001Okay, we have uh uh adjourned from our executive session and the next item on the agenda is a pledge of allegiance. So, everyone will please stand. Uh before we continue, I'd like to uh request that we have a moment of silence for the to um because of the shootings that happened across the country or in uh at Brown University. So, thank you. All right, we have no special presentations for tonight. So, superintendent comments, Dr. Forte. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure. I thought I talked about this, but I may have skipped it by mistake. Our final QAC determination was highly performing, high performing, 80% or better on all of the indicators. And I just want to let you know that the Station Village apartments look like they're about to be occupied. And um
002not sure if everybody knew that's a 30-year pilot. So the one on Esling Village was a five-year pilot. This one, Station Village is a 30-year pilot. For those of you that don't know exactly what that means, pilot stands for payment in lie of taxes, which means that um to to um incentivize the builder to redevelop an area that was deemed an area of need need of redevelopment, the they get a tax credit, which what it does is it doesn't increase the value of the property to the school. So, let's just say that property is worth a million dollars before the the um the construction was done. We still get the tax based on that on that million. But any improvements that were done, we don't get any more. We don't get any increased tax dollars
003from that. We still get what we're getting. It just doesn't get spread around by those people that are living in that in the station village. So, again, it's a 30-year pilot starting now. Now, it looks like it's going to be occupied either the first of the year or even before the first year. And that's superintendent comments. >> Thank you, Dr. Forte. Assistant superintendent comments, please. >> Yes, our kindergarten numbers are holding at 169 and it's hard to believe, but one and a half months until we register for the 2627 kindergarten class, and it will be on February 3rd. The online pre-registration can be found on our website, denville.org. Uh, students in grades three through eight will be viewing screenagers growing up in the digital age. So, they will watch the student presentation that we have
004now shown twice to parents this year. And it will range from December to February. They don't all watch it at the same time. So, different grades at different times. It's 45 minutes long for grades 6 through 8 and 25 minutes long for 3 through 5. Uh the next parent showing is on January 28th and that will be Screenagers the next chapter addressing youth mental health in the digital age. That is at Valley View at 700 p.m. That's in person. And then I just wanted to send a thank you for all the charitable contributions. All three schools and the board office have been collecting toys, coats, food between our Thanksgiving collections and our holiday collections. It's really quite significant the amount of charity uh and just overwhelming uh goodwill from this town. They really do take
005care of their own and we appreciate all that they do. And I'm really impressed with how much our students jumped in, collected these things, but also participated in the sorting and the wrapping and all of those things, too. So, you also see tonight another example of of the great charity that Denville supports. So, thank you to all of those groups. This concludes assistant superintendent report. >> Thank you, Dr. Cullis. Uh, business administrator comments, please. Just one comment. Uh the audit approval will be on the agenda for tonight. Uh the audit was recently presented by the auditor chart uh during the November 17 board meeting. And if anybody would like a hard copy book of the audit, I have a few in my possession. Just let me know. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Karowski. Uh
006before we proceed with the open public uh session uh or section of the agenda uh I'd like to also include uh president comments as well. First of all I would like to wish um everyone in the school district all the administrators all the teachers all the staff all the drivers uh and everyone in the district uh happy and warm holidays and New Year's. Uh this is definitely a festive time. Um I missed the opportunity to congratulate the administration during the last meeting on the success of the vote of the second question. Uh Dr. Forte, I personally saw the all the uh time and effort you put into uh making sure that that would happen. So I want to congratulate you on your success and thank you for your commitment to the school district. Um, in
007terms of the spaces, the space consideration and the challenges that the district should be faced with over the next 5 or 10 years, I do want the public to know that that is not the only solution that the board has been discussing. Uh, we have been uh in uh many meetings to discuss what the next steps might be. So, if there were any questions from the public or the district, uh concerns about the second floor of the annex being uh not enough, uh please uh be patient because this is a long and arduous process uh that requires a lot of planning. Um I also want to congratulate the uh administration on the high performance rating on the QAC um uh results because uh I personally have been part of those meetings as well and it
008takes a lot of organization, a lot of moving parts because the state does require a lot of documentation. Every eye I and every T has to be dotted and crossed. So uh congratulations on the high performance on that. I also want to congratulate uh Miss Gowski on the successful audit. Uh this is uh now becoming almost uh wrote at this point like it's uh it's a common occurrence but uh we on the you know on behalf of the board we definitely appreciate all your hard work and everything that you are doing. So um thank you for all the time. So uh I'd also like to publicly announce that this will be my last year as president. Uh I've had to uh go through some difficult times over the past month, month and a half. Uh
009and I think that uh um it is time for me to step down uh and allow some some fresh blood into this seat so that uh the district continue to move forward. So I want to thank uh the board uh that you had the trust in me. Um you know, I was uh kind of nervous at first and I hope I did a good enough job. I want to thank personally the administration, the staff and the district as well. So, thank you for your support and uh uh I appreciate all the hard work as well. Uh I think finally um the the one last comment I'd like to make is um the importance of AI. I think that you know for future boards AI will be a common discussion and um I think the amount
010of productivity that I I can help on the board level the administrative level the staff level is something that I don't think we've talked about at length and maybe we can have that as a future goal for the boards and um you know but also the impact of AI with the students and the curriculum. So hopefully we can find ways, you know, to incorporate that uh for future curriculum because I do think that that will be the future. So um thank you for uh for giving me a few minutes to uh say those few words. So I'll go ahead and open it up at 7:38 for public questions or public comments. Seeing no one in the chambers and no one online, we'll go ahead and close public comments at 7:39 and old business action to
011be taken. I'll go ahead and start that off. Uh actually, no. Um Mrs. A. Dallas, can you walk us through uh actually no, I'll do it. Um I'd like to approve the resolution for the reports of November 2025th. I'm sorry, November 2025, the treasurer of school monies and the board secretary reports. uh B the education reports for November 2025 2025 which includes the report of student enrollment report of health office and the HIV VV03 2022 2026 and finally the minutes for the regular the work in regular session and executive session for November 17 2025. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Questions or comments? >> Roll call, please. >> Dr. Moore. >> Yes. Mr. Delos, >> yes. >> Mr. Cass, >> yes. >> Mr. Capello, >> uh, yes on A and B, abstain on C. >>
012Mr. Kim, >> uh, before I cast my vote, if I abstained on C, then we will not be, uh, passing resolution C then, correct? Because we don't have a quorum. Or is this a minor thing that uh can be overlooked? question on point of order. Demaris says, "If they read the minutes and have reviewed them, are they able to vote on it?" >> I'm thinking about this because we have a quorum and it's the majority of the quorum. >> We're okay. >> So, we all we are okay. I thought I just thought we had to have uh four votes to make a full quorum. >> It's the majority of the quorum. >> Okay, great. Okay, so then uh yes on A and B and abstaining from C. >> Thank you. Uh new business action to
013be taken. Uh Mr. Capella, can you u take us through personnel, please? >> Uh I would be happy to. If there are no objections, um, under personnel, I would like to move items one, which are new hires, resignations, retirements, employee leaves, extra pay, salary, and adjustments. Uh, item number two is a revised substitute list for the 2526 school year. Number three is the updated master staff list for the 2526 school year. Uh, four and five are leave um leave of absences. Uh number six is we are rescending a uh policy from or rather I'm sorry a personnel item from 111725. Uh number seven is another leave of absence. Number eight is we're approving revisions to the job description for bus driver and bus aid. Number nine is an unpaid uh leave of absence. Number 10
014is the uh approval of the job description for the CDLex exempt school vehicle driver. Number 11 and 12 are also leave absences. And uh I bring your attention to uh item number one on the addendum uh h uh for uh Morgan Abrams instructional aid uh resignation which will be effective 1223 2025. >> I'll second. Thank you. Questions or comments? Uh I'm really happy to see number 10, the job description for CDL uh school vehicle driver. Hopefully uh we'll have more uh eligible drivers with this. So >> all right, if there are no further questions or comments, roll call, please. >> Dr. Moore, >> yes. >> Miss Delos, >> yes. >> Mr. Cass, >> yes. >> Mr. Capello, >> yes. >> Mr. Kim, >> yes. Dr. Moore, can you walk us through IMP, please? >> Uh,
015sure. I'd like to move the following uh resolutions under instruction and program uh for approval under item number one uh workshops and expenses uh a series of uh workshops under A, B, C, and D and trainings. Under number two is an attached list of field trips. Item number three is to approve student interns for 2526. Item number four is to approve the following Morris Null students in the cadet teacher program. And item number five is uh to approve the following title three consortium purchases A, B, and C. And then uh item number six is to approve Phoebe Gallion from New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program to present getting to know our local waterways to Riverview, Lake View, and Valley View for the student green teams on January 9th. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Questions or
016comments? >> Yeah, I had a comment. I recognize some familiar names on here. there were one-time students coming through our school system. I think it's really great that they're aspiring to be teachers at some point uh based on they're going to come and do to participate in assisting their maybe their former teachers in some cases here. But that's really great to see some former students continuing on into the education industry. >> I agree, Mr. Cass. Thank you. Okay. Roll call, please. >> Dr. Moore, >> yes. >> Miss Delis, >> yes. >> Mr. Cass, >> yes. >> Mr. Capello, >> yes. >> Mr. Kim, >> yes. Under C, governance, there is nothing on the agenda, so we'll skip over to D. Finance. Mr. Anderson isn't here. So, Miss Adelis, can you please u go through that
017section? >> Sure. If there are no objections, I move to approve the following resolutions under finance. Uh number one, the board approve the enclosed checklist of the following amounts to the milk fund, the current expense, the elementary enrichment and general organization checks. Uh two, that the board approve the 2024 2025 annual comprehensive financial accepting the audit report, which has no audit recommendations. Uh, three, be resolved that the Denver Board of Education retroactively approve the attached quote for uh, outdated classroom smartboards in the amount of $60,000 588 uh, paid from maintenance reserves. Four, that the Denver Township of Education retroactively approved the attached quote from the Triplex Industries for the decommissioning of the property at 46 Nicole Drive. Five, that the board approve to dispose the following obsolete office equipment. Uh, a copy machine uh asset
018tag 271 and serial 7850. This is the same thing as it's one thing or three things. Well, we'll see. Okay. the that six the the board of education approved the attached revised agreement amount uh with the uncommon thread to provide a trained behavior technician for student support at Lake View at the cost not to exceed $57,460. Uh that the that we approve the Dr. L. Haynes and Associates to provide occupational therapy. Uh eight that the Denver education accept the waiver for the sanitation certificate for 2025 2026. uh in the amount of $200 from the township of Dville regarding the National School Lunch Program. Nine, that the Dville Board of Education renew the contract with Delta Dental of New Jersey effective January 1, 2026, the renewal term from July 1st to July 30th of 2027 with
019no increase for a period of 18 months. Uh 10, that the devil board of education approved the contract with place at the table production communications consultant Susan Marinelloo for an additional 28.5 hours for the 2025 2026 school year. And if I can direct you to your addendum number 11 to uh approve the following resolution for healthc care carrier change resolution number one uh that we cancel the EBHB health insurance uh effective February 28th, 2026. Um, and resolution number three to a motion to approve and accept the 16-month proposal for health benefits from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield effective March 1st, 2027 through June 30th, 202 uh 2028. Correct. 2027. Yes. Okay. So, effective March 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027. >> I'll check. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments? Yep. So, if the board
020members can just make a note that that uh was a typo. It was not 2025, but 2026 on resolution uh number three of uh or sub uh sub resolution number three. >> If there are no questions or comments, roll call, please. >> Dr. Moore, >> yes. Miss Delos, >> yes. >> Mr. Cass, >> yes. >> Mr. Capello, >> yes. >> Mr. Kim, >> yes. Under operations, Mr. Cass, can you please walk us through this, please? Be glad to. Item number one, transportation. I'm asking the board to retroactively approve to rent a min bus from Brockway Township at the rate of $110 per day for the school year 2025 2026 as needed. Item two, under building and grounds, massing the board under 2.1 to approve the Morris Hills Regional District to borrow the Valley Wrestling Mat
021for their holiday tournament from December 19th through the 22nd, 2025. And 2.2 two asking the board to approve the attached quote from Magic Touch Construction Company incorporated ESC cooperative number 289 MOESC contracts 24-56 electrical services regarding the Lake View School electrical conduit reconfiguration for masonry repair at closet area parent wall crack in the amount of $5,74560 utilizing the maintenance reserve plan. >> I'll second. Thank you. Questions or comments? >> Roll call, please. >> Dr. Moore, >> yes. >> Mr. Delos, >> yes. >> Mr. Cass, >> yes. >> Mr. Capello, >> yes. >> Mr. Kim, >> yes. Okay. The next section is the good of the cause committee reports correspondence discussion items such as board meeting highlights. um the schedule for board members at school public events and any other classroom consideration discussion items. >> Yeah,
022I'll bring up one thing too. Uh following what you're you mentioned about not serving as a president anymore, but um I appreciate some of the the newer things that you introduced and president. some things we've talked about uh we talk the talk but sometimes you don't get around to walking the walk for a lot of different reasons but uh invigorating creating governance as something that we actually discuss I think is very very important uh because that really you know setting policy and and uh and also making sure we follow our existing policy is very very important so we uh we put some light on that and uh I think it's something that's going to be become part of our culture and we will continue uh to do that. And then over the years I've seen
023um a lot of board members with different backgrounds, different career paths, etc. And it's all enriched um how we how we operate. But uh this guy here is an Excel master. I I don't know if they give the belts like they do in martial arts, but um many a time our our our budgets and our um negotiations which can be very laborious and uh detailed and everything. we have somebody that uh can work the uh the PC the computer as rapidly and accurately as uh James can. It really expedited the process of doing those mathematical duties that that we have. Um it speeds it up. It helps out with the accuracy but also the comparisons. The various options unfold very very quickly compared to as the past. So uh thank you for bringing that to
024the table. I'm sure um the the finance committee could probably use your your skills in that. Well, probably we'll see. It's a long ways off. >> Thank you, Mr. Cass. I really appreciate those kind words. I I strongly I've always believed that I was just one cog in a wheel. So, um I think um I think you said it best. This this board is a collection of a number of talented people and we all bring something to the table. So, uh thank you. Um, thank you, Mr. Cass. >> Uh, actually, you go ahead. I got you. >> Um, I want to say, uh, thank you to the town, uh, for a wonderful holiday parade and congratulations to Superintendent Forte for being the grand marshall. I got a kick out of that. I really I saw
025him in the car just driving, waving. It was It was great. Um, I want to say thank you for the the holiday parade in general. there was no one in the crowds because every kid was in the parade. Um so you know the the town like you said Sandy is just it's the generosity is there and and the giving nature of this town. So um thank you very much. Happy holidays to everyone. James, Mr. President, um thank you so much for your service over these past couple years. I know it's not an easy job. Um, but you have done it incredibly well with dignity and grace and I greatly appreciate your your guidance and your example over the past couple of years. So, thank you for your service. >> Thank you, Miss Jose. >> Okay,
026I think I'm ready now. Um, so yeah, first of off, I do I want to wish everyone in the town uh happy holidays and happy new year. Um, hopefully it'll be uh good and uh next year will be uh even a better year for for everyone. Um, I want to actually thank James and Cliff. Um, both of you, you know, as leaders, um, I think every everybody approaches the job differently. Um, I think you both took an incredibly collaborative approach. You seem to work well very well together and of course you worked well with all the board members. Um, I think you brought some really new ideas and some things that, uh, in my years on the board, we hadn't necessarily focused on. So, it's it's always exciting to see that, to see the changes
027and to see the new ideas and and new things come up. So, I I want to thank you both. I I know firsthand the job's not easy. Uh you kind of sign up for whatever comes, you know, and and you never know what that's going to be. So again, I appreciate your service and thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Cabillo. And please don't scare uh Dr. Dr. Moore off. Okay. So, >> I guess I'll I'll also say that, you know, James already knows or that uh I'd prefer him to continue on as president because I think he's done an amazing job. Um uh and uh yeah, I mean I've already said that to you on a number of occasions. So I I just publicly want to thank you for uh um all you've done and
028your level-headedness and your passion for the uh the projects that you took on and um I guess I'll wish everyone a happy holidays as well and the town as well of Whoville. >> Thank you, Dr. Mark. So I have highlights if you guys are ready. Um, I have the board approved the 2425 financial audit. The board approved voted to utilize maintenance reserve funds to replace several smartboards with new smart panels. And the board voted to change employee health insurance carriers from New Jersey State Health Benefits Program to the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield as of March 1, 2026. >> Sounds great, Dr. Ford. Thank you. Okay. Uh we'll go ahead and close good to the cause and we'll open up uh the next public comments section which which I'll open at 7:56 p.m. Seeing no
029one online and no one in person, we'll go ahead and close it at 7:56 p.m. Uh since there is no need for another executive session, can I have a motion to adjurnn? Second. >> Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Cass. Thank you, uh, Mr. Capello. Oh, I said Dr. Cass. Mr. Cass. All in favor? >> I All any nays? Absentions? We are now adjourned at 7:56 p.m. Happy holidays, everyone.