##VIDEO ID:GjeXuaqDsR8## Park Board of Education hybrid Workshop meeting on Monday November 11th um the New York New Jersey open public meetings Act was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of the public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed or acted upon in compliance with the open public meetings act the Highland Park Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting setting forth the time date and location to be submitted for publication to the home News Tribune and Star Ledger and post on the board's website at least 48 hours in advance of this meeting members of the public who wish to address the board will be given the opportunity to do so before the board adjourns for the evening a roll call Dr batty here miss Cal D Dr Coleman Dr Pixley Miss Bruce here Dr schoolman Danio here miss bman here miss here Pledge of Allegiance alance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible libery and justice for all we had one communication to the board this month and that was uh questions from our CPAC group uh about our special education program evaluation actually questions for the evaluation um at the moment we have no minutes to approve um so we're going to move move to our student representative report um not so much Report with the short and weeks but um from Irving um for world's kindness day on November 13th Mr Maro will be doing an activity with all K and first grade students in lunch and recess to show their kindness towards a friend or staff member for the week um Irving wav spirit days to reiterate kindness and gratitude and these topics will be discussed during morning meetings in the classroom as well uh secondly in coordination with the PTO we will have our Thanksgiving food drive to help families in our school for the Thanksgiving holiday gratitude is a huge part of our school theme for November and thirdly the Scholastic Book Fair starts November 19th and more information will be coming home regarding this so for Bartle epic and the PTO hosted Bart's first pumpkin patch at ble every student got to pick a pumpkin to take home World kindness week will be celebrated starting this Monday to the 15th with spirit days and activities centered on kindness tolerance respect and gratitude for the Middle School quarter 1 ends on Wednesday November 13th so please remind your children to get all their missing assignments in and the next ptso meeting is on Wednesday November 13th at 6:30 in the high school media center please join us if you are available for the high school um some sports stuff um our football team came in second in the gold division with a 63 record the boys soccer team headed to the playoffs and the girls soccer team earned the GMC gold division champions for the third year straight um girls tennis came in second in the Central Jersey group one tournament and um we had a student play second in the GMC second singles uh girls cross country and boys cross country both had exceptional showings making it to the last round of sectionals and our volleyball team made us very proud the student leadership team has met twice already um splitting into subcommittees on important issues and providing student opinions through surveys the makea wish walk last week run by Deca was incredibly successful fundraising over $1,500 and um lastly before the election the AP government class visited Bartle to teach fifth graders about the election and the electoral process thank you um I think the theme Here is going to be short report quick meeting hopefully um we do not have a superintendent report tonight but we'll be back here in two weeks and we'll have more information then um so we move to public comment uh the Highland Park Board of Education welcomes public participation and has reserved this time for your comments board policy 0167 establishes and regulates the right of the public to participate in public meetings do we have uh people online Okay um if you would like to comment uh uh please raise your hand your virtual hand and introduce yourself anybody happening there okay then we're going to uh move right on to board committee reports um and agenda items curriculum and instruction I assume has not met is somebody doing their agenda items they didn't I oh the agenda no they haven't met they meet this week right agend okay that actually it's pretty short we have one agenda resolution to approve the um to students for home instruction okay um and Equity Excellence we have nothing to new to report we'll be meeting next week okay Finance facilities I do have to report because we literally met right before this board meeting tonight so excuse me if I'm a little uh scattered here but uh we do have a lot of things going on in finan and Facilities that we um and everybody will get type minutes after today but you didn't get them because they just just hot off just happened um so we met tonight um to talk about um majority of our talk is about facilities um besides that our we did get our uh water test results and so we gone ahead and applied for licenses um that were all ready to go except for that water report so that for our before and after care is U moving along well um in terms of facil facilities we were approved we had applied for two grants to for preschool facilities to expand our preschool program we had applied to the state um we were granted both applications um in one case it was an interior alteration in Irving and the other one was an an addition pre a classroom addition to Irving um and in both cases in either case we have to we Supply 60% the state gives us 40% of the cost of the uh all alteration or addition um so we discussed the options there whether we were to in each both both grants would add one additional classroom for preschool um and of course the complication to all that is that we also have the B walkway um uh remediation that needs to be done so the board I'll do the B walkway and then we'll go back to the preschool say can you can hear the thinking there so the preschool we talked last time or rather about the ble um walkway that we need to move forward because of deterioration of that part of the building um and so the the direction we're heading is to do a um to close off that area not to rebuild it in kind but to um eliminate the walkway the door and the stairwell um at BAU and we talked last time about um paying for the professional fees to um get the plans drawn up from DMR that we need in order to move forward with construction um repair there um and so the professional fees for that alone is $149,500 um to eliminate the walk that that whole area is about a $1,800,000 uh cost um we're also going to be looking to add on to that another 25 29,500 so that we have um construction management built into this as as it's a very large project not to be easily managed from our existing staff so um Al together there it's a lot of money you can go back and add up those numbers um uh Mr Rosa has done um uh has been sharing with us an analysis of our capital reserve which she confirmed with Auditors this week and uh we do have 3.1 million in capital reserves um so we could we have the money to do the ble walkway project as eliminating that area closing off that area and we could do one of the preschool expansion grants um if we combine that together it would leave us some money left in capital reserves um for future maintenance and emergencies that come up and we clearly no but they do come up so um so the finance and Facilities committee we're talking that that seems to be to make the most sense to move continue to move forward with the B walkway project we have no choice you know it's necessary to to keep maintain the building and to um accept the grant that includes the Irving interior alterations take that Grant turn back the other one because we don't have the 60% share to do that project um so that was the conversation at Finance facilities the main of our conversation um the other agenda items on the other things we talked about um so we're we need to submit a projected prek enrollment for next year so that would stay at our 90 uh our current 90 students um so even as we move forward with that with that one um one additional classroom uh we're not yet proposing that that's going to be filled with an additional 15 students we also had the other conversation we had is that we have an increasing number of preschool disabled students that are um their numbers are increasing and we need to service and find space and ser and uh resources to provide um uh additional resources for our preschool disabled so we have to kind of see where that fits into the uh expansion of our current preschool so that's all uh on the table at the moment it will be on our November 25th agenda other things um that will be on that agenda will be waterproofing Technologies we've gotten a quote to improve some of the areas around Irving in the music and art rooms where there is a a water issue and so we have an estimate from water weather proofing Technologies for that uh repair find the rest of my notes Here I unfortunately put them in a variety of places purchase of a Kota tractor um that would be come through out of our priter equipment budget so that's not something that comes that we pay for out of our own budget but it's a uh a contract we have with them um we will have coming at our next meeting I guess the health health and safety checklists that are currently being done as part of qac um all our buildings are reviewed to see what uh what need what the needs are going forward the other thing we talked about was our budget process um and Mr Rosa has put out a tenative budget calendar to start the process with our Administration um which will then come to the to the finance facilities committee um probably closer to the end of January talked about what was most efficient um for the for the meetings that the that the finance and Facilities committee has with um uh special ed and Tech some of our big our bigger budget areas um so we talked about that process as well and that's the budg the meeting that we had today um and on the agenda which will be bigger next month so next uh next time we meet um is a res solution to approve uh some Professional Services for um a program for our high school environmental science classes so for your own information Manhattan Manhattan Defenders is a type of fish this is related to sustainability um that a speaker to come into the classes the other one is continuing an add of District placement maybe changing or something with an out of District placement the third item on the agenda is um the memorandum agreement that we have with um ndk realy because we use Center School for our uh basketball practice during the winter so that isn't a typical uh item agenda item um this that agenda will be longer in two weeks but that's what I've got any questions on the anything I said so with the preschool classroom that's a like temporary thing we can do still exploring options for more classrooms down the road well it would yeah it would be the preschool renovation for half the cafeteria would be a permanent classroom but right now we are potentially having to explore to outfit for um a growing students with disabilities for preschool due to early intervention so I'm not sure that we would have the space to even expand for the general education population if we have to continue expanding this year for that um so that might be the concern but um one of the things that we do need to continue to talk about and explore uh would be you know um potentially adding the the classrooms via referendum um to you know potentially adding to Bartle to move first grade to ble and then uh which is why I think it's a good move to outfit the um half the cafeteria to a preschool classroom now because that it could continue to stay as preschool classroom without without issue and preschool students eat lunch in their classrooms they don't eat in a cafeteria so the cafeteria then would in the future be used for kindergarten only um which then would would make that building work uh really nicely for that for that population um so that's right now that's that's where we're at kind of uh looking at um our our needs in that building and maybe kind of putting a pause to the expansion in in our general education population um the the building has exploded um if you're around that area at pick up or drop off too is is a really big issue the traffic has been a nightmare um you know parking is is crazy so as we add on which is great we're adding more staff so every preschool gets a um a teacher plus a couple of AIDS especially if they're preschool disabled now we're talking about a couple more AIDS in there couple more Paras so that just adds to that to that congestion in that area so there's a lot of things to consider um to explore as we expand it's not just the classroom space but it's the congestion in that area it's the Staffing if we have to add now um there's the code for preschool 2 includes you know for our intervention Referral Services if they're getting speech whole group speech individual speech adding more more staff in that way they need space to do their work and things like that so we really just have to be thoughtful in terms of our expansion and uh I know that we had talked about our debt service falling off in in 2030 but um you know I'm I would strongly advise that that we consider having conversations potentially sooner to um to look to expand and and and and build uh and build out for our expansion in a in a in a better situation I just a question I think you answered actually in your response to Dan's question and that is so the reason why we are not calculating for the additional students for the additional rooms because you just don't know if we are going to actually be able to open up that additional room to the general education popul yes correct and so the idea is the additional um students that we're going to be serving in our preschool disabled program are already in our system or through early intervention or coming in coming in so it's it's it's a that is a moving Target so some of our students start as early as 11:14 so that's like in three days uh some in mid December so it's all a calculated because you can't open a classroom with one one student so right now we're just sort of moving our students around to shuffle so we're in compliance um and then when we get enough students we can kind of open up another class um and and things like that so right now it's we we have some students that are in the inter the early referral process so we anticipate by December January potentially needing to open up another class uh but we're monitoring it very very you know very carefully and if we do then we're going to have to potentially have that cafeteria space that we're going to have to use for that purpose in which case good thing we've got some State money coming in to help us with that project although the um the renovations on that project would make it a little challenging what's nice about that as a potential renovation is that there's a door to the outside so in terms of being able to do construction three essentially three of the four walls I'll use that Loosely because it's an oddly shaped space but three of the four walls already there and there's a bathroom because it used to be two classroom spaces um and then at some point along the way they made it into a cafeteria so it would be really nice to close that off and there's access that construction can go in and out without it sort of disrupting the whole school environment or that area however if we have a classroom in there then that makes that work very challenging and pretty much only being done over the summer um the other piece that makes it even more complicated is that now that we have our license for DCF for after Care Program not that it's super complicated but it does require that DCF come back in if we are changing our spaces for aftercare program and they have to re certify new spaces and they come in with this like laser thing and literally measure the spaces to in compliance so right now I met with Colin today to talk about where those potential spaces might be um there's very clear directives on where you can house and store your material so it so things are a little bit more complicated than just hey we can open this classroom we have the space we have money let's go so there's a lot of moving Parts which is why we're not going to commit to anything other than we' strongly recommend that you um accept the rod grant for the construction in that area but line it for the other additional space uh for now just because we have to consider the walkway Y and I'm only because but I'm sure that we'll be able to comply with the but complicated as they are right no and and it's not it's just annoying because now we just have to go back bring them in here then figure it out so it's there's we just have to make sure all of our ducks are in a row as we move forward with our decision making that's all I can ask we do accept the rod brand the voice can you hear me now um if we do accept the rod gr for the interior alteration that is strictly for the gened prek classroom you would have to expand it for 15 students um that's part of of the application in the Grant application you're committing to expand the General Ed prek program by 15 students construction has to be done by August 31st 2026 okay so then we don't have really flexibility with how what students are being served with that additional space then correct well so it depends if we have to use that space now for the special it population then that may throw a wrench in the timing of when we use the grant money but it depends because next year our specialed population for preschool might be a different Target number right so but that would potentially be moving around population right right right right so I mean we could theoretically then put a gened group in there but we'd have to expand by another 15 students okay that that's another whole complic complication right we can't we can't expand we can't do that renovation and use it for pre use it for we have to some right right because anything we do dis we go somewhere else and then right anything that anything that's preschool disabled Staffing Resources space everything has to come out of the district operating budget so as the preschool disabled students come in and we expand and have to add another staff member Paras re like supplies toileting supplies all those supplies come out of the district operating budget yes and if we didn't budget for it and we have those we legally have to educate them we can't turn them away we legally have to educate them and we want to um we have to figure out then if we did not budget for it where we have to find the money and that's where the magic of Mr Rosa comes in because she has to wheel and deal and figure fure out where we're going to find the money and then figure out how to balance the budget for next year soe I so now I'm confused so if we are moving forward with the with this interior alteration we could expand in 2026 like so are we so we're committing to expanding another class but but not next year not until it's complete so it gives us another year correct so we could accept the the money do the work and put start in September of 26 correct because the you know you need permits you need doe approval it um so construction would have to be completed by August 31st 2026 and the class would start then so we yeah okay so we'd be committing to at least one more class at that point correct correct okay understand so I'm I'm a little confused because I thought you first said that it would open because our students with disabilities in preschool was ring but it seems like you're saying they couldn't be in that class because the grants for right so we because we but we potentially might need that space that's where it gets complicated if we're out of space like we have to find we have to educate them so right now if I have no space in my classes we have to use that space to educate the students so if that's being said then I can't use that space for construction so we have to wait until that space is free so let's say we start that over the summer then now that space is unusable next year and depending on where now we have four our four-year-olds are going to go into kindergarten right so now they're aging out they're going to kindergarten but now I have a new group coming in where does that leave us with the number of gened students we could potentially take because I don't have that space as a temporary classroom essentially yeah okay any other questions or we move on um personnel and Communications personnel and Communications did meet uh last week on the 4th in attendance was Christina myself Marilyn and and Nikki um we discussed the Personnel items and also um an exciting item under Communications we now have calendars that we can subscribe to via Google um I actually tested it out just now I saw the links out there it's awesome good um it's a little different than I'm used to you don't actually paste the URL you just click on the link and then a a popup comes and says do you want to add this calendar yes and very very simple only one question for helping us out we appreciate it one question is I didn't see the district one out there yet but that's probably a work in progress but all the four schools I tested them all everything looks great just the district one yeah y thank you so much this is awesome um and uh yeah we we have a very short agenda for tonight for personnel just three items but I think there will be more like the others in in a few weeks so we have uh number one resolution to approve appointments um just two appointments number two resolution to approve the independent study program at the high school um and number three resolution to approve a volunteer or the drama department and that's it for personnel okay questions for personnel can imagine there are but there are three uh okay then uh Equity I mean uh policies and regulations we did not meet and I don't think we have anything on the agenda okay we I think we proved everything last time so we go to um our second public comment um same thing Highland Park Board of Education welcomes public par public participation and has reserved this time for your comments um anybody out there Angela okay uh if would like to uh comment please raise your hand and uh uh let us know okay seeing none moving on to what are we moving on to we're moving on to uh pres report which I don't have any I hope Alison is enjoying her vacation she'll be back next time to do a report um anybody have any old business they want to bring up or new business I have a question for your business I because since this is a workshop meeting I figured I'll just bring it up sure um I think this is more towards curriculum and instruction but um I'm curious if we have any curricula that focuses on spotting information especially on the internet and news sources and how to um um like figure out if a site is legit or not if we have anything going forward like um in our curricula currently or if that's something that's in the pipeline and if so if that's something that we can start as early as possible like as soon as they get Chromebooks just to stop the misinformation in general I don't know if that's yeah I mean I we have definitely they do a lot of works even starting as early as Bartle Miss mcgrey at the media center specialist does that work at Bartle um just we like kind of identifying uh fake news credible sources and then it scales up all the way to the high school and I know Miss poio who over sees it at the middle and high school um encourages students and shows them I think we subscribe to like Epco host students help me out here Epco host yeah in the high school we have like a a a resource that the library provides for us with a bunch of like academically peer- reviewed sources for us to use when we do like research papers and stuff like that and so our teachers make sure that we're not using sources that we shouldn't be using that are untrustworthy so at least in the high school it's stressed a lot and there's lots of resources for us to find good sources yep and I know they scale that down to the Bor they have a more developmentally appropriate versions of of those for for those students y yes y y yep yeah they should be the media curriculum is available on the district website um so if you peruse through the media curricula you'll see it um by grade band I was just gonna say to I know we're talking about AI on Thursday in that meeting that certainly is a part of that too so yeah I just wanted to add a different new news go for it well I just want to take this opportunity to I know we just had a very momentous week um elections but we also want to acknowledge that uh we were reelected myself oh yeah oh I didn't get word yet but I didn't get any word yes very uneventful tested we will take it there were no surprise writings you never know so you know thank you everyone in the public who did look down the ballot look across the ballot however you want to call it to take the time to um re-elect us to make your voices heard that although again our our I understand this is not the kind of election that um I I don't think any of us wanted to have such a quiet uncal election wanted to be out there talking to as many people as we could but I think you know where we stand on all the issues and we hope that you would just continue to engage with us and um support our work as we will do our best to continue to serve this District um and I will say again I've been on this board since 2018 and I feel like going through the pandemic going through a lot of new ini initiatives um now we're really entering unchartered territory I would venture to say um and not even Venture I think I can confidently say when we're thinking about the incoming um White House Administration and so I think as board members we as a board as an entity is very important that we are um very mindful of um possible new legislative items that may be coming down the pike from the federal government that are that's really going to impact the extent to which our Board of Education are our our Department of Education exists as we currently know it um and how we need to be even more steadfast in advocating and resisting whatever efforts there are to make our work even harder in serving our students um so I'm going to leave that there because I think we're gonna have a lot of conversations about that but I didn't want to acknowledge that that's not lost on me in all of this um especially being a board member being a parent being a member of this community investing so much in the students and children here and the families um this is work that again we have to really think solemnly about and really critically about how crucial are role is to preserve um what we know and actually get more of what we know our students need not less so thank you thank you Monique for not letting that go that go on sad I appreciate that I appreciate that it was Alis and Monique and myself for back on board for another three another three years come January um so uh and everything you said is very true about what we need to focus on going forward any other old new or otherwise business then uh I move that we adjourn second second all in favor I thank you everybody