The meeting took an emotionally charged turn as the board and community members honored Coach Bob Mella, whose tenure with the Caldwell Chiefs football program spanned over five decades. Recognized for his unwavering dedication and commitment, Mella received commendations from Superintendent Christopher Conklin and other School Board members. They collectively highlighted the positive impact Mella had on both the program and the lives of the students he coached. In his remarks, Coach Mella expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and the support from both the board and the community throughout his long career.

Community safety concerns took center stage as the board addressed several issues raised by attendees during the public comments segment. Ann Mano brought up the increased police presence at the middle school, questioning its purpose and calling for greater parental involvement in these decisions. The matter of transportation, specifically the absence of busing to the high school, was also a point of contention for Mano. John Walker, another community member, expressed unease over the perceived inadequacy of police officers and underscored the importance of having robust plans for threat response to ensure student safety.

Liz Hart requested an update on the budget and its availability on the school’s website. In response, the board assured that the information would be accessible online for public review. The ongoing renovations at Harrison School were also discussed, with explanations provided about the necessity for upgrades in anticipation of demographic changes within the student body. However, the final designation of the renovated spaces at Harrison School remains undecided.

Alysa Manelli focused her comments on the updates to the uniform State memorandum of agreement with law enforcement agencies. She stressed the critical nature of maintaining open lines of communication and coordination to safeguard students. Additionally, Manelli emphasized the importance of protecting student data when selecting vendors for school safety software.

The board proceeded to affirm several routine matters, such as the approval of curriculum and technology items a through L, personnel items a through n under certificated, and items a through e under non-certified. Items a through I under finance and item a under facilities were also given the go-ahead. Notably, there were no updates that necessitated a policy vote during this meeting.

The finance and facilities committee’s discussion of the fiscal year 2025 budget was a administrative topic. The committee’s objective to keep the tax levy increase under 2% reflects a careful balancing act between fiscal responsibility and the educational needs of the district.

As the meeting drew to a close, the board went into executive session. The announcement of the next board meeting, scheduled to take place at Jefferson School in February, marked the end of the open session.