001Okay, everyone. We're going to call the meeting to order. In compliance with chapter 231, public law 1975 entitled Open Public Meetings Act, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as specified in the act. Proper notice of this open public meeting was provided in the notice of January 6, 2025. Said notice was posted at the entrance of the board of education offices, sent to the Nutley Township clerk, sent to tap into Nutley, sent to the district newspapers on January 17, 2025, and posted on the district website. Will everybody please stand for the flag of pledge allegiance to the flag United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Roll call here. Mrs. Dart >> here. >> Dr. Clea >> here.
002>> Mr. Fragnels >> here. >> Mr. Gilbert >> here. >> Mr. Gazinski >> here. >> Mrs. Quirk >> here. >> Mr. Scotty >> here. >> Mr. Ferraro >> here. >> Any correspondence? >> No correspondence. >> Okay. Can I get a motion for approval of the minutes? >> Second. >> Everyone in favor? >> I. Anyone opposed? Okay. Okay, we're going to turn it over to our auditor, Mr. Ray Serinelli for Nav Navocia. Do you need us? Uh, >> right. We're going to we're going to go down this way. We can uh put up the presentation and the PowerPoint. Yes. There we go. So, good evening everybody. Uh, can you hear me? Okay. I'm Ray Sarinelli from the audit firm, Miss Nvacia, uh, the auditor for Nutley Board of Education. And tonight, I'll be presenting to you
003the, uh, 2025 audit. Um so the audit is a a very complicated very thorough document with a lot of high level accounting. So what I want to go uh through with you tonight is uh an income statement on the budgetary basis. The budgetary basis is how you view the financial statements throughout the year. It's the decisions you make. So it has the the most importance uh to you in your decision making process. So hopefully we can understand uh the financials of the district um through through this income statement. We good little closer better. Okay. So uh for those familiar with accounting an income statement shows uh the revenues, the expenses and then at the end of the day the fund balance. fund balance is very similar to retained earnings. It's what um is left at
004the end of the day after all the income has been taken in and all the expenses paid out and it's a great financial indicator for how the district is doing. So when we are looking at your revenues, there's a breakdown of three different types of revenues. So this is a snapshot of the local revenues. Like all uh New Jersey school districts, the local tax levy is the largest portion of the local revenues. Uh for Nutley, that is $65.4 million. Um the other uh local revenues that you have there are tuition, uh miscellaneous revenue, and we have some interest earned there as well. Uh, one thing that I like to look at is that you're not being overly reliant on your revenues. So, when we look at the very right hand side of this um, income
005statement and this revenue section, um, we do see one pretty significant revenue there, which was really kind of by design. The rent that's coming in is coming in from the um, enterprise fund, which is another separate fund of the school district. And so in order for that fund to get back on its feet a little bit, the money was left there instead of being taken into the operating fund which had a little bit of a better year, which we'll talk about at the end of the year. So essentially a balanced revenue picture here where we're not overly relying on our revenues when we're budgeting. We're not saying we're going to collect more money than we really actually think we are. So, when we look at 400 thou uh 140,000 budgeted for miscellaneous revenues and we
006collected 166, that means we're budgeting accurately with our local revenues and not being overly reliant on them, which would essentially hurt our financial position, hurt our fund balance. The next figures we look at are their state aid figures and the federal aid. So, those are the two other sections of the revenues that we're looking at. State aid is predetermined with the exception of extraordinary. It's based on a funding formula that's derived at the state. So we know those figures coming in when we budget for them. We know what we're going to get with the exception of extraordinary aid which is uh based on the application. So in this case uh we received a little bit more additional extraordinary aid. That means that the extraordinary aid application is being filled out properly and we're ensuring that
007we're getting all the money that we're entitled to by taking in that extraordinary aid. The last revenue that we're looking at from federal sources is the Medicaid reimbursement that wasn't fully funded at the federal level. So there is a minor shortfall there of 68,000. So obviously, you know, we never want to see a shortfall in our revenue. um tough to predict that we're uh wouldn't collect on that fully when this budget was put together. So overall on the revenue side, what I see is is a good balanced budget um long-term plan. So we have we're not overly relying on revenues. We're ensuring that we're leaving something at the end of the day for future budgets to ensure that the financial position um hopefully grows or you know at least remains stable. So the next uh
00812 or so slides is the appropriation and expense side of the budget. And so what we look for here um and what we uh what we haven't seen in the past few years is we don't want to overspend the budget. We want something to be left at the end of the day on the appropriations which means there will be money left for future years. If we spent everything down to zero, we would have no money left and there really wouldn't be a budget for the subsequent year. Additionally, if we budgeted down to zero and inevitably something uh negative happened during the year, we wouldn't have the ability to adjust for those unforeseen circumstances. So, we want to put together a budget where we're not spending the budget down to zero. We don't want to budget
009too much, but we also want to make sure that we're able to um plan for the future, but also plan for this year if something unfortunate were to happen. So, if you look um at the far right side, we see 147,000 left on general supplies. That means that we were planning for other expenses that didn't happen, and that money is going to be left to be utilized in future years. So, while this budget um you know, there is some money left, it's still running fairly tightly with the exception of a few key areas where budget swings can happen relatively quickly. So, again, not a lot of money left on these line items, but when we get down to an area like tuition, Yeah. So, here's tuition. There's $330 uh,000 left at the end of the
010year. That's a good thing because that money can now be utilized in to help balance future years, but it also shows you're planning for some of the um unexpected swings that can happen in that area where um you know, tuition can change um by hundreds of thousands of dollars uh very quickly. So we're planning for things that are unforeseen, making sure that we're taking care of this year's budget, but also trying to plan for the future as well. So then that brings us to so that's the expense side and that brings us to the fund balance. And so about halfway down we'll see that the the beginning fund balance for the year was $3,380,000 and the ending fund balance is 5,679 growth of 2.298 298 million. So that is is a very good year financially.
011Um and the primary reason for that is because a balanced budget was produced at the beginning of the year and that budget was adhered to. Um so you know there's no um additional spending. What was thought out for in the budget is what was spent. So, um, you know, a very good year for the district financially, kind of recovering from some of the financial issues of the past. Um, which is very good. I try and put it in perspective of, okay, so this is where you ended the year at 5.6 million. Where were you historically and where are things going? So, to put that 5.6 6 million in perspective historically. Um I had to go back to about 2018 2019 those school years when the district was operating I'll call it in a more normal
012circumstance. We went through the pandemic then we had some financial issues. So we want to see where we are historically and so where that will put us for the future. So historically in that 2016 2017 2018 time period the fund balance fluctuated slightly but was probably in the 7 to8 million range. So while we're recovering which is a good thing we're still not where historically we need to be. So we want to continue to try and produce budgets that are going to grow the fund balance the so that we have financial stability um through you know multiple years. Uh so that's where we've been where we are is at the 5.6 million and I think it's important to know where we're going. That's probably the most important thing that I want to convey to you.
013And I think the uh this snippet from the audit really kind of puts that in in perspective. So I'm actually going to read it. So the financial position of the district increased significantly from the prior year. However, the district is still below adequacy which causes a severe strain on maintaining the budget. Careful management of expenses remains essential for the district to sustain its financial health. Among the many significant cost-saving actions implemented or continued during the year are participation in an insurance pool operated by Suburban Metro uh joint insurance fund resulting in lowcost property liability workers comp insurance, participation in joint transportation agreements and participation in joint purchasing agreements. It is crucial that the district examine its expenses carefully. Increasing parental and student demands for new activities and programs must be evaluated thoroughly and the district
014resources are at their tightest levels in a decade. So what does that mean? We've had a nice recovery year. We're producing good balanced budgets, but the where the future is going to be difficult. Um I have a whole slide on some of those issues, but um yeah, let's I'm going to skip forward to that right now. We'll come back for the recommendations. So future challenges, we need to produce balanced budgets. As I just talked about the a huge reason for the financial recovery in this year is that we budgeted for the amount of expenses that we knew we could afford and we didn't overly rely on our revenues. That's a balanced budget. there is an extreme amount of pressure on the expenses that are going to be happening in uh the coming years. So, first
015of all, the state aid loan payments are going to begin. So, we had to take a state aid loan to help us recover um from some of the financial challenges of the past. We have to start paying back that loan. Those payments are going to start. Um we need to have a a a budget that's going to help the fund balance grow, which is going to be difficult. the inflationary costs. So, um, as most people are aware, the district is bound to a 2% tax levy increase. So, that means that your biggest revenue can only increase by 2%. And it's not like we're running a business where there's, you know, new product lines we can sell. The amount of revenue that the district case takes in from those other unrestricted revenues is pretty much set.
016We know what we can get from the um enterprise fund that we're charging and we know what we're getting from our miscellaneous revenue. There's not a lot of fluctuation in those numbers. So, we're really heavily reliant on that additional 2% tax levy that we can get. As most of you know, inflationary costs right now are higher than 2%. So, there's a lot of pressure to produce a balanced budget when your costs are increasing higher than 2%. And the biggest thing that's the biggest challenge that we're experiencing in any one particular place is in health benefits. So right now uh the state health benefit fund has put out that their costs are increasing at 38%. So while the district isn't in the state health benefit fund, we still know that insurance costs are increasing dramatically across
017the board. From what I've seen uh for most school districts and most government entities in general, those increases for those outside the state health benefit plan are somewhere between 20 and 30%. So the state health benefit plan is high, but um other costs are still pretty significant to that. So based on the projection for Nutley, that one line item is going to increase by $3.3 million. If you take your tax levy and increase it 2%, there's a $1.3 million increase. So essentially, your revenues can only increase at $1.3 million, but we know your expenses are going to increase $3.3 million. So there's the challenge. How do you produce something that's balanced when you know one side of the equation is going up 3.3 million and you can only increase the other side 1.3 million? there's
018a $2 million hole just to start the year with. So when I say there are challenges facing the district in the upcoming budget cycle, it's it's not an understatement. The challenge is real and it is going to be very difficult to produce a balanced budget and we're going to have to take a long hard look at the expense side of the budget to figure out how we can make that work and what cuts need to be made in order for some of the costs that are contractual and they're obligated to us by the state of New Jersey to make those payments. So that is the big challenge that this district will be facing. You're not alone in that challenge. I mean, that health benefits, that's across the board for everybody. But um coming at a
019time when you're trying to recover and trying to build that fund fund balance and make sure that you have good long-term budgets that plan for future years um is going to be a very difficult challenge to um try and put together those budgets when you're experiencing those types of expense increases on the expense side and strapped with the increases you can have on your revenue side. So those that is your financial picture of where you've been, where you are, and where things are going. Um I'll come back now to some of the recommendations that we have in the audit report. So specifically to your single audit, a single audit is related to your uh state and federal grants funds. We did have one recommendation which was a followup from last year. Um that recommendation is
020related to um national cooperative purchasing agreements. Um purchasing is a very cumbersome issue. There's a lot of statutory obligations there. This particular recommendation was about five or six bullet points last year. Um the repeat finding only deals with one of those uh bullet points. So um when you deal with a n national cooperative purchasing um agreement you have to advertise that agreement after that award is made. Um when we did our testing there was um a cooperative used and the publication was not done after that um after that award was made. So basically the whole process was followed through with one minor issue in that the award was not published. So that is the one uh repeat that finding that we have just related to the state and federal grant fund. Um there were five
021uh single audit findings last year that required recommendations. We went through and tested those um did follow-up testing on those issues and all of those recommendations were cleared. So, uh, very good thing to see that, um, you know, the administration took to heart the recommendations that were made in the audit and that they, uh, put forth an earnest effort to clear those things. Again, one minor issue related to, uh, cooperative purchasing in the overall audit, which is uh, based on a lot of statutory um, issues that we go through. Um we we did have um a number of recommendations. So I'll go through them quickly. Now during our review of the payroll records, it was noted that the payroll agency ledger by deduction was not in agreement with the June 30th 25 bank wreck. The
022district is working on maintaining payroll agency analysis for the 2526 school year. The uh payroll agency account is a trust account. So whatever comes into that account must be spent. Uh due to timing issues, that's not always the case. There should be some money left because when that money comes in, a lot of times it's spent in the next month. So, we need to make sure that whatever money is left on in the ad account on a monthly basis, we're ensuring that we have an accounting of the money left in that account. I know for a fact that's already been done because by the time we did in between our fieldwork, by the time we issued the audit, the uh the ledger by deduction was being maintained by the district. So um while it wasn't
023being done during 2025, it has been corrected and uh it will be corrected going forward. The second issue that we have is that during our review of the 2425 budget, it was noted that not all salary charges were supported by the position control roster. What the position control roster is is a detail of all the employees or positions that are going to be uh put into the upcoming budget. So essentially, it's a de very very detailed accounting of all the positions and the salaries that are going to be paid to those positions so that we can ensure when we put the budget together that we know what positions are going to be budgeted for, who's going to fill those positions, and that we pay for those positions. If we hire in excess of the position
024control roster, we're going to overexpend the budget. So it's a very important budgeting tool to ensure that we're just budgeting for the positions that um are going to be in the bud. so that we don't overspend on our budget. So, we recommend that you utilize the position control roster to build the budget. Recommendation number three. During our review of the district's board secretaries records, it was noted that the new administrative team began to implement uh the standard operating procedures to ensure that there was adequate internal control procedures during the 2425 school year to ensure there was proper reporting for the district's financial records. The administration is continuing to review the formal standard operating procedures to ensure the procedures utilized for 2425 are properly documented as well as reviewed and approved for the by the board
025for the future years. So what we have is uh you know when we looked at the financials big improvement in the financial position that is because proper procedures are being utilized for the budgeting and reporting. Um those procedures that were used we want to make sure that they're documented so that whoever is in the business office knows how to operate the business office. So we saw great results in 25. We want to continue to see them in 26, 27, and 28. We ensure that by ensuring that our standard operating procedures are documented so that each person, whoever that may be in the in the business office, knows how to operate the district properly. That'll ensure that we have good balanced budgets and good uh a good financial position. It won't ensure it, but it'll at
026least put us in that good general direction. We have recommendation four. During our review of the preschool education budget, it was found that revisions and transfers were made from instruction, excuse me, from instruction to support services. These revisions and transfers were done without prior executive county superintendent approval or DOE written approval. So, the preschool education aid uh grant is a a newer grant and it comes with um a lot of statutory guidance on that. So there is uh one fine-t uh law that says these transfers need to be approved by county superintendent or by DOE written approval. Um you know the proper processes were done for the transfer to happen in-house. They just needed to be submitted to uh the county office for approval. So uh we want to make sure we do that going
027forward. So, our recommendation is to make sure that whenever those transfers are done in that preschool grant um going forward, those get submitted to um the county superintendent during our review of purchasing. Uh uh so this is this is it seems repetitive, but this is the general recommendation related to the single audit issue that we had earlier um that relates to the public school contracts law. It was noted that the district utilize a vendor through the national purchasing uh agreement. However, a notice of intent to award the contract under the national cooperative was not advertised. Um, so that needs to be advertised publicly, which we talked about. So, we have a recommendation for that. Recommendation number six. During our review of the extended day program, it was noted that the district budgets revenue from the
028extended day program for $400,000 for rental and occupancy charges. A detailed calculation to support the cost allocation is being prepared for 2526. So, when we talk about that $400,000 coming in um from the extended day program, from the enterprise fund, we want to make sure that we have support for that money coming in and we know what we're charging because they are utilizing even though it's one entity, it's separate funds and they are utilizing the general operations of the district. So, we want to make sure we're charging them for the use of that of those facilities. So those are the recommendations, six recommendations. Um, a big improvement over over the prior year. Again, the new administrative team came in and really um, you know, tried to put forth a better effort in putting together the
029budget, putting together financial statements, and putting together the year-long reporting. I mean, that's very evident in the financial position increase that you saw this year. Um, so those are all great things. We want to see those good operating procedures, those good reporting procedures leads to, you know, better financial pre uh position and increased transparency. So those are all great things. A lot of good things happened in 25 not so positive on the future. There's going to be a lot of difficulty uh you know putting together the financials for the future. I think you have a very good administrative team that are you know working very hard at putting together good reporting. So at least you'll have the information at your hand. um you know good good reporting at your hand to rely on um just
030going to be very difficult to try and put together a balanced budget. So that's the audit for 2025, right? Yeah. So that's was Yeah. Yeah. I've had a very difficult job for the last three months because this is my sixth meeting in which I delivered pretty much the same news in which you are not going to be able to produce a balanced budget unless you have some expenditure cuts. So, it's not just Nutley, it's it's everywhere. The health insurance costs are are really taking their toll on the school districts. It's it's like I said, it's one side is going up this much and the other side can only go up this much. It's a very difficult equation to solve. Um, so those types of issues are definitely across the board. Um, you know, the the
031difficulty that Nutley is seeing is that, you know, like I said, we're trying to put together budgets that are going to build your fund balance um because it's not historically where it was. So to try and put together a budget that's not only adequate for the year to run the year, but to try and have it be a long-term plan is even more difficult. So, a lot of difficulty and yes, we're seeing that across the board. Districts are having a hard time trying to put their budgets together. >> Right. It's becoming more It's definitely becoming more common. I do have one district that will uh need to do a public question or will will be in a severe deficit at the end of next year above the 2%. Yeah, they can't they really cannot produce
032a balanced budget at this point. So that Yeah, that's a Yeah. So the statutoily, so that's a it's a state law adopted by the the legislator later at the state level that you cannot increase your tax levy beyond 2%. There are some exceptions to that. you're allowed to bank from prior years if you did not go up to 2%. So, there's that. And then the state will allow for some exceptions. Um, sometimes there is an allowance for health benefits. So, you may get that. We won't know that until the uh budget software is produced sometime, I believe, next month. Um so there are some exceptions to that but they're normally not quite enough to in in this case not only meet the inflationary but also that health benefit you know inflation is somewhere around 4%
033that health benefits alone is is closer to 20%. So, I mean, that's when you look at those numbers, I I don't see what type of um exception to that cap that they're going to give you where they're you're going to be able to make up a $2 million deficit on the health benefits. So, I mean, that's pretty difficult. Right. >> Right. And that's for one single line item of your budget increasing. And that means the rest of your budget would have to be a zero increase on the expense side. Right. Right. So, and like I said, inflation is 4%. So, it's a it's a very difficult task to to try and get those the equation doesn't work right now. Um, and so, you know, to to your first question, so what what can you do?
034So, the the state allows for you to do what's similar to a referendum where you can put a question out to the public to vote to go to increase the tax levy beyond what the state is statutoily allowing you. And that way, the public has the ability to decide whether to increase taxes beyond what the state will allow you. So yes, so well, so to start with the challenges that for first of all, there's timing challenges. So your your budget will need to be introduced sometime in March, but the referendum vote probably won't happen till after that. So you'll have to try and figure out a way to get a budget but then have a vote on that to increase the budget beyond that. Um so there's definitely some timing issues there. There's cost. You
035have to run an election. So you have to um have that question on the ballot which there's a cost to that. Um and then if it's voted down um you have your state monitor to help you figure out how to produce a budget that's balanced that is I'll I'll call it statutoily compliant. Right? The state says there's a minimum amount of ed education that you have to provide and those are the costs that we're going to look at that have to be maintained and then anything beyond that we'll have to figure out a way to be balanced. Um, so for you specifically, you are you are in a very uh unique circumstance in that you are self-insured. So, I think the um you know the third party provider that helps administrate your insurance um we'll
036we'll try and get that information to you at some point, but I don't believe the actual cost yet is known. Mike, you might Yeah. So, so, um, they should be pretty in sync, but it's not like you're getting a lot of notice to for you specifically what your cost increase might look like. Yeah, pretty much, right? I'll Our student is sick. Okay, we're going to move on to our superintendent report. Mr. Thank you, Mr. President. U as we conclude this month of December, I'd like to share several important highlights and updates from across Nutley Public Schools, including student achievements, district initiatives, and upcoming calendar reminders. Before I do so, I would like to end the 2025 calendar year and thank some of the people, many people that work for our district and sometimes go unnoticed
037in making our school district work. Uh, first up, I'd like to thank our security team led by Natty Ferrara. Um, a lot of times we don't talk about where they are, what they do, but they're essential in keeping us safe. We appreciate you. Um, I would like to thank our schools bus drivers and bus aids. Um, they're an invaluable part of what we do. They transport our students back and forth out of district placement sporting events. Uh over the weekend, unfortunately, we had an incident where we park our buses uh where one of the drivers um his car caught on fire due to a down power line. Our buses are safe. He actually took our bus home and cleaned it um overnight. We appreciate you and we appreciate all the bus drivers. Um our school
038custodians, um we appreciate them. They don't get enough credit. The first ones to arrive, they clean and get us ready for school tomorrow when we get less than an inch of snow. they'll have the building ready for us to come in. Right, Jess Mabel? Uh, our school's maintenance and grounds uh teams are invaluable. Uh, we appreciate them. Lately, they've been helping us move the district around as we move offices and preschool. Um, not only do they fix our buildings, but they also support many other functions in our district, and we appreciate you. And finally, although not directly tied to the district, our school's crossing guards help us every day keep our students safe as they cross the the the street. Uh thank you to them as well. Uh many of our schools and clubs have
039showed tremendous generosity giving back to the community this season. I'd like to recognize our key club at Nley High School who collected toys and gift cards to benefit the Beth Israel Children's Oncology Hospital in Newark. um as one of those. Throughout December, students across all grade levels participate in a series of seasonal music concerts. These performances reflected the strong instructional programs in place across our schools and the dedication of both our students and staff. I would like to mention all the great music teachers and instructors that lead these performances. Mr. Mayuski, Miss No, no, Mr. Gaines, Miss Rizzo, Miss Aaso, Mrs. Strubel, and Mrs. Veio who will lead Lincoln's soon after the break. Uh family and community members enjoy your concerts. Applaud to our students. Uh they feature bands, chorus, and instrumental ensembles. They make
040the holiday season very special here in Nutley. Um and it's a very special time of year. Uh Nutley High School held two assemblies uh for wellness this month uh to help students deal with the seasons stressors. April Brown from the Nutley Family Ser uh services bureau led mental health around the holidays and shared strategies for managing stress and anxiety during the extended holiday break. Also, students from Satan Hall University's PA program led a discussion at at Nley High School on stress management. The college presenters covered strategies such as using breathing techniques, practicing the 4A, keeping a planner, getting regular exercise, and accessing helpful online resources. We are pleased to recognize two students on their acceptance to Princeton University two weeks ago. Sed Watsi and Arlland uh Sanani, I'm sorry if I mispronounced your names. We're
041proud of you. The college acceptances are coming in and Netley's doing very well highlighting by them. Uh this achievement represents years of academic effort. It's a K12 approach to educating children. So, everyone should be proud of them from their kindergarten teachers um to their middle school elective teachers. This is um at this month's board of education meeting several important items were presented will be presented and approved. Hopefully, the memor of understanding with Monontlair State University. Uh on tonight's agenda, we will have a recommendation for a uh better alignment with Monontlair State to support student teachers coming to our district. Uh the also the updated OSHA safety manual for CTE programs is being recommended on tonight's agenda. This ensures continued compliance with safety standards and reinforces our commitment to providing safe learning environments for students enrolled
042in our hands-on instructional programs. And you also see the hiring of a full-time nurse for Spring Garden School. We the district has been working hard to secure um a district nurse and we're happy to have one being recommended tonight to start January 5th. Also, following a recent fire that impacts several families in our district, school staff and community partners have worked together to provide support and resources. The PTO's have been tremendous. They have uh come together to support these families and that has been remarkable. One of the best parts of Nutley is the parent engagement and our PTOs. They have gone above and beyond to support these families in need. And the district continues to coordinate efforts to assist affected families as they recover. I would also like to thank the Nutley Fire Department, not
043only for their work with this fire, but with one of ours. Last week, a small exhaust motor fan in one of our bathrooms at the middle school caught fire early in the school day. Our principal and staff, Mr. materia. Uh they followed our emergency protocols perfectly and the fire department responded quickly and they were wonderful. We are able we were able to return students to their routine within a very short time and this is attributed to the high level of professionalism we have in our staff um our faculty, our students as well as the Nutley Fire Department. We appreciate you. Uh please be reminded that tomorrow is a single session day for students and staff and schools will be closed starting tomorrow for winter break. students and staff will return on Monday, January 5th. Um,
044and from everyone in the district administrative offices and our team in Nutley public schools, we wish you a happy and healthy break and we hope you come back recovering and ready to go back to work for our students. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Mr. Bea. Uh, Mr. Devito our business administrator report uh on for approval at tonight's meeting will be the acceptance of the 202425 audit that was just presented along with the corrective action plan. The implementation of the corrective action plan has already begun and will continue throughout the school year to make sure all the findings will be corrected by year end. I would like to thank the business office for all their hard work not only during the audit process but on a continuing basis throughout the school year. Uh through
045through the assistance of our food service provider Ptonian um our district cafeteria was recognized last month by the United States Department of Agriculture. We received the innovation in the preparation of school meals award that is presented to districts for transforming school school food through scratch cooking, using local fresh ingredients, creating new tasty menus, engaging students in a menu planning, and boosting nutrition education, which are all part of the national USDA health meals initiative incentive, sorry. Uh, I would like to thank Pmptonian for all their hard work um with helping us receive this recognition. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Dvita. Our student representative is not with us tonight, so we're going to move on to committee reports. Uh, academic committee, Miss Duck Martin. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The academic committee met on December 17th.
046In attendance were myself, Miss Quirk, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Bany, Miss Lokolo, Mr. Williams, Mr. Retto, Mr. Dwire, and Mr. Vicarella. Mr. Williams, Retto, Dwire, and Vicarelloo joined the committee to discuss career pathways progress. The committee discussed the progress the district has made organizing courses into concentrations connected to jobs. The committee reviewed the first draft of some portions of the AI acceptable use plan. This will continue to be developed throughout the year. The committee discussed the planning involved in the transition of the sixth grade, including building schedules, staffing, and facilities. We also discussed open positions and other district staffing items. We discussed the purpose and use of the OSHA safety manual. We reviewed field trips and professional development requests. Uh we discussed the memorandum of understanding for partnership with Bontlair State University for student teachers and
047the budget forecast for 2627 school year. Uh the committee also spoke about partnering with Essex Community College for an associates degree and college classes taken during high school appearing on the report card for credit. More discussions are planned for our next committee meeting. Um our next academic committee meeting is to be determined. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Duck Martin. Mr. Kazinski, administration. >> Yes, sir. M Yes, sir. Mr. President, thank you. I attended my last administration committee meeting on um December 17th with Mr. Balamo, Mr. Scotty and Mr. Ba. We disc we discussed the uh the planning involved in the transition of the sixth grade including building schedule, staffing and facilities. The committee discussed HVAC and other facility projects. The committee reviewed the budget forecast for 2627 which you saw some of the presentation
048tonight. The committee discussed the purpose and use of the OSHA safety manual. Um our next meeting is to be determined. Thank you. >> Thank you Mr. Kazinski. Mr. Fragginals finance. >> Thank you Mr. President. uh finance committee met on December 17th and attendance was myself, President Ferrara, Vice President Dalia, Janette Mus, Kent Bana, Michael Dvita, and Michael Pariji. We received monthly insurance updates from our insurance broker, IMAC. We received updates on facility projects, including the middle school media center, the classroom conversion, and uh Washington Lincoln school HVAC. We reviewed the corrective action plan for the 2024 and 2025 audit. We reviewed an estimated analysis of the general fund for 2026-27, an RFP for forensic audit that will be sent out. We reviewed resolutions including donations, audit, health and safety evaluation for school buildings checklist, a
049memorandum of agreement with transportation contract, payment payment application and change orders. The next meeting has not yet been scheduled. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Mr. Fragginos. We now come to that portion of our meeting where we allow members of the public to address the board. In this section, we allow questions or comments on reports, resolutions, and all school related matters. Our board regulations number 0167 allot 20 minutes for these communications. Each person shall be limited to three minutes, and we ask that you try to stay within this requirement. Speakers may speak more than once, only after all others wishing to speak on a topic have been heard. All statements will be directed to me as the chairperson and no one may address board members individually. Please be reminded that if your statement is
050too lengthy, abusive, obscene, irrelevant, or redundant, your participation may be terminated. Please remember to state your name and address each and every time you address the board. Does anyone have any questions? >> Yeah. So before you come up to like um we know that we know tonight's Mr. Kazinski's our last uh last meeting with us. So if if the comments are with regard to Charlie, well if you could just save that till the end if that's okay with our uh board attorney. >> It's fine. >> Okay. Okay. Does anyone else have any questions? Non Charlie related questions? Okay. Okay. Can I get a motion to close the public? >> Are you going to let members of the public speak about Charlie? >> So, we could do that under My intention was to do it under
051old business. >> As long as they know when they can speak about them. >> Yeah. So, we'll do that under old business or new business. However you look at it. >> Old old business. >> Old business, new business. It's all the same. Um, >> do we have a question? Did you have a question? No. Okay. All right. With that, can I have a motion? >> Okay. >> Do we have a motion? We have a second. Okay. We're gonna move on to our uh academic Miss Danch Martin. Our resolutions. >> Yes, Mr. President. I'd like to move academic resolutions one through three as written. >> Second. >> Discussion. Roll call. >> Mr. Balsamo. >> Yes. Mrs. Danchek Martin. >> Yes. >> Dr. Dia, >> yes. >> Mr. Progynels, >> yes. >> Mr. Gilbert, >> yes. >>
052Mr. Kazinski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Quirk, >> yes. >> Mr. Scotty, >> yes. >> Mr. Ferraro, >> yes. >> Mr. Kazinski, administration. >> Yes, Mr. President. I move resolutions one through five and administration. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Balsamo. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Danek Martin. >> Yes. >> Dr. Dia. >> Yes. >> Mr. Fragel. Yes, >> Mr. Gilbert. >> Yes, >> Mr. Kazinski. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Quirk. >> Yes, >> Mr. Scotty. >> Yes, >> Mr. Ferraro. >> Yes, >> Mr. Fagginal. Finance. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to move I'd like to move finance resolutions 1 through 16 as written. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Bosamo. >> Um, yes. Um, yes. on one and two. Uh item three checks 3000631 and 3000632 abstain.
053Yes. 4 through 16. >> Mrs. Danek Martin, >> yes. >> Dr. Dia, >> yes. >> Mr. Fragginel, >> yes. >> Mr. Gilbert, >> yes. >> Mr. Kazinski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Quirk, >> yes. >> Mr. Scotty, >> yes. >> Mr. Ferraro, >> yes. >> Mr. Scotty, uh, policy. Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Balsamo. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Danek Martin. >> Yes. >> Dr. Zelia. >> Yes. >> Mr. Fragginels. >> I'd like to yes to 2535 and no to all other line items. >> Mr. Gilbert. No, >> Mr. Gazinski. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Quirk, >> yes. >> Mr. Scotty, >> yes. >> Mr. Ferraro, >> yes. Uh, Miss Cork, personnel. >> Yes. Mr. President, I'd like to move personnel. Resolution number one is written. >> Any discussion? Roll call. >> Mr. Balsamo. >> Yes.
054>> Mrs. Danek Martin. >> Yes. >> Dr. Dia. >> Yes. >> Mr. Fragel. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Gilbert, >> yes. >> Miss Kazinski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Quirk, >> yes. >> Mr. Scotty, >> yes. >> Mr. Ferraro, >> yes. >> Okay, now we move to the old business part of our meeting. So, um, not that not that, Charlie, you're old. >> All right, I didn't say that, but you're right. It is old business. >> But it is old business. Um, if anybody' like to come up and is there anything you'd like to say on behalf of Mr. Mr. Kazinski. Tonight's uh Mr. Kazinski's last meeting with us. He's decided to retire from the Netley Board of Education after 30 years of service. Um I think that's a round of applause. And we'll after the
055public has uh some kind words for Mr. Kazinski, we'll turn it over to the board as well. >> Um can you hear me good? >> Yes. >> Great. Um, I'm Jessica Mabel. I'm speaking on behalf of the EN. Our address is 337 PAGAV. Not sure if I needed that for this, but um, happy holidays everybody. Um, on behalf of the Education Association of Nutley. We would like to thank you, Charlie. Um, we've appreciated your thoughtful approach, your respect for educators and staff, and your understanding that strong public schools are built through collaboration. When I first took this role, so many people gave me advice. Just different people, different roles. >> Yeah, they're in the back. >> Some were really good advice, some not so much. Um, but even though it was contradicting at some at
056times, one thing that everyone could agree on was that Charlie Kay cared about kids and cared about this community. So, I want you to know everyone I spoke to gave me that message. Um, serving on a board of education is not an easy task. It requires time, dedication, and a willingness to make difficult decisions, always with the best interest of students and the community at heart. Thank you for always doing that. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, especially this last year. I know that you guys were asked to make some difficult decisions, and I know that you always had the interest of students. And for that, speaking for myself, I truly appreciate you. Please thank your family for sharing you with us. Um, on our behalf, thank you. And on behalf of the Education Association
057of Nutley, um, thanks again, uh, for your service, your leadership, and your dedication to the Nutley community. We wish you continued success and happiness that all lies ahead. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you. Is anyone else like to come up? And >> you you can come up. >> It's not just about me. You can come up. My name's uh Dr. Al Pakor. apartment, 33 Wilmington Drive, Mley, New Jersey. This is my grandson, a student at Rackliff School. And he came to me and wanted to say, "How could I leave?" >> Come a little closer to the microphone so I can hear you. >> I'm sorry. How's that any better? >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Okay. He wanted to know how he could leave Rackliff school a little bit better than he
058found it. And uh he took me up to High-5 Hill to take a look at the field. And I said, "I think I found a way we can really be a big help." I have a lot of experience as a grant writer. I've written over 50 in my career. and I'm trying to teach him how to write grants. So, we're trying to write a grant to help renovate High Five Hill. We're also also going to look at some uh Could you give them the handouts? >> This is for some information because I knew I couldn't squeeze in three minutes, so I'll make it quick. Yeah. Working with an outfit called Leading Edge Fundraising. And I we also did some research on what grant funds were available to be able to fund this project. And it
059was amazing how much is out there. I did run into one problem though and I know some of the board members heard from me. I even had uh Dr. Dia attend one of our little brainstorming sessions. In order to get off the ground, we need a survey of High Five Hill. And I even went as far as uh you know putting an opener request and even the township immediately answered my oper request as a search of the township files revealed that no records responsive to your request as there is no survey for this file for this property. So my question is this. We're going to do a fundraiser. I'm going to send a letter into the board for approval. Should I assume that there is no survey available or is there anybody who might be
060able to lead me in the right direction because I'd hate to have to use some of the funds to do a survey with one already exist. >> Yeah, Mr. Por, I know you had um you you had inquired with the township as with regard to if there was any survey. Um the township has not been able to locate any type of survey, but I believe Mr. Dvita has some information that he was able to uh to get in the last week or two. >> Well, I I spoke with um Mike Pier, our director of facilities um and unfortunately he he um isn't aware of of one either. Um is it like an actual like a stamp survey that you need or is it just like field measurements? >> Something that would be at least a
061a jumping off point. So, if I wanted to get like a a quote on doing either a portion of the project or a lot of the project or give the idea of the grant writers or who's handing out the money, I I just need a like an overall picture of where it's going to be. Even a sketch that had, you know, some type of estimates on there because I'm going to need to know like square footage. I'm going to need to know like the basketball court area, how big that is, how much total fencing it would take. communities. >> I don't I don't know if this would help you, but the township does maintain tax maps >> of each parcel of property within the township. >> That's a good idea. I haven't thought that. >>
062So, I don't know if Hi-fi Hill is is separate is a separate parcel from the lower portion where the school is, >> but that that's something that's something we do have uh a survey of the of the actual uh area there. We weren't able to locate anything. Surveys are not typically something that the township maintains unless there was some type of a building or some type of development where a survey was put forward to one of the one of the boards whether it be planning board or zoning board or to the code enforcement department if there was an some type of work that was done that required a survey but >> typically sometime some type of work had to been done there. >> Well, you're talking about a building that was built a long Yeah.
063a long time ago. So it's it's not like today where a lot of this stuff is digital. >> Years ago it was paper. So a tax map might be able to help. >> I'm not saying it isn't. What I'm just asking the board is do you think it's a worthwhile effort for me at this time to just abandon the effort to get a survey and include that as part of the initial uh fundraising? Because you know I all of these people that I've spoke with, they all require some type of survey to to submit a grant uh uh proposal. you you need a survey in order to do that. So, I'm just saying if if we're comfortable here saying, "Okay, one doesn't exist. I'll just make it part of the first part of the fundraising."
064That's why I just wanted to address the group to say, "Hey, maybe somebody had a thing." I I'll I'll check into the tax map. >> Yeah. I mean, we could get you a copy of the tax map for that. That's easy. Uh the survey, like I said, we we we haven't been able to locate a survey for Rackcliffe School or or the, you know, the upper portion of the property, >> right? And like I said, it's not typically something that the township maintains. Something that the property owner, in this case, the board of education would, but being that the age of that building is is probably going back to the 50s and 60s, it's might be a little bit difficult because a lot of that would have been paper form. But we'll continue to look
065and I I'd be happy to send you that tax map. That's not a problem. >> All right. And as I do the first fundraiser, I'll of course going to send it here for approval. So you'll see, you know, once we get funding, you know, what we're going to spend it on and that'll be part of the whole deal. I did do a handout and I guess I don't have to really, you know, beat a dead horse, but that is, you know, it's in tough it's in tough shape up there, you know, and hopefully we'll be able to make it a lot nicer by uh just sticking to it. We I'm sure after we make some efforts, we'll get some money. I don't know how much, but we'll we'll be able to do something. That's for
066sure. I appreciate your time and and again I appreciate your help with the tax map and we'll take it from there. >> Thank you. We we appreciate your efforts and your grandson's efforts and we'll get you that tax map and if there's something we can find we'll we'll get that to you. Thank you. >> Yeah. On the road a letter support is what's going to be next. So hopefully we'll get some some in the right direction. Thank you. >> Okay. Is there anyone else that'd like to come up and say some words on behalf of Mr. Kazinski? Okay. If not, then I'm going to open it up to the board. I'll start from my right. So, Miss Makus, is there anything you'd like to say or I would just like to thank Charlie. Uh, when
067I first came here a year and a half ago, he was one of the most welcoming people welcoming me into the district, uh, working with me, ensuring that, uh, I had a space to work, uh, that I had some pencils and a pad. Um, and he's just been he's truly one of the most wonderful people that I have had been fortunate enough to meet. And I mean that so sincerely, Charlie. um you just emanate uh love for Nutley and love for education and I don't think this district could say enough words >> to um my watch is talking to me telling me how much time I've spent talking um I don't think there are enough words to uh express the appreciation that I have and that I believe the township of Nutley has for you.
068You're a wonderful man and wonderful person. And I even have to say I love you cuz I do. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Scotty. >> Charlie, it's a little loud. Okay, that's better. Charlie, your three decades of service here have shaped the district in ways that will last beyond any single meeting, vote, or term. 30 years isn't just a number. It's kids who had better opportunities. It's schools that are stronger. It's a community that's better because of your dedication. And as someone who grew up here, I just want to say thank you because people like me benefited from the work you did long before I ever sat at this table. I'm grateful to have had the chance to serve alongside you and learn from your example. You've truly made me a better board member and
069a better public servant. With the now Charles W. Kazinski Auditorium, generations of students will be reminded of a leader who cared deeply about them, even if they never have the chance to meet you. Your work will continue to live on in this community. Thank you, Charlie, for your service. >> Thank you, Nick. Miss Quirk, >> Charlie, you and I started off as adversaries as you very well know, but um it's so it's all good because we became partners in crime in a way and uh we spent a lot of time on the on the phone commiserating about things and I thank you for spending all that time with me. I I do. you were a mentor and you know it was a little scary for me to come on to this board but you made
070it much easier and I and I will miss you Charlie. I really will >> you enjoy your retirement. I want you. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Stand check Martin. >> Okay. All right. Um, for 30 years, Charlie has served on this board with a steady hand, a generous heart, and a commitment that has shaped generations of students and family. But the truth is, his service to this town began long before he ever took a seat at this table. The town is in his soul, and he's spent a lifetime giving back to the place that raised him. Throughout every chapter of his life, one theme has remained constant, service. not for recognition or reward simply because it was the right thing to do. What sets him apart is not just the length of his service, but
071the spirit of it. He showed up fully, consistently, and wholeheartedly. He listened. He cared. He fought for what mattered. And he never forgot that every decision we make ultimately affects the children of this town, just as it once affected him. As he steps into retirement, we know he isn't stepping away from the community he loves, is simply not who he is. But tonight, we pause to acknowledge the extraordinary impact that he has made. His legacy lives on in every classroom, every graduate, every opportunity created for students will never know how much they owe to his steadfast leadership. We are better because you served and are grateful beyond words. Thank you, Charlie. >> Thank you, Lisa. Mr. Deita. >> There you go. >> Thank you. >> Uh Charlie, since this is your last meeting, you're allowed
072to keep your name plate. Um but if you run again, you have to bring it back. >> Okay. Okay. All right. Uh, I do appreciate your friendship. Uh, I know we've, uh, worked together a little over a year now. Um, I've known you, um, you know, a lot longer than that. Um, and I appreciate your, uh, uh, friendship over the years and look forward to, uh, continuing that friendship. >> Definitely. Thank you, Mike. >> Guess it's my turn. Um, thing about this job is you always need to get some advice or get need someone who's out in your corner. And I I always felt like I can go to Charlie and ask him what he thinks, what I should do, what other people are going to do, the whole nine. And and sometimes I'd listen
073to it, sometimes I wouldn't. Um but you could be sure you're getting a call at 6:00 in the morning. Um you could be sure Charlie would be somewhere in the district looking in on things. Charlie, remember when you leave the board, you really can't go to buildings unannounced. Okay. >> I'm I'm in trouble there. >> I know. Um, but honestly, Charlie's been a guiding light through challenging times. He's I've known him well before I got involved in the central office, and I think um what you brought to this district is immeasurable. I I challenge many boards around the state to have a board member as dedicated as you. And I thank you for everything you've done for me personally, but also for our students. You've given our students um a great a great school district.
074Thank you, Charlie. >> Thank you, Kent. >> Mr. How many more we got? >> Charlie, I don't think anybody on this board has disagreed with you more than me. So, and I have I have nothing but the utmost respect because when it came down to it, our disagreements uh really were in the same direction, same lane and and eventually and and I'm proud to say this always uh for the the best interest of the district and the children in the town. Um, when I say that, um, I say that with love and admiration, uh, because tonight really marks the closing of a remarkable chapter in Nutley. And I mean that, uh, this is your last meeting after 30 years of service that really carries a lot of meaning for everyone who's had the privilege to
075sit at this table with you and bear the benefit of your work and your guidance. Three decades, and I like to use the word three instead of three, right? Three decades on this board. represents far more time spent on this day. It represents years of commitment, steady leadership, countless conversations, hard decisions, an unwavering belief in what this community and its schools could be. The community continued to place its trust in you term after term. And that says everything about your character, your dedication, and the faith people have in you. As I begin my own second term, I recognize even more how much time, energy, which by the way, there's a whole new level of energy when you talk about Charlie and personal sacrifice sit behind those three decades. It is unseen hours, missed family moments,
076being present during difficult times and also being part of a long steady work building something better. Much of that effort is rarely acknowledged, but it absolutely matters. It shapes who we are as a district. So tonight's not just a goodbye. It's a sincere thank you. Nutly owes you and your family a tremendous amount of gratitude for the commitment you've given to this community for so long. Your service leaves a legacy and it'll be felt long after tonight. Charlie, thank you. Congratulations on closing this chapter with the respect and appreciation of the entire Nutley community. >> Thank you, Tom. >> Mr. Bosamo, >> Dr. Dia, thank you. Charlie, for my lifetime, you've been a part of this school board. First during your children's youth and in a second go with your grandchildren's time in our schools.
077Your service is and always should be an inspiration to our community. for always you have put uh yourself out there and worked to do things in the best interest of our town. Uh you grew up here, you graduated here, you served in the Navy, and then you came home to raise a family with Lraine and serve our community. Humbly and with gratitude, I thank you for all your service and dedication to our schools for which me and my children and the community at large have benefited. You and your family have been an integral part of our community for generations and I thank you for that. It has been said that wise men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. Charlie, tonight I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the
078trees that you've planted. >> Thank you, sir. >> Mr. Fragginals. >> Yeah. So, I've had the privilege of living next to Nutley, next to Nutly, next to Charlie for probably about 10 years. Um, so I think I want to start off with with a story that's that's important to me, but he probably doesn't even remember, very arbitrary to him. I remember my um I think my my youngest was probably under under one, a few months old, and it was a Saturday morning, probably almost 10 o'clock, and uh I I woke up and I realized, "Oh my god, my house is silent." And whenever your house is silent and you have small children, you think, "Oh my god, what's wrong?" So, I went into the boy's room and sound asleep. I went to my daughter's room,
079sound asleep. I'm like, "Oh my god, I got to tell my wife it's 10 o'clock and the kids are sleeping. She's sleeping." And I'm like, I did what anyone else would do. Throw on my hat, get my keys, and run out the door. Um, I see Charlie outside. I'm like, "Charlie, what's going on?" He's like, "Hey, man." I'm like, "What are you doing?" And he's like, "Well, I just got back from uh upstate New York and I just shot a buck and uh we're cutting it up and I've got, you know, food for the week if you want medicine." I'm like, "Great. Thanks." Um and he's like, "Then did that so fast I took the dog for a walk and so we we went to a mountain and we did some hiking." I'm like, "Oh,
080cool." And he's like, "Well, now um cleaning out the garage and cleaning out the guns and and all that stuff." I'm like, "All right." He's like, "What are you doing, Dan?" And I'm like going to BGL to get a Greek prep a and and if you ever want to feel like less of a man, you just talked to Charlie, right? I'm I'm re-evaluating my life driving to BGL thinking Charlie's fed a village. Well, I'm I'm going to get a frappe. And that that's just the type of the guy Charlie is. I mean, he's probably, you know, in your retirement, you've probably taken up something like bear hunting or or God knows what it is. Um, you know, I I used to work in New York City and Charlie's like, "Why don't you get involved? Why
081don't you?" And I'm like, "I get home at 7:30. There's no way." The world changed with COVID and then Charlie says, "Well, what's your excuse now?" Um, and so I came out to a meeting and the world was history. Uh, the rest is history. I mean, you really have just inspired me. And, you know, you even told me once, you'll never be a nutty, but your kids will. And so, I was always like, dang. kind of kind of upset about it, but um I do my best to be as involved as possible uh to coach sports to to be um you know, exactly what I think Charlie would would would think a true nutly is. Um so you've been an inspiration. I'm here only because of you. And uh when you get bored and you
082come back out to run in about a year or two, I'll hold your tea at my house and I got a sign on my lawn for you. >> That's it. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you, Dave. >> Mr. Sugar Birdie. >> So, I didn't get to work with Charlie as long as most of you, but uh Charlie, I will say I thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Um the wisdom, the knowledge, the years of experience. Um it's incredible. Um I'd also like to say, I thought about it today. I was eight when you got elected to the board. So, uh I can't imagine that kind of dedication that long. Um, thank you for everything you've done for the schools. I'm sure Nutley feels the same way. Thank you for everything, Charlie. >> Thank you, Steve.
083>> That's my turn. Charlie >> and Mr. Ferrer. >> That's me. Yeah. So, you know, there's 30 years of service. I'm going on 12 right now. So, that's a little over a third. I can't imagine 30 years of doing this. Um, you have been here and only cared about the kids in the district. You never did anything on the board for you. Uh, it was always about the district. It was always about the kids. Uh, and for that we thank you. Um, we thank Lorraine and your family because everybody that sits up here on the board knows that it's not just us that sacrifices. It's our family more than us. >> Yes. because they're home and they are missing uh us when when we need to be there and so uh they see the greater
084good but we need to thank them as well. Um I want to just share a little story with everyone because this goes to the type of character Charlie is and the type of person he is the character he has and the type of person he is. Um Charlie and I share an interest in a sport and sometimes from time to time we talk about it and a few years ago we were talking about this sport and we were talking about a certain item that you use in this sport and something that I always admired and always something that I I I wish I would have purchased years ago and I and I just never did. And I I asked Charlie, I said, you know, Charlie, I said, if you ever come across this item, I
085said, "Let me know, you know, you always seem to know people. Things come up." Um, I said, you know, let me know if something if you hear something. So, about a year goes by and then I get a phone call from Charlie and it wasn't your, you know, six o'clock uh phone call for board of ed stuff. It was, you know, during the day. So, um I he says, "What are you doing?" I go, "Nothing. I'm at work. what's up? He says, "Uh, can you meet me at your house at lunchtime?" So, I said, "Sure, I'll meet you at the house." So, here I am. I go to my house at lunchtime. Charlie pulls up, pulls out of his out of his truck the item that I had looked for. So, I said, "Charlie, I
086can't believe you found it." He says, "Yep, I did. It's yours here." So, I said, "Okay, well, what is it? What do I owe you for it?" He says, "You don't owe me anything." He says, "This was mine." He goes, "And I'm giving it to you." And so that's something that was very personal to him. It's he knew he knew that's something that I I admired. I never was able to to get and he gave me his personal uh item. So for that, I thank you, Charlie. But it goes to the type of person you are. When you're someone's friend, you're there for them no matter what. And for me, I appreciate that I wasn't just your friend. you treated me like a family member and and I love you. Uh I love the service
087that you've done for this board and for this town. Um I've always known of Charlie for over 40 years, but I've got to really know him personally for the last 25. And I'm glad I'm glad I did. Um I will always always cherish the time we spent together. um cherish the time we're going to spend together in the future cuz you're you know even though you're retiring I know you're not going to you're going to call me and you're going to ask me why why the water in the uh in the booth park in front of your house is rising every time it rains and no matter what I say I you know you're you're always going to you're always going to say no that's not why but thank you Charlie and on behalf of
088the board and the administration the Netley board of education the school district. We'd like to present you with this this plaque. One more plaque. I know you got plenty of plaques when we had the uh >> when we had the naming of of of the auditorium at Lincoln School, but >> where am I going to put it? >> This one is it reads, "With deep gratitude honoring Charles W. Kazinski Jr. for your outstanding commitment, steady leadership, and heartfelt service to the Metley board of education. Your guidance has shaped our schools and enriched the lives of countless students for the past 30 years. Your impact will be felt for generations and it's December of 2025. Thank you, Charlie. >> Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. I I really didn't think that
089this day would come for me because I'm I'm not ready yet. But healthwise, it's time for me to slow down a little bit. Lorraine tells me, so I have to listen to Lorraine. But I I will I will say what what S mentioned before, my 30 years on the board has only been, I think, for the children. And there aren't many people here that could even relate to some of the stories I would tell you. But when I first got on the board, Ann Rabin was the president and she said to me at that time, "I'm going to put you on negotiations." And I said, "Oh, why would you do that to me?" And because we we we got along, but we weren't really that friendly back then. ended up being the best thing that
090ever happened to me. I served 30 years in negotiations and I did it because the teachers are the backbone of our district. We make we make policy. We we hired a superintendent, hired a VA, but the teachers do the groundwork every day. And I've always felt that way. Um and it's it's so difficult and it's going to get more difficult as the time goes on. I I'm more than confident with Lisa and Terry and Tom on negotiations will be good, but that's going to be the most difficult part of our educational system in Nutley right now in my opinion is going to be dealing with negotiations. But I loved it. I loved it. Every time that I went to a meeting and I went there, I could go on, but it doesn't pay. I had
091one president that took me off in negotiations because he said I was too friendly with the custodians. After they beat him up a little bit, he put me right back on again. You can't you you being friendly and being fair are two different things. And I've always felt that way. And I really feel that 30 years of of being on the board, everything that I did benefited our children. When I first got on the board or when I first ran for the board, my daughter, they did not have girls soccer. And she said, the board members then said, "We don't have room to get into girls soccer." I ran the next year and we had girls soccer that following year. Just circumstance or whatever. But I appreciate all the work that the board members do
092here. I've probably dealt with six or seven different superintendents. I can't tell you how many BAS, but I think that the board members that are here are good for us. They're good for Nutley. Janette Meis should have been here 5 years ago. In my opinion, we wouldn't be in a situation we're in now. I appreciate the direction she leads us. Kent is is a young Dr. Foul in my mind. In my mind, he'd be hard to replace all the way Dr. for duel, but a Kent is going in the right direction. I'm happy for that and the board I'm sure will maintain that. I I appreciate everything that the board has done for me, the town has done for me. Michelle and Phil helped me through some difficult difficult times back then. I remember having
093negotiations with Ro Tangor in the Radcliffe uh corner there with her and Walt solder smoking the cigarettes and that's where we got more negotiations done than we ever did in the room. But but that's what it's about. It's it's about working together and I'm so happy to have been able to do that and um I I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. Thank you. Is there any uh other old business to come before the board? Any new business? Whereas the board of education will be discussing matters exempt from public discussion pursuant to NJSA 104-12. Now therefore be it resolved that the board of education recess to close executive session at this time to discuss personnel contracts and legal issues. Be it further resolved that the results of the discussions will be
094made public by inclusion on the agenda of a subsequent meeting of the board of education or when the reasons for discussing such matters in close session no longer exist. Can I get a motion to adjourn into executive session? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you everyone. Happy holidays. Enjoy the time off. Uh, we're going to take a picture with Charlie out in the front if that's okay for for five minutes. >> Yep. >> Karen, can you take the picture for us?