So congratulations. [Applause] Avery Johnson, senior team captain. It's hard because I've had her since she was like five. It's her fourth year earning her swimming varsity letter. She's 2025 sectional champion state qualifier and both relays the 200 medley relay school record 400 relay but more importantly she's worked so hard to break the backstroke record and actually win the sectional champion and she did that this year and so I'm very proud of [Applause] her and Riley Coupler she's a senior she's also a team captain This is Riley's fourth year earning her swimming varsity letter. She was the 2024 Madison Courier swimmer of the year. She is actually a candidate for academic all state which is the Indiana swimming and coach coaches association. We'll find out here at the end of the month. This is her second trip to the state championship meet. She was there last year.
at the high school okay thank you very much any questions on curriculum and our minutes are always posted to the website if anybody's interested in reading about them in further detail you always get them on the website we're going to include minutes from from each of the Committees in the uh in the packets going forward so we'll just make sure so as you read your pack you'll have a chance to see what's going on in each of the Committees Communications Felicia anything I know we're going electronic I was talking to K on the way in we're getting ready to make a yeah we we finalized um the newsletter that's coming out um I everything's finalized it just it's ready to go out um we did that between the last meeting and the last week or so and our next meeting is uh March 26 or 24th I'm sorry at one o'clock but that's we don't really have any other updates besides that we're just trying to make sure we have all the information in that newslet letter to send out to the public so they're aware of all the happenings okay and I I have a question so as we get um I know we can't promote we can't use uh Town resources for the budget once it's um once it's adopted by the the board of Finance I guess um but is there what's going to be our communicate I know the board of finance will send out a communication like they always do I guess it's um it's it's the three boards we we'll send you have any so I had Mr Bishop meet with or he's going to meet with Mr Penny to discuss last year cure helped out with sending out the the town does the the finance letter we assisted their them last year with it and it was basically from the board of that and the board of Select and the board of Finance so John's going to be meeting with you haven't met with him he's going to be meeting with Mr penck to discuss how we want to do it in the future I would recommend to um Felicia and Mr Bishop and and that team to maybe look at a a way of how to communicate budget without violating any laws that you can do as a board member and if you would like uh Mr Daniels I can have um next month if you'd like um a possibility of myself from Mr Bishop talking to our school board attorney to share with the board what you can do and what you can't do or maybe it's conversation that you have with attorney no you you can you can bring the board but I you know I I I agree with the electronic version but I still think and it's inexpensive for we can print it here black and white we don't need pictures but I still think that we need to have something at the library at the Town Hall maybe at the the the the front desk of uh of each of the schools like we used to have just just for those people that like print and want to take it out you certainly can make copies for each of the schools and uh town hall and the library it's 400 it's nothing okay good that's great anything more on Communications okay no that's all okay uh Youth Services Bureau is Cindy she's not here tonight CRA is now um Kim was nice enough to say that she would she would uh take over uh the correct relationship uh and be part of that Council I don't know Kim if you have anything we report on correct I I'm going to keep it in there but not sure if you have I'm just going to look for my notes Here I did attend the the meeting um I'm going to be meeting with the director just to acquaint myself on their you know goals objectives and Mission but I listened to a presentation on from student staff from one of the correct schools on restorative practice um so that was I open interesting and it was a very honest and open discussion you know there was some school that have not seen success and then others that explain how it is successful but it's more of a culture and a climate it's not an end all to discipline or you know um Behavior but it does seem like they will present different topics that you know I can maybe follow up with Mr Bishop on just to see that's great you're don't like Greg Florio he's really nice and I think that's great that you're going to meet with him uh and get part of that group so thank you for doing that yep no problem okay um that that covers all the reports uh calendar of events do we have calendar of events there isn't a calendar of events in the package just because we've spoken about all of the things that are happening so good we've mentioned meeting we mentioned to play early release um that's that's good so April you so so once once the board of Finance has our budget and depending on where we end up I'd like this all to be com ambassadors of that budget while we Dr Gman will find out what we can and can't do but I had suggested that you know even if it's a concert that we have a board of education table with with maybe those handouts in case somebody has a question they can come us I think it's more about visibility we get a question but it's visibility reminding people the vote is May 7th uh here's the information if you like it if you have a question so I may ask board members periodically at the uh as we get into the spring events prior to the vote to maybe uh man the table I'll be there uh many times but there might be some time where I can't do it so I just ask you all um really become ambassadors and champions to that budget I think we need to do that any any further questions to me I had a quick question regards to the meeting next Wednesday um are you asking us to just be physically in attendance orur do you want to say anything no no you don't have to say anything you be physically physically there or even online I just want to see that the board is behind I plan to be there I just but listen you public comment please when is this meeting Lou next Wednesday that's when we present to the board of Finance Kim at 6: p.m. at the uh Community Center I will be at conferences oh that's the same night as conferences yep High School Conference night conference know that kind of stuff needs to be coordinated better I think but no but what they starts six you're about the 19th right yeah 19th yeah that's 19 I know there always something I know there is always something like tomorrow night Thursday we have an art show at the the library at the same time as the Middle School orientation so it's just always going to have overlap I think but but the the interesting thing about all these events is like the hard show may start at 5:30 6:00 and then something starts at 7:00 so sometimes there's some overlap to be able to do both events like a lot of times I'm able to go to a double header so I think we have the play also is there so the art shows actually early no F Well same time as the middle school but it'll be recorded yeah so okay um that's great all right um anything else to come before the Board of Education anybody object to us adjourning then we are we are adjourned at uh at um 7:45 88 your right
She was part of this the sectional championship team and uh 200 medley relay school record and 400 freestyle relay school record. So congratulations plays. Nice job. What about two in to uh the boys? So the boys team um they were very successful as well, but not as much as the girls. That's usually the other way around, but I will tell you it was six boys, six young men that gave it their heart and soul every day. Um, the cool thing about it is is that four boys competed in or six boys competed in the sectional against 15 teams and they came in fourth. That says a lot about them. We're recognizing was one of the ones uh uh that moved on advance. Uh Cam senior this year. He's a team captain. This is the fourth year he've learned he earned his varsity letter. He was the 2024 Madison Courier male swimmer of the year.
This is his third trip to the state championship meet. Not only did he win sectional championship, but he uh he broke the record in 50 free and broke the record in the 100 free. It's a little sentimental there because it was my son's records that he broke. So, um qualified. Now, this is the great thing about it is that we haven't had a a a boy state qualifier move on to the next next day since 1997. So, it's pretty impressive. And Cam moved on in the 50 free where he qualified in constellations and he placed 13th in the state at state of Indiana. That's amazing. And then in the 100 free, he just missed it. He had the school record there and he placed 18th in the state. So fantastic. Nice job. Congratulations. All right. You want in? That's a tall. Congratulations. Next to recognize Michael.
Wow. I feel your pain, Dr. Brown. Um, so we're going to honor um a junior bowler, a junior girl bowler, Taylor Miller. Um, Taylor uh came to us her last year was her first year in Madison and she went all the way through to state last year and she followed the same path this year. Not against the same girl, thank God. Um, but she got all the way to the state again this year. Um, and not only did she um she uh went all the way to the state competition, she got named um uh the Bloomington regional all regional team and she got named to the allstate team and last Saturday they had an allstate tournament. Um so all of the all-state uh bowlers were invited to the tournament. Um there were 49 female bowlers. Uh Taylor finished eighth in that competition. And that sounds pretty impressive, but then when you think about that there are 2500 female high school bowlers in the state of Indiana and Taylor finished eighth out of that.
So it's pretty impressive. So Taylor, if you would come up so we can honor you. [Applause] Next for choir. Grayson. [Applause] Um, thank you for having us tonight. Let me explain a little bit. We have what we call an Indiana State School of Music, and it's a solo and encom ensemble contest that is not mandatory, but the students choose to be in this, and it goes in divisions of groups from five up to one. Um, all the ladies that I have tonight were in group one, and that is a mandated list of songs that must be chosen from. And most of them are what I consider collegiate style uh repertoire because I know I sang a lot of it in college and some of it is in foreign language. So it it's a really higher scale of music they have to present to a judge.
So on um February 1st, these ladies travel to Floyd Central and they're judged in nine categories and out of six that went, all five of these ladies scored a gold rating which then allowed them to go to state. And so then we traveled to Perry Meridian uh on February the 22nd and they all received a gold at state. So I'm very proud of them. Two even got it with distinction. That means they missed only by a point and a half out of a total score. And so that's a different recognition for them as well. Um not only these ladies musically talented, they're academic students. They're active in various activities. And all of these ladies have lead roles in the Madison musicals. Claire and Chelsea were just in our share show which I hope many of you got to see. and um Zuzu, Gabby, and Sophia will be in our next production of Hades Town.
So, they're very active. They're very talented, and I'm so lucky to be their teacher. And I thank Dr. Bray on the board for recognizing them tonight. So, ladies, I'll bring you up. Zuzu Bailey is a sophomore. She's been two times to state gold both years. [Applause] Chelsea Datillo is a junior. She has also gone two years with a gold at both years. [Applause] Claire Miller is a freshman, but Clare went as an eighth grader, which is quite unheard of, and got a gold both [Applause] years. Sophia Rman is a sophomore. She's been both years with a goal both years. [Applause] And lastly, Gabby Vest. She's a junior and she's also participated two years with a goal both years. [Applause] Thank you. This is my last [Applause] for band recognition. Hello. Um, I have the honor to uh recognize a couple of our band students who also went to the Indiana State School Music Association state contest this year.
Um we had 20 students across the whole program go to district and came out of that event with 15 golds and five silvers. Um and two of those students who got golds went group one. So they picked from that collegiate level um list of repertoire and they did a very nice job earned golds at districts and went on to state contest where they traveled to North Central High School. Um, for both of these gentlemen, this was their first time ever picking a group one piece um and their first time going to state and they earned silver ratings at state. Got some great judges commentary and we're going to work even harder to try and send them again next year. Um, so we get to recognize a couple of these students. One other note about these two is during this preparation process, they were also selected to be part of the Pendleton Jazz Festival Honor Band.
um which is students from all across the state who went up to Pendleton High School, rehearsed and then performed at the end of the jazz festival alongside uh world famous trumpet player Wayne Berseron. If you've ever heard of a soundtrack of a movie like uh The Incredibles or those those kind of movies that have big jazz soundtracks, the trumpet player on that is the guy that they got to rehearse with and perform with. Um so it was pretty exciting and they've been involved in a lot of things all at once and doing a nice job with all of them. So, uh, thank you for recognizing all these music students tonight. And we are going to recognize Leaf Estus and Aaron Brown. [Applause] I can get this tomorrow. And for FFA recognition, Mrs. Amanda Bruce. [Applause] Good evening and thank you for um having us and for honoring our kiddos.
So, we have several um awards to hand out. We've gone to state in several events this year. So, these kiddos have kept us extremely busy this fall and then haven't stopped this spring either. Um so, you're going to hear a lot of the same names multiple times. Um so, first is Livestock Skillathon. This is the first year we've qualified for state and we learned a lot this year. Um we did really well at district, went to state and we have some growing to do there, but next year we're going to nail it. Um, but our high school team for state was Michael Briggs, Sydney Huff, Abby Ferguson, Ashlin Dryden, Amberlin Connover, And this year we also got to take a junior high team. Um, and we have Bill Graham, Eli Copelan, Daley Smith, and then we have one student representing Anderson Elementary, and that's Ally Briggs.
All right. So, next up is our forestry competition. And forestry is near and dear to my heart. We've been to state for 21 years out of my 22 years teaching. Um, and these guys kick tail every single time we go. Um, so for our high school team, we have Michael Briggs, who ended up sixth place at state. Aiden [Applause] Lighter, Abby Ferguson, and Sydney Huff. And then our other team who qualified for state was Berlin Conover, Britain Wright, Ben Copelan, and Ashlin Dryden. And we also had junior teams who qualified. Daley Smith, Maddie [Applause] Palmer, Eli Copelan, and Lauren Schaefer. That team placed fourth in the state. Um, so we are very, very proud of them. Um, we also had another team that qualified for state and ended up ninth at the state level and that was Lily Clark, Tatum Dryden, Dylan Smith, and Ally [Applause] Briggs.
And then in December, we had our welding competition. We hosted area welding here at Madison's IvyTech and then we got to go up to Jay Ever Light in Indianapolis um for state and for welding um we had Michael [Applause] Briggs, Carson Brandstutter, Will Ule, Ben Copelan, Abby Ferguson, [Applause] Clayton Brainsteader, Lily Waller, and Britain [Applause] Wright. And we have one more competition that we did. Um, and this was in January. Um, and we had several people qualify for state. We don't know state results just yet. Um but we do something called a proficiency which is about a 12-page application. Um financial records, they have to have their income, their assets, expenses. It is a huge application to fill out. Um, and so competing at state is Abby Ferguson, Michael Briggs, Laney Alexander, Hayden Vot, Beckham Cornelius, Branson Klein, Drew [Applause] Zuckworth and Sydney [Applause] Huff.
And now they're going to be gearing up for we have veterary science coming up. They have state competition in June. So these guys are not done. So keep looking for them. Check social media. Like promote these kiddos because they are not done. and they they keep us running. So, thank you [Applause] She's going to want to look up for her. All right. Ready? Good job. [Applause]
Aloha and welcome to the senate committee on education today is Wednesday March 12 2025 this is our 3 pm agenda and we are in hearing room 229 this meeting including the audio and video of remote participants is being streamed live on YouTube you will find links to viewing options for all Senate meetings on the live and On Demand video page of the legislature's website this Zoom meeting and YouTube live stream event will include the 3:00 p.m. agenda for the committee on education in the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties the committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business on Friday March 14 2025 at 3 p.m.
uh we are going to open up the meeting with a reading of the open public meeting statement so that goes uh New Jersey open public meetings law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which time any business affecting their interest is discussed and acted upon in accordance with the provisions of this act in Board of Education policy 0162 the Board of Education of the Bureau of Bound Brook has caused notice of this meeting to be posted in the board office and at Bound Brook High School and mailed their facts to The Courier News the Bound Brook BAU clerk South Bound Brook Board of Education and any person who has requested individual notice and pay the required fee at this time please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty Justice for All Mr secretary a roll call please yes sir Mr Bal here Mr Dawson miss gazino here Mr in calcatera here Mr zupco here miss musen here Mr minhas miss high here Mr vulmer here and Mr Januzzi here Mr board president you have a quarum present this evening thank you sir at this time we would normally do president's comments but but tonight's version will be vice president's comments Mr Bal well thank you um as the Bound Brook PTO is currently in my basement putting baskets together they have asked me to promote their upcoming Tricky Tray on Saturday March 29th uh information can be found at boundbrook pto.com um I'm there is a lot going on right now there are there women in and out of my basement every night of the week they are working super hard on this and they would really appreciate all the support that you can give them agreed thank you Mr Bal and thank you again to all the volunteers of our PTO uh at this time we will uh welcome Dr Freeman for his superintendence report please Dr Freeman well good evening everybody and welcome to our March board meeting it's great to see so many smiling faces so many students in the audience in addition to our students of the month at this time I will call Mr Ross up to recognize our students of the month for Lamont and LaMont Annex this is for our littlest and our best Little Learners so we have for the prek it is Jeffrey mlan come on down Jeffrey [Applause] mlan congratulations so Jeffrey has a two siblings and loves math activities yes and learning numbers you want to play baseball fortnite you like monster trucks yeah and playing with Dinosaurs good and when you grow up you don't want to be a superhero you're gonna be a superhero all right come on up a picture yeah nice [Applause] okay so it is kindgarten dual language it is Theon cor Coro Diaz come on [Applause] down so beon does not have siblings but is into physical education because you like to exercise which is great and your favorite activities are coloring and playing video games and when you get older you're going to be a firefighter wow no what are you going to be you can't change we're still figuring it out but that's okay firefighter first and then something else congratulations sir you're welcome [Applause] here we go and it's first grade now it is Angelina aretta albera I'm not sure if Angelina was able to make it tonight but I do want to mention has three uh siblings loves to read and write and practices all the time in first grade enjoys playing with her friends and is a creative artist and in the future and thinking about potentially being an artist when she grows up thank thank you and next up from Lafayette school we have Miss [Applause] cahas okay our second grade student of the month is Briana Hern and is [Applause] cook Brianna is from Mrs Patel and Miss Reese's class Miss Reese is here today uh she has two siblings Isaac and Amy Brianna says my favorite subject is science because you can make a volcano baking soda and vinegar can make a volcano her favorite hobbies are art and PE and she wants to be a Chef because she she really likes to cook good like Amy who's Amy Amy's her sister okay we're going to take a picture over here okay hone [Applause] our third grade student of the month is Pera roses oh let me try that again pea roses amzak peara is from Miss Fitzgerald's class she has one sister her favorite school subject is math come paa she likes to draw the Powerpuff Girls and play at the park and she wants to be a police officer congratulations paa going to take a picture okay [Applause] and next up from Miss from SMY school we have Mrs [Applause] Winters so from SMY School our fourth grade nom is Ashley Marquez Rivera Ashley has one brother her favorite subjects are math science and art she likes to draw play volleyball and play soccer and she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up [Applause] our fifth grade student of the month is Helen monio Hernandez Helen is has three sisters and one brother she loves art loves to draw she want she loves to play tag with her friends and she also either wants to be a veterinarian or a voiceover actor thank you [Applause] our sixth grade student of the month is Juliana Rosina tles Juliana is here from Miss petus sixth grade class and Miss petrius is here to celebrate her as well she has two siblings two brothers her favorite subject is math come here we'll have everybody come up she likes to play volleyball and soccer and she's still deciding what what she wants to do when she grows up congratulations next up from Community Middle School Dr Santa [Applause] surma hello everyone the Community Middle School is proud to announce ethano as student of the [Applause] month Ethan was nominated by his teacher Miss gold Rosen I'm sorry nominated by his teacher Miss gold Rosen as an older brother Christopher who I see here in attendance chop um favorite subject to science because he loves to learn about space and how the world Works our favorite hobbies is making YouTube videos we kind of look at every day in this missile right using your phone and doing science related things and hanging out with family when he grows up wants to be an astronaut or [Applause] next up for the Community Middle School student of the month yinas Perez nominated by her teer Bennett brother [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and last but not least we have Mr Smith from boundbrook high school [Applause] school good evening our first Crusader citizen of the month is Alder Guerrero Espinosa out there has two siblings his favorite subject in school is math he enjoys to cook and play soccer and when he graduates from high school and hopefully entering a culinary program to become a chef so congratulations [Applause] our next recipient is Justin Jimenez Justin is an only child and has no siblings Justin's favorite subject in school is English he enjoys fishing hanging out with friends and going on walks his future career plans include going to a trade school to work on collision repair and refinishing technology programs and hopefully own his own shop one day so congratulations [Applause] next we have Madison Huffman Madison has seven siblings her favorite subject in school is physical education Madison enjoys playing soccer drawing sleeping talking to her friends and going out with her sisters and when she grows up she wants to become a traveling nurse so congratulations good job [Applause] and last but certainly not least beatric [Music] [Applause] arudo beatus has one sibling Cal k uh her favorite subject in school is French because she loves learning a new language you also speak Spanish as well and then uh she enjoys going to the gym going out running and shopping in the future she plans on going to TCNJ for a career and early childhood education to become a teacher yes so [Applause] okay at this time we have uh let's first let's have another round of applause for our students of the month at this time we have uh one additional student not a student of the month for the district but she was recently given award by the Somerset County School boards Association a special award for unsung hero I am going to turn it over to our president Mr Januzzi who is the vice president of the Somerset County School boards Association to present tell talk a little bit about it and present uh a gift Mr Smith you want to come on up sure thank you Dr Freeman uh as Dr Freeman said each year Somerset County School uh School Board Association recognizes one student from each School District based on the following criteria it's a student who makes your school a better place simply because they're a part of it and who may often be overlooked or un uh under more traditional recognition criteria so these are really the students who make boundbrook the community that it is right represent our culture for have all of the qualities that we look for in terms of U making your way and finding success and so I'm really excited to be able to recognize Doris tonight and Mr Smith hoping you can say a few words about why she was nominated uh for this award absolutely please listen carefully uh to our story it's it's very unique and it it really exemplifies uh the epitome of hard work perseverance to achieve a goal overcoming and and overcoming odds all right it's it's two pages but I'll tell you it's worth every second because this young lady deserves all the recognition that she is receiving last week and tonight as well so there we go the ARs Nicole Amaya in est's Journey began in a small poor and sparsely populated town called tab in Honduras however her childhood truly unfolded in an even smaller and more deprived Village and received little to no attention from the government in this remote place ambulances and buses were nearly impossible to locate unless specifically summoned medical emergencies and police visits were rare often occurring only once a month and usually to collect a dead body like any other child darus clung tightly to her mother's hand on her first day of kindergarten but unlike many others she feared not only the uncertainties of school but also the dangers Beyond terrified that one day in her pursuit of a better life she might disappear and never return most of dar's childhood memories centered around school she could often be found under the tree trees swaying in a hammock while immersed in books or playing with dirt and Clay to create pretend pots in her Village libraries were non-existent and books were a rare privilege more luxurious than a phone phones though were Soom used as Internet access was almost unattainable despite the technological limitations The Village thrived on community most people knew one another the village had one church and religion was a Cornerstone of life it was safe to assume that nearly everyone was Christian as that was the only denomination represented Daris had many responsibilities growing up she cared for pigs cats dogs horses chickens and the family farm she learned invaluable skills from her grandparents making milk yogurt harvesting crops and preparing coffee and other foods from scratch for Doris these tasks were more than chores they were a legacy passed down through generations even the simplest activities like buying a school a book for school or traveling to purchase a dress became Monumental missions trips to the city whether by bus or car were fre infrequent and could take three to four hours depending on traffic on these Journeys Doris witnessed the struggles of others parents working tirelessly shanting AWA D Coco at every stop while their children Stood Beside them Barefoot and teary eyed she always asked her mother to buy her coconut water from them even if it wasn't sanitized simply because she wanted to share a piece of her blessings with those with the those less fortunate returning to school after these trips Doris felt immense gratitude she had teachers and most importantly the opportunity to attend school with her uniform neatly pressed and her supplies ready she wasn't just a student she was a determined child thriving to achieve greatness for those who couldn't Doris was an honored scholar for as long as she can remember excelling in her studies with unwavering dedication everything changed when she moved to America adjusting to a new school where she couldn't communicate with anyone besides her parents and her ESL teacher was a daunting challenge Doris often felt isolated her fear of speaking because of her accent keeping her quiet in many conversations but she persevered driven by the sacrifices she and her parents had made she braved harsh winners Long Summers filled with extra lessons and Autumn days where she mostly listened in class determined to overcome the language barrier and improve herself since becoming a scholar at Bal Brook High School Doris's High School experience is a testament to her passion for academics leadership and service with a perfect 4.0 GPA she has challenged herself with rigorous coursework including AP and honors classes in English Spanish biology and history as well as dual credit courses in anatomy and law beyond the classroom she has excelled in athletics earning Varsity letters in track and field soccer and cross country while also contributing to a range of extracurricular activities such as The Debate Club National Honor societies and student Le initiatives like uh the founding of the life skills Exchange Club that empowers students by fostering creativity knowledge and practical life skills to en enrich their lives and positively impact the community furthermore Doris helped coordinate the yellow tool project through Middle Earth which is a youth-driven initiative focused on smashing the stigma surrounding mental health and promoting hope and community Through initiatives like planning yellow tulip Gardens her leadership roles including serving as president of the rppa social studies Honor Society and Secretary of The Debate Club reflect her ability to inspire and gu others deeply committed to community committed to community service Doris has actively participated in volunteer work through interact roaa and the national English Honor Society supporting causes like food pantries shelter assistance and town cleanups a creative and empathetic scholar she balances her academic and extracurricular Pursuits with a love for art nature and creative writing all while staying on her dream of a career in Pediatrics to serve and uplift others Doris exemplifies dedication resilience and a commitment to making a meaningful a meaningful impact in her community and Beyond currently Doris claims she isn't entirely sure where God will guide her next but she remains confident in what she will achieve just that little girl in the village once did with so little she she holds fast to the wisdom of Matthew 6:34 do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will have enough worries of its own Doris cherishes cherishes her Roots recognizing that her culture and The Humbling often harsh experiences of her past have shaped her into the person she is today through trials and tribulations she has learned to remain grateful knowing that it is this gratitude and perseverance that make her an unsung hero let's here for Doris woo look at that Doris Doris would you and your family please come forward so can present you with a little token of uh recognition from our Board of Education [Applause] okay at this time we want to recognize some of our outstanding staff our District employees of the month I would like to call Miss Winter forward to recognize our employee of the month from February from February [Applause] let's have a round of applause for Miss [Applause] Malon it's an honor to recognize an outstanding educator leader and Mentor Diane M as our district teacher of the month for February Diane is the heart of our school Community bringing dedication warmth and expertise to everything she does as a teacher leader Diane takes on the immense respons responsibility of running the win program ensuring that students receive the targeted support they need to succeed she carefully reviews data schedules students and provides guidance always striving to meet each student's individual needs her attention to detail and deep understanding of her students allow her to make TR decisions that truly impact their learning and growth Beyond her leadership Diana is a nurturing and kind presence in our school she is not only a support system for her students St but also for her colleagues affectionately referred to as Mom by many Diane fost is an environment where everyone students and staff alike feel valued supported and cared for she is always willing to lend a helping hand whether it be in the lunchroom covering a class or pushing into the classroom to support her students her selflessness and dedication make her a true team player who always puts the needs of others first when I asked her colleagues to share something about her that share something about how she has impacted them personally or professionally here is some of what they said as a leader within the ASI team Diane sets a wonderful example of kindness and professionalism when I started as an ASI teacher last year the transition was a significant change for me and Diane's guidance and support made all the difference she welcomed me warmly always took the time to ensure that I felt included and stepped in whenever she noticed I was struggling her ability to up uplift those around her truly separates her from other teachers another colleague shared she has the innate ability to be present for those who need her whether it's offering a hand on a challenging lesson or simply listening a ear when things get tough no matter who it is or what the situation if anyone in the building is in need of Assistance or support Diane will always be there without hesitation ready to offer help in any way she can as you can see Miss malan's hard work and commitment to education are evident in everything she does she not only teaches but understands the needs of her students ensuring that they feel seen heard and empowered her passion patience and dedication have made her an invaluable part of our school Community miss malan m thank you for all you do your impact reaches far beyond the classroom and we are so grateful to have you at small congratulations on this well-deserved [Applause] recognition very well deserved very well deserved keep me honest come on [Applause] and next up for March we have Mr Smith will come up and uh say a few words about our co-employees of the month from Bound Brook High School [Applause] I made a joke to our staff um you know Dr Stewart Mr schaffner's like peanut butter and jelly or like ham and cheese you know kind of like a package deal they go together so you know when deciding on um you know who our staff member of the month would be it was only fair and warranted to give it to the both of you so I know was kind of a a little break from tradition just selecting one candidate but you both deserve this so it's a co- award okay so that being said we're proud to recognize Dr Marian Stewart and Mr Chris Schaffner as our staff members of the month for their outstanding dedication to the band program and their exceptional leadership and assisting with the coordination of the most recent band concert the band concert was a true reflection of their hard work meticulous planning and commitment to Excellence from selecting engaging pieces to ensuring seamless Co event coordination they executed every detail flawlessly the result was a remarkable performance that showcased the students talent and dedication while bringing the school Community together to enjoy the musical pieces they practiced during their first semester in addition to their commitment to the band program Dr Stewart and Mr Schaffner have taken on the challenge of teaching brand new courses this year including keyboard guitar Latin music and dance music exploration music music production and music in American culture not only did they develop the curriculum for these courses from the ground up but they also carefully selected and ordered the necess necessary supplies to ensure students have the best possible learning experience with music their Innovation and dedication have expanded our music program providing students with exciting new opportunities to explore and develop their musical talents with the Inception of these new courses Dr Stewart and Mr Schaffner have gone above and beyond to inspire and guide their students fostering not only musical Excellence but also teamwork discipline and a deep appreciation for the musical arts their passion for music education is evident in the way they challenge students to reach their full potential while cultivating an inclusive and supportive learning environment Marian Stewart and Chris Schaffner are invaluable members of the Bal Brook High School community and their contributions to their students and the music program deserve the highest recognition their dedication not not only enriches our schools Arts culture but leaves a lasting impact on the Young Musicians they Mentor please join us and congratulating Marian and Chris on this well-deserved honor and [Applause] recognition I didn't think a bouquet was approp rate for Mr shner so I got him a nice Cactus looking [Music] plant well deserved congratulations I guess they're off to practice okay at this time we would like to ask all of the students of the month and their parents to come up to take a group picture let congratulations I'm very proud of you J for our largest recog maybe to the back or down so we can see everybody but otherwise I think we're pretty good I'm not going Mike can you see everybody [Music] no photograph this one first bir Game Changer how are you good [Music] you guys can go down I'll just Nick somebody come take a picture I haven't seen yet I haven't seen him yet waiting that was a beautiful speech and it was so fitting it was so fittting that's who you are this young right see you I'm awesome how are you I'm I'm I'm fantastic yeah you're look look thank you very can I get absolutely abolutely no with you yeah please thank thank you so what are you doing tell me real quick I'm teaching in North planfield yeah what are you teaching uh fourth grade starting next week congratul Math Science Social Studies I know you love yeah I'm a middle school or the intermediate right now um Dr Kino she's amazing I decided a teacher yeah it's been a lot more natural than I expected it would be but the transition I know something all right good see good to see you too thank you I appreciate it [Music] all right everybody at this time we are up to agenda item 2.4 this is a presentation of our tentative budget as loyal as a public hearing on the same uh at this time I'd like to turn the microphone over to Mr Gorski our business administrator to walk us through the particulars Mr Gorski thank you Mr board president just a reminder on the procedure for the tenative budget adoption it's a little little unique the administration is going to provide a presentation with a few PowerPoint slides and information that then I will read a resolution to adopt the budget hopefully we get a first and a second then we will have a public forum where any members of the public who wish to come at on the budget have a right to do so but only on the budget then we will have a board discussion once they hear from the members of the public and then we will have a vote and hopefully an adoption of the school tentative budget [Music] thank you good evening everyone and welcome to the 2526 uh school budget presentation uh we're very happy to present to you for the third year a very well-developed fiscally responsible comprehensive budget that really covers the district's needs in terms of the classroom I'm very proud to say that 66% of the funds will go into the classroom in the form of coaching supplies technology professional development one of the signs of a great budget is the fact that the money is goes into the classroom and this budget does exactly that we have to thank a lot of people for that before I turn it over to Mike to explain the details first I want to thank our governor Murphy for those of you know for many years S2 we weren't properly funded he committed to funding fully funding the formula he did so over the last two years years we've received the benefit and this year as well so we're able to catch up and give our students our staff our community what they need in order to be the most successful also I want to thank our Administration our team put a lot of hardwork a lot of conversations collaborated back and forth looked at data in order to make the right decisions about what was to be purchased what services were to be provided so I want to congratulate them for that and thank them also our Michelangelo of money right our Michelangelo of money Mr Gorski who worked tires tirelessly and this is kind of his uh I I would talk more but this is kind of his baby you know so I want to give him the opportunity to talk about it because he put so much hard work and I can tell you uh I've seen several Bas I don't know if I've ever seen one as thorough uh with a deep understanding of what needs to go in the classroom and the ability to save money as well as to make money through uh CDs bonds very savvy so I want to thank him for that uh also our Board of Education work with Boards of education for many years I've never seen a more supportive when we talk about budget many times people go to their boards and they talk about the idea of cutting our budget our board says what else do you need let's figure out a way to get it if it if it's needed to meet the needs of the students so I want to thank the board of education for that and these thanks these this gratefulness is not obligatory I really mean what I say we have one of the best teams I've ever been a part of I feel blessed to be a part of it and I'm going to now turn it over to the Michelangelo of money Mr Mike Gorski [Applause] doc do you have the clicker thanks thanks [Music] thanks I'm old school I like to hold on to the podium all right welcome to the 2526 school budget presentation and I want to most importantly thank Dr Freeman he is the Visionary behind the budget for the last three years we have infused a lot of additional revenues into the budget and provided a lot of additional Firepower into the classrooms to meet the board and the district goals this is the third year of that installment process where millions of dollars of additional funds have been deployed to the classrooms to the teachers to the professional developments as Dr Freeman said uh textbooks training ESL special ed the two biggest areas that we have need in in this District we've focused the majority of the funds on in the last three years and of course course thanks to Governor Murphy the the funds didn't stop we picked up 1.8 additional million dollars of state aid this year when most of our colleagues lost three to four per.
Okay, Lance, John, are you ready? Okay. Okay. I call to order the the workshop for Bullhead City School Board on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. It's close, right? Roll call. Present. Melinda Subraki. Charlene Dia is here. Fred Rushton here. Barb Zerziki here. Um, we have the privilege today of adding a board member and we're going to let Mr. Warren do his job. Thank you. Good morning, Madam President, members of the board, Superintendent Stewart. Honor to be here today and swear in give the administer the oath uh this morning and I just want to share with you in my first couple of months in office, one of the overwhelming questions that I get is how much do you get paid to be a board member? So, thank you all for your volunteer service. Uh, you know, we have some districts where, uh, there's a plethora of people wanting to run for various reasons and then we have some, uh, places where they can't get anybody to run.
that back I mean we're hitting World War II era that so we're thinking when Wars happen um when we're thinking that recession hits people lose jobs moving there are so many things that we would think that's not really a detriment to a child but it is and again one and three of our community and it's a very high percentage of our community that faces trauma thankfully one and three adults have no Aces but again it's it's very important to consider that one in three adults which means that one in three children in the community are dealing with some very intense uh traumatic issues that they're trying to overcome which brings me to Franklin community so in this conversation I want the the public to be aware and even the board to be aware we are not the only Community uh that is looking into developing a child care center Franklin community that or Franklin that is not too dissimilar from Madison uh like I looked at the quote here and I felt like I could have taken out Dr Clint denning's name and and put in Dr Brown because he's talking about preschool space they're running out of room trying to meet Community needs they're about the same time frame that we are uh they have a very old building that they're looking to build a new center on top of after demolition occurs to that building um so just want to be people people aware you know the cost in Franklin they're going to spend 700,000 to a million dollars to um to take down that building and then they will work to build a new one so as many of the parents attested today it is an issue in our community but it's an issue that is Statewide it's not just unique to Madison there are several centers that already exist around the state but when I try to think of a community that is very similar to Us Franklin is very similar and they are approaching the same thing for the exact same reasons that we are I shared this a 30,000 foot view uh again when we had the round table a couple months ago now but what I said that night was that the average student who started in Madison in preschool at three years old and stayed with us until they were 10 years old and began taking standardized tests in third and fourth grade I said that they drastically outperformed their peers who did not mathematics it's an average of 20% and then in ela it is an average of 20 to 30% so I'll give you a brief moment to look at the left is the general student population and then to the right is where our students would score if all of them were part of that preschool cohort that started with us at three years old had their needs met and you can see the outcomes for those students versus the outcomes for students who did not attend preschool I'll just give you a brief moment to look at that and this is specifically for third and fourth grade looking at their ey learn scores and specifically I read so the two bolds there's roughly 375 school districts in the state of Indiana uh third fourth grade ELA plus math that would rank us 13th in the state Ela plus math and fourth grade would be top 10 or top two% in the state now if I look at the generalized population if I took those same figures and I calculated those out for third grade through 8th grade you can see that in English language arts we would be first in the state of Indiana outperforming 375 other school districts mathematics we placed 27th which would be top seven but when we are talking about State rankings the state specifically looks at Ela plus math 61.6% which would be second place by 1% which would Place Us in the top 1% of school corporations in the state of Indiana the top performing District was 63 or 62.6 so again to I think it was Miss Bentley Miss Bentley Schaefer said if we consider these numbers when we are able to help children and we can start their education and their life off on their right foot at the age of three just imagine what could be accomplished if it's starting at Birth what we're trying to do there was a gentleman when I received this training uh he worked in the Foster system for the state and he said he was tired of mopping up the floor and he wanted to fix the hole in the ceiling and that's what as a community that we're trying to do that we with your leadership and with your vision we're trying to meet the need of a community that whether it is from a scientific standpoint or an academic standpoint we're going to provide children and this community in general the capacity to thrive any questions okay thank you Sean thank you Kim I just the last hour has been really neat to see kind of the from the preschool all the way through our seniors that are graduating and the and the students and the passion of our employees I just it was a really neat hour that we just kind of sit through so thank everybody we should have thanked everybody at the beginning but for everybody was here in that last hour thank you very much we'll move on to our consent agenda um several different items to cover here 25-11 approval of agenda for the March 12th 20125 regular meeting you tried to throw me off there 2026 but I caught it thank tried to catch the rookie 25-12 approval of minutes of the February 6 2025 work session and the February 12th 2025 regular meeting 25-13 approval of payment of claims 25 5-14 approval of financial report 25-105 approval of construction payments we have one that is coch mechanical for high school HVAC upgrades the amount being $181,600 25-16 approval of the Personnel report 25-16 point1 and agenda of the Personnel report 25-17 approval of donations and grants we have three uh to Madison Consolidated High School the first one from vssg they donated hydraulic lift tables in the amount of $5,000 to the Cub diesel to be used to lift equipment the second one from the MCS Educational Foundation they donated $5,000 to the Academic Teams and and then the third one is from Tool and Rose Supply they they donated $50 to the FFA next on the consent agenda 25-18 approval of field trip request and 25- 108.1 agenda of field trip request we have several here uh number one we have a request from The High School cheer coach Jackie Schnabel to take high school cheerleaders to attend cheer camp in Mason Ohio on June 16th through the 19th 2025 we have a request from Linda Cole Junior High English language arts teacher to take approximately 120 eth graders to Kings Island in Mason Ohio on May 22nd 2025 next we have a request from the high school Jag instructor Sierra sha to take 45 Jag students to visit Northern Kentucky University on March 21st 25th sorry March 2th 2025 the students will be able to experience a college campus college life dorms college classes and what colleges have to offer the next is we have a request from Anderson Elementary School first grade teacher Melissa Omen to take 76 first graders to the Louisville Zoo on May 8th 2025 this trip will enhance the study of animals and their habitats next we have the following out of state requests from athletic director Patrick Morrison April 8th 2025 High School softball at Carrol County Kentucky May 14th 2025 Junior High softball at Trimble County Kentucky next we have a request from Lydia Milton third grade teachers to take 61 third graders to the Louisville Science Center on May 16th 2025 the students will be engaged in stem activities during the day number seven we have a request from first grade teachers at rers Ridge Elementary to take 40 first graders to the Louisville Zoo on April 24th 2025 next we have a request from third grade teachers at Lydia Middleton Elementary School to take 61 third graders to the Louisville Science Center on May 16th 2025 the students will engage in stem activities next we have a request from the fifth grade from fifth grade teacher Marsha o to take graders to extreme nasium in Clarksville with lunch at Joe's Crabshack in Louisville Kentucky on May 15th 2025 this trip ties with Fit Kids the importance of exercising and the great grow along from the rat feeding experiment next we have a request from high school softball coach Devin brle to take 33 softball team members to Don doina Field atmer stadium in Louisville Kentucky on March 30th 2025 we have a request from Anderson Elementary School teachers to take approximately 98 second graders to stage one theater in Louisville Kentucky on March 28th 2025 next we have a request from Deputy principal Kathy Stoner to take 42 third and fourth graders to the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville Kentucky on April 8th 2025 Dr Brown your recommendation please I recommend that the board of approve with one motion and one vote the consent agenda items 25-11 through and including 25-18 point1 as presented thank you Dr Brown do we have a motion I'll make a motion to approve consent agenda and do we have a second I'll second any discussion with no discussion we will do a row call vote first Mr Wallace hi Mr story I miss yansy I Mr Scott I and Mr B is also a Yi an I not a Yi an i and that boat passes six to zero five five zero sorry I counted myself twice I was excited uh next on the action agenda 25- 109 request permission to advertise for hearings Dr Brown yeah I'm seeking permission to advertise for hearings this is the first step for the renovation of an any improvements to the facilities throughout the school corporation including the construction of a new child care and preschool building demolition of eoy site improvements throughout the school corporation and the purchase of equipment buses real estate and Technology asking for permission to advertise thank you Dr Brown do we have a motion I make a motion we approve second second thank you and with that we will do a roll call vote if there are no discussions any discussion I'm just watching them okay uh with no discussion we will start our roll call vote Mr Wallace hi Mr story I Mrs yansy I Mr Scott I and Mr bin is also an I that vote passes is 5 to nothing 25- 1110 first reading of MCS policy 5223 release time for religious instruction Dr Brown yeah this is the first reading uh for that policy therefore no actions required tonight um if you have any questions please contact me this policy is required by law thank you Dr Brown Next 25-11 approval to advertise for cafeteria B bids Dr Brown I'm recommending the board give approval to advertise for cafeteria bids for the period of July 1 2025 through June 30 2026 group three food and other products we anticipate that we will be able to procure bread and da bids from the Wilson education center asking for permission to advertise thank you Dr Brown do we have a motion I'll make a motion to approve I'll make a motion to approve 255-1111 approval to advertise for cafeteria bids thank you Mr story do we have a second an i second there hey we have a first from Canada and a second from Florida so uh do we have any discussion seeing no discussion we will go to a roll call vote Mr Wallace hi Mr story I miss yansy hi Mr Scott hi and Mr B's also an I that passes five to nothing 25-12 approval of school student transfer request deadline date Dr Brown I'm recommending the board approve the at May 22nd 2026 as the last day to accept out of District students for the 25 26 school year we are required to turn that into the department of Ed before April 11th so asking for permission for that date thank you you Dr Brown uh do we have a motion make a motion we approve 25112 thank you Mr Scott do we have a second I'll second thank you Mrs yansy do we have any discussion seeing that there's no discussion we will move on to row call vote Mr Wallace hi Mr story I Mrs yansy hi Mr Scott I and Mr Benson is also an I that is five to nothing thank you uh 25-13 approval of Summer School courses Dr Brown yeah I'm recommending the board approve the summer school courses summer school will be offered to students at their home school location with Transportation provided the following courses are included in our estimate to the state and will be offered based on student needs courses Staffing and estimated student counts are submitted to the state by April 1 of 2025 BAS based on this information the state will allot reimbursement funds to districts that are providing summer school we do not currently know what the reimbursement of funds will be uh but are dedicated to the Su success of our students and feel that summer school help student needs um and for academic support summer school will be offered to students at their home school location the following courses are offered Elementary kindergarten through fourth grade math language arts reading and literature second and third grade individual reading plan for I read three second and third attempts then for testing as required by State Statute that would be June 2nd through June 13 2025 from 8:00 until 12: noon the Junior High fifth and sixth grade math language arts reading and literature June 2nd through June 13 from 8 until noon 7th and e8th grade math language arts reading and literature June 2nd through June 20 from 8 until noon the high school all in-person courses will align with the doe summer school list that's presented the online courses are through Indiana online June 2nd through June 20 from 8:30 a.m.
spring 2025 town meeting bylaws discussion Ashley and residents are invited to a planning board Forum on March 13th at 7:15 p.m. to discuss updates to town bylaws including flood plane regulations accessory dwelling units and site plan review procedures
if you are looking to get more involved in the community there are several Town committees that have open seats and need volunteers the current openings include Community preservation committee the Conservation Commission Council on Aging design Review Committee open space and Recreation committee and storm water advisory committee if you're interested in making a difference visit the town website to learn how you can apply on