##VIDEO ID:vtkgY_Vywxw## [Music] welcome to a meeting of the Board of Education of Somerset Hills please be advised that this and all meetings of the board are open to the public and media consistent with the open public meetings act and that advanced notice required therein has been provided there is a meet this is a meeting of the Board of Education of Somerset Hills at which formal action may be taken the public will have an opportunity to be heard as shown on the agenda roll call please Mr Marco Mr Baker here miss Balor here miss Cooper here Mrs D BR pre here miss gills Mr Joyce Miss Nathans here Mrs Santoro here Mrs Ry here and Mrs fenda here okay we are going to be going into executive session the open public public meetings act authorizes a public body to exclude the public from that portion of a meeting at which specified topics are to be discussed under circumstances where the public consideration of such topics will clearly endanger the public or where the personal privacy or guaranteed rights of individuals whose activities or Affairs are to be discussed would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasions and the matters about to be presented for discussion clearly meet the circumstances test of such act the Board of Education of Somerset Hills now adjourns its public session to reconvene an executive session for the purpose of discussing the following Personnel student matters contracts negotiations and litigation can I have a motion to go into executive session Please Mr Baker and a second Miss Ballard thank you and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance it's on it's on I pledge alance 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 not sure if mine is working but I'm loud enough typically um we are going to turn it over to Dr brel for his report of the superintendent and some um wonderful recognition to start thank you Mrs frienda our first uh group of students that we're going to have speak tonight are the Burnsville Middle School uh student speakers uh the first is representing the student council in the fall play uh Siana luckland and uh Sam Emery is representing climate and culture in the fall play so if the Middle School reps could come on up that'd be great how you doing okay I know you're going to do great hi uh my name is Samuel Emory and I'm in eighth grade I've been granted the opportunity tonight to speak at this board meeting about our seventh and eighth grade play that we have just put on our Bernardsville Middle School culture and climate committee and our upcoming winter sports first I would like to talk about The Marvelous play High School Musical junr that the seventh and eighth grade put on for the district on the nights of October 24th and 25th I was blessed with the opportunity to be in this musical along with the musicals for my fifth grade year sixth grade year and seventh grade year I wanted to share some of the things I experienced while being a part of this production backstage the seventh and eighth grade students were a joy to be around and I had the most fun I've ever had while being a part of a production for the school we all laughed and sang and dance together and it was just a joy to be around I also want to thank the people that were able to put the show together Mrs wler and Miss Jurgens they worked hard to put on the best show they could and I want to thank them for putting on so much time and effort into to making the show the best that it could while I'm here I would also like to talk about the Bernville Middle School culture and climate committee which is another group I'm excited to be with I've been on this committee since 6th grade and I'm pleased to say that I've enjoyed it through the years I've been a part of helping plan multiple school activities like culture country versus Country Club which is an event that we do where students dress up either as a person from the country or a person that belongs to a country club in honor of the Hunt in Far Hills I have also helped plan events like School Family Feud and uh candy bracketing contests in which we as a school choose the best candy we also have some upcoming events like a student teacher swap which kids dress up like a teacher and teachers dress up like a student another example is house day our school has four houses which each kid is assigned to when they first enter our school we play games like kickball tic tac toe and even tug of war one thing I love about our school though is even that we have even though we have four houses we still come together at the end of the day as one home finally I would like to talk about upcoming Sports in the winter I will be a part of the school basketball team and I'm excited to see what goes on in our Athletics program another sport we have going on in winter is wrestling I can't wait to hear how our Bulldogs do in Winter for athletics Switching gears real quick unfortunately my co-presenter sienna ekan was unable to present with me this evening she was supposed to speak first and I follow she planned on discussing some of the wonderful clubs and activities we have here at BMS eighth graders met for the first time this week as peer Leaders with Miss pascarelli who's a special group of eighth grade volunteers who are interested in developing their leadership skills by working with with younger students improving School climate and promoting school spirit it will be exciting to see some of the activities they promote thank you for letting me speak [Applause] tonight thank you Sam we're all dying to know the candy of choice wasds okay I'm an M&M's guy but we'll take nerds right very good our burnard's high school student rep is Nora jersak Nora hello everyone I hope you're doing well um I know I was not here for the last meeting but very grateful that Claire F in for me um so to start this evening off there has been a lot happening at BHS recently the first marking period has ended and we are now in the second marking period so grades have been out um so that's well good we have had a few more seniors commit to schools for sports so that's very exciting to see and um I'm in the college readiness class and so we always ring the bell when someone gets in so there has been a lot of bell ringing recently which is just really wonderful even if you're not in the class presently you know just being there for your fellow students and enjoying the joy with them um so far we have had two successful fundraisers and we will be having another fundraiser sort uh next week our club Campbell's butterflies had a crispy cream doughnut sale and they raised just over $500 this money is going towards the team Campbell Foundation as well as the St baldricks event and I have to say the hallways did smell like donnuts for the entire day it was very pleasant um student council ran our dodgeball tournament and it was huge we had 21 different teams all dressed up and I have to say there was a lot of passion balls were flying everywhere um overall they ended up raising $900 which will be going towards the make A- Wish Foundation next week Bernard's girlup Club will also be hosting a cookie walk and their funds will be donated to the UN organization at the last meeting Claire mentioned our fall play Rumors hopefully some of you were able to attend it was a big hit and everyone loved it currently they are holding interest meetings on auditions for the spring musical which is going to be Legally Blonde the National Honor Society has its induction ceremony tomorrow actually in the pack and they have also been very busy they are hosting a blood drive on Tuesday the 26th and students have been signing up during lunch periods to participate so that's really great to see they have also been doing peer tutoring and that has been in full swing and very helpful lots of good feedback um green team has recycled 700 pounds of plastic for the next track plastic recycling challenge which is very nice to see our green initiative we also had a speaker come in during a lunch and they gave a presentation on the history of IM mtion in Somerset Hills so that was really great some students were able to make it on Halloween we had a costume contest and lots of students participated including myself um that was great you know best costume silliest there was group ones it was just overall really wonderful um as far as Sports Go football won the division they did lose in sectional finals but it was a very close game I have to say girls tennis won State sectional finals and they lost in group states with a score of 3.5 to 1.5 girls soccer also won their division and they play second in the sectional fils finals for group two schools that was also a very tight match boys soccer were the conference champions with a 14-4 overall score and a 9 to1 in the conference cheer uh which was recently brought back this year is very exciting they've been doing great at the football games really just bringing the hype as we would say um and just getting that school spirit going uh for cross country girls ranked six in the state for group two and boys ranked second in the state for group two they had one athlete placed 20th in the state and another placed 55th so that's really amazing um the girls volleyball season finish that was also very strong and field hockey while it was not their best um season score-wise they did really great and there was a lot of improvements seen overall So yeah thank you thank you [Music] [Music] Nora our next Honore tonight is uh fora RAM and uh AA is um terrific spell um two years second year uh is her second year uh winning in a row uh she won the friends of the Bernardo Library and Kuman Learning Center uh they've hosted a spelling be um and uh our literacy teacher from the Middle School Mrs McMillan uh also participates as a judge over there uh spelling be was open to any child in 6th 7th or e8th grade who lives in Bernardsville or attends school in Bernardsville and this year 75% of the participants uh hailed from the middle school and EMA took first once again so if I could um have AA come on up we have a recognition for her so I neglected to read the formal Proclamation here for you um so this is a resolution uh honoring you for your academic excellence and it's demonstrated by your second consecutive spelling B Victory whereas the Somerset Hills Board of Education gives special honor and Commendation to those who perform at the highest academic level with effort responsibility and a positive attitude uh whereas you are uh part of our Burnsville middle school and you do Inspire your peers you do Inspire your staff members and all of us uh so very well done and therefore be it resolved that the Somerset Hills Board of Ed ucation resolves that they hereby commend you for your dedication to studying and preparing for the spelling be and for your overall Stellar performance and good sportsmanship during the 2024 Bernville spelling B and when the board meets and adjourns today it does so in honor of your achievement uh the board secretary is directed to have this resolution reflected in the permanent minutes of the board on this 20th day of November 2024 congratulations uh next I'm going to invite Dr Nigel uh we have some honores tonight for our National Merit Scholarship program all right thank you good to see everybody here tonight um I'm going to call each student up we have had a great year 11 commended students and a semi-finalist so um I've asked each of the counselors of the students to just write a quick little blurb about each of you so I'm going to call you up make you stand here while we say nice things about you okay so first up we have Lyla Beckerman lla is a bright driven and ambitious uh with a diverse range of interests which she approaches with enthusiasm and a tireless work ethic she's an exceptional student who gravitates towards chemistry and English she has made remarkable contributions to burnard high school through her leadership roles as the president of the Honor Society co-founder of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander club and co-president of the stem Club L's involvement in her local community stands out as she has volunteered consistently at a local food pantry and worked as a camp counselor congratulations [Music] laa uh next up she couldn't make it tonight but I am going to read uh Andy costabile Andy costabile stands out as a dedicated and enthusiastic student with a Clear Vision for her future and a profound commitment to both her academic and personal goals Andy's academic achievements reflect her genuine love of learning and her determination to understand the world around her Andy's involvement in extracurricular activities is extensive and showcases her leadership teamwork and service to the school Community she's been a vital member of the Bernard girls varsity soccer team a board member for the peer leadership program and a key participant in student council Key Club and best buddies congratulations to Andy next up we we have S deato I think Sil was supposed to come okay we're going to read Sil as well Sil has distinguished themselves at our school through a unique combination of intellectual curiosity creativity and a deep passion for engaging with both classic literature and stem subjects Sil is deeply involved and contributing member of our school Community particularly within the marching band and the ber nerds Club s is a devoted member of the GSA Club where they've been involved for three years consistently supporting and promoting inclusivity within our school outside of school s's passions continue to flourish as they are a lover of diverse musical genres and they enjoy comp composing their own music congratulations to Sil next up we have Ella darowski I see in the back there Ella damasi has distinguished herself not only through her academic achievement but also through her deep passion for understanding and changing the world with a desire to study Foreign Relations or political science and a keen interest in linguistics and English Ella's academic and personal Pursuits are rooted in a genuine curiosity and innate understanding of the power of language and communication what sets Ella apart is her remarkable leadership and commitment to her community Ella serves as a president of the girl up Club an active leader in magical and has earned 12 of Varsity letters participating in soccer basketball and track Ella has also volunteered extensively with the pack Gladstone food pantry congratulations Ella next we have Emma grow Emma is an exceptional student whose creativity analytical skills and dedication have made her stand out in our school Community Emma has excelled academically earning High honors throughout High School is a member of the National Honor Society and secured a prestigious spot in the New Jersey Governor's school for engineering and Technology this past summer as co-leader of the HS women's fencing saber Squad Emma's leadership has helped her team Thrive while her personal achievements include ranking in the top 20 for women's saber in the state Beyond academics and Athletics Emma's passion for service and Community impact make her an outstanding candidate for future success congratulations Emma next up we have Aya Johnson AA is an exemplary student whose intellectual curiosity and compassionate nature have made a lasting impact on our school Community AA excels academically as an AP scholar National Honor Society member and consistent high honor role student demonstrating her passion for both science and the creative arts as a 12-season varsity athlete she leads by example in cross country and track winning sectionals and P vating while fostering inclusive team environment her dedication to serving others seen through her work organizing youth volunteers for a women's shelter Gala and as a lifeguard for the YMCA reflects her deep sense of purpose and commitment to making a difference congratulations Aayla next we have Aiden Kinsey Aiden is an accomplished student leader with a strong background in technical theater and emergency response active in the BHS theater program for four years Aiden serves as stage manager overseeing complex Productions and bringing precision and Leadership to each production Aiden thrives in subjects that challenge his intellect and Foster a Hands-On learning approach as evidence by his remarkable performance on AP Physics Exam earning a score of five Beyond School Aiden serves as a Cadet captain in the Civil Air Patrol an honor achieved by fewer than 3% of cadets where he earned the Amelia airheart award and as a junior firefighter in his local Department showcasing his commitment to service and Community congratulations next up we have Garrett senior Garrett is a quiet leader who sets an example for his peers day in and day out with his Paramount work ethic and profound passion for mathematics and physics his participation in the physics Olympics where he helped his team secure second place showcases not only his academic strength but also his ability to collaborate and lead in addition to his academic commitment Garrett is also dedicated volunteer who has worked with disabled children at a local YMCA in addition to his role as a counselor at soccer skills finally Garrett is recognized as a scholar athlete whose participation in Varsity soccer and golf have allowed him to positively contribute to the fabric of the BHS community and Inspire those around him congratulations Garrett uh Killian schlager do I see Killian I don't see him but I'll read his uh his blurb as well though Killian has long expressed his interest in the science uh Sciences he is a true lover of learning who has exemplified remarkable academic prowess strong sense of curiosity and strong work ethic during his time at Bernards his passion for engineering particularly in the realm of Aerospace has inspired many of Killian's independent projects including a detailed research project in computer AED design software Beyond academics Killian has made significant contributions to our school Community not only has he been editor and chief of the school newspaper the Crimson but he's also served as vice vice president of the stem club and participated in Harvard model Congress where he earned the best delegate award in the committee on homeland security further Killian is also an accom athlete balancing soccer tennis and ski racing and serves as a volunteer firefighter serving over 500 hours in the community congratulations to Killian next up we have Gabe scotten Gabe is a dynamic scholar and a presence at burner's high school he's a strong well-rounded student who wishes to pursue a degree in chemical engineering thanks to his love for science technology and Mathematics Beyond his commitment to his studies gab his very involved outside the classroom serving as a substantial contributor to the school's theater program where he's designed and built sets as well as being an active Key Club science league and chem Club member further Gabe could also be found volunteering in the local libraries Advisory board or working at shoppr right all of which help shape him to become the mature and responsible young man that he is today congratulations Gabe and the last of our commended students is Maria stepanie Stephanie excuse me Maria is a mature well-spoken and selfless young woman whose academic presence is only a shadow of the great work she does outside the class room as the captain of the field hockey team she embodies leadership and teamwork fostering a positive environment where her teammates can excel in her role as a peer leader she has taken on significant responsibilities mentoring freshmen and planning orientation activities that make a lasting impact on their transition to high school her dedication to service is further evident through her involvement in the Key Club where she participates in numerous Community Services initiatives while invested in all of her studies Maria's strongest interests lie at the intersection of stem and Healthcare as she considers a career in the health and medical field one day congratulations Maria and we do have one student continuing the competition who is a National Merit semi semi-finalist that's PR NES Lee PR is a student with a burning passion for Aerospace engineering evidenced by his participation in the physics Olympics where his team plays second in New Jersey as well as the science League he has also pursued internships at NJIT focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence research where he gained experience in cuttingedge technology and CH cist crysty crystallography there we go crystallography research so Advanced I can't even say it uh still his Stellar leadership is marked by his involvement in peer leadership treasurer of the Garden Club and his role as the vice president of his class uh in addition his involvement in Varsity tennis and varsity fencing have only been further highlighted by his recognition as a top eight County qualifier in fencing as well as contributions to to his team's first place win in the culos foil Squad competition congratulations proud well done and good luck uh we also have two uh National Hispanic recognition Award winners uh first up we have Franco Escobar Castro uh Franco is an outstanding student with a passion for Math and interest in pursuing civil engineering a member of the National Honor Society and honor Ro recipient his problem solving abilities especially in adapting to challenging learning environments demonstrate his perseverance and self-awareness as a scholar athlete in BHS and soccer and track Franco has balanced academics with Athletics developing strong team teamwork and Leadership skills congratulations to Franco good job uh and we have one more recog need for National Hispanic recognition award uh she's not able to make it tonight but that's sopia Sophia Leal do Santos Sophia has shown exceptional dedication to both her academics and extracurricular activities she's passionate about mechanical engineering and environmental sustainability uh she has demonstrated uh strong problem solving skills particularly math and has a drive to excel in her studies she has contributed nearly 200 hours to the interc Colgate equestrian Association earning recognition for her commitment Sophia is also a founding member and varsity player on the BHS girls volleyball team where her leadership and perseverance help build the program additionally she is active in volunteer work through the Key Club stem Mentor club and other organizations focus on important causes like food insecurity and mental health awareness so congratulations to Sophia and congratulations to all of you good job thank you Dr Nigel I think one final congratulations to the whole group is uh warranted [Applause] uh Mrs degr pre we have a uh recognition for a retiree sure whereas Phyllis stano has been employed from September 1982 through June 2025 as an elementary school teacher and whereas she exemplified expertise commitment and professionalism in her duties and now therefore be it resolved that the somerson Hill School District and Board of Education recognize philis sto's retirement effective July 1st 2025 and extend her congratulations and best wishes for a happy healthy and enjoyable retirement [Applause] so sorry we have um at the at the high school uh burnard's High School this year earned a silver recognition on the 2024 AP scholar honor role uh schools can earn a space in this honor roll annually with four levels of Distinction raising from bronze through platinum in addition to having full-time 12 uh grade 12 enrollment and being located in the United States uh for a school to earn this recognition it must meet each of the following criteria uh with the most recent graduating class uh college and culture 40% or more of the graduating cohort needs to take at least one AP exam during High School uh 25% or more of the graduating cohort needs to score a three or higher on at least one AP exam during high school and 2% of the graduating cohort um that took five or more AP exams uh during High School needs to take place at least one of those exams uh needs to be taken at 9th grade or 10th grade so that students are spreading their AP experience across grades rather uh than overloading in one uh particular grade uh the high school here offers 22 AP classes and the high school had 68% of its seniors who took at least one AP exam during High School 61% of seniors scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 8% of seniors took five or more AP exams uh we have a uh nearby Bedminster resident uh Dan lauran Larson uh he has a long-standing career in the Coast Guard uh he lives uh over in Bedminster and he collects golf balls and he donates them to the district um he lives over in the burntmill section he takes daily morning walks and heads into the woods strolling across the riverbank um starting in the end of 2023 uh he gathered and cleaned and donated uh 1,01 golf balls to the district uh and uh coach Dan um brought this to our attention and um the golf team definitely benefits from them and believe it or not some of the golf balls he donated to the district found his way back on his walk uh along one of the uh golf courses that he uh that he walks by so um he just kind of appeared to the district and uh he's a great friend to us and he certainly uh performs a great service uh so it's it's kind of fun uh to be able to learn about things like that I'm going to ask for some assistance from Ricky here we our um we have a student at the High school this is the uh showing my age with my glasses situation uh these this is our yearbook the bardian has achieved a host of awards um we may have skipped a slide my friend um I think we need to go back one but the Bernardi and has has won a host of awards uh in the yearbook space and uh continuing a great Trend um we have a uh student at the high school Patel um who earned an award uh called The Best of SN and its School newspaper online uh she wrote an opinion article uh entitled journalism may be eligible for 21st Century Credit uh that was uh selected for publication by SN uh this is the first best of SN for this current school year uh for the high school and the very first entry submitted by the Crimson uh so far this year the best of SN has received 3200 entries and only published 15% of them of those only two have been from New Jersey and uh one of the two is from our very own Ella Patel uh Lola parente was uh honored and and named as the everyday hero uh for this month at the high school uh primarily because she's extremely influential outside of the classroom she's a president of Campbell's flutter lies Club it's an organization whose mission it is to raise awareness and money to fund Childhood Cancer Research Lola recently spearheaded an extraordinary schoolwide fundraiser in honor of her classmate Campbell Hoy who lost her cancer battle uh through her effort she managed to raise along with the school and Community $244,000 for the St baldrick's Foundation a feat that has left our entire School community in awe she not only organized and executed the fundraiser for the school but solicited donations uh of across um our region and um she vows to run it uh again and she hopes to double the amount of money raised that's a big deal um our field hockey coach Sarah ferano was recognized by the New Jersey field hockey coaches association for coaching in her 400th game this season she's ranked in the top 30 alltime in games coached in the entire history of the state of New Jersey and the New Jersey field hockey coaches association has her coaching record at the beginning of this season at 270 115 losses and 15 ties this is her 21st season in Bernards and she is indeed the longest 10e coach in Somerset County congratulations and she and she's here the middle school has a green team they kicked off this school year with a winter coat drive and they are continuing to engage in environmentally focused activities including energy conservation efforts uh upcycling projects scavenger hunts and sustainability initiatives uh they're doing tea planning and garden work uh they will culminate their activities this year in various eco-friendly events and earthday events the high school has a girlup club and they started an empowerment initiative last year uh one of the components for the club is to create an informative display in the history hallway display case every month for VAR various Heritage Month celebrations with goals to decorate educate and celebrate uh for October uh the girlup club collaborated with the Spanish club to learn about and to honor all things of uh Hispanic heritage uh during that month Bedwell has uh the bwell club uh the bwell girls is an Afterschool Wellness program that takes place at Bedwell it promotes positive emotional social and mental and physical development in girls specifically it combines a variety of Fitness activities meditation and art projects with lessons designed to encourage girls to embrace their individual strengths be well girls provides girls with fun and creative ways to express their feelings to discover what they're good at make connections and to overall stay healthy themes include self-respect stress body image team building communication navigating friendships mindfulness and fitness through activities such as art exercise meditation discussion dance self-care and yoga we have an art club and an art program at our middle school and it exists uh for students who want to expand a variety of skill sets and knowledge in a in a multitude of areas uh in art we have an open Studio environment and they are able to explore an array of media and materials um to uh explore their creative side um and um Miss chaffy is our adviser there and she's doing just beautiful work we recently held a Veterans Day ceremony at the high school and uh we honored alumni from the classes of 1963 and 1964 uh who served in our country in the Vietnam War uh we hosted a small recognition ceremony and uh we had a uh a large Gathering of alumni from 1963 and 1964 uh who came back for the event and um the students present day students here had the opportunity to thank them uh for their service and um one of the big takeaways that I had that that the folks wanted to impart not only to also uh those of us in the community that were in attendance was to take the opportunity to thank a veteran and they talked about how far that does go um just a simple thank you for your service um you know was reinforced with me and with the audience how important it is uh to hear that and um they uh did attend a football game later that week uh many of uh the servicemen and service women that were in attendance and they challenged the students to uh thank them or thank a veteran and uh when they see them and they uh a few of them did come up to me and said uh that the Bernards high school students did uh did a great job and and and did did Take debate so uh it was great thing to see and hear um additionally staff and students participated in the red white and blue day uh they raised money for the GI go fund uh social studies teacher Kelly Clark at the high school facilitated this project and she also facilitated the purchase of the banners saluting the veterans that are on our campus on our light poles many of you have commented about them outside and um you know certainly well received by Mrs Clark um we've had an opportunity to have some great Community connections with the kids over at Bedwell uh there was a national walk to school day event uh early in the school year and our uh burners Ville Fire Company number one uh has spent some time over at Bedwell uh teaching the youngsters about all things about fire safety um and let this be a reminder to all the adults in the room uh to change the batteries and your fire alarms if you haven't already if they're not hardwired um it's always a good thing to do um and uh one of the one of the key areas of success for any child is to be able to have Outlets outside of the academic day uh the district here has a robust extracurricular program that um is offered to students uh through various clubs that that take place after school uh the high school did conduct uh what I would consider to be a very successful club and Student Activities Fair uh for that extracurricular program early on in the year uh was kids had the opportunity to um examine different opportunities that that met their interest level and um you know it really was uh was great to see we have our Pathways to success UC we do anticipate being able to publish our second edition for the school year at the winter break um and that is available on our website and our Friday folders are um always popular so if you not signed up for the Friday folder be certain to do that um I serve the burrow of Bernardsville on the as a trustee on the Burnville Public Library uh board and last night we had a board meeting and one of my colleagues on the board uh shared with me that his mother lives in Arizona and um she has the Friday folder and she gets it every Friday and she forwards along things to her educator friends in her community so there's like a gaggle of folks in Arizona that do get the Friday folder as well which I which I thought was great um moving on uh to some more District level uh updates we are in a uh an annual auditing cycle now uh we're being um audited in two separate areas the first area is What's called the the quality single accountability Continuum uh every District in New Jersey goes through this process every 3 years uh there are five areas um that what we call qac examines they examine instruction and program uh what's involved in instruction and program is um a combination of really more uh compliance and evaluation of our curriculum to ensure that uh all of our curricula that we Avail to the students uh and that the board approves is connected to the appropriate State Standards um as set forth by the New Jersey Board of Education um and the second half of the instruction and program score is connected to student achievement uh so those two scores merge together and you create one output for instruction and program uh there's also um sections in the area of personnel uh in the area of governance and governance is a lot of our board functions uh there's a section in operations and there's a section in the area of Finance uh so those five sections come together and um the state conducts um like I said an assessment in those areas uh we do conduct a uh a compliance upload uh to the Department of Education for and provide a variety of documents and and information kind of to the department at their request um and uh they do follow up with on-site visits uh during the school year uh to speak further about particular areas of Interest or um areas of emphasis at the department uh we have a s a safety and health evaluation process as well um that is done every year uh but this year they also combine that with an on-site visit as well uh so what they will do in our health and safety visits in December is they will uh look in a lot of our instructional spaces uh they'll look predominantly or they they really do pay particular attention in our preschool and kindergart spaces uh in our science labs in our nurses office in our gened spaces um and um they conduct you know a or they verify that um all of our systems and structures and facilities are in uh in proper working condition uh so the health and safety evaluation will take place in December and that will be conducted by the County Business uh administrator um we also have um we're part of cohort 2 for uh special education program monitoring um the state splits Folks up into six cohorts uh so we are in in a um we're we're in cohort 2 and they will monitor all of all of our practices um to improve our results and our outcomes uh with students with disabilities um they will also develop uh support plans as needed um in the event that there are particular areas um in our compliance um that they would like to see done differently uh Etc um the design is to um examine the needs of the school district uh in the area of special education uh it also emphasizes compliance in the area of idea that's the individuals with disabilities Education Act and it ensures that idea and our outcomes are aligned to student achievement um monitoring will include um a an audit of our programs and audit of our kids to ensure that they're being placed in a least restrictive environment um they will examine IEPs they will examine how they're implemented they will examine our transition um initiatives for students that are uh 16 they'll examine uh discipline and any restraint or seclusion um that may um have taken place in a particular time period and for a particular group of our most atrisk students they will examine our Dynamic learning map participation and evaluation processes there uh so we're we're in the tier one phase of that uh that concludes uh in the early winter and uh we will provide um about 30 student um records and evaluation information to the department uh for them to examine uh for compliance purposes uh there's a tier two which is based on your tier one um interaction with uh the department so if that um if that comes to fruition I will certainly update the board on December 12th we are having a uh task force examine uh two website hosting platforms and we're looking forward to that um our website is um aging and in need of a significant ific refresh uh we're also starting to uh engage in our strategic planning work for um really for 2030 Believe It or Not uh so I would like to get a group of uh interested stakeholders in our community parents staff uh certain students uh to create a success or strategic plan um that will replace the expiring plan and we are well into our district uh budgeting uh cycle for uh the next fiscal year um next week all the schools and departments will have their budgets in to me and Jenny and uh we will begin our processes uh in advance of engaging with the finance committee of the board and the various Committees of the board uh for further examination and consideration and review uh so uh we're we're deep into into that uh we will have a budget Retreat uh in early March or mid-march depending upon when the state um establishes their their hearing dates Etc and their requirements um in late March very early April we will adopt a tenative budget um and um authorize the administration to work through the approval Logistics with the County Office of Education and then in late April you will uh adopt a final budget uh moving forward in the area of our lower fields at the high school uh tonight there's a motion on the agenda to allocate uh resources and to renovate and enhance the baseball field the softball field and the adjoining outfields between those two Fields um there's an allocation on the agenda for $110,000 that allows for the work that I reported at the October public meeting it also allows for further renovation of the baseball infield uh that has been uh requested in multiple public engagements I've had with folks um particularly connected to the baseball program uh so I'm looking forward to um drafting a purchase order tomorrow uh and then moving that work forward uh this process as the board knows has been comprehensive uh there are multiple issues that we've examined with the lower Fields uh We've identified multiple options to remedy those issues uh the drainage issue ues uh will remain uh frankly due to e e economic factors um but both Fields will have renovated playing surfaces in advance of spring season so that would be baseball softball and the Outfield of joining both um we did have some some significant uh Partnerships not only with folks that are connected to baseball and softball uh but also with various committees on the board our facility and operations committee I'd like to thank in addition to the finance committee um allowing me to have the space to to take a deep dive into what's in the best interest here of uh playability and getting up and running for spring of 25 which uh frankly is right around the [Music] corner uh so some you know Bittersweet uh personally bittersweet and for the district bittersweet news uh our business administrator Mr Demarco is leaving the school district um her next chapter begins on December 15th um she leaves us uh in a very strong position from a fiscal perspective uh she has done a tremendous amount of work and allowed us uh to do a great amount of work uh with respect to our facilities particularly uh in the last uh two two to three years we've done a lot of lot of great work here um she's been a uh an absolute Rock and uh we wish her well uh we thank her for her service and um you know certainly um we're all very hopeful that your next chapter is as enjoyable as I'm sure this [Applause] was uh so that leaves us with a motion that is on the agenda for tonight to approve School Office Solution to provide some consultant services in the area of school business um that is um it's going to be a consultancy model uh we will also in December approve an interim business administrator and board secretary to serve the district and concert with school Office Solutions as well um so um that's on the horizon for Mr Marco's um replacement uh looking ahead I spoke about budget development um we will be reviewing our enrollment projections in January uh we conducted an enrollment study in February 2024 uh and uh we will be um going through the information found therein uh there are projections uh assuming no new development and there are projections assuming new development based upon um some some activity that's taking place at the planning board um so we will uh be doing that in January our enrollment projections do have an impact on our staffing they do have an impact on our budget and um you know they do have an impact on uh putting the budget together uh our board will reorganize uh in January and we will take some time in December to um to to thank and to recognize our outgoing board members um strategic planning is on on is on the horizon uh as is the What's called the midyear budget review with the New Jersey Department of Education uh additionally although it's not on on the slide but it certainly is a speaking Point uh we have two employment contracts uh with our Education Association and our administrative um Association that we are in the process of uh engaging in negotiation successor contracts for uh they're at the beginning but certainly uh we're beginning that work um and um you know looking forward to uh an online an ontime uh settlement for both and uh lastly I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to uh the board and certainly the community here tonight you go thank you very much Dr brochel um at this time we will move on to the public comments for actionable agenda items we very much welcome input from the Public Public comments are welcome at this time on any actionable agenda item towards the end of the meeting there is a second public forum on any topic please state your name and address comments are limited to 3 minutes at 3 minutes you will be interrupted and asked to pause to allow any other members of the public who would like to speak an opportunity to do so an individual May return to the podium to complete their statement after everyone else has had an opportunity to speak for a total of two times at the podium please understand that our public forums are not structured as question and answer sessions but are offered as opportunities to share your thoughts with the board in instances where the board feels there's a misunderstanding or inaccuracy the board president or superintendent May address the comment in accordance with New Jersey statute the board will not discuss matters regarding spec specific Personnel public comments will be limited to 30 minutes for this session a reminder for all parties and attendance to remain respectful and that there should be no interaction between the speaker and the audience and no me and no members of the audience should interfere with or interrupt a speaker's comment we thank you in advance for your input and I just I'm going to direct any speakers to Mr Marco's timer which will countdown from three minutes to make you aware of your time remaining before I would have to interrupt is there anyone who would like to take the podium on an actionable agenda item at this time no okay then can I get a motion to close public comment comments please uh Miss Nathans and Miss Cooper thank you we will then move on to the approval of the minutes I will ask for a motion to approve the minutes the from the public input and action and executive meeting minutes for October 16th 2024 and the special meeting and executive meeting minutes for November 12th 2024 can I get a motion to approve the minutes please miss Santoro and Miss Ry and is there any discussion related to the minutes no okay then roll call please Mr Marco Mrs Santoro yes Mrs Ry yes Mr Baker yes Miss ballor yes Miss Cooper yes Mrs de gr pre yes Miss gills yes Miss Nathans yes and Mrs fenda yes motion carries okay thank you um we are going to do a little bit of movement here on the agenda this evening uh it is noted on your agenda that the finance committee report would be next but given information that is going to be shared through facilities and operations it makes more sense for them to present their committee report this evening first and then finance will follow so miss Santoro if you could please give the report of fno okay so fno met on November 5th at 5: p.m. um we had um most members in attendance with our um sub Felicia joining us and um Miss DeMarco and Dr brel um we predominantly discuss the BHS lower fields and the 2526 capital projects um so Dr brosel just spent a lot of time talking about the lower Fields And as we've discussed pretty much every month since August the committee um has been working with the administration to understand what is going on and how best to proceed for our students and um uh staff so as Dr brel said this has been a well-developed plan we've done a lot of research we've considered budget and things that we can do um within a reasonable time frame so I won't belabor what has already been explained but I will say that the committee is in support of moving forward with the work on the agenda um the allocation of $110,000 to do the work um to improve the lower Fields baseball softball and the adjoining Outfield so um you know if we have any discussions or more questions about that we can do that after the report um we then spoke about the uh 2526 capital projects and we just at a high level discussed the projects that are currently under consideration for next year they would include the tennis courts um um there is repair that needs to happen over that um over at the tennis courts so that is one of the main considerations and renovations to the pack we've done some improvements over the past few years but the audio package and a curtain replacement remains um we discussed cell booster at the middle school and door access and security that security at all buildings finally we got an update on the turf lights the applic the application was submitted to the planning board and we are awaiting the date for our courtesy review with the planning board real briefly we touched on um the BHS track that is complete now officially right yep so we are very pleased to see that that work was completed and hope everybody is enjoying the new track out there um we got a brief update on breakfast because we started serving breakfast this year um service numbers have been low but it is still new and we feel like students are just getting used to this as an option so the staff is working on making sure that everybody is aware that it is available and um working on ways to make sure that it is um you know that the kids know that they can come and get this and I think it'll evolve evolve over time um and then we have two items left the administration reviewed the new Oprah requ request form this is based on a new this is based on state law so the form requires some additional details from the requester and some ATT sorry help me with that word attestations regarding legal proceedings sorry about that um and then we talked about um utilizing our current Architecture Firm solution architecture to help with referendum tasks that we are considering for next year and what we are looking uh Dr brochel is recommending that we hire them to do two items of work a districtwide facilities health check which will cost $76,000 but um in reviewing the materials it's going to provide us with a wealth of information on the facilities each of our schools what we currently have in place we don't really have any plan to expand on so we have to make sure that we're maximizing the space that we have so it would um consist of a review of all of our buildings and facilities and document that and make recommendations for how we can approve it improve them and then also a uh pre-referendum uh Communication Service proposal which would is on the agenda for 68,500 this is um to support the work if we decide to move forward with a referendum of um getting prepared to do that working with all the various um stakeholders and community members and um really helping us to prepare to put that forth to the community okay thank you so much so then at this time I'd like to ask for a motion to approve action items number 1 through six on the agenda Miss Santoro would anyone like to make a second Miss Nathan's and discussion regarding facilities and operations yes Mr R um I just excluding myself because I'm on the committee I just really want to uh commend the the committee on the extensive work that they' put into trying to fix the very dire problems in the lower field um and I know that I've heard people say to me well it's all about football all the time and I just want to let the community know that it's just not um the problems there are real and there that the committee cares very much about those problems and is working to its fullest extent to fix them is there anybody else regarding fno no Sam can I I I did neglect one thing on our report here um that we are going to recommend also Administration is recommending and the committee supports to use sport care to maintain the fields once the work has been done our team has done a terrific job it's a lot of work and it's only a small portion of everything that they do um so after the work has been completed there is a company that provides specific upgrades or maintenance work to Fields so um you know we are going to recommend that we use that going forward and it's a level of specialization that while our our maintenance and custodial staff are amazing they they have a lot that they are responsible for so this is a level of specialization and uh a maintenance uh contract to that end would certainly be very beneficial in extending the life of um the work that we will be putting in so yeah thank you is there anybody else nope okay then roll call please Mr Baker yes Miss Ballard yes Miss Cooper yes Mrs de grume yes Miss gills yes Miss Nathan yes Mrs Santoro yes Mrs Ry yes and Mrs fenda yes motion carries okay thanks so much and now we will jump back on the agenda to the report of the finance committee Mr Baker thank you um the finance committee met um November the 5th uh for about an hour all committee members were in in attendance along with Dr brochel and Mrs DeMarco we discussed uh six items that I'm going to talk about tonight um as far as the budget goes um we talked about um a lot of Dr brel to talked about in in his initial presentation that we're going to um adopt the calendar the calendar is the same calendar just goes through what we have to do between now and May so the calendar is the same as last year but with just some new dates on it so we're going to present the draft budget to in this meeting on March the 19th will be a draft it'll be a tenative budget we're going to have have a hearing on April the 30th um and we can approve the budget that night if the board feels so inclined based on what the public may or may not tell us um the next item we talked about were the capital projects and and um I'm not going to go over those again because Mr santor did a great job talking about those but we're we're going to work on those the next couple of months seeing what we can what are the critical items what can we do now um based on what the budget is and based on the audit that we we just finished with the last school year which we'll get the final report in in a couple months we think we can move about a million5 to a million 7 into the capital reserve for um for next year's budget so that numberers in in in that ballpark so all those capital projects can be part of that that money along with what's already there too so but you don't want to down you don't want to spend the whole thing way you want to leave something there so we have to play with that um we talked about the drainage on the lower Fields um and that's number 11 that's on the agenda item which will'll be approving at 110,000 not to exceed um I think it's important if if we didn't mention I can think of is once these fields are fixed we don't want anybody we we don't want the football team or the soccer team or anybody else down there practicing because it's not a good idea so we have plenty of other fields now um at the polar grounds and allot um we have three donations we're going to approve on the agenda number 13 and 14 um one is from the pack parents for $22,000 which will go toward the microphones to be used in the pack to give the um the audio much better than it is now we got another $2,000 from the community and crisis organization which is right down here on Church Street for $2,000 to help uh pay a stien for for for the wellness club um and um that's all and there's an item on the personnel uh agenda for approving those members who will received that stien uh we talked about the referendum as Mrs um Santoro mentioned and you know we're going to be um we gave we gave approval to Dr brochel to spend the money for our architect on those two items to get the referendum going correctly and we'll be reporting on the referendum probably every every month from now until until next November um and I think that's all I have to talk about okay so I will turn it back to Mrs frienda thank you so much Mr Baker so then I would like to ask for a motion to approve action items number 1 through 18 on the agenda please I'll make the motion Mr Baker and a second Mr Grand pray okay and discussion okay roll call please Mrs Ry yes Mr Baker yes Miss Bard yes Miss Cooper yes Mrs de grum pre yes Miss gills yes Miss Nathans yes Mrs Santoro yes and Mrs frienda yes motion Carri okay and at this time I would like to ask if anybody has anything for old or new business for finance or fno no okay thank you then we will move on to the report of the curriculum committee Miss Cooper thank you uh the curriculum committee met Tuesday November 5th for two hours Mr Baker Miss frienda Miss Santoro and I attended along with Dr broer broel Dr Butler Miss Bara Mr Catelli Dr ederton and Dr Walker so we had a lot of exciting topics to discuss including several new course proposals for the 2024 to 2025 school year first Dr ER proposed a leadership and college writin class for high school juniors to be held in the spring currently seniors can enroll in an elective in the fall that assists with the college application process but many students start the process before they take they can take the elective by offering a similar course for juniors interested students would be able to navigate the college exploration process in the spring to get a jump start on the process in the proposed course Juniors will work on college essays compile research on potential college options compile person person personal learning style and aptitude surveys and present an oral report to the class on a Prof profession of their choosing it will also include a leadership development component and a series of presentations by business and Community leaders the cost of the course will include the cost of Staffing and approximately $1,000 for curriculum writing uh next Mr Catelli joined us to discuss restructuring the ESL support program at the high school currently ESL support is divided into beginner ESL support and intermediate ESL support this format is somewhat limiting for students and difficult to schedule given the necessary course requirements since since ESL support is highly individualized and students are given tailored instruction regardless of the level to which they are assigned Mr Catelli proposes calling it ESL support without the indicated levels this change will not affect instruction but it will provide additional scheduling flexibility uh Miss Barna then proposed rewriting the journalism to class at the high school to count as a 21st century life and career requirement currently journalism 2 is an English elective in which students serve as the as top level editors of the school newspaper the Crimson currently this course is an elective only and does not fulfill any graduation requirements unfortunately instances have been reported in which students cannot take journalism too because they need to take a course that fulfills a graduation requirement consequently Miss Barner proposes to revise the journalism to curriculum so that it provides students the opportunity to meet the career readiness life literacies and key skills curricular standard enabling the course to fulfill the 21st century life and careers graduation requirement um the cost of this course will include the cost of Staffing 600 for $600 for curriculum writing and a 5,000 and $5,000 for a technology update including the acquisition of a new or updated device or computer Miss Barna also presented a proposal to restructure the coral program at high school currently first year students with upper voices or Altos and Sopranos are enrolled in chorus while first year students with lower voices or teners and bases are enrolled in the concert choir after the first year all students can either move to or continue continue in concert choir or try it from our mcals in the new model Miss Bara and Mr leine proposed to run two different courses for first year students one for students with upper voices and one for students with lower voices after the first year all students will try out for either Corral or madal students who are not accepted into Corral or madal can stay the introductory Coral class according to miss Bara and Mr leine the new model will increase Equity among students provide better tiering of levels of student performance provide multiple levels of achievement to allow for more growth and development and facilitate the retention of students through their four years of High School uh finally Miss Walker proposed a new new dual enrollment course through the University of Delaware on entrepreneurship this dual enrollment course will provide students with the opportunity to take a business elective without the need for the district to hire a certified business teacher the entrex curriculum will be licensed from the University of Delaware on an annual basis and can be taught by any High School's teacher with an interest in business who is willing to undergo training the entx curriculum provides a comprehensive introduction to entrepreneurship through experiential learning reflection and an evidence-based approach students will explore real world problems and transform them into opportunities the class of the proposed course includes the cost of Staffing $1,500 for the annual curriculum LIC licensing fee which will be waved if 10 or more students participate and $1,900 for a one-time staff training free and $500 for minor curriculum revisions the curriculum fully supports supported each of these proposals and was particularly enthusiastic about offering the college wri inous course for juniors and the new dual enrollment course with Udell uh committee members asked whether there were resources available to support kids interested in the entrepreneurship who but could not pay the feed to enroll this in this option and um uh according to Dr Butler and Dr uh brochel funds are not reserved for this in the budget but there are ways for these fees to be covered for students who can't afford them we are also encouraged by the fact that the ESL structur restructuring will provide more flexibility enabling students requiring ESL support to more easily fulfill their course requirements and take the classes they're interested in next Dr ederton joined us to discuss a potential solution to a staffing challenge at at the middle school unfortunately the Administration has been unable to find a tech certified technology teacher to fill leave position to fill this Gap Dr ederton proposes to offer uh middle school students an enrichment course focused on stem um called enrichment in independent investigations this course will be designed to provide students in grades 5 through eight with opportunities to engage in independent investigation CED around stem topics students will be introduced to the independent investigation method of identifying an appropriate research inquiry conducting research and developing a product through a project that represents their research by allowing students to explore various interests through guided guided research this course aims to enhance their critical thinking ski problem solving skills and um prepare them for advanced studies scientific literacy and future stem opportunities and Dr ederton did indicate this en enrichment experience would also provide an opportunity to Pro explore research-based Concepts tested in grades five and 8 um in the N njsla science exams the committee recognized that this may be the best solution to a difficult Staffing challenge given that technology teachers are in very high demand a Committee Member suggested expanding the course to include the Arts uh by expanding the focus from stem to steam um we then moved on to a discussion about the youth Summit held last month to address anti-Semitism and inquired about next steps to teach to reach students who are not identified as student leaders we also briefly discussed the key highlights from our trip to the um the NJ SBA convention which all committee members attended sessions on AI were particularly po popular and instructive the next items on the agenda were field trips and professional developments and school business requests no concerns were raised by the committee regarding any of these requests Dr brochel then recommended that the board join the do the Garden State Coalition of schools an association of approximately 100 school districts that serves 300,000 students primarily in Suburban areas this um Association Advocates the state level for Quality public education in New Jersey and also serves its members and the public by informing them of key legislative and educational developments Dr brochel recommended that the district joined this Coalition because he has historically found it to be a very very useful the committee agreed given that it has a constant presence in Trenton and that it has the ability to mobilize local Educators State leg legislators and policy makers when needed Dr Butler then shared the draft of the AI plan proposed by the committee this plan offers Broad and general guidance to provide flexibility as the field rapidly evolves Dr Butler emphasized the need for additional uh professional development in AI um uh before the meeting Dr Butler shared the draft of the high school uh School profile we did not discuss it during the meeting and finally the administrator shared the response of the County Education Program development specialist Susan Brer to our curriculum after her review of it uh she said quote St such a stunning curriculum comprehensive the right amount of language to convey intent and succinct unquote congratulations to the curriculum Specialists and the administrative team for their hard work and dedication and that that concludes my report thank you so much then at this time I would like to ask for a motion to approve action items number one through four on the agenda I'll make the motion okay M Cooper and a second Mr gr pray and is there any discussion related to curriculum I have a question um Nicole I'm I'm not understanding how um Mr catelli's point of changing it to ESL support is he getting rid of the levels levels one two threes or is he condensing them can you no I'm have the answer um no what he's doing is is uh changing the title of some of these courses so that there's more flexibility for our M Mo students in the other courses that they're taking so that if they need um a particular level of support that's only offered at one time this way they could take it at a different time allowing them to then increase the number of other courses they could take so everyone will still get the same um level of support that they need there'll just be more flexibility within their schedules okay thanks is there anybody else for curriculum no okay then roll call please miss Ballard yes Miss Cooper yes Mrs Dume yes Miss gills yes Miss Nathans yes Mrs Santoro yes Mrs Ry yes Mr Baker yes and Mrs frienda yes motion carries okay thank you and then is there anybody who has anything for New or Old business for curriculum future agenda I would like to revisit the um Health curriculum the optin versus opt out if you can you just clarify what part of that you'd like us to revisit the part where the parents have to opt out of it rather than opt into it okay I think because I know you cited somebody cited uh par uh 1% not par non-participation 6% non-participation the following year job to one I just want to make sure that it's not slipping through the cracks and that parents are aware of this because I've spoken to parents who aren't aware that this this is in the curriculum so they're not knowing and they're sending their kids into the school receiving information that they may not feel their child is ready to receive or that they want to address themselves so and if if the committee is so confident why not just do an opt in we have time to do that this year I'm just going to interrupt because now we're going into discussion that would take place at the committee level this is just for the committee for the ne meeting okay but just uh my I'm just looking to clarify what the ask is for the administration so what I hear you saying is that you want us to articulate to the committee the effort that uh we will formalize to apprise All Families of their ability to opt out no I want them to be able to opt in and forget the opt out okay so we'll yeah we'll certainly be able to discuss that in committee okay thank you y and just to that um I had shared with Miss Cooper that we had had a community recommendation of another way to um have the opt out forms there or whatever occurs with opt-in or opt out so I know that was going to be brought to the next committee meeting as well for curriculum does anyone else have anything for New or Old business for curriculum no okay then we will move on to Personnel okay the policy and Personnel committee met on November 4th um for two hours Miss Ballard Miss gills Miss fenda Dr brel and I were in attendance um in regards to Personnel we reviewed the uh current agenda okay thank you so much then I would like to ask for a motion to approve action items number 1- 12 on the agenda Mr Grand Pre and Miss Ria second is there any discussion related to Personnel okay roll call please miss Cooper yes Mrs G Grande yes Miss gills yes Miss Nathans yes Mrs Santoro yes Mrs Ry yes Mr Baker yes Miss ballor yes and Mrs fenda yes motion carries okay and is there any new or old business as it relates to Personnel for future agendas nope okay well then we're moving on to policy Mr gr prite okay so we started the policy portion of our discussion with a discussion around 5710 which is facility use policy um since the last discussion um that we had here in public there was discussion with the Youth Sports organizations um and they were amable to doing a Time study for concerns in terms of the lighted fi times within the district and seeing now that we do have lighting at Polo Grounds if there was enough lighting from the town Fields plus I were predetermined to 8:00 P.M and 16 visits past 800m um they were going to provide feedback to the board and continue to have discussions if they do run into field constraints the committee at this point was comfortable moving forward um with the current lighting times and the prior recommended changes that we talked about here in regards to removal of the pop warner language that was there and the light fees being removed um in the policy section so this policy will be looking to be moved forward um when it is deemed appropriate for the lighting changes to be placed in the policy um we then went on to talk about volunteer coaches booster clubs and the followup of the combination of those two policies for cross referencing um the volunteer coaches policy was reviewed um looking to see if the financial cap language for donations to volunteer coaches was in there to match the booster club policy um so that will be getting um some additions and additionally the committee discussed um in regards to volunteer coaches and coaching their own children that may reside within their households on fields um and overall the committee felt that this could lead to potential bias either conscious or unconscious of the volunteer coaches um and recommended that we do take a look at this in terms of placing direct coaching positions with um their children as a volunteer position so Dr brochel was going to work with the ad to determine um how this was currently and look at our policy implementation in regards to that so this will be coming forward as well with the changes with the inclusion of the financial language in the future um we also had a presentation on artificial intelligence I won't reiterate that um but it will be coming back to the policy committee to um on probably a biannual Cadence for looking at updates um that may need to be placed as well as there was a discussion around input from the recent school boards presentations and other districts um that have some robust policies to try and take a look at some of theirs and see what we could um Implement in ours as well we then had a lengthy discussion regarding policy 5756 that which is transgender students the New Jersey law against discrimination and the NJ dooe communication regarding guidance for for District's on TR cender students the largest voice concern was around Suicide Prevention risk with student population and parent notification status without a verbal activ ver without a active verbalization of suicide intent first the district respess all students and their rights to trender expression secondly the district takes all student mental health and suicide risk incredibly seriously and third the district is happy to partner with any families on student gender transition and currently does the concern is around the students notification the school's notification of parents when students do not include parents yet in the discussions of their gender expression this would currently be in violation of our policy and the doe recommendations and the NJ uh law against discrimination the committee is aware of a number of districts that are in current litigation surrounding the transgender policy and parent notification and the committee opted to continue to track current litigation and await further legal determinations prior to making any changes in the meantime we will continue to support our students in any way that we possibly can um we did also go on to review um the current policy agenda items which are none for Action below this time okay thank you so since we don't have any items um to move this month I would ask if there is any discussion related to the policy report yes um I know we spoke about waiting on the outcomes of these uh cases but who knows how long that can take so why why must we wait on on that I mean it was clearly stated it was not law you're keeping pertinent information from parents about their child not our child and it contradicts with another policy where if a child is suicidal we have to inform the parents okay so let me take some time just to share that there is guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education um that speaks in no uncertain terms to superintendents and they have outlined this guidance um and I'm just going to um read a few of the areas of guidance that I think are critical to this particular area of of inquiry regarding the policy um because this this is the merging of three separate areas of Direction the first is the New Jersey law against discrimination uh the second is Board of Education policy and the third is a directive to school districts from the office of the commissioner so I'm going to read to you what the commissioner tells us to do and you're going to hear a lot of what is in our policy um just so the intended purpose of the guidance is to help school and District administration to take steps to create an inclusive environment in which transgender and gender non-conforming students feel safe and supported and to ensure that each school provides equal education opportunities for all students in compliance with Administrative Code communication with that student is Paramount schools and school districts are encouraged to communicate openly albeit confidentially with students regarding their transgender status or gender identity proper communication with the student will ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to determine a student's preferences and address potential privacy concerns and Associated risks to the students wellbeing a school district shall accept a student's asserted gender identity parental consent is not required there is no affirmative Duty for any school district Personnel to notify a student's parent or guardian of the student's gender identity or expression a parent or Guardian May object to the minor students's name change staff should refer to the student in accordance with the student's chosen name and pronoun at school and may consider providing resource information regarding family counsel in and support services outside of the school district the school district should be mindful of disputes between minor students and parents and Guardians concerning a student's gender identity and expression School District Personnel should have open but confidential discussion with the student to ascertain the student preference on matters such as chosen name chosen pronoun to use and parental Communications such school or School District should discuss with the student and any other individuals at the students request the risk associated with the students's transgender status being inadvertently disclosed school districts must comply with uh Administrative Code which prohibits the harassment intimidation and bullying of students school districts should provide staff training on sensitivity social emotional learning Concepts School District shall honor and recognize a student's asserted gender identity in the area of confidential confidentiality and privacy School Personnel may not disclose information that may reveal a student's transgender status except as Allowed by law school district shall keep confidential urrent new or prospective students transgender status due to a specific and compelling need such as the health and safety of a student or an incident of bias related crime a school district may be obligated to disclose a student's status the school district should inform the student that the school intends to disclose the student's transgender status for the students's protection and well-being prior to disclosure the student should be given the opportunity to personally disclose that information these and and other items serve as direction for how School principles and school administrators um work through these particular areas uh we also have a suicide prevention policy um which candidly is is an extraordinarily serious um event and extraordinarily important policy and um certainly if there is a child in our care that is is actively suicidal uh we would certainly Implement um all necessary measures to ensure their safety uh as applicable to the commissioner's directive um there has not been an update to the directive in some time um I would say this is approximately four or five years old uh and this absent any policy and absent the law against discrimination this is what serves as my fall back right but you said it in the beginning it's guidance it's not law so I just want to be clear this is what I will follow yeah and and I want to I want to make a statement here because I had the opposite um reaction and I appreciate the robust conversation that you had in committee and the report on it but this board has by the majority made a decision to that this policy 5756 is beneficial for CH for children it's support W our transgender students and so I had the opposite reaction in obviously we need to stay arest of the law and legal changes um that's our responsibility but I'm not sure why we're waiting on anything the board by majority vote upholds this policy and thinks it's the right and good thing to do for our transgender students so I'm not sure why we're actually this is on the table again I mean it's your prerogative to put it there however I do think that it has been in discussion for at least 2 years it has been decided by the majority and I'm not you know waiting for districts that overturn the policy and are now having legal ramifications for that I you know that to me is we're we have a policy the board voted by majority for this policy and it is a good policy that supports the students in our okay I just want to be clear I want to be clear I do not want to eradicate 5756 and a lot some of the language you used implied that that's what I want I don't these children need to be protected what concerns me is not involving the parents with a group of students or or children students who have about an 80% suicide ideation and about a 41% attempted suicide and we are keeping that information from the people who are their parents or Guardians that is the thing that I find offensive in that policy not the whole policy but I get to know or Dr brochel gets to know that my son is transgendered but I don't and I think that's really really inappropriate and and it goes beyond the scope of what a school is meant to do if you're trying to protect our transgendered students We are failing them because they're coming to us saying I feel like I am in the wrong body I belong in this body this is my these are my pronouns these are my name this is my name we respect that but you already know now that this child is at a high risk for suicide 41% is a pretty high risk I I mean if you told me look your kid has the 40 41% risk of suicide do would you like to chance it no I wouldn't like to chance it so that's the like all the Clapping oh she wants to get rid of the 5756 I want parents to know if your child comes out to a school administrator faculty you don't have to know you're not told you don't have to be told hey your kid is transgendered hey your kid goes by John hey your kid goes by they them we don't tell the parents anything I think that's highly dangerous for the transgendered students and I think it's highly inappropriate for the parents to not know pertinent information about their children and I think it clashes with that other policy we have about children who are suicidal but the other policy supersedes the policy so if a child is suicidal MH the district I believe Dr brel and we have a duty to report that so it transa any of our students right so to to put it in the category of suicide notific a to parents that happens whether this policy is in place or not we don't need to put it in the policy because this the the duty to report supersedes policy 5756 so a seven-year-old can come to school and say I feel that I am in the wrong body and you don't tell the parents so my seven-year-old is off at school I'm so sorry you had an opportunity to speak missan SCH won't it just they're not obligated decision I didn't interrupt you can I please okay sorry about the finger but you didn't interrupt me um like to interrupt I'm so sorry miss miss nethan everybody at this table is do the same level of respect when they're speaking so there shouldn't be interrupting and there shouldn't be any type of commentary on any gestures or anything to that nature everybody has the opportunity need to speak and be respected by everybody sitting at this table Yeah in February language says not Sarah can you just speak into your mic please language says that we're they obligated and when we one of the many times that we spoke about this um I believe one of the principles actually said that they try if it's the appropriate time but they're they have to make a judgment call which they're qualified to do to make make sure that they're protecting the child when needed doesn't say that that they won't they're if I'm not mistaken they're trying to do the right for the child and they're going to try to have the child have the conversation with the parents whenever possible that is where they're guiding to it and I would I had never been in the situation but I would see the majority of the time they're going to probably disclose it to the parent if it's appropriate it's a rare occasion I would think that they they are not and that is never the goal the goal is to make make sure that they're bringing the family together because it is a family decision it's just a it so the way I've read the language is not obligated so it doesn't mean that they won't big difference what staff do we have that can analiz or speak with a child to ensure that this transgendered student has no suicidal ideation or is thinking of killing himself or herself ORS they just haven't voiced that what what's the first line I'm a child I come to you I say I identify now as John I am he him but don't tell my parents now I've been thinking about ending it because I just can't take this stress this confusion but I don't tell you that what's the first line of protection for these transgendered students so if I'm understanding the hypothetical correction ly uh the question is what processes and procedures do we have in place when a child approaches uh a member of the staff and indicates that he or she is transgender is that question I don't want my parents to know okay so again in in concert with the guidance from the office of the commissioner of Education we kind of triage like how are you doing um how are you feeling is there anything that you need to share we don't uh immediately put them through um any unnecessary evaluation for um a life choice that they've made but see I would I would take my child okay so now to to help that my child work through his or her feelings as they transition just so I could play it further a little more uh if the child is presenting any child regardless of their sexual identity uh is presenting as uh self injury uh self- injures um they're demonstrating uh self harm uh they're verbalizing areas of areas in their life that give us pause and reason for concern uh we would assemble um immediately an on-site risk assess assessment team that each school has uh in order to assess those points further um and then that team would make recommendations for further um further action um in that particular circumstance if a child says um oh by the way you know I'm experiencing um you know particular thoughts about self injury or self harm or or even worse then there are avenues that we pursue uh where we engage uh with outside um resources in the medical field uh to further assess the situation and to uh consult with the family and the district you know as we um make further further determinations of the appropriate methods of care appropriate placement um Etc so um I think what you're asking is if a child shares that they are transgender um do we give them a suicide screening immediately because of national statistics and the answer to that is no not unless they are exhibiting uh specific and certain circumstances which would essentially um stimulate a parallel process uh and a parallel team team but they're at higher risk we know them this as a group that they are at higher risk and if we're trying to protect them how do we just a risk assessment team unless there's an MD at the end of one of their names I have no interest in my child speaking to them I want my child with a professional maybe a specialty in this to guide my child through his or her transition I don't want to leave it in this the hand the scho the hands of the school so understand um and and I will suggest to miss frienda that this is committee based discussion um but we are not guiding any students through a process of their sexual identity um we have risk assessment teams not for that we risk assessment teams for uh be for risk behavior um so if a child is verbalizing that they are going to hurt themselves that's what our risk assessments teams do we don't have a paradigm that walks a student through uh processes processes of their sexual identity we we don't have that um that's not in any of our processes or procedures however we have a a duty to care uh and we do care when when children are um at elevated risk of self harm and we act accordingly I I would just like to say something um just for clarity and at this point you know I if there's anyone else that has anything that they would like to say on the matter certainly I would like you to do so um in the committee discussion the recommendation of the committee was to make not to make any changes to this policy um and and I would just like to know what the ask is this evening in discussing it so if there's an ask and if there is a motion that would like to be made then I would like to suggest that to happen otherwise I'm not sure you know this was heard in committee the committee's recommendation was not to make any changes we're now bringing that to the full board so um if so if there is a motion that would like to be made um to make that change for the full board to consider then I would suggest that that happen otherwise I would like to know what the ask is in furthering this discuss to remove that speciic okay well then you would need to make a motion to do that I'm not going to make a motion because I know no one's going to back that up because it looks like we're repealing the entirety of 57 56 well if there isn't going to be a motion or action you know what I want the parents to know we know stuff about your kids that you may not know and as a parent how do you feel about that because that's in this policy and as a parent I would want to know what's going on with my child and if my child says don't tell my mom I don't care I'm the mother not the teachers not the staff not the admin sometimes teachers can act as second parents but they are not the parents and if they know something about my child that I don't and my child ends up dead because it wasn't shared with me I mean at a minimum you've lost a I mean the most harmful is you've lost a child at a minimum you've opened the district up to a lawsuit but that should be the least of our concern Our concern should be the safety of that child and making sure they transition safely happily successfully with the support of their family that's all I don't even think that's a big ask to bring in the family okay and you have made that point abundantly clear is there anybody else that would like to make a statement I would just bring up one point that we did talk about in committee as well in terms of children that are at risk right so these children are at risk because they are transgender there are children all over our schools using social media under the age that they should be using them according to um social media policies I know they're coming out with youth accounts and everything else um we know how pervasive it is we know in the state of New Jersey we've lost students to social media use we are not requiring our teachers to tell our parents if they see children using social media in the schools which I'm sure they do in the hallways that their children are in social media that puts their child at higher risk just as much 41% I don't know the exact percentages suicidal but any child I can finish talking too yeah I know you can so stop so then we're we're again we're going to ask that everybody respect now I understand wow okay I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm Excuse me excuse me I really don't want to have to bang a gel that is not something that I have ever witnessed happening and it is not something that I want to do but our function as board members is to have discussions it is our board it is our function as board members to build consensus on issues that we would like to see changed or to bring to a vote or to bring to committee discussion that is our job as board members if at the end of your opportunity to try and build that consensus that consensus is not reached then it is time for the majority of the board desires to be upheld and for us to move on furthermore as the president of this board of education and it is my responsibility to withhold the Quorum during the course of our meetings I will not tolerate disrespect at this table amongst board members there there is there has been ample opportunity to be heard and everyone else has been respectful and quiet and listened to those perspectives and those thoughts when another board member takes their opportunity to speak Every Other Board member is going to be equally as respectful and listen that there is not going to be any type of talking under our breaths or making commentary about this this is poor form and it is this is poor form in June I was told I can't I I skills I'm speaking right now miss and did you stop that no you let it go Miss gills so don't talk about the core I'm not having an argument with you I am telling you what my responsibility is and you have now done it to multiple people sitting at this table over the course of the evening and I am not going to tolerate I've gone up to people I am not going I'm not going to tolerate infighting among our board members stop that's the problem you want me to stop you want me to stop you want to frame it I don't have my reading glasses oh wait the board Norms let's follow our board Norms in June a board member came to the St to that person see and said I can't stand listening to her you didn't say a word he got up the that board member got up and laughed and that is not my that was not during and sat down and said I can't listening you allow that this is such poor form and that was that was poor for that that was someone who removed themselves from the meeting and that was not in the context of any type of conversation that was taking place it was not directed it was something that was uttered and they left the room that is a perfect every every board that person removed themselves from the room and every board board member has the right to do that every board member has the right to remove themselves from this room if they are if they need a break or if they would like to make themselves expart to the communication I am not going to facilitate this any any longer this is there there that's not true Sam you're not being honest that's not what happened in June okay that person left came back got caught on hot mic saying something nasty about me and nothing was said but the Quorum was not held okay but you have been heard is there anybody that has anything else to be said on this matter I talk yes I appreciate that you said that this you did not want to repeal policy but you've been talking about it for two years you've T gone at it every single way the the purpose of this policy is to support transgender kids and and and and to uh reduce discrimination and to provide a safe and equitable learning environment for everybody you've been going after for for two years this is an end run excuse me I'm talking I am talking you it is not your you have not been recognized it is not your opportunity to speak right now part of the reason I know you're consider you're concerned about uh the suicidality of the of these of these kids and of course I am again I'm sorry I know you're concerned about the suicide risk of these kids and of course we all are part of the one of the benefits of this policy which I fully support is that it supports kids these these children and one of the reasons why the risk of suicide is so elevated in these kids is because they don't feel supported so by attacking any part of this this this resolution will you know leave these kids at risk so I fully support if you do not want this you want to alter this I encourage you to make a motion otherwise I do not want to talk about this anymore I think the board agrees supports this policy make a motion and let's see where it goes okay just as long as the parents know that we know stuff that they may not know that's not supportive involving the parents is giving more support you're assuming that every single parent is going to support this this these children and you're assuming that they won't well I don't think every I mean I don't we have to air on the safety of the kids we we we we always think the kids first I'm sorry I just disagree I see it differently okay and and that has been heard sorry interrup you [Music] we have to move on we we have people waiting to tell us something I want to keep it and we've had several meetings and the one you refer to a perfect example we had several people here left the meeting because the discussion went on and on and on we've talked about what you're talking about it's over we want to hear these people that's great I've also asked why don't we why don't we move the people to speak on anything and that is not that is not an item up for discussion right now we are in policy that is not part of our conversation right now okay we we are going to close out the policy conversation right now do we have any items for new yes um for for new business could the policy uh Committee just perhaps start talking about um maybe looking at restricting cell phone usage in the school district um it is something that's coming up across the country and started discussing about um can you use your mic please I'm so sorry um about possibly restricting cell phone usage in the school district um it's better for the Children's Health um and their stress levels and I know it's something that's been talked across the country and Bedminster Board of Education started discussing it as well thank you we are going to move on to the report of the student services committee Miss Ballard thank you um the report of the student services committee we met on October 28th um in attendance was myself uh Miss Cooper Mrs de gr pre Mrs Santoro Mrs frienda Dr brochel and uh Miss Coran the director of student services uh the meeting uh lasted about an hour and 45 minutes Dr brochel and Miss kransky met with the committee to provide a state of the department for special ed Miss KY he shared two documents Dem demonstrating special education and enrollment total and special education classifications by category and years 2020 to 2025 these documents show areas where students are classified as well as a review by category and diagnosis over the past 5 years our district Trends follow state and federal Trends there are several areas where students with specific learning disabilities can qualify cognitive abilities to intellectual deviations are compared additionally other students qual if because of Health impairment such as ADHD anxiety or other disability fitting into the classification category opens the door to special ed but doesn't Divine the specific Services the student will receive the process is Guided by the code and JSA 6 a-14 special ed this process has not changed this is the most consistent way to manage the department the goal is to provide the student with the least restrictive environment two parallel evaluation take place uh the school evaluation and privately funded evaluation the difference between the two is that the school does not act as a diagnostician a student can be referred to a psychological learning consultant some students don't meet the criteria and do not get special ed students are evaluated every 3 years again the goal of special education is to provide the student with the least restrictive environment always seeking the greatest opportunity for a student to be in Jed end with their peers while a par professional is is valuable they can also be a restriction the goal is independent so once a student has a one:1 parah the goal is to go to a 1:2 parah and eventually no parah at all a parah is a non-certificated teacher in the room challenges faced are Communication in trust a goal is to create a VI a viable cpeg a special education parent advisory group as well as working in Partnership to fill the communications Gap Dr brochill and Mrs kuransky will join us at the next meeting to discuss Interventional services and 50 P plans and that concludes my report thank you very much Miss Ballard um is there any discussion for the Student Services report as there are no action items yes Mr Baker I thought these very informative and the one question I would have we may have talked about why do some some disabilities have been dropping most them dropping as a few smaller on flat I mean just you know when I look at graphs you know a question I have it's not it's not a big deal it's just interesting yeah I can report back to the committee on that yep certainly is there anybody else for student services no okay and is there anybody that has anything for future student services discussion nope okay then we will move on to board announcements the views and opinions that are may be expressed by individual members of the Somerset Hills Board of Education during board announcements are solely those of the individual board members and do not reflect the views opinions policies regulations Andor positions of the Somerset Hills Board of Education and or any other individual members of the board does anybody have anything for board announcements no I have one yes like to take a moment to thank Mrs DeMarco for all the work she's done how long you've been here exactly four years four years I I was trying to remember four years um most people don't know that a business administrator board secretary is a very difficult job people say handling your children and handl and your money are two people's most important things and she handles our money wonderfully um and she's board secretary which she gets to organize these meetings all the paperwork we go through run the committee meetings it is a lot of work and I've seen you work Saturdays and Sundays and um I'm going to miss you I'm going to really miss you and um oh thanks and and and enjoy the next part of your life okay because I know you and I have talked about it but I'm I'm excited and it and I'm excited and sad okay okay I still live I know you do I I know I know where you live I know anyway thank you very much thank I I would like to piggy back on that because the you're obviously our business administrator and for the board and specifically for finance and facilities and operations committee you provide an invaluable resource to us um but beyond that as well you are our board secretary and we can't do any of this without you um and you do it extraordinarily well um we have been very fortunate to have you and um you have been a tremendous asset to me in this role um and I I can't thank you enough and as Bob said I think we're all very happy for you as you engage in the next in the next chapter of your life as Dr brochel had mentioned um but I think we all agree you will be missed say um just want to say thank you Jenny I remember meeting you at my first school boards um convention you were working in your previous District you were the assistant but everybody knew you and because you had been here and they were so happy for you and knew you were doing such a phenomenal job and then you know um when you had the opportunity to come here there was a lot of excitement and you certainly lived up to it and you have been a pleasure to work with so thank you very much for all you've done and I would just can I make another comment in BO announcement is there I just want is there anybody else that has anything for board announcements please don't go that's all yeah I just want to thank jny too I'm we're gonna miss can't you come back to the convention with thank you so much for everything thank you is there anybody else okay okay so and I just wanted to quickly touch some of us had attended the um Somerset County meeting which happens I don't know every couple months you can attend virtually or in person and this one was on culture and climate um and I just want to say that it was very in um informational and you know we were as Bob always says you just take away a few nuggets from each of these learning experiences that we get and um you know I think we got some good information so definitely will be beneficial as we you know as a board have we prioritized culture and climate Within our district um there were some great takeaways that I look forward to sharing in committees going forward so thank you is there anybody else nope okay then we will move on to the second public comments at this time public comments are welcome at this time on any topic please state your name and address comments are limited to 3 minutes at 3 minutes you'll be interrupted and asked to pause to allow any other members of the public who would like to speak an opportunity to do so and in individual May return to the podium to complete their statement after everyone else has had an opportunity to speak for a total of two times at the podium please understand that our public forums are not structured as question and answer sessions but are offered as opportunities to share your thoughts with the board in instances where the board feels there is a misunderstanding or inaccuracy the board president or superintendent May address the comment in accordance with New Jersey statute the board will not discuss matters regarding specific Personnel a reminder for for all parties and attendance to remain resp respectful and that there should be no interaction between the speaker and the audience no members of the audience should interfere with or interrupt the speaker's comments thank you in advance for your input and again I just refer you to Mr Marco's timer as she will set it at 3 minutes and it will count down as you are speaking and unfortunately when it goes off I will need to interrupt to give other members of the Public Public an opportunity to speak Hi Sam Habibi 8 Mosley Road Gladstone New Jersey um first of all it's transgender day not trans gendered day or uh transgendered um uh stop the hate and protect trans lives so this is from red wine blue USA this year alone at least 36 trans people have lost their lives to violence behind the numbers are real people friends family loved ones all gone because of hate transgendered in trans transgender individuals are four times more likely to face violence than than cisgendered individuals we've seen an increase in harmful red aimed at the trans Community politicians are using hurtful language and back policies that attack trans rights spreading Division and hate these laws make it harder for Trans people to access health care limits their freedoms and creates an environment where violence against them is more tolerated crisis calls from lgbtq and youth spiked 700% after election day here's how you can help stop the violence speak up against hate engage in local politics support trans rights educate yourself and others I got a minute 30 you know what I'll come back for this one CU this one's [Applause] good is there anyone else who would like to is there anyone else that would like to speak at this time yes um my name is Heather eckle I'm on Maple Street in Bernardsville I'm speaking here tonight as a longtime resident as a mother of three autistic children who attend school here in District and as an autistic woman myself who once walked the halls of this very school I also have 22 years of experience working in public schools and I currently teach a professional development class on the autistic and neurod diversion experience 5 days ago I posted on a local Town Facebook page asking to connect with the parents of neurod Divergent children in the somerset Hill School District who have struggled to get the support they needed in school anticipating I would find a handful of families interested in discussing this topic I was instead Blown Away by the overwhelming number of parents who were in the same boat that I was we now have a group of 50 parents who are frustrated with the way our district has handled meeting the needs of our children here and at least a dozen more have shared their stories privately many have even already given up and move their children out of the district I wish I could say this surprises me but this has been an ongoing issue in our district for many years and while I won't stand here and claim that this is the case for every student with special needs we absolutely have some wonderful staff and teachers who go above and beyond we still do not do enough for our neurod Divergent students and we need to do better this is a student population with a sign with significant risk factors for mental health issues for trauma addiction School refusal and even suicide the autistic population experiences suicide at a rate nine times higher than the general population and for girls and autistic women that jumps to 13 times higher than their peers when I advocate for my neurod Divergent children when other parents advocate for theirs it's not about putting them in a position to get better grades or even making sure they graduate it's about making sure they manage their day with the least amount of damage possible it's about helping them find the tools they need to function in a world that was not made with them in mind it's about trying to get them to a place in life where they can actually Thrive and not just survive and it's about making sure that they are loved and valued for who they are and not for who others would like them to be when you deny these children access to the supports they need you are teaching them that they are not worthy and they will internalize that and go out into the world never believing in themselves I urge the school board to listen to the to the families and to work towards better understanding and meeting the needs of our neurod Divergent student population thank [Applause] you thank you Missle Alison laera 10 Steven Street hi Heather while speaking about plac children in the least restrictive environment please keep in mind that both children and teachers are facing daily assaults in the classroom at what point do we as a school Community recognize that a child who requires additional support to access their education might need to be placed in a more appropriate environment the behaviors we are currently W witnessing did not happen in a vacuum I believe that it has escalated to the current behaviors by being denied or not given the proper services that they needed in their younger School school years we just had a par that was that has been with our school for 8 years resigned due to the current climate I am deeply concerned that the needs of students who require additional support are being overlooked and this is putting both their education and the safety of other students at risk it's crucial that we re-evaluate how we are addressing these issues and ensure that every child is receiving the appropriate support they need to succeed I canot I cannot help but Wonder are these kids getting the proper support and services we currently have a behaviorist who is not in District this is the same behaviorist that never met my son but gave him ABA goals I think we can all agree that this would not be considered best practice at best and I will go as far as to say unethical I have spoken to Educators this past month regarding how different districts handle these type of situations and it seems that most have a behaviorist in the building and when needed students can be placed in an EBR room at minimum each grade school should have an inclusion room classroom but to be honest it doesn't stop with having a behaviorist in the building Studies have shown that these children need to have intervention as early as possible so even if we were able to get a behaviorist in our building they also need to be approved for services which as it stands now under our current director of special services is incredibly difficult I would hope as a district we would support our stud students because we want to give them the best education we can however financially speaking wouldn't it make more budgetary sense to hire behaviorist in-house have inclusion classes in every grade where the class would have a gened teacher as well as a special ed teacher as opposed to just sending students out of District I have said many times that there are people who do not speak publicly but would like to share our experiences difficulties as well as what has been successful although I may not or although I may be the loudest voice I am not the only I'm excited to hear about the parent advisory committee someone recently posted in our community group you may have heard of the bubble and asked if anyone would was having trouble accessing Services there were over 50 responses of parents echoing this sentiment so again I implore you to meet with parents who are struggling and listen to them about the significant concerns thank you Miss laera [Music] Megan dly um my pronouns are she her and I'm school counselor here in the district and have been since 2009 I first want to thank the policy committee for their commitment to protecting all of our students and yet I am so very disappointed to be here to speak once again about board policy 5756 as I have said at many board board meetings over the past few years I continue to worry with the onslaught of anti-lgbtq plus and specifically anti-trans legislation and hateful dangerous rhetoric around transgender rights that calling so much attention to this policy stirs up unnecessary fear in the community and unfairly targets our District's trans and non-binary students I've stated my concerns repeatedly so all I am here to say tonight what bears repeating the most is this to any Trans in non-binary students who are watching who are listening who are paying attention to the conversations at and surrounding these Board of Ed meetings please know that you're supported you're cared for and I'd like to believe that the vast majority of adults in this District those who live here and those who work here do not believe that your humanity and your protection are topics that should be under review thank [Applause] you thank you Miss dully hi I'm Michael Myers I live on Anar um my wife is getting a doctor in library science and it seems that when you're in library science you end up meeting a lot of trans people I'm not quite sure why that is but I've met a lot of trans people now and I met a lot of transparents so uh I speak out of personal experience I've met several that are estranged from their parents I've met several that have felt that their parents who were harassing them um I I feel very deeply for Miss skill's comments that parents um should know what's going on with their kids but when I read the seven pages that is 5756 what I get out of it is that it puts kids first and I think that the one or two sentences that say there is no affirmative Duty for a school district to notify is not withholding information from a parent it is trying to protect a kid so that they continue to have a chance to interact with their parent and uh I think that's how it should be viewed is that this is a very kid forward policy and I would urge you that if you think that your duty is to support parent over kids I would urge you to rethink that a little bit and say that maybe as a Schoolboard member your duty is to protect kids and help them on their path to reconciling with their parents and I think 5756 walks a tight rope through that very difficult mindfield of a kid growing up and figuring out their relationship to themselves and figuring out their relationship with their parent and um I I would urge you to see it in that in that light and lastly I absolutely Echo Megan D's comments that the continued discussion of trans people meeting after meeting after meeting is not doing them a service there's lots of things that are important for the school board to talk about neurode divergence cell phones guns drugs Sports Fields Capital plans and if we can get off this issue which quite frankly has been agreed several years ago I think it would do everyone a favor thank you very much thank you for your [Applause] comments hi I'm Michelle douly sisters-in-law um I live at 8 Ott Avenue um I'm also a teacher at Bedwell my pronouns are she her and I want to share with you that a non-binary kid who recently shared their ident identity with me for the first time they said to me I feel happy I feel more myself but the bullies are worse have you spoken to any transgender or non-binary adults we live we learn most from lived experiences if you as a parent want to know if your kids is if your kid is trans or gender trans or gender non-conforming I advise you to create a welcoming and inclusive inclusive environment at home kids share who they are with people they feel safe with and sometimes even people they feel safe with they're too scared to share that with I've learned that from people in that Community if you have more questions and would like to learn more I'd be happy to provide you with educational opportunities taught by trans and non-b AR professionals I want the lgbtq students and families in our community to know that they are supported we will continue to show up for you and speak for you you're safe with me and so many other people thank [Music] you thank you Mrs Julie is there anybody else that would like to make a comment can I say something no you offered resources oh okay hi my name is Ann Todd n Maple Street Pac I just really want to thank the board you guys are amazing how you sit through this and come up with policies for the school and help the children and all the time it's almost 10:00 I'm just really impressed and Dr brokel I got to speak with you on the phone and just so so pleased and very happy happy to be here and it's been a long night and I just wanted to say thank you so much thank you Miss TD is there anybody else that would like to speak all right um s Habibi Mosley Road Gladstone um I have no nothing left up here so this is from a website called Straight Talk hypocrisy is defined as the practice of claiming to have moral standards or views to which one's own behavior does not meet it is a pretense of morality that cloaks our inability to meet someone uh some a predetermined moral code we accuse one person of doing exactly what we are doing but believe that it is somehow different when that person does it it is typically caused by an inflated sense of ego and self-righteousness coupled with an inability to be humble at the root of hypocrisy is a fear and low is is fear and low self-esteem we use hypocrisy to avoid looking at our shortcomings and figure out our part in it it typically stems from a sincere belief that we should not be held to the same standards as others because we have better intentions our beliefs is belief is juster nobler and sincere put yourself in other people's shoes learn about others get to know your enemies think about where they're coming from do unto others as you would have done onto you think about how much it hurts to be accused of something that you are doing yourself putting ourselves in other people's shoes can be tremendously helpful in decreas ining our inflated ego and self-righteousness thank you for your comments is there anybody else that would like to make a statement this evening or come to the podium no okay and if I could get a motion to close public comments Please Mr Grand Pre and Miss Ry thank you and I need a motion to adjourn I'll make a motion to adjourn and a second Miss Ballard all in favor I okay thank you everyone for enduring a long meeting have a great night