April 24, 2025 Board Meeting

001Thank. All right. Good evening everyone. We're about to begin. Um, please stand stand for the flag salute. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please stand for a moment of silence. You may be seated. In accordance with the open public meeting act, adequate notification of this meeting has been provided by advertising in the record and posting notice to the board of education administration building and filing notice with the city clerk. I hereby call to order the regular public meeting on Thursday, April 24th, 2025 in the Hackinack High School Media Center at 6 6:16 6:16 p.m. Miss Sing, can you do a roll call, please? Thank you. Um, Miss Al Balutra, present. Miss

002Amir Hamsa is not here as yet, right? No. Okay. Uh, Mr. Carol is not here. Miss Kurt Alton here. Miss Gilmore here. Mr. Martin here. Miss Pringle present. Miss Harris present. Mr. Stein present. We have a quorum. Excellent. All right. Uh, so for this evening, we don't have a student presentation or report. Um, but we do have presentations for the Governor's Educator of the Year Award and the Educational Service Professionals of the Year Award. So, I would leave it up to Dr. McBride. Good evening again, everyone. It is an absolute honor to stand as the proud superintendent of Hackinack public schools and recognize the exceptional educators receiving the governor's educator of the year award. Give them a hand already. Today we celebrate not only your skill and dedication but the spirit with which you serve

003our children each and every day. You are the ones who see the potential even before it's spoken. who like the path when others see obstacles. In classrooms filled with questions, you offer patience. In moments of struggle, you offer hope. And in every lesson, every conversation, every small gesture, you shape the future. This award is more than a recognition of excellence. Is a reflection of the hearts you've touched, the minds you've opened, and the lives you forever changed. So let us remember that your work is not measured in only in test scores or lesson plans but in the courage you instill, the dreams you ignite, and the love you give unconditionally. Since April is poetry month, I would like to leave you with a short poem in your honor. The builder. They may not see your

004hands at work or how you shape with quiet grace, but every mind you gently stirred becomes a better and brighter place. You build with wisdom brick by brick. You plant with hope and water truth. And what you grow within a child becomes the souls of fearless youth. So congratulations once again. You are not only educators, you are architects of possibility. And so we're going to begin our evening with Nelly K. Parker and we'll have principal interim principal Dr. Galliano recognize first. Miss Jane Kim for the teacher of the year and Denise Valet Lucero for educational service professional of the year. Good evening everyone. Um, thank you for having us here today. Thank you to the board, families, colleagues, and most especially for our honored teachers. Today, it is my great pleasure to introduce this year's

005Governor Educator of the Year for Nelly K. Parker. Mrs. Jane Kim. Come stand next to me, Miss Kim, so I can see you. Mrs. Kim is truly a dedicated educator whose love and commitment to her students have shown brightly throughout her luscious career here in the Hackinack Public Schools. Mrs. Kim consistently goes above and beyond to create a nurturing and inspiring environment where young learners feel safe, valued, and excited to explore the world around them and to learn to their fullest potential. Her passion for teaching and her genuine care for each child's growth make her incredibly deserving of this well-earned honor. As we all know, kindergarten teachers play a critical role in laying the foundation for a child's educational journey as well as their love of learning. Every day as I walk into Miss Kim's

006class to give them a little love, I bear witness to her students beaming faces and large smiles as they hone their phmic awareness skills, practice isolating sounds, segment difficult words, and learn about those dreaded consonant diagraphs. In addition to this, Mrs. Kim students also learn to excel as friends as she develops their social and life skills such as sharing, caring, cooperation, and empathy. At this time, I'd like to read the nomination that was submitted by a parent of a child in Miss Kim's class, which ultimately solidified this honor for Mrs. King. So, this is from a parent who uh submitted. I am thrilled to nominate Mrs. Jane Kim for the governor's educator of the year award as an exceptionally skilled and dedicated educator at Nelly K. Parker School. After a challenging start to his two

0072024 school year, my son was found in Mrs. Kim's classroom not only a place of learning, but a community where he feels celebrated and valued. Mrs. Kim's dedication to each of her students has renewed my son's joy for school, and she has gone above and beyond already to help him feel safe, supported, and understood. Despite his challenges in connecting with other children, Mrs. Kim's nurturing and inclusive approach has allowed him to thrive and to come home eager to share details about his day. Mrs. Kim's influence extends beyond the classroom. As a former student of hers and later as her student teacher in 2014, I witnessed firsthand her inspiring ability to foster a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. Not only does she demonstrate leadership and innovation in her teaching, but she

008also shares her expertise through her successful teacher pay teacher store filled with resources that benefit countless educators. Miss Kim is deeply respected by students, parents, and administrators and her colleagues as well. Her impact is evident both within Nelly K. Parker School and throughout the community where she tutors and supports family across all over Bergen County. It is a privilege to see her inspire my son just as she inspired me years ago. This is good. And that was submitted by Jessica Cruz, who's also a teacher at the middle school, but her son, and I did get permission to to read this, her son, who's in Mrs. Kim's class. So, congratulations, Mrs. Kim. And Mrs. Sette will um come up to honor Mrs. Vay. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Galliano. We are so pleased to honor Mrs.

009Denise Valier Lacero for the governor education of the year program educational service professionals for 2024. Miss Balier consistently demonstrates a level of dedication and skill that sets her apart. Over the past two years, I have been able to observe her excel in our ABA classroom where she has shown great ability and supporting students with various developmental needs. Miss Valier consistently seeks out opportunities to enhance her skills and knowledge, always with the goal of better serving those around her. In the classroom, Miss Valia's patience and gentle demeanor are truly remarkable. She naturally redirects students in a positive positive manner, always maintaining a calm and supportive presence. I'm just going to share one of her nominations that was special to us because it was by a fellow colleague. I am pleased to nominate Denise Valero. As a

010dedicated par educator in the special education ABA classroom, she is exceptionally skilled at inspiring students of all abilities to learn and thrive. Miss Valia Lacero demonstrates remarkable leadership and innovation in her teaching practices, creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. She's highly respected by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators. and her active involvement in both the school and the local community highlights her commitment to making a positive impact. Mrs. Vier, your Nelly K. Parker family would like to thank you for your service to students and dedication to their success. Again, congratulations on receiving the governor's education of the year program for educational services. Thank you so much. Next, we will have Principal Montasano to acknowledge Miss Lisa McVicker for the high school Hackinac High School's teacher of the year. Good evening and congratulations to

011all of the winners tonight. Um, at the high school, we were very fortunate because we had such a large number of nominees this year. Uh, and it was probably the closest year in my 15 years as principal um of a winner, but it was great because most of our nominations actually came from our students. Uh, which I think is phenomenal because that's where they have their direct impact every day. And I would just like to read a little excerpt from um our students nomination. Mrs. McVicker is undoubtedly one of the most beloved teachers at Hackinack High School. As many of her current and past students can attest to, she works every day to make sure her students are provided with the materials they need to succeed in her classes and continues to work after hours

012to ensure that the extracurricular activities that operate under her watch are cared for as well. For these reasons, I believe that she is more than deserving of the title of Hackinac High School's educator of the year. Anyone who has taken any of her classes can tell that she is unafraid to voice her thoughts and criticisms when necessary, picking apart her students performances until they fulfill the potential she knows lies within them all, which I think is phenomenal. It may be sometimes frustrating, but her tried and trueue methods have consistently produced favorable results since her return as Hackath High School's marching band director. And I'm going to take a little pause. We had was that four years ago? Where are you? right here. Four years about three, four years ago, uh, she retired from being the

013marching band director. I was standing at halftime of one of our football games and I think there was 12 kids in our marching band. Um, I said to myself, "No way. We have a school of 1900. I need someone back." And uh, I begged and cried and held on to her leg and eventually she said yes. So it worked out. Uh, but now I mean our marching band really is phenomenal. There's about 75 students in it. We had a concert the other night, Tuesday night. Uh, and our stage is pretty large and it is actually with our construction, it's actually larger than there ever was and it was still barely enough room for all the students that you know are underneath her oices. So, it really is phenomenal. To just conclude, learning and performing under

014her instruction has helped me grow as both a musician and a person. Beyond that, she has provided countless opportunities for her students, including myself, to really spread our wings. From invit invitations to perform around the school to town hosted performances to even having the opportunity to play at Rockefeller Center. She comes in seemingly every day with a new opportunity for her students to get out there and experience the world through music. Her efforts help each other each one of her students individually, yes, but they also help bring them together, united by the share of love for the craft that she has fostered within us. I was going to write something. There is no way I could write as well as this student did. So, I just said, "Let's go with what they wrote because honestly,

015it was phenomenal." Miss McVicker, congratulations on being there. Next, we will hear from Hackinack Middle School as they uh recognize Miss Joanna Beck for teacher of the year and Miss Kiana Rodriguez for the educational service professional. of the year. Good evening. Uh my name is Daniel Sass. I'm the principal of the 78 Academy at Hackin Sack Middle School. Uh, thank you to the board for creating the space tonight to honor so many incredible educators. We can do a round of applause for that. That's a big deal. I have the honor tonight of recognizing Miss Joanna Beck. Um, and and yeah, come on up. Okay. Um, what what stands out most uh and I've only known Miss Beck for a year. I'm still new to Hackinack and and uh seeing her in action is is magical.

016Um what what stands out most to me is the way in which Miss Beck's classes and performances capture the the essence of Hackinack. Um at her winter concert in January, uh there was a student soloist from Ecuador and another student soloist from right here in Hackinack. They sang in English, they sang in Spanish, they sang in Zulu. Um, they tackled a Puerto Rican-American singer songwriter, Lin Manuel Miranda. Um, and then they tackled France Gruber, an Austrian composer from a couple hundred years earlier. And then they pivoted yet again and sang a South African hymn called Sia Hamba, which literally translates to we are marching. And it was such a poetic moment because the crowd was quite literally marching. They were marching together. They were side by side. Um in a political climate where uh divisive

017rhetoric feels like it is everywhere. Uh, Miss Beck put together an event that brought a community uh together, students, teachers, families, uh, from such a diverse cross-section of ages and races and language and ethnicities and nationalities. Uh, they came together for a night. Um, the comic community was was one, singing and laughing and dancing. Um, the joy was was palpable in the room. Um, and it was it was truly magical. Um, Miss Beck is one of the the hardest working, most driven people that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. And she has shown shown me and shown Hackin Sack what what unity looks like uh in the classroom and in her performances. Um, she breathes and lives the school values of pride, passion, and purpose in in everything she does. And I

018can think of nobody more deserving than Miss Joanna Beck uh to be recognized tonight for the Governor's Educator of the Year award at Hackin Sack Middle School. We still have Good evening, Hackinack. Good evening. You know, there's a beautiful play out by the title of Wicked. And one of my favorite songs in Wicked is because I knew you. You know those words? Well, some of the lyrics are, I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn, and we are led to those who we who help us most to grow if we let them, and we help them in return. Well, I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I am the better today because I knew you. And when I think about Miss

019Kiana Rodriguez and the role that she plays at Hackinack Middle School, we are the better because we know her. She is a light at our school. She is one of the bees in our social media beehive. If you enjoy any of our reals, if you enjoy the posts, it is her creative genius that allows that to happen. And so what I've learned as an instructional leader is that there's always something to be learned from someone else. And that no one at our school is too little to teach, too little to give, too little to contribute because everybody makes Hackinac Middle School, Hackinack public schools the place that it needs to be. And so Kiana has to be doing all kinds of crazy things. I'm singing, I'm dancing, I'm twirling in the hallways. She's like, "That's

020what idea. Okay. Would you be willing to do this? Okay. And it's very hard to tell her no because of her spirit. And so, uh, one of the teachers, Miss Calman, had these words to say about her. She is a par professional who works with our special needs children. However, her positive influence on the entire school is felt by all. She goes on to say that she is personally motivated to make our school better by organizing assemblies with the goal of inspiring our students. On spirit days, Miss Rodriguez never lacks enthusiasm. She personally participates but joyfully organizes and softly bullies others and colleagues to join in. And then the teacher that she works with, uh, Jessica Cruz, said she consistently shows up to help our most vulnerable students. She does not wait to be invited

021for a seat at the table, but she takes her seat where she belongs with grace and conviction. And for these reasons, I find her worthy of this acknowledgement. So, Miss Rodriguez, you are an absolute positive force at Hackinack Middle School. You are an example of pride, passion, and purpose in everything you do. And it is our hope that you continue to thrive, continue to shine, and bloom where you have been planted because you are a gift. Congratulations on being the education. I got so excited I knocked your glasses off. Sorry. And next we will hear from principal Guang who acknowledges Miss Shauna Hall short Shauna Hill Short Ridge for Fairmont School as a teacher of the year and Mr. Robert Inone, my Ayana Cole, my apologies. I know he's going to do that. All right.

022Um, good evening uh, members of the board of education, colleagues, families, and honored guests. Um, about almost three years ago, I was gifted a teacher whom I knew nothing about. Unbeknownst to me, I was getting one of the best teachers I've ever had the opportunity to be around. Uh it is with great honor to stand before you this evening to recognize an amazing pillar woman and educator in the Hackinack school community. Someone who embodies all the best attributes that defines a highly effective educator. Please join me in welcoming the one and only Mrs. Shauna Hill Short. Tonight we are here to celebrate a true educational luminary, Mrs. Shortridge, Fair Mount School's 2024 2025 Governor's Educator of the Year. To enter a room to enter room success, as her students and she calls it, it is

023to enter a space where high expectations are matched with even higher levels of care. creativity and commitment. Mr. Shoridge has spent over 20 years cultivating not just academic excellence, but confidence, resilience, and pride in every child who walks through her door. She embodies the very essence of servant leadership. Whether she is mentoring new teachers, leading professional development, or guiding students through meaningful realworld lessons, she always leads with her heart and an unwavering moral compass. Her integrity and professionalism set the tone not only for her classroom, but for our entire district. Mr. Shortri stands as a modern-day standardbearer in the proud lineage of African-American educators like Fanny Cop and Jackson, Mary McCloud Bthoon, Charlotte Foron Grimkey, and Nelly K. Parker and Linian Whitaker. Like them, she understands that teaching is not just a profession, it's a

024calling. Her work goes beyond the classroom. She is a curriculum writer, an equity champion, a DAT committee member, a new teacher orientation facilitator, and a leader of our Black History and Herit and Hispanic Heritage Month programs. She leaves with both intellect and empathy, always going above and beyond to serve our students, our staff, and our greater Hackinack community. I'm I'm I'm trying to be strong right now. It's so hard to to be concise when you have the blessing to brag about two goats, two champions, um, exemplars in this work. Collegial, dependable, and deeply respected. She is a mentor, a mother, a wife, a sister, and a fierce advocate for equity and excellence. Through all her many roles, she has remained constant, always focused on ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed. Mr. Shoridge,

025you are not only a cornerstone of Fairmont School and Hackinac public schools, but a shining example of what it means to educate, uplift, and lead with grace. Congratulations on this welldeserved honor. This is her second time winning this and almost wins it every year. Thankfully for being a blessing, always raising the bar and always being dependable. It has been an honor working alongside you. Congratulations as Fairmont Schools 24 2024 2025 Governor's Educator of the Year. Right. So again, we have another dynamic individual um that I'm so honored to speak of, another champion um and a goat in this work that we do. It is with great honor to stand before you again to recognize a truly remarkable individual. Someone whose dedication, heart, and unwavering commitment has made a lasting impact on our school community. Please

026join me in celebrating the one and only Mr. Robert Ayana, the gentle giant at Fairmouth School, our educational services professional of the year. Just had the pleasure of meeting his mom and hearing the history and now I know that this man has come from a good stock. Mr. Ayon is not only a cornerstone of our school, but a lifelong member of the Hackinack family. Born and raised right here in Hackinack. He is a proud graduate of of Nelly K. Parker, Hackin Sack Middle School, and Hackin Sack High School class of 2001. Forgive me from your age. His roots run deep and his love for this community shines through in everything he does. With 19 years of experience as a par profofessional in Hackinack public schools, including 18 incredible years at Fair Mount School, Mr. Ayon

027has consistently gone above and beyond to support our students, staff, and families. His calm presence, patience, and genuine care create a positive environment that helps every child feel seen, supported, and safe. Beyond our school walls, Mr. continues to give back. He has dedicated 26 years to the Hackinack recreational department and serves as a supervisor for the YMCA afterare program at Fairmont School. Whether it is helping a student through a tough day or organizing a community event or being an amazing onetoone power professional for all of our students. Even though he has one responsibility, he's always working with a group. Mr. Conn is always there showing up with kindness, reliability, and an infectious sense of pride in his hometown. Mr. Ayon, your dedication inspires us all. You embody what it means to be a true educator,

028role model, and a community leader. Thanks for everything you do, for your years of service, your unwavering heart, and the countless lives you've touched along the way. Congratulations on this welldeserved honor. We are so proud to call you one of our own. Congratulations, Mr. Edward. Thank you. And next we'll hear from Dr. Sodto who'll be presenting the teacher year of and the education professional services of the year. I can't speak at the moment of the four pillars. Come join us. Good evening everyone. Good evening board trustees, colleagues, family, friends, and my new little friend Nora. Hey Nora. We've said hello about 1500 times tonight, so she had to make my speech. I am Dr. stood a humble and inspired principal and I am here to um congratulate and celebrate our two award recipients for the

029governor educator of the year award. I'm here on behalf of my assistant principal, Mrs. Madden, who is currently at Hillers. We have a STEM night. So, she's there supporting our students and family and my entire Hiller school staff to honor these two amazing educators. Miss Castellnik, can you wrap up please? So, it is my absolute pleasure to recognize this year's Governor's Educator of the Year award recipient, Miss Castelnik. Clap. Nora, you are one of our amazing kindergarten teachers at Hillards. Miss Castelnik, Miss Castelnik's commit. Hey, Nora. Hold on. This is just not working for me. I'm sorry. Hi. That's okay. That's okay. I may break out in song. I've been waiting. I've been waiting all my life for this. I think it is. Can everybody hear me? Okay. So, and please forgive me. I typically

030like to speak to the recipients, so I'm not ignoring anyone else, but this is your moment, so I'm speaking directly to you. Miss Castelnik, your commitment to providing instruction in a variety of ways ensures that each of our precious stars shines brightly. Your creativity, dedication, and ability to meet students where they are is truly admired. But what truly highlights your passion is your love, affection, and your unwavering advocacy that you show for every one of your students. Your heart is in everything that you do and it makes me incredibly proud to call you a part of our school team. Congratulations, Miss Castelnik. You are so deserving of this honor. We're going to hand flowers that I was hiding. I said, "Don't look at the flowers. It's a surprise. Those flowers have been through it. So

031this everyone is Miss Khan and today I have the honor of recognizing someone truly exceptional, our education support professional of the year, Miss Khan. She is our dedicated behaviorist at Hiller School. Miss Khan selflessly, you selflessly volunteer your time to train teachers and everyone should know that. P.S. Miss Khan is very shy, so this is probably very difficult for her. She loves this. Not. You train our teachers, equipping them with the tools they need to support our students with care and confidence. Your commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child is truly inspiring. Despite holding one of the most challenging roles in our school, Miss Khan, you approach each day with a smile and a level of positivity that lifts everyone around you. You work tirelessly to help students regulate their emotions during

032very difficult moments. Always offering patience, support, and compassion. You have volunteered a lot of your personal time to train teachers over and over again. And I want everyone to know that. Thank you, Miss Khan, for your unwavering dedication and your incredible and the incredible difference that you make in our school community. You deserve this award and we are so proud to have you. Did you all see how she came in for the hug? She wanted me to stop. So, but on behalf of our entire Halo School community, I want to take a moment to congratulate all the award recipients. You are superstars and we are honored to be here with all of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And next we'll hear from Principal Moran from Jackson Avenue Elementary. All right. Good evening everybody.

033My name is Chris Moran. I am the proud proud principal of Jackson Avenue School. I want to congratulate everybody here. Yeah, I Well, the problem was I don't want to call out what the problem was over here. We're good. I think it was obvious. I want to thank all the board members uh the pre the president, vice president, and all the trustees. Thank you for outstanding evening. Of course, Dr. McBride um for your leadership and to all the families. You too made the sacrifice with the dedication and service that is put into being a high highly effective and a quality loving and caring educator. You know what it looks like. You know the dedication. They come home late and they're talking about the kids and then they're talking about what they're going to do tomorrow

034and then they say, "Oh, I got to go to bed." So you I know the commitment and it's just I'm proud of every one of them and I think you all should give yourselves a round of applause. So I did promise my superintendent to honor the time frame here because I don't want to get longwinded up in here. So but I want to just say this. our uh teacher of the year and our par educator of the year have worked together for 13 years and it's amazing on the year when uh Miss Rios decided to pursue a different venue after 30 plus years of in education. She felt it was time to spread her wings and take on a different role in our school. So this dynamic duo who've been through everything and I love

035them and now I'm going to get lose it because everybody knows me. I can get a little mushy. So So my point is this. It's rare that you get this kind of combination for that long. You know, this is like one of those Super Bowl runs. And I prom Andrea, I won't go crazy with my sports analogies, okay? I promise. But it's a run. It's like, and I hate to say it. It's like the the New England Patriots or Tom Brady run. So, I want to congratulate them for their ability to work together. And lastly, I'll say this as the group. When I have the kids come from the high school for future teachers of America and they're dealing with the prek, it's not something generally they're looking to do as educators. That's the first

036stop on the on the list because I said everything you need to know, you're going to learn in their classroom. You're going to find in their classroom architects, horiculturists, future chefs, engineers, lawyers, because they argue with me. Let me tell you, they're going to tell and they they embody this and they build them up and they build structures. That's part of their engineering. They literally build structures. They have planted potatoes. They go out into the great lawn, as we call it, and they collect leaves and they circle them and color them in. It's amazing. So, I just had to honor them together because that's how I always say them together. Now, I'll go one by one, Miss Rios. Okay. So, it's kind of interesting that um Dr. McBride's speech when I heard him talking about

037building. It kind of falls in line with a little bit of what I have written down here. Tonight, we honor an extraordinary educator who has laid the very first building blocks of learning for countless children. As a pre kindergarten teacher, Miss Rios has sparked curiosity, nurtured kindness, and shaped the very foundations of lifelong love of learning. With end endless patience and creativity, she has transformed her classroom into a place where every child feels safe, seen, and supported. And with that, I'll add she has the greenest of thumbs in Hackinack. If you ever come to H uh Jackson Avenue, I call it the great lawn. And with her vision, we are expanding our garden every year. And she said, "Mr. ran. This will be our lasting legacy where children of years will come to what will

038be grown into a real nurturing environment. So I want to congratulate you and thank you Miss Rios Miss Robbitai. This is somebody who works tirelessly behind the scenes. doesn't look for the glory, but will bring the children into the office, the little post office people to pick up the mail because they teach him how to do that job. There's no job that they don't teach him, right? Although I don't know if they want my job on Sunday, but Miss Robbitai is always there supporting Miss Rios. What do you need? Anything you need, I'll do it. For the children, I'll do it. I'll bring them to to wherever we need to go. If they need to go to the nurse, I'll take them. Don't you worry. and I I'll I'll make sure they're okay. The love

039that she exudes for her children is visible every single day. Every single day. So, this is a beautiful moment to recognize Miss Robbitai as Jackson Avenue's prek power educator of the year. Receiving the support staff Governor Educator Year award is a big deal. It highlights the heart and hard work she pours into early childhood education very often behind the scenes. Not tonight. It's your night. It's all right. And last but not least, we have Mrs. Donna Petron Wall, who will be announcing the award recipients for ECDC. Thank you. Um, I feel like I'm a little shorter maybe than Mr. [Music] Moran. Am I good? Okay, thank you. Um, my name is Donna Petra Mal. I'm the building administrator for ECDC. And I do want to say thank you for everyone um, honoring the governor educator

040of the year award winners. Um, specifically at ECDC, we have a lot of amazing teachers, but tonight we're taking the time to acknowledge Miss Bianel Mena. She actually started off as a PAR educator and is currently a teacher at ECDC. Um, she is an exceptional member of the preschool staff. She consistently demonstrates professionalism, competence, and a deep commitment to her students. Her passion for education is evident in her thoughtful lesson planning, engaging in the classroom environment, and her meaningful connections with each student. Uh, Miss Mena is an ABA teacher at ECDC and there are some students who have many varying and different needs and she meets all their needs and spends probably half of her paycheck on buying materials for students to meet every need that they have. Um, she also shares with her colleagues

041uh those materials. She is collaborative, she is supportive, um, she particularly works well with all of her PAR educators. Um in addition to that she implements individual education plans. She invests her time and of course her money in innovative strategies, resources to enhance the academic and more importantly social emotional learning in her classroom. What sets apart Miss Mana is her genuine care and dedication. Anyone knows her knows that her heart is extremely um large and she is kind to everyone. She approaches each child with empathy, patience, and intentionality, creating a nurturing space where students feel valued and supported. She also does the same with their families. Miss Mena's impact on our school community is profound, and her commitment to excellence continues to inspire both students, peers, and myself. Thank you and congratulations. So, um, the

042other person who is our school social worker at ECDC, unfortunately, she was not able to make it tonight. She is Miss Cindy Florencio. I'm going to say a only two little paragraphs about her. Uh, Miss Florencio has a unique ability to deeply connect with children, offering them a safe space to express themselves. Most of our students call her Miss Cindy. She is a trusted presence in the classroom, whether through play, um, calm companionship, or emotional support during moments of crisis. She is a steady and compassionate guide for our students. She fosters strong relationships with families, and her approachable, warm demeanor and dedication have earned her the respected honor of both the staff and families alike. Thank you. And that concludes our awards portion of our evening. Again, congratulations to all our recipients. Amazing job. Thank

043you all for what you do every single day. Thank you. Okay. Um, so before everyone leaves, I just want to thank all the family that came out tonight. Thank you for your support, everyone who received an award. I'm sure um the rest of um the board members will have something to say at the end and unfortunately you guys won't be here but um congratulations. Uh it's it is a huge honor and I am honored to be in your presence. All the amazing things that all of your leaders have said about you. Um I've seen it. I know most of you. I've had the pleasure of having my children um um be in your company and I you guys are truly truly amazing amazing people. Congratulations once again. Um, be it resolved that the Hackasack Board

044of Education determines it necessary to meet in executive session on Thursday, April 24th, 2025 to discuss legal, personnel, student related matters, HIV reports, negotiations, and other confidential matters. And be it further resolved that these matters will be made public when the need for confidentiality no longer exists. Can I have a motion to go to executive session? So move. Okay. Motion by Trustee Stein. Can I have a second? Second. Second by Trustee Pringle. All those in favor say I. Anyone opposed? Thank you. And we will We need one more. Oh, there. Bring it up the rear. Microphone check. Okay. Good evening. Um, at this moment, um, I need a motion for us to extend our meeting past 10:00. Can I have a motion, please? So moved. Okay. Motion by Trusty Stein. Can I have a second?

045I'll second. Second by trustee Amrahemsa. Um all those in favor say I. I. Anyone opposed? No. No. Okay. And we will go back into executive session. Um please give us at least I would say about 30 more minutes. Thank you. Okay. Good evening everyone. It is 10:55 p.m. Um, can I have a motion to reopen to public session, please? So move. Okay. Motion by Trustee Stein. Can I have second by trustee Pringle? Miss Singh, can you do a roll call, please? Yes. I think this is where we say all say I, but we we do have new board members who um you don't need Miss Austin present. Mr. Mayor Hamson present. Miss Kira Alton here. Miss Gilmore here. Mr. Martin here. Miss Pringle present. Miss Harris present. Mr. Stein here. Have a Okay. Excellent. Um

046we're moving on to approval of the minutes. Be it resolved that the Hackinack Board of Education approves the regular meeting minutes of March 19th, 2025 and the executive meeting minutes of March 19th, 2025. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes? Motion. Motion by Trusty Fringle. Can I have a second? A second. Second by Trusty Gilmore. Um, all those in favor say I. I. Anyone opposed? I recuse myself. Okay. So, Trusty Cordero out and recuses and moving forward. All right. So, now we're on to our presentations and business reports. Um, first thing is our 2025 2026 budget presentation. Good evening, President Harris, members of the board of education, staff, families, and members of Packinac community. Thank you for joining us tonight as we present the proposed budget for the 2025 2026 academic year. This

047presentation represents more than just numbers. It reflects our collective priorities, values, and unwavering commitment to providing all students in Hackinack with an exceptional and equitable education. As superintendent, I am proud of the progress we've made together, expanding academic opportunities, investing in student wellness, supporting our dedicated staff, and modernizing our facilities. This proposed budget is designed to build on that momentum while remaining fiscally responsible and responsive to the needs of our community. We understand the importance of transparency and collaboration in this process. And tonight's presentation is an opportunity to engage in thoughtful dialogue about how we allocate resources to best support teaching and learning in every classroom. The mission of Hackinac public school district is to challenge all students to excel along their own personal learning continuum and become responsible civic-minded global citizens of the 21st

048century. We inspire and challenge students to be active learners who can think critically, engage in complex problem solving, communicate effectively, take pride in the work they produce, and contribute to making a positive difference in the world around them. Our schools strive to personalize learning to meet the needs of each student. In partnership with parents and the community, our schools will maximize academic achievement and develop competent students who are accountable for their ongoing learning, value initiative and diversity, and who are able to contribute meaningfully to the everchanging global society. We believe our students will be effective communicators, quality producers, self-directed lifelong learners, community contributors, collaborative workers, and complex thinkers. We believe all students are entitled to opportunities to maximize their talents and abilities. We believe our ethnic and cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths

049and prepare students for success in a global society. We believe setting high expectations for students, teachers, and administrators ensures that our students successfully meet or exceed New Jersey student learning standards. We believe parents are essential partners in the education of their children. We believe maintaining a strong partnership with the Hackinack community is integral in student success. We believe understanding, implementing, and responding to current trends in digital learning is intrinsic to success in a global 21st century society. We believe in ensuring that the district has a well-trained, highqualified, and competent staff. We believe in maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. The underlying values and principles that drive our mission and vision are personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, collaboration, respect for others, honesty, integrity, and the firm belief that every child can learn. It is

050my pleasure to begin this e presentation by providing an update on the capital projects that have recently been completed throughout our district. These improvements are the results of thoughtful planning, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating school environments that support the academic and social success of all of our students. Each project reflects our board's focus on strengthening the infrastructure of our schools while remaining fiscally responsible and transparent in our use of taxpayer dollars. Tonight, I will walk you through the amazing progress we've made and highlight how these investments are already helping to provide safe, modern, and engaging spaces where students can thrive. Thank you for your continued support of our schools and of the vision we share for Hackinac public schools. I would like to begin this evening by communicating about the Hackinack High School

051roof solar panels and the solar canopy funded through EIP. High school phase one west wing is completed and operational. High school phase 2 east wing is completed and operational as well. The Hackinac middle school roof solar panels were funded also through EIP. The middle school is completed and operational at this time. There is a new security vestibule at Nelli K Parker Elementary School which we are excited about and will be hosting our grand opening on April the 30th at 2 p.m. The contract value is 1,37,300 that was funded through our capital budget. Um it provides a new secure entrance to the building. There are new CCTV cameras being installed and new access door controls being installed. Again, solidifying our priority of security and safety for our scholars. There have been new system upgrades at the

052Hackasack Middle School this year as well. that have a contract value of $5,598,321 that's also been funded through our ESSER funds that provides new electrical services, new unit ventilators with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in all the classrooms. There's also building maintenance system work that was done that controls all the unit ventilators in all classrooms. Uh the there also been some new auditorium renovations at the Hackinac high schools that we are truly excited about. that have a contract value of $3,300,742. This was funded through capital budget funds. The new auditorium offers brand new seating, new audio, visual and video sound systems, new theatrical production lights, new heating, ventilation air, and air conditioning systems. And we have already put this beautiful facility to use, hosting our very first Black History Districtwide event this year. There have

053also been some new system upgrades at Fairmont Elementary School with a contract value of $2,367,791 that was funded through ESSER funds. The you new unit ventilators provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in all classrooms. The BMS control units are also identified in all classroom as well. The students and the staff are very excited about the cafeteria upgrades at Hackinac High School and Middle School. They have a contract value of 3,645,68 that was funded through enterprise funds. The new renovations include new kitchen equipment at the middle school, new makeup, air unit, and fire suppression systems at the middle school, new dining hall at the middle school, and a brand new dining hall at the high school. Future capital projects include new boiler replacement at Fanny Meyer Hiller School for the 2526 school year and that's also

054funed through capital budget. Good evening. During the 2025 2026 school year, the district will engage in a multifaceted approach for professional learning. The focus will be on data analysis and tier one instructional response to support optimal student learning in math and reading so that students meet grade level expectations. Differentiated professional learning opportunities to meet the needs of all staff will also be provided. Finally, teacher-led professional learning opportunities that align to our district's comprehensive equity plan will be provided at all schools. Hi everyone, I'm Jen Laneski and I serve as the executive director of curriculum and instruction. I'm excited to share our district's plans for the upcoming 2526 school year, focusing on how we will continue to strengthen our curriculum and classroom instruction to support student success in literacy, mathematics, and overall academic growth. Let's begin

055with our efforts to strengthen K8 literacy. In the coming year, we will continue with the implementation of HMH into reading for K5 students and HMH into literatures for students in grades six through eight. The HMH resources are designed to help our students connect with a complex text in a meaningful way while also building the critical reading, writing, and thinking skills they need to succeed. Whether our students are just starting their learning journey or advancing through middle school, we're committed to providing instructional resources and curricula that meet their needs and prepares them for the future. Now, as we continue to focus on strengthening core subject areas, math instruction is another key priority for us. At the elementary level, we're entering into year three of reveal math, while at the middle school level, we're continuing with year

056four of illustrative math. These programs are rooted in problem based learning, helping students build critical thinking skills and a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. And we're not stopping there. Illustrative math is also entering its third year of implementation in algebra 1, providing a seamless bridge between middle and high school and setting up students for future academic success. To ensure that all of what I just shared is impactful for every student, we are continuing our work leveraging assessment data to support individualized learning. Our universal screening assessments in both ELA and math will continue across grades K through 12, giving us valuable insights into each student's strength and needs. This allows us to personalize instruction, track progress, and make adjustments to ensure every learner is getting what they need to thrive. And with that, I'd like to

057hand it over to Donna Petron Wall, who will be taking us through the next part of our presentation for the 2025 20226 school year. The preschool expansion will be PA funded. We will have professional development with Apple education and also iPads to enhance our units. Professional development will be provided by Montlair State University focusing on the pyramid model and social emotional learning. In addition, we will also have small groupoup instruction. Our three-year-old program is projecting seven classrooms with 105 spots for students. In addition, our four-year-old preschool program is projecting 15 classes with 185 spots for students. Good evening. My name is Darius Petbertton, senior, the director of special services in Hackinack. And I would like to let you know that next year there will be at least one full child study team in every building.

058We will continue to support the RISE program for grades 5 through 12. We have added additional behaviorist support. We have purchased additional communication devices for our students with disabilities. We have various work-based learning opportunities and we have added additional ABA and preschool with disabilities classes. Next, we will hear from assistant superintendent Miss Rosemary Marks. Thank you. This is Rosemary Marks, assistant superintendent of administrative services. This slide highlights how the budget will support social emotional learning at the elementary level. We will continue to have a dedicated school counselor or social worker supporting students with classroom lessons on the SEAL competencies. The budget will also support 50% funding for each of three full-time social workers hired through the schoolbased mental health services grant and two full-time social workers hired with funds reallocated from vendor services. These additional

059full-time social workers will provide for a dedicated clinician at each level in grades 5 through 12. Funding will also continue to support implementation of the action plans that include activities for kindness week, student assemblies, professional development, and other mental health student resources. Here now is Alex Binder, executive director of technology. Good evening. This is Alex Blinder, Hackinac's director of technology. Our 2025 to 2026 technology initiatives include the following. Device and technology refresh. Chromebooks at the Hackinac Middle School will be replaced with new models to enhance student learning as needed. New staff devices to support instructional needs. Advancing digital learning, AI tools will be integrated into the classroom experience, complementing the use of existing educational technology. Continued investment will be made in instructional technology to ensure a smooth and effective digital learning environment. Infrastructure and security

060improvements. The district will focus on improving its digital and physical infrastructure to provide a stable and reliable learning environment. Security enhancements will be made to safeguard both the digital and physical spaces, ensuring a safe environment for all users. Good evening. My name is Lydia Singh. As the business administrator of the Hackinack School District, I have the responsibility of preparing the annual budget for the 2025 2026 school year. It is a lengthy process which requires the participation of all the stakeholders in our district. It requires that the budget be prepared in accordance with the state of New Jersey guidelines. It was thus prepared and county approval was obtained as is required. Shall we begin with revenues? Revenues determine what we can spend in any given year. For this school district, there are two primary sources, tax

061levy and state aid. In this slide, the revenues for the 2025 2026 school year are listed along with the prior year for comparison purposes. For the 2025 2026 school year, the total operating revenues are 153 million176,800 while total revenues are 163,326,62. Note that the distinction between the between operating revenues and total revenues is that operating revenues do not include grants. The total operating revenues increased by 3,133,383. This is due to an increase in state aid and tax levy. This increase is offset by a reduction of 5,253,170 in the revenues from grants. The explanation for this reduction is twofold. One, grants are usually budgeted at a lesser amount from the prior year. and two the tail end of the co grants which are included in the 2024 2025 special revenue line ended. Here is a pie

062chart showing total revenues by source. Tax levy is 60% of total revenues and state aid is 26% followed by grants at 6%. Having explained revenues, now let us look at the appropriations side of this equation. Simply put, appropriations must be equal to revenues. As I did before, I am showing the school year 2025 2026 numbers in comparison to 2024 2025. Looking at the budget categories, please note that the increases are in areas relating to instruction while there are significant decreases in the administration lines. Of the total appropriation, $74,775,615 are allocated to direct instruction, tuition, and student support services continue to receive more of the district's limited resources. This shows that our budget is in alignment with our district goal of providing to our kids the education they deserve. A further breakdown of instructional expenses shows

063the increase in each area. The biggest increases percentage wise are in special education, bilingual education, tuition, and also our alternative education program. In order for us to provide the best education for our kids, we must hire the best qualified staff. Of the total amount, $99,57,971 allocated to salaries and benefits. 63,84,129 are allocated to instruction while 22,868,289 are allocated to benefits facilities maintenance and upkeep. In this budget, we are proposing the following for Nelly K. Parker Elementary window and panel waterproofing, stairway thread covers replacement, Hackinack High School, roof repairs and brick pointing, bleachers for the lower gymnasium. Hackinack Middle School cafeteria roof repairs, driveway for the 56 school. Fairmont Elementary main entrance VCT tiles and also a playground. Fanny Meyer Hillers Elementary roof repairs front entrance improvement. This slide addresses capital improvements budgeted for the 2025

0642026 school year. The total amount of which is 2 million78,312. Major portion of this is for a boiler replacement at Fanny Meyer Hillary School. Budgeted amount $1,675,000. We've also budgeted audio equipment for gymnasium for the Hackinack High School, $100,000. Security camera surveillance districtwide, $100,000. Lock replacement for Fairmont Elementary High School, $120,000. safety and security. Continuing the security initiative of upgrading all locks and hardware districtwide as a goal, one location at a time. We have completed Jackson Avenue School, Fanny Meyer Hillary School, and Nelly K. Parker last year and this year. Fair Mount is scheduled for the 2025 and 2026 school year. Also, portable walkie-talkies were upgraded this year districtwide and repeaters for Fanny Meyer Hiller School is budgeted for the 2025 2026 school year. Now, we come to one of our most interesting slides. The

065district is allowed a tax levy of a total of 98,872,763. So this number comprises of the following bank cap available for use in the 2025 2026 school year plus a tax base adjustment for increase in enrollment plus 2% allowable tax levy plus our tax base for 2024 2025 school year. Adding all those components together brings us to that total of the 98,8772763. Now these numbers are given to us. I did a breakout of it so that the public can see and understand. So having looked at the allowable tax levy now let us address this slide which really is the most important one. The actual school tax levy for the 2025 2026 school year is 97 million236,974 and it is indeed less than the allowable amount by 1 million635,789. This comparison shows a decrease of.58% from

066prior year. Also take note of the unused bank cap of 1.6 million which is being carried forward to future years. Based on the average home assessment value of $321,25, the school tax per average household is calculated as $4,410.14. This is a $70.92 increase. This final chart shows the school tax rates per $100 of assessed valuation over the past six years. For 2024, it was $1.35. For 2025, it is $1.37. There is a increase. As I conclude, please allow me to acknowledge and thank each and every one of my staff for all their hard work and diligence. You are a great group of people and I love you all very much. Thank you. Right. So, so at this time we're going to have the presentation for the student safety data systems um for the school year

067of 2024 2025 midyear reporting. Thank you for this opportunity. uh as you see here um I'm for you today for the midyear report for the student safety data uh report or the 2425 midyear report. So what is SSDS? The student safety data system as we refer to SSDs is used to fulfill the state and federal uh reporting requirements. Those are the incidents of violence, vandalism, harassment, intimidation or bullying known as HIV, any weapons offenses, substance offenses, and any other incidents leading to student removal from our districts six schools. This data is collected and reported to the New Jersey Department of Education via this portal uh referenced as SSDs. All HIV trainings and programs and other information are collected and reported uh to the state utilizing this So when is the information reported? So the SSDs

068reporting uh year is through September 1st to June 30th. Uh there are two reporting periods. Uh the first period when we reported to to this board uh was the September 1st to December 31st and as we have this second reporting period through January 1st and uh June 30th. So what is reported uh incidents again right that meet the incident type as we were speaking about incidents that occur on the school grounds while in school session including arrival times and dismissal times as we have students that do travel via bus and at school sponsored functions that'll be like our athletic events, basketball events and any other function. uh incidents of harassment, intimidation are and bullying, HIV that occurred off school ground as well. So these are some of the definitions and incidents that are reported use

069utilizing the SSDs uh mandated system. As you can see there, we have arson, assault, computer trespass, damage to property, false public alarms, biting, HIV alleged, HIV confirmed, kidnapping, restraint, robbery, extortion. Um, and as you see there, that's right. sexual assault, sexual contact, substant offense, theft threat, criminal uh threat, simple uh trespass, weapon offense, other incidents leading to removal. This next slide is Hackinack Public Schools reporting periods for September to December 23rd. Um if you take a a moment to glance on the columns as on the left you'll see the schools where it represents and we go to the right you'll see violence and uh the numbers that it represents vandalism substance weapons HIV confirmed uh SSDs incident totals other incidents leading to removal and then again our HIV alleged. If we look at the column

070second to last other incidents leading to removal uh we can focus on the hack sacks the number 77 reference to the middle school uh we're going to see a reduction um in the next slide regarding those numbers. Give me one minute to lock that up. Thank you for that minute. Um so the these incidents in this reduction led to 58 less incidents reported uh of of needed removals of students in in the um other incidents leading to removal column. So that's, you know, we're moving in the right direction in regards to um our incidents and um and the administrative staff dealing with them. How is our district responding to the data? Uh restorative practices for the 2425 school year. Trainings for all district anti-bullying specialists administrators were provided this year. Each school climate and culture

071committee under the leadership of a building administrator meets to review code of conduct data and trends in order to create an action plan to improve. The district's anti-bully coordinator meets with the district anti-bully specialists to review HIV data to to identify ways to improve and address problems problem areas. The SAL team through the mental health screener grant completed mental health screening of the students in grades 7 to 12 in schoolwide classrooms. Social emotional lessons are taking place in grades K to 4. We are able to add an additional support with one new grant funded social worker at the high school and through social work internships. Each school has created a cultural climate goal to respond to the data that has been presented. How is our district responding to the data? You know, central office administrators

072provide support to all the schools by offering professional development opportunities to enhance the cultural and climate in each of our schools. And here if you can see again column left represents our schools. Uh the trainings are com completed and then the programs are completed. And with that, thank you for your time for providing this second court. All right. Thank you, Mr. Ruiz. Uh, at this time, we have our superintendent report. Dr. McBride. Good evening, everyone. Happy poetry and autism month. So, we'd like to start by commending Miss Jessica Cruz and all the educators at Hackinac Middle School for presenting a phenomenal women of worth celebration earlier this month where they honored all the amazing women in leadership throughout the district. Our wonderful board trustees in our central office who are some of the recipients of

073that. So, great job to the Hackinack Middle School for acknowledging their worth. Like to congratulate Fairmont School on being awarded a 10,000 grant to advance green initiatives. And a special thanks to the green team led by Pedra Delvecio. Congratulations to the girls flag football team who was in their second season are ranked in the SFC top 25. Hackinack High School middle school music student Martin Roas Ortiz who's a junior has been selected as a finalist for the New Jersey Shut Shout Down Drugs contest. He needs our votes to help him win. So, we're asking that everyone visit the district social media channels for the link and vote him up. Today was to today was take our daughters and sons to work day. So, we had lots of curious young visitors in our district who we

074were excited about seeing. Um, and as yesterday we acknowledged our hardworking administrative professionals and early in the month our phenomenal assistant principles, librarians and bus drivers. This is a jam-packed month. Um May is May is also a month of celebrating. So I'd like to recognize our principles, teachers, and nurses, all of whose special day will occur before our next meeting. So we're giving them some advanced love and appreciation. Um and we're asking and all are invited to attend Hackinack's 33rd Arbor Day celebration at Nel Parker School tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. where Mr. Stein and myself and some other people will be planting a tree in honor of uh Mrs. Lillian Whitaker. Um and we ask that you join us for the grand opening dedication ceremony there. And finally, um everyone is also invited to join

075us for the grand opening dedication ceremony of the newly completed Vestabba Nelly K. Parker Elementary School on April 30th, 2025 at 2 p.m. The city will also dedicate the street sign during the ceremony as well to Mrs. Lillian Whitaker. So now I will transition to my actual superintendent report. Uh our total enrollment as of today is 5,34 students. We have a attendance percentage of 96.95 which is wonderful. Um for our residency report we in March there were three cases received. We had 26 to date. Um there were zero residencies verified during the month of March and there are 10 to date. There were three inhome visits unverified. We have 17 to date. We have zero parent provided updated in district proof of residency. In March there was zero and to date there is eight. And

076students withdrawn as a result of residency investigations in March was zero and there's one to date. So for our uh harassment intimidation bullying report these complete investigations were from March 15, 2025 to April 11, 2025. uh as there were four that were founded, there were six that were unfounded, there were 10 total, there were seven pending, and there were three with the preliminary determination of not HIB. And that concludes the superintendent's report. Thank you. Just in case you didn't hear me. All right, so we're on to public comments. Uh public participation shall be governed by the following rules. One, if in person, a participant must sign the sign-in sheet and be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface preface, I'm sorry, comments by an announcement of his or her name, municipality of residents, and

077group affiliation if applicable. Two, each statement made by a participant shall be limited to 3 minutes duration during the public session. Three, all statements, questions or inquiries shall be directed to the presiding officer and any questions or inquiries directed by a participant to another board member shall be redirected to the presiding officer who shall determine if such statement, question or inquiry shall be addressed by the presiding officer on behalf of the board or by the individual board member. And four, all board and/or superintendent responses to questions or inquiries shall be held until the end of public participation. At this time, public comments is now open. Is there anyone here in the public that would like to speak? Okay, I see none. Is there anybody online? Okay, at this time, public comments um is closed. Moving

078on. Page four of our agenda, which are our committee reports and resolutions. And we are going to start with personnel which is um the chair personnel which is trusty Amar Hansa. Thank you so much. Um we have um for to offer for your consideration um personnel items um A1 through S. Uh, and I do just want to highlight um that included um in the committee agenda um is um the the um approval or consideration of um four additional school monitors, two at the high school and two at the middle school. um you know really um in an effort to um continue our our um dedication to school safety and security across the district. Um also just a note that um there is a resolution uh with item S um involving a consolidation a request to

079consolidate um both um HAOP and HA unions. Um so I would just like to offer um items A1 through S. Okay. Thank you. So that is a motion from trustee trustee Amar Hemsa. Can I have a second? This is personnel. So we discuss that's why we discussed it in executive session. Didn't discuss it in executive. So I had a question with regards to it should have been brought up to the union. Does that happen in executive session? You can contract matter under the law ask for post session. Moving on. Yeah. Um, so can I have a second? Second. Second from Trustee Gilmore. Okay. Miss Sing, can you do a roll call, please? Miss Al Valuch I'm abstaining from A4 but yes to everything else A4 Miss Amir Hamson uh yes to all Miss Kieran so

080no to A7 R and S yes yes to everything else. And those are A seven and S R R and S and S to all. Miss Gilmore, yes to all. Mr. Martin, yes to all. Miss Pringle, yes to all. Miss Harris, I have to recuse on S and yes to all. Mrs. Stein. Yes to all. So have one, two, three abstensions from motion passes. Okay. Excellent. On to policy which is the chair uh trusty Pringle. Okay. So, for policy, I'd like to highlight policy 511 um mandated and being revised to comply with updates to state code. This policy provides guidance for non-resident certificate certificated and non-certificated staff who may be interested in enrolling with children in the district and specifies that tuition will be charged with policy 5701. Academic integrity is replacing the existent language

081of plagarism and defines examples of forbidded acts that violate the standards of academic integrity. The revision for policy 5710 provide more details regarding the student grievance process and now requires written documentation to support the grievance and includes timelines for policies. Yes, that's it. Okay. Thank you. All right. So, we have a motion from Trusty Pringle. Can I have a second, please? A second. Second by Trustee um Martin. So late. Um, Miss S, can you do a roll call, please? Yes. Miss Alston Boocher? Yes. Mr. Mayor Hamza? Yes. Miss Gadier Alton? Yes. Miss Gilmore? Yes. Mr. Martin? Yes. Miss Pringle? Yes. Miss Harris? Yes. Mr. Stein? Yes. Motion passed. Excellent. Moving on to curriculum and the chair is Trusty Pringle. Um, in curriculum, I would just like to highlight C11. Um, we are proud to announce

082that Fairmont School was awarded a $10,000 grant from Sustainable Schools to develop an outdoor classroom. Excellent. Nice. Okay, that's it. Thank you. So, we have a motion from Trusty Pringle. Can I have a second, please? I'll second. Second by Trustee Stein. Missing. Roll call, please. Miss Alston Buchcher. Yes. Mr. Mayor Hamza. Yes. Miss Federo Alton. Um, really quickly, I just wanted to ask when will the board be briefed on the most recent trip that was taken for NGA to Texas? Well, no one went to Texas. Who went to Texas? Or where where was the NGA? Atlanta. Atlanta. Would we be briefed on that? Hold on. So, we have a motion out and we have a roll call. Sure. And I will give the answer once I get that answer because that was two months ago

083when it was stated that we would be briefed on it and it's curriculum. So, I'm just wondering when that happened. So, what I have no idea what you're talking about. They went right. Yeah, we went. Yeah. So, when are we It was this month. It just happened in April. Right. So, I'm asking when will it be? We will talk about it today. It was not discussed today which was why I was asking but thank you. So I look forward to the followup. Um and so yes I agree to everything on curriculum. Miss Gilmore. Yes. Mr. Martin. Yes. Miss Pringle. Yes. Miss Harris. Yes. Mr. Stein. Yes. Motion passes. Okay. And we're moving to finance. We are on page nine of the agenda. Finance is trusty Stein. Yes. Um I'm proposing uh under finance D1 through

084D1G. Um the one thing I'd like to uh again highlight um Miss Singh's department did a wonderful job in preparing and presenting the budget. Um it's nice to see that that they put in a lot of hard work and it showed on that slide presentation. So again D1 through D1G. Thank you Trusty Stein. Can I have a second please? I'll second. Okay. Second by Trusty Amber Hemsa. Missing. Roll call, please. Yes. Miss Alustin Balapucha. Yes, Miss Amir Hamson. Yes, Miss Kieran. Um, I am saying no to D10. I don't find also that it was issued publicly in time. So, I have issues with that, but I guess I understand that the decision was made sometime late yesterday with regards to auditors. Um, and I approve everything else. Okay. Miss Gilmore, yes. Mr. Martin, yes. Miss

085Pringle, yes. Miss Harris, yes. Mr. Stein, yes. Motion passes. Okay. Excellent. We are on page 14 of the agenda. Moving to buildings and grounds. And that is Trusty Martin. I like to motion E1 E9. Highlight E6. Um, the municipal election will be held on Thursday the May 13th. The polls open at 6:00 p.m. and close at 8. Our schools will be hosting. Six schools will be hosting will be Fanny Hill School and it'll be at their gym. Nelly K. Parker School at the art room, Jackson Avenue School at at the gym, Fairmont School, cafeteria, middle school auditorium, and the high school on the first street, First and Beach, East Wing Gymnasium. Uh, that's all I have. Okay. Thank you, Trusty Martin. Can I have a second? Second. Second by Trusty Pringle. Miss saying roll call

086please. Miss Alton Bucha. Yes. Miss Emson. Yes. Miss Kirton. Yes. Miss Gilmore. Yes. Mr. Martin. Yes. Miss Pringle. Yes. Miss Harris. Yes. Mr. Stein. Yes. Motion passes. Okay. Thank you. On to F which is community relations. And that is Trusty Gilmore. Okay. So, the community relations committee met on um April 8th and we had a guest speaker who was an Hackinack alum, Brandon Cobb, who is the founding pastor of Eden Church. Um he provided us with some background information on what services and um input he has provided to the community. Um, more importantly, he secured a $10,000 grant for the Hackinack middle middle school STEM camp, which is pretty impressive. Um, and he also has uh future plans um that he would like to see um implemented in Hackinack and Eden Church has adopted um

087Hackinac Middle School to mentor and um just engage with, which is fantastic. Um, also we we landed um on having a health fair as uh a committee and uh we have some fantastic ideas. Our next meeting on May 8th, we will begin the planning and we've been invited to have a table at the upcoming Junth celebration to start promoting our um district-wide community health fair, which I'm really excited about. Um and uh our next meeting um is May 8th. That's it. Excellent. Thank you. Um other committees, we have none. Anything for new business? Okay, moving on on to our second public comments. Individuals may address the board on agenda and school matters of community interest for one minute. Is there anyone from the public that would like to speak? I see none. Anyone online? Okay,

088one minute please. Hi, good evening everybody. Uh my name is Tony Jackson, a teacher Hackin Sack, a Hackinack parent as well. I just wanted to congratulate all of the educators and ESPs of the year. Um and I wanted to just point out hopefully this uh will not keep happening but um in addition to Autism Acceptance Month, uh poetry month, it's also ArabAmerican Heritage Month. Um I know that we missed it last year as a district to recognize it. Um so just wanted to recognize that tonight. Thank you. There anyone else online? Okay. So at this time the second public comment section will be closed on to board comments. Um start with uh Trustee Austin Balutra. I'll be brief. Um, I just wanted to say thank you to the different organizers of events that I've attended

089recently. The Women's History Month event at Hackinac Middle School was amazing. I also caught the play at the Good You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Hack High School, also amazing. The auditorium was very comfortable and beautiful. Um, and just acknowledging Autism Acceptance Month as a parent with a child on the autism spectrum. I just want to shout out the work that we as a district are doing from Dr. McBride to Mr. Peton to all the staff in general educations special education inclusion out of district programming for our students to make sure that Hackinack public school is producing students who will pay taxes and who will have jobs and who will play baseball and who will go on dates. Thank you. Thank you Trusty Gilmore. Um, just want to thank uh Jessica Cruz um at

090the middle school for organizing the women of worth um uh event. It was truly amazing um to see so many uh powerful women in our district being recognized for their service. And congratulations to all of the teachers in Paris who were recognized and received awards tonight. Listening to the principles um read um the nominations and their view of the winners was absolutely amazing and makes me that more honored to sit here um and to represent this district. Um also uh Leila uh excuse me, Trusty Amaraza and uh Dr. McBride and I went to the National School Board Conference in Atlanta earlier this month and it was absolutely amazing uh to attend workshops with uh trustees from across the country and to listen to how they deal with situations in their district and to um and

091for me personally just to uh connect with Dr. McBride on a more personal level was um very um you know welcoming. So I enjoyed it. Thank you. Excellent. Uh, Trusty Pringle, everything that all my other trustees said and that are going to say. Thank you. God bless. Good night. Trusty Cadero out. And that's a great one. Uh, yes. So, I would like to um give all the honores that were here present this evening a big congratulations. Uh Mr. Ariana specifically uh holds a very dear place in my heart. I've probably been knowing him for just over 15, under 20 years. Met him when he was through the wreck program and he was my son's camp counselor through the WCK program. My son is now 25 and he is still to this day an individual that

092has impacted his life even at that very young age that he was when I first met him. So, uh, it's not that I didn't appreciate everybody else, but he did get a standing ovation from me and a hug, uh, because he is such a dear, dear human being, and I appreciate that he's being recognized in our district for the person that he is. Uh, Lydia, I I felt horrible the last time that I was here. There was a presentation that you had given and and you provided us with some numbers, and I was remiss for not acknowledging you in that moment. and I'd done it from across the way. Um, but I didn't say it publicly in my comments. And so I would like to again because I know I do it already but really

093remind you how much you are appreciated and thank you from the bottom of my heart and I'm sure many others for the things that you do the way that you do them and I mean just based on comments that you made tonight, the things that you will continue to do um and not expect more from anybody else that you wouldn't give. and you give a lot and uh your staff and you came through yet again with the budget and I'm so very grateful that you do work for this district and that you love it as much as you do. Um so I wanted to make sure that I said that to you this time publicly. Um to the community members, there are going to be several things that you will watch tomorrow if you weren't

094here tonight that you noticed I said no to. And the reasons why I said no to them is because there are certain things that I don't believe we as a board are being fiscally responsible with. In example, changing the auditors. I say that because I did not know that we had any issues with the auditors that we currently have. Otherwise, I know them to have been praised for the work that they've done and the things that they found or didn't find. But the main fact that we've yet to have an issue with the state because the auditing team that we had was doing the job they were supposed to. We now have a new set of auditors and it's all out there publicly for everyone to review and we're paying them already off the top

095an additional $9,000 for what? I don't know for what because I didn't have the opportunity to ask and nobody advised me, but I would be interested to find out from whoever it was that made that decision. Are we getting better services? What was our old auditor doing that decided we needed to get RFPs out for an auditor that the district had several years back? I don't even know anybody on this board except for maybe Mr. Stein who might remember the auditors when they were the board uh auditors. So, we can have that discussion. I would greatly appreciate it. I don't understand why we would pay more for comparable maybe service. Uh, so I take issue with that. Auditors weren't the only thing that went up in price. So did the attorneys. So we have to

096really take a look and evaluate exactly why if we're not receiving better, best, or greater service, especially when they're doing what they're supposed to do for the district, and more importantly, that the people who work with them directly enjoy working with them. Those are the people that we need to satisfy. In addition to our teachers, we need to make sure that our staff is getting everything they need as easy as they can get it because this district is not easy. As you saw those numbers up there this evening, that takes work, that takes effort, that takes hours to put together and present in such a manner. And I would like to better understand how we thought spending more for potentially less would be better. I asked a question earlier with regards to personnel. The reason

097why I asked that question is because I'd like to understand how removing executive from someone's title, which is out there for everybody to see. It's not news, makes a difference as to how much they get paid. But it seems really funny to me that everybody was not okay bringing someone in at 175,000. Again, not a secret. But yet, we now allow them to go back into the union and potentially earn, not even potentially, they will earn, watch the numbers, they'll earn 20,000 more, almost 20,000 more because they're in the union. Not only do I think that that was a wrong decision because she was great for the job, is great for the job as she was hired as the executive direcular director of curriculum. But I have a problem with the fact and the reasons

098behind why the title change took place. I won't bring it up again, but I do bring it up now so that the community is aware and so that you pay attention. I've thought about resigning. I intended to resign today. I planned it out several weeks back, but I've decided that I need to be here. I've had community members tell me that I need to be here. So, I'm going to stay on and do as best as I can. And what I will always do is be honest. And if you have questions or concerns, again, nothing I'm telling you here is private or not publicly disclosed or ready as of this evening. What I cannot do is continue to be disgruntled about it. So, I'm getting it out. I'm letting it go and I'm moving on.

099Unfortunately, though, I'm pretty sure there'll be more to talk about next month. Thank you everyone who is here. Thank you everyone who continues to show up. I appreciate you. Our teachers appreciate you as do our students. Thank you and have a great night. Trusty Martin. Thanks a lot. I'm sorry. Trusty Martin. Thank you. Uh just want to um thank you our thank our um educators on a job well done with your award that you won um this evening. Um, you know, we have the greatest staff on earth here and um, it was proven uh, tonight on uh, uh, when you pre presented your uh, received your awards today. Um, I also want to just say that um, this board is transparent. Uh, we we uh, we always stay in touch with the community. Whatever we

100do is for the best of the uh students, community, staff, administrators, we always have our best interest in what we decisions that we make. We just don't make those decisions just because uh I take use myself as an example and I'm sure the others can use themselves. I'm retired. I have nothing to gain. the things that that I do, most people's trying to get to where I'm at, retire and uh serving the community. So, there's nothing that I gain. There's no footsteps uh uh steps through that I'm looking to looking for, but just to do the best that I can and with my colleagues here on the board making good decisions. So things that you hear tonight, uh we we do things from our heart and um we continue on looking for your support uh

101from the community, from the staff, and from our students as well. Well, uh that's that's it. That's all I have. Uh just get home safe, everyone tonight. It's late. And uh get a good uh rest. Trusty Amra Hamsa, thank you so much. Um, and again, a huge congratulations to all of our amazing educators who, uh, were present tonight, uh, and received their honors. Um, we are, uh, really lucky as a district to have you here. Our students are very lucky to have you, uh, and you've made us very proud. Um, and that goes to all of our educators, our administrators, all of our staff across the district. Um, but a huge congratulations to those who were honored. Um, I do also want to um acknowledge Miss Singh and her entire staff um and all of

102central office that really worked hard to put together um the budget presentation that you saw tonight. Um really reiterating the district's uh dedication not only to quality education, professional development, um all of our curriculum and instruction, expanding our preschool, uh um uh um our commitment to special education, um social emotional learning, um technology and digital learning, um security and facility improvements. Um that takes a lot of work and so we greatly appreciate Dr. McBride, all of your leadership and everyone at central office and um really just to highlight the especially challenging um time that we're in and what Lydia has been dealing with um with this budget. Um you know, I'm sure many folks have are aware of of the the huge challenges and threats to um school uh to education funding at the federal

103level. um as well as all of the pass through funding that we receive, you know, through the state and other sources um that comes from the federal government. Um so the fact that you were able to put together this budget and that we were able to, you know, keep uh the the the tax levy lower than, you know, last year uh is a real um is a real accomplishment. Um and it is still um you know not only shows our dedication to our district but also um our commitment to um taxpayers and voters across the city. Um so thank you so very much for all of that hard work. Um I do also want to just echo um Trustee Gilmore's comments about the wonderful trip that we had with Dr. McBride in Atlanta at the

104National School Board Association's conference. Um it's again because of the times that we're in. It was especially important to be able to share um with our peers not only across New Jersey but across the country um about how dis districts are dealing with all of the challenges that we're facing. I also want to continue to um thank everyone at central office that is committed to all of our m multilanguage learners um and the unique challenges that they continue to face. Oops. Time's up. Time's up. Okay, I'll note. So, thanks so very much. I I'll take the queue. I'll take the queue. And la lastly, just um a huge congratulations to the middle school for such a wonderful performance of Matilda. We so many of us were there. It was wonderful. Um and again, um for

105our hosts at the middle school for the women of worth um celebration was really wonderful. So, um before we hear another alarm, I will turn it over. But thank you. That was your one minute. One minute. All right. Um Vice President Stein. Um as many of you know, uh the arts is very close to my heart. Um so is sports, but tonight I'm going to keep it to art. Um, again, the uh cast of You're a good man, Charlie Brown. What a phenomenal um show they put on. Um, great to see. Um, I also attended Matilda Jr. and that middle school uh players did a marvelous job. Uh, two nights ago was the high school instrumental music concert. Um, they continue uh to perform like no other. Uh, it was just a great concert. But

106one thing I want to call to everyone's attention. I attended at um Johnson Public Library uh sorry to Bergen County Plaza which is the county administration building. Um Hackinac and the Bergen County PTA have this organization called PTA reflection show and award ceremony. It's also associated with the state. Why do I bring that up? Um, we have a young man, his name is Martin Roass. Um, he has the, uh, PTSA, the Hackinack High School PTA SA award of excellence. He is a guitarist. He is a composer. Um and his one of his comp compositions was presented at the county where they gave him also an award of excellence. He is now up for the New Jersey Award of Excellence and I understand that Ms. Jackson has put on our website we get to vote. So,

107I'm asking you to look at the website and vote for Martin Roesses. He's under the category of performing arts uh arrangements. And he he performed the other night at the concert here. What a guitarist. And I I at one time in my life played a lot of guitar. He's good. So, Mark approved. So, uh, yeah, I approve my my seal of approval. Um, again, to our staff that were honored tonight, I wish we could do it for all of our staff. Um, but welld deserved. Welld deserved. Thank you. Okay. Um, all right, guys. So, last one here, right? Do you want to No, that's just the case. Okay. Uh so we definitely had a busy month from between from our last meeting to now. Um again plays um events they have been amazing. So nice

108to see our students at work and happy at what they're doing and our staff supporting them, families coming out. I mean every event we went to has been a packed house. So it's really nice to see everybody come out. Uh today was bring your child to work day. It was uh cute seeing uh some videos of teachers and their children being uh teachers or just being in the company of their parents. And thank you to um obviously our building principles for allowing the staff to bring their children in as well. And for excusing also our students um if they went to go to their parents' job um today as well. Uh April is autism awareness month, autism acceptance month. Um, as many of you know, uh, it is true and dear to my heart. My

109oldest son is a child on the autism spectrum. Um, one of the greatest things and, um, that I loved about, uh, today's presentation of the teachers, um, and the ESPs of the year is that a lot of them work with our most needed population, which is our special needs population. And the letters of recommendation came from the families or they came from people who they work with. And they do a lot uh they do a lot that is way above um their title uh working tireless hours. Um it it's not an easy thing. It is truly a whole village um that it takes to raise a child. And I am truly grateful to at least know a lot of the teachers that um have been recognized and um ESPs and there are so many and

110unfortunately you can only give one award of each um just like Mark had said um it's it's truly the the work of the entire community and one of my biggest goals as my son he'll be graduating high school next year um is is to hope that the community will embrace him as he walks outside, as he goes to the CVS to probably buy a pack of gum or cookies as he loves. Um and that if he needs help that they won't just turn around that they'll help him, right? Because it's about being aware and accepting and helping each other, right? Um that's why it's important to acknowledge the month. Um, I can go on and on about it, but I will stop right there. Um, I do want to acknowledge the women's of worth celebration

111and breakfast that happened on April 9th. Um, not only was it beautiful to be acknowledged, um, you know, and acknowledging all of the amazing central staff and women leaders here in our district, but also recognizing the students who participated in the essay contest and that they wrote about um a a woman leader. That was phenomenal. Um, this is an option. This wasn't something that the students had to do. Um, and and they were great. It was a very moving moving day. Uh this is probably my third year attending this event. They probably the fourth year that they've had this event and every year they outdo theirelves every year. It just gets bigger and better. And this year we had the privilege all the women that were there. Um that day we received our pin and

112it says I'm a leader. And it is the cutest thing. If you see it, please comment on it. Um but shout out to Mrs. Cruz who was the main organizer of the event and um I loved how she acknowledged everybody else who helped her um make this event successful. Um thank you to the trustees to all the trustees here tonight um who have joined us this evening to vote on the most significant item on our agenda which is the budget. Uh your presence reflects our shared commitment to fulfilling our fiduciary responsibility and ensuring that our students and staff receive the highest quality support and services they deserved. And thank you to our central staff for putting together a presentation. Thank you for making it a video. I can only imagine how many takes it took

113everyone to say their lines, but you guys did an amazing job. It was very clear. The images were clear. Uh so thank you so much to the central office staff and also for staying here with us till midnight. Um last thing that I just want to mention um I understand that tonight was a very difficult night uh for a lot of people to attend um because there are other events happening across the district. Please know that it is very hard to schedule some of these meetings. There are nine of us. Um these meetings are scheduled in advance. I understand that things happen. Um things happen also on our end. Um but we do have a responsibility to the district and you know this is where we need to be here tonight. So we apologize if

114we couldn't be at a tricky tray or at a school event tonight. Um we don't mean it. We don't It's not that we don't want to be there. Um but this is our important thing that we have to get through tonight. Um and that is pretty much it for me. Can I have a motion to close our meeting? Motion. Motion by Trusty Gilmore and a second. Second by Trustee Stein. All those in favor say I. I. Anyone opposed? Have a good night everyone. Thank you so much. It is 12:09 p.m.