bond referendum for buildings we should be looking at a budget referendum for teachers for programs so um you all know because you received my letters I hope all of you received my letters um proposing that we look at what other communities have done and we know that New Jersey has done in multiple municipalities I will suggest you take a look again at Robinsville Monroe Township Westfield communities that went through the same challenges that we did that we are going but they found creative ways to get a budget referendum going so that they could this year 24 25 increase their taxes nobody likes to pay higher taxes but I bet this room would pay higher taxes for teachers for programs so I think it's really disappointing because we did I did ask those questions several times through several letters I did receive response at times and I appreciate Beth your responsiveness but it's not about the staff it's about the board and this board is not responsive so in a very nice way I would say get your act together because we should be approving a budget referendum tonight thank [Applause] you good evening kha Butler Thomas 101 West Browning Road I stand before you all today to discuss a crucial an often most overlooked issue and that's the true Narrative of the black and brown Community see this story it's not linear it's actually vast and multifaceted each person carries a unique set of experiences dreams challenges forming a really rich tapestry that can't be confined to a single narrative yet take a look around the room behind me despite the sign significant number of black and brown children impacted by this referendum their representation is glaringly absent although the ones most affected live in those Towers which we have coined West Collings what 08107 and this Gap underscores a critical flaw in the approach to equity and inclusion because those are the words that we are using so Equity is actually not achieved by dictating policies from the top down it can't be imposed true Equity arises from inclusion participatory processes that involve those most affected by the decisions being made and diversity isn't achieved by moving children from one place to another it genuine engagement genuine engaging listening to voices that are ofd orginized and creating spaces where every child can see themselves reflected and valued in order to do this I offer you this active engagement ensuring the black and brown communities are not just present but are actively involved in the decision making processes how about some representation having diverse voices at every level of leadership so that policies reflect the lived experiences of all communities what about investment investing in resources and opportunities that Empower black and brown children ensuring that they have access to Quality education Healthcare and social support and ask for not least accountability holding ourselves accountable as neighbors accountable to the institutions who are creating and maintaining environments where diversity and inclusion are not just goals but actual realities let's commit to a future where every child regardless of their background can truly Thrive and succeed together we can build a society that truly embodies the principles of equity and diversity if we actually mean it and don't just say it thank [Applause] you hi I'm Rob Carlson 21 Gorman Avenue a referendum is about trust TR that's what you're asking you are asking us to trust you with our tax dollars when I consider the fact that there was little to no Community involvement in this prog in this process before a plan was hatched in full to the public and when I consider the fact that teachers were not prioritized in the slightest teachers are the backbones of our schools it's not buildings you're asking us to trust you as far as I can see there's no reason for that thank you I'm assuming because nobody else is standing there that um this public Comon section is over so uh before we move on to to vote on the question I just wanted to cover a few things um that were brought up that at the moment we do have answers to and then um also to to direct everyone to um the the referendum roundtables that we will start having next week um to gain more information um about this proposal so the first thing was the um the excellent point brought up about Spanish translation we um were finally able to get the PowerPoint which as mider not uh noted is was fairly complicated to translate translated and that should be on on the website now we will get it up as soon as possible as well as um getting paper copies of things out to folks because that's an excellent point as well um I'm gonna ask Miss Coleman to help me out with the second point that I wanted to address because she is going to have she has been doing all of the research on it um we as a board are not um experts uh in finance we don't claim to be so when those sorts of um questions come up we we let her take the lead because um that's what we hired her to do so that it's been mentioned a couple of times that uh there is an there the potential that there is an option to go out for a referendum uh not for facilities but for other budgetary things and I I want to First be clear that at no point was Miss Coleman misleading the public when she said that we had been denied those requests when she went to the county office to ask for um that exact thing um we were denied multiple times am I correct do you asked two or three different times yes yes correct um so so we wish we could have done that that was something that was on the table and we were denied um she has been looking extensively into the um the case in Robinsville that um Miss betran and Mr Carlson were referencing and has has messaged back and forth with them quite a bit we appreciate um their advocacy um Miss Coleman could you just explain a little bit about why that is um well it's a it's wonderful that that school district got to do that why we're we're pausing and making sure we have all of our information um correct sure um and thank you everybody who emailed me that information because um I was able to speak to the superintendent in Robinsville and the business administrator and it's very listen I do this for a living so it's confusing but there is a law on the books in 18a that does allow a school district to seek from the taxpayers and I believe it's kind of the same law where they say you know that we use her referendum right you can go out four times a year and ask the taxpayers to increase your tax levy Robinsville used that section of law um and actually when you read it it doesn't say that you can raise funds for reference are only for Capital that's how the county office and Trenton typically applies it to school districts because they gives you the four dates of the school year that you can go out you know like September December January March I think Robinsville went out I think in March um so typically when we do our budget you know with the 2% tax cap and any guide any leeway I have with the 2% they apply um the school funding Reform Act um and and statute 6A to look at my request for taxes in any increase above the 2% they don't apply 18a Robinsville applied this 18a so I reached out to the uh Mercer County Office of Education um just full transparent I called them just like how was this possible because the Camy County ba was she shot me down like at every every go and they refused to take my call um I call Trenton they refuse to take my call um I was able to speak to the ba in Robinsville at length um um they did it what is unknown at this time is the ramifications from Trenton to Robinsville with them doing it because they passed it in March and they were able to increase their tax lby in their budget that went to everybody in April that is all factually accurate what we don't know was what Trenton's going to do with Robinsville next go round because and from what I understand from the county Camy County ba I finally got her on the phone she did she verified all this information with me um we don't know what Trent's going to do like are they going to penalize Robinsville or is they're just going to like just let us do this so this is still kind of the stuff kind of that we are talking about but this law is on the books and again it's typically for when we have to go for a special referendum but it doesn't say just for Capital it says at a time when the school district so deems you know needing needing the funds um so there's conflicting laws on the books when I send my budget to the Camy County Office of Education who then reviews on behalf of for Trenton they're using one law um and that's what I presented to you continually um Robinsville applied the other one to close their budget ho both apparently are legal um Robinsville got their attorney involved and basically you know um pushed the envelope as far as they could with Trenton um we're we're currently with the finance committee in the board we haven't ignored it I'm looking at it I am a little anxious about it because I'm very conservative um with everything that's going on in Trenton but I am taking everybody's emails and I am looking at it um I sent the information also to um the board president in Haden Township because she heads our local advocacy group um because like when I sent that I sent the email to all the b in C County like hey like does anybody know we were all like what like we nobody really knew um that a this was a thing and that Trenton was kind of Trenton didn't know what to do with it so Trenton let it slide I don't know how much longer they're going to seems to be like there's a workaround currently legal workaround right now I don't know how long um that'll currently be open but that's kind of where where I am right now and again it's still out there it's still on the table the board's talking about it but um that's yeah that's the research and and also the when you um and um Mr Burns did the the calculations to kind of see where that would get us the unfortunate part um in order to actually close our Gap um the the impact to the taxpayer we learned would be sizable yeah twice so so Robinsville went out last year for four million because their structural issue was about four million when I was talking to the VA that went down then they went back out I believe for uh two and a half um so as I've said before in previous budget meetings we have a few different numbers to work off of um with regarding our our budget situation the one is local fair share versus what I'm allowed to ask for right Trenton determines the local fair share that they say based on the value of the property in the town and the taxes everybody pays they think Collingswood can pay like 23 over 23 million I I currently tax about a little over 18 so um that would be 5 million so if I just said hey Town let's just go for total local fair share restore program but 5 million that's almost $1,200 to a house that's I've never taxed that much um so that was kind of shocking and then I'm like all right well let's just close what is in my budget as under adequacy the under adequacy number and that's about 3.9 and that was about $600 a house our average tax increase in any year was about 100 to 140 give or take this year was 136 that was a big number so I kind of kind of took a step back and I wanted to talk to the finance committee it's not that I'm not looking into it but it's it's a sizable chunk and we need to take a step back and make sure we can as a like it's a lot to say yeah let's do this but it's a lot of a lot of money and it's a permanent increase in tax it's not a one-year hit it's a permanent so once I say to the taxpayers and you say yes we're going to do this that's 600 or 1,200 a how on your property every year from here on out um so that's kind of why I took I took a back because this is not something I I want to I don't want to tax lightly you know what I mean I want to make sure obviously it's the right decision everybody's important it's the right dollar amount that we feel appropriate um so that's kind of yeah that's where we are thank you I just I wanted to to be clear that absolutely that we we it was something that we were looking into and please go for clear with as we know from this current referendum process there's a timeline for these things so even if we did want to do this there are approvals that would have to happen and we know how long those take yeah just like we have to do it here um we would have to submit a ballot question just like the question is formed tonight for the referendum for Capital it would be a similar format um with the bond attorney or not excuse not Bond attorney but attorney would write a question that would go to the county for ballot um so the similar timeline you know we would have to have a a board question and it's like I want to say 60 to 90 days ahead of the election so like we're doing it now for sep September so yeah we'd have to line line it all up Robinsville went public with their question way in advance but I believe it I think they passed in March like they they got their state aid in February it passed in March and when they did their budget in April like they lined it up like a perfect t- shot like they were Tiger Woods because then they were just able to when they did their budget in April they just changed their tax levy based on what the taxpayers voted yes to um but yeah timing has to line up too yeah can I ask a clarifying question um you you mentioned that initially they went out I think for four million and then that got denied so they went back out for two million yes um did they have to wait six years why no that's never heard of six years I don't know where that came from that's not so if that's not true does so if this doesn't pass we don't need to wait six years to go back out for a referendum no you can just keep that's not correct I don't know where that six years I've have people have emailed me from town saying is this true about six years I have no idea where they came from uh I guess cyers space but four times a year to ask the question but there's no like once this do you have to wait a certain amount of time um okay um those were those were the the two things that I wanted to mention as well as um next Tuesday the 24th at 7 23rd next Tuesday the 23rd at 7 pm. at the community Center is our first referendum Round Table the topic is inclusion and we'll be talking um and answering not talking answering questions similar to when we did board table board Roundtable discussions uh in the fall and spring uh fall and winter excuse me um that it's it's meant to be a conversation um unlike what we can do here um so please join us we will be sending out either this evening or tomorrow morning I've kind of lost track of that um all of the other dates uh for the various topics and opportunities um to to have more of those conversations so moving on to section three the bond referendum uh there is only one item it is 3.01 the resolution that authorizes uh the submission of the bond proposal question to uh the the state uh so I need a motion to approve item 3.01 so move and a second second questions or comments from board members roll call please Mr Chu yes Mr Craig yes Mrs Maya no Mrs saverino yes Mrs Seltzer yes Mr sherid and Celia yes Mr tabi yes Mrs Kaden oh I'm sorry Mrs moli I had you lined out because I thought you're not going to be here tonight sorry uh no and Mrs Kaden yes uh section four is our uh second opportunity for public comment this one is for items listed on or not on the agenda so it is for anything um same idea as the last time remains Al so I'll just do a brief one this time um the public is reminded that attempts to resolve all concerns and complaints should first go through appropriate staff members or administrators we will be actively listening taking notes and if any um appropriate clarifying comments need to be made at the end of the section we will do so In fairness to all who wish to speak there's a three minute time limit you've heard Miss Coleman's uh timer go off so you'll you'll be um instructed and uh when it's time to stop please remember to state your name and address for the record hi I'm Amy and I reside at 25 ort Terrace in Collingswood they can they can hear you at home too okay don't be nervous um good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board again my name is Amy and I am a rising junor I am the voice of the Collingswood Panther marching band to start off I would like to make it clear that all of us speaking here tonight understand that everyone involved wants what is best for the calling for Collingswood and its students but where we differ is in what that actually looks like in Practical terms but we acknowledge and appreciate the plethora of factors that contribute to decisions made about the programs within the school that being said the art and music departments have taken art arguably the greatest hits in the past few years the most recent being the reg the res the resignation of marching band director Miss lewick so let's take a moment to Remis about the Collings with Band program over the past few years first our director M Lurch passes but we don't get a replacement instead that money you take that money and you give more responsibilities to miss leedwick but I don't think that is what Mr Lurch would have wanted second after giving all those responsibilities to Miss lewick she then had the role of being a band teacher in every Elementary School the middle school and the high school also we obviously can't forget about the added responsibility of being the director of our band would any of you want that workload third we are now faced with the real probability of not having a season this year because the workload was too much for Miss lewick to handle again which may I add is completely understandable and honestly I don't know how she did it for an entire year so do you really want to have a school with no musical spirit which includes having no marching band at football games home and away therefore showing a negative image to the public about the lack of musical Spirit we have here as a school how about we are a school with a strong music program that numerous Studies have shown helps to increase graduation rates decrease fighting which we all know needs to happen here at Collingswood High School and promotes higher standardized test scores also I would like to mention that there is a lot of interest in our program we have gained around 15 new members this season and due to to that increase we have even moved up a class in our competition division so with those numbers maybe we can win another state championship trophy that is what happened my first year and you know what else happened my first year finding a sense of belonging think about the first time you felt that do you want to take that away from somebody else but do you know what else happened or do you know what else played a crucial part in that sense of belonging for me it was the drum major of the band that year and now I stand in front of you today as the current drum major asking you to please fix this because we and all members deserve to give their senior speeches at the front of the band room underneath our Mr Lurch sign don't you see marching band isn't just an extracurricular activity but is but it is a family and we don't want our family to be torn apart thank you hello um regenberg 6 CR monteras good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board my name is ran Burke and I am the voice of the Collings of Panther marching band the marching band's unique combination of so many brilliant young people will be a tragic loss to this school the band is home to incredible musicians talented leaders and even some psychics 10 months ago band parent Becky Mercurio stood before you and predicted the future she told you that quote it is not inconceivable that the current approach leaving the music department under staffed could be the beginning of the end of the marching band program end quote well here we are the marching band program is over for the foreseeable future you were told on September 18th 2023 that this would happen and yet failed to support your music department when they told you exactly what they needed an understaffed music department can be detrimental to a District's performance enhanced academic success is due to music education is a well documented phenomenon the national Federation of State High School associations reports that making music is one of the richest and deepest brain activities that humans perform and that young musicians have stronger language and reading skills than non-musicians the American Psychological Association points to research performed in British Columbia that identifies a clear positive correlation between music education and achievement on standardized tests across all subjects with a survey population of 112,000 students the academic benefits of a strong music program though Mighty pale in comparison to the social emotional Rewards the marching band specifically is Iconic to the high school experience who without a marching band who will cheer on the football team who will Usher them in with the national anthem and who will represent Collingswood at Town parades on a more personal note I cannot overstate the importance of this program to my own life and academic career as a rising senior applying to extremely competitive schools as a straight A student who has been awarded and acknowledged by the college board for both my SAT and AP scores and as someone whom this school has recognized for achievement and attitude in leadership my college application rests very heavily upon my leadership in this band by allowing the colleag of Panther marching band to die you are robbing me and the students who stand with me of our futures thank you and hear our voice [Applause] Laura pal Galloway 56 Kendall Oakland I'm the secretary of the marching band boosters last night our band family was left without a director for the second time in two years the first time was when Joe Lurch suddenly passed away Miss Ludwig stepped up to direct our kids through the remainder of the Season while also juggling a larger workload during the school day the band parents came to board meetings to express the need to fill the position for a music teacher that Joe's passing had left vacant those requests and please f on deaf ears the second time our band was left searching for a band director came last night when Lori told us she had to make the difficult decision to step away from her marching band duties she apologized to us the parents and students sitting in that band room as we were once again facing an uncertain future with our children and our band family I bring it back to last year on August 16th at a band booster meeting to discuss the state of the music department and our teachers that meeting had a few guests that I see sitting here before me tonight including the the absent superintendent board president and bethanne we heard them tell us that numbers weren't there to justify hiring another teacher but they swore that it was not their intention to see the marching band program or any other music program fail Dr McDow stated once more if it's good for the kids it's good for me he assured us a lot could change in the coming months and years another band booster meeting to note would be back on October 10th when a few other people that sit before us tonight came to our meeting to discuss their views on the state of the music program and the need for proper Staffing Roger Matt and Sarah spoke about the importance of music and arts in our school Sarah even mentioned the meeting she had with Miss incasso to better understand how underst staff the music department had become they assured us they would do everything they could if elected to help the current situation of overcrowded music lessons and teacher burnout as a result of it they said we want to see change well here we are almost a year later and they were all right a lot could change we're now facing a school year with no marching band no competitions to attend no pep band at football games a lot can change but now I realize that that can be a threat as much as a promise for good things to come and please don't even dare try to bring up the fact that Miss Ludwig voluntarily resigned from her position as the marching band director she may have stepped down but there was nothing voluntary about it she was told she would once again be handling music instruction ranging from elementary through high school she was forced to make an impos possible decision to leave her ban family so she could remain healthy and present for her own family at home she may have been the one to apologized to us last night but it is all of you that should be apologizing to [Applause] her uh hello my name is Harper allendorfer and I live at 629 B Avenue uh I recently graduated from Collingswood and I was the captain of the color guard this past year I've been in Color Guard since sixth grade and I'm often quoted that I've been said been saying a lot that color guard and marching man is the greatest thing that I've ever done and the best decision I ever made and for a large part of my experience the band director Mr Lurch was uh a very important role model to me and basically every other student that I knew and when he passed away last year Miss lwig took over as director and for that I'm forever grateful because she kept the program that made me who I am running and I'm GNA cry because I'm a big crybaby so sorry about that but uh last night my best friend and the current colorart Captain regenberg called me and told me that about the situation that miss lewig is facing and it broke my heart because not only for the kids that I in my band and in my guard who I've watched grown up and I've seen improve and I've been so proud of but also for misswig herself because I knew that it meant a lot to her um to basically to lead us and to teach us and I know that it probably was a very difficult decision for her to make um but overworking an educator as talented and valuable as her is a mistake that I do urge this board to undo and I know that it is not your that it's not the decision that you want to make either that it's the position you've been put in with a with a major budget cuts from the state and from other things like it's I know it's not like you want to put this on her but I I have seen recently this he teachers of mine especially music teachers leaving because they feel that they don't have the ability to continue when they are overworked and stretched too far too thin um and this marching band has been a staple in my life and so many people's lives been my home for the last 5 years and it it's very hard to think that it might not continue to bring joy to people so I I do hope that you consider to really to hire someone to help Miss lewig and to keep them watching been going because it's something that means so much to me and to like everyone behind me so sorry for crying thank [Applause] you hi I'm Karen Tanner usually I speak here as a 20 plus year uh teacher in the district I'm standing here right now as a band mom both of my sons went through the program and they came to this District with me the board generously allowed our us to bring our students with us to our children with us the year my oldest son graduated there was five other parents giving their kids diplomas because we were all bringing our kids here this year I was the only one no one's doing it anymore and they're not doing it because you're taking away the things that made callings would great the band is something that allows students who are lost particularly in this postco world to find a connection that is real Lorie lwood stepped into a situation that was a nightmare Joe Lurch had been everything to these children and Lori stood up and she said I'm not going to let this fall apart and I have children at home but I'm going to come in early and I'm going to stay late and instead of this boarded helping her you punished her by saying yeah thanks for that but now you're going to be responsible for all the music instruction from K through 12 my youngest son he did not come back from covid well and there are often days when the only thing that got him here was banned those practices were the only time he came to school with joy during the school day he thought it was a prison those competitions that literally Lorie spent all day at with things that make these kids feel alive and that's what we need to protect buildings are great philosophy is great but if our kids do not find a place where they can connect and if you are chasing out the teachers who are trying to create that place no building is going to fix the problem last thing last thing last thing and this actually goes back to the thing before I know not supposed to do it you were able to send us a message via text about the band teacher why couldn't you do that about this board meeting why can't you send out the Spanish why can't you send out the Spanish PowerPoint via this tax thing you you were already paying for it we have to talk to each other and we can't just nod if somebody had told this told me this was a problem a month ago I would have said hey we're already paying for this program listen to us listen to them because this is where they live don't make it some place they want to leave thank [Applause] you uh my name is art Mercurio 516 Lincoln Avenue I'm standing up here tonight mostly because I'm mad as hell about what is being done to our music department and my heart rate on my watch has proved it over the last couple hours sitting here watching everybody else get up here and speak um but it's clearly no secret that we aren't alone all you need to do is watch these meetings to see countless people stand right here and talk about how negative infect your misguided priorities are having on the kids through in this District well there are many of you on the board that are involved in decision- making unfortunately this is directed primarily at Dr McDow who conveniently chose not to be here this evening as a superintendent to buck stops with him in more ways than one apparently I don't at all Den Envy the position that you're in and understand the financial challenges that drive these decisions are real but this is your job to figure out and you need to do better amidst all the bean counting and number crunching zero value is being placed on the intangibles our amazing teachers bring or the overall corrosive effect this Exodus is having on our school system we're losing good teachers that genuinely care they're not easily replaced and we leave a giant hole where you're about to put your next Band-Aid as far as the music program it's one thing to try and compete with hand-me-down instruments and shoestring budgets but what has been done to the staff and kids following the loss of a beloved teacher in the department is manipulative and borderline unethical the actions and positions taken by this Administration show a clear lack of understanding of the program and what it takes to support it you're effectively strangling it from the ground up and eventually numbers will dwindle to the point that it becomes another easy slash on your budget sheet if you look up from the laptops once in a while you'd see an amazing group of kids here many of whom uh uh they have grown Leaps and Bounds thanks to this tireless dedication of the teachers in this department that care as for numbers maybe you should have been in the room did you to see how many kids were heartbroken as a result of your callous decisions these kids are more than just a headcount I've lived in this town for 40 years and I'm a third generational love night alumni of this school and band The Town thrives on the arch yet we're snuffing them out in our schools if this is the best we can do I don't really think Collingswood is where I want to be anymore any longer figure it out good afternoon members of the board my name is is Desmond Whitaker and I live at 118 East Madison a I joined marching band at the beginning of seventh grade and it was such a good experience I learned so much from Mr lur and Miss lwig I know you heal a number of accounts tonight on how meaningful marching band is to students and I stand by all of them but I want to take my time on the mic to go in a slightly different direction in addition to concert band and marching band I'm also a member of choir and theater I have spent time with every member of our music department in some capacity and I can tell you they are an incredibly hardworking group of teachers each one of them teaches classes all day and they also run the middle school and high school theater departments the magic go choir the fourth and fifth grade after school band The catonic choire and of course marching band indoor percussion and color guard apologies if I forgot something they do so much it's hard to keep track enrollment in each of these activities expands yearly and yet their staff has not been expanded to meet the growing needs of our music students not one of our music teachers clocks out and goes home at 3:00 marching band is a huge asset to our school culture and our community and is also a really big job that requires a lot of specific experience and expertise we were lucky to have Miss lewick up to the task but she cannot continue to take on the enormity of marching band and all the middle school high school band classes without someone being hired to take over her Elementary School classes you need to hire a full-time music teacher to support the current staff not just a marching band director I encourage the board to prioritize our music department and not let us lose our band Mr Lurch we will fight for your legacy thank you [Applause] good evening uh I'm Brady moli and I live at 124 East NV I would like to say that the marching bank community was like a family we were all together and friends and everyone would work hard to achieve our goals when Mr Lurch passed Mrs lwig had to work extremely hard for example she would have to work to be with the marching band for 13 hours days on weekends giving up her time that she could be spending with her family for us she had to go straight from the elementary schools to the middle and high school she kept trying so hard to make everything work out and now she has no other choice but but to resign from marching band and let all these people down and it's not even her fault the fact that she had to work three separate jobs Elementary School Middle siiz High School and marching band is uh is completely unreasonable nobody in the school district works as hard as she does and yet one extra music teacher can't be hired to lesson how much responsibility and stress she had on her shoulders it is very sad to see the program that's able to get me back on my feet when I was alone gets shut down it leaves all of us heartbroken we need to keep the things like this from happening before we lose everything Collings would to stand for good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board my name is Cory Nan I am the voice of the Callingwood Panther marching fan joining colard this year has been an incredible journey for me as a first year member I was just both excited and nervous about what lay ahead from the moment I picked up my saber and flag starting to practice drop spins I know as I'm breaking on something really special learning drop spins and other techniques was challenging I admit struggling with the movements felt a bit out of place however these challenges became opportunities of growth which could be useful for everyone here through perseverance and practice I began to improve and more importantly I started to build friendships and bond with my fellow Color Guard members and what I began to group what is a group of strangers that now become my family interacting with others and trying to fit him was a huge hurdle but the supportive environment of the color guard has helped me overcome this significantly the connections I've made have been invaluable and they have made me feel welcomed and included my future goals in colard are to make this family proud that I call family and to continue growing as both a performer and a person participating in this sport has brought me intense happiness and motivated me to excel in school in everything I do has given me a sense of purpose and drive that I carry with me every day in conclusion colorart is not only taught me new skills but it's also provided me with a supportive community that I can cherish it has become an essential part of my life and I'm so grateful for every moment I spend with them I hope by sharing my story others will understand the importance of this program and not take it away so please don't rob me of my family and our dreams of the future thank you [Applause] good evening Becky Mercurio 524 King AV Collingswood for the second time in less than two years our marching band has lost an incredible director more heartbreak for our kids another hit to a school system already Under Siege as the parent of a marching band member and a CHS marching band Alum I am heartbroken and I'm am angry since Mr Lurch is passing parents and music teachers have pleaded for a replacement to fill the very real space that Joe left time and time again we have been told that the numbers don't support hiring a replacement and we have been reassured by Dr McDow that no programs will be cut that he and the school administration understand the value of music to a Young Person's education our music teachers have rallied time and time again to breathe life into an under supported program and still provide for our kids but it has reached a breaking point we are now faced with the reality that CHS may have no marching band this fall when is enough finally enough marching band is far more than an extracurricular it requires a huge investment of time and heart from both staff and students it means practices in the August heat and competitions under a cold October Sky but it also means creating something real together that lingers long after the echo of a drum or the dance of a flag marching band provides a powerful place for young people to work together to create something beautiful it offers a place to belong and grow the very best of what an education should offer now is the time to show our students and our teachers that we see them and we believe in them please finally hire an additional music teacher to relieve the pressures that caused Lor's heartbreaking resignation as director please add that support before our program suffers another loss please honor the students gathered here tonight and save our music program in Collingswood thank you hello Michael Powell 17 progress I just want to remind the community and the board that uh few of you Mr Chu Mr Craig and Miss Sherman you reiterated during your campaign that you support the art you support the music clearly I'm going to say those were lies you stood next to this band at the farmers market last year took videos of them playing posted it on your social media your campaign social media you got your votes where's our support now your campaign slogan was Community Equity progress congratulations you failed on all three Mr Craig in a New Jersey pen article you said quote to provide a suburb educational experience we as education leaders must always Center what is best for kids academically physically socially and emotionally how's this look socially and emotionally Mr Chu same article quote our budgetary choices should not be dictated by tradition but rather should be justified by student need is this needy enough for you there's a lot of need here tonight I've been to these meetings I've seen the teachers speak I don't know what the board's agenda is doesn't make sense to me but I do know that when this public portion is done most likely the president is going to make some statement blaming the teachers that they have the job posting some other excuses that you know or lies Community knows or lies you've all failed at your jobs so please do better we should be getting dressed up like this to cheer on these kids not to save this band thank you [Applause] good evening I'm Linda wasikowski I reside a 25 ort terrorist in Collingswood I'm also the bamb booster vice president to say that I am devastated by the events of the past 24 hours is an understatement and one of the worst Parts about this whole situation is that we told you this would happen we told you and you minimized our concerns branding us as alarmists who just didn't understand either that or you simply work to Plate us with empty promises and political platitudes well here we are facing the exact situation that we feared with the very real possibility that there will be no marching ban this year so now I say it is you who do not understand you do not understand what is truly involved in quality music education you don't understand the demands it places on the teachers the value it has for our children children and the positive Ripple effects that involvement in the Arts affords I will be forever grateful to Lori Ludwig the music department at CHS and the band staff volunteers for the way that they pulled together to support our community after Joe passed away this past school year Lori continued with what can only be deemed superhuman strength and commitment to oversee the program in combination with her heavy teaching responsibilities your lack of support and failure to act on the multiple requests from the arts department for additional staff has created an untenable situation that has forced Lori into this unfortunate position let's be real the chances of finding a suitable candidate for the very specialized position of band director at this late date with the season already underway is a challenge and I fear unlikely to yield the needed results a more realistic solution would be to do what has been repeatedly asked of you by multiple interests and seek to hire an Elementary music teacher this would alleviate some of the pressure that was the cause of Lor's resignation so many teachers have left our district recently some of them from near the top of the pay scale that if you truly had the will to support the Arts as you claim you could find the resources to fund such a hire as teacher after teacher as left left as courses have been cut and now as we Face the very real possibility of losing a valued program I sit back and ask an astonishment what is happening what families are going to want to move here to send their children to a school system with fewer and fewer opportunities I am fortunate indeed I'm privileged because I have options to send my daughter to a different school but there are two things that have kept us here in Collingswood one the marching ban which is now threatened and two to the absolutely amazing teachers that she interacts with on a daily basis I don't want to send my daughter to another school I want her to stay here with the programs and teachers she loves and that love her back sadly I feel I'm in a similar position with no choice thank [Applause] you hello again I'm Flora let vales but you already know that and I stand here today talking to a group who claims to be our school board a real school board would have actually listened to what everyone in this room had to say and reconsidered the whole Bond thing and would have listened to literally everyone here claim that what they need is not new buildings but new staff translators clear transparency literally anything else but instead of of actually listening to anyone here had to say you went ahead and with plans that you already had set in stone regardless what anyone here thought and my heart goes out to all of the communities who don't have much of a voice here today be it because of lack of translation or the fact that every school board meeting is held here in Collingswood where not many other people in like the farther communities can reach because if you're willing to remove the core pillars of a majority white school school I can only imagine what you're doing to majority minority schools thank [Applause] you good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board um my name is Mark wasikowski I live at 25 ardore Terrace Collingswood New Jersey um I have a letter that uh from a concerned um member of the community that was not able to make here tonight so I'd like to read that into the record dear Collingswood board members and Dr McDale I regret I cannot be here tonight in person to speak to you directly as a former member of the Collingswood marching Panther band I would like to share my support for the Arts and voice my concerns on the state the current state of the music department I will try to keep this succinct as I know that certain members of the board do not respond well to emotional outcries so here are the facts it is clear to myself and much of the community that the music department has been understaff for many years the refusal to hire another music teacher after the passing of Joe Lurch was unacceptable the refusal to listen to the needs of the music department this past year is unacceptable you may try to twist the truth and paint the current band director Miss lewick as a villain for resigning from all her extracurricular activities but the fact is she is being overworked even without them you have given her no choice but to step away from the activity that she and so many others love so dearly marching band is not only an instrumental music extracurricular activity offered by is the only extra instrumental music extracurricular act offered to Collingswood and you may and you underestimate the impact that it has on the community when I was in high school the band was my home when I didn't feel safe and my family when I felt alone to be frank it is the it is the reason I am still here today I have friends who are current members of the band and I am concerned for where this decision puts them your refusal to fully staff the music department is putting current and future students at risk you not only endangered their Futures as musicians but their well-beings today as I am making my way into adulthood I am becoming more aware of what is going on in our town I am currently in college to be a teacher but honestly seeing the way this Administration has been treating its teachers I have been considering a switch in majors and never looking back as a Collingswood resident for my entire life I always imagined I'd live here with my own family one day that being said if the administration continues to restrict support and restrict support and opportunities for students I will be moving to the to a district that prioritizes its community's needs as soon as possible I hope the voice this is you here tonight will be a wakeup call the community needs another Elementary School teacher period not a real not a real estate deal sincerely asking for change a concerned Collingswood Alum thank [Applause] you Michael schmelzer 790 Haden Avenue um first of all thank you uh for listening um I know you guys have a tough job thankless job um I have a child in guard and as uh owner of local business onward karaoke we are a sponsor of the marching band and guard um art Music Theater band uh these are places for kids that may not fit in with other parts of school with the sports culture um of the many many sports that are funded seemingly no problem um we lost a sculpture teacher class I'm sorry sculpture class the theater director recently stepped down and now here we are with this situation um I've been reading so much about what's been happening in the schools of course I have a rising Junior so all of this has been concerning um and um I'm waiting for a good something positive it just seems like negative negative negative all the time uh lately and um and I'd like to see something positive so we have a chance here to do something positive so hopefully we can grab this opportunity and not turn it into another negative story thank [Applause] you um Adam Brown 202 West Park AV oaklin um we take a little bit of a different approach um I understand each of you here is uh here as a volunteer you're not getting paid for this I honestly believe that when you all started on the board you did it because in your hearts you wanted to make improvements into this community community in a POS positive manner and I still honestly believe today that you still want that I do when I first came into this room I saw a lot of smiles I saw some laughter I don't see that right now some of you may be tired some of you may have some family issues in your mind that you can think of but I could imagine a lot of it is because you are putting your Heart and souls into something to the to better a community and you're not being supported that's what it feels like now let's take take that and play a little game where everyone over here you're no longer on the board so now it's just you so every responsibility they have now it's on you and we're going to double meetings at some point we're all going to say I can't do it anymore I'm losing time with my family this is driving I'm stressing out too much I really want to make change and no one's listening to me that's where we are now now I know there was no yes or no vote of whether or not you know do we want this position yes no I know you're part of a group of a bigger system that makes decisions for this community but you're all part of that process you all have input into that process that could have avoided all of this we talked about it for some um speakers mentioned before we've brought this up last year so while I don't envy your position um it is a responsibility that you guys took on that you wanted um and I know there was a lot of other people in here who had more you know strong statement and I had but um I have two two sons in the marching band one of them is is right here and I just wanted to show him what it looked like when adult showed up stood up and spoke for what they need thank you hi Liz Young 158 New Jersey Avenue my kids are too young to be involved in the marching band just yet but my husband is was a multi-year drum major for the Collingswood marching band and in 2005 led the marching band to a all States championship title under the direction of Joe Lurch just to give you a taste of how far back the history of the Excellence of this band dates the um before the board responds to people's comments by saying you are looking to hire a new band director because I know the job posting is out there laying that um role at the feet of Mrs lwig should have never been a long-term plan putting that posting out the day after she decides it's too much for her is not a plan we should have been looking for a new director as soon as Joe Lurch passed away several of you up here are Educators you understand what it is like to take on that extra workload especially with kids at home this should have never part of our long-term plan and it's clear that we can find room in the budget to hire someone because we put it out there now also I've been made aware that because of the complete lack of Staffing in our music department there are students at elementary schools specifically I know at Tatum who are unable to take instrument lessons because we do not have the staff to provide them to all students that want them for a board that is built on stating Equity Equity equity that's not it there are students who are being turned down for music lessons and when you take away the music program there's a tier of families that are going to be able to provide that to their students in alternate to their kids in alternate Pathways and there's a tier of families that is relying on the public schools to be able to give their kids that out Outlet thank you [Applause] hi my name is Andrea Haynes I live at 248 East night AV I have two kids in the district sorry I have two kids in the district and I am the secretary of the CMS PTA board and a brand new marching band parent and I'm here tonight to express my frustration and disappointment with the general state of things in the district our teachers and staff they are the heart and soul of our schools they deserve to work in an environment where they feel respected and valued where they aren't set up to fail do an impossible workload and most importantly they deserve to be paid fairly it's heartbreaking that so many of the teachers and staff our children have loved and admired or no longer with the district our teachers aren't disposable the past few years have been challenging and our kids need consistency school should be a safe place for all students and families a place that creates a sense of stability and familiarity even in the face of external chaos yet instead of providing consistency our district has become a revolving door and programs that offer safe haven to so many of our children are being dismantled as a board you're asking the public to trust your vision for the future of our district by voting yes to the referendum but as a community how do we trust your future building your future Vision when the current decisions made by both the Board of Ed and the administration cause so much chaos you [Applause] good evening te live in Park Avenue in Collingswood I'm want to start by thanking Miss molski and Ms Maya for voting now to the referendum and we thankful for the continued and ENT support of our staff at all of our schools I've been told by members of this board and some of your most Ardent supporters now for old over a year that we need to bring the temperature down and I desperately want to bring the temperature down but perhaps it's because it's been 100 degrees for the last week I can't and none of us I believe in this room can we're boiling over and I'm really speaking to those that are boiling over behind me and listening to this online and can express something that's been expressed Again by some of your most Ardent supporters which is that in order to have a revolution sometimes things have to burn down we have to start from scratch and that's seemingly what is going on here and I don't believe any of you have that intention but I can tell you that we need a revolution and I'm asking everybody behind me and listening online to get out there and vote on September 17th and vote no we cannot possibly support management of2 Million by the management that's gone on for these last years and I ask you further to come out and continue to express that everybody in this community and do what's necessary to make the change we need to happen thank you [Applause] good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board my name is Remy pal 56 Kendall and I'm going to share my personal experience in marching band as it did for all of us Co took a very big toll on me and discovering marching band helped lift a weight off of my shoulders I made memories and friendships I will carry with me forever and learn things that affect me and help me in my everyday life as someone not only in marching band but someone in choir theater Le and color guard it disappoints me to see how it is going miss lewig has been teaching me since I was in kindergarten and I have grown up with her and to see her have to make this heartbreaking decision as a result of lack of staff was very disappointing please hear me and all the others who have spoken and help us keep this family alive thank [Applause] you hi everybody um my name is Mike Puchi and I teach here at the high school and as you know I'm a parent in town I live in uh 357 Park Avenue um one of the things that I wanted to bring up um tonight in my remarks is just the uh something I've said before when I've spoken at board meetings um I care very very much about this District if I gave up quit teaching and moved to California um I would still root for Collingswood you know I I I would I'm always going to root for this place for this town for this school for the people because it's the people that make it what it is and I've said this before but we are a district of people not policies policies can change and policies are very very important but if you don't Center people first you have situations like we have right now many of us in this room are parents at some point your kid is going to with one hand grab a glass bowl and try to pour cereal into it and you are going to say buddy that's not going to work and you're going to say it and they're going to yell at you you're say bud that's not going to work and then they're going to drop the bowl and it's going to break or spill on the floor right that's going to happen everyone's been there some some point it's how they learn right I hate to say this but it kind of feels like when we stand up here and we tell you what is going to happen and then it happens that is what it feels like and we articulated it it was articulated with the band situation and I'm here to articulate it from The English Department from a mandated academic standpoint we have an English Department at the high school that is stretched to capacity we have teachers that are being asked to teach classes with 30 kids and possibly have 150 students that is unsustainable and just like Miss lwig had too many people on her plate to possibly do the job that she was asked to do this is going to happen with our academic teachers as well if we continue down this road I don't promise you I guarantee you that we can't sustain it and I think what needs to happen um is that you just need to listen you know we have a lot of hot shots in this town that think they know better than the people who do this every day and I'm here to tell you that you don't okay we know what's we know we we care no one cares I know you guys all care I know everyone in this room cares you have to listen to the people that are on the ground that's why it's called Grassroots you start on the ground and then you build okay doesn't matter what podcast you listen to or what documentary you've seen okay if you don't have a good relationship with the people that you are that you your decisions are affecting okay that is what is ultimately important and that is what we are failing at understand that there are external circumstances that make these things difficult I absolutely do but we can mitigate a lot of this stuff if we centered people first before we had these you know uh abstract ideas that we're trying to put into place so please keep that in mind because we can't go on like this thank you [Applause] so many really tall people well okay Mike that's a little that's a little much but okay that'll do okay hi Robin Hogan um president of the Collingswood Education Association uh fifth grade teacher at Sharp Elementary School um first I want to say um thank you to the parents and oh my goodness the students so proud of everything that you have said and the courage that it takes the courage that it takes to come up here and speak okay as an adult we find it intimidating and we have our students coming up and showing us how things should be done and so I just want to say thank you um and also uh we've been having conversations all year long about our concerns about uh spreading staff thin so I just want to ask you to please find a sustainable solution for how we can solve this problem kids aren't just numbers our kids are we're growing human beings who are going to become members of this society and Community we want them to be mentally healthy and happy and so sometimes we have to look at things other than just a policy or a number so um I'm just asking you to please look for a sustainable solution to this problem our kids deserve the very best teachers and the staff here have been fighting for them and always will fight for them uh but we need to be pulling together this as a team and find a solution that we can maintain our excellent programs for all of our kids thank you good evening ladies and gentlemen my name is Lillian def Frank I'm from 526 Dwight Avenue um I was not planning to get up and speak tonight as I am not the best at public speaking um but I'm very proud to say that I am the assistant director of this beautiful family back [Applause] here um I know you have heard from a lot of them tonight um but I wanted to come up and clarify a couple of things um that have been said um it was very very hard for me to see one of my good friends Miss Lori Ludwig so overworked this year and know that I couldn't do anything to help her as I am still at school um when I found out that that was a possibility again this year I waited to turn in my contract as assistant director because I was terrified that someone would come to me asking to take that job today that happened and I was asked to take her job I have not made any decisions but it's most likely a no I am not qualified and I am not prepared to take this job for her and as much as I will do absolutely anything in my power for these students I'm not ready for that I know that the job posting has gone out for her replacement but I need you all to understand that not anyone can do this job I cannot do this alone and can't do it with someone who doesn't know what they're doing I need Miss lwig in this position and she needs her Elementary workload taken off her plate so that she can stand beside me and Lead this family thank [Applause] you good evening ladies and gentlemen of the board my name is Dylan Koy um um 712 cord Avenue I grew up watching my sisters in the color guard and marching band I quickly want to like join after them and I joined in seventh grade um I was the only middle schooler out of the high schoolers in the color guard but I quickly felt accepted and loved I got to be myself and I got to express who I wanted to be um and I like it quickly became a family for me and a place where I could be happy and like it just it's such a unique sport like you get play an instrument dance and spin and that's just so fun um and then this year I joined I joined band class and I played trombone which I've never done before um and I'm not the best at instruments but um Miss lwig like gave me lessons and she gave everyone new to an instrument lessons which it's so impressive after all she had to do and she still gave time for us which C into her own time and I just really appreciate her for that and I just hope she can continue doing marching band and I hope we can continue something that I know we all love and everyone out here loves thank you hello I'm Gian um I live on Stokes AV in Collingswood um I had also didn't really prepare to uh speak today but I just feel held after hearing everybody um the the student you just that just spoke before me he has grown so much in this program he is one of the strongest people I think I've ever met honestly he really is and I'm so proud to be a part of this I I teach the color guard but I feel like they really teach me honestly um and I also feel like I I have kind of a unique perspective because I grew up in Vorhees and that's totally different um it's very big we have a lot of support in the marching B and we were able to do so much actually they just won everything this year they won both indoors and outdoor and we could do that I mean these kids are awesome you you don't know but they are and the staff is awesome and it it's not like any place I've ever been before it's very unique you guys really don't know what you have here um marching and and Eastern um really gave me a place I felt very alone I didn't go to class A lot and by doing that my gym teacher introduced me to Color Guard my junior year and I'm just so happy that I did that because my life has totally changed for the better since then and now I'm going to school for physical therapy and I I want to use that to help the kids and like understand their bodies and movement and I don't know I I like to spin things I spin everything and I want I want to teach them how to do that too so I don't know if you guys have the power to do anything I think it would be beneficial and I also know that one of our graduating seniors who also spoke Harper she would love to step up and teach as well after you know I have to get into school and everything and I might not have as much time but she would be an amazing instructor and you cannot take that away from her thank [Applause] you hi my name is Anthony uh 917 Stokes Avenue for the past year I have had the pleasure of being the precussion ction caption head of percussion for the marching band and let me tell you the kids at this school are incredible but what I have seen while being a volunteer at this school over 50% of our staff are volunteers by the way I want to Echo the sentiment that uh art Mercurio made of Sho string budgets through locally put on rock music shows I have been able to fund over $2,000 worth of equipment for this program better this PR does deeper than just Lor's workload so you just put out a listing for a new band director but a new band director doesn't solve the problem we don't want a new director we want Lori we want our friend our fous leader and what happens when you guys replace the band director then does Lor still have to maintain that double duty workload but what happens if you actually fill that full-time position the Arts are still declining in this town they're still massively underfunded we needed to buy cheap costumes from Amazon for indoor this year the kids ended up getting second place in indoor percussion which hasn't happened since before Co and it is not because they're being given the resources that they need that's because of volunteers who have stepped up to teach the kids who live in Miss town and as somebody who lives here now but wants to be a parent soon and wants to continue to live in this town I cannot justify living here if the Arts music languages like Latin and German are not being supported adequately even English the language that we all speak but it goes deeper than that and I know that doing these things might sound like just people we've heard the terms alarmist equality Equity getting the bill in the right direction will increase trust in what you guys are doing because at the end of the day people on this side want to see their concerns really being solved and I know that your job is often thankless and it's often difficult but small steps can really get the ball rolling and if you find that if you work with this community not only in the arts program you know something that will affect teachers and your students instead of buildings it will greatly improve the livelihood of everybody who lives here and truly make this where we want to be thank you uh hello uh my name is Haley I live at 78 cornhill and um I am the current or was the current Color Guard director for the Collingswood Panther marching band um and I too have not turned in my contract renewal when I found out that that Lori lewig was going to be put under the same amount of stress and tension as she was last year um something that Mr Lurch used to say was those who stay will be Champions and that was what he lived by it was in his room it was everywhere and it's really hard for people to stay when they weren't given an option these kids have put their Blood Sweat and Tears literally into every performance every practice everything they have learned skills like resilience and trying something even if it scares you horribly they've learned how life Works how unfair it can be and how fun it can be and all of the great things that come with something that is a team and marching band and color guard sure they're just an extracurricular but they are something that spurs into something much bigger those are the same kids that grow up and realize they want to go into fashion like me or they're the same kids that realize from teaching someone how to spin that they want to be a teacher these are roots to a tree that grow out and out and out Lori Ludwig is the most kind dedicated person I have ever met I met her kids her husband we spent nights at their house writing drill which is the little people who move on the field we spent hours and hours while her kids were nagging at her husband and she stayed with us and we finished insane projects in Crazy short amount of time I watched as she had to make a hard decision last year when all the stress that had been put on her ended up putting her husband in the hospital by connection and she had to choose to take care of her family rather than coming with us to our championships and it was heartbreaking because she wanted to be there for those kids more than anything but she knew where she had to be and that is what really kicked this off is her realizing she has to be there for her family when she almost went through unbelievable heartbreak it's an easy solution and I know it's hard to figure out where to find that solution of an elementary school music teacher but woman like Lori lwig shouldn't have to choose between her family and a bunch of kids on a field that she enjoys helping thank [Applause] you hello my name is Jack Wilson I live at 922 Grant Avenue and I'm not really a big person who talks in front of um groups of people but as a person who lived in Collingswood for my whole life and has had a family uh in the Collingswood marching band um and as a student in choir band and theater I am very upset at what has happened with Miss lowick having to step down from the marging band and just imagine if you had to H work a three-hour unpaid overtime missing out on time with your family to be with a group of kids that has as much potential as the marching band has has this marching band has had to go through many hardships like the death of Mr Lurch and now having to see a teacher who who truly cared about a group of kids have to resign because of because she is overworked and tired thank [Applause] hello I'm Siana aett 128 Manor AV in Oakland I am a small business owner of a music lesson School here in town and I am a musician and a music educator there's a lot to say much of which has been so beautifully said already tonight and so I'm going to boil it down to a few main points the last minute job posting is a large concern when this situation was clearly overworking Miss lewig and that should have only been a temporary solution in the midst of figuring out where to go after the heartbreaking loss of Mr Lurch this apparent afterthought for the situation seems disrespectful to the staff and to these students I'm a musician I know many music educators and recent master of Music graduates and all of my friends and colleagues already have positions for the fall I've watched my own private music students grow up in this band program and become bright talented passionate musicians and most importantly I've watched them find a family I've spoken with my youngest students about their own excitement to finally have the opportunity to join this music community and I'm not really sure what to say to them now because I don't know where their future is in this program I chose this town for my business because of the wonderful Community but I also chose it because I plan to start a family here I don't mean this as a threat but it's something that is weighing so heavily on my mind I'm not sure if I want to start a family in a town there is not the potential of having a role in this integral music program thank [Applause] you hi good evening uh my name is shanon brown 507 Lincoln a I've been a Collingswood resident for more than 43 years I'm a Collingswood High School alum and I was in the color Garden '96 to 97 I just want to express my my gratitude for those that have spoken tonight and those that have yet to speak um and those of you that are here sitting listening to our grievances I have a son that has been involved in the marching band for the past few years and a son who is eily awaiting to join this year the loss of Mr Lurch was devastating for all of the children and when Lori stepped up it was a blessing that these children didn't H have to lose their love of marching b as well I was told today that I should get more involved and he was right so I just wanted to speak my peace and express my support for the marching band in the indoor jazz band and the color guard and I hope that you will join me in getting more involved by finding an elementary school teacher in order to support Laura lwig so that she can continue to be the marching band director my son loves this band I love this band this is his family this is our family please don't take that away [Applause] an Mar latini um 131 wooden Terrace in Oakland I too did not plan on speaking um God I hate this so I'm G to shake my way through this because this is not my favorite thing to do but if they can do it and let me just say I know I'm not supposed to Face them Collingswood marching ban please give yourself a round of applause because you are extraordinary what they said what they did coming here showing up is just beyond and that just represents the program so I'm not going to talk about em motion I'm not going to talk about my son who this program literally saved his life that's not hyperbolic that's the truth but I'm not going to talk about that I'm not going to talk about you know we know the data we know that this is important we know the stats and if you need the data I'm a data scientist I can help you out with that but you know that I'm not telling you anything you don't know you need to support the teachers by bottom line we need we this performative posting of this job and that's what it is is performative we know that this is not going to get filled we're pretty sure that this is not going to get filled but then you can go home and you're going to say later that like the job is posted we did our job sorry guys shrug the shoulders and say we tried good luck see you next you know good luck in your future but that's not the answer you need to get give the give the teachers the support that they need for this program to continue you talk about Equity someone said it it's inequitable to not have a music program and yes you're gonna have band class it's not the same as an Afterschool activity you're going to destroy kids lives period you need to understand that so you need to support the teachers hire someone at the elementary level it's been said hundreds and hundreds of times that's the answer the answer is easy you have the answer and I'm just going to talk a little bit about these clowns behind me the this these these group that talk so we're we're here and I and if the band it does not exist we're not going anywhere we're going to be loud we're GNA be we're gonna be we're gonna we're going to be here I have a snare drum at home we are not going to let this we're not going to go quietly in that good night I promise you that so support the band please I know it's I know it's you're not doing this purposely and I know it's a hard decision but we need to do better thank [Applause] you hi um Tom meldon 530 Haden Avenue uh 18-year resident uh I really don't have skin in the game I don't have any kids but you know coming here tonight I just saw some postings on Facebook and I just wanted to see what was going on um the passion that everybody has is impressive it's obviously impacting me um couple themes that that I've taken away from this uh tonight for the board um every interaction is an opportunity so when you speak to the parents or the children you need to communicate you need to listen effective listening and you have to have empathy so that's about all that I have for the board but one thing that I do want to say is that I have a nephew in Illinois all right just graduated University of Illinois degree in music comp composition all right specifically with um classical music which you know Young Folks I would have never expected him to be in classical okay but to date he's published two CDs he makes his own uh videos and I just want you to know that watching him evolve Through The Years you know these kids remind me a lot of my nephew and I think that the gravity of what these folks are saying tonight you really need to have that empathy and and listen and take action accordingly that's that's all I have to say [Applause] thanks we once again are Regan and Amy and we just want to thank you um you everyone who spoke we want to thank you for your dedication and your bravery and hopefully you board Now understand how important this program is we urge you to hear our voices and prioritize our cause hear our voices please please and hire a new Elementary School music teacher so we can bring Miss lewig [Applause] home hi um I'm not gonna talk about the same thing because I know the rules but I am gonna say that there has been a theme that I think maybe recognizing patterns is really the core of all education you figure out this happens again and again and again you learn from it you change your behavior so the same thing doesn't happen at the end of the last board meeting I asked you a question I said how are we going to staff a s an eight period day when we've let all these teachers go I now know that my AP classes are twice the size they were three years ago that's how we're going to staff it so instead of laor lwig and what she I know she was the she was the the spear point of what's happening to every teacher in this District I've been here a long time maybe a little too long um and so I just want to beg of you that when you have an excess of new teachers teaching classes that have no guidance because we don't have enough tenure teachers to actually be their mentors and then you have teacher a classes that you can't even get teachers for so they kids go from long-term sub new teacher long-term sub new teacher class that is twice as large as it should be you have Angry students because the teachers who know how to do the the community building can't do it if we have to grade twice as many essays and if you say well don't assign as many essays which is what I've been told how do they get better they don't okay so I can't do what I need to make those kids less angry and the new teachers who aren't getting guidance are overwhelmed they're overwhelmed and they don't even know where to start and I can't help them because I'm trying to figure out what to do with 150 students honors kids used to do two long-term research papers to get them ready for college with me I can barely do one and that is going to impact how they perform and it's going to impact how this community functions I beg of you the reason teachers are leaving is because they're Lori lwig they can't can't do it and after a while we can't look at ourselves in the mirror any longer because I love what I do but every time an administrator tells me just do less okay that is like assets on my soul and I know that you are doing the best possible but this is a community that has houses that are worth $500,000 no one is going to pay $500,000 to buy a house in Collingswood when they have no ban program when they can go to Township thank you Miss ten they're just not gonna [Applause] hi I'm Alexandri guidos Smith 311 Lake View Drive um it's really nice to see all the boosters and parents and family here to support the music program I think they should have all the music teachers that that they need I think all the teachers should settle their contract get a raise they deserve it all of the above and I would like to let everybody know that you guys are here twice a month almost every month and it would be wonderful if we had this showing for the kids of color when they walked out for some words about that article in the uh in The Inquirer my kid is coming into high school I'm talking about a glass bowl should I expect that my kid has a one in five chance of getting suspended are we going to talk about that are we going to rally for those kids what are we doing here I had a kid one of 26 in my kids's kindergarten class look at my brown daughter and tell her you can't use that color black is bad Brown is bad we have no guidance counselor there's no guidance counselor I can't move her to another class there's no other class in the building where is she supposed to go should I move that kid to another building because there's no other teacher there's no other place to pure is that fair is that Equitable put these kids together this is long overdue and speaking of long overdue it was interesting to hear the former superintendent chiming in because over the past week we've reached an important turning point one where we finally acknowledged across the board that the current model of five small elementary schools is absolutely working for nobody what sad me is that it took hearing this from a white former superintendent that so many of us needed believed it and agreed that action is needed what saddens me more is that we see community members acknowledge this problem and then clearly state that they will not act on it college has been in the news twice already this year for racist acts at our schools students of color and their parents have put themselves at risk to speak out publicly about the racism experienced at the schools from students and staff alike those of us paying attention at board meetings because we're here all the time know that we have wide achievement gaps among our elementary students in a situation that we created for those students that will follow go through their lives their chances of graduating going to college and or maximizing their professional potential we cannot say this and experience this and chose to do nothing members of of this community have a right and responsibility to question the current referendum plan absolutely how much will it cost what what is the plan for transportation what exactly will happen with the decommission schools however I am shocked to see that so many of these same people neglect to question the details or feasibility of a plan that our former superintendent referred to in a recent letter to the editor of in the retrospect that was widely touted it's also it's also worth asking why this plan wasn't enacted during 15 years of that forign of the for superintendent's term or how is current employer contract with this district figur is into his attempt to derail our plan for Equity I hope that people pursue the answers to those questions or that the former superintendant makes an effort to show the work that he did 10 15 years ago rather than once again asking a current District employee to do that work for him thank you for voting to put this to the people and I would do in my power to get past because my child and no child deserves to have to go through what my kid is [Applause] Julie Schneider 819 Miguel app I need everyone in the audience to to remain quiet excuse me quiet please and Miss s are you speaking on a different topic different yes because I talked in the first one this is the second one so I'm good right thank you just me um I think what feels divisive sometimes and what I do want to make clear um um is that and this is something there was an AB bracing race um situation and there was a Q&A and we had some board members there speaking as just you know people like not not an official capacity um I'm getting there um and one of the things towards the end and this might be a little earlier precipitous but if the referendum doesn't pass um I hope that there are other Solutions you know um and I think what was alluded to by somebody who spoke very very well about engaging the community so my first comment which was about Spanish speakers is it's not just about informing the Spanish speakers but it's including the Spanish speakers in solving um problems right and I think um and and all the affected communities right um so I think if the referendum didn't pass um that was my question towards the end was is the board of EDS still going to look at other ways to um I'll say balance out the demographics right change things um a little bit and um and the answer that I heard at that moment was no because then the the the the community has spoken that transportation is too big of of an obstacle and I want to make it clear I don't think that that should be the the takeaway if the referendum didn't pass and again I know it's early and it's precipitous but I would just hope that the community can hear that there's I I think someone spoke also really well a lot of us recognize problems but we might not agree on the solution solution and it's it it can be divisive I think to expect everyone to see the same res like the same way to to to solve the problem so I think some people are very very sure that this is the right way I respect that but please don't interpret disagreement with the referendum as saying that there's not an issue or not a problem um and that there's not other solutions that I would hope that there would be a round table with the people at the table forming the plan rather than commenting on a plan that has already been [Applause] formed so I just wanted to start off by saying that I Echo what um many of the other adults mentioned um that all of the kids that spoke all of the students that spoke are amazing um I'm always Blown Away by uh our students when they come to speak a public comment or when they come for a presentation and I was thinking of my son happens to be in Germany so I'm thinking of people speaking other languages at the moment and my experience in Europe is every time a European person is like my English isn't very good and then they speak perfect English compared to the way most of us have learned a second language um and I feel that that was the case for almost every student that for every student that come up came up to spoke and said not very comfortable speaking publicly and then spoke incredibly eloquently and you know no offense to any of the adults in the the room but better than many of the adults in the room um you are you are to be commended for your advocacy um you've been taught well about um what to do when you want to make sure that you see change and I think I can speak for all of us up here when I commend you for that and thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us as well as the the parents and community members who have done the same I'm going to turn it over yes thank you good job to to the kids um I'm going to turn it over to a minute to miss how Turner who has um been working quite a bit on this particular topic uh and she wanted to to give a little bit of of insight into next steps thank you um as as many have said I just want to start by thanking those who shared tonight um from and this is directly to the students um many of you I have not had the chance to to meet or get to know yet I'm Meredith howl Turner I'm the new assistant superintendent of curriculum instruction and I'm here tonight sitting in Dr mcdow's typical seat he is away with his family this week and so um I want to take a moment to um respond to the students and families who spoke so eloquently and passionately tonight about um the band and color guard um we are fully committed to identifying a plan for how we ensure the continuity of our award-winning programs period since we learned sure uh since we learned of this um news on Monday night many of us have been actively working on it over the last two days um I wish I had a concrete update to give at this time time I do not um but I want you to hear directly from from me and from other members of our team that we you have our our full commitment that we um we will come up with a long-term solution because like several of you said this is what our kids deserve um and then I would just lastly say I know this forum doesn't allow for the most or organic exchange and conversation and so um I shared my contact information a few weeks back with every family in the district my email and my phone number and my cell phone number and so um if students or recent alums who spoke tonight or families want to contact me directly to Ask further questions and to engage in this further um you know I believe personally those that are closest to the problem are often closest to the solution it's not my saying that someone else's smart words um but I would be interested in engaging further with folks who may have suggestions as were many were alluded to tonight and I would be um happy to have further conversations than the three minutes allows um so thank you again for those who spoke up tonight and um please stay tuned for further updates thank you Miss Hal Turner um so uh with that uh just a reminder again that um to be on the lookout for more communication and engagement around um the the referendum proposal and the vote on September 17th starting with next Tuesday at the community center and like I said um information about all of those various sessions will be um in your uh mail email boxes uh either tonight or tomorrow morning um with that being said uh can I get a motion to adjourn this evening so moved and a second second all in favor I thank you for taking the time to speak with us tonight