to the flag of the United States of America and to the for it stands one nation God indivisible with liy and justice for all board statements in accordance with the provisions of the New Jersey open public meetings law the New Milford board of education has caused notice of this meeting to be published by having the date time in place thereof in the record New Milford Public Library New Milford burough Hall and the main office of all Milford Public Schools the board announces that under its long-standing policy it will not discuss in public any comments made by members of the public concerning individual staff members at this time please be advised that all cell phones and electronic devices are to be turned off meetings of the board are open to the public and all members of the community should feel free to participate before coming to the board the chain of command should be followed there are two portions of the meeting reserved for comments from the public the first at the beginning of the meeting for agenda items only and the second at the end of the meeting for other items issues raised by the public may or may not be responded to by the board but all comments will be considered the board requests that all members of the public be mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking due to confidentiality and legal rights supported by the state of New Jersey members of the public are asked not to speak negatively or in a derogatory manner about any employee of the board or any student recommended action I seek a motion to approve minutes for December 5th work December 5th regular and December 5th close Andrew Lombardi seconded by Tony Alro all in favor I oppose superintendent schools report Daniel family hi thank you all for waiting I really appreciate it we had a lot of business to uh to cover tonight um tonight um on the agenda we have um a few resignations some of some of which are um one of them is uh Terry Fischer she is the administrative assistant to superintendent not just me but Michael too she was also served as my um Administrative Assistant when I was director of curriculum and um she is has been a wonderful um Force historical memory organizer of all things uh that happen on our side at central office and uh she will be resigning effective this summer not resig retiring effective this summer and um Dr Assa will also be uh retiring at the end of this year Dr Assa is just the con gentleman and wonderful chemistry professor had a long conversation one time that I will never forget about no we are always and I think about it all in this meeting he said we are always in state of warming or cooling I don't remember how the conversation came up but I think about that off we we're sitting in this Library like are we we or are we um but they uh wonderful um wonderful time commitment and the dedication that they have given to the district of New Milford um and they will be missed um and also tonight on the agenda uh with a mix of emotions is on my resignation from position of superintendent um regrettably and please uh just bear with me while I read because I I won't find the words if I don't read them regrettably due to my growing family needs I find it necessary to accept a position closer to home um this decision was not made lightly and it's my hope that the board will understand the importance of my being available for the growing needs of my family particular my mother and my daughter at this time um it has been an amazing journey serving the community as your director of curriculum your assistant superintendent and eventually my return to superintendent of schools I have often and proudly referred to New Milford as a little gem the little green gem of buron County that a lot of people may not even know is here because it's so tiny but a progressive District that was always W welcoming change welcoming creative initiatives welcoming changes to research-based programming a district that values student ideas and their desires and one that respects the work of its teachers and its leadership some of the highlights of my time here have included comprehensive improvements to academic programming in all content areas and in all grade levels the develop of theem at New Milford High School in arts and letters Global Leadership and stem with almost 170 students um in it this year expansion bless AP programming options for dual credit independent studies work study option two programming we had a team pep Health electives make spaces creative scheduling model advancing uh unified lunch for all of our students and staff and the flex now known as fresh start period and a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular activities including expansion of the Arts our high school graduates continue to see acceptances at some of the most competitive colleges and universities in the nation including I Lea Schools and um our nation's military cies in the middle school we adopted research-based academic programming in all content areas PB inquiry science dbqs and social studies connected Math teachers College Columbia reading and writing workshop and launch the development of the Junior with the variety of selectives in art music stem robotics business finance expansion of world languages including Mandarin at the elementary level we embarked on a similar the hall in all content areas including research based Ela programming Project Read phonics instruction Teachers College very well supported with expansive classroom libraries and we've implemented extensive benchmarking and data collection throughout the district under my leadership here we have revised gifted and talented to include more students at a reduced cost we've expanded elll services to meet the growing needs of our student population more than 45 home languages spoken in the community of New Milford we've brought in Title One resources to include now schoolwide services in three of our buildings and we've seen the development of a comprehensive teacher leader Cadre that is helped our faculty and staff hopefully to see themselves as valued leaders in our school Community we've embarked on years and years of high quality professional development for all of our professionals I remember when I first came here I think the budget for the curriculum office was something like $40,000 and now to support all these programs we spend well over a million dollars a year supporting academic programming professional development and supporting our students in their Um passion Le Endeavors and there has been so much more that has transpired in my time here all of which was selected supported implemented because it was in the best interest of our students and because our teachers had the capacity to execute and I cannot underemphasize the work of the teachers in this District I have seen amazing Educators here in this tiny little gem of the town really dedicated passionate loving caring people who dedicate their lives to other people's kids fiscally the district continues to make responsible decisions that allow us to maintain a certain educational lifestyle for our students even when reductions need to be made I'm always cognizant of not affecting the students last year's budget was difficult as this year's budget will be but our focus is always on preserving the quality of educational experiences for the children of New Milford our student achievement is always growing yes everybody was impacted by Co but we were not alone in that impact our state qac monitoring progress process has always been successful and well recognized by our County Office educational Specialists with New Milford being a place where new administrators should look for excellence in programming that can happen in a fiscally responsible manner most of you here on the board were not here in 2010 when I arrived page and we're not part of these amazing changes over the years but the children your children many of you are the beneficiaries of the purposeful and meaningful changes and I have full confidence in the continued success and growth of the New Milford Public School District and will carry fond memories of these accomplishments I have given my all to the students of this community and because of that my life has been enriched many times over I have been blessed by the relationships I have developed here and the many interactions with The Talented Educators dedicated staff exceptional students board trustees family members Mayors police Chiefs and community members that I have known during my 11 years in New Milford we have celebrated and we have mourned together we have challenged each other and grown stronger as a result but when it comes to the students we always remain United I've had the pleasure of working with intelligent board trustees an amazingly talented leadership team technology team custodial team buildings and grounds team par professionals lunch AIDS bus AIDS bus drivers you name it but not to mention dedication intellect creativity and passion of M left and right hand Lauren and Stephanie would be Trav they are always focused on the Servants of the students and whatever we achieve we achieve together and whenever we're in trouble we're in trouble together so for all of those experiences and for all of these people I am deeply grateful and because of them I have been changed for good so again I thank you for this amazing journey New Milford would always hold a very special place in my heart and it's been my distinct privilege to be a night okay all right I just want to remind you of some fun events coming up before you do that I just want to say you know thank you in a sense for your service and your commitment I think everyone who's worked with you either as the assistant curriculum ass superintendent and the superintendent knows your uning commitment to the district and student achievement and putting the kids first thank you so thank you and good luck on your future Endeavor thank okay I just want to remind everybody that tomorrow night um is the National Honor Society induction here at the high school on Monday we will be doing a coffee with the superintendent and Dr Chris amalis and Patty um oh my God I'm sorry yeah I'm just inight want us to come back to you no I'm Patty pastro will be joining me to talk about um um the science explorers uh at the at Berkley Street school on Tuesday David Owens is holding their PTO meeting on Wednesday the rescheduled Berkeley School winter concert is being held at the high school auditorium that will also be streamed and for those of you who wanted to see gibbs's um concert which was also held in the auditorium tonight um I did put it's on the Facebook page and it's on the district website it so you can watch it if you missed it um the young Expressions Regional High School art show is next Thursday January 25th and it is at the um the art center for Northern New Jersey on Center Street right here in New Milford it should be a really special night I hope you can attend and see the wonderful work of our talented young artist on Tuesday January 30th Junior Family postsecondary Planning night so that's the high school guidance office is doing a postsecondary planning night for junior families Thursday February 1st is the Berkeley Tricky Tray at the tides estate in North Hon should be a really great time and it is also apparently 8th grade family night in the auditorium and on Saturday February 3rd is the um wrestling event the winter Slam Wrestling event on Saturday February 3rd in the big gym and so I really hope that you will all come out and bring the little kids they have a great time with wrestling there will be pizza and popcorn and a wonderful time will be had on all and I also wanted to follow up and let you know that there will be um a letter going out um to ask parents um and community members who would like to be part of the profile of the new graduate because we're still moving forward with that and Dr Murphy will be returning to follow up and take us through that process um and that should be going up at the end of the week okay and that's my report thank you thank you Paige I don't have a question I just have a comment which is that um when it's time for you to officially leave I'll have okay assistant superintendent for curriculum and construction report Lauren go hi good evening everyone um I kept it light I anticipated a longer evening tonight um I just wanted to draw your attention to two items on the agenda for the regular meeting uh c23 2425 I just want to extend my gratitude to uh Michelle Williams and the leaders of the academies for planning another upcoming trip for our Academy students to visit um various colleges and universities I'll be able to share more about that trip at our next meeting and um also the next item we are approving new courses um the process scheduling process will begin in the coming weeks the program of studies is finalized uh we're looking at offering to students web design course um for 10th through 12th graders environmental science option for nth graders and contemporary math for our 12th graders um so more information will be shared when we later in the spring when we have our student selections and we know what we'll actually be going but we would like to offer these to students and that concludes my report for this evening thank you any questions business administrative reports good evening um first I want to start by congratulating uh Nicole Dunn for becoming a certified board member um then I would like to move on to the uh flooded field um the first flood had happened in early December we had someone come out to evaluate the field unfortunately at the time the water had not receded far enough so they were able to sort of see the significant damage that was or lack thereof um to see what damage was done um to the field and fortunately they didn't evaluate it because then it fled again and then it again um so they should be coming out sometime next week so I'll have more information about the condition of the fields at that time however after the first flood we did um have some damage to the Far Side field fence um we did get a quote for that and it's under our um deductible so we would not be putting that claim through insurance but I did notify the carrier and so it was for reporting purposes only should we sustain other damages we do have that claim I did then put in a second and third claim um so the carrier has been notified because we do carry flood insurance so that's all I have um for that one on the agenda is ba 232 24.5 six uh Mr Lombardi was the only trustee who had expressed interest in being part of the burrow flood committee so um I will let the burrow know but I did include that on the list of liaz I think it's under the Liaisons on the committee list so that you all have that um and then we are in the budgeting process we will be setting up a finance and Facilities committee meeting later at the end of this month um when we started the budget process we had sort of a significantly unbalanced budget uh above $10 million for the past few years we've built a budget based on zero based budgeting and we've sort of given the administrators um the ability to plan on what they need but starting with zero not looking at the previous year um this year in collaboration with Miss Shanley we've had further reduced their budgets and so we looked at what their spending was for the past few years and then what's currently left in their budget as of um the date that we sent them memo and we reduced them um based on a percentage and then based looked on based on what they had um spent to date so um with that I received two b one that was within the budget number the other one that could not be within the budget number um but had justification on on why that couldn't happen um so at this point we were very close to have a balance budget however there's still a lot of work to be done and this is assuming that we have um we stay flat in our state funding which we all know that didn't happen last year I did reach out to the executive County Business official to remind him that we did get cut in state aid and I'd really like that not to happen um he's like there's nothing I could do preemptively but thanks for letting me know um and that concludes my report thank you any questions Andrew the equipment that's still out on the field is that included to with with the truck and field equipment the pads that are still kind of the pants were removed they were removed yes or was it damaged to them from the first flot no that's why they remain out there because they're made with material that sort of doesn't rip and they can dry out um we also don't have a means to really move them and sometimes we could do more damage by moving them than water could by just getting wet um if we're expecting large and they weigh so much that they're not really going to move the pic cables did get um like floated Downstream or the river um we were able to get all of them back but we did move them for the most recent blooding the big track Ms but we that's sort of a are we doing more harm in chancing gripping them by moving them and putting them on big equipment because they are so heavy then we are of just leaving them there and then getting wet um because it was so cold they did Ice but they dried out so there's no damage and then they just get clean correct can I speak sure I would just like to speak to the um the calling of the snow days I realized that um you know in the superintendency it's definitely the worst the worst job to have is to is to call or not to call the emergency closing the opening the early dismissal I do try my very best to call things early so if I know like like last night I knew this morning would be a mess called it early especially when when I'm talking to my South and jointer group and all of the districts seem to be kind of going in the same direction now not every Community is the same we flood let's say maybe the next town over doesn't flood like we flood right so when we had the flood that we were expecting we were we had an oem call and the information at that time was it's going to rain there's going to be water but the worst flooding may come between 12 and 3 even though high tide was 8:00 or 8:02 the worst flooding may come between 12 and 3 so you may not want to call a delayed opening too quickly because you may actually need an early dismissal you may have and Stephanie was part of that call and Brian was part of that call you may be in a situation where you really just need to get everybody home not necessarily have the flooding issue in the morning and if all that's flooding is the field I don't need to close I don't need to go away school for that so the call was made late at night maybe 11:00 when or4 to 11: when we reive notification that the greatest amount of flooding would no longer be in the afternoon and I could make that call so I realize that that may leave people in a position where they're saying okay at 11:00 at night I have to make arrangements for delayed opening tomorrow however I could easily and reasonably call a snow day at 6:00 a.m. which is very often when some districts do call snow days so I just want people to understand that because everybody else around us had already called a delayed opening but I was waiting for the water to rise at another time and I didn't look we only we have we've used one day already because of power we only have two left so I don't want to give away the full day too soon we're not we're only January 17 we have a lot of winter to get through and it's supposed to be dad so I'm just saying that because I don't want you to think that um I'm like sitting around twiddling my thumbs if I'm if I'm not calling the day and other communities have it could be because we have unique circumstances here I'm not trying to you know be difficult or give parents uh you know a heart attack about trying to find something to do with their kids um in the morning so um call as soon as I can when I know that I can um I promise and I'm sorry if calling things late you know causes a difficulty for parents but I just want you to know that there's a reason why I forgot something um our student board representative was here oh and um it's icy and she's a new driver and so we told her to go home um but she did send me her report I'm going to save you no you have to say I hope you're having a great January so far hello everyone I can't do it justice like I'll just read the important piece of it because um but she did she she wants to say I hope everyone had a happy holiday and a happy New Year she did and then I'll leave the rest but um she uh the senior class is doing a drive for new or gently used Formal Wear and they will be taking collections to give those uh items for those in need of prom collections can be brought into the school and there is a bin by the front entrance yeah so I just thought that that was important to get out early and then the rest of her report she will give in addition to her February report because I just can't do Mackenzie just you got to do it I wish I could but the board just loves hearing from her and McKenzie is uh rehearsing for beauty in the Beast I believe she is she is going to assume the role of cogsworth and you should all come out to uh see it okay any liaison board committee reports no okay any correspondence yeah um I would like to accept the correspondence from Bridget Medina on 12 2923 and then I did share with the board um correspondence regarding the planning board for the master plan and um I was a little bit confused Mr because are you on the zoning board and are you a part of it or are you interested in doing it sorry so um yeah I'm on the zoning board I have for a long time okay um I'm interested in doing it I and some towns have combined planning and zoning boards but I just didn't know if it was a conflict because the zoning board is really an appeal board so I didn't know if it was a conflict for me to be a representative of the district um at the planning board maybe Mr tasta can answer that yeah I don't I don't I don't believe as long as it's not a conflict I don't believe it would be a conflict I mean it's it's it's very um very early stage right like like Master planning is is a longterm y thing you know 10year look ahead um I do think Mr Lombardi should should definitely come to the Tuesday meeting once we once we approve that position for that uh committee I think it' be really important I invite anybody to come especially with yeah yeah well next Tuesday is the um uh remaster plan uh work session Public Work session uh that letter was sent out I sent that letter uh for anybody who's interested in in attending public or as part of the committee or or another board in town it's open to everyone yes the mayor did say that anybody who lived in the community who wanted to be go to the flood committee meetings was welcome to come but he was just hoping that we could have a representative from the board yeah yeah and and and the flooding piece is a is a portion of the overall master plan uh discussion but a very important one obviously is that everything that's it okay open to the public for items on the agenda as outlined in New Milford Board of Education bylaw 0167 each statement made by a pres shall be to three minutes seek a motion paage seconded by joh dasta all in favor I oppose any questions from the public on the agenda okay I seek a motion to close to the public page Ryan seconded by Tony Alro all in favor I oppose okay board action I seek a motion for BA 23- 2439 53 54 55 56 57 Point 59 and point 60 need a second John dasta all in favor oppose educational programs and curriculum committee it's Stephanie I make motion to seek approval for C 23-24 24 25 and 26 I need a second Angela Mary all in favor I oppos Personnel recommendation having recommendation of the superintendent I see the motion for p 22- 23162 p23 d423 4344 45 54 60 70 71 74 75 76 77 78 7980 81 82 83 84 2085 2086 and 2087 need a second Joe Lun roll [Applause] call Mr Al yes M Kon yes Mr dasta yes Miss CER yes Mr Lombardi yes Mr luno yes Miss Ryan Yes vice president dun yes president Gomez yes yes comment I apologize that I neglected to mention Diane pante who is also um one of our administrative assistants this year she's at Berkeley Street school and she has been with us I think 24 years I think that's what she said so yeah long time she's worked in a lot of buildings and done a lot of different things for us and she said she is leaving with a smile on her face because she's very happy at Berkeley Street school and we will miss her and yes you do one further up I do 54 oh Betty Anda we actually did accept her retirement before poor betan was thinking she was retiring in December and had to re Revis her retirement date so finance and Facilities committee Cheryl um I seek a motion for f 23-24 135 136 137 138 13914 14142 14344 145 14647 14849 15015 51 and12 second hold on we just thank the um Second and then thanks second Nicole Don I just wanted to thank the Nord Education Foundation for Their donation yes and someone else donated a photograph very nice too thank you for all the Mr Carol yeah thank you all in favor I close Athletics Co cre committee Nicole dun uh I seek a motion for AC 23-42 134 and I also want to thank the three U gentlemen for their volunteer for volunteering for the baseball positions New Milford Alum always it's always great to see that I need a second Joe lunam all in favor I I close any old business so I just regarding old business I know there's there's been some discussion about some of the Committees um I know there was a request maybe to stop one of the Committees and one of them being ad hoc for new board member orientation I do think that board that committee should meet first and actually do something and then we can dissolve it only because that was a request a few years ago by new board members and there's really been nothing done and it will help future board members when they're new ones so if that would be something we could work on um any other anything else no okay any new business okay open to the public as outlined in the Milford Board of Education bylaw 0167 each statement made by participant shall be limited three minutes and seek a motion John tasta seconded by Nicole done all in favor I oppos any questions or comments from the public okay I se a motion to close page seconded by just I don't know why Tony Tony all in favor oppose okay any board member request for additional information no okay we're Clos session is hereby move that the Board of Education ad journ into executive session in accordance with the provisions of second 8 of the open public meetings act chapter 231 PL for the purpose of discussion and consideration of matters pertaining to the following subject Personnel the minutes of the executive session made available to the public when the need for confidentiality no longer exists I seek a motion to close page second by John dasta all in favor I oppose um just so we typically say whether or not we may or may not take action is this something that we come back right right I don't think we're going to be taking action after we come back correct okay to know okay so not lost you don't really see a lot of people