From classroom sizes increasing to after school clubs and buses being eliminated, students are not for it. So in conclusion, members of the board, please take these students opinions in in in consideration when it comes time to vote on the budget. The the students have voiced their concerns and hope for these cuts to be saved. Thank you very much. My name is Tracy Brown. I'm one of the ETA vice presidents. First of all, thank you very much, Dr. Smith for putting together a proposal to address many of the previous cuts, including the loss of teaching jobs, power benefits, middle school model, plus additional items that you've added to lower class sizes at the elementary school, and the much needed support, including administration our kids need more than ever, among many other items. It's disappointing to see that everything was saved except our drivers. As you can see, many of them are here tonight, and I'm sure you will hear some of their specific concerns when they speak.
This is something we need to do by for the sake of of record, but um I think so long as we are acknowledging it, uh I felt like I wanted to pull and and and specifically address. So, I don't know if any other board members have anything they'd like to share. Well, I'm glad that that that you pulled it out because I too, you know, am, you know, grateful that he has given us the 40 40 plus years and I know that he's very he's very active and assisted with FFA to come to their conferences. there's summer conferences and hopefully we have somebody in line to do that to continue doing that. Uh because this is this a very strong organization and a lot of the students work with different types of um you know growing plants, growing um um products you know I know at one time they were doing um devil's top and you know was, you know, they were, of course, you have to know how to put them into balls and then you, you know, it was a they were selling them for their organization and I think the FFA do a very good job in in promoting a lot of things that traditional things in in line with that too.
Um so those are all really exciting things. It just real quick if I could just one last thing to Al's point about it. Everybody is involved in graduation. It has been my delight the last few years to come and Mr. Quir is always good about saving me a seat. These seniors are my first graders from when I started. Um so it's really exciting to see how I don't recognize any of them because they're all giants now. Um, but it's really good to see that and it it does it means a lot, you know, as as staff to um kind of see where they end up and uh so I'm looking forward to that. That's it. Thanks, John. Uh, okay. Direct technology, Joseph out. So, just to feedback on what the principles are saying, MCCAST is underway. Um the kids as well as faculty and staff have doing a great job adapting to the new platform and all the little hiccups that we've had along the way as we get comfortable with it and learn the the nuances of it.
That gives me pause and it makes me think where are we imagining the district to be? I I don't want the strategic planning meetings that we've had to be for not to be just to show. Um I think there were excellent ideas shared during that time and I think we should start making moves to make to plan for that. Um so thank you current commissioner Kenova for for making that clear that we had these grandiose ideas but with no financial plan to meet them. So, I think if we begin this conversation now, um I'm not here in this seat to plate to people and and a popularity contest and and that's no shade to anyone. It's just my personal thing is about public education and I strongly believe in in supporting it and funding it in the best ways we can. Thank you everyone. Thank you, Commissioner Suarez.
Now, Mr. Dearcy, you were one of my students who had the benefit of being in this school district before all of these recent years of S2 cuts. Now, you're a board member, so it seems so noble that you've come back to serve your former school district, but now it feels honestly like you're putting on a show up there with everything you say and everything you ask. You personally spent two days with me and Dr. Smith and Brian and Mr. Yates in Newark in Trenton. We did a shared testimony. I'm going to quote part of the testimony that we shared in front of senators and assemblymen. The most recent New Jersey DOE's taxpayer guide to education spending shows our 2324 budget was 3,566 less per student than the average K to8 district. With our enrollment of 4518, that means our budget is over 16 million less than average.
I think um so um I want to thank him and I hope that that we do something I mean that the school district provides does something for people like that that give us the amount of time that they've given us and their dedication to to the district to the students and I know that a lot of students you know will remember him and do probably look up to him as far as you know the work that he's put into and he's done uh for them and for the school. Oh, okay. Miss Stevenson, go ahead. Somebody known changes, positive changes lives um for a number of years. and he definitely deserves the recognition. I'm grateful that he took the time to pull it out because I feel like um he is somebody that there are so many lives that he has touched throughout the years. Um and I can guarantee you there probably be so many people sad to see him leave but also realizing that he they have the opportunity to work with so passionate about what he does.
It's a little different than it was last year and in years past, especially on the proctor side. Um so I just want to commend them for for everything that they're doing and how calm and supportive they've been for our students while they're taking this uh assessment. Um, next thing is we're doing uh some technology cleanup as far as disposing of some old and um outdated technology that's no longer serviceable. Um, so we have a company that the districts use used in the past. We'll be reaching out to them to donate this to them so they can go through it and um, you know, provide it to anybody else that may need parts and pieces or anything like that. So, that's taking place. Um, if you want to see this equipment that we're getting rid of, I did provide a list, but it's up in room 219 in the back of the classroom.
Commissioner Bassford. Yes. Just so for public knowledge, the per pupil spending for parameters is $26,625 a year. I sit one office away from the Paramis board of education president and they're going up 4%. Okay. I'd like to take this moment to speak about trust. While some may feel that it is shaken, I want to be clear that for me trust is not lost. Danny, I can only speak for myself, but I believe that the integrity of our process and our shared commitment to doing what's best for the students staff of Clifton is intact. I think that uh we were all expecting a different level of of the budget meeting last time. I myself I was a little disappointed that that level wasn't there. I did speak to Mr. Shahada about it and I think that the expectation going into the last meeting was very clear to all of us that we expected certain things and it didn't happen.
That's less than adequacy. But suddenly tonight, because now we didn't get the money. Of course, don't we all agree? We wanted the state to give us this money. We are owed this money. But because the word taxes comes into play, it becomes a big game and a big show. And suddenly you're questioning his numbers and his numbers. Suddenly the average per pupil cost what? Like you didn't know what that was. Suddenly the 15 million under adequacy. What? What does it mean if we're under adequacy? Why did you go testify? We actually got heard. The senators heard us. They had a conversation with us. If anybody did not see that video, we went I I guess we didn't go viral enough because they talked to us and within days the commissioner of education said, "You know what? We're going to actually acknowledge EAM has a problem.
Um, so I'm grateful. Thank you, Mr. Juan, for all your hard work over the years. Know there isn't many of us, but if you would join me in a round of applause for Mr. Again, a resounding thank you so much, Mr. Juan, for for your effort, your time, your sacrifice. Um, and I and I look forward to to to attending whatever it may be that we're going to do in his honor. Mr. Diaz or to the high school principal. I will put that in her hands. Nonetheless, um with that, I will motion to approve the um resignation. Second. Second by Miss Sylvie Hendricks. Uh all those in favor of this motion with you. Sylvia Hendricks. [Music] Stevens. Motion carries. All right. Letter G is our consent agenda. If no objections, I'll motion to approve. Second. Second by Miss Sylvia Hendricks. All those in favor of this motion?
Um, that's kind of been an eyesore for Mr. Wheeler, so I'd like to get it out of out of his classroom so he can have more usable space in there. Um, we have up made some updates to the website. Um, the Tahanto website is now live. The new updated website is active. Um, it's been perused and piloted over the last couple of weeks where we've been collecting feedback and making minor adjustments to some things that have been there that were missing, we've put them back on. Um, and I do um ask that as you take a look at the website, if there's something there that was there that's now missing or you can't find it anymore, please reach out to me. We're making these adjustments as we update the rest of the district's websites. Um we want to make sure that the the ease of use is still there.
I think that's what you saw was the outcome. But trust is not lost on this board. I think tonight um the transparency of this open discussion, the the community weighing in uh and also the staff weighing in is what we needed as board members. Every one of us took an oath to uphold the New Jersey Constitution to support and advance public education, not to diminish it. That responsibility is not just symbolistic. It is our duty. And I take that duty seriously. Being able to sleep at night means knowing that I've made decisions that protect our students and support staff and respect our taxpayers. I want to be clear that I have not aligned myself with any partisan group or made promises to any special in interest group to vote one way or the other. My vote is always based solely on what I believe is in the best interest of the district with the knowledge that I'm given and the community as well as a whole.
We all know that. I don't pay taxes in this town. I'm going to be the first to you sure don't because you live home with your parents. I pay a lot of taxes at my own district and I will vote for every referendum and anything that comes up because that is what is important for the children. I know I'm almost out of time and I'm derailing because I'm so angry at everything I heard tonight. So angry. So again, we went up to Trenton and New York together. And for those of you that asked, sorry, I'm going to calm down. For those of you that asked about other people going, it was actually really difficult to get even myself added and stuff at that last minute. Can I just have one second? Um, just so you know, so we'd have to plan better because they have very limited attendance.
Juan Bondia. Moab. Sylvia Hendris. Anamary Stevens. Motion carries. Mr. Mr. Sabala. Um, I want to move to suspend the rules to amend the agenda and um remove our executive session this evening. Can we table it or we can table it, but I guess I feel better just tableabling the two items and moving forward. Okay. Uh motion to table letter H which was to convene and take executive session to discuss the land lease and the honorary student board members there. Second second second by Miss Sylvia Hendricks. All those in favor of this motion Juan Bundia. Sylvia Hendris Annie Stevens. Motion carries. With that uh letter G is our request for future agenda items. There are a few. Um, President Mendia, um, it has to do with dates. Um, my first request, um, it is, as we approach the hiring season, I wanted to add an extra day, um, in May for a special board meeting.
Um and that information that you've always had access to before you can still access and find. Um, in addition to that, one of the requests that the school committee was to ask was had tasked me with finding a way to um make the the public more um connected to the information that they're providing out there. So, and um one of the topics was like RSS feeds. Our current website provider doesn't allow for specific RSS feeds. um and without using thirdparty vendors or anything like that, I was able to work with them. And what we did was actually on the school committee uh agenda page um at the bottom of the agenda page, we actually created a calendar that you the public can subscribe to. This calendar calendar is updated hourly. So if you subscribe to the calendar, you can follow it on your own Google calendar or anything like that or you can add in you can subscribe to it and add in your email so you can get email updates.
This reality uh is that we shortchanged the district for many years. We shortch changed the district for many years. We asked our schools to do more with less. And while our educators did their best, the impact was felt. Last year, we finally took a step in the right direction with the budget that we acknowledged the real needs of our students and staff. That progress cannot stop now. This the needs need to continue. I will not support any budget that cuts essential services, academic program or ex extracurricular extracurricular activities that help shape and inspire our students. The Clifton Public School System is one of the uh city's largest employers and with that comes a tremendous obligation to maintain fiscal stability while safeguarding educational ex excellence. Last year, we raised taxes to meet what we called our wish list, a budget that included a 4% raise for most bargaining units.
To circle back, and I'm almost done. Thank you, Dr. Smith, for putting together this proposal that helps current budget issues and helps to plan for the future so we are not in this situation every single year. I hope the board of ed members take advantage of this one-time opportunity because we don't know what is coming our way. One-time opportunity to become adequate again. Please, please. Good evening. My name is Brian Whiswitz, one of the vice presidents of ET. Thank you to Dr. Smith for a proposal tonight that restores many of the previous budget cuts. Thank you to the board for holding this discussion and considering an increase to the tax levy. We have a chance right now to fix our budget shortfalls. Let's not lose this chance. We are tired and worn down as a staff. Take the full amounts. In regards to the question about administration, it might be best for one of them to speak to this, but we would support the additional positions provided that everything else comes back first.
Um, and another one in June. Um, I am requesting, if your calendar allows, um, to see if we can have a virtual meeting to approve any new hires. Um the days that I'm proposing it is um May 20th, I'm sorry, uh May 27 and June 24th. Um again, that will be with intentions to um any new hires so we can expedite the hiring. Um, I will not be available on the I just need a virtual meeting or a phone call just to prove just new hires or maybe extra. Will it be? What Evan? It will be during the day. During the day? Yes, ma'am. Most likely at noon. The time I like. I'm fine with that. Yeah, I don't mind. You say you won't be available that day. No, I'll be traveling that day. I don't know. We can get one more member. What is the other day?
You can even go a step further and get text updates. So if you subscribe to this calendar, you can follow along. And then Nicole and I have been working to as we put stuff on the calendar or we post agendas, we'll update this and we will actually connect the posted agendas to the actual calendar link. So everything's going to be there moving forward. Great. So you basically sign up and get alerts when there's an agenda post. You can sign up and get alerts or you can actually subscribe to the calendar and automatically have it populate to you. Awesome. So, if I look at this right here, um, and click RSS, it's going to allow me a few options to follow. So, whether it's subscribing to the calendar or subscribing for alerts. So, it's one or the other. So, you can do that. Um, other than that, that is all I have for updates for you now.
With the rising cost of health benefits, inflation, and other uncertainty of the looming federal co cuts, it is imperative that we preserve the process and the progress that we have made to keep our district operating at its current level. I cannot in good conscience support anything less than a 2% increase. I do not want this board to be remembered as the one that cut programs that truly impact the lives of our students. Extracurricular activities are not luxuries. They are the lifelines for many of our young people. They offer structure, inspiration, and opportunity. They make a world of difference in the life of a child. Can I continue? And I will not support a budget that puts them at risk. I stand by a recommendation that our superintendent has made and the budget that was submitted to the county for approval. The proposal is not about e uh excess.