001The Camden City District Advisory Board of Education's May 5th, 2026 public hearing on the school year 2026-2027 budget. It is 6:00 p.m. The meeting is now called to order. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act was enacted to ensure the public's right to receive advanced notice of and to attend meetings of public bodies where any business affecting their interest is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, adequate notice of this meeting has been published in the Courier Post, posted on the district's website at www.camdencityschools.org, displayed at the administrative offices, filed with the City of Camden Clerk, and mailed to all individuals who requested notice in accordance with the law. Please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and will
002be broadcast on the district's YouTube channel at a future date. Roll call, please. >> Janette Alvarez >> Present. >> Gabriel Camacho Derek Gallon Shaw >> Present. >> Wanda Garcia >> Present. >> Cameron Hudson Danielle Jackson >> Present. >> Karen Merricks >> Present. >> Nnamdi Nelson Maria Perez We do have a quorum. >> Thank you. At this time, we will begin our budget presentation. We're giving our BA a moment just to get down to the podium. Good evening and thank you for being here with us this evening. As we present our 2026-2027 district proposed budget overview. Next slide. As we prepared our budget, this is the overview that we will go over this evening. We'll talk about our budget process, historical summaries, proposed revenues, proposed tax levy, proposed appropriations, and budget highlights. The budget process occurred
003as follows. Next slide. We conducted administrative budget planning sessions. We had meetings between supervisors, department heads, and the business office. We presented and reviewed the preliminary budget, including proposed increases, reductions, and strategic initiatives with key stake stakeholders. At this time, I'll turn over the presentation to BA McDonald. >> Okay. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the public hearing for the Camden City School District 2027 budget. The school district 2027 budget was due to be submitted to the Department of Education for review and approval by March 18, 2026. Despite receiving notice of the amount of state aid just about 1 week before this due date, the district was able to submit a balanced 2027 budget on time. After several weeks of review, the DOE approved the budget as submitted. This evening, we will be providing an
004overview of the details of the 2027 budget submission. Okay. The 2027 school district budget submitted to and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education totals $476,917,733. The district budget is comprised of two funds, a general fund or operating fund, which is primarily supported by state aid and local taxes, and it also includes a general um a special revenue fund for programs supported by grants uh federal, state, and local grants and other contributions to the district. The district general fund budget for 2027, the general fund budget totals $427,892,155. And this includes all district general fund expenditures. And if you look at them, the operating uh uh district funds from this total of 427 million are just 192 million. There is 235,000 or 55% of the budget that that goes directly to charter and Renaissance schools,
005leaving about 45% of the budget to be operated within the district. Okay. And so we've pointed out that charter and Renaissance schools now account for more than half of the district general fund budget of 236 million. We see that the trend has been for the funding to charter and Renaissance to increase significantly each year as more and more of the public school students of the city of Camden are enrolling in charter and Renaissance. We know that over the past two decades enrollment and in charter and Renaissance has greatly increased while district enrollment has greatly decreased. In this chart, we see how enrollment has decreased from 2014 to 2027 from 11,660 students to 5,515, less than half. This decline puts extraordinary stress on in-district funding. And as can be seen from the next chart, the we
006can see in this next chart where um we see how much of our actual audited district funding has gone to charter and Renaissance schools over the past 12 years from 2024 through 2025 school year, and the cost is still growing. Next. Um of the in-district expenditures, 81 million uh goes directly to support of the 16 school-based budgets. With um of the 81 million, the Title I federal grant contributes 4.8 million, leaving a net contribution required from the general fund of 76 million 958,279 dollars. And next. Uh busy chart up there. You might not be able to see it too well, but this is the general fund again. Okay, it's good to have some yellow highlights there. The general fund budget of 427 million 892 dollars includes if you look at the second yellow line from
007the bottom, that's a total. Above that, we have the charters and the Renaissance, as well as the tuition to other out-of-district providers, which in total that is 200 and Hold on. 251 million s- some dollars, which is close to 60% of the budget going right out in tuition. If you look at the yellow line above, where there's a a heading called operating budget before tuition expense, it's 175.9 million, or about 40% of the budget, remains within the operating control of the district. Now, at the very bottom, to break that down, of the 175 million, 85.9 million goes towards salaries, 37.3 million to benefits, and all other costs, which includes facilities, technology, paraprofessionals, and anyway, uh the other costs are 52 uh point six million. Uh that's one way of looking at at it, how much
008salaries, benefits, and other costs are in it, but then also at the top area, we see that um instructional costs for regular programs are about 25% of the budget, special ed another 15% of the budget. You look at transportation um at 12% of the budget, and anyway, we have a lot of costs identified there. Okay, um let's see. Yeah, so once again, I'll repeat this. Looking at the general fund appropriations by category, instructional costs for regular programs 24.8%, instructional special ed 15.2%, benefits 21%, operations and maintenance of facilities 13%, transportation 11%, and attendance, social work, etc. 6%. Okay. Um All right, so that's that. Um next. Okay. Within the general fund as well, the district has budgeted capital projects in the amount of $1,667,000. The majority of the 2027 capital budget is allocated to support
009critical technology needs. Funds have been allocated for HVAC repairs, for network closets, uh in the amount of 50,000, wireless access points, 392,000, public address system upgrades for Veterans, Yorkship, and HB Wilson schools, and 750,000 has been allocated for the district's hyper-converged infrastructure, which is a foundational technology investment that supports operations of all core systems, including phones, data storage, network security and firewall logging, active directory, print management, content filtering, and student information system, which is Genesis. These systems are critical to instruction, safety, communication, and compliance, and their availability directly impacts the schools' ability to function each day. Sustaining this infrastructure ensures essential services remain secure, safe, stable, and consistently available to students and staff. Next. The district is pleased and very fortunate to receive significant grant funding. The budget includes 50,821,000 in special revenue grant funding.
010State-funded projects include the district's preschool education program at 32.3 million, SDA emergent grant funding for facility projects of 1 million, and state aid for non- non-public schools within the city. Within the federal grant funding includes various ESSA grants, Title 1, 2, 3, and 4, which together total about 10.5 million. About half of this uh of which is utilized to help support fund 15, the school-based budgets. ID The IDEA grant funding is used to support the district's special ed population and is budgeted at about 3.4 million. Perkins vocation Perkins grant is a vocational aid grant, which is budgeted at 149,000. Um in addition to the special revenue In addition, the special revenue funds also now include student activity funds and local grants. Okay, and next. The local tax levy helps support the general fund budget, which
011the whole budget being 427 million. Local taxes are not a big impact. It's primarily state aid that we depend on. But at any rate, the 2027 budget submitted to and approved by the Department of Education proposed a tax levy of 17.7 million dollars. Since submission, the district, along with the city of Campton, have proposed reducing the la- tax levy by $528,400 to $17,171,600. In 2026, the district a a 32% increase in health care cost enabled a maximum tax increase for the district of $5.8 million. The district utilized just $490,000 of this allowable health care adjustment. For the 2027 school year, the taxes on a home assessed at the at the city average of 57. $57,700 are estimated to increase from $540 to $561, which is an annual increase of $20.53 a year or $1.71 per
012month. And next. And here we have a quick overview of the budget and how it is funded. Once again, the district submitted a budget totaling $476.9 million funded by $431 million of state aid, $14 million of federal aid, $17.7 million from taxes, and $1.6 million from miscellaneous revenue. And 12.5 from fund balance, which is funds available from the preceding year. Um after the budget was submitted, the district superintendent met with city officials and agreed to reduce the tax levy by 528,400 to the 17,171,600 seen above, with this difference being offset by an increase in miscellaneous revenue budgeted. The LEA has been advised of the planned revision in revenue composition and is prepared to accept this change. Within the next 10 days or so, the by May 14th, the district is responsible for certifying the tax
013levy for the 2027 budget. And that's all I have. So. Okay. >> Thank you. >> I'll go that way. >> We will now turn the meeting over to our board solicitor for the public comment session on the 2026-27 school year budget. Good evening. The Camden City School District welcomes the attendance and comments from all members of the public at its meetings. This comment period is your time to present your comments to the board and the state district superintendent on the 2026-27 school year budget. Each person who signed up to comment will have 3 minutes. You'll be notified when your 3 minutes is up and you cannot yield your time to another person. When it's your time to speak, please state your name and address for the record. Please address your comments to the state district
014superintendent or interim board solicitor. Please be courteous to your fellow community members and keep your comments within the time allotted so that everyone has an opportunity to speak. At the end of your 3 minutes, the microphone will be silenced and your comments will have concluded. Please conduct yourself in a respectful manner. The First Amendment is not absolute and the board can prohibit language that is inappropriate in accordance with board policy 1121. We may interrupt, warn, or terminate your statement, question, or inquiry when it is too lengthy. If a member of the public speaks out about a staff member, interruption may be necessary to call to caution the speaker of the danger of slander. For anyone whose comments or actions harass, intimidate, or threaten the safety of any other person, we will provide you with a
015warning or immediately end your comment time. We may request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum. We may request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person prevents or disrupts a meeting with an act that obstructs or interferes with meeting. We may call for a recess or adjourn the meeting to another time when a lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting. Finally, we may waive any of the rules when necessary for the protection of privacy or to maintain an orderly operation of the board meeting. After the public comment period is closed, the state district superintendent or his designee may address your questions to the extent provided by law. I'll now call the list of those
016who have signed up to speak during public session. Um I apologize in advance if I mispronounce anyone's name. Uh first up to the podium is Arlethia Brown. >> Good evening, superintendent, uh board members, and the members of our community. As we discuss the budget, um I respectfully ask that the school food facilities be viewed as a central district infrastructure, not simply kitchen and or cafeteria space. Camden school nutrition is more than a meal service operation and we support many food access and food distribution activities, not limited to our traditional meals program and community farmers markets, Saturday brunch and school gardens, hydroponics, and student career readiness opportunities. Every one of these programs depend on safe, functional, properly equipped facilities. When our kitchens are outdated, when refrigeration or freezer space is limited, when serving lines are not
017designed for student flow, or when cafeterias are not welcoming and efficient, it directly affects students. It affects food safety, meal quality, participation, compliance, staff productivity, and a district's ability to maximize federal reimbursement. Our kitchens and cafeterias matter. For many students, the cafeterias is one of the few places our students experience every single day and should reflect dignity, wellness, pride, and care. Students should be able to move through the line without long delays, receive a complete meal, and have enough time to sit, eat, and feed and feel valued. This is also about compliance and safety. School food programs are federally regulated, and our facilities must support proper temperature control, hand washing, sanitation, receiving, secure storage, pest prevention, and food safety standards. These are not just extras, they protect the students and our staff and the district.
018During the pandemic, we saw clearly that school nutrition is emergency infrastructure. When families needed food, school nutrition became a lifeline. That responsibility continues through our distributions and other family support services beyond the school day. And I'm asking about the long-term facilities plan and budgets includes a dedicated school nutrition facilities review. This should include kitchen modernization, refrigeration, freezer capacity, dry storage, serving line improvements, cafeteria flow, equipment replacement, food safety upgrades, garden hydroponic spaces, and emergency feeding capacity. I also ask that the school nutrition be included in early and every construction, renovation, and or building plan conversation. Once a kitchen, cafeteria, or loading area, or storage space is designed incorrectly, it impacts for years. This is not just about the equipment, this is about access, dignity, health, learning, compliance, revenue, workforce conditions, and community support. If we
019want Camden students to eat well, learn well, and feel cared, let then let our facilities must match the vision. School nutrition must be built in the district's long-term plan because food is not separate from education. It supports education in every single day. >> [applause] >> Next we have Canthar Calvete. >> Hello, my name is Canthar Calvete. I'm a senior at Creative Arts, and my mother works in school nutrition. She was recently laid off her job, yet again. Um So, yes. Not only an hour ago, I found out that my mother's my mother was laid off from her job once again. First time it was due to $91 million deficit. However, I'm curious why she's getting laid off again now, along with a hundred other jobs that are getting laid off. >> [clears throat] >> I'm
020not going to stress about it because I know God is my provider, but yeah, I still have a lot of questions and issues with this. This was never brought to our attention that people were getting laid off. The transparency isn't there yet again. Another issue is being brought up that no one was aware of. I'm really just tired. Um this is fresh news to me. Like I said, I learned about it an hour ago. I should be at home studying for my AP exam I have tomorrow morning. However, I'm here because I'm committed to my district. I know we have a beautiful school. We have beautiful schools and I'm committed to making sure our district is better than what it is now. >> [clears throat] >> From a student's point of view, this is stressful
021beyond measure. This results This results in a few questions I have. Like where's the money going to? How will this affect the next school year? What is the purpose of the layoffs and what would you do to ensure that the trajectory of our next upcoming school year won't be affected due to the major changes? Also, where is the transparency? What um Where is the support and what are the reasons for actively breaking the bones of our district one by one? School nutrition and many other programs have provided things like internships, farmer markets, >> [clears throat] >> and most importantly jobs. So yes, what is going to happen to the farmers market? Are the jobs going to be replaced? Are they going to be erased? What What is going on? What is going to happen? Also,
022like I said it before, where is the money going to? And lastly, how will this benefit the schools, community, and how will this put students first? That's all I have today. >> [applause] >> Next we have Jose Delgado, please. >> Uh good evening everyone. You know, I find it rather almost comical if it wasn't so tragic that the meeting begins with reading from the Open Public Meetings Act. The very act that says that advisory boards are not public bodies. So, the public Open Public Meetings Act does not apply to this advisory body. It's It's like we're we're fools and we don't know the law. So, we were made to wait half an hour for a quorum over for of a body that has no control whatsoever over the budget. Only the superintendent the state-appointed superintendent
023gives the last recommendation uh to the commissioner to um approve the budget. Um So, I also find it rather distressing that there's no television uh of for this meeting. And um uh I I really don't have much to say because after reading the um handout and listening to the very excellent presentation, it's really very difficult to know exactly what the budget the priorities are the budget. The budget is the most important policy statement of the district because everything that flows from it is funded by that budget. So, we should be able to look at a budget and say what the priorities are, where the district is going, where it's pulling back. I understand that food service has been cut back. Um that's what the present the first presentation was all about. Um I'm wondering uh
024when we were talking about the Renaissance schools and the charter schools, 55% of our budget is is an understatement because on top top of that, you've got to add the transportation costs that we have to pay for transporting the Renaissance and charter school kids to their school. Am I right? Correct. So, it's more than 55% of our budget goes to Renaissance and charter schools. So, this this is where we are right now is what happened when our mayor the assembly people, our assembly people, our state senator voted to the Urban Hope Act, which is what we're working under, and the state took over the district. This is exactly what they intended. It's written, it's a document it's called a portfolio portfolio management plan, and it states it clearly. The district will be reduced. So, from
025portfolio manager to a mayor provider. That's a quote. So, what we're seeing here, this is not an accident. This was calculated and done by politicians, some of them who who we elected and were supposed to represent us. I hope everybody understands that this is a tragedy, not just a budget hearing. >> [applause] >> Next we have Karen Borelli Luke, please. >> Good evening. Karen Borelli Luke. Uh Bren Medical Arts High School. I'm here tonight because there is a serious disconnect between what was communicated and what is actually happening in our district. We were told very clearly that the elimination and the reorganization of positions downtown would not impact union members and would not directly affect instructional staff, but that is not what we are seeing. The reality is it has impacted us. It is impacting
026our schools and it will impact our students. So, I need to ask plainly and directly, who is conducting interviews now? Because the individuals who traditionally held those responsibilities, the players, have been eliminated. And if those structures are gone, then what is replacing them? Because let me be clear, hiring is not something you figure out as you go. These are procedures. There are legal expectations, there are contractual obligations. Positions must be properly posted, interviews must be conducted fairly, processes must be transparent and documented. Anything less opens the door to inconsistency, inequity, and complete breakdown of trust. And right now, trust is exactly what is at risk. We cannot continue to hold one thing and then watch something entirely different unfold. If decisions are going to impact staff, say that. If restructuring changes how hiring is done,
027explain that. But do not minimize the impact and expect people not to notice because we do notice. And we are paying attention. Moving forward, there must be honesty, transparency, and accountability. Not after decisions are made, but before. And there must be diverse group of voices at the table. People who understand schools, classrooms, and the real consequences of these decisions. Because when decisions are made in isolation without those perspectives, the outcome is flawed. I am not here just to question. I am here to be part of the solution. I am formally volunteering to be at the table to ensure that processes are followed, that the voices are represented, and the decisions are made the right way, not the easy way. Because our students, our staff, and this community deserve nothing less. Thank you. >> [applause] >>
028Alicia Figueroa, please. >> All right. Hi, everyone. My name is Alicia from Parents Invincible. With me, I have some parents and community members that are also concerned and want to stay engaged and informed. Um I'm speaking on their behalf as well when I speak today. My um I want to start off by acknowledging the difficult position the district is in and the work it takes to balance a budget under these conditions. I also appreciate the superintendent's willingness willingness to engage in conversation and make adjustments. That said, I want to speak on behalf of the families who are thinking not just about this year, but about what comes next. As we balance this budget, I hope we're also asking whether these solutions are sustainable over time. Are we setting ourselves up to face the same challenges
029again next year? And how are we aligning our staffing and resources with the district's changing enrollment in a way that is thoughtful and stable? I also want to acknowledge the impact on residents. Even with the adjustments, any increase, and sorry if I missed this in your presentation earlier, but any increase in property taxes can be difficult for families in our community. Many people are already stretched thin, and I encourage the district to continue looking for ways to minimize that burden whenever possible. And as these decisions are made, I hope there is a clear plan for the future, especially when it comes to handling unexpected needs like repairs in the aging school buildings, so that we are not put in a more difficult position down the line. Although this may feel like may feel like a
030difficult and even tumultuous moment, it is also an opportunity, an opportunity to make meaningful change for a community that has too often been underserved, undervalued, and overlooked. If done right, this moment could truly change the trajectory of Camden City School District for the better. I'm not here to criticize, I'm here because I care deeply about our schools and our community, and I believe we all want the same thing. A district that is financially stable and continues to serve our students and families well. And I say all that to say, just a little bit more transparency, communication, and parent involvement would go a long way, and I hope that going forward, after some of the conversations that I've had with some of the people on this stage, that that is honored going forward. Thank you. >>
031[applause] >> Tariq Wilson, please. >> Good evening. I'm a senior at Camden High. Uh My main question is how will the cutting of these positions affect the student body and students' day-to-day life in school. And um, regarding the $500,000 uh, cut in the tax levy, property people paying taxes more taxes is often people don't like paying more taxes, but would why would you cut $500,000 when you could probably use that to save some of the positions that you're cutting. Um, I would also say just, you know, as a student we're expected to get to school on time uh, every day. So, maybe our school board members should also get here on time. Um, uh, I would also like to shout out Ms. Brown because uh, meeting Ms. Brown at a prior school board meeting, um,
032it is clear and evident that she truly cares about the students and that her advocacy here and anywhere else is not about her, it's about the students first and that she puts students first all the time. Um, that would be all today. >> [applause] >> Next we have, I apologize if I mispronounce it, Sherri Lowy, Lowrie? Okay, finally Gary Frazier. >> Gary Frazier, chairman Sovereign Infrastructure Authority federal whistleblower. SEC TCR 17757-688909 US patent holder number 64,004,245. I'm here to address this board on the fiscal year 2026 user-friendly budget and the life safety emergency right here at Morgan Village School. Our independent infrastructure audit has documented lead spikes at 8,768 ppb surrounding this district. That is 584 times the EPA action limit. We are standing in a building where the water is neurotoxic. Your own June
03325th Oh, I'm sorry. Your own June 10th, 2025 statement of assurance admits 41 outlets failed, yet you are offered bottled water, a band-aid, while the infrastructure rots. This is a direct violation of your duty to provide a safe and hygienic conditions under NJSA 18 7 18A:17- 43. You claim this district is facing a $91 million deficit. You just showed us You just showed us Yo, this is crazy. I can't even believe I I read this. Yo. You just showed us a budget with nearly half a billion dollars, $476,917,733 in revenue. Yet, you are laying off 289 staff members, teachers, nurses, and custodians, telling this community there is no money. Yet, your own budget shows you are withdrawing $6,565,428 from the maintenance reserve. A $2.5 million increase from last year. You are finding millions for boilers,
034HVAC, and PA systems, while while firing the educators who protect our children. This is a calculated diversion of funds away from my federal patent remediation model. A sole source procurement. You're choosing speakers over teachers and heaters over the neurological health of these students. Under NJ S3223 Filter First, you are mandated to install certified filters. Standard filters do not stop 8,000 ppb spikes. By approving this budget, you are not making a local decision. You are creating a federal forensic record of misappropriation of infrastructure referral of infrastructure reserves while ignoring the public health crisis being being happening right here today. So, be advised, this budget mismatch and the documented lead strikes are being filed concurrently with my federal whistleblower status under SCCT CTR number 177576689089. Every board member here is now personally pinned to the to my
035second investigation for federal financial negligence. You sign off on this poison tonight, and I'll deal with you tomorrow. NJSA 18A:17-43 mandates the board to maintain safe and hygienic facilities. NJ S33 Filter First requires immediate remediation of lead of lead in outlets. 18 USC >> That concludes our public comment section. I'll now turn the meeting over to the board vice president. >> Do any of board members have any comments? If nothing more, board secretary, please call for a motion to adjourn. >> Motion. >> Good evening. Welcome to the Camden City District Advisory Board of Education May 5th, 2026 special advisory board meeting. It is now 6:44 p.m. The meeting is now called to order. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act was enacted to ensure the public's right
036to receive advanced notice of and to attend meetings of public bodies where any business affecting their interests is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, adequate adequate notice of this meeting has been published in the Courier-Post, public posted on the district's website at www.camdencityschool.org, displayed at the administrative offices, filed with the Camden City Clerk's Office, and mailed to all individuals who requested notice in accordance with the law. Please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and will be broadcast at the district's YouTube channel at future at a future date. Roll call, please. >> Jeanette Alvarez. >> Present. >> Gabriel Camacho. Derrick Gallashaw. >> Present. >> Wanda Garcia. >> Present. >> Cameron Hudson. Danielle Jackson. >> Present. >> Karen Merricks. >> Present. >> Nnenna Ndidi Nelson. Maria Perez.
037>> Thank you. At this time, we will begin our special presentation. Next slide, please. The question is often asked, how do we get into this situation we are in today? Next slide. You saw these following two slides in the budget presentation, which shows the city school district with declining enrollment since 2013-2014, in 2026-2027, we're projecting 5,515 K-12 students, a slight decrease from the current enrollment of 5,659 students. As enrollment decreases, our budget continues to flow in a different direction. Next slide. You'll see that enrollment decreases, it increases in our city partners charter and Renaissance. Cost for tuition increases and you can see how high that is. That's an audited number for 2024-2025, $217 million that leaves the district and does not support the students in the public schools, but does support the students in the
038in the city of Camden. So, to explain some of the staff and action actions that we had to take, I've asked Teresa Reese and Nick to help us out with the presentation. So, please uh make your way down to the podium. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Good evening, everyone. Joining me tonight is Dr. Nick Pillsbury who will be co-facilitating this portion of the presentation. The next few slides will speak of of the people and FTE, full-time equivalent, C impact related to the 2026 school year budget that was just approved. These decisions are by no means easy. And these decisions are not taken lightly. They are, however, necessary to align our resources with current and projected student enrollment, maintain financial stability, and continue to prioritize students in every decision we make. Next slide, please. This chart shows
039This chart on your screen show represents the reduction of staff included in the 2026 school year budget. I absolutely must emphasize that these full-time equivalency counts do not include the potential impact of the central office restructuring. The district reduced staff by approximately 18% of the 2025-2026 school year. By the 2026-2027 school year, the total reduction reaches approximately 24% from the original baseline in the school year of 2024-2025. The current staffing for 2026 school year is a result of several converging factors that have unfolded over the past several months. Factors such as budget shifts and changing program requirements re- create create a dynamic environment making it necessary for the district to continually adjust staffing levels to best support our schools. A significant contributor to the 2026-2027 FTE count were the results of an analysis that was
040recently conducted. The district conducted this this real-time district-wide enrollment analysis to verify the accuracy of student counts across schools. This process involved a physical classroom-by-classroom level count to confirm actual attendance and enrollment of students while ensuring compliance with required staff levels and class size ratios. This analysis identified discrepancies between projected and actual student enrollment and provided information that was that informed student staffing decisions, reallocation of resources, and and maintain and to maintain regulatory compliance. By conducting this analysis, the district strengthened its ability to support instructional needs and ensured equitable staffing across all schools. Next slide, please. >> All right. Good evening. Uh so, this slide represents by position category the number of full-time equivalent FT positions that were reduced in the 2026-27 school year budget. 80s 82% of these 95 FTE positions are vacancies that
041were removed from the staff from the staffing roster following a comprehensive review of district needs, enrollment trends, and budget constraints. The remaining reductions represent positions held by staff. Next slide. So, this slide represents a summary of the staff impacted by the reduction in force for school-based related positions, which also includes some early childhood staff. 19 staff members were impacted as a result of the 95 reductions. Of these 95 FTE reductions, 90 allocations were limited from the general fund, and five allocations were reduced from the early childhood grant-funded positions. From the 19 reduction in force RIF notices issued, seven were due to early childhood FTE reductions, and 12 resulted from the general fund FTE reductions. And lastly, as you can see, five of those 19 staff members were reassigned to their previously tenured teaching position. Next
042slide. >> As we indicated, these decisions we do not take lightly, and we try to provide as much support we will sup- provide as much support to staff as we can. One of those avenues to offer additional support is that the Department of Talent and Labor Relations is actively working with teachers impacted and affected by the reduction of four in force across pathways that will expand their cert- their current certification in high needs areas. These options allow educators to use their current credentials and to earn targeted endorsements that will fill critical needs and staffing gaps within The district has established partnerships with those programs and educational institutions that are shown on the screen to help staff through this transition. Thank you so much for your attention. >> Thank you. For the second portion of the
043presentation, I will review central office restructuring. Next slide. As part of a board broader effort to strengthen and streamline operations, we're currently undergoing a central office restructuring process. Focusing on aligning functions to school and student needs, clarifying roles and responsibilities, ensuring organizational coherence and accountability. And we want to build a system that is better supporting of teaching, learning, and student outcomes. The scope of the impact in the staffing changes impacted 75 central office staff members. Next slide. Of the 75, of these employees have the ability to be reassigned into a new position. 49 do not have a prior position to fall back into. These counts will change as positions are posted, the process is followed for interviews, and we hire back staff who are qualified for the positions under the new restructuring design. We're committed
044to conducting a fair and equal and polished thorough process for staff hiring. We're going to have new revised organizational charts that match job descriptions that will be posted. All of our impacted staff are encouraged to apply for the positions that they are interested in and qualified for. We're going to make sure that we provide opportunities for continued service and we're going to make sure we select through a process that's fair and transparent based on qualifications. The new organizational structure The updated roles are aligned to the district priorities, NJDOE certification requirements, clear reporting structures and accountability, and consolidated and streamlined areas of responsibility. We're going to move the organization towards a more coherent, efficient, and student-focused system and we're building on the current structure but also refining it at the same time. This work is necessary.
045We need to eliminate overlaps and fragmentation in central office functions. We have to align staff into the enrollment realities that we heard in the budget presentation and at the start of my presentation. We also have to make sure that we're in compliance with state certification requirements, operational expectations, and that we are positioned for long-term sustainability. We heard comments earlier about what happens the year after and the next year. So, we want to make sure we are sustainable. Our guiding principles include students first. You hear it from our teachers, from administrators, and from our our central office staff every day. Every decision needs to be tied towards student impact. Equity, our resources need to be aligned to the needs of our students. Accountability, clear ownership for the work and for the outcomes. And efficiency, maximizing the
046resources that we have to support our schools. The impact on school, the restructure is designed to be more aligned and responsive for school operations and instruction. We want to have clearer communication, clearer timelines, and avenues to make sure our decisions. We're going to improve coordination across instruction, operations, facilities, student services. We want to take some of the pressure off the schools, so the focus can be on teaching and learning. Timeline, next slide. I'm sorry, keep going. There we go. I apologize for not saying next slide. This will be on our website tonight, so you'll be able to review it one more time. April 30th, staff notifications were completed. May through June, job descriptions finalized and they will be posted. By June 1st, we're going to be making hiring decisions. We're expected to be substantially complete
047by that date. With a July 1st, 2026 start date with that new structure. Next slide. This work is difficult, but it's necessary. It's designed to strengthen the organization from central office out. We need to improve services to schools. We need to ensure long-term stability of the whole organization, and difficult decisions are needed to be made now. But our commitment remains to supporting our staff through this transition and building a central office that fully supports student success while acknowledging that this is a very difficult time for many of our colleagues. At this time, we're going to switch into public comment. >> All right, the Kansas City School District welcomes the attendance and comments from all members of the public at its meetings. The public comment period is your time to present your comments to the board
048and the state district superintendent. Each person who signed up for comment will have 3 minutes. You'll be notified when your 3 minutes are up and you cannot yield your time to another person. When it's your time to speak, please state your name and address for the record. Please address your comments to the state district superintendent or interim board solicitor. Please be courteous to your fellow community members and keep your comments within the time allotted so that everyone has the opportunity to speak. At the end of your 3 minutes, the microphone will have silence and your comments will have concluded. Please conduct yourself in a respectful manner. The First Amendment is not absolute and the board can prohibit language that is inappropriate in accordance with board policy 1121. We may interrupt, warn, or terminate your statement,
049question, or inquiry when it is too lengthy. If a member of the public speaks about a staff member, interruption may be necessary to caution the speaker of the danger of slander. For anyone whose comments or actions harass, intimidate, or threaten the safety of another person, we will provide you with a warning or immediately end your comment time. We may request any person leave the meeting when that person has not observed reasonable decorum. We may request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person prevents or disrupts a meeting with with an act that obstructs or interferes with the meeting. We may call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting. Finally, we may
050waive any of these rules when necessary for the protection of the privacy or to maintain an orderly operation of the board meeting after the public comment period is closed. The state district superintendent or his designee may address your questions to the extent provided by law. Once again, I'll I'll call everyone's name who signed up to speak. I apologize if I mispronounce anyone's name. Are Lethia Brown? >> Superintendent Yano, esteemed advisory board members in the Camden School District community, thank you for your leadership and for allowing me to serve this district for over 30 years. I come before you during a serious period of transition, and I come not only as an employee, but as someone who grew up in this district, was educated by this district, and has dedicated my life to serving our community.
051Camden School Nutrition is the largest food provider in Camden County. We are not just a cafeteria operation, we are a daily student support system, a federally regulated food access program, a farm to school and local procurement engine, a student leadership platform, and a trusted bridge between a district and our families. A food service management company can assist with food production and service, but it cannot replace the district's responsibility to students, families, compliance, partnerships, and community trust. This department carries major monitoring responsibilities through the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Summer Meals, At Risk Dinner, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, TEFAP commodities, and Farm to School. These programs require district oversight, documentation, claim accountability, corrective action, and integrity. Without strong internal leadership, the district risks more than meals. It risks funding, compliance, partnerships, and trust. Somewhere along
052the way, we lost our way as a district. A $92 million deficit does not happen overnight or in 1 year, as previously discussed. It reflects years of mismanagement, gaps in accountability, and decisions that did not fully protect our students, staff, or our community. I grew up here. I was a little girl in Camden schools shaped by Camden educators and leaders. I'm still growing here, learning, traveling, and bringing back best practices, and expanding what school meals can mean for children and families. During the pandemic, while many were working remotely, my team and I were here in the field 5 to 6 days a week. We served more meals during during the from during the traditional school year. We delivered groceries. We fed families, not just students. We built partnerships that still support this district today. We
053have created career pathways for students, expanded nutrition and agriculture education, built a sustainable food system, and strengthened community access to our farmers market and our Saturday brunch program. Ask 6ABC. They're in the room. Ask PBS Table for All. Ask Food Inc. II, where Camden was shown as a beacon of hope. Ask our community farmers markets families, Campbell's or our full futures, and Alliance for Healthier Generation, who recognized this work through a Halo Award. We have built trust in this community, and trust is earned. Please do not dismantle what has not been fully studied. Take time to understand the full scope, compliance requirements, partnerships, student opportunities, family support, and human connection behind this department. This is not just about food. This is about our students, families, dignity, access, and trust. Together everyone achieves more. It's team.
054That's what we are. Let's bring that concept back, rebuild the district together, and show our community that they can trust us because we are in this together. >> Pamela Clark, please. >> [applause] >> Good afternoon. Superintendent and board members. Here we go again. I stand before you tonight with serious concerns of equity, transparency, decision-making in our district. First, I just want to say, and I said this yesterday, I shouldn't have learned about the 24 people who were impacted through layoffs through word of mouth. That reflects a lack of transparency and respect for my union and the professionals that we have in the room. Secondly, the loss of a guidance counselor is not a minor issue. The American School Counselor Association recommends 200 to 250 to one student ratio counselor ratio. Reassigning counselors in that building
055at Camden High to help another counselor creates inequity for our students at Camden High. It undermines priorities that were put in place prior to you coming here. Third, staff are receiving riff letters without your signature, superintendent. I'm just trying to find out if that's valid or not. Additional, I don't represent central office staff, but I must point out that some of the positions being impacted, such as affirmative action office, displaced liaison, director of facilities, director of health services, is disrupting the roles and could place the district in out of compliance. We also have bus drivers and security in the room that will not have or may not have the supervisors that they had prior. This creates instability in essential services that are critical to the safety and daily operations of our school. At the same
056time, we are being told that there are fiscal constraints, yet the new business administrator is making more money than the last business administrator. When I was told that it was a cap of 180,000 for people who interviewed. These decisions are raise serious questions about priorities and fiscal accountability. Respectfully, the restructure plan feels rushed and poorly thought out. The impact on students, staff, and operations is real and it cannot be ignored. I'm asking for transparency, I'm asking for accountability, and mostly I'm asking that the decisions be made in the best interest of our students and the people who serve them every day. Thank you. >> [applause] >> KAREN PERELLI LUKE, PLEASE. OKAY, moving on. Terrence Ventury, please. >> I have documents to provide that I know have provided notice of. Do you want them now or
057later? I have documents that I had emailed notifying the district or the board, excuse me, that I was prepared to file this Okay, thank you. I am not I'm not sure if I have enough copies and I apologize in advance. Good evening. My name is Terrence Venturi. I'm an ESL teacher currently with the Rowan Aspire to Teach Program. I am here to formally request that the board table the vote on my non-renewal tonight. This non-renewal is built on a procedurally void record. I have a pending request for a statement of reasons which I have not yet received. Voting before I can review this statement and prepare defense is a denial of my due process. The administrative record reflects a systemic failure of oversight. My primary evaluator is the author and distributor of the district ESL
058curriculum. Yet, she negligently withheld the curriculum from me until after grading my observation for not using it. I was effectively penalized for the absence of materials the evaluator herself failed to distribute. Furthermore, I was scored on an administrative software without being provided the mandatory training required by state law. You cannot judge a teacher's performance when the district denies them of the very tools, curriculum, and training by the New Jersey or excuse me, required by the New Jersey Department of Education. Further, I was not provided a new teacher or orientation or the name of the district mentor coordinator if there is such a position in the district. In addition, the state mandated the state mandated logs required by NJAC 6:9C-5.1 are a curated narrative. They strategically omit hostile encounters on November 21st, December 23rd, and January
05913th. I have text summons from leadership for the November 21st meeting where I was verbally reprimanded for correctly identifying software errors. I also have written confirmation by my building union rep for the December 23rd meeting which was procured under false pretenses as a mentoring meeting but turned into a hostile interrogation. These missing dates prove the record before you is not a professional log but a curated narrative of bad faith. Finally, the timing of this is legally precarious. Following the metal disclosure on March 18th, I was subjected to a performance blitz of observations and deadlines compressed into a 30-day window. The non-renewal notice was issued exactly 17 72 hours after my formal Section 504 request. I am now providing the board secretary with a signed audit demand and physical evidence of these omissions. I feel like
060I'm being targeted because I am not a union member. I ask the board to honor this role its role as an oversight body and table this vote until a full audit of this record is conducted. Thank you very much. >> Marlene Coleman, please. >> Good evening. I'm going to try to do this in 3 minutes. Um as a response to the Rice letter emailed to me on Friday, May the 1st at 3:59 p.m. I am respectfully stating in public what I feel in writing. I am unable to speak from the heart because it's broken. This is not a forum from which I am familiar. And I wish to state for the record that I have and always have been an advocate for students in the Camden City Public Schools, particularly those with special needs. My
061introduction to the Camden City School District was in October 1990 when I began as a clerk in the office of communications. There I was able to grow and flourish under the outstanding leadership of the communications director. From there I moved to the office of this of the assistant superintendent, for whom I am forever grateful for her leadership prowess and her ability to know her staff and their capabilities to lead departments and schools. From this assignment I moved back into a communications role, reporting directly to the superintendent of schools. This was a great fit and I learned a great deal about educational administration. I reported to at least three superintendents in my tenure here in the district, all of whom were very capable of leading the district under the constraints of political infusion. From 2010 to
0622013, I ran the office of communications as a manager alone until the until the official state over state takeover in 2013. With the entrance of a new superintendent and the staff brought with him, including a new director of communications. Under the newly appointed director of communications, staff was, in my opinion, gentrified. All staff of color either resigned or transferred. In my case, I was told in August 10th, 2015 that or at a one-on-one review that I would be transferred. Five days later, I was administratively transferred to the office of special services. My question was simple, why? My answer, because they need the help. With no other questions, I was placed in my current position with no background on what to do, no job description, no help whatsoever. For the first 3 months in this in
063this position as a manager, I sat at my desk doing a newsletter for special services. It was not until November of the same year that I began to search my desk station and go go through the mail and papers to see what need to be done. The position was vacated by a former colleague due to retirement and there's no guide as to the job duties. I simply made it up as I went along after discussions with staff members and a retiree for whom I was able to reach out to. By December of that same year, I hand delivered a $300,000 check to one of our tuition vendors who had not been paid for months. In 2017, the district began the move to central office from Front Street to Washington School. Between September 2017 and 2018,
064I coordinated all efforts to pack all special education records to be delivered to Ricoh for digitizing with some help from temporary staffing. I see my time is up. Um I will spare you of all the other stuff that I've written. Um but I'd like to just um I just like to say I'm my heart is broken. And um what I would ask is just to continue my current position at the same salary and benefits to be allowed to retire in December of this year. This would allow me to prepare our office for the move if it's truly a rumor to Morgan and determine my next steps after CCSD. The alternate would be that once the new job postings descriptions are posted on the district website as of May the 11th as promised and everyone, and
065I mean everyone, has an opportunity to apply for any job, I will need to tender my resignation on May the 15th to be able to retire June the 30th and left with no benefits, no salary, no possible appointments for a pension in 2027. Thank you for your time. Um, respectfully, Marlene Coleman. >> [applause] >> Karen Vidal, please. >> Good evening, members of the Board of Education, members of the Camden City School District Administration. My name is Nurse Vidal. I'm here to provide a brief overview of health services in Camden City School District. And over the years, show you how health services has been disproportionately affected by reductions in force and restructuring with no fulfillment of positions when nurses have retired. Before I do that, I want to wish thank you to nurse the teachers because
066it's your week to be recognized. It's also the nurses' week to be recognized as well. >> [applause] >> And I have to say off script that when I saw all of the the written things of who was losing a position, once again, health services was not noted at all. That's because that we worked so efficiently under Nurse um, Renee Wickersty. We um, Oh my goodness. >> [sighs] >> The her model worked. It It allowed us for proper onboarding of new nurses. It ensured compliance with immunizations, physicals. We supported audits, maintained emergency care plans, individualized health care plans, and safe administration. Due to the structure that Nurse Wickersty set up, Camden City achieved some of the highest immunization compliances within all of Camden County. Three Camden City preschools were awarded New Jersey Hot Shots for Tots
067recognition, the first in the city's history. Things began to change. Staff were not replaced when they retired. Two years ago, ECDC was forced down to go to one nurse due to low enrollment. To switch around and then less than a month, we had to scramble to find coverage to meet state mandates of how many students per nurse you were going to have. Last year, seven nursing positions were cut, eliminated without consultation from anybody in a nursing realm or the supervisor of health services. For non-medical personnel, this may seem like a cost-saving decision. For the students of Camden, it's been devastating. Today, we're not sure if you were aware if a nurse is absent, there is no nurse in the school building. Nurses are required to leave one school and respond to another, meaning students in
068both locations go without adequate care at different times. Every minute a nurse is in another building, they can't handle it with this student without their nurse. Our previous staffing model wasn't just a substitute nurse coverage as what has previously been stated. It supported operations, compliance, proper onboarding for new nurses. We lost a nurse this fall. I was the nurse who was forced to cover two buildings. I have worked two positions at the same time from January up until spring break of this year. Early childhood was just notified, we are losing another position. And then we find out that our beloved supervisor, Nurse Wickersty, has also been dealt the blow and then she was also on received one of these forces. What's going to happen when we have our retirements coming up next year? What's going
069to happen because there's two early childhood and a building? Is it going to be similar to this school year? Are you going to have nurses covering multiple buildings? I thank you for your time and I'm the first nurse to speak. The other nurses are going to speak on the system gap, the legal gap, the equity gap, and the importance of having a health services supervisor who is also a certified school nurse. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Robin Cogan, please. >> Good evening. Excuse me, I'm a little hoarse. My name is Robin Cogan, and I'm a CCSD nurse finishing my 25th year. The decision before this board tonight, thank you, is not [snorts] a staffing decision. It is a decision about whether the children of Camden City will have a coordinated functioning school health services system
070or not. Camden's district schools now serve over 5,000 students. As we [snorts] know, as families with more resources and options have moved to charter and renaissance schools, the students who remain in our district schools represent a higher concentration of children with complex health and social needs. These [snorts] are our children. They are managing asthma, diabetes, seizures, severe allergies, and mental health conditions, often without consistent access to health care. The supervisor of health services is the person, the one person, who designs, coordinates, and evaluates the health system that serves every one of our students. She ensures that clinical protocols are consistent across every school, coordinates individual health plans so that every nurse in every building knows exactly how to respond when a child with a chronic condition is in crisis. >> [clears throat] >> She ensures
071that emergency medications like epinephrine and Narcan are not only up-to-date, but accessible in every building, and turns constantly changing public health guidance into clear, consistent procedures that protect students and staff. Without that position, each school is really on its own. Protocols will become inconsistent, training will be uneven, and the protection a student receives will depend entirely entirely on which building they happen to attend if there is a nurse or not. The school nurse supervisor position is not overhead. It is the structural backbone that keeps more than 5,000 students medically safe every school day. Eliminating it does not trim a budget. It dismantles a system. For children whose health cannot be left to chance, that is not acceptable. I urge this board to keep this position in place and replace the the nurses that have been
072removed over the last few years. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Karen Calderon, please. >> Good evening. My name's Karen Calderon, and I'm a school nurse with the district at the Camden High Complex. I wanted to speak tonight with the board about what disappears legally and practically when the supervisor of health services is eliminated. This position serves as the district's health focus 504 officer. That means ensuring that every student with asthma, diabetes, a seizure disorder, sickle cell disease, or mental health diagnosis has an appropriate plan in place, that staff are trained to implement that plan, and that the students' rights under the Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act are protected every single day. When no one at the district level holds that responsibility, those protections are at risk. Not because people stop caring, but
073because no one is charged with making sure that it happens. The supervisor also ensures compliance with immunization laws, mandated health screenings, medication administration regulations, and document documentation standards. These are not administrative formalities, they're legal obligations. They require coordination, monitoring, and accurate reporting across every school in this district. Without district-level oversight, deadlines will be missed, procedures will drift, and documentation will be incomplete. After nearly 20% reduction in nursing positions, our school-based nurses we are already stretched beyond capacity. We cannot absorb the system-level responsibilities this role currently carries, policy development, staffing, training, data collection, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance on top of the direct care we are providing to the students every day. That is not a staffing inconvenience, it's a structural failure waiting to happen. The gaps that follow also will not be invisible. They will
074appear in missed deadlines, inconsistent care, and students whose legal protections are not met. They will appear in complaints, investigations, and liability that this district will not will be left to manage after the fact. Maintaining this position is not an expense, it is infrastructure that prevents far greater cost to students, to families, and to this district. I urge you to please preserve that. Thank you. >> Eileen Cogle, please. >> Good evening. My name is Eileen Coyle and I'm a school nurse in the Camden City School District. I want this board to understand what equity looks like when the system behind it is gone. Equity looks like a child with asthma participating safely in gym class because her action plan is current and her nurse is trained and her inhaler is where it needs to be. It
075looks like a student with diabetes going on a field trip because someone in the district level made sure that the protocols travel with him. It looks like a teenager in mental health crisis finding a calm, prepared health office because the supervisor coordinated the training and the resources that made that possible. When the supervisor of health services is eliminated, that coordination disappears. Services become reactive instead of proactive. Students with the greatest needs are the most likely to fall through the gaps, not because anyone intended it, but because no one is left whose job it is to see that the whole child matters across the whole district. We know from research that strong school health services reduce absenteeism and improve academic performance. When health systems are weakened, students are sent home for conditions that could be safely
076managed in school. For many Camden students, the school nurse and the system behind that nurse is the only reliable connection to care that they have. Eliminating the leadership of that system does not just affect health. It affects attendance. It affects learning. It affects the future of children who are already navigating more than any child should. Camden students are resilient, but resilience is not a substitute for the support they deserve. I urge this board to maintain the supervisor of health services position as an investment in equity, in health, and in the future of every child in this district. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Ann Mick Van Laar, please. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Ann Mick Van Laar, and I'm the proud school nurse at Cooper's Point School. Um I'm here tonight to speak on
077behalf of our health services department as my colleagues have done before me, and specifically to urge this board to reconsider the proposed elimination of our health services supervisor position. Camden City School District serves now less than 6,000 students across about 14 schools. These are children who come to us every single day caring not just backpacks, but health challenges, chronic conditions, and barriers to care that many of us never see at home. Our school nurses are often the first, and sometimes the only health care professional these students encounter. We identify undiagnosed asthma, vision problems, hearing impairments, diabetes, mental health crises, and so much more. We're not a luxury, we're a lifeline. But none of that work happens in a vacuum. It is coordinated, guided, and protected by strong leadership. Our health services supervisor is not simply
078an administrator. First and foremost, she's also a nurse. She's a licensed professional who understands the New Jersey nursing practice standards, the legal and regulatory requirements that govern school health services, and the policies that protect those students and staff. She ensures that our department operates in full compliance with state law, including medication administration protocols, individualized health plans for students with special needs, mandated health screenings, and emergency response procedures. Without her oversight, the district assumes enormous legal and clinical risk. She has been the person who answers when a nurse calls with a complicated student situation and needs guidance. She has been the advocate who ensures that students with complex medical needs receive appropriate accommodations under the law. She has been the professional who keeps our entire department aligned, accountable, and effective. Eliminating this position does not eliminate
079the work. It simply leaves it undone or pushes it onto nurses who are already stretched thin managing the daily health needs of hundreds of students per school. I respectfully ask this board, what is the cost of a student whose seizure disorder goes unmanaged because no one updated the emergency action plan? What is the cost of a compliance failure under state nursing regulations? What is the cost of losing the institutional knowledge and leadership that holds our schools together? The health services supervisor position is not overhead. It is infrastructure. It is protection for our students, for our nurses, and for this district. I urge you in the strongest possible terms to preserve this position and invest in the health and safety of every child and staff member in Camden City. Thank you. >> Selena Covington, please. >>
080My name is Selena McDonald Covington. I'm a alumni of the Woodrow Wilson High School. I'm a also from the community. I sat there and I listened and I listened and I asked God, what should I say because I was going to change what I was going to say. But after listening to Ms. Coleman, I got so full with sadness for her. But there's a saying that the that the world may say. They say, "Karma is something." But the Bible says, "You reap what you sow." So I'm praying that the Lord do what he said he's going to do for her and bless her. Nevertheless, I I also listened I'm thinking back to last year at this time. My sister friend was here and she she's yet battling cancer. And she was ripped last year. And
081what was said to her, "We going to look out for you. We going to help you. We going to do this. We going to do that." But it was all a lie. Yeah. I'm glad I got your attention cuz you weren't looking at everybody else. But I declare and I decree that this is the season that God said and I'm saying it because I'm going to be who I am. But I pray that the wind of God blow through here because you said reconstruction, but what I see is dismantling. And so my prayer is that we uni get unified as the I'm praying for everybody in here and their position because I don't have tenure. I'm not up here trying to get a job and say that, "Can I stay?" because Jesus is my provider.
082But I'm going to say to the believers that know better, my prayer is that you wrap yourself together and be careful for nothing because the Bible says, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." So I'm praying to my fellow sisters and yet brothers that say they are believers in Jesus the Christ, but we're sitting here and we're looking at the people sitting here and this this this district, not only the district, but is being dismantled. But, I declare AND I DECREE THE SEASON of manifestation is getting ready to hit here. Uh-huh. I'm glad I got y'all attention BECAUSE THE LORD SAID NOT many days hence there's going to be some reaping coming and it's coming from up above. SO, IF YOU'RE DOING WRONG, I'M ENCOURAGING you to do right because the Lord is
083uh-huh the wrath of God is on its way here. SEE, SOME PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS AND IT'S OKAY BECAUSE JEHOVAH JIREH IS GOING TO PROVIDE FOR YOU, MY SISTER FRIEND. JEHOVAH JIREH IS GOING TO PROVIDE FOR MS. COLEMAN. BUT, most of all HE GOING TO PROVIDE for the children of this community that we I see don't have your attention and that's okay because I know my season is up in this district. I'm not up here TRYING TO WORRY ABOUT A JOB BECAUSE GOD HAS ME. MY SON IS ALSO A product of the Kansas City School District. HE WENT TO CREATIVE ARTS, THE SCHOOL that you trying to also do behind back. HE WENT TO CREATIVE Arts salutatorian and went to Cornell works on Wall Street. That's all I have to say. >> [applause] >> Sherry
084Lowry, please. >> Good evening. My name is Sherry Larry. Um I work at a in the district at the high school. I work at Camden High. I work at Eastside. I am one of the teachers that got riffed. Um I'm okay with it. I know how the budget works. I know that I mean tenuring um not to be funny to say okay, is that I teach business. So, I teach my students the first thing they read in my class is Who Moved Your Cheese? So, if I teach them that, why would I sit here and cry later on because I told them stay prepared. That morning I came to work, I just want to let you know that um I had a PD in my room. PD, I had some teachers. I had a English
085teacher and a CTE teacher in my room learning Notepad LM. It was That's what I was so happy about. My stress level was down. And that has That's has been a very big issue for me since I've been coming to the school. I I'm nervous about saying this because I want to say that I am a board member, so I know how much the board has. I have to hold myself accountable. I do understand curriculum. I've been 6 years. I understand finance, 6 years. My son I live in an Abbott school district. So, when I leave here, I go to the same SD district that gets the same funding as y'all. My issue is as a teacher, I know I can get another job. I I have certifications. That's not a problem. This is New
086Jersey. You're always getting riffed. I have an issue because um if I was a board member, if I was a superintendent, how can I say this? If I knew what was going on in these schools, I would want to make a change. And I said not that I don't think you went far enough. I don't tell you the truth. Some of the things that's going on in these classrooms in these schools, please be accountable for all the money. I I don't speak to a lot of teachers because when you get paid, my my co-workers, if my son was in these schools and he My son is in the Abbott school district. You are not allowed to get paid for something you didn't do. All right. We have principals who don't come out until y'all come
087around. And both And I I only told you the two schools I went to. I can't speak for all of them, but that's not right. These kids, remember all those members you know about your principals and stuff? Next, we have shadow districts. I mean, teachers who don't even have classes that are in these um things. If you getting paid to do any kind of club activity, you need to be giving that to them because that's right there is not fair. You wouldn't do that to your child. Treat people kids like they're yours. So, I wouldn't take this money. That's stealing. And I hope that we all know that's going on, but we won't say anything. So, please keep doing what you have to do, make us accountable, and you tell these teachers this too. If
088you are getting paid for it, you should be doing the work because there is something called you can lose your pension for that. That's called theft of services. You will lose your pension for that. So, I just wanted to say that and um that that's about it. Um I just wanted to make sure I didn't go off because I want to give a shout out to this right here. I did a breakfast club. I did SATs. Wonderful breakfast program. I have pictures. You The community loved it. Um the kids That was a wonderful program. And I want to say there is a principal out there that toes down, she is all over it. And I I wish I had a chance to work for Ms. Quack Quack. I won't have a chance to, but that
089woman is on top. >> Jose Delgado, please. >> Hello again. Uh I want to just say respectfully the district did not lose its way. Our district was stolen. And I covered that before. Uh and there's no coming back cuz legally they did it legally. Um and I just wanted to just say that coming here and saying pleading with the an advisory board you're not It's got nothing to do with the advisory board. The advisory board has nothing to do with the budget at all. At all. It's the superintendent and and the commissioner. If you want to make an impact, I'm sure he's going to talk to the commissioner and list many of the things that you said that will impact on children, but if you want to talk to the person, that's the commissioner. Uh
090Let me see if I can get it straight why we're here. There's no money. Where is the money? This year, about $6 million from last year, in addition from last year, went to the Renaissance and charter schools. $6 million right off the top. That's not counting transportation costs. And at the same time, the New Jersey Department of Education is increasing the number of students that can attend individual uh Renaissance and charter schools. They're increasing the number that they can take away from our district from our Yeah, from our district. They're not We're not cutting the fat anymore. We're down past the muscle into the bone of this school district. Do they care? Let me You know the the old saying that the difference the opposite of uh love is not hate, it's indifference. So, we
091This There's a lot of indifference that I feel in my heart. And I get and I want you to know this is not normal. This doesn't happen in other communities. I hate to say the BR word. This is racism at its highest low uh level. Why do you think that the only districts that are taken over in the state of New Jersey and in the whole nation happen to be black and Hispanic districts? Is that a coincidence? What a coincidence. And when we cry and we say it's going to affect our children, their health. Of all things, their health. The superintendent hears you, but they said this is how much money you have, see how you can do what you can do with this amount of of money. He doesn't print money. They give him
092the money, and the money they take away from the renas- to the Renaissance and charter schools, he's got to make up in other ways, like cutting this department and cutting that department, rifting that person. And by the way, the board better not get involved in personnel matters. A word to the wise, you have no authority to get involved with them. But anyway, we we must come together, and and the only way that we can do it is to speak to the correct person. It's not the advisory board. It's the New Jersey Department of Education. It's the legislators that created this situation. It is not the superintendent. It is not the people that work here. It is not the children. It is not your fault. It is a system that is designed to produce this result.
093They said it, they put it in writing. I don't know how many times I got to say it. So, when you leave this meeting, please understand we are talking about a situation there is no money. The money is going is being siphoned off somewhere else. Over 50 60% of the money is going somewhere else. Coming here, arguing about what you're doing with 45% Am I right? 45% of the money that should be here is ludicrous. Think about it. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Finally, we have Kelfar Kelvante, please. >> Yeah, Allah. Hi, my name is Cather Sumaya Cavente. I'm up here again. Um I go to Creative Arts. I'm a senior at Creative Arts. Superintendent, you were at my school, I believe, I think last week. And you know, we were given incentives and everything
094was so happy. Haha. However, we were not informed about the things that are happening right under our feet. Which is why I feel lied to. I feel like we aren't I feel like our opinion doesn't matter cuz I've come up here many times to speak about what's going on in our district. However, it feels like I'm not being listened to. It feels like, "Okay, like you're a student. These things we can't control. Like these are the things that I've heard since my junior year, which last year we were we spoke to the superintendent last year to speak about the layoffs they had. And basically what she said was like, "We kept the critical conditions." So, what judgment do you have that these positions that are being laid off aren't as critical? Or what makes them
095not important? Or what makes like nurses? How do Why how do schools not have nurses? Or how are we not going to have nurses? That's mind-boggling. Anyway, with our recent or from last year our staff cutoffs, I feel my opinion is students weren't able to reach our full potential. With these cutoffs, these are the backbones of our schools. How will we meet bare minimum kind of? That's basically what I have to say. Also, we didn't have enough money last year to support the staff that we needed this year. How do we not have enough money this year to support the support the staff that is critical for the schools to stand for the schools to stand up. Where is this money going to? How How will we know that next year and the years after
096these positions are available, these positions are secure? Because me being transparent as a student, I do not feel secure in this current district. This Every year there's something new. Last year we got staff cut offs, this year we're getting staff cut offs. We were I felt threatened recently because we were told our schools were getting closed. It's something new every year for a student to stress about every single day. We can't focus because these things are happening to us. At least personally, I can't focus. Like I said before, I have a AP exam tomorrow morning and I'm here speaking about this because I'm so frustrated with our district. How are we completely sure that history will not come How are we How are we sure that history will not repeat itself? How are we How
097are How are we completely sure that your plan that you presented to us will actually work? I understand that certain positions Sure. They will be reassigned. However, certain positions will not. How do we know that these things will actually work to make sure that students are first, that these schools will stand up, and that public students will not keep transferring to Renaissance and charter schools, which more than half of our money is going to? Superintendent, how Having integrity even if it meant risking your own job. Do you care enough for the students to make sure that we feel secure in our district? That is my main concern because like I said before, as a student, I do not feel secure in my district. I feel, like I said before, over the years there's something new
098every single year. And I understand that Renaissance schools is due to our attendance. We're under state control which hasn't worked in other districts. Um Back to the integrity thing. How are you going to make sure that these schools will be funded for and how It's like I'm going in circles here, but it's because I'm frustrated. More than half of our money goes to Renaissance schools. What are you doing to protect our money? What are you doing to care? And it feels like I keep coming up here and it's It's That's all I have to >> [applause] >> That concludes our public comment section. I will now turn the meeting over to our board vice president. >> Does any board members have any any comments? I do actually want to acknowledge everyone that came out this
099evening to speak. Please know that your voices are are heard. Um and to every single teacher and staff member um from Camden City District. Um I just want to say thank you um for giving these students the best education in a safe environment. Um and to all our students, um I just want to say that um we're going to continue advocating for you and that you are our priority. Thank you. I will turn the meeting over now to our interim board secretary. >> Be it resolved that the Camden City Advisory Board of Education upon the recommendation of the state district superintendent of schools enter into a closed session to consider the following matters: personnel staffing actions for approximately 1 hour. Is there a motion to go into closed session? Second. >> Second. >> All in
100All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? The board will now go into closed session for approximately 1 hour. Uh okay. Um Returning from executive session, be it resolved that the Camden City Advisory Board of Education upon the recommendation of the state district superintendent of schools return from closed session to the public session. Is there a motion to reconvene? Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Um motion carries. Superintendent, um I present the following board agenda items to you for approval and personnel actions as listed in the board agenda as well as approval to adopt the 2027 budget as approved by the Department of Education but revised for taxes and miscellaneous revenue. And let's see. >> In accordance with Sorry. In accordance In accordance with powers
101vested in me as the state district superintendent according to NJSA 18A:78-35, I hereby approve the board agenda items. If nothing more, board secretary, please call for a motion to adjourn. >> Is there a motion to adjourn? Second? >> Second. >> All in favor? Any opposed? This meeting is adjourned at 8:30 p.m.