Um it was a it was a great time. I love meeting other parents and seeing the kids just have fun. Um but a huge shout out to nurse Eva at school 8, especially in recognition of school nurse day. She had a revolving door. The kids were having a great time, but if you know little kids, if they're having a great time, there's going to be a few uh boos along the way. So, Nurse Eva was fantastic at at um treating all of our kids with compassion and care. Um and of course, my sincere condolences to the Papich family. Uh I was really sad to hear the news. Um and that's all everyone. Thank you and have a great night and be well. >> Thank you, Commissioner Suarez, Commissioner Bronziac. >> Thank you, President Basser.
But also, you guys aren't only on the DACA board, but you're involved in your schools. I mean, it's like I can't get away from you guys. You know what I mean? Um so, I mean, you guys are really involved. And that flower, I mean, I see it everywhere. Um, >> so we have to that might be our trademark. Um, I want to know how many um pe how many students are classified because I I see a lot of percentages and things, but how many students are classified as English learners in our district? >> You're talking about this year's students that have been reclassified. We're we're approaching about 270 right now. So, I think we're like at 262. Um and uh however again we have until the end of June to continue to work on our our reclassification numbers. >> Okay. And also to um but we have,00 languages represented close to 1100 in our district.
Um just so we have a consensus, uh Trustee Longshore, do you are you okay with that? Just for clarification, you're asking if I agree with her request. >> Yeah. Yes, I agree. And Trustee Rowley? I don't have an issue with it. Okay. And Trustee O'Farrell? Well, that's three, so it doesn't matter, but yes. We have a consensus. Okay. Are there any other future items? Um I requested the board that we consider adding a discussion action item to establish rules of order for this board. I know that uh Ms. Caudell just referenced Robert's Rules of Order. Um definitely uh possibility. And just keep in mind that if we acknowledge rules of order now working with CSBA at any point in time in the future. We can adjust it as need be, but I do think we need some structure on this board. So, can we add that as a discussion action item?
Good evening everyone. First of all, I want to give my deepest condolences to the Barbarie, Papawitch, and Sheridan families. These are all great losses for Clifton Public Schools. Next, I want to give a big shout out to Woodro Wilson administration and staff for an exceptional open house recently. Andy, Joe, Chrissy were all there. That's the principal and the two VPs over there. Um, a special thanks to Mark Bea. Sorry if I got your name wrong, fam, if I said that wrong. >> Um, for touring the wing where most of the sixth graders will be having their classes. I suspect Christopher Columbus and Maple Valley had similar open houses for their expected fifth graders as well. Finally, I want to wish all of you moms out there a happy Mother's Day. Thank you for your time and God bless America. Have a good night everybody. >> Thank you, Commissioner Brunette, Commissioner uh Paris.
>> Yeah. >> I didn't know there were that many. >> Right. >> Wow. I mean that's that's amazing. Yeah. >> You know, so um so with that said, with the 1100 languages, what strategies do we use >> to make those students feel seen and heard? >> Um again, I think it goes back to a lot of the work being done across our our district with culture, belonging, climate, relationships. Again, going back to um the idea of deep listening where we've heard from our parents, we've heard from our students. It's really getting to know our students by name, by story, by need. um at a deeper level and then connecting that back to into the classroom and ensuring that you're bringing the needs not only the needs but also the assets of each of our students or cultural backgrounds and connecting that to instruction and pedigogy um projects and things like that.
I think we've already addressed this a couple times. And there's not consensus at this point. The consensus was that we will make sure that CSBA makes it a priority when we begin with them. So, does the board still feel that way that we don't need any rules of order until CSBA comes in? I would be in favor of having um a set rule that we follow and then adapt it if necessary when we meet with CSBA. CDSA Rick, would you like to change your consensus? >> No, we have rules of order. We we follow rules. I don't I don't Maria, do you want to change yours at all? No, I'm not changing mine. I think we have been functioning with rules and we need to do the best we can with the rules that we have until CSBA gives us a real set of rules that we that they think we need to follow.
>> Thank you, President Bassford. Uh sincere condolences to the Barbrey Papwitch and Sheridan families and uh thank you for your family members service to our students. Uh happy Mother's Day to everyone and uh especially to my mom who'll be 96 next week. >> So happy Mother's Day from your senior citizen son. Uh uh thanks to uh the city for Arbor Day tree planting at Maple Valley. the the city um had a wonderful ceremony for the students and planted a maple of course, but also a flowering dogwood there. Uh so they're starting the the maple forest in front of Maple Valley. Uh thank you to the Boys and Girls Club for recognizing the board of education and for being such great partners for our students. Um, on Monday, May 11th, to my colleagues, uh, at Mario's, we have a Sake County Schoolboard Association meeting. It starts at 6 PM.
So I think when you start to do those things students will see will will feel seen, valued, heard, cared for. I I love going to these international nights at the schools because a lot of students do cultural dances. They bring food in. They make >> the we we're building community. So, I really like that. DAC board, I also want to thank you, too. I was at Lexington Junior High School when uh when you guys came in and did a presentation over at Lexington. So, I really want to thank you for that, too. And I hope that we can encourage more um I mean more partnerships with all of our school sites, you know. So So thank you. And ladies, continue on doing great work at throughout the district. You're you're amazing. Thank you. Thank you. >> Again, thank you to um the outgoing board. Um I see that you're going to stay on and help the incoming board.
Mr. Rowley said we have rules of order. Could you clarify for me what those rules of order are, Mr. Rowley? I'm not going to debate you up here. It's not debate. I just I need to know what rules we're following on this dais. >> Well, if you can't figure it out, then maybe you should be doing a little bit more studying instead of asking me to explain to you at Timber Ridge Thank you. All right. Um our next regular board meeting is Thursday, May 21st, 2026 approximately 5:00 p.m. educate in the ESC, the Educational Support Center. There being no further business to come before the Board of Trustees, it is recommended that the meeting be adjourned. I'll make the motion. I'll second. All right. We will be taking a vote via roll call. Mrs. Longshore? I. Mr. Raleigh? I. Mrs. Tucker? I. Ms. Okpara had to step out, so she'll abstain.
Uh, please, uh, attend if you can. On Saturday, May 16th, the community band has its annual Lollipops and Roses concert. It's a fundraiser for the Clifton Education Foundation. starts at CHS in the auditorium at 2 pm. On Wednesday of next week, May 13th, our Mustang uh band wind ensemble is having their annual Opus concert. If you've never heard them before, it's definitely worth the time. They I think for the second year in a row took gold in uh the North American uh North Jersey wind ensemble competition. Um, every Saturday in May, the band has a car wash at Clifton High School. So, if you're looking for a place to get your car wash really well and not spend a lot of money, go to CHS on Saturday. And thanks and appreciation to all the teachers, nurses, and our special ed professionals who are celebrating uh this weekend.
So, I love that. Um, that creates only a a community feel um and a stronger board. I um you know, to answer I think uh the two questions before me, Robert, um >> not every district that I know has the courage to really show the numbers. I mean, we could fudge these numbers and we can say that we're at 100%, you know, for the the trends. Um, that congratulations by the way, but you actually put the students actual no on that presentation. You didn't shy away from that. And I think that's what's unique about our district. And you guys are holding us accountable for that. No. And and letting us know, you know, you want us to go further and deeper and and that's that's how we are making these trends. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. because we have the courage as a district to peel the onion layers and really take a hard look at the things that we're doing that are working and the things that we're doing that are not working.
Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, Commissioner Paris, Commissioner Estri Barnes, please. >> Thank you. Um, just happy teachers appreciation week, happy nurses week. I work in a hospital, so school nurses, hospital nurses to just shout out that the work that they do and and teachers are just phenomenal. Um, thank you to the Boys and Girls Club for honoring the board of education. I'm I'm happy to be part of this team. Um, I also want to shout out Clifton High. Culture night was phenomenal. I know it was the first one. I hope it's the first of many. Um, and I hope to attend them all. Um, also want to wish a happy birthday to my little learner at school 15 who will be five next week and I'm going to cry. Um, just uh quickly on the budget and and my vote and and the way and why I voted the way I did is just because, you know, I really see my vote as about an investment in our students, our schools, and just the long-term value of our community.
And so I want to say congratulations to um to everyone because these are really really great trends. Uh when I first got on the board our those trends were not there and you didn't feel students didn't feel welcomed. Um and so uh congratulations. >> Thank you. We appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you. And then um on behalf of the board, we'd like to present the outgoing board with some certificates and then take a picture with all of you. So like to join us in the front, please. I have the board join. >> I think you're not going to be able to think you're going to leave without him. >> Stop it, Emily. Get everything. So I taught it. That's right. There you go. Are you sure? It's already done. Jiren, I'm going to clarify a data a data point. I'm going to I'm going to clarify a data point.
Um, research is clear and I think I'm just mirroring everybody's sentiments that the single greatest driver of property values is the quality of a school system. And when we underinvest in our schools, we underinvest in Clifton itself. Um, I still think that we're playing a game of catch-up. Um, I think we can all agree to at least a 4%. So really what we're talking about is a difference of 2%. So um hopefully we are on the right path that we don't end up here again next year or the year after. Um the alternative isn't abstract. I you know I asked the question that I asked because it's overcrowding, crowded classrooms, uh not enough teachers and so I would like to avoid that. It's not scare tactics, it's just real the reality of where we are and we see it in the many districts around us.
The language that,59 it's >> students that speak a different language. >> I just really quick wanted to clarify the,59 languages. It's 1,59 students that speak a language different from English. >> Oh, okay. >> And we're distinction. Thank you for clarifying. >> Four languages. >> So, in terms of total languages that have been that were that are reported, it's closer to 70 different languages. >> 70. Okay. >> Yeah. All right. >> Okay. Time to go. Mimis, you guys ready? Little late. Yeah. >> I need to go take get ready for my AP test. Bye, guys. >> That's how I come back. I read it that way. Unlimited languages. >> All the languages come from. >> Thank you. >> A couple. >> We will now be moving on to public comments. Uh this is the opportunity for public comments to occur at the beginning of each agenda item and at this time for items on the agenda.
Um while we care about our district, we do have to look at what's happening in in our very near communities near us. So um that's just my my two cents on the matter. Um, thank you. Have a good night. >> Thank you, Commissioner Estwans. Vice President Santiago. >> Thank you, President Bassford. Uh, earlier this week, President Bassford, Dr. Robosi, and I attended the Governor's Educators and Education Professional Services of the Year uh ceremony up at West Milford. Um, it was a great great um morning and congratulations to all of our teachers and staff who uh received awards. It was my first time and it was I really enjoyed it. I also uh attended the unity and diversity uh celebration at school 12. Um that was at the end of last month and I believe it was their first uh event and um it was really well done.
Persons wishing to address the board of trustees should complete a speaker request form available on the information table at the back of the room and submit it to the executive assistant prior to the meeting. Each speaker is limited to a maximum of 3 minutes. Each topic or item is limited to a total of 20 minutes. Board members cannot immediately respond to public comments as stated on the speaker request form. I'll be calling forward our first speaker is uh Shannon Zemer. Hello. >> Good evening, President Guerrera, trustees, cabinet, and community members. I am Shannon Zeamer, and I am the Arts Now ambassador from Create California to Orange County. And I have been doing this for a while, so I know most of you from previous years, though some of you are newer. Welcome. Um, I wanted to say this is a great night to be here.
Um kids performed, they had art, families provided food, it was really really really a good event. So congrats to the staff and the families uh for doing that. Um happy Mother's Day. Uh happy um teacher appreciation week. Thank you for all that you do. Um uh uh mental health awareness month. Um very important. You have to take care of yourself. If you don't take care of yourself, how you going to take care of anyone else? Uh Asian-American and Pacific Islander uh month, Jewish American Heritage Month. So um happy uh those those events to everybody who celebrates. Um, condolences to the Barbarie Sheridan and Papawitch family. Bob, you know, I just remember him always having a smile. Smart guy, great conversation, but he was always smiling. So, um, thank you guys. Have a great evening. >> Thank you, Vice President Santiago. Um, our family to the families of the Barbar family, Papitch, and Sheridan.
I love that we're celebrating all the amazing successes in our district and I'm really proud of all the things we do. I was attending a meeting the other night and someone said, "Shannon, you need to stop and understand that Anaheim is special. We don't have that where we are." And I'm just so proud of us that that's something that people have to say to me. And I'm like, "Yeah, we are special." So, um, they were talking specifically about our amazing ELCAT process and how it's authentic and meaningful engagement. And so, I want to say thank you to the team that set that up. Um, specifically though tonight with my arts ambassador hat, I'm here to praise our amazing uh, youth arts council ambassadors that came and spoke tonight and especially Brian and his team. I want to point out that you've mentioned we have eight years of NAM success and we have eight years of participation increasing and we have eight years of Brian.