0:00The meeting began with an overview of the New Jersey open public meetings law, followed by the introduction of Patty, the new Field Services representative from the New Jersey School Boards Association. Patty praised the board’s progress toward achieving Master Board Certification, a significant accomplishment in the state. She emphasized the importance of setting clear goals for the 2024-2025 academic year, aligning them with the district’s mission statement and previous strategic plans. The board discussed continuing previous goals, such as creating a safe environment for risk-taking and utilizing data to enhance student achievement, while also incorporating necessary adjustments. The need for specific timelines, responsibilities, and actionable steps was highlighted to ensure the effectiveness of these goals.

18:50A significant portion of the discussion centered around making district goals accessible and understandable to all community members. It was suggested that the board approve the district goals and publish them on the district’s website along with action plans. The lack of periodic reporting on progress toward these goals was noted, leading to a proposal for Superintendent Alvin Freeman to present a state of the district report at board meetings two or three times a year. This initiative aims to ensure transparency and accountability.

The board also explored ways to foster a positive culture within the district by supporting individuals making positive contributions. There was a proposal to establish a goal to “identify and celebrate contributions from staff, students, and all stakeholders in the achievement of district and strategic goals.” This goal aims to shift from a purely evaluative approach to one that recognizes and celebrates achievements. The board reached a consensus on this wording, emphasizing the need for ongoing recognition of contributions.

38:14In other discussions, the board focused on the necessity of aligning their goals with the overall strategic plan and developing three to five specific goals. The importance of a self-evaluation process was highlighted, as it assists boards in identifying areas for improvement. The board discussed the potential wording for a goal to “provide support and resources necessary for the attainment of the district and strategic planning goals.” There was consensus on the formulation of this goal, with the understanding that it would be refined before formal approval at a later meeting.

1:02:20During the human resources segment, the board reviewed open positions, noting 25 vacancies reported at the last meeting. Efforts were ongoing to fill these roles, particularly at the high school, with 36 hires made since July. Dr. Freeman provided insights into staff resignations, citing reasons such as proximity to home and salary considerations. The introduction of an alternative school head teacher role was also highlighted, with the program shifting to a daytime schedule to allow students to participate in electives and extracurricular activities.

The operations update included an architectural review concerning additions to the B.A. School and issues related to water infiltration in the basement. The operations committee recommended further steps to investigate the problem. Additionally, an agreement was being developed to bring garbage collection services in-house, potentially resulting in cost savings for the district.

The meeting also featured a presentation on the ACCESS testing results for the previous spring, assessing the English language proficiency of multilingual learners. The presentation highlighted the need for additional support in reading and writing, despite students performing well in speaking and listening. The comparison of proficiency levels over the last three years showed a decrease in parent refusals and an increase in students exiting the program.

1:19:11A discussion on language acquisition programs for students, particularly newcomers and multilingual learners, was also held. The implementation of a one-way dual language program received positive feedback from parents. The high school will continue to offer a high-intensity ESL program, including two periods of ESL instruction. Ongoing sheltered instruction training for teachers was noted, with plans to train new teachers annually.

During the open public comments segment, a resident raised concerns about the volume of music played during football practices, specifically mentioning that the music could reach uncomfortable sound levels and sometimes included explicit lyrics. The board president acknowledged the concerns and requested that Superintendent Freeman follow up to ensure proper communication and resolution.