001Executive session the Wayne board of education public works session meeting of April 9th 20 excuse me 2026 was convened in the conference room of the administrative offices of the board of education 50 way New Jersey statement of compliance setting for date time location was read in accordance with requirements of the open public meetings act call was taken this meeting is recessed now being reconvened please stand for a pla Algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you every Thank you, Mr. President. Um, just, you know, this is the one of the best times of year as we we get into the month of April. um you know May comes even more recognition
002or culminating into the June when we celebrate our students. But um this time of year when we get a lot of also national recognition for programs celebrating our our employees and what we do in our schools. Um so one of the things we want to do is uh recognize this is also assistant principal week. Um it's a national assistant principal week. We're grateful for the enormous contributions that our our Wayne school assistant principles make every day to help our students, their role models. They assist our students and our families with any communications and support they need. We thank them for their commitment and resilience and the care they bring to work every day. We're proud of each and every one of them and for their leadership. Um, and our schools are no doubt stronger because
003of them. Also, they're doing such incredible work in our schools. um are power professionals. Um you spend time in a classroom with your power professionals and see that the work and commitment they have to the one-on-one needs with students. Um it's really incredible. So private professional day was celebrated on April 1st. It's an honor to recognize and celebrate the prior professionals for their hard work and dedication to our schools. Private professionals play a critical role in supporting our teachers, students, and providing valuable classroom assistance. The district has done so much over the past few years and elevated our standards for our students and it wouldn't be possible without our career professionals. So, we recognize the vital role they play and we thank them for everything they do to make our schools a better place to
004learn and work. Um, we also have World Autism Month. Um, every April Autism Speaks celebrates World Autism Month. Um, beginning with the United Nations sanctions um world identified World Autism Month as April 2nd. April is Autism Awareness Month. It's time to increase our understanding of the autism spectrum and understand and encourage acceptance and inclusion and celebrate the unique strengths and abilities that children on the spectrum do have. Uh I know there will be a presentation tonight on chronic absenteeism uh by by Dr. Kasmark and just a reminder that all schools uh will be closed um on April 16th for that very special primary election that'll be taking place in our schools. So just a reminder, one last thing I do want to share with anyone from the public that's here. I was invited just prior
005to spring break to um see the photo uh sorry uh the photo department at uh Wayne Hills. They had like um exhibit on the photo and amazing work by the students and we had the opportunity to purchase some photos. So here's some uh photographs that the photographs I purchased. I just think it was just just you know amazing. It's going great in the superintendent's office, you know, reminds us of what we're here for. Um this one I really loved. It's just the students um in the stands just, you know, being happy to be there. The smiling faces again a reminder to everyone in education why we're here. And um this one just held a special place to me. I, you know, love the scene of New York City. I thought the uh student did a
006great job with the black and white and um uh always has great memories for me uh this view of um lower Manhattan. So, I want to thank uh the students that uh contributed to the exhibit and um for their staff for um getting me back the pictures that I purchased. So, thank you, >> Dr. Gasma. So, I'll be quick. We the state of New Jersey requires us to present on chronic absenteeism yearly. So it is available through the school performance reports which are on the department of eds website. They update this yearly. So the new reports should be up usually at sometime in this month although they are not updated yet. A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school days that they are currently in. So that means
007if you were absent for the month of September, two days that month would be considered chronically absent because we would only have been in school for one month. In New Jersey, if students are are considered chronically absent if they are 18 or more, it doesn't matter whether they're excused or unexcused absences in a school year. And when students are considered chronically absent, 10% or more of them, the school's required to complete a corrective action plan. Last year we had double the amount of schools with over 10%. So this year we only have three. So Ryerson at 10.4%. This is almost a 10% deduction to where they were last year. Last year they were over 20%. Skyler at 12.1 and GW at 16%. There were five schools last year that were chronic had chronic accident rates
008over 10%. So in the in the corrective action plan, each one of those three schools has done surveys of families to identify reasons and barriers that may be contributing to school attendance. And then they all they each have separate plans. They're not the same plans for each school. They each have separate plans to identify ways to increase and continue with a set with attendance. Every one of them has some version of clubs or activities that are happening after school to keep kids excited about coming to school. incentive programs for consistent attendance and each one has a system for coordinated check-ins with families and students. >> I'll just add to that, Danielle. I I know I I one of the principles was talking to me about a concerned parent about because they received the letter. Um
009we send out letters as reminders uh when students hit certain absence mark because the last thing you want to do is you know tell a parent that you know listen your your child is chronically absent because you hit the 18th day. You want to send out when they're absent five times when they're absent 10 times when they're absent 13 times. Just you know so they're they're aware um the impact that it has. And by no means that we we are we trying to be punitive to parents by sending letters out. We just want parents to be knowledgeable of it. Um, and it's important because just like anything else, you know, the more you're there, the more you see, obviously, the better chance we have to educate you and get you on on on grade level
010for where you're supposed to be. Um, and one thing I always like to talk to parents about, and you know, it's kind of like a parents don't understand like, but it's an excused absence. I said, well, it is an excused absence. the the state really recognized you you can be absent up to 18 times and you have 180 days to be here. So 18 times that's a lot like you know I know a lot of people who work and you know you don't have that many days in which you can be absent uh in your line of work. So in you know if you're if I say to parents all time if you're going to go to you know extend a little family trip to Florida that's great. I want you to do That's a
011great learning time, but you still have to do with within those 18 days. And if your child's going to be sick to do within those 18 days, it's a a lot of a lot of days um to over 180 days, you have to. Now, again, does something happen? Our children do children become ill and something serious happens or there's a serious matter in the family goes beyond it? Sure. And we can look at that and we can look at waiverss for that. But the the goal of the whole program is to really identify that we need your kids in school. We need them there because we have a better chance of making a difference in their lives when they're there in the seats with us. >> Revisions to the agenda. >> Okay. Uh under section
012R, emergent administrative, we're going to add number four, approval of future ready schools advisory committee. Be it resolved that the Wayne Township Board of Education hereby establishes the future ready schools advisory committee as an advisory committee to the board consistent with applicable board policy and the board's authority to form committees in support of its work and that this action is consistent with Wayne Township board policy number 0155. make recommendations to the board and act in an advisory capacity but are not authorized to act on behalf of the board. At this point, we will open the meeting to the public for agenda items only. This portion of the meeting is open to the citizens for comment on agenda items only. Residents are to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to three
013minutes per person. Members of the public are discouraged from speaking negatively about an employee or a student. The board bears no responsibility for comments made by the public. Comments regarding employees or a student cannot be legally responded to by the board. Other comments may be responded to tonight or at a subsequent meeting under all business. Do I have a mover? Mr. Agnes, Mr. H. >> Anyone from the public wishing to speak? >> See no one move to close. Mr. Mr. Favor, Mr. P. Um, do have a move for the agenda. Mr. Favor, Mr. Paul, >> the committees that met tonight. >> Mrs. Regosa. >> Okay. So, I have a little bit of an update for the education committee. Um, discuss a few items. The first one I want to talk about is the new partnership
014with the Wayne Education Foundation to hold Safety Town. Uh, this summer. Registration began last month and we are very excited that we are able to continue the vision of holding this program for all our incoming kindergarten students. I know my kids all went through it and they loved it. It was such a wonderful introduction to uh starting the kindergarten facilities. The committee also reviewed some proposal updates to the middle school track. This month the district will update families about changes to the criteria and appeal process for the next school year. Couple other things um we talked about were um the resource room program. There is a meeting next Tuesday, Anthony Wayne Middle School, 6:30. We will have a rep there. Please come to have all your questions answered. Um >> special. >> Yeah. Um uh
015we also talked about the elementary enrollment update. We talked about the new curriculum resources for 2627. Um we talked about uh summer school change. And lastly, we talked about the presidential award. The department of education has um no longer uh has discontinued the the presidential award. So what we did in the Wayne district if we decided to play replace it with the superintendent award so our middle schoolers will have a nice award and you'll find out about it more uh at the end of the year. Thank you >> Mr. So tonight uh earlier this evening the finance committee met and it's pretty uh simple. We uh discussed a couple of uh transportation agreements with South Berg and Joint Commission. Sussex County Regional Cooperative Transportation. Uh we discussed to uh dispose of any obsolete and surplus
016equipment. Uh pretty much included three vans and two wheelchairs to salvage. There was some recycled tech that we'll be uh disposing of. We also discussed some future plans for the budget um which is you know still waiting we're waiting to hear back from the county for uh we're looking at some contracts for um behavioral services professional development and potentially going out for RFPs for uh auditors architects and uh potentially health insurance brokerage anybody else. Uh the citizens budget committee met on Tuesday night. Um we addressed some outstanding questions, Mr. Sadino, uh that have come up since our last meeting. Um Mr. Darkco um spoke about the county submission of our budget and where we are now. Um the committee discussed shared services enrollment and infrastructure. um the impact of the increase in enrollment um with
017the new housing developments and also a f possibility of a future referendum. We also looked at contingency planning should the state or county uh force force us to change our budget and um we will get then the committee will be meeting within the next couple of weeks to once we get our budget back from the county. Any discussion on the agenda? See none. >> Mr. Faber, >> yes. >> Mr. Hayen, >> yes. >> Mrs. Landry is absent. >> Mr. Paul, >> yes. >> Mr. Pacos is absent. >> Mr. Agnes, >> yes. >> Mr. Eloquin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Regalos, >> I'm just going to um T8 item one. H O and yes to wall. >> Yes. >> Mr. Pava. >> Yes. And I'll abain on HRT. >> All motion passes. >> At this time, we
018will portion the meeting will open to citizens for comment on any topic. Residents are asked to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to 5 minutes per person. Members of the public are discouraged in speaking negatively about an employee or student. Board bears no responsibility for comments made by the public. Comments regarding employees or students cannot be legally responded to by the board. Other comments may be responded to tonight. That is up to quick meeting under business. Do I have a mover? Mr. Hayman, Mr. Anyone from the public wishing to speak? See, no one move. the old business, new business. Board member comments. Uh again, as Mrs. Relosso said, just a reminder, as we said, we were going to hold a special ed round table concerning uh changes that um were
019proposed by administration. Uh that'll be next Tuesday night, 6:30 at Anthony Wayne. Uh that'll be out in the newsletter tomorrow. um the citizens advisory uh the new citizen advisory committee that um the board formed tonight. Um this will they will be taking a deeper look into um uh future of the Wayne schools. It's really a future ready school advisory committee. Um we saw how well the budget committee is working and so now we're going to start expanding even further. The idea behind this committee is simple. We want community members to have a voice. We will look at our school buildings, how they're being used, how enrollment may be changing, and what the impact of the continued residential growth is to the district. Uh the committee will be advisory only. It's not created to make decisions,
020but rather to review information, ask questions, and provide input to the board. Um and also for transparency. Um we will be uh we were hoping to do in April. It's probably not going to happen until the beginning of May. Uh we will uh have our demographer in the demographic study will be released um to the public. Uh but we're hoping to get that in early May as soon as we can. We're still put final touches on it due to the ever changing landscape of building that's happening and um we'll go forward from there. Leave it at right motion tojour. Thank you everyone.