001Please rise for the flag. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands nationy andice for all. All righty. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meeting of public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the provisions of this act, the Cedar Grove Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be advertised by having the date, time, and place thereof posted on bulletin boards in the district, published, and or transmitted to the Verona Cedar Grove Times and newspaper, tap in into online news filed with the township clerk, and posted on the district website. Can I have
002a roll call, please? >> Board member Grande, >> here. >> Board member Marzulo, >> here. >> Board member Pallik, >> here. Board member Keegan >> here. >> Board President Dara >> here. >> We have a quum. >> Good evening everybody. >> All right. At this time, I'll open the meeting to public comment. Agenda items only. Seeing there's nobody move to close that portion of the meeting and move to committee reports. There any committee reports today? >> Yep. Do you want to speak to the education or speak to the >> We had an education committee meeting, myself and Dr. T. Um the basis of the meeting was uh worked around the formulation of the district goals and the detail of the action plan that will go into it. Um and then there was a a quick
003overview of the uh state testing scores which were then uh which we really appreciated that Dr. T made that part of those goals and there is a specific percentage increase to what those scores need to be within those goals. Um, Dr. T will speak more to that as the goals and the scores are presented at our next meetings. >> All right. Um, we also had a referendum committee meeting. Um, I'm sure Dr. T is going to speak a little bit about the in your update, but before you do, >> Sure. I just wanted to um thank the community members that participated in the focus groups. I know you're going to speak more to that, but um I do, you know, the board as a whole appreciates the time and the effort that the community made
004in meeting uh with Dr. Tess preliminary steps of the upcoming referendum. Um at the committee meeting, we did meet with the architect to um finalize the applications of the projects that were approved at the last board meeting. So, if you recall at the last board meeting, we approved just a list of projects, anticipated potential projects and um we're now at the point where the actual paper applications are um close to being finalized and submitted for uh approval. Again, at this point, there has been no uh decisions on the exact projects that we are moving forward at the we will be waiting now for the uh application approvals and the debt the debt service aid that hopefully is attached to each one. So, um that's where we're at with that. >> Any other committee meetings? >>
005We did have a uh a finance committee meeting on the 13th. Um but everything we we discussed is actually public on this on this document. So the >> the donation the transportation bid results as well as um the title funds that were received. So everything's on here. >> Great. >> Okay. Go ahead. I'm sorry. That's okay. Um there was also a policy meeting where we reviewed the updates recommended by Strauss last May and most of them were um based on mandated polic already in place and they were basic language changes um sentence structure nothing super substantial Dr. He walked us through that and the list is on the agenda. >> Great. Thank you. All right. Superintendent report. >> Okay, Madam President. Thank you very much. And good evening, Sierra Grove School community. One week from
006today, we will welcome all of our teachers and staff, full staff, back to our schools to kick off the 2526 school year. And the very following day on September 3rd, we will be very excited to welcome all of our students and families back as well. I would like to take a moment this evening to both acknowledge and appreciate all of our custodial staff and our buildings and grounds crew led by John Bannon for all of their hard work this summer. Our school grounds are in fantastic condition and our hallways and classrooms have all been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized though. So, thank you to all who work so tirelessly this summer to prepare our schools for the first day of school. I would also like to express my gratitude to all of the community members who
007came out this summer to participate in one of the 10 focus group sessions to provide feedback about our referendum initiative and the proposed projects. This fall, I will announce another series of community forums where I will present the final details for all of the referendum projects. Ultimately, at a high level, our goal with this referendum is to reopen LRP as a 345 school by September of 2028, as well as address highne health and safety infrastructure projects across the district. Many more details to come this fall. In closing, I plan to present our district goals and action plan for the 2526 school year at our September board meeting. On behalf of our full leadership team, I would like to convey our excitement for the start of the upcoming school year. And with that, I conclude my
008report. >> Thank you. All righty. Let's move some business then. Under the business administrator's report, can I please have a motion for G1 through G15, please? Move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Roll call, please. Board member Grande, >> yes. >> Board member Marzulla, >> yes. >> Board member Pallet, >> yes. >> Board member Keegan, >> yes. >> Board President Dara, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. >> Under general administration, can I have a motion for H1 only? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Board member Grande. >> Yes. Board member Marzulo, >> yes. >> Board member Pallik, >> yes. >> Board member Keegan, >> yes. >> Board President, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. >> Under human resources, a motion for I1 through I1. >> So move. >> Second.
009>> Any discussion? >> Mr. I'd just like to um commend the superintendent and his staff for completing the staff of the for the upcoming school year, ensuring that when we start school, all positions are filled and that everything will move start smoothly for all our students. >> I second that. Thank you. >> Thank you. On behalf of the full team, we appreciate your >> roll call, please. >> Board member Grande, >> yes. >> Board member Marzulo, >> yes. >> Board member Pallic, >> yes. >> Board member Keegan, >> yes. >> Board President, >> yes. >> Motion pass. Thank you. Under curriculum and instruction motion for J1 only. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Board member Grande, >> yes. >> Board member Marzulo, >> yes. >> Board member Palak,
010>> yes. >> Board member Keegan, >> yes. >> Board President Barara, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. And under special services, a motion for K1. So move. >> Second. >> Discussion. Roll call, please. >> Board member Grande. >> Yes. >> Board member Marzulo. >> Yes. >> Board member Pal. >> Yes. >> Board member Keegan. >> Yes. >> Board President Dara. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. This point I'd like to open the meeting to public comment on any school related items on or off the agenda. You could just state your name and your address for record, please. My name is Cassie Cosby. I'm at 219 Stevens. I want to first start by saying that I don't really like coming out of the comfort of my home. I work from home. I
011work a lot of long hours at home. I work and support an IT team um globally. So I work very hard. My time is very important to me. So for me to come out and take time away from my children is a big thing. During our time here at Cedar Grove District, I have noticed that the district consistently makes it a point to note Christopher Columbus Day on the calendar, yet refuses to note Junth. It's well documented that Christopher Columbus was a murderer and a rapist and absolutely vile. Yet the district feels comfortable celebrating him to the extent that they put his name on our school calendar versus indigenous people day. Yet Junth, the federal official celebration of the release of human beings is completely ignored. It's quite obvious we have a long way to
012go in this district with respect to the fact that Junth is a federal holiday in celebration of freedom of humans. When I emailed this board on August 19th, 2025, they added the superintendent to the chain. His response was as usual that I've received in the past is that while he is being paid to meet with me, he wants me to take time out of my workday, take PTO or time off, whatever that may look like, to come meet with him versus just simply responding on the email. There's absolutely no reason for this. You were provided with an email address, which requires a license that we pay for to stay in contact with everyone, including parents of this district. You have decided that email is not a proper form of communication for you for some reason.
013So, please feel free to step down because it's 2025 and you need to operate within those parameters. If you were truly confident in being a good person, you would simply just provide your response. But the fact that you think you can demand how you get to respond to the public that's paying you is abhorrent, tonedeaf, and above all incredibly disrespectful. shows arrogance and once again tells me you have no business in educ excuse me in education whatsoever. You're clearly not interested in addressing everyone in this district. So I'm here now not working. Why do we exclude Junth? It's on the town calendar. >> It is a federal holiday and it is on the town calendar. Banks are closed. My company who is a global finance company is closed. Why do we choose to not recognize
014it? At least put it on the calendar. Maybe not the day off, but at least recognize it. >> We will take your comments into consideration. We appreciate you coming out tonight. Thank you. >> Also, I think it's important. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Uh any other public comments? No. Seeing no, we move to close that portion of the meeting. Announcement of future meetings. Our next meeting will be September 15th. Um 7:30 will be the open meeting here at the high school. I just want to wish everybody, all our staff, our um families, our parents, our students a um exciting school year. and uh I hope everything goes as smoothly as we anticipate it and good luck. I I think we're going to have a great year ahead of us. So, thank you very
015much for all the preparation. Um at this time, a motion to close the meeting. All in favor? >> All right, meeting adjourned. Thank you very much.