So we might be able to draw from some of that as well as some of what you all might have. Um but basically to see what we might be able to do to take stock and identify what's already in place and what's happening um within the city um and that might be also be beyond the city as well that that might be useful. So um just to throw that out there. Um what other options that have already been discussed but aren't in place? Um and then if there are additional options that haven't been brought up yet um that we might add to that as well. So the upshot being to try to create um I think a list of what is happening in this space and and where where the activity is going and what and to follow from that what we might need to do to prioritize some of those um and to use the collective wisdom of this group to um to identify what what the priorities might be in case they're already not in place.
It is not uh equitable because the way you're funding schools solely based on property taxes makes it unequal depending on where a student lives. meaning a wealthy town has the ability to raise a lot more in taxes than a town with very little tax base and low wealth. And so the state supreme court said, "You have to change it." Said to the legislature, "You have to change that." And so in 1975, New Jersey passed the School Education Act. And the New Jersey School Education Act for the first time provided state aid to school districts. And that state aid was predominantly funded through everybody's favorite, income tax. There was no income tax in New Jersey prior to 1976. And the income tax was created primarily to fund schools. In fact, 40% of the state's budget today comes um uh excuse me, goes towards funding schools through state aid.
That's the amount I am recommending that we take as a district. That amount right there just brings us to adequacy. And we have talked many times through our own calculations about a number very close to that which is 16 million which based on the state's data taxpayer guide to education spending. Knowing our per pupil cost compared to the per pupil cost statewide for K8s we calculated we were about 16 short of having a budget that's average for our size. How can I How can anyone stand here in front of this opportunity and say that we are going to take less than adequate less than average for our kids. The state is not going to save our district. The state is giving us this chance to save ourselves. We recently testified in Trenton, two days, one in Trenton, one in Newark. ETA board representation, district administration.
[Applause] Good evening board members and families. We have two of our teachers here who will introduce the student of the monthik Dr. Flores fourth grade teacher of Giwork Aarak or the intermediate campus. It is with great pride to present to you this evening our fourth grade student of the month Daenerys Dong. Daenerys D. Long is nominated as student of the month for her exceptional academic performance, leadership, and dedication to learning. She consistently demonstrate a strong work ethic, actively participates in class discussions, and excels across subject areas. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in her ability to grasp complex concepts and support her peers in collaborative learning environment. When she was asked how could she make the world a better place, she said I could make the world a better place by promoting kindness and understanding among people, encouraging respect and peace to prevent conflicts. I will also advocate for environmental responsibility by educating others on importance of keeping our surroundings clean and reducing litter to create a healthier planet for everyone.
Um, and then she probably knows better than I do, but I pulled a report back in December and Kaylee was already in the million words club for million words read this school year. Um, and I think at the time she was reading Toquilla Mockingbird in her spare time um, as a third grader. So that's that's super impressive. Um, Kaylee, she's just super deserving of this and I'm I couldn't be more proud to be able to give this to her. So, Kayleie [Applause] Scson, thank you. Congratulations to all the fantastic students and and to your families as well. Next, Mr. Webb, would you please present the teacher of the month for the high school? All right, Mrs. Reichenbuck, are you? Yes, she is here. Come on forward, please. [Applause] Okay. So, I'm pleased to announce Miss Reichmbbacher as the employee teacher of the month, but I'm also sad to say that she will not be joining us next year because she's going back home be closer to family.
Mr. Lake, are you ready? Hey, boys and girls, if you can please come stand over here and we'll get you from preschool. Yes. What? [Music] is in preschool and Dr. Felicia Rob Robinson writes, "We are proud to recognize Camila as our preschool student of the month. She consistently demonstrates kindness, helpfulness, and leadership in the classroom. Whether assisting classmates, sharing with friends, or setting a great example through her positive attitude, Gama shines as a role model for others. Her willingness to help, encourage, and lead with kindness makes our classroom a better place every day. Congratulations, Camila. Keep up the amazing work. Please don't be shy to come and take pictures. Okay. Saul's teacher, Mrs. Gracia, writes, "Saul has improved so much in many areas this year. I am so proud of how he's chosen to think before he acts and shows kindness and responsibility. He is safe and tries keeping his peers safe.
Okay, I'm excited to get to that. Okay. So, this is our five-year spending history from these same from this same report. So, you can see we've been steady in instruction, very steady in classroom dollars, u steady actually across the board here.
You can just sound off if you'd like. All right. Then on my part other than congratulations to those that were reelected and the new board members that are coming forward and officially for those that are leaving that will say it next time. Thank you for your service and enjoy. All right. Um we will be jouring to close session. Uh the time is 7:05 and I will entertain a motion to move to close session or is allowed under open meetings act for the purposes of five ILCS120 C2 and C1. So moved by Raquel second by RJ please lead us in a roll call vote. Gonzalez Thomas yes Arlandu yes. Meadows yes. Sligger yes. Matis. Yes. Lock. Yes. Your timing is impeccable, Katie. We're going into close session now. You're literally trying to look at the video. I did say congratulations for winning your election. Oh, thank you.
And I need the public to know because, as you know, the election is over and with the election, it was stated, and I want to make it clear that I don't support Hispanic students because I abstained from a vote on a resolution. And it was said that some board members also felt that way. I mean, whether it's true or not, it doesn't matter. But I want to make it clear that even my 22-year-old daughter can explain that a resolution isn't worth the paper that it's written on. We already had a policy in place and the only thing that I wanted was to have that policy put into the resolution and state what it is that we already support. So, I support all students and I always have supported all students and I will continue to support all students. I've been a counselor to students at Kelly High School, which was 95% Hispanic when they were when the Dreamers uh act first came into place.
Oh, looks like it's paused again. So, it'll be interesting to see. Um, Cyber Tigers won two state championships, which is the only two they've had. Yep. Have not lost any matches. Got the uh banners right out here. Looking good. Absolutely. Uh, how long how many years we've been in existence, you say? Well, they didn't have Overwatch the one year when it switched from Overwatch to Overwatch 2. So, every time they've had Overwatch 2, we've won the state title. So, it's a big game here to hopefully and we've uh we've got a great room here uh that have been set up thanks to the tech team coaches. It's very nice, very good setup. Very proud of our students. Have a lot of students playing at both the varsity level and I guess you call like the club level or that level. And uh so we have a lot of PE people signed up.
Thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Malik Anstein. Um, I am a special education teacher. Uh, and here to voice my concern over the decision to cut to Hanto special education. Can I I'll give you your time back, but can I I'll give you your time. I just This isn't on the agenda tonight. Is it? Am I looking at the wrong agenda? Isn't it part of the budget that was on? Is the budget on? I didn't think we were voting on the budget tonight. Out of the minutes, I guess. Yeah. All right. Okay. Yeah. Um, again, my name is Mon'nique Anstein and I'm a special education teacher and here to voice a big concern over the decision to cut to Hanto special education coordinator. As someone who has previously worked in a district without one, I can speak to firsthand in the way the district and school and of course the students and families will suffer without someone in that role.
I appreciate the community for coming out to support our schools and the future of our world. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else like to comment? Public comment. Seeing no one in the audience, I'll go to online. Anyone online? We do have a raised hand for Lisa, so I'm gonna allow Lisa to talk. Lisa, just name and address for the record, please. The shirt Lisa Coggins, uh, Dayard Drive. I thank you for this opportunity to provide some commentary. Um, firstly, I just want to thank the board of education, especially those members who did back-to-back meetings um, from the policy to this one. It's like the dinner hour and it's I'm sure they've had a full day of work as well. Um I also want to thank the board of education for the support in the bike walk roll to school event um that that will be happening in May and for supporting the bike rodeo that's going to be happening on May 3rd.
Um and then to the extent that we can do that to assess where we might need what we might need to advance those priorities or assess where we're falling short um from items on that list. Um that was my sense of how we might tackle this in a somewhat straightforward way. um because I think that might then be useful as a list of options um that if we were to put forward a set of recommendations um in the form of a resolution, it's something that we'd be able to um to work with from that. Um if that makes sense. So I'll open it up um just for for discussion around that and then if there was time we might be able to talk through some of the some of the questions around around disincentives, but figure we might work through the incentives piece first. Um any any adjustments or changes to this questions, clarifications.
But that wasn't good enough either because if you've been in education long, you may have heard of Abbott districts. and Abbott districts came from another New Jersey Supreme Court case, or should I say a series of Supreme Court cases from 1981 to 2011 that basically said that law you passed in 1975 was unconstitutional because it still caused significant disparities between poor urban and wealthy suburban districts. And so they identified 31 of the poorest districts and those became Abbott districts. And the state poured millions and millions and millions of dollars into those wealthy districts uh excuse me into those poor urban districts. didn't end there because there were still fighting over funding, decades of fighting, which ultimately re resulted in 2008 in what became known as the school funding reform act, the current formula that we use today in New Jersey. And whereas previous to 2008 the state wanted every district to be treated equal, wanted every kid to be treated equal, in 2008 that whole philosophy changed and said we don't want equal.
The day in Newark spawned a productive discussion afterwards with the senators on the budget hearing panel who expressed um dismay and agreement with us that there is this artificial and arbitrary 6% cap on state aid increases and that would need to be solved. Well, what we have instead is this opportunity. the cap is still there, but we have this chance to take additional tax levy. And that's pretty much been the story all along every year, right? The the solution is for communities to save themselves. Our mission is kids. Our mission statement is students. It doesn't say that mission includes keeping taxes at a certain level. It doesn't even bench taxes at all. What would we do with that additional local levy? Well, first we would address the steps and reductions from our prior budget presentations. And we started those presentations this year earlier than any other earlier than other districts because of the amount of deficit we were facing.
Once again, our fourth grade student of the month, Daenerys Dong. Okay, Angela, Miss Martin, I am the fifth grade teacher and I'm pleased to um announce our fifth grade student of the month, Miss Alia Cyprianiano. Alia is a natural leader who consistently demonstrates responsibility, kindness, and enthusiasm in the classroom. She actively participates in discussions, shares her ideas, and helps her classmates. She asks questions. Sorry, excuse me. She asks questions and strives to do her best. Alia has a positive attitude and is respectful to her peers and the staff. When asked how she could make the world a better place, Aliyia said, "I will tell people to help the animals by not littering. I will also encourage everybody to take care of themselves and not do drugs." Our fifth grade student of the month, Miss Ali Cypriano. And for sixth grade we have Unity Condi. Is she here?
So, we definitely going to miss her at the high school. So, we're proud to recognize Maya as our teacher of the month. Maya brings incredible passion, energy, and leadership to everything she does at Blig High School. As science department chair, she has strengthened and collaboration among staff, enriched the curriculum, and inspired students to excel in STEM. Beyond the classroom, her leadership as head soccer coach has helped build a strong, competitive, and inclusive team member culture. Maya's commitment to helping students grow academically, athletic, and personally make a lasting impact every day. Her dedication, professionalism, and connection with students make her an invaluable part of our school community. We're lucky to have you, Maya. We're lucky to have her over the last three years. She's done a great job at Blige. Thank you for all you do and good luck in your future, too. [Applause] We'll miss you, coach.
I love how he works quietly and stays on task. I enjoyed teaching him and I'm very proud of him. Congratulations. Mrs. Will Cox in kindergarten writes, "Angel is a leader in our class. He demonstrates how to be safe and responsible. Angel takes care of his needs and oftentimes he will lend a hand to others. Angel is always extremely kind. He worries about others and goes out of his way to find a way to show and support them." Congratulations, Angel. Ava's first grade teacher, Miss Mattis, writes, "Ava is Colts of the month for March 2025. It was a joy to have in class and has shown great engagement and improvement all year long. She's excited about school and how she's doing daily. She is polite, kind, and caring. She loves her family. I see her helping other students often and helping them be successful, too. She's so respectful in the way she treats others.
Any questions on that before we move on? And then this is a graphical representation um of dollars in the classroom, non-classroom, and administration. Um, we just kind of wanted to show that it's just again very flat. We don't we're not seeing any any peaks or valleys. I I do want to point out that administration is only 8.2%. Yes, we're very very low in administration. Very low. And sometimes I hear, oh, if we just get all that money out of administration. Well, there just isn't that money in administration. And and I appreciate having good leaders. They are worthwhile. Great segue into this slide. So, this is our local district. So, we're comparing our neighboring districts here. Uh, this is the FY2024 district spending report information from all of these other districts. So, we have Chandler, Higgley, Mesa, Queen Creek, and Scottsdale. Um, dollars instruction, you can see that we are the highest in instruction.