001In compliance with the open public meeting act, this is to announce the adequate notice of this meeting was right in the following manner. Schedule meetings to be held from January 21st, 2026 to June 9th, 2027 to convey to the vote of the county times and the times of Tren of January 8, 2026. Please stand for the school flagges. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. here. >> Here >> good evening everyone. Thank you for being here tonight. Um, we have a relatively normal budget tonight, so hopefully it won't be too long of a meeting. >> Agenda, sorry. >> That'll be at our next meeting. I apologize for that. >> Stay tuned. >> Exactly. Um, so we do not have a student representative tonight. Um, which will put us uh starting public forum.
002This is the public for agenda items only. >> 14 minutes. It's hard to keep. >> Okay. Um for an agenda item, we have Miss Angela. Sorry. Okay. Um, if your comment was not on an agenda item, it was on a just a generalized item. Okay. So, that'll be the second one. Does anyone else from the public have anything to comment on for an agenda item? Seeing no comment, we will move on to agenda item I, which is the consent agenda with two items. I would ask for a motion. forot. Sorry about that. Off my game tonight. I apologize. >> Any discussion on agenda? I was going to >> Mr. >> Yes. M. >> Yes. Yes. >> Motion car. >> Thank you. >> Next on our agenda, we have committee reports. Um with two reports of
00321 on the agenda, we'll have a second one. So, uh Mr. Special. >> Hi. Um the ad special education met at 5:30. The meeting ended at Uh the people that were present was Dr. Janice and Laura and um we spoke about CPA the last two meetings that um that was had and the data that we got from those meetings from the survey that was taken on the certain topics that parents felt the need that was important to discuss. Um we also spoke a little bit about current special education programs and um kind of try to brainstorm new ideas for other programs and the next meeting will meet on you. >> So when I out tonight for everyone was twofold. Uh Amy, I think it was you asked last week to get those away. I could
004give a list of um all the contacts. So I listed our legislators. Um the first is on the uh the chair and vice chairs of the education committee. The second is uh we're all legislative district 7. So it's the legislative district 7 contacts. And then on the back um is the remaining committee members. And then just some little key points that I try to keep in mind when I'm writing to the legislators. I just shared them. Uh on the other um board briefing, I'm going to try and complain. Unfortunately, my color picture decided not to be color, but what I'm going to try to do is present it in this format. Uh stuff that's pending. Pretty interesting. Um from what I read on the first one, S3382 of school construction bond. um that if it
005passes will open up an additional three and a half billion dollars uh to districts that need to do ADA and building upgrades has to be done through referendum which I know we're talking about likely will not happen for this year. Uh I believe it's more likely to happen for next year. Um the interesting part is in the the wording of the bill it states that the uh the current law the bond capacity is currently maxed out. So if it's maxed out I don't know what that would mean for us in a referendum. So it's but I think we just need to pay attention to that and keep our eyes on um this bill. It is very early stage um but it will be interesting. Uh there's also one about uh reductions to state and school
006aid. State school aid um preventing state aid reductions for districts below adequacy benchmarks, establishing minimum minimum ratios for school psychologists and uh requiring districts to post curriculum materials and resources online. These are the some of the current ones that are that are tending to the most likely have some impact on us. I put a little summary. I'm not going to read through it here for you, but I I included just we should watch out for, what it could mean for us as a district. Um, some emerging bills that are not yet identified as high priority, but that are coming and may have impact on us. And then just some recommended strategy. Again, I'm not really a committee, but I'm doing my best to keep everyone informed. That's all I have. >> Very very any questions
007from now. We'll move on to agenda item K, the superintendence report. Uh we do have a motion for two. So ask for a motion to open >> second. Thank you. Any discussion or questions on K1 and two? >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> I am yes for number one and I will substain on number two >> sir. Thank you. Good evening everybody. Um first let me say thank you to the entire community for your understanding and cooperation last week with the last minute delayed opening. Um it was much appreciated on my end. That decision to focus solely on the safety of students, the staff and the entire school community. Uh I do appreciate your flexibility. The timing of that snow was not good. I hope everyone's had the chance to take a look at the
008first community newsletter which went out on Monday. Um this is just one more that we're as a district to be a little bit more transparent and more communicative with everybody. Uh which from my perspective is always a good thing. Uh reminder for high school families in March the senior trip is approaching rapid and GPA testing will happen for our juniors. Additionally, on the calendar front, as everyone may know, the district calendar for the 2526 school year had two snow days built in. This year we've used three thus far. As such, we have one day to make up in order to meet the 180day requirement for students. The final decision on how that makeup day will be handled will come out to the community at the end of this week as we wanted to ensure that
009there were no more weather days uh before issuing any guidance. So, there's a chance of a little weather this week. So, two makeup days versus one may have changed the decision. At the March 18th meeting, we will present an adjusted school calendar for the B for approval, but a tenative plan will be released to the community on Friday this week. I would like to take a moment to thank both the township and the city administration and public works department as well as OEM uh for their collaboration and support of the schools over the recent winter. Uh over the last two months, I I do believe that we've worked on a number of issues outside of just the snowstorms in a very productive and meaningful way. Uh and I do believe that that has will allow
010us to serve the entire community well from all of our vantage points. Lastly, a reminder, we anticipate the governor's budget address to take place March 10th, which would then put the release of state aid figures on or about March 12th, and we do intend to present a ten tenative budget plan for the 26 27 school year at the next March meeting. Lastly, we would just like to say thank you to everybody who's making a donation to the school district, which will be later on agenda item 10, personnel items through second. Any discussion on personnel? >> Number five. I'd like to say a big thank you to those that volunteer. I specifically reached out to my James and he's like, "No, you know, I I know why he's doing it. I don't want to put anybody's
011information out there, but um I appreciate um him stepping up and um supporting the girls softball team." Um It's always good when we have volunteers from the community that look out for our girls and all the sports we have appreciate that >> as usual. I just want to say good luck to her retirement. Any further questions or comments? >> Mr. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Next we are moving on to agenda item end business and plans with six very long. Yes ite. Thank you. Any discussions on business and finance one through six? >> Just say thank you um to the BRMS green team um the BMP PTO and the CBS MSP. Lots of donations on here and it's it's just awesome to see that you're going to be giving to the school
012and the kids. Um so thank you to those organizations for their donations. >> Regarding the very long Is there a summary that can be >> this is the legal requirement for when we do so we have to make sure all but it's really just the refund that we have currently that's expiring 233 and we're required by the state if the interest rate go down by 3% it has to guarantee that we'll be able to save more than 3% and so once they do that um we are obligated by the state to refund the state questions through >> yes >> thank you. We do not have anything under agenda for policy. So now we move on to agenda public comments. This is the second second public comment which is open for any topic. Members of the
013public are to please always follow the chain command as well. Please state your name, address um unless you're a student and if you're a student just simply state which school you attend. I know we have one person just one. Okay. So, we have one or two. >> Okay. So, we have two people signed up. So, it'll be a five minute uh time frame. We will start with Miss Angel. >> There should be a button on top of the microphone. Should I turn on? >> If you're a student, you could just state which school you attend. >> Um, I go to Bortown Regional High School. >> Um, I would like to talk about the microwave, um, and how it's been taken away from the cafeteria. And I would like to explain my reasons and why I
014believe that it should stay in the cafeteria. Um, my first reason is that there are extremely long lunch lines in the cafeteria. And today it took me almost 10 minutes to get my lunch. And sometimes it goes all the way almost to the back of the cafeteria. And with the microwave, the lunch lines were reduced because people were able to bring in their own home-cooked meals um and eat them at lunch. My second reason is that um the lunch lines, I mean the cafeteria tends to run out of food by the time the later lunches come. Um the names of the food that they have on the stands will not match um the food that they say because they have they've explained that they run out and I believe that with the microwave and people
015bringing their own lunch that there will be food left for the lunches to have. I also believe that it encourages healthy eating and people are able to bring food that they prefer and that um fit their cultural and heritage um standards. Um the school obviously does not provide food from every culture. Um I also believe that it encourages positive social interactions from people who would not normally be interacting with each other. Um, the microwave lines may be somewhat long, but it encourages people to go out of their way and talk to each other um, and positively interact with each other. Um, I also researched this topic a lot and I looked at many sources and there were no sources that stated that we are not allowed to have a microwave in the cafeteria. Um, as
016multiple teachers were saying, um, us students are also willing to fund raise money to get microwaves in the cafeteria or multiple Um, I believe that the lines were so long because of how popular the microwave was. Me and my other friends took advantage of the microwave being there and we brought food and I believe that with multiple the lines can be reduced. Um, and that is it. and I'm just asking if we could be permitted to bring the microwaves back in the cafeteria. Thank you. >> I want to thank you um so much for having the courage and then taking the time to come up and stand up and um address the board like that. Um it's um it's very appreciated. It's always great to hear from our students. Um with regard to this topic,
017I do understand that change man was followed. Um I have spoken to Dr. briefly about it, but we didn't I didn't hear much. So, I'll hand the floor over because I think there are >> details that you need to share. >> Um, >> but I do want to recognize your the efforts um regardless of what the district is and able to do um anytime the students um you know are willing to speak out like that. It's um it's it's seen and appreciated. With that being said, the running of the district is Dr. Al territory. So, I'll I'll let him address move over because I want to be able to uh to see you and address you directly. So, thank you for coming up and advocating for taking the position and advocating so eloquently for the
018position. Um you're not the only student who raised the concern. So today or yesterday uh we sent out an email or a Google form to every student in the high school and invited them to come today to the cafeter to the library between 11 11:15 and 12:15. So I met today with 13 staff members or 13 students who wanted to come and talk to me about uh the mic. Part of what you said is accurate. Schools are permitted to have microwaves in a cafeteria so long as they meet the uniform firewall. So what that means is a household microwave plugged into an outlet and a household microwave that is plugged into an extension cord to an outlet does not meet the fire code which means we can't have it. What we have to do, what
019I explained to the students today who came to advocate is we actually would have to do a feasibility study on adding a commercial grade microwave to the cafeteria in the student section which would have to be hardwired appropriately by a licensed electrician. It would have to meet all of the uniform fire codes in order for us to do that. Um, I told them that we would do that. We will look at the feasibility of doing, but my job as superintendent, especially when I walk the building and I see something that I know is a potential safety hazard, I can't make decisions based on something that may happen. I have to make decisions in the event thinking it will or could happen. So, I have to be able to lay my head down and I know
020that I'm doing everything I can to ensure the safety of students. And the fire code, the uniform fire code does not allow household m on extension cords accessible to students in large spaces such as the cafeteria. So that's why it was removed. Um in addition to the conversation that I had with students today about the microwave, there were a number of other issues that were brought up very similar to those that you brought up today about concerns about food, concerns about what's in the vending machines, accessibility. So I uh Miss Henry put a meeting to get first of all I marched the building for an hour with 13 students to see the vending machines and the concerns that they had about the vending machines. In addition to that they asked if they could have a
021meeting with the food service company which I agreed to. So we are putting together a meeting with Mashio, the head of Mashios, where we will send another Google form out to all of the students who are in the school and invite them to come during that time to express their concerns for things like long lines, lack of food, lack of culturally diverse foods, all of the things that you just advocated. So my advice to you would be to sign up and come to that next meeting and speak the same way that you did today. Uh because we will address those things and we will Whether or not we do have the capacity to add a microwave that would meet the uniform fire code that does that does not mean that we will. It means that
022we will look at the feasibility determine whether or not it can be done and if it can be done safely and it can be done in a cost effective manner. We won't ask the students to fund raise it. We will if it can be done we'll find a way to do it tomorrow. Believe me the last thing that I wanted to do was the microwaves away from the students, but I also have to make a lot of decisions about the safety of 3,000 people every single day. And that I know if something were to happen would be a very serious issue for us. So, we can't ignore it. We can't turn a blind eye to that issue. We have to try to find a solution. Okay? But I can't leave it in there the way
023that it was until a solution can be found. It has to be. Okay? So, that's all right. I'll make Mrs. or Mrs. McCormick or Mrs. Chici or Mr. Zab reach out to you tomorrow to make sure that you get invited to that meeting on Friday so you can come and advocate again for yourself and for your customers. All right. Thank you. >> Thank you again and Dr. Thank you so much for all that effort. That's um I know I know uh being officially two months in but on your third month there's a lot going on. So to take the time to um hear it out and address the issue is very much appreciated. So thank you for that also. >> It was the best part of my day. >> Okay. Um we also have Mio.
024Okay. So as part of my role on the township committee and board of education I've given regular reports you guys what's going on with schools um at the last meeting I did share this pack is doing this initiative where she shares the legislative that's impactful to support the request to you is information we shared today visibility website or something >> so it's not that I can share it like I'm not it's just that by me personally I don't have a problem sharing with you I would post on the district's website. Um, so I'm not a very necessarily most informed politically, but I'm happy to share what my research is with you guys. >> Okay, that'd be amazing. Um, there's a big active push to help and honestly some of those people on that list I'm
025sure know directly and personally. So, anything we can do to support you guys possible. But that being said, that information is extremely useful. The way you condense it. together it might be very valable to get as well because some people do want to be involved if they know how to get involved. So just a suggestion potentially you can consider posting or something. So it's really great work. So thank you so much. Is there anyone else from the public wishing to speak? Okay, seeing no speakers, I will open the floor in the podium to anyone with suggestions for the 2026 2027 budget. Okay, see no budget suggestions, we will move on to Q. I have one regarding snow removal within the community and I know it's not your responsibility but it's within our responsibility to make
026sure all of our children can get to and from school if they're a walker. So I live in Charles Foster and the way they plowed to the corners but we also have the handicap strips for our handicap and I have a person in my neighborhood who goes to this high school and he got caught during after the storm that he couldn't get home because those areas and I don't know if that's township responsibility to plow because it's a corner or is it sidewalk because it would be the property owner. So this this individual couldn't get home without assistance. He chose to not take his bus and he was standing there blocked by three ft of snow that he couldn't get through to the handicap ramp to get to his house. So, I don't know whose
027responsibility is. I wasn't sure who to reach out to specifically, but I mean I know because it's a student, but it's, you know, it always becomes that question of who shows what when there's responsible. So, I I think that um the easiest way to deal with this, at least in my very recent two-month stay here, uh I would say that the township admin township administrator and the city administrator and uh have been overwhelmingly open and supportive and helpful. uh they've already asked and have been given all of the bus stops from our transportation department and have told us that they would focus on that and they have done that. Um and I think that if we if I were to reach out to them which I will do tomorrow and just say in the event
028or moving forward as we debrief from these storms I don't think that it will be an issue for them to be as much of assistance as they can with that. And then the other thing that we can do is we can always be proactive. While we can't require it, we can certainly reach out to the community and let them know that it would be neighborly of them to assist us if they don't mind uh in that in in that effort. I think it's everybody's responsibility because remember you also have county votes work is a county vote. >> So it's not just it's the county, it's the the town, the city, the state, >> it's us. So I think that reaching out to all parties is is the easiest way. I do think again I would
029like to commend the county and city for being so open and helpful over the last two months. >> Thank you. >> Can we reach out to the county specifically like word was almost every corner was covered with snow and that's all so many kids. I think that was particularly initiative. >> Yeah, >> we can reach out to uh the county and we can also reach out to other county. So, we'll do that. >> Also, our schools were the best cloud parts of the entire time. It was the only curve you could see for kudos. I mean, it was great. So public address the facilities department and uh the maintenance staff have been unbelievably active over the last two months. Um and one of the things that Sonda and I talked about which we will do
030is we are going to invite them to be recognized at a public meeting. uh probably in April for what they've done. Uh when I as you said when I on Monday of the blizzard as I'm sitting in the afternoon having a conversation trying to figure out what we're going to do on Tuesday and uh my wife is a teacher. I live in Brick. My wife is a teacher in Brick and she happened to walk by and I was looking at the cameras. So I I was sending you pictures of what our parking lots look like and I I showed it to my wife and my wife is our parking lot won't look like that for a week and a half and uh and so they have done an amazing job and they deserve to be
031recognized for the work that they're doing. Um and it's not just with every facet of the operation over the last two months we've we've tried to engage really with facilities with maintenance and with custodial um and we will continue to So, I do plan on here to be recognized publicly for the work. And so far, they've gotten pizza out of me and a bagel breakfast. >> Um, I would just like to kind of piggy back on what Dr. said. Um, just as a resident in town, you know, we all we live in small communities. We know a lot of us people involved in like local politics or whatever. So, I always just like I say with parents with the school, just encourage everybody to like reach out or say something. People can't be everywhere all
032the time, especially when it's that much snow. So, if you have somebody's number, it's your neighbor, whoever, send them a text or give them a call and just say, "Hey, this street is like awful. Can we do something?" Or talk to the road crew when they're out there. something very long since I think everybody forgot what it feels >> about making the comment but I am going to return >> not for time for superstition and there's not enough wood >> I have a board Um because I was not here for the beginning part of budget season last year. I'm not quite sure how it works. Um finance committee. Are we going to meet between like do we meet before the budget gets presented as finance? >> I mean I know we're going to meet but
033like because it comes out the like we don't have a meeting on the books between when the budget address supposed to be happen in our meeting. So there will have a meeting between March 12th and March 18th once we know state aid so that we can go over. >> Yes, Mr. Put some tenative dates for that. Um as everybody here as everybody at over here knows the public doesn't but the district uh the district administration myself and You know, Miss Henry and the building level administrators and district level administrators have been working tirelessly over the last four weeks, three weeks on multiple budget scenarios, right? Which are all dependent upon what state a looks like, what state fun. And I think that what I would be willing to say publicly at this point, having no
034idea what state a look look like, prefacing that is I do believe that we are planning for any potential scenario that will come in with a specific set of district priorities that are in the community and the students best interests. And I believe that we are well positioned or will be well positioned to manage to manage what may or may not happen. But we are doing everything that we can to in a position to present a budget on the 18th that we think is representative of >> so what makes this year more unique or unique is the fact that it is new governor under nor normal circumstances already have had our number. It's because of the change in leadership is why the number is so I just wanted to mention we have uh five wrestlers.
035My time as a wrestling parent is officially over now. So I get to watch other people's kids for the next few weeks. I think we have five. Is that right? Five. >> Joey Harts, Jeremy Moore, Hunter Naboa, Mattal, >> and four girls. >> Oh wow. I only know Maddie and Emma, but who >> surpris? >> Okay, great. All going to uh regionals that got placed in districts last weekend onto regionals this weekend. So, kudos to them and to the coaches and the girls program is absolutely outstanding. It's really neat to see how much that's grown over the last couple of years. So, follow them on social media and see how they do. Our next meeting will be in two weeks which it sounds like we will have some budget information here then >> no further
036she's watching that seeing no further board comment I ask for a motion to >> adjourn and Sol. All in favor? >> I >> we are closed.