good evening pursuant to the New Jersey open public meetings act accurate notice of this meeting has been provided by advertising such notice in the home News Tribune the Asbury Park Press the board office the schools and on cable vision channel 118 and Verizon files channel 24 and by filing such notice with the Township Clerk this meeting was scheduled for Tuesday I sorry Thursday January 4th 2024 the board will take formal action on gend items Miss Johnson the oldridge Township Board of Education acknowledges that the law of this state establishes that member of the public including members of the board have the right to record public board meetings using audio or video recording devices provided that the act of recording does not interfere with the business of this public board meeting therefore before the board makes it known that any such recording is to be considered the private recording of the individual and in no manner represents the official record of this board the board therefore takes no responsibility for such private recordings and completely disavows any future use roll call Miss duno present Miss jrey present Miss lent present Mr maretta Mr Slade here Mr Singh Mr sulowski here Mr Weber here Mr Gano here AUM exists all rise for PL legance United States of America indivisible liy and justice Miss Johnson thank you Mr gardano the top three vote Getters of the November election are as follows for three-year terms Christina mazone 5,574 votes Matthew sulowski 5,137 votes Elena Francisco 4,86 64 votes at this time I will be moving over at this time I'll move over to the podium and we'll invite each candidate in the order of that it appears on the agenda to be sworn into the Board of Education I Christina Mone do Sol L swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and I will bear the true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and this state under the authority of the people so help me God I Christina Mone do solemnly swear that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law for the office of member of a board of education that I am not disqualified as a voter pursuant to law or disqualified from the membership due to conviction of any crime or offense as listed by law and I will faithfully impartially and justly perform all duties of that office according to the best of my ability so help me [Applause] God the next candidate is Matthew sulowski I can put my okay I'm at I'm mat you Sakowski do suly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith in Alliance to the same and the government established of the United States and this state under the authority of the people I Matthew silakowski do suly swear that I possess the qualification prescribed by law for the office of member of the Board of Education that I am not disqualified as a vote pursuant to the law or disqualified for a membership due to conviction or any crime or offense as listed by the law and that I will faithfully and partially justly perform the duties of this office according to the best of my ability so help me God thank [Applause] you and Miss Elena Francisco [Applause] I Elena Francisco do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and this state under the authority of the people so help me God I Elena Francisco do solemnly swear that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law for the office of member of Board of Education that I am not disqualified as a voter pursuant to law or disqualified from membership due to conviction of any crime or offense as listed by law and that I will faithfully impartially and justly perform all the duties of that office according to the best of my ability so help me [Applause] God for [Applause] yes and at this time I'll be taking a roll call of the newly elected Board of Education Miss duno present Mr gardano yes Miss JRE present Miss Francisco here miss lent present Mr Marquetta miss manone here Mr Slade here Mr sulowski here I will now open the U meeting to the public for any comments on agenda items only seeing no one I will close the public comment section and take a few moments to review the process U that will be following for the nomination and voting for president by outlining the um board policy the procedure for the election of board office of the board officers shall be as follows the board president at the annual reorganization meeting the the board secretary serving as interim chair shall call for nominations for board president any member May place a member's name in nomination a second is not required for the nomination of a candidate for president a member who has been nominated May decline the nomination the board secretary and board attorney shall record the name of all nominees for board president when board members have been given an opportunity to make nominations for board president the board secretary shall close the nominations the board secretary shall then conduct a roll call vote on nominees in the order in which they were nominated nominees who have declined nomination shall not be included in the roll call a board member may only vote in support of one candidate the first candidate to receive votes from a simple majority of the board members present will be elected to office and the the board president election and the board president election process shall conclude with no further roll calls in the event of a tie between two or more nominees a second runoff election shall be conducted between the candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the event of such a tie the board secretary shall conduct the runoff election via roll call in which each board member may only vote in favor of one of the remaining candidates once the new president assumes the chair the election of the vice president will be conducted by the president in the same process at this time I'd like to take nominations for the board president I would like to nominate Jay Slade for Oldbridge Board of Education president and uh Mr salowski are there any other nominations I will now take a roll call vote for um the nomination for presedent for J Slade Miss duno yes Mr gardano no Miss Jodi yes Miss Francisco no Miss lent yes Mr Marquetta so before I I I know we're just supposed to vote yes and no but I just want to say that both men would make fine presidents um Mr silakowski came here basically on oxygen J leades made every board meeting and committee meeting for the last two and a half years so I do think that both men would make honorable presidents um Jay sl's a friend of mine I know him a couple of years we ran together he's a good man and he has the the kids at heart um Mr Sakowski has been doing this for a long time so I vote who we voting for we're voting for Jay Slade right now J I love you buddy sorry no Miss maone no Mr Slade yes Mr sulowski no the total count of yeses is four and five NOS I'll now take the roll call vote for matowski Jennifer duno no Mr gardano yes Miss jod no Miss franccesco yes Miss lent no Mr maretta yes Miss Mone yes Mr Slade no I'm sorry Christina what was your vote for Matt yes yes okay I'm sorry Mr sukowski do I have to vote for myself yes okay um with five votes uh congratulations Mr sulowski is the president of the Board of Education [Music] okay I would like to thank everybody for the uh the votes okay thank you on this one right okay I would like to take nominations for the vice president I would like to nominate uh Elena Francisco I nominate Jen Doro any other votes that's it okay roll call the roll call for the nomination for Elena Francisco Jennifer D duno no Mr gardano no Miss Jo no Miss Francisco yes Miss lent no Mr maretta yes Miss Mone yes Mr Slade no Mr sulowski yes there are four yeses and five NOS the nomination for Jennifer duno roll call is Miss duno yes Mr gardano yes I'm sorry was that a yes yes yes Miss JRE yes Miss Fran Miss Francisco no Miss lent yes Mr maretta no Miss Mone no Mr Slade yes Mr sulowski yes that's six yeses and three NOS Miss duno is now the vice [Applause] president I thought yeah oh um the Matt um voted for yes twice so that was okay can you correct that which one is for M dantono Mr solow's vote is no no okay so that makes the vote for five to four yes we have to move Finance one through five J down notion can I get a second Joel Second thank you roll call Miss duno yes Mr gardano yes Miss jod yes Miss Francisco yes Miss lent yes Mr Marquetta yes Miss mazone yes Mr Slade yes Mr sukowski yes resolutions one through five passes okay supplies equipment and Serv Services 1 through four can I get a motion please lent will move it Dan tuna will second thank you roll call M tuno yes Mr Gano yes Miss jod yes Miss Francisco yes Miss lent yes Mr maretta yes Miss mazone yes Mr Slade yes Mr silakowski yes okay board secretary and board business one through one and two one through two can I get a motion please Jan a motion jel second thank you roll call please um Mr President uh at this time um each year it's my obligation to read the code of ethics to the board members and after reading it um there'll be a time when anyone who has questions can ask them of the board attorney in accordance with njsa 18a colon 12- 24.1 every board member will abide by the following code of ethics the board member will number one uphold and enforce all laws rules and regulations of the State Board of Education and and court orders pertaining to schools desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures two make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability race Creed sex or social standing three confine his or her board action to policymaking planning and appraisal and help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them carry out his her responsibilities not to administer the schools but together with fellow board members ensure that they are well run five recognize that Authority rests in the Board of Education and make no personal promises nor take any private actions that may compromise the board six refuse to surrender his or her independent judgment to special interests or partisan political groups or to use the school for personal gains or for the gains of Friends Seven hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which if disclosed would needlessly injure individuals or the schools in all other matters he or she will provide accurate information and in concert with fellow board members interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its schools eight vote to appoint the best qualified Personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer nine support and protect School Personnel in proper performance of their duties 10 refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and act on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution do any board members have any questions for Mr Parton um everyone in their packet received the code of ethics for the board members if you would if you haven't already if you would sign this top page and return it to me that would be great roll call please miss duno yes Mr gardano yes Miss JRE yes Miss Fran Francisco yes Miss lent yes Mr maretta yes Miss mazone yes Mr Slade yes Mr sulowski yes resolutions one and two pass hearing of residence on any school district items it looks like it's on on Tony pasti mbridge I'm here to oppose policy 5756 an opposition that is very at the very essence of parental rights I'm here not just as a concerned resident but as an advocate for the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution which distinctly affirms the right to bring direct the upbringing of Education and Care of our children this is not merely a preference or guidance it is a constitutional guarantee and a Bedrock of our society it alarms me as it should alarm all of us that there is an existing growing Trend where the state by extension of our school district seem to overreach into and Upon Our sacred role as parents this is not just an overreach it's a dangerous precedent eroding parental rights the typical government Behavior consider the current practice in our schools we receive calls from the most mundane matters our child is sick late absent at a mishap on the playground yet when it comes to issue significant and sensitive nature like changes in a minor Minor's gender there's a troubling silence this silence this withholding of Vital Information from parents is not only unacceptable I and many other residents do not give the authority to withhold this is potentially grounds for legal action take a look at the ongoing lawsuits in Cherry Hill and Cranford to recognize the gravity of this issue both are currently being sued by parents and federal courts policy 5756 is a policy is not a law not a mandate it's merely guidance yet its implications are far-reaching across our state across our country school districts are waking up to this reality to date 20 districts in New Jersey have rescinded this policy sending a clear and resounding message to the state authorities they're not just making a statement is setting a precedent we are at a Crossroads the decision before this board is not just a bureaucratic decision it's a moral one resending this policy would show you stand with the parents stand with families upholding our god-given rights and protecting the sanctity of family unit the path is clear it's time for a district to align with those who have taken a stand it's time to uphold the constitutional rights to honor our role as parents and ensure that our voice our fundamental right to guide our children's lives is respected and preserved I urge you to reflect deeply on these matters and make a decision that honors our rights are families and our communities thank you thank you anyone else yes this is um this is something different and it should be brought to our attention I want to thank Frank Weber for all your years of service in Oldbridge on the board of education um your dedication and commitment has never for waiver to the residents and students and the faculty of this um town and I appreciate that very much and your knowledge that you've imparted on other people has been very important and your knowledge with financial your financial knowledge is no one can compare to it thank you very much and I wish you many happy years in [Applause] retirement thank you anyone else hello my name is Ron Mack I reside in Oldbridge and uh Frank I agree thank you very much and um uh I W to just SP briefly here congratulations to Chris Christina Alina and Matt Sakowski you get a double congratulations you got the coolest signs all over Oldbridge I took them all down though good there wonder and carpentry a work of art so okay uh I've been to a few Schoolboard meetings let me say that Americans are bound to the Constitution We As Americans are in fact the first article is the only reason we're here in doing this tonight so I want to thank you all for your service on this board I know you could be doing other things and it takes a lot of time so thank you for your service to our community um uh I want to say that uh the first article in the New Jersey open public meeting acts guarantees that if you are not from my town Oldbridge you do have a right to speak here tonight there seems to be some confusion on this throughout uh meetings here but uh so if you're not from this town under the New Jersey uh um Board of meetings ACT public meetings you can they cannot silence you and you're welcome to speak in my town so thank you second there's a broad lack of cognizance about people who are religious uh as some people coming here in in the past into these meetings uh have cried out the phrase separation of church and state there's no such thing you can't find it in the Constitution if you can I got a $100 bill in my wallet but you can't find it it's not there it's fictitious it doesn't exist um so anyway we want to thank you and um we look forward to this this next year with all you than thank you very much thank you anyone else close this portion a hearing of residents there no okay old business any old business new business I have something okay so it's um I have a question and depending on the answer a request so I'm sure someone up here can answer this question before covid were we set up in more of like a you so I'm my request would be if we could go back to that I just kind of feel like it's so staggered some of our backs are to other people and if we could just go back to you know at least symbolically right now it as a first step to being a cohesive unit I don't know I just think that would be a step in the right direction thank you anyone else any board members like to say anything I know we discussed it last year um and it was access of getting to and from your seat was harder as a u so not opposed to it if people want to agree to it but that was the reasoning why we decided to keep this last year we can always extend the size of the stage here are you building it that's what I want to know that's going to build it but so Jen I see your point that's something to think about really yeah I really do think it is because I mean we're all we kind of sit here and we don't really get up and down so I think it's just like to enter and to leave I don't think it's too big of a deal but just my request okay anything else uh old business new business we discuss yeah I'd like to um also thank Frank for his service and um knowledge that you shared with the board and welcome the new members on and looking forward to working together thank you uh Frank I want to congratulate you that uh your 25 or 30 years where is he oh he's over there I really want to thank you for your service really not too many people do go out of their way well I understand I understand but this is the final statements okay thank you for your service we couldn't replace you I it's going to be very difficult to replace a person like you with your financial knowledge okay thank you [Applause] I'd like to jump in on that too um Frank I I want to personally thank you for being a mentor and for helping me when I was up here for that short six months um you were a huge piece of the learning process for me so I want to thank you very much for that and for all your years of service to this community thank you and I'd like to say congratulations to the elected memb Mr Weber and good luck to all of us this year thank you I'll jump in on that too so Frank I said it this to you the last time when uh we had Mr Mara's goodbye meeting um your time and that that you're dedicated to this town is unbelievable so your knowledge that you have the you know sometime like I said useless and then some of it's actually very useful um but it's it's it's it's it's I just want to say thank you I would I would tell you I would tell you to get up and say a few words but I'm trying to save everybody's night so we're not going to do that we're not going to do that um congratulations to Elena and Mr silakowski on their election um oh yeah and Christina yep um and uh hopefully it's a good 11 months so thank you and one more thing Matt signs date back to the 1950s I learned how to create these signs right here from orridge because I was a school teacher here I want to thank the orridge school system for teaching me how to do it okay anyone else I think there's a statue on that anyone else okay since we have no close session we're going to go into adjournment okay roll call please Mar need a motion marett moves it l seconds roll call please duno yes oh all in favor I