##VIDEO ID:g-Sy6-wNsd0## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e formal action on payment of bills and other agenda items Mr wiell the Oldbridge Township Board of Education acknowledges that the law of this state establishes that members 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 the board makes it known that any such recording is to be considered that the private recording recing of the individual and in no manner represents the official record of this board the board therefore takes no responsibility for such private recording and completely disavows any future use thank you Mr W roll call please Dan tuno here Jano here jri here Francisco here lent is absent Marquetta here maone here Slade solowski here we have a quum thank you would everybody please rise for the pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the rep thank you eics who would like to read that next week I have a volunteer you got it March thanks okay approval Board of student representative he'll be here next week recognition we have recognition three recognition for next week I guess right yeah I just had a a question go ahead about it um do you think we could add the classroom that was made in the grade n center for the special education do you think we could fit that in for this month or next month I'm assuming you want to recognize SEPTA not the classroom SEPTA right well yeah because of because of the classroom I think it it would be nice if we had them here to be recognized sure what do you want to we do December this way give appropriate notice to make sure it's next meeting is only Tuesday it's not exactly yeah all right just way we can advertise it properly perfect thanks that's it very good thank you uh do we have a superintendent report next week yes we will okay progress toward go of course any correspondence Mr yes one correspondence next week or this week what's that you're gonna do it now or next week right now yep go ahead a letter from Christine Dunn dear rdge Board of Education and board attorney Christopher Pon I'm writing this letter to bring to your attention the deeply troubling behavior of board president Matthew Sakowski during the leadup to the 2024 Board of Education Election election signage be bearing his name was placed throughout the township which implied and insinuated that my career as an elementary school teacher in Oldbridge Public Schools was due to the influence of my husband Richard Dunn and his tenured as a board member from April 2011 to December 2021 Mr stow's inferences and allegations of nepotism are false and constitute a serious misuse of his position as they publicly slander and defame any employee an employee that he represents as an elected official and the leader and voice to the Board of Education he has the responsibility of holding himself to the highest standards of professionalism and decorum whether acting in an official capacity or not Mr sowy has taken his Antics a step too far and has directly caused me to caused me irreparable harm with his false allegations therefore I am requesting that the school administration release my yearly evaluation scores to the board for review to prove that his actions were intentional and malicious and an effort to cause personal and professional harm to myself and to my family as well baseless accusations by the board president undermine our school district and the value of our employees and must not be tolerated I respectfully request that Mr solowski be suspended immediately from the Oldbridge Board of Education until a full review and investigation of his behavior targeting an Oba member with 15 years of service to the school district occurs additionally I will be requesting intervention and assistance from the Oba to determine the recourse I have as a union member furthermore I reserve right to seek legal representation opinion and advice if I feel that the Board of Education fails to act accordingly to deal with my concerns I'm hopeful that the Oldbridge Board of Education acts swiftly to deal with Mr solow's action so that this matter can be put to rest and no employee of the district ever again befalls this type of behavior respectfully Christine e Dunn first grade teacher Cooper Elementary School thank you any special committee reports next week we'll have them yes yeah next week okay Chris do we as a board what do we do with the the letter that we just received you can you can choose to respond to it under old or new business if any board member wants to say anything about that as far as what you have the legal right to do that would be a discussion for us to have an executive session hearing of residents on a agenda items only do we have any no okay policy nothing curriculum professional development okay Finance yes can I get a motion to move Finance one two and three motion Francisco second any discussion Ro police lent is absent Marquetta yes mazone yes Slade yes I didn't see you come in Dan tuno yes did you just come in okay gordano yes jri yes Francisco yes solowski yes uh resolution one two and three for finance passes there's one um I just have to fix the the period on that the July it should be actually no that is correct all right very good resolution passes thank you any discussion on 4 through 12 which we'll cover next week see your hands Athletics any discussion non-certified personel office we have one item can I get a motion to move number one Dan will move can I get a second please J second any discussion roll call please ji yes Francisco yes lent is absent Marquetta yes mazone yes SL yes Dan tuno yes Jiro yes solowski yes res solution number one for non certificate personnel office passes any discussion on two no okay non-certified Personnel operational we have one and two there's nothing non-certified personal other one through eight any discussion no certified Personnel we have some items to move okay can I I get a motion to move one through four on certified Personnel please J motion Francis go second thank you any discussion roll call please sled yes danant tuno yes gardano yes jri yes Francisco yes lent is absent Marquetta yes mazone yes solowski yes resolution 1 through 4 for certificate Personnel passes thank you any discussion on 5 through 14 on certified Personnel nope non-certified Personnel Transportation any discussion okay transportation we have one item can I get a motion to move number one on Transportation M motion can I get a second please Dano second any discussion roll call please maretta yes maone yes Slade yes duno yes Gano yes jri Francisco yes lent is absent and solowski yes resolution one for transportation passes any discussion on two supplies equipment and services we have one item any any uh can I get a motion to move number one Stant all move can I get a second please M second any discussion wel call please lent is absence we'll start with Marquetta yes Mone yes slay yes yes duno yes Jano yes JRE Francisco yes solowski resolution one for supplies equipment and services passes any discussion on two I'm sorry two three and four no miscellaneous one through five Mr President yes I have to step out of the room to handle a police matter no problem thank you any discussion on one through five on Mr Lan okay thank you board secretary and board business we have one item any discussion sure I'll say something I'd like to congratulate Richard Don Karen I can't you say it how do you say it Bena Tas okay and Jay slave on their re on re-election and election to the board Mr wiell would you read the uh the numbers thank you sure I'll just read uh I'll read the motion right move the Board of Education acknowledge the unofficial results of the 2024 Board of Education elections as follows three-year term Richard J Dunn 14871 votes Karen V tosson almost not quite good enough 9,135 votes and Jay Slade 8,835 votes congratulations yes looks like we'll be working with them for the next two three years congratulations and uh as of January we'll see what happens okay uh hearing of residents on any school district issues on anything to do with the school hearing a residence thank you good evening Richard Dunn 58 Norman Lane uh a as as we are aware my wife uh sent a letter communication to the board of education and that letter is self-explanatory um obviously she is uh very upset and she has uh become somewhat distraught over the fact that her colleagues have been questioning her in hero School uh about how she was able to advance her career and quite frankly that that's a very uh awkward situation that I'm in obviously by being a board uh of Education elect uh and I understand I'm working uh fine line uh being elected to the Board of Ed and my spouse considering some sort of legal Avenue um for resolution uh I understand uh the pitfalls and my goal uh is to continue the work for the children and I will do so uh with that said um my wife is free to pursue what she feels that's correct uh and she will will be doing that now I don't know what's in her mind to um I guess put together some sort of cure of this issue uh however monetary uh issue is not my concern we're not looking for any kind of monetary uh issue or recourse we're looking for change uh and that change has to be systematic and done correctly uh when a sitting board president attacks an employee of the district um that is reprehensible it's it's it's just disgusting and I'm a big person I can take the the the slander I can take uh the the the garbage that's thrown at me which it was this past election cycle where I was called out for being a criminal I was called out for being things that are reprehensible and I let it slide and it make a big deal of it because I know that's the Avenue that we put ourselves in but when a spouse of a candidate is attacked uh in a way where it puts irreparable harm on her career and puts doubt in what she has done in the school district that's a severe problem the the virtual uh the the issue at Forefront here is is that we need to work together and obviously the board of education has not worked together in a way where things are I guess proper with the theorm theorm is important and last night we had a very gracious meeting uh for um for uh strategic planning and uh that meeting was I would say one of the best meetings that I participated in in in my years of experience uh there were many board members in in in attendance there were two uh three elected uh board members to be Janu anuary and the Synergy and and the discussion and and the respect for one another was just outstanding and I I am confident that uh the the the teamwork and the Synergy is going to propel this District in a way that we haven't seen in a very long time and that's what I'm envisioning and uh I think that the the people that were in that room can work together in a way that will benefit this District it seems that there is a common denominator here here at work uh and the vital that's being spread and pushed uh by President Matthew silakowski is reprehensible at the October's board meeting it seemed that it was a circus environment discussing the issues with David Cadena and the selection cycle that was being pushed by the president with his signage saying nepotism for number one is a problem so all I'm asking for is this board to come together to work together for the betterment of the children put things in the past behind us work together for the betterment of this district and to find the common good that we are all expected to perform based upon this wonderful Township we' all been elected to do people's work and that's what we're going to do but the vitriol has to stop and uh we need to move forward in a collective Manner and I hope that uh we can all consider the actions of the board president determine the recourse and move on with that said I thank you the board of of education for the time and I look forward to working with you come January thank you thank you anyone else Rich when you're done just sign the book for Dave thank you J good evening everyone this is Kiran wesan Oldbridge uh first of all I like to thank the entire Township the citizens of Oldbridge for considering me and electing me as one of the board members for the 25 to 27 year 2025 to 27 uh term uh I'm sure you know many of you have seen my agenda and that's exactly where I'm going to focus put the past behind there's a long way to go and uh strategy is something very close to me I've been emphasizing that you know in the prior board meetings and uh yesterday I at firstand witnessed uh where we are with the 23 to 25 uh road map right the strategy planning there's a lot of work done but still you know there's a lot of good Improvement we can do so I do acknowledge all the work that has been done in the last one year but I think it's a time for reset so and we'll work together all of us uh starting January I'm looking forward to it uh very much motivated and uh I would again tell you know put back all the things from the past let's look forward and I'm very confident we can do much better in the school district thank you thank you anyone else any old business I have old business okay um so I wasn't at the last meeting regarding uh when they red Mr cadino um my opinion it was um a circus show to be honest um so under old business I would like to add make a motion to add Mr cino's contract to be voted on publicly on Tuesday's board meeting and then I also have a task for the people who are not willing to um vote Yes on Mr shino's contract so my task for the people that don't want to um vote you know keep Mr sadena which is fine that's everybody's opinion that's the best thing of being in this country is you have your freedom of choice however there's facts for keeping Mr cadino and then there's the questions that I have as to what I would like to have done is have Mr silakowski since he's very vocal and very upset about not being made a Woodshop teacher from um 25 years ago um I would like to have Mr slowski just put in a plan in place so like that at least the public cuz I'm not going to be part of the the board so at least the public can have an idea as to what your plan is considering that Mr citadino has to be notified if we're going to keep him or Not by March I think right right so March so that doesn't leave you a lot of time to go through the motions of searching and everything else and now my my task for Mr silow yes with the plan is I would like you to figure out how much an superintendent would cost and then I would like you to calculate that with the cost of bringing in a new superintendent behind the intrum because someone's gonna have to train the new guy to do his job right because you Mr sadino is gonna have April May and June to train the guy that's three months that's 90 days I think Mr wiell had six months training right okay so the new superintendent is going to cost upwards of $257,000 which is in the bottom Echelon of superintendents of what they're making as far as salaries are concerned and considering the work that Mr sadino has done in the district versus other superintendents who are making a lot more money over in Newark Camden where their districts don't even have as much opportunity as our students have here okay but those superintendents are making a lot more money so if you guys think not you Mr lowski if you think that you're going to get a superintendent who's going to make make less than $257,000 plus an intrum superintendent it doesn't make any sense as far as taxpayer money is concerned as you like to say right like everybody on the board we're all concerned about taxpayer money that's why they're citizens of Oldbridge on this board because we're all concerned about the taxpayer how does that make sense just financially right so now I get it no we we don't have to like everybody we don't have to like people right I've whatever we don't have to like people I get that you have a freedom of choice to keep any one of those four you want that's up to you going forward I think it's irresponsible of this board going forward to not have a plan in place to replace the superintendent that's worked tirelessly these last 13 years to to do a good a job in the district to bring us where we are now Blue Ribbon Schools children working at Nasa right graduating from here going to NASA you had an Oldbridge student that wanted to make a move here I mean it doesn't make sense to me I listen I get it I understand okay but I also had my reasons for not supporting the administration when I came on I had my reasons so I would like to make a motion to have the contract voted on on Tuesday if it's second and thirded by two board members that'd be great and I would like Mr solowski to please have a plan to present to the public to at least show them something of what your plan is to do with their money that's that's it thank you very much oh and congratulations Mr Dunn uh think that was record setting 14,000 right um Mr Slade congratulations on your own terms very proud of you uh Mr V good job very proud of you uh Mrs Wix in the back congratulations Carl not congratulations I'm so sorry you did putting Carl Muriel and Brooke it's very hard putting yourself out there and opening up your personal life and getting ridiculed in everything online we all know that right getting accused of stealing signs right right okay so at the end of the day guys listen I I was part of it I'm guilty of it myself I I'm not proud of the way I ran my campaign years ago looking back on it okay um but at the end of the day like you're all still neighbors so I mean attacking people online killing Mr dun's character character assassination is not necessary all right it's not necessary so that's it have a good day thank you any any new business I'll second Mr marquette's motion Mr Cass do you want me to clarify the process on that yes um you can as always you can certainly revisit the issue of the superintendent's contract and that's a decision for the board meaning five it is an appointment it requires five votes uh but as far as placing it on placing the contract on Tuesday's agenda there is no contract uh the the way that it would have to work is there would have to be direction for myself and Mr w to go through the process of drafting the contract getting it out to the county and only after the county would approve a contract that the board would dictate the terms on with the superintendent's consent uh because those are the two parties to any contract uh only then can you take action to vote so certainly the discussion can continue uh what Mr Marquetta is suggesting you know pursuing the issue is up to you as board members as far as a vote goes though we do not have the legal authority to do that on Tuesday because we don't have a contract and we don't have an approved contract Mr point just clarification too um I think there's uh precedence that this board can't bind future boards so even if they had a conversation about it and made an agreement that nothing really could happen to January anyway that's the way I understand of him speaking to uh a few of the attorneys that I spoke to so I think it's just in the best interest of the community to not discuss my contract at least until January when a new board takes place we can get through the holidays have a nice time and uh we come back in a festive mood I think that that speaks to one of the two parties and since you are a party of one now that that's very clear and it is a good idea only because you are a lame duck board and that would be true if all nine of you were going to be board members next year anyway but you're not now we have other board members elect in the room but they're out there and not up here so yes it would be a risk and an inappropriate action it's called ultrav virus which means beyond the authority of uh to enter any sort of a major deal as this board when you have been partially replaced and election and seating of the new members is pending certainly there is no bigger deal than the superintendent contract so yeah let's talk about it again big deal three meetings from now you are a big in January thank you any new business can we at least have Mr lowski next week explain what he plans on doing as far as looking for new con if if he's not going to retain Mr cadino can that can we at least have that you can absolutely ask for that and Mr Sakowski can choose to do that or not to do that that's that's an individual thing but that like like I said earlier the discussion can certainly continue and what what that discussion entails is up to each of you as board members understood thank you thank you any new business um I go guess I just want to address a concerned employee I mean kind of anytime I've had interaction with any employees in the district um I always believe the best in them and stuff like that so it is concerning that we have an employee assuming that the board um thinks they continued in their job because of of a situation so you know although everyone entitled to their individual um opinions and Thoughts with Miss Dunn you know addressing the board as you know a concern that's concerning to me as an individual that I would be lumped into that so I don't know what we do with that like you know never been in this situation before so trying to figure it all out just just based on what we all heard uh 20 minutes ago in in her letter Miss Dunn has requested that board members be provided her evaluations uh that is as we talked about Mr cadino two weeks ago that is her privacy she has every right to wave her own privacy so if Dr hoker if you want to provide those evaluations to the board members you can certainly do that we're not going to discuss them publicly we might not discuss them privately but she has asked for those to be distributed and it is her privacy so at her request that certainly can be done thank you anyone else I would like to make a suggestion um unrelated to anything else that we've been talking about it's something that um I've kind of always been thinking about the last couple of years and something that I feel when I walk into this room um and I I can't you know make anybody do anything but I would really like to request that when we have guests here you know I I know I've been that person who like kind of wants to sit in the back and I just want to hide and anyone to see me but like it's just like look at there's nobody here and everybody is all the way back there like I would love to have everybody come and sit closer like it just seems like a weird situation then I think on top of that I think from the educational standpoint like I don't is that a teacher's desk like is that is that someone's desk back there that we kind of just like it's just yours I maybe you don't care I know but like just having people sit on it and hang out over there I would I would love if everybody would not to be right now but maybe in the future if you would think about coming to sit so that we can kind of all just be a little it's I get it I get it I just this is awkward this is weird just a suggestion but thank you okay anyone else okay I'm GNA close the uh section for the board and the public and we're going to go into adjournment and we do not have a closed session so good night and I will see everybody next week bye do you have a motion yep J down no motion yes second second all in favor I thank you what a meeting [Music] huh what I signed it for somebody I don't know do Dr tu