Um, and this is another one that I think will impact BCSC, and we'll hear more about this later also, but changes to the teacher appreciation grants. Um the amount of funding was decreased from 37.5 million to 35.6 million. But the biggest change was the new legislation limits it to 20% of a district's teachers. Um the recognition stipend is for well I won't go through all the details but there are three different levels of teachers. In the past it's been teachers that were okay I got to get these straight. exemplary or proficient. Is that right? Where exemplary or proficient were um could receive the teacher appreciation grants and now it's limited and there's quite a few different criteria that they have to meet. But the big thing is it's 20% the limit of 20% of a teachers of the district's teachers. Um and finally universal vouchers beginning in the 2627 school year.
I mean, really amazing um the collective community effort, all the faces and many faces coming back and back and back again and helping. Um, I I do want to mention that this referendum and all the work that's going into it, I hope the community um because I I I've heard the feedback, what they're learning, the education that's taken place about, you know, the the flaws in the state funding system. I will say we all all kind of agree with where we're at and uh what monies are used for what and this doesn't by that, this does by this. And um the word is out there and people are talking. I hope that there's a greater appreciation not only for the reference of passing and getting that money but that how necessary it is and actually how fiscally responsible the the school school system really is because I I think sometimes the perception versus reality is people can look and not really understand the reality when they see different events taking place that they don't have the knowledge of where that money comes from and what the school is allowed to use and spend on.
Yeah, typically there are people that already work for us. Perfect. That's good. Yeah, I like that. Okay. Can I get a motion? Motion. Second. A motion and a second. Any further discussion?
And so, um, I'm asking for your approval. So, of all those items, I'm asking for your approval of all the consent agenda that is listed. Thank you, Mr. Trout. Would anyone like to make a motion on the consent agenda? I'll make a motion on the consent agenda for approval. Thank you, Mr. Carl. Can I get a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Wall. Any comments or questions before we vote? I would just like to add um Miss Bowman was my student teacher in sixth grade. I wanted to be like Jay and point that out. Uh amazing job. So, thank you. I'll echo that. Mr. Carl, I'll one up you there. Mr. Mast, I was his um counselor my first year as a counselor in 1985. Is that right, Gary? 88. 88. It was a It was a while ago. And then he followed me when I left Andrews after 10 years and went to Southwest.
Well done, lad. Yeah, back to a twogoal lead for the Raiders. It is 7 to five with 47.6 left in the third quarter. Yeah, that was a much needed goal. Hart now scoops it up after winning the draw. Oh, loses it for a sec, but Olsson going to come and nicely scoops that one off a bounce. Ground ball. Olsson now running it towards the top. Pass it to Fowler. Fowler on that far side on the 35. Running down to the 30, the 25. Turns around, passes up to Hart. Hart to Atwood. Atwood. Nice shove there. And he shoved. I think he got in his elbow. Yeah, a little elbow, a little to the face. Yep. So, that's loss of possession. Anastasia with it now. Yep. Anastasia getting troubled by Fowler. And so, Fowler lays a big check, but there's a flag and it was a dirty check apparently.
Both teams coming out aggressive on that. Matt Whiter getting called for it. Spartans really put putting the pressure on this ride here as Addie Jordan gets called for another one. Seems like when Canada takes two steps, she's met by three Spartans. She gets by the Spartans this time. She's got some headway. She pulls back. Gets the ball over to Chapman and see what happens. Kennarino ends up with the ball. She kicks the ball back to Jenna Holly. Jenna Holly looking. She gets the ball over to Kendall Reed. Kendall Reed gets the ball all the way over to Kylie Marino. Marino scoops it up. Sees a little bit of daylight. Has two Westside defenders to beat. She beats one. She gets by Po. Gets the ball over the restraining line. She tries to sneak one in to Trullio. Ball gets knocked away. Kick back to Davis.
We have people who can do our hair, our nails, that can get us out of jail by being a lawyer. So, we have it all out there. Congratulations, class of 2025. But what a what an incredible evening once again, your character. This kind um that the kind that makes Burlington High School um proud to call you one of ours. As we move forward to new opportunities and new adventures, remember the lessons you've learned about perseverance, compassion, and the power of hard work. These moments are just the beginning of what you are capable of achieving. To the families, teachers, community members, thank you for your unwavering support for these young people. Tonight's celebration is as much yours as it is theirs. Seniors, we are very proud of you. Congratulations again and best wishes as you finish up these last few weeks and step boldly into your future.
Um it's it's just the reality. I mean, you know, um and I could be on a soap box talking about it, sure, but it's it's true and it's how I feel, so I'm going to have to say it. Um not just them, though, you know, low-income people, uh fixed income seniors, one in four of which do not uh are not registered for the senior property tax freeze. Uh so if you are not registered for that, you think you qualify it, please do it, especially now. uh that taxes are going up almost $1,000 for the average assessed home. Um I I will be voting though tonight because the tax increase is just too much and there was a way forward that we could have gone that would not have raised to the full levy that Trenton told us we could do because Trenton thinks that that's what our district should be taxing.
Over the past year, we've found ourselves with an increasingly unattendable situation to find a facility that's right now, the one that we have is no longer adequate for us. There are men and women of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, languages who are seeking refuge in our community and hope within our doors. We are a resolute in the behalf that God has commissioned us, positioned us to be both the hope and the solution for the city of Garfield, to his to the city of Garfield, the board of education, the council, to the mayor. Nice to meet you, by the way. God has called us both. and he's called us to serve this city, to be an instrument of transformation. And it is our honor to serve you. And it's our honor to be here. And we remain firmly convinced that our continued presence within Garfield is ordained by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Uh so uh with that I will stand for any questions. Thank you. Um we're free to discuss but I'll go ahead and move to approve uh the 2025 2026 salary placement schedules as presented. Seconded by Jennifer Drake. Motion carries. Right. Moving ahead to item H3. Dr. Croto. Thank you, Madam President. Tonight we continue with our district extracurricular supplemental um assignments. So, our pay schedules again for um the extracurricular supplemental. And Mr. Mangley will introduce this. Uh thank you Madam President, Governor, board of members. Real quick, thank you uh on behalf of IBA. That what the previous agenda item was an IBA recommendation. So thank you. Uh the third uh action discussion item is basically our stipens that we use throughout our district for our certified staff and our support staff classified staff. And so this is a state requirement that has take place annually. And so, uh, we bring this to you to tonight for your consideration.
We have Katie Lond who is going to be joining us as a special education assistant principal at Prairie Point. Katie, please stand. All right, we have Yolanda Stoval from As who will be serving at Asiggo East as an assistant principal. If she is here along with her principal, she may stand. Congratulations. Keith, you're going to have to help me with your last name, sir. Keith is joining us. Keith, if you could join us, special education assistant principal at Foxchase along with Mr. Raldi. Let's give him a round of applause. Not in attendance this evening, although we're very excited for her, is Meredith uh Gerardo, who will be serving from a coordinator to the goal principal. Round of applause for [Applause] her. And then just to prove tonight is Pete Meismer, moving from interim principal to Boulder Hill principal. Pete, are you hiring your next assistant principal?
So, a year off, um there will be no income limit to qualify for a voucher to attend a private school and the high ability broad-based planning committee that I'm also on will meet on May 13th. Mr. Glick, so uh wellness council met April 8th. It was uh remote due to the floods. Uh surprisingly, we did not talk about kayaking or swimming in terms of fitness and wellness. uh mainly discussed activities throughout the lower grade levels uh discussing further activity whether one recess, two recesses and what are other activities that the classrooms and teachers uh engage in to kind of help gather attention, work out some of those little squigglies and stuff that the younger uh students uh have. Um really it was more of a discussion of a working group that was prior established and kind of case study of what we saw. So Mr.
So um again echoing your thoughts. Thanks for thank you all the everybody who's um contributed their time. It's very appreciated. I'd like to thank uh Miss Allen and uh the ambassador program. Mr. Smith couldn't make the uh final lunch and thing about two weeks ago, I think it was. Uh so I was here to kind of congratulate those individuals. We had 19 or 21 19 uh this time. So in two three years now it's like right at 1951 17 right that right 19. So 51 individuals now that are ambassadors for what we're trying the message we're trying to get out as board members administrators on what goes on behind the scenes. Like Mr. Warney referred to sometimes there's individuals that don't quite understand what takes place behind the scenes in a corporation in transportation in finance in uh uh curriculum in hiring process and it's just a great process and idea that we started three years ago with the help of Miss Allen and organizing it everybody else on the cabinet that's part of that uh to show those individuals that hey this is it hearing their comments it's Allen for or Dr.
Hearing none. All those in favor? Any opposed? My motion carried. All right. We have a request to sell the 2003 GM Collins 14 passenger bus and a 1999 Chevrolet truck. Yep. So, we have one one white bus. It's one that food service had used for kind of a a long period of time without having the seats in it. And a and one of our Chevy trucks that's uh believe the salt truck and um we just have more vehicles than than what we need and are obsolete and we're wanting to uh declare them, you know, basically not declare them surplus, seek permission to sell them. We won't recoup a lot of money, but then we'll we'll be able to reinvest some of those funds back into an older truck that we have and put some money into it, get it fixed up on a maintenance maintenance truck.
He came in as principal. So, thank you, Gary, for coming back. We're really glad to have you and congratulations, Mrs. Bowman. It's wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Miller. Anything else for better the group? Let's vote on the motion. motion passes 6. Okay. So, Jennifer, if you want to bring your family up here, um, and then after we take your picture, we'll allow, you know, if you want to say a couple things. Would you like to say a couple things? Sure, you would. Okay. So, board, if you would like to go forward here and you'll get your picture taken with Jennifer and her family. Okay. Mr. Peters, if you want to step in there. Thank you. Okay. Um, we'll go ahead and get get our picture taken after Jennifer says a couple things. So there you go. Okay. She's at the podium. I'm here. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I or just too big of one. I'm not sure. I don't agree with that. Yeah, the ref got a better angle on it and the ref ends up making the call. You got to trust the ref on that one. But Oh, that's foul. They're going to see the knee. I like, you know, nice contact, too. Nice check. But 6 seconds left in this. We didn't see. Maybe it was a cross check. Yeah. I don't think Hollist will have enough time to really make a shot, but we'll see with the speed. Yep. I think they're going to just guess who they got with it. No other than McAll got. and he's just going to let it go to zero here. Yeah, he felt the same sort of, you know, I I we'll never get that. You know, you have no time. You're trying to get a goal, just put a shot on, you know, try.
The West Side will set up their offense. Looks like Eile trying something a little different. They're playing manto man on West side. I'm sure this is a trial period to see what Westside could do for what would potentially be seeing West Springfield in the Western Mass tournament. Good job by Cough to keep the ball close to her head and not get the ball knocked away as did that time Canada get in the head by Trullio. Grace Howard marking up Canada. Canada with the ball looking to go in and out. Gets the ball knocked away. Ball still loose as Hermovic gets the ball. This is really eating up the time for West Springfield is they're up somehow up eight with 850 to go in the fourth quarter. Hermovic with the ball. Almost knocked away by Grace Howard. And Finn gets sneaks one past Jenna Holly. That's Finn's first goal of the game, her 14th of the season.
But that's not necessarily what EVAM should be taxing. So those are my thoughts. Thank you, Mr. Dearcy. Any other comments from the board? I would just like to reiterate the point that Miss Bramotes and Miss Fox made regarding our board's accessibility. We continue to be the most accessible board around. Um we are available not just at our board uh building mailboxes. We are available via email, which is not a luxury that most towns have. Most board members do hide their emails. Um we're available via email at board meetings here. We do not cap our public comment at 30 minutes like most boards. Um, so I please urge the public to exercise one of those previous options when contacting us. Moving to one of those public comments. Um, we're going to do two public comments tonight. They're going to be backtoback. First, we're going to ask just for public comment about the budget.
Though various guys were not in church. I love you, but we're not in church. Though various opportunities have arisen and offers of facilities and invitations to relocate in neighboring municipalities, we have said no because God called us to Garfield and we're determined to remain faithfully to that divine assignment. In the recent days, we have received new communication regarding our gatherings held at Garfield High School and previously at this middle school right here. These developments reaffirm our deep conviction and this this attack reaffirms our conviction that our work in this city is not yet complete. We're committed by God's grace to continue advancing his kingdom with the heart of Garfield within the heart of Garfield. And we've engaged in direct communication with the board of education, the office of the superintendent, the city of Garfield, the fire department, and the department of the building building occupancy.