>> So, it's uh it's been about about $1.2 million in direct funding. Um but that and the reason that um this was introduced is because we are facing significant cuts to the Hawaii tumor registry specifically from the NCIC program as a result of uh decreases in funding at the NIH overall. >> How much are they cutting? So, it has been estimated that upwards of a third of our funding may be cut and that um is still something that has been has been has to be worked out yet. But we have been forewarned to prepare for um substantial cuts in federal funding. Um and that is, you know, been something that >> So, you folks are asking in this bill $1.5 million. >> Is that what you folks asking in this bill? >> Yes. But your direct funding was 1.2 million from the feds and you're saying that up to onethird is being cut or more.
Any questions for Mr. Zupco on the operations? >> Go ahead. One uh, deviation. We also want to recognize and acknowledge the incredible new sign put up in front of the high school. And it I'm gonna tell you, I've had everyone stops me in the frozen food aisle at Shopright and I've gotten about five compliments how incredible it is. It looks great. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart because I know I was one of the instigators for that. So, uh, excellent job everybody. Excellent. Yes, >> I think that probably gets us close to completing some of the work that the operations committee requested, I don't know, a year, 18 months ago, really trying to dedicate some time and energy to the appearance of our district because it's, you know, especially for the general public passing by, it's really that view of the outside in and, you know, a sense of pride and and community spirit that they can develop.
Those were not the all of the exhaustive themes. These were the top themes. So what is our next steps? So, as mentioned earlier, somebody said something about the strategic plan being ambitious. And one of the things that we're doing next is identifying the themes you heard about tonight, but those are not again all the themes. Where do they fit in the strategic plan? How can we ensure that we're doing it with intentionality? So, for example, one of the common themes you heard is professional development, PD, professional learning. That is critical in all we do. So we have to ensure that the professional development strategic plan objective absolutely envelopes multilingual special education training for all of our staff. So we're working with members of our team to ensure that occurs and we've started that process. The next thing that we're also working on working simultaneously is ensure that we're abiding to checklists that is provides regarding special education and multilingual.
That way if you can't be here at this time you can still catch it um you know remotely or you can watch it back later. So thank you to those who come and attend. We do appreciate that. Um for Barb Merrill congrats 25 years is amazing and if you've met Barb her energy and passion um for being with children, being with her staff, motivating um everyone in her building is palpable from the minute you walk in. I've um I've never met someone who is so outwardly passionate 25 years later about every aspect even through construction um you know Solon had was one of our last buildings I think to be finished and um for her to kind of lead her team through that and um and help maintain their positive attitudes through um you know what can be a a tough situation at times um was wonderful.
But I did want to come back with three big rocks that I that I took from that conference that I think are important. Um and and challenge the administration on a couple of them. The biggest one out there uh during this conversation was AI. Um It's coming whether we want it or not. And and there are now studies out there to say that we should actually be starting this and doing it K-12 and getting them involved with AI early and often and regularly. Um they've got proposals out there on what should be done, and the biggest one that I hadn't even thought about, but I think it's important for our students to understand, is AI ethics. Starting that down at kindergarten, getting them to understand the ethics of how to use AI properly, and how to use it as a tool, and going from there.
>> So that was was to also include the uh state contribution. So what what we are the 20% um mandatory uh contribution of the institution. >> Yeah. But with the money being cut that that contribution amount goes down. Right. >> Right. Well, we do receive other so in order because we have not received direct support from the state, we've actually had to be very creative in the way we count um institutional uh I'm sorry uh indirect um support. Um so the what we've done for example is to include um department of health. So we get our vital statistics records to be able to ascertain cancer deaths um in the state. so we know which patients succumb to cancer and specifically um and that we've been using um assigning a dollar amount to each death certificate record so that we can actually um make that 20% um required contribution.
So, thank you, Dr. Freeman and to the entire team for really completing that journey. Any other comments or questions for operations? All right. Uh there was no educational services committ commission meeting since our last board of education meeting. So we'll have that report next time. Which brings us up to our southbound brook report. Mr. in Calcater. The floor is yours. >> So, uh, first and foremost, the budget was amazing, but in Southbound Brook, we did our tenative budget and passed it. Uh, we did not receive any additional, as a matter of fact, we received less state aid this time around. uh through a process of cutting programs and not backfilling vacated positions. We will not suffer any staff loss because of it. And let's see here, what else do I have? There will be no staff loss, but we are eliminating some positions in name only and transferring certain people into other positions to maintain the staff.
So for example, multilingual has checklist regarding NOEs or notice of enrollment or special education has checklist regarding prior written notice when it comes to IEPs. So we need to ensure that those checklists and those ex legal compliance pieces are also part of that. So we've u rolled up our sleeves and started that work. We're also working on some professional learning again getting uh rolled up with that. An example is we're working with the high school team to um provide some professional we've partnered with them to provide some professional development next month for students that are duly identified at the high school and what that can look like. Now, as far as long-term, one of the exciting things that I think will be happening is we're going to put more committees together. So in working with OEA and S OESPA, we'll have a multilingual special education task force and under those umbrellas, multiple task force.
She truly I think has loved the majority of her minutes. Can't speak for every one of them but um she will definitely be missed and we appreciate her service. Um our Wheeler dance team uh they did win at state so congratulations to them. Um boys basketball won their uh their semi-state last weekend and set school history for boys basketball to be going to state. I will throw out another fun fact that we have just researched. No DAC conference team has won state. So there's a lot riding for these boys. But I do want to touch on um something that was said on this I can't remember if it was Mr. Warney or Mr. Angel about um the players who are representing our school. So after the semi-state game the Crown Point boys and the Northridge boys gathered together at center court and um took a moment to um pray or or take a moment of silence and appreciate that the game is about coming together and more than just about basketball winning and losing and I think that that speaks volumes about the character of the kids that we are educating every day um the kids that we are raising in our homes and for them to come together that way I think was very um meaningful, impactful for both teams players um to appreciate kind of the next step of the journey.
Um I've got some information I'll share with Mr. Brumbaugh and Mr. Peters about that, but that's one of those things that, you know, I was thinking, oh, we we need to probably start that middle school, but even thinking all the way down to the elementary level and starting it in kindergarten, and just figuring out that and showing that what's possible I think is an important thing, and I think I can't wait to have that conversation and how we can enroll that in here. And again, to Mr. Brumbaugh's point, that's how we become one of the best corporations in the area if we can start doing some of this stuff early and often and be the model for other people to do that. So, I can't look for that. The other big rock I really enjoyed, and there were jokes part of the meeting, I'm a rural guy, but governance on a board and some of the things associated with that, and I think one of the biggest takeaways that I took from this conference, I had heard this I'd heard this concept, but it really gelled for me, and I want to try to figure out how we can bring this to our board, is a norms and protocols document.
So that's you know what just one example of the way because we haven't gotten dollars support we've had to really um justify having um support from the state. How many people on your registry? >> So we have uh currently 14 people in the registry and they um we have a cadre of cancer registars who are um nationally certified registars who are specifically trained to be able to work with cancer data and they work we work with each of the hospitals and medical facility all medical facilities across the state that are involved in the diagnosis um and treatment of cancer. >> Okay. So you have had this this registry since 1973 and currently the registry has only 14 people on the registry. >> Yes. And it takes upwards of 1.5 million to manage this registry. Most of our most of the um direct funding budget is to personnel support.
Exact numbers are best off given by the business department, not me. Uh any questions? >> Thank you, Mr. Incalcera. Okay. Any other final comments or questions regarding committees and let me just say thank you for all of the hard work that you guys put in away from the table uh to make sure that we have a productive and wellthoughtout execution plan once we get here. Thank you again. All right, we are up to item 5.1. So, in accordance with district policy 0167, we are currently open to the public for agenda items only. Uh public participation in board meetings requires that uh individuals sign in either at the podium or I think they used to say online uh at the podium and provide their name, address, and group affiliation if applicable. When addressing the board, please state your name and address and limit comments to agenda items only directed to the presiding officer.
For example, we anticipate under special education, there'll be a STARS task force or a skills task force. Under multilingual, we anticipate a dual language task force and an ML resource task force because both programs are in each and every one of our schools. We also anticipate and need a continuous loop of communication. So we know we will have committees that make up of students and parents slashcaregivers. How that's going to look, we're still very much working on that, but we know that this is something that is non-negotiable to ensure that our programs and resources, we gather the feedback and we have a continuous loop with various stakeholders to ensure progress in all of our programs, resources and supports. Questions? I do. So, I know that we said we used um multiple data sources. What student data did we consider um when we identified themes or areas of need?
So kudos to the coaches for putting time in with those players and and really creating uh students and athletes that we can be very proud of. So that game is at 7:15 on Saturday, March 28th in Indianapolis. Um 8:15 if you're down there Eastern time. Um and then I will wrap it up with happy almost spring break. I hope everyone has a very restful um enjoyable whether it's relaxing or adventurous spring break and comes back refreshed for our fourth quarter. Thank you Miss Basin. Um well, it's a great time to be a Bulldog, isn't it? I mean unbelievable. State champions everywhere and we get uh the blessings of that and you know so frequently that I feel like sometimes we just kind of say it in passing and move on. We don't really appreciate how big of an honor it is. And you look at something like as simple as a robotics team and I remember the robotics when I first came on the board and they're moving these things around the room, you know, and learning how to do this stuff and developing this this program and and now we're state champions and I just think that speaks volumes about always wanting to uh try to achieve our very best and I think that works its way from the very top all the way down and you know, I I think all of us I think I can speak on behalf of all of us to say that we always have one eye on our legacy, on what we're trying to do if we care.
I I've heard about it in Indiana as a compact, but norms and protocols to me is a better conversation. And the idea behind this is we as a board come together and we all agree on how we're going to do things and the protocols we associated with that. So, how do we add things to the agenda? How do that? How do we work with the superintendent? How do we communicate? And we make that a living public document, so everyone knows what's going on. Not only the community, but us as all, and we we we make it a living document because as new members join the board, we may have to adjust it. We may do that. As we have a new superintendent, we may want to adjust it and have those conversations, and I think I would really push us to do that. And when you hear other corporations talk about it and why it's important is because and this very case happened, both Deb and Ken are brand new board members.
Um, we also are >> When you say personnel, you mean the cancer center personnel? >> Right. Right. So, I am the principal investigator for the Hawaii tumor registry and um so part of my support is with the Hawaii tumor registry, but um the I have staff that are fully funded through the registry that are entirely dedicated to um work on the Hawaii at the Hawaii tumor registry. But when we did the cancer center and when we appropriated tax tobacco tax dollars and yes those dollars are dwindling but the money still goes there and when we appropriate funds that the governor appropriates to the cancer center that's to take care of personnel and that this registry probably is part of the overall cancer center um expectations and so the fact that you folks have sought federal funding all these years as understandably, but these these are things that is what those funding go for.
Each participant is allowed three to five minutes to speak and no individual may address the same topic more than once until all others wishing to speak have had an opportunity to do so. Any comments from the audience? No. Now's your chance. No. Okay. Item 6.1. Be it resolved that the Bound Brook Board of Education upon recommendation of the superintendent approves the minutes for the following board of education meetings. regular and executive meeting minutes from February 18th, 2026. May I have a motion? >> Thank you, Mr. Bal. A second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Dawson.
>> Yep. So, the data that we looked at was general demographic data. So, the last three years we looked at all students in general demographic as well as students in ML and special education. For example, we looked at our entire student population disegregated by race, by gender, by grades, by subgroups. Then we took that general population and broke it down. Our ML students, what are their race? What is their gender? What is their subgroup? Our special education, what is their race? What is their gender? What is their subgroup? And then we looked at intersectionality of data. So for example, one of the ahas that the team came up with is they noticed and Dr. Kgatti alluded this to earlier, we have more black and brown students identified for special education. We have a growing number of free and reduced lunch both from multilingual special education.
You know, we do that very well and I think Barb Merrill is the epitome of that. And I think she needs to know that she's leaving a great legacy for our school corporation and for those individuals to follow behind her and it never feels like it's always feels like a disservice when you say thank you. Thank you for 25 years and you get two minutes, right? And you're like really I got 25 years in I get two minutes of thank yous but truly you're leaving you know, when you talk about that you're leaving a legacy and the impact that's felt by families and students and she's she's synonymous uh with with Solon Robinson. She's always been a rock, a pillar uh consistent a leader, you know, all these things that we want from our leaders in our schools. So thank you Barb. Thank you for everything you've done over there and all the years of service and uh you'll be sorely missed so um and so uh with the state basketball team and the dance team and we again we have all these state championships, you know, I I just I don't know what we can do but I feel like we we got to do something different cuz we have so many and it's just uh but the most promising thing is just to hear about the character of the students, the student section and the athletes and the players.
If you had this document when you joined the board, you'd understand what you need to do, how you would go about doing things. I think it would just be such a great document to help any new board member as they come on, and just remind other board members as we're here how we do things. I think it's just a such a great idea, and I'd love to continue that conversation. I have conversations uh the state of Virginia actually has this almost mandated that every school corporation in the state of Virginia has one. They're published on their websites, and it's great, and they're wonderful documents to read, and I'm like, oh, that's cool. I understand they do stuff differently than Virginia than what we do, but I think there's a lot of that we can take, and I would love to have that conversation and start working on that document as a group in here at maybe a work session at some point.