##VIDEO ID:0QY99NORJEg## e good evening everyone welcome to the last meeting of the board of education for me for me me for this year as a president so good evening and Welcome to our Board of Education meeting of the Elizabeth Board of Education we apologize for starting later than we normally would uh this is the combined regular agenda and business meeting of the Board of Education pursuant to New Jersey statutes and the rules adopted by the Board of Education notice of this meeting was sent to the Star Ledger and cable vision of Elizabeth on December 13 2024 in addition this notice is posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of 500 North Broad Street and pursuant to this act a copy has been filed with the city clerk of elizabth New Jersey we want to welcome everyone present here at school 51 and our television viewers to our December 19th 2024 meeting of the Board of Education we're here to govern provide management oversight and make policy for the district the superintendent manages the district this is a meeting of the board in public not a meeting of the public this meeting is being recorded and will become part of the L Board of Education permanent records so that recording will adequately reflect the proceedings please refrain from talking while other people are speaking there will be a public portion of the citizens to address the board participants for the public portion must personally sign in prior to the start of the public participation portion so that they may have an opportunity to speak the sign and Sheet States a name address telephone number and reason that the person wants to comment whether it be an agenda item or general education comment we are pleased that you have taken the time this evening to join us for the LI Board of Education meeting thank you for your interest in eluded Public Schools Mr Kennedy roll call please barbos carvalo here Cheves Jacobs marinoa pres naron here vavas pastana Rivera here B here thank you at this time I'm G to ask everyone to stand for a moment of silence for Richard Gary our former Elizabeth Police Officer and former Elizabeth Board of Education attendance officer thank you please remain standing as we have our William F Hy Junior health and Public Safety Academy Junior RC lead us in our presentation of colors for thank you at this time I'm going to have board member isai lead us in a pledge of allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you pleas remain standing for the star spangle Banner by Francis Scott ke [Music] Ro [Music] [Music] [Music] and for thank you to our students from Hy J your [Applause] RC please remain standing as I ask board member Stephanie pastana to lead us in the pledge of ethics thank you you may be seated I will now have our superintendent of school introduce our student representative thank you madam president Maya Sophia Matos is an outstanding leader who has made a remarkable impact as the student government president at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy her leadership skills shine through in her dedication to serving her peers organizing events and promoting a positive School culture Beyond her role in student government May is also an active member of the interact Club where she volunteers for community events demonstrating her commitment to service with exceptional grades and consistent placement on the honor role Maya excels academically while tackling the challenges of rigorous AP courses including AP biology and AP Literature that she is taking this school year in preparation for college Maya's exemplary work ethic passion for helping others and ability to inspire those around her make her a true role model and an invaluable asset to our school Community it is my pleasure to introduce Maya Matos please yes excellent thank you Mr Kennedy can you please add our super student representative to the attendance please yes duly noted thank you at this time microphones are open for public comment to those who have signed in prior to the session each statement made by a participants shall be limited to three minutes in duration the total time of public comment shall be limited to 60 Minutes no individual is able to yield their time to another individual all statements shall be directed to the presiding officer no participants May address the board individually each speaker shall comply with the respects with board policy 9322 the following rules shall apply time limits will be shly enforced no personal attacks on individuals or naming of individuals no vulgar or indecent language a person may address the board no more than once during a meeting and comments will not be debated as a reminded this is a meeting of the board in public not a meaning of the public Mr C we have no um no one has signed up for public public speaking this evening thank you at this time I close public comments for the meeting thank you what a nice last meeting all right on to next business so on January 4th I was nominated and selected to be the board president of for 2024 and I immediately set the course for that year with an ambitious initiative that could promote teamwork leadership and unity and over the past 12 months the board and the district has worked closely under my leadership and guidance to ensure that our schools and administrative departments were operating efficiently and effectively while providing our students with high quality education an opportunity for them to proceed pursue their dreams let's take a look at our final spotlight video of the Year highlighting the members of the board in the past year that has led to a successful year for our Elizabeth public schools okay okay okay I'm about to have a good day day no matter what they say what they sun is shining down on me sing in Praise I'm greetings Elizabeth public schools Learning Community I am Charlene B and it has been an honor and privilege to serve as this year's board president of the Elizabeth board of education for the second time each year presents a unique story as the incoming board president begins a 12mon journey adopting policies and supporting the Learning Community to ensure students are receiving a high quality education this year as board president I wanted to tell a story about leadership teamwork engagement and Equity our tale began on January 4th 2024 moments after I was selected by my colleagues to serve as this year's board president it was important to me to set the tone for the next 12 months to present an Initiative for the year as you can see up here today green is a color of freshness and hope and it is often used to symbolize rebirth and renewal learning ffos there's strength and unity my hope this year is for us to unite as a team with with each board member contributing to a specific initiative throughout the year let's make it truly remarkable through our teamwork and unwavering commitment to respect communication and transparency again thank you for all of your enduring support let's continue to move forward God bless you all with my initial initiative set new chapters would be revealed in the months ahead with each board member taking the Spotlight by sponsoring an initiative of their own Partnerships were formed and strengthened with various organizations including the Elizabeth Police Department the Elizabeth fire department the Elizabeth EMS the Monique bur foundation and Goya Foods to help give every student every opportunity to suc board vice president Stanley neron sponsored National mentoring month in January board member Jerry Jacobs sponsored Black History Month in February board member Maria cavalo sponsored women's History Month in March board member Ilana Chev sponsored Autism Awareness Month in April board member Rosa Marina egga sponsored teacher appreciation week in May board member Diane Barbosa sponsored self-care Awareness Month in September board member Isaiah Rivera sponsored diversity and inclusion through Hispanic Heritage Month in October board member Stephanie conalz pastana sponsored World kindness day in November as we reach the end of the year and conclude this year's story during the season of giving I would like to offer my gratitude and appreciation to my colleagues on the board for their teamwork engagement unity and all their efforts throughout this year as well as the Elizabeth public schools learning community and the greater Elizabeth Community for your unwavering support today is your good day and there are many many more good days to come and I wish you the very best in all of them and remember every day can be a day you make it thank you for all that you do to make Elizabeth public schools a special place although this year's story has come to an end I know there are many great stories waiting for us to live and tell starting now let's make today a good day thank you and God bless [Music] [Applause] you thank you thank you um first off I just want to thank it for helping me with the video I know it was a lot this entire year but thank you so much especially to Ray um and Jason for helping with that video I just have a few more words of thanks that I want to give as this is my last board meeting and then you won't hear from me again uh so please bear with me as I uh share my final words because I will not be a presid again Bri sorry my phone's not bright okay there we go all right so uh every story has its turning points um moments that challenge you stretch you and force you to rise higher than you ever thought you could this year has been one of those stories for me but through it all I'm sorry because I know I'm reading this but a lot has happened in my life this year and the last time that I served as president my father passed away and this time I Serv president a lot has happened in my personal life that I just cannot Devol but it has been a very trying time for me even with the smiles people don't understand how much I've gone through this year but through it all I've been reminded that my growth didn't happen in my comfort and that strength isn't just built in with ease serving as president of the Board of Education this year was never a role that I took lightly it comes with weight and pressure and the knowledge that every decision is being watched very closely to my fellow board members thank you for staying with me and pushing for even when it wasn't easy and for leading with intention every initiative you took on this year reflected your heart your service and your belief in the power of education but together we show that leadership is not in in the title it's in action to our teachers administrators our support staff the business office you are all the foundation of everything that we do here in Elizabeth we Face challenges head on on and every single day you still show up with a heart and patience for our students your impact goes beyond academics and you are part of the story that I hope you will never forget how important that is to the parents Guardians and our community members thank you for your trust and your patience and your partnership we felt your support and we heard your voices because it's because of you that we continue to push to be better to our students you are my greatest motivation everything that we do every plan that we put in place every goal is set because of you and like I said before this year was not easy especially for me and I know that a lot of times our students may feel the same way because everyone expects so much from you and my hope is for our students that no matter how heavy life feels to keep pushing and to know that you are stronger than you know and every hard chapter is shaping you for something much greater I would be remissed if I didn't take a moment to thank our superintendent ogga hug from the moment that I stepped into this role she has been a trusted partner a sounding board and a collaborator in every sense your commitment to Excellence and your unwavering focus on what's best for our students have been a driving force behind much of our success so thank you I want to also recognize our district attorneys our district supervisors our district directors our staff our T staff everyone who comes to the meetings every month your hard work happens behind the scenes but your impact is seen and felt throughout our school district every day your dedication makes everything that we do possible and I'm grateful for each and every one of you and lastly I want to personally thank Stan for embodying the true meaning of what a vice president should be your unwavering support and steady presence has been a constant strength a source of strength for me leading this District to new heights was not easy but taking but knowing that I have a friend and an ally like you by my side made it very different our friendship runs deep and this year became even more clear that your true leadership is not about standing in front but it's about standing together so thank you for standing with me the story that we've written together is one that I will never forget it's a story about perseverance about courage and about faith and while this chapter is closing the next one is already waiting to begin there are more goals to achieve more Partnerships to build and more opportunities to create for every student here in Elizabeth and as we turn the page I leave you with this pressure can break you but it can also build you and every step forward no matter what and no matter how small it feels that's what counts so let's keep pushing forward together and let's keep writing and let's make every day a good day thank you for your trust your patience and your belief in what's possible and thank you for being part of my story thank you and God bless [Applause] mam president yes um I would like to I would like to take this moment to express my sincere gratitude to you um your leadership during this year it was amazing uh your hard work and dedication and you chain our lives with your new initiative and you permitted us to be as inside our district uh was a pleasure to work with you you're a great leader and and I really enjoy this year and as a board members we have ups and downs sometime we respectfully disagree because we family and everybody every family sometime respectfully disagree but you know we love you and everything meeting on sometimes celebrate our student performer in different way um and pushing us to complete and Achieve our goals I all my respect for you and I wish the best than mam president Madam president um wow that was that was tough to follow to to comment and really speak on but um I respect you I love you and I'm very proud to call you our leader our president and somebody who has paved the way for all of us sitting here today and opened the doors for us to be able to do what we do and um you know there's a saying that says you don't look like what you've been through and today you're glowing you're shining and we're so proud of you and and so is our district our district doesn't look like what it's been through and it's glowing and it's shining and it's uh because of the leadership that um you've excelled and you've created these huge shoes for us to fill so um you know needless to say we're very nervous about that part but um excited about the future and still having you um as a a Guiding Light for all of us is um is huge and um you know thank you for always keeping us in line straight and making sure that we have this amazing surround sound that we can hear everything now um I can hear my every thought it is um definitely um going over and beyond for you so uh it let's give it a big round of applause I had to do that cuz it been you know you've been beating it up all year but they're doing really good you know but um just thank you um we can't thank you enough um and you know it's it's a challenge because you know a lot of people see us up here and they think that um we make a whole lot of money being on the board of education and you know really it's um that that's not the story at all you know we we volunteer our time and we put forth the effort to really believe in everybody up here including yourself especially the president and the superintendent um they sit and they strategize and they support our directors and the vision of a district and and it's not easy so we empathize with you and we salute you and we're still going to stand with you we're always going to stand with you and thank you thank you thank you so much I know the tears are are good we're good now all right back to business all right at this time our superintendent school will present our community updates Madam president if I may before I present the community updates I also would like to congratulate you on a very successful year you have put your personal touch on every aspect of a board meeting of every aspect of developing the agenda your commitment to the children your interest in ensuring that our children are learning are thriving with many conversations with regard to the performance of our schools the successful committee meetings throughout the course of this year that have been conducted under your leadership it has been an honor to work with you so our announcements for the month of De we begin with a reminder to all of our families with regard to the fact that our schools will be closing for the uh Christmas and New Year's recess at regular time tomorrow Friday December 20th and then schools will be reopening once again on Thursday January 2nd next turn to our inside EPS our news from Central thank you first we would like to begin with um honoring uh one of our DWI Academy students so John E DWI Technology Academy senior Camala Clayton has been awarded a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame through the 2024 questbridge National College match a national program that connects High achieving High School seniors from lowincome backgrounds with full fouryear scholarships to 52 of the nation's top colleges Clayton was among 2,627 seniors of the class of 2025 from throughout the nation who were recognized as match scholarship recipients the process included a selection of 7,288 finalists among more than 25,500 applicants to be considered for the questbridge National College match scholarship digest that for a moment outstanding outstanding she is currently the number one ranked student of DWI technology Academy's class of 2025 with a 4.8 GPA and has earned the AP scholar with honor award from the college board by attaining an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of three or higher on four or more exams very very accomplished young lady we're very very proud of her achievements and next we would like to turn to our International we love you foundation on December 11th the international we love you Foundation gifted winter coats to students at Jerome Dunn Academy school number nine for a happier and healthier Society the international we love you Foundation promotes unity and friendship among all people of the global village Beyond nationality Beyond race religion and socioeconomic status through impactful environmental community centered initiatives carried out with their motto the heart of a mother during the fall the foundation collected new winter coats for children ages five through 10 to support children in unders sourced communities in Massachusetts in New Jersey in Washington DC and Beyond impactful work that they are doing and the number of volunteers that contribute their time to ensuring that they are providing children with what it is that they need um it was really a beautiful beautiful morning we had the opportunity to speak to the we International we love you foundation and very impressed with their with the work that they're conducting next we would like to turn to Thomas Edison Career and Technical Academy construction technology students who were honored at a celebratory luncheon provided by Habitat for Humanity at the Salvation Army and Elizabeth Habitat for Humanity recognized the students for the food pantry Renovations they performed at the Salvation Army that included installing and spackling drywall hanging new doors priming and painting the ceilings the walls the doors and the trim showcasing um their skill sets uh just wonderful and nice to see that they were honored for their hard work and demonstration of the skills that they are learning while at Thomas Edison Career and Technical Academy next slide please and next we would like to be able to uh recognize a our partnership with Montclair State University for friends day for over 10 years Monclair state university has hosted Friends Day where over a hundred children with disabilities ages 5 to 21 are invited to explore the school's student recre Recreational Center rec board a student Le organization sponsored by the department of Campus Recreation plans to funfill day of activities for the children games arts crafts swimming basketball and dancing and each child is paired with two college buddies to accompany them through their session the Department's professional staff members over oversaw a smooth execution of the day's events and I just have to thank um Delila Sosa in our office because um her daughter is currently a student at Montclair State University and really it was through her efforts that she brought the aw of this opportunity uh to participate and our children and staff from school number 27 had an incredible time and this is an initiative that will be expanded in years to come so very very grateful next slide please and next we continue on with the Elizabeth public schools uh physical education department our very own Joe patula supervisor of physical education and health uh brought this new partnership with the the New Jersey State Police the New Jersey Drive event the New Jersey State Police uh program it's an interactive program that educates teens about the dangers of driving under the influence the program consists of a classroom presentation a practic practical exercise using golf carts and fatal vision goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol on vision and reaction time while operating a vehicle um and instruction on The Graduate driver's license as well we had 12th grade students our seniors who participated um that had those who had completed their 10th grade driver education course and also currently um held a student uh driver permit were selected to be able to participate in this very very um important um initiative which brought tremendous awareness with regard to the dangers of driving Under the Influence next slide please glasses have to stay up okay and uh actually we just this is uh Mr Kenedy breaking news we just received this today in fact uh for the first time in the 14-year history of Naf the National Academy Foundation at Johnny dwire Technology Academy the DWI Naf Academy of informational technology has reached model distinguished status this is a significant Milestone that will shape the future of dwire technology academy at the 2025 Naf next conference DWI Technology Academy will be recognized for this achievement Paving the way for even greater success and additionally dwi's Naf Academy of informational technology will go under review for distinguished status by Naf during the 2526 school year further growing its position as a leader in nav tremendous hard work Dr sedel would you agree under way ad DWI Academy very very proud and next slide please and of course this is my um monthly uh reminder on the importance of Health uh protect your health uh we have this is the season of influenza and RSV so we are uh reminding our families that there are various resources in our community uh that are available on our district website that offer information with regard to identifying those symptoms the steps that uh everyone can take to protect themselves from these illnesses and of course the resources are located at the top of our Resource page on our District web page and this completes our uh next slide please Merry Christmas to everyone happy holidays and a special thank you to all of our schools um amazing uh month with all of the celebrations all of the activities uh also want to thank them for all of their contributions to our front lobby of the Mitchell building it is quite the experience to walk through with all all of the creativity exhibited by every single school um wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday thank you thank you madam superintendent any questions for okay we'll go through our agenda at this time at this time um are there any questions for tab 1A official and private minutes from November 14 2024 seeing n Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 1B treasurers and secretaries report from October 31st 2024 seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab three tuition's report Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab for a consideration superintendent report Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 4B superintendent report use of facilities seeing none please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 4bb supplementary superer report use of facilities with considerations see n Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for Tab 4 C superintendent field trip considerations seeing none Mr Kenedy please add that to the agenda at this time I'm going to ask our superintendent to give AR later okay no problem tab 4B will be on table thank you at this time are there any questions for tab five authorizations report are there any questions for tab five authorizations report seeing nous Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab six Finance and Accounting report Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 6A transfer of funds none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any tab questions excuse me are there any questions for tab seven award a contract report seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda thank you at this time I'm going to have our committee chairpersons read their reports I'm going to add the chairpersons to just read the report and please do not read the attendees at this time I'm going to have our education management committee chair Stephanie galz read her report thank you thank you madam president the educational management committee was provided with with an overview of Paras School analytics and insight software program that was purchased with the eser federal funding for the purpose of easily tracking student school and District performance metrics the superintendent presented the 2324 accountability profiles and the committee discussed academic progress English language proficiency and graduation rates the committee also reviewed the chronic aism rates and the parent survey lastly the committee reviewed and discussed the proposed agenda for the professional development day scheduled for Friday December 13 2024 the agenda included a rich discussion of the of the New Jersey student learning standards and a focus on literacy and Mathematics across the curriculum that concludes my report thank you at this time I'm going to have um board member isaas Rivera complete the the special education committee report on behalf of the chairperson Iana charez thank you so we met on December 5th of 2024 in the special education we discussed topics of interest in the upcoming parents workshops access to resources from Community providers on the District web page under the division of special services was reviewed and discussed the discussion also included the current Outreach strategies implemented to communicate with parent the special education committee discussed the CPAC plans for the current school year CPAC meetings were held on September 25th and October 23rd topics of Interest are being collected for the next Workshop that will take place in January a report was provided to the committee regarding extracurricular activities for a special need students that include that include a Satur Saturday bowling clinics soccer athletic clinics Recreation programs and Special Olympics in addition for after school programs students are afforded the opportunity to participate in the CTE work-based learning and tutoring programs most multilangual achievement programs k3a Poe programs best of both World programs and the K to2 academic programs the committee also reviewed also received information regarding the upcoming holiday celebration that included World autism month in April and exceptional children's week that also take place in April thank you thank you at this time I'm going to have um the chairperson for the financing and accounting committee uh board member Jerry Jacobs do his report thank you Madame President Mr John swisser Supply and cloy presented the preliminary results of the audit for the 2023 24 financial statements Mr swisser reported that the district's financial statements barely stated and that an unmodified opinion will be contained within the report he also reported that there will be no current or repeat audit findings contained in the auditor's management report finally Mr swier noted that the balances of restricted reserves for Capital and maintenance which the district's ability to take care of his 30 plus facil facilities a full Public Presentation of the audit results will be presented at the January board meeting thank you madam president thank you and last report I'm going to ask our board vice president to give his report for the legal committee thank you thank you madam president legal committee met on December 12th 2024 the committee discussed the outcomes of the arbitrations um hearings held with perk on December 11th and the committee was also briefed by the superintendent school businessman administrator on uh several pending legal matters and um just want to thank the committee for their dedication for this year and um you know want to create the Continuum moving into 2025 thank you madam president thank you and again thank you to all of my chairpersons uh for your commitment this year and all that you did on the Committees but as all as well I want to thank our board members for your commitment on all the committees as well next tab tab nine our claims list are there any questions for our claims list are there any questions for tab nine for the claims list seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda for the resolutions for I just want to recognize uh resolution 10 School Board recognition month will be in January and 10A is the Martin Luther King Jr resolution um at this time I would like to have are there any questions for Tab 10 through Tab 10 I are there any questions for Tab 10 to 10 I see none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda thank you for making my last meeting very easy no issues no questions great directors I'm sorry you had to come here tonight but it was an easy night right so oh yes oh I didn't I oh I didn't I wasn't following my thing I'm so used to it I apologize we're going to go back to tab a eight and we're going to have our student representative give her reports um Maya Miss Maya mon thank you good evening Dr Huger members of the Board of Education and esteemed community members my name is Mia Matos and I'm honored to serve as the student representative for Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy for the 2024 2025 Academic Year as said in my introduction I am Hamilton's president of student government which allows me to be deeply involved in the activities and events at our school we began the school year with our annual back to school night where parents were welcomed with refreshments and guided through their children's classrooms it was a wonderful and successful evening full of excitement and engagement this fall Hamilton Academy also celebrated our seal week of respect during which students participated in an assembly focus on the importance of respect and Community this year our school is placing a strong emphasis on fostering collaboration between clubs and activities to build a sense of community and create exciting new events for our students the partnership between clubs has sparked a flow of creative ideas for example in October the student government and Multicultural Club collabed to sponsor a glow dance which was a huge success and a great way to what promises to be an exciting year of collaboration looking ahead we are eagerly preparing for our annual Black History Month show where students from all backgrounds come together to create a performance that celebrates and educates others about Black Culture our students are working tirelessly to bring Together dance poetry and other forms of Art and appreciation of these important contributions additionally our New Jersey future Educators association club is spreading holiday cheer by reading Christmas stories to children at school 27 this week this initiative allows our members to connect with younger students while also gaining valuable handson experience in the field of Education other schools in our district have also been busy J Christian bage Finance Academy students recently V visited trinit Regional Medical Center where they made and distributed cards for cancer cancer patients an act of kindness that was even recognized by local news jbg STEM Academy has brought back their peer mentor program program which helps the ninth grade students at the annex become familiar with the main building they also organize a toy and coat drive providing donated items to students in need offering cheer during the holiday season Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy recently performed the musical grease which was a fun and educational experience from students from all schools giving them an insight into musical production Jefferson Academy also participated in Operation Christmas Child a project encouraging students to fill boxes with toys for children not only in Elizabeth but around the world as we all know the transition to high school can be challenging for many students including myself however as I've grown older and built relationships with both staff and students Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy has truly become my second home thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight and for allowing me to advocate for not only Hamilton but for all high schools in Elizabeth I'm proud to represent such a vibrant and inspiring Community thank you thank you so much and thank you for um taking the time to represent our students in our district so we appreciate you doing that thank you all right now thank you again so uh I just want to thank our directors um I know it was a lot for you to come to the board meetings this year um for so that to allow board members to ask questions about the agenda but I thank you for your willingness to do that throughout the year we were able to ask you questions whenever we had some confusion about something just to make it clear and we were able to have dialogue back and forth so we just appreciate your time and your effort and as we as you start or end the Year I hope that you and your family all have a wonderful year and a wonderful season um and I just thank you for all your time and all that you do for our district so thank you uh just want to thank our assistant superintendent and uh oga's right-hand girl so thank you for all that you do throughout our district as well because our district runs under you and the schools you know you guys manage the the the different schools although all OA tells you you know how to do everything but you assist her along the way so I just want to take the time to say thank you to the three of you as well as best thank you I want to also take some time to thank this side of the cabinet um I we cannot do what we do without HR right we can't continue with without um your work and your assistance so I just want to take the time to thank uh Mr quer for your assistance and your entire um staff um we appreciate you you know so just know that you're appreciated and we uh thank you for all that you do I want to take time to also thank um Heather and Rajiv and all that you do as well and helping us make sure that we're on the right track um on the things that we do in regards to the business office and Mr Kennedy and our new Mr Pat Uh we appreciated you you were a lot of fun in the private sessions um I like to see a man as a secretary so thank you so much for bringing some new life and Direction into our um into the cabinet as well MRK Mr Kennedy thank you for all that you do lastly again uh our attorneys our sex our security guards our police officers thank you for coming every board meeting and assisting us um and I my teacher this is my high school gym teacher uh thank you so much Miss J for always coming and supporting us every single board meeting it's not just me because I'm the president but she comes to all board meetings to make sure she knows what's going on and I would be remissed if I did not thank the IT department for all that you've done and you've given it up I know a lot of times with the it I'm giving y'all some issues we're going back and forth arguing back and forth on mik but I appreciate you I appreciate you standing on your feet um while we're doing our board Mee I appreciate you making sure that we're starting on time I appreciate you just kind of going with the flow whenever I'm a little off um I just want to thank everyone for making this a year for me to remember um I thank just the community members also for the back and forth making me stronger um I appreciate you um and I just want to say that I hope everyone um just has a wonderful year um and just have a beautiful smile on their face no matter what you're doing I just hope that you enjoy your time with your family and your friends um and that you just um are happy where you are in life and if you're not figure it out and and do and you know and learn how to do something else and and flip it around okay I have some cards that I I wanted to give out um with a song the song that I had which is my song of the year is have a I think it's called good day and um it inspires me um every day so I just hope that if you when you listen to it that it inspire you as well so at this time the president request a motion to go into private session to considers matters exempt under the open public meetings act specifically for discussion of legal matters specifically workers compensation JC odl mm and the hi appeal and the RB versus Elizabeth Board of Education excuse me the Elizabeth City Board of educ Education Personnel matters Personnel report tab 2B field trip considerations report Awards a contract cyber security and that's it at at the end the board will reconvene in public and take formal action may I have a motion to go into private session please I make a motion to go into private session second it's been moving probably second to go into private session Mr Kennedy roll call please carvalo yes Jacobs yes Marina Ortega yes naron yes kavas pastana yes Rivera yes baffis yes thank you we are now in private session thank you e e e --------- ##VIDEO ID:w2b_LQKf2kk## e good evening everyone welcome to the last meeting of the board of education for me for this year as a president so good evening and Welcome to our Board of Education meeting of the Eliz Board of Education we apologize for starting later than we normally would uh this is the combined regular agenda and business meeting of the Board of Education pursuant to New Jersey statutes and the rules adopted by the Board of Education notice of this meeting was sent to the Star Ledger and cable vision of Elizabeth on December 13 2024 in addition this notice is posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of 500 North Broad Street and pursuant to this act a copy has been filed with the city cler of New Jersey we want to welcome everyone present here at school 51 and our television viewers to our December 19th 2024 meeting of the Board of Education we're here to govern provide management oversight and make policy for the district the superintendent manages the district this is a meeting of the board and public not a meeting of the public this meeting is being recorded and will become part of the lard Board of Education permanent records so that recording will adequately reflect the proceedings please refrain from talking while other people are speaking there will be a public portion of the citizens to address the board participants for the public portion must personally sign in prior to the start of the public participation portion so that they may have an opportunity to speak the sign and Sheet States the name address telephone number and reason that the person wants to comment whether it be an agenda item or general education comment we are pleased that you have taken the time this evening to join us for the LI Board of Education meeting thank you for your interest in a public schools please bar carvalo here Cheves Jacobs Marin RGA naron here vavas Pana Rivera here ba here thank you at this time I'm G to ask everyone to stand for a moment of silence for Richard Gary our former Elizabeth Police Officer and former Elizabeth Board of Education attendance offic please standing as we have our William FY Junior health and safety acem Juni us e thank at this time I'm to have member is Le us ined of algi I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation indivisible andice standing for the Stars bangle Banner by Francis SC [Music] Ro [Music] the e thank you to our students from JC please remain standing as I ask board member Stephanie to lead us in the pledge of ethics I will now have our superintendent of school Inu our student representative thank you madam president Maya Sophia mat is an outstanding leader who has made a remarkable impact as the student government president at Alexander Hamilton preparator Academy her leadership skills shine through in her dedication to serving her peers organizing events and promoting a positive School culture Beyond her role in student government May is also M of the interact Club where she volunteers for community events demonstrating her commitment to service with exceptional grades and consistent placement on the honor role Maya excels academically while tackling the challenges of rigorous AP courses including AP biology and AP Literature that she is taking this school year in preparation for college Maya's exemplary work ethic passion for helping others and ability to inspire those around her a true role model and an invaluable asset to our school Community it is my pleasure to introduce Maya yes excellent thank you Mr Kennedy can you please add our super student representative to the attendance please yes doly noted thank you at this time microphones are open for public comment to those who have signed in prior to the session each statement made by a participants shall be limited to three minutes in duration the total time of public comment shall be limited to 60 Minutes no individual is able to yield their time to another individual all statements shall be directed to the presiding officer no participants May address the individually each speaker shall comply with the respects with board policy 9322 the following rules shall apply time limits will be strictly enforced no personal attacks on individuals or naming of individuals no vulgar or indecent language a person may address the board no more than once during a meeting and comments will not be debated as a reminded this is a meeting of the board in public not a meaning of the public we have no um no one has signed up for public speaking this evening thank you at this time I close public comments for the meeting thank you what a nice last meeting all right on to the next business so on January 4th I was nominated and selected to be the board president of for 2024 and I immediately set the course for that year with an ambitious initiative that could promote teamwork leadership and unity and over the past 12 months the board and the district has worked closely under my leadership and guidance to ensure that our schools and administrative departments were operating efficiently and effectively while providing our students with high quality education an opportunity for them to Pur pursue their dreams let's take a look at our final spotlight video of the Year highlighting the members of the board in the past year that has led to a successful year for our Elizabeth public schools okay okay okay I'm to have a good day no matter what they say [Music] Shin sing greetings Elizabeth public school's Learning Community I am Charlene B and it has been an honor and privilege to serve as this year's board president of the Elizabeth board of education for the second time each year presents a unique story as the incoming board president begins a 12mon journey adopting policies and supporting the Learning Community to ensure students are receiving a high quality education this year as board president I wanted to tell a story about leadership teamwork engagement and Equity our tale began on January 4th 2024 moments after I was selected by my colleagues to serve as this year's board president it was important to me to set the tone for the next 12 months to present an Initiative for the year as you can see up here today green is a color of freshness and hope and it is often used to symbolize rebirth and renewal Lear ffos there's strength and unity my hope this year is for us to unite as a team with with each board member contributing to a specific initiative throughout the year let's make it truly remarkable through our teamwork and unweaving commitment to respect communication and transparency again thank you for all of your enduring support let's continue to move forward God bless you all with my initial initiative set new chapters would be revealed in the months ahead with each board member taking the Spotlight by sponsoring an initiative of their own Partnerships were formed and strengthened with various organizations including the Elizabeth Police Department the Elizabeth fire department the Elizabeth EMS the Monique bur foundation and Goya Foods to help give every student every opportunity to suc see board vice president Stanley neron sponsored National mentoring month in January board member Jerry Jacobs sponsored Black History Month in February board member Maria cavalo sponsored women's History Month in March board member Ilana Chev sponsored Autism Awareness Month in April board member Rosa Marina egga sponsor teacher appreciation week in May board member Diane Barbosa sponsored self-care Awareness Month in September board member Isaias Rivera sponsored diversity and inclusion through Hispanic Heritage Month in October board member Stephanie conalz pastana sponsored World kindness day in November as we reach the end of the year and conclude this year's story during the season of giving I would like to offer my gratitude and appreciation to my colleagues on the board for their teamwork engagement unity and all their efforts throughout this year as well as the Elizabeth public schools learning community and the greater Elizabeth Community for your unwavering support today is your good day and there are many many more good days to come and I wish you the very best in all of them and remember every day can be you make it thank you for all that you do to make Elizabeth public schools a special place although this year's story has come to an end I know there are many great stories waiting for us to live and tell starting now let's make today a good day thank you and God bless [Applause] you thank you thank you um first off I just want to thank it for helping me with the video I know it was a lot this entire year but thank you so much especially to Ray um and Jason for helping with that video I just have a few more words of thanks that I want to give as this is my last board meeting and then you won't hear from me again so please bear with me as I uh share my final words I will not Sorry my phone's okay so uh every story has its turning points um moments that challenge you stretch you and force you to rise higher than you ever thought you could this year has been one of those stories for me but through it all I'm sorry because I know I'm reading this but a lot has happened in my life this year and the last time that I served as president my father the past away and this time I Ser president a lot has happened in my personal life that I just cannot devot but it has been a very trying time for me even with the smiles people don't understand how much I've gone through this year but through it all I've been reminded that my growth didn't happen in my comfort and that strength isn't just built with ease serving as president of the Board of Education year was never a role that I took LLY it comes with weight and pressure and the knowledge that every decision is being watched very closely to my full board members thank you for staying with me and pushing even when it wasn't easy and for leading with intention every initiative you took on this year reflected your heart your service and your belief and the power of education but together we show that leadership is not in in the title it's in action to our teachers administrators our support staff the business office you are all the foundation of everything that we do here in Elizabeth we Face challenges head and every single day you still show up with a heart and patience for our students your impact goes beyond academics and you are part of the story that I hope you will never forget how important that is to the parents Guardians and our community members thank you for your trust and your patience and your partnership we felt your support and we heard your voices because it's because of you that we continue to push to be better to our students you are my greatest motivation everything that we do every plan that we put in place every goal is set because of you and like I st before this year was not easy especially for me and I know that a lot of times our students may feel the same way because everyone expects so much from you and my hope is for our students that no matter how heavy life feels they keep pushing and to know that you are stronger than you know and every hard chapter is shaping you for something much greater I would be remissed if I didn't take a moment to thank our superintendent ogre hug from the moment that I stepped into this role she has been a trusted partner a sounding board and a collaborator in every sense your commitment to Excellence and your unwavering focus on what's best for our students have been a driving force behind much of our success so thank you I want to also recognize our district attorneys our district supervisors our district directors our staff our T staff everyone who comes to the meetings every month your hard work happens behind the scenes but your impact is seen and felt throughout our school district every day your dedication makes everything that we do possible and I'm grateful for each and every one of you and lastly I want to personally thank Stan for embodying the true meaning of what a vice president should be your unwavering support and steady presence has been a constant strength a source of strength for me leading this District to new heights was not easy but taking but knowing that I have a friend and an ally like you by my side made it very different our friendship runs deep and this year became even more clear that your true leadership is not about standing in front but it's about standing together so thank you for standing with me the story that we've written together is one that I will never forget it's a story about perseverance about courage and about faith and while this chapter is closing the next one is already waiting to begin there are more goals to achieve more Partnerships to build and more opportunities to create for every student here in Elizabeth and as we turn the page I leave you with this pressure can break you but it can also build you and every step forward no matter what and no matter how small it feels that's what counts so let's keep pushing forward together and let's keep writing and let's make every day a good thing thank you for your trust your patience and your belief in what's possible and thank you for being part of my story thank you and God bless [Applause] [Applause] mam president yes um I would like to I would like to take this moment to spread my sincere gratitude to you um your leadership during this year it was amazing uh your hard work and dedication and you chain our lives with your new initiative and you permitted us to be as inside our district uh was a pleasure to work with you you're a great leader and and I really enjoy this year and as a board members we have ups and downs sometime we respectfully disagree because we family and everybody every family sometime respectfully disagree but you know we love you and everything meeting on sometimes celebrate our student performer in different way um and pushing us to complete and Achieve our goals I all my respect for you and I wish the best mam president Madame President um wow that was that was tough to follow to to comment and really speak on but um I respect you I love you and I'm very proud to call you our leader our president and somebody who has paved the way for all of us sitting here today and opened the doors for us to be able to do what we do and um you know there's a saying that says you don't look like what you've been through and today you're glowing you're shining and we're so proud of you and and so is our district our district doesn't look like what it's been through and it's glowing and it's shining and it's uh because of the leadership that um you excelled and you've created these huge shoes for us to fill so um you know needless to say we're very nervous about that part but um excited about the future and still having you um as a a Guiding Light for all of us is U is huge and um you know thank you for always keeping us in line straight and making sure that we have this amazing surround sound that we can hear everything now um I can hear my every thought it is um definitely um going over and beyond for you so uh it let's give it a big round of applause I had to do that cuz it been you know you been beating it up all year but they're doing really good you know but um just thank you um we can't thank you enough um and you know it's it's a challenge because you know a lot of people see us up here and they think that um we make a whole lot of money being on the board of education and you know really it's um that that's not the story at all you know we we volunteer our time and we put forth the effort to really believe in everybody up here including yourself especially the president and the superintendent um they sit and they strategize and they support our directors and the vision of a district and and it's not easy so we empathize with you and we salute you and we're still going to stand with you we're always going to stand with you and thank you thank you so much I know the tears are we good we're good now all right back to business all right at this time our superintendent school will present our community updates Madam president if I may before I present the community updates I also congratulate you success have as so our announcements for the month of De we begin with a reminder to all of our families with regard to the fact that our schools will be closing for the uh Christmas and New Year's recess at regular time tomorrow Friday December 20th and then schools will be reopening once again on Thursday January 2nd next turn to our inside EPS news from Central first we would like to begin with um honoring uh one of our DWI Academy students so John E DWI Technology Academy senior Camala Clayton has been awarded a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame through the 2024 questbridge National College match a national program that connects High achieving High School seniors from lowincome backgrounds with full fouryear scholarships to 52 of the nation's to colleges Clayton was among 2,627 seniors of the class of 2025 from throughout the nation who were recognized as match scholarship recipients the process included a selection of 7,288 finalists among more than 25,500 applicants to be considered for the questbridge National College match scholarship digest that for a moment outstanding outstanding she is currently the number one ranked student of dwire Technology Academy's class of 2025 with a 4.8 GPA and has earned the AP scholar with honor award from the college board by attaining an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of three or higher on four or more exams very very accomplished young lady we're very very proud of her achievements and next we would like to turn to our International we love you foundation on December 11th the international we love you Foundation gifted winter coats to students at Jerome Dunn Academy school number nine for a happier and healthier Society the international we love you Foundation promotes unity and friendship among all people of the global village Beyond nationality Beyond race religion and socioeconomic status through impactful Environmental centered initiatives carried out with their motto the heart of a mother during the fall the foundation collected new winter coats for children ages five through 10 to support children in unders sourced communities in Massachusetts in New Jersey in Washington DC and Beyond impactful work that they are doing and the number of volunteers that contribute their time to ensuring that they are providing children with what it is that they need um it was really a beautiful beautiful morning we had the opportunity to speak to the we International we love you foundation and very impressed with their with the work they're conducting next we would like to turn to Thomas Edison Career and Technical Academy construction technology students who were honored at a ctory luncheon provided by Habitat for Humanity at the Sal Army and Elizabeth Habitat for Humanity recognized the students for the food pantry Renovations they performed at the Salvation Army that included installing and spackling drywall hanging new doors priming and painting the ceilings the walls the doors and the trim showcasing um their skill sets uh just wonderful and nice to see that they were honored for their hard work and demonstration of the skills that they are learning while at Thomas Edison Career Technical Academy slide please and next we would like to be able to uh recognize our partnership with Montclair State University for friends day for over 10 years monair state university has hosted Friends Day where over a hundred children with disabilities ages 5 to 21 are invited to explore the school's student recre Recreational Center rec board a student Le organization sponsored by the department of Campus Recreation plans to funfill day of activities for the children games arts crafts swimming basketball and dancing and each child is paired with two college buddies to accompany them through their session the Department's professional staff members over oversaw a smooth execution of the day's events and I just have to thank um Delila Sosa in our office because um her daughter is currently student at Monclair State University and really it was through her efforts that brought the of this opportunity uh to participate and our children and staff from school number 27 had an incredible time and this is an initiative that will be expanded in years to come so very very grateful next slide please and next we continue on with the Elizabeth public schools uh physical education department our very owned Joe patula supervisor of physical education and health uh brought this new partners with New Jersey State Police the New Jersey Drive event the New Jersey State Police um program is an interactive program that educates teams about the dangers of driving under the influence the program consists of a classroom presentation a practic practical exercise using golf carts and fatal vision goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol on vision and reaction time while operating a vehicle um and instruction on The Graduate driver's license as well we had 12th grade students our seniors who participated um that had those who had completed their 10th grade driver education course and also currently um held a student uh driver permit were selected to be able to participate in this very very um important um initiative which brought tremendous awareness with regard to the dangers of driving Under the Influence next slide please and actually this is uh Mr Kenny breaking news we just received this today in fact uh for the first time in the 14year history of Naf the National Academy Foundation at Johnny DWI Technology Academy the DWI Naf Academy of informational technology has reached model distinguished status this is a significant Milestone that will shape the future of dwire technology academy at the 2025 Naf next conference DWI Technology Academy will be recognized for this achievement Paving the way for even greater success and additionally dwi's Naf Academy of informational technology will go under review for distinguished status by Naf during the 2526 school year further growing its position as a leader in nav tremendous hard work Dr SED would you agree under wead DWI Academy very very proud and next slide please and of course this my um monthly reminder on the importance of Health uh protect your health uh we have this is the season of influenza and RSB so we are uh reminding our families that there are various resources in our community uh they're available on our district website that offer information with regard to identifying those symptoms the steps that uh everyone can take to protect themselves from these illnesses and of course the resources are located at the top of our page on our District web page and this completes our next slide please Merry Christmas to everyone happy holidays and a special thank you to all of our schools um amazing U month with all of the celebrations all of the activities um also want to thank them for all of their contributions to our front lobby of the Mitchell building it is quite the experience to walk through with of the creativity exhibited by every single school um wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday you thank you madam superintendent any questions okay we'll go through our agenda at this time at this time um are there any questions for tab 1A official and private minutes from November 14 2024 Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 1B treasurers and secretary report from October 31st 2024 seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab three tuition's report M Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for for a consideration superintendent report Mr Kenedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 4B superintendent report use of facilities seeing none please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 4bb supplementary superintended report use of facilities with considerations see n Mr Kennedy please add to the agenda are there any questions for tab 4C superintendent field trip considerations see n kedy please add that to the agenda at this time I'm ask our superintendent to give no problem will be on table thank you at this time are there any questions for tab five authorizations report are there any questions to tab five authorizations report seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab six Finance and Accounting report Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any questions for tab 6A transfer of funds none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda are there any tab questions excuse me are there any questions for tab seven award a contract support seeing none Miss Kennedy please add that to the agenda thank you at this time I'm going to have our committee chairpersons read their reports I'm going to add the chairpersons to just read the report and please do not read the attendees at this time I'm going to have our education management committee chair Stephan read her report thank you thank you madam president the educational management committee was provided with an overview of Paris School analytics and insight software program that was purchased with the S Federal funding for the purpose of easily tracking student school and District performance metrics the superintendent presented the 2324 accountability profiles and the committee discussed academic progress English proficiency and graduation rates the committee also reviewed the chronic aism rates and the parent survey lastly the committee reviewed and discussed the proposed agenda for the professional development day scheduled for Friday December 13 2024 the agenda included a rich discussion of the of the New Jersey student learning standards and a focus on literacy and Mathematics across the curriculum that concludes my report thank you at this time I'm going to have um board member isaas Rivera complete the the special education committee report on behalf of the chairperson Iana chz thank you so we met on December 5th of 2024 in the special education we discussed topics of interest in the upcoming parents workshops access to resources from Community providers on the District web page under the division of special services was reviewed and discussed the discussion also included the current Outreach strategies implemented to communicate with parent the special education committee discussed the CPAC plans for the current school year C meetings were held on September 25th and October 23rd topics of Interest are being collected for the next Workshop that will take place in January a report was provided to the committee regarding extracurricular activities for our special needs students that include that included Satur Saturday bowling clinics soccer athletic clinics Recreation programs and Special Olympics in addition for after school program students are afforded the opportunity to participate in the CTE work-based learning and tutoring programs mangual achievement programs k3a Poe programs best of both World programs and the K to2 academic programs the committee also reviewed also received information regarding the upcoming holiday celebration that included World autism month in April and exceptional children's week that also take place in April thank you thank you at this time I'm going to have um the chairperson for the financing accounting committee uh board member Jarry Jacobs do his report thank you madam president Mr John swisser Supply and KY presented the preliminary results of the audit for the 20232 24 Financial Savings Mr swisser reported that the district financial statements barely stated and that an unmodified opinion will be contained within the report the Auer reported that there will be no current or repeat audit Bings contained in the auditor's management report finally Mr swier noted that the balances of restricted reserves for Capital and maintenance the district's ability to take care of his 30 plus facil facilities a full Public Presentation of the audit results will be presented at the January 14e thank you madam president thank you and last report I'm going to ask our board vice president to give his report for the legal committee thank you thank you madam president legal committee met on December 12 2024 the committee discussed the outcomes of the arbitration um hearings held with perk on December 11th and the committee was also briefed by the superintendent school business administrator on uh several pending legal matters and um just want to thank the committee for their dedication for this year and um you know want to create the continum moving into 2025 thank you madam president thank you and again thank you to all of my chairpersons uh for your commitment this year and all that you did on the Committees but as all as well I want to thank our board members for your commitment on all the committees as well next tab tab nine our claims list are there any questions for our claims list are there any questions for tab nine for the claims list seeing none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda for the resolutions for I just want to recognize uh resolution 10 School Board recognition month will be in January and 10A is the Martin Luther King Jr resolution um at this time I would like to have are there any questions for Tab 10 Tab 10 I any questions for Tab 10 to 10 I see none Mr Kennedy please add that to the agenda thank you for making my last meeting very easy no issues no questions great directors I'm sorry you had to come here tonight but it was an easy night right so oh yeah oh I did I oh I I wasn't my thing I'm so used to it I apologize we're going to go back to tab a eight and we're going to have our student representative give her reports um Maya Miss Maya thank you good evening Dr Huger members of the Board of Education and esteemed community members my name is Mia Matos and I am honored to serve as the student representative for Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy for the 2024 2025 Academic Year as said in my introduction I am Hamilton's president of student government which allows me to be deeply involved in the activities and events at our school we began the school year with our annual back to school night where parents were welcomed with refreshments and guided through their children's classrooms it was a wonderful and successful evening full of excitement and engagement this fall Hamilton Academy also celebrated our seal week of respect during which students participated in an assembly focus on the importance of respect and Community this year our school is placing a strong emphasis on fostering collaboration between clubs and activities to build a sense of community and create exciting new events for our students the partnership between clubs has sparked a flow of creative ideas for example in October the student government and Multicultural Club collabed to sponsor a glow dance which was a huge success in a great way to what promises to be an exciting year of collaboration looking ahead we are eagerly preparing for our annual Black History Month show where students from all backgrounds come together to create a performance that celebrates and educates others about Black Culture our students are working tirelessly to bring Together dance poetry and other forms of Art and appreciation of these important contributions additionally our New Jersey future Educators association club is spreading holiday cheer by reading Christmas stories to children at school 27 this week this initiative allows our members to connect with younger students while also gaining valuable hands on experience in the field of Education other schools in our district have also been busy J Christian bu Finance Academy students recently V visited trinit child's Regional Medical Center where they made and distributed cards for cancer cancer patients an act of kindness that was even recognized by local news jbg STEM Academy has brought back their peer mentor program program which helps the ninth grade students at the annex become familiar with the main building they also organized a toy and coat drive providing donated items to students in need offering cheer during the holiday season Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy recently performed the musical grease which was a fun and educational experience from students from all schools giving them an insight into musical production Jefferson Academy also participated in Operation Christmas Child a project encouraging students to fill boxes with toys for children not only in Elizabeth but around the world as we all know the transition to high school can be challenging for many students including myself however as I've grown older and built relationships with both staff and students Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy has truly become my second hope thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight and for allowing me to advocate for not only Hamilton but for all high schools in Elizabeth I'm proud to represent such a vibrant and inspiring Community thank you thank you so much and thank you for um taking the time to represent our students in our district so we appreciate you doing that thank you all right now thank you again so uh I just want to thank our directors um I know it was a lot for you to come to the board meetings this year um for so that to allow board members to ask questions about the agenda but I thank you for your your willingness to do that throughout the year we were able to ask you questions whenever we had some confusion about something just to make it clear and we were able to have dialogue back and forth so we just appreciate your time and your effort and as we as you start or end the Year I hope that you and your family all have a wonderful year and a wonderful season um and I just thank you for all your time and all that you do for our district so thank you uh just want to thank our assistant superintendent and uh's rightand girl so thank you for all that you do throughout our district as well because our district runs under you and the schools you know you guys manage the different schools although tells you you know how to do everything but you assist her along the way so I just want to take the time to say thank you to the three of you as well as thank you I want to also take some time to thank this side of the cabinet um I we cannot do what we do without HR right we can't continue with without um your work and your assistance so I just want to take the time to thank uh Mr quesa for your assistance and your entire um staff um we appreciate you you know so just know that you're appreciated and we uh thank you for all that you do I want to take time to also thank um Heather and Rajiv and all that you do as well and helping us make sure that we're on the right track um on the things that we do in regards to the business office and Mr Kennedy and our new Mr Pat Uh we appreciated you you were a lot of fun in the private sessions um I like to see a man as a secretary so thank you so much for bringing some new life on Direction into our um into the cabinet as well MK Mr Kennedy thank you for all that you do lastly again uh our attorneys our sex our security guards our police officers thank you for coming every board meeting and assisting us um and I my teacher this is my high school gym teacher uh thank you so much Miss J for always coming and supporting us every single board meetings it's not just me because I'm the president but she comes to all board meetings to make sure she knows what's going on and I would be remissed if I did not thank the IT department for all that you've done and you've given it up I know a lot of times with the it I'm giving y'all some issues we're going back and forth arguing back and forth on mik but I appreciate you I appreciate you standing on your feet um while we're doing our board meetings I appreciate you making sure that we're starting on time I appreciate you just kind of going with the flow whenever I'm a little um I just want to thank everyone for making this a year for me to remember um I thank just the community members also for the back and forth making me stronger um I appreciate you um and I just want to say that I hope everyone um just has a wonderful year um and just have a beautiful smile on their face no matter what you're doing I just hope that you enjoy your time with your family your friends um and that you just um are happy where you are in life and if you're not figure it out and and do and you know learn how to do something else and and flip it around okay I have some cards that I I wanted to give out um with a song the song that I had which is my song of the year is have a I think it's called good day and um it inspires me um every day so I just hope that if you when you listen to it they can inspire you as well so at this time the president requests a motion to go into private session to considers matters exempt under the open public meetings act specifically for discussion of legal matters specifically workers compensation JC odl mm and the Hib appeal and the RB versus Elizabeth Board of Education excuse me the Elizabeth City Board of Ed education Personnel matters Personnel report tab 2B field trip considerations report Awards of contract cyber security and that's it at at the end the board will reconvene in public and take formal action may I have motion to go into private session please I make a motion to go into private session second it's been moving probably second to go into private session Mr Kennedy roll call please carvalo yes Jacobs yes Marina Ortega yes naron yes kavas pastana yes Rivera yes baas yes thank you we are now in private session thank you e e e