Um then the next big question usually is security safety. They have a a 24-hour network of people working around the world um in terms of liability. legal liability is 100% on ACIS through the insurance they have. Uh cancellation protection plans parents can select I think there's three different tiers of um cancellation plans um whatever they're comfortable with. People are wondering about all right traveling right now politically how are American I Tom Him uh the the point person at ACIS I've been talking to I asked him in an email and he said so far they have not seen anything they've had no issues and generally any country they've gone to and people they've worked with they're happy to be seeing students learning about their culture and that they're building bridges. Um, I said in the weird off chance that come next year all of a sudden there's a travel ban or whatever, they said we can either find another comparable tour or we wouldn't you wouldn't be on the hook or cancellation fees like if something really extraordinary happened um next week.
I understand we have to have some increase, but to vote complain. That means all the work you've done in the past to try to see where we could cut, where we could tighten our belt, what we really don't need and still maintain the level of education we should have. To just ignore all that work you've done is wrong. And that just takes you off the hook. That's a a poor phrase, but it does. It takes you off the hook. You took a lot of ball last time from the the cuts that were going to be made. There was a lot of pressure on you. They were asking for resignations. They were asking for just resign. That was that that's not good. No one wants that. But now you're going to just say, "Oh, the hell with it." Trenton says we can improve 15 million. Hey, let's do it.
So if this is approved tonight, immediately tomorrow bombarding Tanto, sorry. Um with there's going to be an information night about this um those who attend and are interested and want to register, I would say immediately start um doing any passport work you need to do. Um, in terms of that piece that parents and the families have to handle on their own, um, we would have check-in points along the way to make sure people are getting everything together that they need. Communication. Um, every kid has a every student has a a cell phone. So, I would be urging them to do the international data for the dates traveling. Um, there's also WhatsApp. ACIS says a lot of people are using WhatsApp and group me for communication. It's one chaperone for every six kids. Um it's one for the first five kids. I'm the group leader. Then five students sign up and then you would get another chaperone paid for for every six kids.
We're off the hook and we'll worry about it next time. That's bull. And I think everyone here knows that's bull. Okay, let's stand up and be reasonable about this and agree to some, but don't agree to the whole thing just because it's available. What if they said you could raise it 30 million? Would we say, "Oh, okay. Now we're in great shape. We can add more admins. We can add more superintendent. We can add add because we have the money." That's not what this is all about. This is about responsibility. as taxpayers, as board of education members, as citizens, as students, as staff, teachers, everyone. We have to be responsible. We have to use common sense. And I don't see it being done if we vote everything. It was okay just to pass everything because it's there and we can take it. Yeah, we can take it.
We can have additional chaprons, but they'd be paying for it. Um yeah, I'm trying to give you the streamlined version. And Bill, there's a whole curriculum is going to be based upon this is correct. Well, that's what the club is. So, um, what I shared in the drive, even though the club's not in a class, I I tied into the standards, specifically English and history, the standards that they would be addressing. Um, so it's a little bit of a workound, but I also want to give as many kids the opportunity as possible. And that's what I'm asking for, the opportunity. And this could fall on its face and no one signs up and they're like, "You idiot, what are you doing?" But we tried. As a district, we can say we tried. put it out there and there was no interest and I think you're just asking the school committee for permission to stop this endeavor to see get information reach out to families right reach out to students have some information on nights nothing's finalized yet you're just trying to stop this process is that correct or you looking for more than that well what do you mean by and nothing's finalized if we get the approval yeah I mean ACIS would be ready to go students could be signing up and I they could start signing up as early as let's pretend it goes group, they go to the information night, there'll be stuff ready for them to register if they want.
And we can all pay for it, too. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, Donna Rose Nero. I am in the transportation department. I've been a driver here for close to 19 years. This is the third time I'm going through this as a driver trying to save jobs that nobody really seems to care about. My real question here is, has anyone been told on that board how much it's going to cost to privatize us? because we have never gone through this and not had a comparison as to what you're going to save versus what you're going to spend. We were told you were told $800,000 you were going to save. That was before the AIDS. Now it's about $450. Hillman's could cost you a million and a half. You have no idea. And you were asked to vote on this. Okay. Something is wrong. There's a problem with management.
And then the club would start next year. Um, and then I real, you know, obviously kids have jobs or sports. If they can't make the regular club meetings, I'll have makeup times during lunch. They'll be it'll be flexible, but they'll still need to be learning about the culture and and you'll keep school committee and administration update. No, absolutely not. I don't that's too much work for me. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm I have a I have a Google uh classroom ready to go for anyone signed up and obviously administration school committee could be part of it just to see what's going on. Ideally, those who go on the trip, we get a trip going, people go on, record the experience and then have a a community night where they they share um you know, a movie or talk about their experience and then if if it's successful like that night reveal where we want to go the next year.
starts at the top with our department. We have runs where we have drivers doing one school. They pick up children in one school and it's maybe five or six kids. That's a problem. Runs need to be condensed. Runs need to be combined. That's all money to be saved. I've done it before 12 more than 12 years ago. I did it personally by hand. We saved thousands and thousands of dollars. Nobody looks at this. Nobody's looking at it because the easiest way is just get rid of us because nobody knows how to run our department right now. That's what you're paying for. Okay. I have some quotes from a meeting with Mr. Physicaro and Mr. Smith and actually I believe that Mrs. Null was involved in that too back in 2020 when you were going back to school on COVID. Yes, you were. And I was there with you, Mr.
No, I already have and he shared a lot of information that I share with you. So there's a lot of backup information along that goes along. Yeah. Yeah. I'm giving you the the the real version.
Physicero. The transportation contract is appalling. This was with Hillman's is appalling and I am so not happy. This is a time where we should come together, not rip each other off. Speaking of Hillman's, for this contractor to be raising costs at a time when no one should be raising cost is ghastly and inhumane. them deciding to jack up their rates is going to cost people here for more than just a few dollars and ultimately affect the kids. The problem I have is once they grip you so tight they just squeeze you to death. So my charge to this district down the road is that we need to end privatization. Dr. Smith, he gave a little spiel and you said, "Bring it all back in house, right? Bring it all back in house." And he said, "Yes, that is what we need to do because they wrap their tentacles around you and squeeze you to death after they get a hold of you." That's my comments.
Does anybody have any questions? I just Bill the Glo proposal blew me away. It's six pages long. It's extremely thoughtful. I want it to go like it's really you did a lot of work and I I think it's a great idea and I love that you're bringing this back. Thank you. I I suspect it's gonna be popular hopefully. Oh, but and I'm starting with 18 slots and then we'll gauge interest. We can open it up. I don't want it to be too too many kids, but we're starting with 18 and see where we get to. Thank you. Well, you let Oh, sorry. I was just gonna say I think it's a wonderful opportunity and Japan's on my bucket list, too. So, if you need any already people Yeah. Yeah. But I I just want to suggest one other thing. Um, when I was doing martial arts, I got some tapes actually at the library and I'm sure they have discs and better ways to do it now of like conversational Japanese and like all the like you could you guys could all do that like for a year and be pretty good, you know, by the time you go on the trip.
My last one is one of our aids rode with a Hillman's driver this week. She was appalled when the driver said, "I hate these effing kids." That's your Hilman's drivers. [Applause] I'm uh Jason Hoy, Cambridge Park. Lived here for 11 years. I have three kids that go to Deacy getting a phenomenal education. uh learned the reading recovery program existed this spring and it's phenomenal that it does. Um I know that a couple months ago that was discussed as a possible efficiency to cut. Um luckily it wasn't. I I just take some issue with some of the language being used like efficiency for getting rid of PAR's health benefits, efficiency for cutting interventionists. Whe whether we have an undue burden, the kids have an undue burden. We have the burden. Like the our the burden is us is the adults. The the kids aren't going to fix the heat pumps.
It's like easy, you know, just a little bit here and there just for fun. Yes, just try. Absolutely. Y um I don't know where did you guys go previously in the club? I never ran this club. So, Tahanto had what do we call it? The global studies program. Global studies club. And I went on the Dominican Republic trip. So, I've gone on that and I went um I've gone on a Hawaii trip. Um I And so there have been and then there was the you know French there was been France and Spain. Right. Yeah. And when we were in high school, Mrs. Barry was um Mexico and Quebec. Mr. Weedman just did a Quebec trip. So it's like, oh, there's an interest there and things start started to move again. So I personally I So I was trying to think of a way to get kids in it not tied to a specific class to open it up to um 9 through 12.
The kids aren't going to replace the roof. We have the burden. We can argue the state has the burden. But if we can't get the state to carry the burden, we carry the burden. And and there's a lot of talk about letting people off the hook. We are on the hook. If we don't do this, the kids are on the hook. and we just need to take responsibility for ourselves as adults in this room and realize that if we don't do this, the kids ultimately suffer and we have no one to blame but ourselves. But that's it for me. Thank you. Good evening. Donna Dances. I'm a Marlton resident to Paddock Road, also a teacher here at Marlton Middle School. I spoke last time when we had the the budget cuts presented to us and in my speech I remember saying let's instead of making class sizes larger, let's make them smaller.
Hey, unrelated question, but do we still do like exchange program like exchange students stuff in schools? It's it's not something that I'm very familiar with. It doesn't not anymore. It's still out there. It is. I know we have quite all of it, but it's it's not as popular as it used to trips like this. Um, yeah, I love that idea and I love that at the end doing like the community night and the brewery that would be very fun. I would just speaking of the Quebec trip is would this take the place like would you still do moving more from a Squara like um would Mr. read him go in this direction with you or is it still like he can still do language separately? Yeah. And I don't want to step on toes. This is just another option. Yes, absolutely. Because we want to provide as many opportunities and and so it really is I mean this is a huge I've gone on trips myself.
Let's make our school better. Let's let's have a team working together to help our kids. I think I even mentioned like guidance counselors working together, social workers. It's like a dream come true in this new presentation. It's exactly what I had said. It's exactly what we need. What we need. Board members, I sent you an email yesterday. I know you guys didn't all have time to read it. Mr. Pilman, thank you for your response. In my email, I talked about how the middle school child in particular is such a vulnerable and impressional um you know individual and how um our children, their education, their safety, their ever growing um social emotional needs in our current society is what needs to help guide your decision. And I feel like this is our moment. this is what's going to be the the the the way out of a terrible situation.
It is a huge commitment on the part of the staff who attends the trip. So it's really about their commitment and their commitment to making this experience happen. So if you know if there are three people that can coordinate various trips that aren't going to step on each other's toes, I would encourage all of those to happen and it gives more options for students. Maybe they're only interested in going to Quebec to a long weekend or price points and Yeah. Right. One other I I neglected um right now it's scheduled for I believe departure would be I don't have the date off the top of my head the the Thursday going into break. So that would be one thing for consideration and one thing with ACIS is there sliding scale is only a day or so if based on flights. Um so it would be um a day or two missed school.
As a tax payer, my husband and I were discussing. We already pay a lot, but we want to when we are ready to sell because yes, I'm one of those old teachers that are close to retirement that you want out, but I'm still here. Um, and anyway, I'm sorry. When we do sell our house, we want our property value to be just as good as the house that just sold across the street from me for a phenomenal amount of money. People are still moving to our towns. Why? Because we have great schools because we have great bus drivers because we have great administration. And yes, we would definitely benefit from having more administration in the elementary schools. Have you ever been in the halls? Have you ever been in their lunchroom? These um these students are very needy. The more support we can give them in any way in this day of time is definitely needed and appreciated.
I would argue for a good reason. we're going into break and I would be updating everyone with those details. Yeah, this looks great in the kids resume, right? Where they're applying to colleges and universities, right, that they've traveled. There's an option. Um I'm glad you brought that up. There's a it's almost like we planned it, but we didn't. Um there's an option to earn credits for teachers and and students. Um if you're a junior, senior, you can through whatever university online. Um there's some work involved but you can earn some college credit you doing these trips. I was out just talking to Julie Lee about her her children looking at colleges and universities and that's one of the things they're looking to separate kids apart. What is something different that kids are doing right besides you know all the stuff they are doing but adding this to their their resume is absolutely something that will keep them apart or stay apart.
Thank you for your time. Good evening. My name is David Knot. I'm 64 years old. I've lived in EAM for 64 years. And I think there's uh you might have been misled about our school bus drivers and our aids that they abuse sick time. they ever use sick time. Okay. Recently, I attended an involuntary meeting with the superintendent, Mr. Yates. And it came up, oh, you know, you guys use, you know, so much time, it's ridiculous. And um I forget the exact words. I don't know any of you have been school bus drivers or aids, but let me tell you something. The kids come on the bus and we love them and like the other bus drivers and aids have stated, but they're kids. They walk up the steps, they sneeze on us. They cough on us. They sit behind us and cough and sneeze, okay?