Furthermore, according to the state regulation, schools must first accept the students who are residents of Garfield taxpayers before enrolling students from other districts provided there is open enrollment. However, we are still supporting students from other districts and covering the transportation con transportation cost. And I'm talking about exactly charter schools which us taxpayers a lot of money. And I think most of you guys agree with me. We have to stop that. We have to start saying to state no, we're not going to have charter schools. Our kids deserve it in public school also has the same education as the kids in charter school and the same tools. Thank you. Okay. in case in case we didn't understand her discussion was just about the charter schools and about uh us having the ability to keep our retain our students here versus having our students go out if there's other opportunities and reasons and ways to keep their students here.
Um, I've heard stories from other communities as I go around listening to other board members talking about how they can't commun how they they can't get either anyone to talk to each other in this community. I think we're very blessed and I appreciate everyone that's worked with that and especially with John helping uh facilitate some of that as well. Right. Um, it's uh Corey and to the whole team to all of you I say thank you. Um, you know, remember Corey and Sheriff Newton, I think it was three years ago, um, having this meeting and talking about the power of the Wii, right? That's right. You know, that we're all working very hard, but probably we could do a much better job of being the Wii. Um, I have a lot of, um, colleagues across the state are envious of the Wii that we have built here together as a community.
Don't ask how I understood that but good evening everyone. Everett Egarnto Jr. 51 Jewel Street, Garfield, New Jersey, taxpaying citizen. Also the mayor of this city. Um, I just got two questions. Yes, believe that enough. You know, Mr. Tomco, you you gave in your presentation where the $4.6 million in state aid went to. You said contractual obligations, 2.1 million, insurance premiums, 2.2 million, and the charter schools. Wasn't all this supposed to be already in the budget? Why are you using these things, these three entities, as an excuse of spending $4.6 million that you just found out you had? Should this not have been calculated in the budget prior to getting that money? What? What? What? I mean, am I asking something that ridiculous where your head's coming off your shoulder almost? What? What's this? No, you okay? And my my next question within your uh presentation, you had mentioned that you're finally going to get a chemistry teacher.
And so, um, from the police department, the sheriff's department, the Bowen Center, my gosh, we can't do it without you. Mayor Strick's been awesome from day one. Um, and so I just want to say all of you, thank you. The beneficiary of all this is the kids. I mean, that's why we're doing it. The bottom line is the beneficiary are the kids. And um as we continue to move forward, I'm really excited uh for the opportunity to continue to work with all of you and the opportunities that's going to be before our kids and our staff and in the very near future. So it it's a blessing on my part to team and to work with all of you. Um we could not do this without you. Um you look at the climate in our buildings today versus a few years ago. It's incredible uh what has happened and you all right over there are a huge part of what we're doing inside our buildings and inside our walls each and every day.
Do um is it going to be within district? Do you know that or you don't know that yet? You said you were going to finally hire a chemistry teacher that we have not had. Is this person that you're finally going to hire within our district? Another question that you don't Okay, that's just the part the sec. So, uh, real briefly, just so everybody's educated on what's going to go on. So, versus us waiting to the end and then answering everybody's questions, we're going to answer it on a case by case include, you know, for the budget, just so so that you know. So, once he compiles all all of your questions, then he's going to answer them directly to you as soon as you're done. Okay. So that's what that's what he's waiting on. So they will be answered today. No, I it was just the Yeah, I just want to make sure head movements when I ask a question.
So I say to all of you, thank you. I mean that it's been incredible blessing to work alongside with you. So board, what I'm asking for is your approval uh for us to continue to move forward uh in this process. We are open for a motion. I will make the motion to accept the police as presented. Do I hear a second? I heard Deb as the second or hope she's pointing at Aaron. So, we'll go with Aaron. They're pointing each other. I'm choosing Aaron. So, we'll go with Aaron. Uh, any comments?
I don't think it's that that's from the past and we're trying to address it. And my ne my next question in reference to that chemistry teacher. Um have you ever thought about possibly looking at the science teachers within our district and asking them to get the extra certifications or whatever other schooling they need to do that? because um you know, street talk says that there were people that would have done that if they were asked, but I don't know, maybe you wanted to go outside a district like you normally do and not, you know, choose some of these hardworking individuals within our own district. Thank you. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Gardo. Appreciate that question. the uh the the teachers in district have six periods already to cover as much as they can. Uh you're right, whoever told you that I don't know if it was the union or not, but we did talk to the union.
Hearing none. Uh, we'll go for a vote. Corey, again, thank you. Um it's amazing to me um that we're doing this at the cost we are doing it. Um and how hard that you've all worked to put this all together. So thank you. I mean it's been a lot of hours um put in this. Yeah. I'm not the expert on that, but I I've heard enough from Captain Ellen. Even though the picture you saw with the dog from from Belmont, uh they chose that dog at a very young age, as Daniel noted, they had to change handlers in there. Um and again, it's it's uh more it's easier to get a dog that has that puppy effect out of them. So, we're looking at something, you know, around that two-year mark. um through the Allen County Sheriff's Department. And what I didn't mention, uh I I agree with your statement that we're truly blessed to have this opportunity and we're going to be one of the few schools that does, but this is probably one of the fastest growing segments of school resource officer programs programs going right now.
They put a nice proposal together. Um we are now going to be going through negotiations regardless with that uh moving forward. Some of the teachers uh I've also talked to the state department uh with regards to trying to get some of that emergency certification. So, so that is on the way. I don't know what you mean hire from indist unless that's what you meant. Now, now I understand your question, but your question was confusing to me. So, I apologize. the person on the agenda is not in district obviously. Um so that is a hire. We do now have to find someone else. I'm hoping she could start as soon as possible, but as you know being, you know, former board uh trustee um usually it's 60-day clause that's by contract. So I'm sure she'll get here as soon as she can. That's what we're hoping for, but uh unfortunately expectation isn't that.
Uh Captain Ell's done a tremendous amount of research and the IPA, which is the International Police Work Dog Association that the accreditation come came comes through, um they They've told us that this is rapidly growing and evolving and so um for many reasons. We all know that mental health is a challenge that law enforcement has dealt with forever, but we all also know that since co uh and in my discussions with this team from Bowen Health right back here, it it it's to a whole another level, right? And so I think that this uh K9 opportunity is is going to help break down those walls along with the drugs and the other traditional things that we normally deal with in law enforcement. goes back to when you guys know. Sure. No. Appreciate your support. The motion carried 5-0 and so it passed. Thank you much.
Um uh the budget for the uh increase would come off the tax levy. So if you have a contractual increase so in the in the negotiations for the unions which you were part of I believe um those were unbudgeted numbers um the board at the time when a board budgets four or five years out in year three they're saying yeah in year three we're going to budget for that so the 2.2% which is we have two units negotiating right now so I really know it could be more than 2.2% but conservatively let's say 2.2%. That's something that three years ago everyone knew we'd have to budget for. Um, but the only way you budget for it is by increasing the tax levy. So, the best thing that happened right now was that we got that 4.6 to cover it instead of the tax levy. So, if we had a flat Let's Let's put this in perspect.
[Applause] Oh, yeah. We have Okay, Kenny. Uh, thank you. We have We have some certificates for you, and we're not going to let you out of here without getting your picture taken, okay? You got to get your picture taken. That's part of the deal. Uh, don't don't leave. So, you're gonna make this work, Kenny. Okay. Yeah. Uh yeah. Thank you. I don't really care about Thank you guys. There you go. Okay. This way over here. Okay, look over here. Here we go. Smile. I like a nice angle. All right. Set the stage. That is not my phone. Okay. I have an iPhone for sale. Thanks, Ryan. You saved me, Cindy. Thank you. Good job. Yeah. No, Cindy saved me right there. So, from one presentation to another, I think we're going to move on to E students. Uh, and we have a special presentation for the AP uh science field trip.
It's a great question actually, Mayor. Let's put this in perspective. If we had a 0% increase on our aid, that would have to be the number I just put up here would have to be 6.5% just to cover the increases in salaries. So, think about that. So, so instead of going backwards, which I thought it was going to be 3% because we did get a memo saying it was probably going to be lose 3%. Now, the 4.6 really helped the city out by taking that away. So, it's not it can't be budgeted for until so for next year, for example, it's probably another well, it's probably going to be 2.5 million next year. So, that now next year, I'm telling you before we even start, we're talking 26 27, we're we're already 2.5 million probably in an increase bracket. So, that's that's just from contractual agreement.
Mr. Park. All right. Board and community. I'm thrilled to have Mr. Park and three wonderful students, AP Science from Huntington North here to tell us about their trip to Florida. I will tell you um I've got uh been in Mr. Park's class a few times recently talking about the Viking Green Team and and this uh gentleman is um not only an outstanding teacher but unbelievable uh role model for the kids of Huntington North. So, thank you for being here tonight, Mr. Park. Sure. They say that um you should never follow a kid and a dog. So, I'm really thankful that they didn't actually bring in a little puppy K-9 cuz we were getting ready to leave if they were. So, I mean it was it was game it was game over about that time. So, I think uh officers Boxel and Hamill kind of nailed it right on the head when they said that um there's momentum and uh good things happen when there's momentum.
So, thank you for letting me clarify that though. Danielle Marcelo, 66 Crackow Street. So, I want to start off by saying that not only did I attend the schools here, my entire K through 12 education, but I was afforded every single opportunity that people I went to college with that were not from Bergen County were afforded, if not better. So, what we are Yeah. If not what we had, I had better than what they had. And so I would like to make a very very strong point that regardless of tax dollars or how you twist it, it was the teachers who afforded me those abilities. And every single one of them deserves to be commended because they were not given an excess amount of money for them to be able to do their job. They did it with passion. They did it with dignity. And they did it to know that they were going to be here to make sure that I had the best opportunity.
And something that um has uh kind of caughten fire in my opinion is um our apes program and our environmental science program. um not because of anything I've done, but I get the unique opportunity to hang out with some really cool people every single day. And uh these kids are they're they're game changers when it comes to making a difference in this world and in this community. And um so a couple weeks ago, Melanie and I um my beautiful bride had the opportunity to escort um 13 young ladies to South Florida. And uh I do want to point out young ladies because uh we don't discriminate against the males. Um but uh from circumstances beyond their control with sports and H Heartland Career Center and a couple moving into the class late um Melanie and I are actually going to escort them and their families on the same trip this summer.
I graduated 13th in my class for high school. And when I got to college, people said, "Oo, were you validictorian? How competitive was your school?" And you want to know what? There were people, we were down neck andneck until the very end up until graduation. And our teachers were pushing us every step of the way. Come on, a little bit harder. You You need a 100 on this test. You're so close to passing by. That didn't have anything to do with money. It had to do with the will of the teachers. So, that's the first thing I want to bring up because they do deserve to be commended for what they have done for students over the years. [Applause] Thank you. So, this is to the board. Uh, one of the things that I I'm still concerned about because last year I was here for the budget um meeting and we were having a solid budget.
Um and so we're excited about giving them the same opportunity and their families as well. So, they really had to twist our arms to get to go twice. So, um so anyway, uh you don't want to hear this from me. Um I was able to uh get three young ladies, uh juniors here at Huntington North, uh Graceland Anderson, Maggie Hall, and Jesse Bill to share just a little bit of what what this meant to them and the impact it had on their lives. Okay. So, on Sunday, March 2nd, we were off to Florida. We arrived in Miami in afternoon. Once we landed, we were on the way to Britain Environmental Center in Summerland Key. And we got there right in time for dinner, which was pretty nice. And we explored the place and met our leaders, Mick and Morgan. And after a long day of travel and a new beginning to a fun adventure, we all settled down and rested.
We were optimistic going into this school year. Looked good. Our numbers were nice and balanced. Has anyone asked what is our strategic plan for replacement of large ticket items? So, we hear about the boilers breaking all the time. And a fun fact, every single one of these schools um was actually built in the 30s by my family. And so, you're welcome that they've stood the test of time. However, things are going to fall and break. So, as the years go on and we know that we're reaching the lifespan, where is it exactly for the board? Where are you asking? What is our plan? If we know that we have a a 10-year life expectancy on a boiler, we shouldn't be preparing in year nine to figure out how we're going to find the dollars and we get hit tax year after tax year after tax year in last minute scrambles.
On Monday, March 3rd, it was our first morning waking up in the beautiful Key. Early that morning after breakfast, we all met up in a classroom to learn about corals and what they were going and what we were going to do that day. We learned that coral was a living animal. After learning about corals and polyps, we headed off to a coral nursery. This was an amazing experience as we got to witness how they are trying to grow coral faster and more efficiently. This process is called fragmentation and this process was developed by Dr. David Vaughn and as Mr. Park would say is a hero and one of the coolest people you'll ever meet. And lucky for us, we got to meet Dr. Vaughn and he informed us how he came up with the process of fragmentation and his and his team's goals are. As Dr.