it's really just give me one second shot put oh really did you tell abely sorry I got one too thank Daniel um yeah should be good to go okay yeah time is now 7:30 and we'll call the meeting to order um adequate notice of tonight's meeting has been provided in accordance with the open public meetings act by the following methods distribution of notice to the record posting of agenda on the school district website through parent Square on the board of Med's Facebook page and on the various R of this Ser please not that the board will be moving away from the announcements VI the Facebook page and list serves after the last meeting of this year which is tonight all announcements regarding the board meeting will be provided via parent Square which is open to the entire community so I strongly encourage you to register for an account for timely receive of information from the board please rise for the to the of the United States of America na indiv andice miss here Miss Deus missar here miss ra here M here miss sing here Miss Thompson here miss WS here vice president Melman here and president here we have a quorum also in an attendance that is our superintendent of schools Dr gadens as well as our assistant superintendent of schools Dr caramanos as well as our Board of attorney Mr L list to the first public comment period on any agenda items if you have any questions regarding agenda items please step up to the podium state your name and address you found a replacement for coaching for tracking field resigned any Reed yet handle that um secondly on regarding the communication you're just continuingly posting on list service or social media I did sign up to get at least do it right to get emails to from the board I Haven yet to receive email coming in saying stuff that's going on is that the way it works or am I supposed to go somewhere to look to find out what's going on I don't I don't like I like the Outreach of posting on social media been going on for a long maybe inconvenient um I also think that that's probably what discontinuing it's kind of it in my opinion it's inconsistent with the district goals over two created a defin Communications plan I'm sure you have the plan I don't think that excluding this from that plan is a good idea and that also defeats the uh the goal four on the board goals which is to engage the public more at monthly and by monly meetings now look at who shows up there's not a lot of people so there a lot of lot of people to engage so you want to try and get more people to come here so that needs more work it's just my opinion on that um and also somebody can tell me how to get emails from what's going on in the schools and all that other stuff um and I think that's that's it thank you anyone else from the public speak see move on to sorry comment section report of Education members and Welles any comments from board members on agenda related items I want can I ask a question will we be discussing the calendar later just questions on my move on to the approval consent can I have a motion please second thank motion a second any um items for discussion on the consent we can what we can do we can pull it out just to on soort yeah I believe it's the end of the finance section uh Finance W thank you and the item in thank you second I think there's some techical difficulties can hear sound okay we'll just pause for a minute just so we can try to work about the technical issues well your FL where are the kids they all three of them had various Pips at C to their credit to their credit we all receive we receive emails from the money I age oh I see yeah just in the report on our website you to the Community page sign up for you can sign up to receive if you are a parent you by child Community member Community page that people belong to and then when we we send an update out we double send it to the public schools when there also be send three times so that was takes me to this yeah this one anybody else same okay apologize for the people watching on YouTube we are going to proceed which is sound only so the board members I ask you please make sure you speak into the microphone when you do have anything for any statements to make um so we will continue so we were on an approval of consent agenda we had a motion from Kim um second from Joe and we yeah for finances will be pulled for discussion a separate vote um do any other are there any other items that anyone would like to pull for discussion that's onent it's not okay thank you okay so seeing none um like to modify the motion and second to for approval of the consent agenda with exception of Finance W that's okay with and Jo Miss [Music] Joy missar yes Miss Raa yes Mr Zea yes Mr SEO yes Miss Thompson yes Miss W yes vice president and president Le yes motion carries from consent the the exception to finance W that brings us to administrative reports sure fair amount of topics to cover this evening I'll begin by two questions there one is regards to the track and Phil coach coach eming had coached for 25 years decided we him head lunch today in the high school cafeteria um and he decided 25 years a good time to hang up the old running spikes so he is no going to the track and field coach uh we have several very strong candidates that are in the pipeline that Mr BR is speaking with we uh most likely will appoint for that position at the second meeting in January but we uh we're very happy with the the pool of candidates that we see uh when it comes to the parents where sign up and we'll check this for you personally um you could as member of the community uh members of the community are out there who are listening they could anyone could sign up via our our web page to receive the community updates more often than not when we send something to the schools we s something same thing to the community 400 people in the community that there are two options that you have one is digest which means that you get an email at like usually 6 or 7 o' in the evening that has all the posts for the course that day you signed up for and or you can have an email where you get it immediately when it is sent we have roughly of the 4,000 people that we have who receive uh a post from us they don't send email we update posts of the 4,000 people I think roughly 1,500 get instant right so when I hit post they get it right away at 2500 get it by a digest um anybody board members students community members can choose what they want to get how they want to get as a digest or if they want to get as an email um what we'll do is we'll check and see if you're signed up and if not I thought I did it twice I thought I did it twice yeah we could we could we could double double check that for you make sure you're sign I'm old school maybe I screw no we'll take you we'll take care that for that's no problem at all appreciate you obviously you'll get and you'll receive them when we do that for the folks to get it home is it is it digest or or instant that's the choice I want to I have roughly 11 or so updates here that I want to give about the district here's the order I want to go in now I want to give 11 so updates about the district then I want to move to the three items I have listed on the agenda to talk about this evening and then I'll finish up by talking about Finance de we we'll go in that order um the updates that I have from the district the uh our uh in the playing the role of our student reps who cannot make it tonight uh they would have shared with you that the the high school's having a pep rally the final hour on the 22nd before we go leave for a holiday break High School's having a pep rally there's a student council planning meeting today for that and that's coming along very very well um they're doing something called the Ming Olympics where you can earn MinGa points for your grade levels separate a different things so that should be a lot of fun um we had our Lim liners had their their full performance of the lottery uh you know Shirley Jackson's roll ly tense very very famous short story followed up by Broadway man which was a song and dance Panza um they are meeting this week and next to decide their spring production um I don't don't want to get ahead of them and announce it yet but it's going to be be a very good show I have an inside scoop on what it's going to be uh very family friendly and we're going to talk a lot to our parents at ACS and LMS about their kids for those shows be really great for that um this past Friday right here at ACS they hosted a back Tob presentation one of our seniors and her name is gave I apologize is involved in bringing classical music into schools we hosted them upstairs uh in the sorry downstairs in the gym this past uh uh Friday was great um we had uh two Deca events happen we had the uh the Arts and Cultural Festival last Thursday night that was a great Deca production um put on by the arts and by the Music Academy on one hand and deca helped to run it and then also Saturday morning Tek helped to run a fundraiser for Apostles house which is a group that works with the homeless in in various uh challenging parts of the state we had that that was a pancake breakfast um Adam made fantastic cornbread that I had several pieces of I thank Adam out there I know you're listening thanks for doing that for us that was followed up on Saturday by our first holiday market we had a Holiday Market at the high school another big hit vendors came in um really very nice job I want to thank our teachers that help to organize that last week we had our ACS Winter concert hosted at LMS this week we have the LMS Winter concert and then we have the high school concert the week after so we're full-blown Winter concert season um last week on on a on a more not really a serious note but ACS hosted their evacuation drill went very very well we evacuated the entire school down to the rec set I want to thank the the rec center leadership for their help with that um uh the police department has great helps for that all three schools have now had evacuation drills this year they've gone very slowly thank you our Administration for that um our Ski Club at the high school is up in running all they need is snow um there's only so much stuff we can do but we'll try to get that taken care of U for them um but we are excited for that and I want to finish out that part here by wishing our retir community a happy holiday and a happy New Year thank you for your fantastic 2023 uh moving to the agenda items I have here uh the first item I have is the conversation Humanities 2 January presentation Miss Kelty and Miss Bo work with a group of our our Academy students um they will be coming into the January meeting and presenting their food insecurity project and proposal to the Board of Education they've uh done some significant work on food in security ways to solve that issue I've got a chance to address the class and they have a presentation that they want to give to the board they'll have some recommendations for the board on how we can proceed we're excited to have them come in present I'll be meeting with the class prior to uh that board meeting to go over how long the presentation lasts with the boort it'll run around no more than 15 minutes that was the upper limit I gave them their presentation item number two the recommended timeline for our strategic planning as Mr Le has spoken about publicly spoken about with the board um strategic planning is the is the the core is the backbone of the district right a good strategic plan um helps to helps to control four Boards of Education directions they want to go depends the way that they want to go it gets the community involved the teachers involved the students involved the board involved I'm going to make a recommendation uh to the board uh early in the New Year probably January February that we send out a request for proposals and we want to engage in a an organization that will come in and help us do strategic planning it's a year-long process it's a yearlong process the the the earliest that the board would most likely adopt a district strategic plan would be going towards Believe It or Not would be would be going through the part into 20 into 2025 that's we would at the end of the year we spend all next year public meetings getting feedback doing surveys Community stakeholders building the plan adopting it most likely adoption would be July 1st 2025 so I want to that's sort of the timeline that we have here um I've done that successfully in another District twice and that's where we pretty we start with that just so the board knows uh based on the the tone the tender and the vibe of the district and I mentioned this to Mr Lee we're pulling back that that request for proposal start to we to talk about doing it later in the spring I think that there's enough energy in the district to do it in the middle of the winter I think we can get that going out there and get proposals and get feedback from those different organizations um and on this last part here is if you take a look you should have a copy in front of you of this this is the the draft calendar all board members should have a copy um we didn't have a chance to put a watermark on it this is A draft copy no board members are approving anything this evening uh the plan is to talk about tonight gather feedback we meet again uh in early January for our reorganization meeting another opportunity for board input with an adoption at the second meeting in January uh there are two things I want to ask the board right now before I forget one is remind that this is A draft copy of the calendar and please do not leave here with it tonight okay I said please leave it behind when you're here tonight we don't want to have a copy of the calendar floating on that's not accurate um give some high level overview of the of the calendar for for the 24 25 school year Dr K and I worked on pretty heavily P so Dy please jump in if I miss anything here um I'll go into August of of of 2024 uh the 28th and the 29th are our teacher our new teacher staff development days those are new teachers coming in that's when they come in they spend time learning they work with anane they learn where the keys are how how the computers work that's their orientation to the district September 2nd is a Monday is is Labor Day uh and traditionally speaking the school always begins so teachers come in for those two days the first day of school will be Thursday the 5th of September that's a traditionally has been a half day it's a half day Friday is the first Friday of school and then September continues as it normally would um October 3rd we are Clos for rashishana October 14th is a half PD day for our staff members the reason why that's an important PD day for us is that there are significant expectations for the state by October 31st and so we look for our teachers to have that date there to do that November 5th is election day there is no voting in our schools so I would not recommend closing that day the 2024 election is going to be a rather um interesting one with a lot of people out voting because we don't vote in the schools I think we're okay many district that are voting in schools are elected to close that day I don't think we have to do that that's a half day 78 is Teachers convention 28 and 29th and Thanksgiving now I'm going to December December 23rd through the 1st of January is the would be the holiday break there little little trivia for you a Wednesday Christmas is the longest break the longest break that we have and you're going to see why that plays a role in a second as we get further down the calendar um some districts are closed the second and third they go the two full weeks I'm not going to recommend that I think at that point I think parents and kids all kind of want little separation each other get back to school um so we're starting school again at the second the 20th we are closed for King Day 29th we are closed for Lunar New Year February 17th and 18th are This president's weekend uh March 10th is our second full PD day that is a District close that is our our final PD day for the year April break is the 14th through the 18th just so the board knows the 18th is Good Friday so that's so we would be closed that day regardless May 26th is the is Monday is Memorial Day we then go into the 20th is juneth and then we have here we have June now this is one there's two parts here Z did iip E we decided e we're not correct is the 30th e is it is the 30th of March now now we've received conflicting reports that weet that e begins on the evening of and concludes on the evening of the 30th that's Sunday we of the 30th and concludes on the 31st right so so so we so we have to confirm which of those and we've done a lot of research on it we look in other school districts and reputable sources to find it out and those two dates are floating around so for March 30th and 31st there a bit of a circle on the calendar right now in terms of when to eat fall when we want to recognize it the 182nd day of school right because we have 180 180 days are required by the state by contract we have 182 days of school Friday the 20th is we are we are closed that day is for juneth so the 182nd day is actually the 19th Dr I believe that I am right the 19th is the 182nd day the 23rd 24th and 25th are three additional days we build in for snow so if there's no snow days we close the 19th or we adjust graduation the only has a pretty unique situation where they don't many School District accept the graduation date and then work off of that here because it's 182 days you don't set the graduation date you have those three days at the end that gets you to 182 days if need be and that is the rough overview of the district calendar relatively straightforward not a whole lot of decisions to make um I will share with you that when we went over at a couple different times it's if you think about it if we if we use all of our snow days we go into we go into the week of the 23rd of June if we don't use any of them we would finish on the 19 if you use one or two of them in theory the last day of school can be a single day Monday the 23rd so it's an interesting Dynamic to have the school year end is you and then rolled into the next week so that's the high level overview before I give it to the board for any comments or or questions not the car about anything that I left out yes um so we usually consider when the wck is starting their summer camp right do we because they usually need from my understanding they usually need time to prepare the buildings um before Camp starts uh so do we know yet when the r was thinking of starting no I think the r probably works on the last day of school here like where we they would like so if we're looking at this the if the 25th would be the last day most likely they would consider starting on the 30th but that's also when July 4th is right around the corner there or no way but they wouldn't start on the 23rd because we may need those days for school and that I mean that like typically that's where it gets a little sticky because it's potentially maybe a week Gap and we don't know until we get into this we don't and they can't set that date you're right about their dilemma because we don't know what the weather will be like so in theory we could finish if we don't use any snow days right you could finish on the 19th in Call of the year and they could start on the 23rd if we use our snow days then that messes with the week of the 23rd and if I understand correctly and I may need some help here institutional knowledge they always start on a Monday yeah so in theory they may not start until the first of whatever the first the first Monday in July is yeah they just oh okay yeah they start on a Monday from what I understand but the challenge like we on a Friday they're ready on a Monday if we on a Monday they're not ready till the F Monday saying we we have two snow days then it's going to throw it off one I think we could end on the 20th right can I ask a question about so even one would throw it off this is going to be the first year that juneth was holiday right because I know we added Martin Luther King day as a holiday for this calendar it was previously professional development day and then we split that day between uh indigenous people's day and election day into two half days so I'm wondering why we wouldn't try to give us like the best chance 20th let say I'm wondering what why we' added like another holiday into the into theal I put that on there for discussion see recognize that or not yeah I I mean I would just put it out there to everyone that we don't typically have a week break between when the camps start like sack Camp usually starts not you know as close to does anyone know why s so it's just the S camp or is a camp also starts Monday ACS mini camp uses Sy the sorry the rec mini camp uses this okay and a bunch of the counselors are also all School dist a lot of them I most of the CIT and counselors they use this but if the school year ends on a Friday they still start on a Monday yeah will yeah they need to plan before we're able to know whether we're going to use any snow days like they can't wait till April to plan you pay for rec in February so they don't know if there's going to be any more snow dayses so they will take this and base their decisions on this so if there's a chance that school will go till the 25th they wouldn't start school till the following Monday and say for sa at the middle school in the past this has been a problem right when we think we're going to have we're going to go to a Tuesday or Wednesday but we actually don't and then it's hard on parents so one way you would solve this problem this we're just talking out loud right so let me so one way you would solve the problem is is that you agree the district decided and I'm not advocating I'm really floating a suggestion floting at a possibility if the district said well out loud if you said June 24th is the graduation date of the high school and June 25th is the last day of school because there it's always graduation at the high school then the next day is moving up down and in my understanding is that's and that's an important part of the district right the idea in many districts the high school graduation is the last thing that happens things are different Leonia it's the high school graduation and then the next day is the moving update for the eighth graders and that's a big experience for them you you could set the 24th as your high school graduation day no matter what you have the 25th be your last day of school so you have to have 182 days right and if we don't use snow days you could extend rather add that in reserve for Memorial Day weekend that's two out of the three snow days and I just wonder if we can't find another day in there somewhere to not go to that next do we have any flexibility with that second day inid we it's kind of like most SCH districts either have one day off or they have a week off that's been I think this just kind of historical when when I remember when we changed from the week down to the weekend they retained two days just to take the edge off yeah most most people I know just more of an inconvenience there that's interesting yeah absolutely right because most people not I personally I just like your suggestion of the last day being set and not like having the whole year to wonder when graduation is the last day it seems like better for planners everyone it doesn't plan Memorial it plans the end of school year correct now Memorial he's going to come Dr gains is going to come March 15 we got three days in the bank we're that on Memorial like oh I wasn't ready for that or he comes and like Hey we're not touching anything because we had three snow days so you're either gonna you're going to get your constant June or your undecided Memorial Day I'm just looking at how with a lot of school districts do have their last day set because of graduation even if that next so well it depends right if we didn't have the 20th off we wouldn't be into that that's a whole another conversation do you we vote on having the 20th or not I think that would be a separate no I understand that but I was saying that um if we had one snow day but the 20th wasn't uh recognized holiday in the district that with one snow day would be that week uh and if potentially we could Flex like the Friday of Memorial Day that would make up two of those three snow days and we'd have to find like one more snow day like do we even think we're going to use have we used three snow days in the last five years out of later is that I just don't understand why they can't just start like two days after that this is really it like we're we're trying to modify our entire school schedule because of summer camp but it's not just that right it's people sending their kids to camps and kids working as coun I mean the argument is that it impacts parents and families right yeah we're Joe brought up the point we're just shifting the problem to another day yeah it's it's just a different we're trying to find the least painful solution right and then and then even even with that're we're we're we're trying to get rid of the June um 20th just to accommodate parents right which that to me is a whole another topic that you have to vote on like should we recognize that right I don't care about when the school ends should we recognize June 20 let's put that to a vote so it's not like can we take it or not like we should vote on that sure right the other option you have too once again suggest in nature right moral is that the by contract you have 100 you agre of 182 day construction right you have to have 180 so there are two days into that the that the that's in the contract that the board of education has negotiated with the teachers in theory in in rare cases the board could offer the direction that says that like the 182nd day is going to be Monday the 23rd it's not going to happen you don't have to have you're you're violating the contract that's out right so I'm not necessarily saying that's a I'm looking over our board attorney is he Nots his head think he come that in a second but like you could say like okay we're good like we've met the state expectations it's the end of the school year we want to have the red camp start on Monday and I agree with Mr Lee that we do talk a lot about camps like you can say listen like okay like we're good like we've had our 180 days so if your 180 day is is is the 19th or the 20th you've met your legal obligations and you could certainly stop school on the day and you could just say listen Rec C thr in the 23rd if we had to um uh oblige something a legality in the contract and forgive me this is a total L person if we had to have something on the 23rd and 24th to accommodate 101 182 could we make them PD days does that count or that not because it's not instruction well they would do PD days because they the teachers have already met those PD obligations contract so this like to June no well you could but I wouldn't want to have 00 teacher share at the next meeting no do we know how big is the red Cam participation is from our yeah I just want to I visited it feels like everybody's here also the sack at the middle school you know 95% but it it isn't just in town I I would get pushed back in edgew water because people do have obligations for their kids that they want to start they don't want to pay for a minimum of six we weeks of camp and the kid their child can't go until the second week because school lasted longer because most camps Dr to 23 and so we get a a big push back and not just not just because they're having their kids because it's an experience they want children to have and we also get push back from older parents of older children who need to start jobs and if they're the last ones available to start a job they're they're going to have less options so it's said It's Tricky I'm just wondering what other because um to your earlier point right when Christmas holiday's on Wednesday it triggers that like long this the long that's why that the longest this year it's only this year it's only seven days we off right right it's not it's not year yeah do we have to have 23 off I was just gonna ask we go possibly I know it's nice to have a nice the only problem with that and I just know this comes up is that kids don't want to school like people that are going to be off you know what I mean like they're they're going to leave Saturday they're not it's a l day of instruction but but that's not family but if there's not enough attendance yeah but we're also adjusting all our schedules for summer camps job internships everything else for fam so some responsibity did 181 days we'd be losing a half day because those last three days are single session days so we' not be we would be losing a full day I was ask like what are other schools doings are gonna so Kim brought the point before that like what are other districts the fixed um and of the school year is what a lot of school districts do I was going to ask you how did they compensate I have not looked at any I can use just my own District where I teach as an example like last year we had Friday Tuesday Wednesday of Memorial because we didn't use any s but because there was a fixed graduation too we also came in before Labor Day the teachers started and the first day of school was Tuesday like day after I guess would that be one option to start school a day earlier what why did and have that extra P day whatever reason they wanted to end school before June is there any and there was a fixed graduation date but it pushed the start date of St before Labor Day and a bigger Memorial we not it was not a popular wiggle start I'm saying the for faculty if not started after Labor Day to start yeah there are two things there first thing is I don't think by contract we can't start before September 1st for the STA okay that's and the second part is too is I would I would be pretty strided in my expectation have two days to prep school like teachers need those two days so I wouldn't I would and if you only went to one day you still going to find the other day because there's PD days shifting problem is it possible to shift the March 10th DED day like I'm what I'm trying to find it in my head at least is like one extra day because I like that Friday of Memorial Day idea I feel like the June 20th uh date on here is something we can definitely discuss but we haven't typically offered as a as a day off and so I think honestly even if you ask the teachers they might be Happ here for school to end on Frid they they they may be more interested to work that Friday but then not come to school the next week for their own plans um so that I so I'm I'm kind of thinking we need to find one day in this calendar and then all those three snow days are taken care of if the 20th the Friday of Memorial Day if needed and like one other day I don't understand the second day I get I get the 20th for pi yeah so like you're saying that um if we needed to if we didn't um might not thinking about this right like if we need another St off just get rid of the 20th holiday right so so that right so so then the last day would be the 24th right right and then CU we're talking about is there a concern I think I'm think about this February 18 like is there what's the harm breaking just so that be teer March 10 right now there any concern May the 18th professional it's still being off students question reluctant I guess partly because Marchin just such a sore point is it's not a single holiday in it but could we ask the administration your feelings about moving a piggy we we worked so hard to get them into the calendar um I know I get it's a long month it's just a r does it have to be a Monday could it be a is that is that said that it's a Monday in March like I'm just we've only done it that way I mean it could be I mean it's the Friday Monday I'm been agnostic to that okay to we um I mean this is all because of the summer program sorry sorry just real quick show that that's the that we share pday withed water about it for about maybe five years um I I we were really proud of having a common day because I another question like this is really just because of the the summer program starting date coupling with our end date do we did we or should we reach out to those organizations and see if we can coordinate the Finish date and start date but they won't know right like they can plan only based on what we say so if we say school could go till the 90 only talking about a couple of days of difference I don't think that couple days problem it doesn't matter so it doesn't like it none of this really matters because it all depends on whether it snows or not fix which is why I wasu for the fix pration standpoint I can't imagine them not being able to be prepared because of a couple of days of difference they should be already prepared yeah I mean I mean we have we haven't talked to them right they for them without talking to them I the you know K's idea though we just fix water 25 graduation day and then like the last day just like whatever like can add like other makeup they thing around memorial memorial day or maybe uh give next spring I mean basically issue but you know I think like the it's a lot more makes sense that we fixed one of the last school as a high school graduation that way no matter what um you know whatever whoever plans and depends on our calendar uh you know they can plan on and something fixed so the only counter point to that is I would say like kids will probably learn more in May than they will at the end of June what's wrong with that no so if you wind up giving them like a bunch of days off in May in order to keep but I think I think to D this point is we have to go to sack because I know re is not going to change their program and ask why do you need five days can you can you do I understand we're not going to tell them until March when our last day is it could be April but why do you need 5 days can you do a two-day turnaround that's what that's the question can you do a two-day turnaround if you if we end on a Monday can you be ready on a Thursday or do you need to go a whole weekend Friday started on Monday they so what what's the difference as long as they confirm if we end on the 23rd they could start on the 26th I think it just gets logistically complicated because camps run on like a weekly cycle they don't usually like start on a Wednesday I'm just I'm just like telling you all their like what their processes would be with like paying of their staff like prating everything for parents like it gets very the like mean us week off somehow they experience the same challenges well they also recognize keep mind that Leonia is recognizing Lunar New Year looking recognizing Eve and juneth is a possibility like there's there's those days are those days are maximiz just do that they don't recognize and this year too also keep in mind that you're looking into Christmas you have a long you have a long break under 82 days in a long break is what throb this problem this challenge gets easier when when Christmas just off day you get those days back and I someone mention going in the 23rd I would not recommend December 23r that that would be that would be challenging we might be the only to state if we didn't want to do like a 4 day Memorial Day Break couldn't we possibly this is just one other idea like do February also in like you don't really know about this like maybe Extra Spring Break day kind of have Bas April and May those days yeah usually you make the recomend the recommendation to adjust the calendar would be made usually March before ucation that's what we so comfortable and when is I'm sorry I should know better um the philosophy with the Jewish holidays we that Russia sh off young Falls in a weekend and then they they let Passover be um observed by families independently or we just typically haven't time to pass over when April break I know New York City still does but I don't think we've done it demographics yeah um just if we if we add on April 21st I think Passover start on 22nd so like this is an odd but we also have to find out the eve dates right because if we're going to observe that that I just was say that March 31st I was trying to find you don't find to like they do also tweets yeah also the December 20th November 27th just like minor minor things they should be green right because they're single session days um and have L but I just like want like those help me figure out kids start um so can I ask Dr I know you said we're not voting on anything here I you've heard many many many different opinions and theories and we're never happy with with anything so don't worry what exactly are you are you looking for the board tonight well the board inv me with copi input thank you for that I I didn't want I didn't want the board to say he never used us so I heard um so that's one thing that I wanted to get a sense where the board fell with all with this topic and and how it was um and and I wanted to see what was important to the board and what priorities that you you were putting on there um I think it's an action item for this I think a few action items of this I think to to D's point is is to Circle back with the the camp Powers debate and confirm the fact that well what is the actual start day like when would you start and if I'm correct that would be the the rec camp and the sack Camp are two separate institutions I'm correct right okay so so I think a takeaway from this is the idea of circling back with r and with sack and saying listen the board of education is doing their best to build a that's thoughtful of everybody what do your start dates look like and here we go and I'll bring the point up if you finish on a Friday you go on a Monday finish on a Tuesday I can't you go a Thursday I think that's or or Wednesday that's one thing there um I think the the second thing too is that the by contract the board of education is dedicated to the the 182 days um I think that it's it's and I don't want to I don't want to be guilty of of of vacillating on this but I think the conversation could be held that the board of education does could discuss in January that if the if the 182nd day is a Monday we're good calling it not going into one day for the next week right I think that might be a conversation with the board to consider or do you really want to bring everybody back for a half day Monday right it's 102nd day and that's what you get by contract but there's there's that and then that's what that feels like to the community right and because if you do think about it if that was the case if the board were agree to that you could tell you could tell SA everybody else we're good to go on the 23rd If that's but now that's dependent upon the snow and the kind of winter we have so that's one thing to consider there so that's for the board to talk a bit more about there um I think for the January we have two meetings in January the rior meeting there will be a session to talk at rork and then there's a second meeting in J we actually approve this let us come back to you with another calendar we'll communicate in between with you where we stand and we'll bring another version of this calendar back to you what we'll do though is you won't see that version we're work on it between now at the end of next week we'll get the version we'll discuss on the on the 4th which is a Thursday night remember it's Thursday night that meeting not Tuesday you'll have that in advance of that meeting to think about and consider so we can discuss it at that meeting and just with um both you and M te being newer do when would you like to have discussion so we so we've actually discussed it preliminarily yes so so so we've discussed it my cter depart n little bit and we talk I'm going to share with her this draft I make sure it's dra and we'll talk about where in order we another take I just ask one left more clarifying question um with the teachers starting actually two questions with the teachers starting the 28th and 29th is that contractually that new teachers could go back before the 1 September 1 that's part understand they take job and then is it is there any wiggle room ever with that for them to begining it so I'm gonna so I'm going to turn to Vic on this one because I'm the impression that the i' have to see what the teacher contract says but I believe it begins September 1st is when the contract begins with the teachers so you so that's when the new year begins so they would not report to work before September 1st put onot that's always take a look I know we had um let me say the following I know we had school district where they started a calendar in August and they grieved it and then they went to park we won that case and said they we could make them start in August but that was probably about seven or eight years ago I don't know if the law has changed or if perk has taken a different that's the public employee relations Comm I don't know if they've taken a different view on it now so I have to check that one I have to check the contract to see when if it says you can't start in August um and then two if we want start August could and you know candidly one of the things that comes up is in some districts we've done sidebar agreements to say hey we can start in August you can be done by June 19th or we can start in September you'll be done June 25th what would you rather have right and it depends not every district is the same right um so those are things you can do I will tell you that um from what I know I think the vast majority of the districts that you represent probably between 50 and 60 I think most of them have a fixed last day of school right and then that whole issue would be um giv the extra days if you don't use them around Memorial Day is that that's not the only way to do it I mean I know that Lea does it this way I think if I remember correctly I think caucus does the same kind of thing where every year we have this conversation and then every April we have the same like conversation but you know that's fine there's more than going and just to that point thank you we'll follow with that about contracts but it looks like keep mind too that our our seniors have to have 180 days of school so if you have if you're going to have the moving up day the next day if the senior say graduate say on a Tuesday that could be day 180 day 181 would have be the moving upate you can have day0 be doing up there the seniors cannot leave before the 180th day that's why very often so in theory you would start at 182 and work backwards but you have to back 25 for us because you build in those three days so that's one board that understand that if you're going the Deep moving update which I think we should it's a big part of the district the seniors have to be 180 days to the districts we represent are most most of them starting late August or starting September most starting September where you start to see the the issues with starting in um where you see issues most of the time is when Labor Day is really late um that is where you have issues like well it's not much starting in August but starting before Labor Day some some unions have contracts saying they don't St before labor labor days is on the seven that's an issue um but and to the extent that there is anything starting in August it's almost those PD days I can't remember actual school starting in a right right I know Jersey starts late the 50 states and then here particularly count others they start yeah just a question because I know a lot of districts that start a Tuesday after Labor Day and we tend to be a little later so one thing you we could do and and just you know for terms of process we met today with the association presidents from both the Lea and basa so you know that was part of the we discussed this today in various conversations it it will be and I'll do this for wor a while to look at the 2526 calendar to get a sense of will this problem come up again if it won't the sidebar agreement becomes much more power you say listen here's the deal like we need like like we'll make it agreement we'll all agree right I I don't want to force anybody into anything it has to be an agreement that we're going to start here this year because of the very long the very long Christmas break that's in there the various days that fall but here's what 2526 looks like and we're going to go back to the after the L Day star we're going to go back to this right because I don't know where those different dates fall so that might be a worthy conversation to have because if you stack those two years back to back it might be easier to accept not going to work teachers may not want to work until the week the 23d I mean teachers themselves get their summer work and their summer jobs and they they want to they want to do their camps right and they might lose out themselves as teachers or Camp counselors not very often a common Dynamic when they work second jobs they too get delayed going into those jobs so it might be who of our staff it's conversation to have with the association presidents I hope you're listening that will have this conversation about that and say like we all want to agree that we want to finish the week of the 16th for the purpose of Camp starting and starting our summers that would require us to start then are we all agree with that that's what we're okay with I'll just research on this I recogniz excuse me in the past we have not and Mr SE and I have discussed it we have a growing South Asian population in speak to that yeah we've U we moved into town about 15 years ago and at that time there were only about maybe 10 or 15 families that close to about probably about 30 40 families representing prop each us school kids is growing I mean speaking with them in one of the culture events that we hosted at nearby it was definitely one of the main reasons they've come here primary reason they come here is is the school district they have their you know choices of other areas B County nearby and so they felt strongly about it so it's a growing population and so um it wasn't request per se from them but just from my own Stu as we looked to Value you know different cultures and as they Contin to grow and even if you know I don't have specific on percentages by by demographics because the way the census is built but it's definitely one of the fastest not aware the so I thought it would be appropriate to make that holiday under the consideration of course right now we're trying to cut cut days a little bit but and it's in November in November 1 nov it changes to Halloween yeah the teachers would would would be the biggest supporters of Dev it's not always we did that we did so so now that we so not to I don't want to blame in the conversation much longer but we have kicked around the idea of going with November 1 class is a PD day that so that would be the that would be a full PD day instead of instead of yes now now we get yes so it would be an exchange for yes the fifth so we would go but we would go full PD day full PD day there so we would have to figure that out in terms of that's that's one less day instruction for students but it's a little bit you kind of get three birds with one stone you you H theall you realize the day after Halloween is the the equivalent of getting a college fress at the dorm after super and the third part there is that we have and it's you bu and what you do also is you kind of claw back a bit that dish joint at fourth fifth and sixth you call that back that's three full days of school and I and I I think we'd be okay with full day of instruction on Election Day because we have no voting well because of the half day and the two days of the teachers convention I feel like that we were talking about like the 23rd of December right like that's a week actually a lot of families wind up traveling because you look at the Cal they're like well two and a half days of school get their whole week call right yeah and we had that this year and it did feel quite distributed it did yeah I would say I'd rather have the whole week off but then not have some of these like kind of days like the 18th February 18th March you know like I would personally prefer that but obviously have to all you know the teachers and the students and ucational value but that sounds like I feel Fridays are always easier for parents for working parents then like Tu Mondays Tuesdays right are much easier most people many people work from home example on Friday my Friday morning the road driving here morning that's right so that that would you have to pick the day offy what's we're going to put that back into the conversation um if I may move on from the calendar before we're going be there pretty soon the L thing is um as we're concerned about who are we are we reaching out to all um demographics one thing we we often do is look back at last year's or the or even this year's um holidays and see who amongst students and who amongst staff observed you know who who requested a day off and that really helped us a lot with with getting our numbers because we the same thing said that we've got more South Asian folks moving in but we don't know you know who's it's easier to tell from attendance sometimes than somebody who's too shy to speak thanks good so then I just want to speak to Arthur's question before um we talked about it last year um so in terms of the uh yes so I I did that I don't want to mention the idea of the find talk that discuss yes I just want to discuss the idea of the what we pulled for a separate discussion be the the AO for the record so so the um over the weekend we received an inquiry from a a private citizen regarding the allocation of District resources when it came to different non-district groups that use our facilities um and the email came across um had chance replied board members of L on an email spoke to multiple people today got some emails about it tonight and I spoke tonight with Destiny Samson Destiny work with W in town um I was on the phone was was there when I was talking to her um Destiny and I told her I was going to talk about out loud when we were here had the chance to Circle back with the concerned citizen about the topic in terms of like the the allocation of resources and per Destiny she had the chance to explain and speak with that citizen about the process that was filed and everything was quote all good like the they did not have a chance to speak before the Board of Education was emailed but now that Destiny had a chance to Circle back with that private citizen everything appears to be fine now that being said um and I talked to Mr Lee about this and I've talked to Mr tomasich about it um we're going to look at the the process through which those resources are allocated I do want to point out that that primarily takes place through our director BS and grounds Mr woods and his assistant Miss Mo handle that and they they've been excellent in the process so I don't think certain that there's no reflection upon the work that they're doing they're doing their job fair well we just need to have some conversations around that um but from what I've been told by when I spoke with Destiny and other conversations the matter has been appropriately addressed um I do want to point out that it's a bit of a blessing to have this problem right we have so many good facilities and people that want to use them the fair allocation of those resources is important but I I think we could in good conscience I would recommend that the board could vote on item W with no problem at all that that's been addressed you're not and what the board is not doing the board is not picking a side by doing that right they're not favoring one group over another another motion Motion in a second correct um so can I have a motion for finance item W um second we have Miss TR yes missar yes Miss ra yes Miss Zea yes Miss SEO yes Miss Thompson yes Miss WS yes vice president mman yes and president Lee Yes motion carries on sen the item Finance thank youit out of you're at the point now Mr Thomas your thank you president Lee um I just have two two updates one is related to the PBT um I know it was something that um was kind of pending by the state it was in the state hands so you know I have good news I mean the state approved our our submission so for the uh families that qualified uh relating to their eligible you know children um and to be eligible you would had to be on Roll as of the last school year 2223 and you would had to qualify for free and reduced lunch um and any eligible child you should be receiving or have received $120 so that should be processed through the state um they're responsible for providing a PBT card um that's directly from them if you have any questions you could always reach out to the business office um as far as capital projects update you know I want to get everyone an update especially since our last meeting there are some movement in projects um to provide to the board and and the community uh relating to the media center at LHS that's a a PRI project we're pretty much just finalizing uh the necessary submissions with the state uh to have them you know do the last sign off so you will see some some um resolutions on this on tonight's agenda to do that you know that sign off uh relating to the insurance projects uh as far as the LHS gym doors and the Electrical uh relating to the gym doors the uh the architect it's uh currently in the design and Hardware phase as far as what what doors what devices um what Panic if it's you know access points um and we are scheduled to go out to bid still uh roughly sometime in January um for that for the electrical at LHS relating to the insurance project uh the plans are being finalized by the district architect and a meeting uh is tely scheduled to finalize those those plans and the bid specs um coming soon hopefully we can get it within you know the end of the year year beginning of January and that also is set to go out to bid sometime in January uh relating to the FEMA projects the two FEMA projects the mitigation at the high school and the uh Middle School related to you know uh the insurance um hurricane Ida uh there is no current update uh for both those projects it is still pending so for my last meeting my last update it is still uh being finalized um at the archit Tech's uh office um with the engineer drawings and we also you know looking attentively set up a a meeting with the architect with you know all the the various um stakeholders as far as you know what that scope of the project looks like we'll bring it back to the finance committee as far as budget uh you know what needs to be contributed on behalf of the district in lie of what FEMA reimbursed district for or provided uh to cover the project um but that is a summer project however we you know we are planning to go out to bid also in January but because of you know it will impact instruction you know that's going to be done over the summer um something to think about you know I don't think it will impact the wreck um or or sack mainly sack for LMS or if there's any use of facilities but we'll coordinate it you know with those organizations uh relating to the last piece is the 23 24 Capital project that we have put in in this budget in hopes of you know what we could get in Rod brand funding uh one project obviously came back with Rod grant that I you know presented to the board um and to the community at praie meetings uh we did receive since our November meeting we did receive the final eligible letter so what that basically allows the district to do is we could start moving forward with going out to bid awarding contracts doing the work so for the roof uh the district uh um you will see tonight a proposal to have the architect start moving that project forward which is on tonight's agenda uh the next piece relating to the projects that didn't get approved but what were you know part of our our initial plan the district is is moving forward with one of the projects as we you know kind of map out you know Financial um capital reserve and and what we could do now that we have 100% funding so that was one of the projects we we identified as being a priority to move up up in the um at the list so that's the ACs external doors project um and you will see the architect's proposal for that on tonight's agenda so that's you know moving forward and replacing the key uh external door locations in ACS that we identified as as a strong need uh for safety security um and then the goal is we're going to look at you know the remaining projects that we budgeted um mainly after the F the FEA mitigation project projects are finalized to determine what we need to contribute in addition to FEMA and to determine you know what projects we can do with with our capital reserve money what was budgeted and we'll bring that back to the finance committee uh the last piece is it was a change in the 23 24 budgeted project it was really a location change it was uh from LMS to LHS relating to the adaa client bathroom so that was also moved up to the the top of the list as a priority uh as it you know impacts the need of of you know certain students um for the 2425 school year so we want to make sure that that project is kind of uh you know completed for the start of school so you will see on tonight's agenda which everyone voted on uh there is a proposal for that for the architect to move that project relating to plans and to go out to bed uh for that project and that's it okay that brings us to committee reports our student representatives are not here tonight unfortunately we sorry they're not here but BR us education thank you so we met in early December we talked about a few different uh topics as a committee one was the calendar so we had a very robust discussion in our committee as well um we also spoke about the high impact tutoring grant that we were able to uh get and we appreciate Dr Pan's work and efforts on on getting that Grant and how that will be used to help um fill some of the gaps that we've identified for students uh we talked about what is on the agenda for the March professional development and how that reflects some of the district's priorities and some earlier board feedback as well and we also discussed uh putting in place uh uh maybe more detailed textbook and text approval process for the district so we're going to keep thinking thank you thank you BRS us to fin plan is myself Mr Thomas Sage did Cover a lot of what was discussed in our committee me um but there were a few of the things um do have our audit coming up which typically happens during the month of December but there are various reasons why it's being pushed back slightly um by a month to January 2024 we do expect that and um looking forward to receiving good results just as we did last year Eric went over our capital projects update and we did have an update on our insurance coverage that's being looked at by our insurance archaeologist and we did have a just a brief discussion on the budget and uh that's currently being worked on we're in the very Mr Thomas is in the very early stages of that process with the rest of the administrative staff we touched on a few key points regarding the budget process um typically that get heavy in the next month or so and then we'll be targeting April or May for the initial or draft submissions to bur County that was s everything from our committee meeting which was held yesterday and that brings us to community relations I know you didn't meet today but you did major community relations sold Three Trees us it was you for hour did you get the cut I I like thank you for the committee members and Christina that were able to help out today um to policy uh didn't me y so in VI of a meeting we had um a detail back and forth with um Dr gon about the status of Safety and Security in the district um we were updated on uh two staff members completed the Handle With Care training recently um the district has hired a additional SSO for a c yes um apparently um he's a great addition I've heard he's very popular with the preas students at Rec and um all schools are continue to conduct the security drills as you mentioned and that's all thank you that brings us to business Miss Joy yes Miss par yes M ra yes m z yes Mr SEO yes Miss Thompson yes Miss walls yes vice president Melman yes and president Le yes motion carries on new businesss bring us to our second public comment on any non agenda items pertaining to the Lea Public School District anyone from the public wishing to speak please stop up to the podium SE your first and last name and address you have two minutes um on the bus evacuation does did anyone observe it my interest system way did they just basically say okay the kids get up you open the back door and they all hop out or do they go through open the side doors side windows did they open go exercising the roofs and the event of a bus you see on the news C bus flipped over at least at least that happened twice this year on the news news on how to open those and close those like you know what they if anyone saw it what they did secondly uh I read the paper just recently the state considering dropping or lowering teacher qualifications for new teachers uh and dropping their test I guess their preest I'm not sure if we're going to consider that if we need it doesn't seem like we have a problem getting teachers here um but that's something that is anyone if it happens are we going to consider that lowering our standards for entry level teachers uh and finally for the lengthy conversation regarding school schedule I know I started off again it seems like you just need a little Flex time in between and I'm not sure if going remote is a on a planned basis or have a plan for remote in the event you run out of days you lose that cushion somewhere you've got dates scheduled such as uh educational instruction that is recording pre-recording basically home remote dial in be required to watch it and they would have educational videos to watch for leaving the planning process meeting was getting going remote required just ramping up stuff but if you had something like that planned where you could plug it in and say we're going to go remote today bad weather we more snow days uh you plug it in everyone stays home depending on the grad and where they are they would have three four five hours of whatever is required R days just a thought that's it thank you any else anyone else to speak any non items to the second comment I'll speak to the three questions that buy vation drills I did not observe them they were certified by staff members I'll ask tomorrow regard regard what the process was I they standing up walking out the back to really not totally PR it's good uh terms of the state so the state is dropping the state is dropping the their licensing requirements so we would so the by changing the gateway to getting your license we will still receive teachers who are certified by the state the district will be agnostic to the test that they take they take the state sets not so we wouldn't have any say whether or not they would have we don't give those test State certify I don't understand just reading that looks like they're because they can't get teachers sure actually that actually the attended this the N assembly uh two weeks ago and then over there we had a vote on that and what that is what this what um they try to do that oh actually the reality is that the uh by lowering this teacher certificate um the qualification is that uh you know one of the ex I think I guess there a language requirements and then B they they try to the state to try to drop out the that language requirement by which it means is that uh basically um the non um the non English speaking teacher teaches in the class and then the side of it there's the some self teacher or the teacher who speaks English and this the translate whatever the instruction not the language speaking instruction translate English that that's part of it what the state tried to and now and that assembly what what they did was basically even though state state is pushing it and then um the newers state the bo bo assciation uh we basically um the um the state not to do that and through the voting procedure so basically the bard of bard of UC Statewide and basically we say not to do that to back to the state so hopefully it this happen that's um and the last part there with the remote days so virtual days are no longer allowed at District discretion oh no you have to be closed for three consecutive days and then you can activate those days yeah so that so the idea of O here we go no those days are and I'm actually have to tell you I'm delighted because it was bad like you snow days and he was like why do you hate snow and sunai I'm glad it's like outside of my that they've taken that away from me thank you state finally making my life easier yeah for once right yeah typically go spring break right extra or if you go beond that I just have one quick thing uh so with it being our last meeting of the Year this was actually in de's last meeting she could make it because she had all obligation so she sent her best wishes but I want to thank her for her three years of service on the board um and then I also just quickly want to wish every all happy holiday season be safe stay healthy as healthy as you can but just yeah best thank you can I add on to that um the Bergen County School Board Association meeting and they um actually acknowledged Anna there as well so we we applauded on her behalf but it was nice to to hear your service acknowledged even at the county level so thanks Anna do we know when the next year's will be published done the first meeting I know we have a January 4th but I went on the website our our dates are set to the end of the year yeah I think last year yes years on the have chendar year not so we kind of had to it wasn't just theor Council reorganizing on Thursday well oh W thank you okay um any other the board members comments see none that BRS us to close session so motion to close anys approve thank you for coming out member the meeting is closed to the public we just uh I'm not okay yeah 20 minutes 20 minutes yeah time we're back in public session at 9:40 p.m um can I have a motion and a second for approval of personel items motion second call M Troy yes Mr par yes M ra yes Mr Z yes Mr SE yes Miss Thompson yes Miss W yes vice president mman yes and president Le yes motion carries on personel thank you motion Mo motion Sid second Isaac all in favor oppos exensions