001[Music] Merry Christmas. Heat. Heat. [Music] Have you seen anybody here? All right. How are you? Let's go lady. Good evening everyone. The executive session of the Wayne board of education regular meeting of May 15, 2025 was convened in the conference room of the administrative offices of the board of education 15 way New Jersey. Statement of compliance setting forth date, time, and location was read in accordance with the requirements of the open public meetings act and a roll call was taken. The meeting was recessed and is now being reconvened. I would ask everyone to please stand for flag salute followed by a moment of [Music] silence. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
002Thank you everyone. Please be seated. Dr. Tobeck. Okay. So, um to start this evening, I'd like to share this week is special education week in New Jersey and this year's theme is planting the seeds of education. The theme celebrates the foundational role education plays in the growth and success of all students, including those with disabilities. Wayne's commitment to inclusion is evidence is evident through its active participation in events like the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K, the gathering spot, which is a district goal for this year. The ongoing work of the Special Education Parents Advisory Group and the Wayne Special Parents Association. Additionally, our involvement in unified sports showcases the power of teamwork and belonging by bringing students of all abilities together through athletics. And we also have our inclusive events like the Turkey Trot 5K. Creating
003safe, supportive environments like CPAG and WSPA meetings along with community gatherings through the gathering spot provides families with invaluable opportunities to connect, share resources, and build a sense of belonging. We are especially grateful for the dedication of parents and guardians who participate in all these educational events that strengthen our community and enhance learning for all. By continuing to raise awareness, celebrate accomplishments, expand inclusive programming, and offer meaningful engagement and professional development, Wayne is cultivating a culture that values and supports every learner. Together during special education week and beyond, we reaffirm our commitment to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive, grow, and reach their full potential. So, the next part of um this evening involves recognizing our outgoing student representatives. So, if you two would uh come join me at the podium and
004Okay. Okay. So, um, in New Jersey, the inclusion of student representatives on boards of education is guided by a state statute that was enacted in 2022 that mandates the participation of high school students in government. This law establishes the legal basis for student involvement and shapes the framework within each school district to develop policy in this area. The state requires that all school boards serving students in grades 9 to 12 include at least one student representative at its meetings. While student representatives at board meetings are relatively new in New Jersey, as I mentioned, I would like to mention that the Wayne Board of Education has invited students from each of the high schools to attend board of education meetings for decades. This year, we have two exceptional student representatives who are representatives of this year's
005senior class. Both of them are interested in studying business and both of them will be off to great universities this fall to continue their studies. First, Addison Deal from Wayne Hills. [Applause] Okay. Addison will be attending the University of Alabama Honors College for business in the fall and she'll be majoring in marketing. And then we have Isabella Grch from Wayne Valley. Okay. So, Isabella will be attending the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University this fall and she will also be majoring in marketing and also business analytics. Okay. So, part of so they don't go away unscathed. What I did is I I like to have our student representatives ask a few quick questions about their or answer a few quick questions about their experience sitting here at the board meetings for an entire year.
006So that's that's a lot of time and I'm sure you've learned a lot. So I was hoping that each of you could answer two questions. The first one being if you want to get started, what have you learned as a result of being here at these at the board meetings? Um, being a student representative has really helped me to learn more about the impacts and changes happening around me. It has helped me to connect with all parts of Wayne Valley and learn more about what the board does and how their decisions affect our school. This position has helped me to keep my eyes and ears open on things around me and that directly face me because of the effect that they have. I now realize how many students do not know what might be happening
007around them or the weight of their opinion. I think that it is important that students are aware of the decisions being made for them in order for them to constructively build upon those decisions in order to make their school environment a much better place which is exactly what being a representative has helped me to realize. Isabelle, would you consider being a member of the board of education in the future? in the future. Serving as a board member is something I am open to. This experience has certainly given me a different perspective and helped me to be more aware of the board of education's role within our school system. I am someone who likes to take on leadership positions and believe I have a good perspective on what a student needs to thrive. However, there is
008still much time and factors left undiscovered to make a decision. [Applause] Why don't you share a little bit about what you learned being um here for an entire year participating in board meetings. Being a student representative was such a valuable experience. I learned a lot about leadership and communication and also got a real sense of how hard it is to run a town. It's not just about making decisions. It's about listening to everyone's perspective and finding solutions that work for the whole community. It gave me a lot of respect for the people who work in our local government and how much effort goes into keeping everything running smoothly. Same question to you. Would you consider being a board member someday or running for the board of ed? When it comes to serving as a board
009member, I'm not really sure what the future holds. It's definitely a lot of work and there's always some problem that needs to be solved, but it's a fantastic opportunity and I love being involved in leadership. [Applause] And thanks to both of you for being e excellent representatives for each of your high schools. [Applause] So now I'm going to ask our high school athletic directors to come forward, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Carich and we're going to spend some time recognizing our student athletes for just some exceptional performances uh in the past few months. So I'm not sure who Yep. We got the order. You got it. We got the order. All right. Great. Uh I'd like to first thank the board of education superintendent Dr. Tobach, assistant superintendent Dr. Kazmark for allowing us to represent Wayne Hills
010High School in honoring Elizabeth Danaqua uh for her outstanding performance this year during the winter season of winter track. Liz has made tremendous impact on our program over the last few seasons. She has broken and reset our school record in both shot putting discus. This winter alone Liz was state county champion the big north champion the north one group three sectional meet champion. Liz has set new record of 39 ft 7 in and 3/4 in the shot put. She finished fourth in the group three meet and placed 23rd in the state tournament of champions. Liz also qualified for the New Balance Nationals in Boston where she placed 39th in the country. Wow. [Music] Liz Liz will be attending the University of Rhode Island in the fall on a full athletic scholarship. Congratulations and thank you
011again. [Music] Yep. Oh yeah. There you go. Congratulations. Congratulations. [Applause] severely underdressed for this event. All three of us were at the same time. [Applause] Okay. Uh, I'd also like to thank everybody for coming and thank you for hosting tonight. Uh, we have, uh, a couple, uh, different accolades I'd like to get across. First is, uh, swimmer Sarah Rodriguez. Sarah had an undeniably historic high school career, setting a new standard in our program with seven school records and six county records. Her dominance in the 100 backstroke, winning two titles at the meet of champions, speaks to her exceptional talent. Sarah has proven to be one of the most technically skilled and consistent swimmers our program has ever seen. Her ability to deliver at the highest level time and time again, especially as an anchor for
012our relays, has been exciting to watch over the course of the last four years. She is talented across stroke and across distances. A perfect example of that would be her ability to break both the 500 freestyle and 50 freestyle record in the same season. They are very, very different events and not even her strongest events. Sarah's accomplishments at Wayne Valley have been nothing short of extraordinary, and we're excited to see what she can achieve as she takes the next step in her swimming career at Texas. The opportunities ahead of her are limitless, and with continued hard work and dedication, she has the potential to reach even greater heights in the sport. Competing at the collegiate level will change her in new ways, and we have no doubt she will rise to the occasion. We look
013forward to following her journey, and can't wait to see all she accomplishes in the years to come. Come on up. [Applause] Next we have our competition cheer [Applause] [Music] team, the Green Valley High School competition cheerleading team has achieved historic success this season, marked by resilience, determination, and a strong sense of family among its members. Seasoned veterans and new athletes trained rigorously, ultimately leading them to win the independence division title and become national champions. In a remarkable week, they also secured second place county championship and triumphed at triumph at the Big North Conference, showing their talent and grit. The team overcoming numerous challenges including injuries and routine changes went on to win the state title in a new division achieving an impressive score of 93.9 which was the second highest score in the state. Coach
014Caitlyn's recognition as coach of the year underscores the strong leadership that fueled their accomplishments. The season has no not only been about victories but also about building lasting bonds and learning the importance of teamwork. The Wayne Valley competition cheer teams journey and the legacy they created reflect their dedication and unity ensuring that this season will be remembered as a significant chapter in their history. So they won the big north independent division champion uh big north overall champs that was 28 teams involved there. Second place counties and state champions uh in varsity co-ed division and Dakota Hansen also received second team all state awards. I'm going to call out each member. Okay. Now, I'm going to call the team up. Uh, Victoria Arthur, Jasine, Jasine Az, Lillian Barbara, Jordan Barnes, Lauren Bey, Sienna Bonioani, Ella Capazano,
015[Applause] Gina Decker, Ava Ganguza, Olivia Gavin, Deerra Gonzalez, Isabella Granado, Dakota Hansen, Alana Quaison, Sienna Kick, Lily March, [Applause] Giana Mongelli, Maya, Munos, Avery Pua, Jaylen Basos Perez, Emily Porfido, Juliana Pagle, Natalie Rowski, Alexa Sabino, [Applause] Ivette Tennyson, Maya Truman, Amberly Velasquez, Elijah Velasquez, Reese Wentink, and Kayla Wolfberger. [Applause] Thank you very much. [Music] are going to be able to be a break really top. I'm tired of being in the pictures. Every time you turn [Music] away so far, [Applause] [Music] the Wayne Valley wrestling team also had an outstanding season, setting a new school record with 21 wins. For the first time in program history, the team earned back-to-back state championships, marking a major milestone. They also captured titles in the Big North Conference, league, county, and district, sweeping every major championship. Nine wrestlers advanced
016the regionals with three Noah Zandaki, Adam Suz, and Adam Newfal qualifying for the NJSIAA state championships in Atlantic [Applause] City. Noah Zandaki achieved an impressive individual milestone by surpassing 100 career wins. This historic season reflects the dedication of our student athletes, coaching staff, and the continued support of the Wayne Valley community. Okay, we ready? All right. Devin Bolton, George Kuragua, Ben Cooper, Alex Holdfeld, Wilson Javier, Dominic Lley, Ryan Massie, Adam Lufal, Alex [Applause] Perez, Cole Perry, John Piggmano, Adam Suz, Justin Tahari, Shelby Tahari, Sean Vaninda, And no donkeys. [Applause] [Music] All right. right here. Just wondering where the Wayne Valley wrestling coach is. There you go. [Music] All right. Thank you. [Music] How is this on the end here. Who's this board member on the end? Oh, I got him confused with Brian. Congratulations. Sending
017my congratulations. Yeah, that's amazing. [Applause] You think so? Makes sense. Dr. Tobeck. So to just quickly wrap up my reporting, so I have to report the following data related to HIV incidents in the Wayne Township public schools. There were eight incidents of HIV investigated since my last report and three of those cases were deemed to meet the criteria of actual HIV incidents. Thank you. At this time, we're going to the board's going to go into executive session for personnel matter. Uh we should be about a half hour to 45 minutes and then we will come back out and resume the meeting. Mr. President. Yes, sir. Should we allow the student reps? Absolutely. Absolutely. Ladies, it's all yours. Good evening. Tomorrow, Christopher Dulli, Wayne Hills, class of 2016, will come to speak to Mr. Schill's AP
018government students. Mr. Dulli is the communications director of the US House of Representatives member Susie Lee, Democrat for Nevada. Mr. Dr. Dioli is a kind enough to make time for Wayne Hill students speaking to them about working in Congress, life in Washington DC, and what our students can do if they choose this career path in politics. As for spring sports, individual county champs for track and field include Elizabeth Denqua in two events, disc and shot put. For shot, she broke the school record for the second time this season with a distance of 39 ft and 6 in. Senior Mackenzie Moore in the long jump. Wayne Hills boys tennis team is having a great season. Current team record four 14 and three eight in the league. Pay county championship for the 20th consecutive season and won
019five positions in the tournament to earn the full 20 points. Congratulations to Wayne Hills senior Nicole Gilbert. She is this year's recipient to the Italian Teacher Association of New Jersey $1,000 scholarship. This award is only given to one student. She will be studying finance and accounting at Satan Hall University in the fall. Wayne Hill student council has created a new initiative this year this year to recognize and celebrate staff members on their appreciation days. Most recently, we celebrate teachers appreciation week with fun activities for each day. On Monday, we threw a breakfast for the entire staff to enjoy catered by Mashino's food services. We named Tuesday Thankful Tuesday. We had all personalized letters for each teacher on their classroom door. Each letter was unique and special to the individual for the specific teacher written by
020one of our student council members. On Wednesday, we had a cabana coffee truck come and each teacher was able to order their favorite coffee or tea to start the day. On Thursday, student council and their adviserss walked around the school with a snack cart. Staff members were able to pick their favorite snacks as a midday pickme up. On Friday, student council handed out teacher superlative awards after voting on different categories. Additionally, all week we had teachers facts going on. 60 teachers provided a random fact about themselves. Staff members were able to meet new people having engaging conversations and make connections all week. On Friday, Friday, they submitted their final guesses for a chance to win prizes courtesy of student council and principal Rook. Throughout student council fundraisers and initiatives with the fun trends and videos
021showcased on our Instagram, we have been celebrating our school spirit for Wayne Hills, maintaining a warm and joyful school climate to benefit all. Wayne Valley had a great end to April and an impressive start to May. First, on April 23rd, the school celebrated administrative prof professionals day. We celebrated the faculty and showed our appreciation throughout the day. They truly are a group of unsung heroes. On April 24th, 25th, and 26th, Wayne Valley hosted the annual SDA performance. Both teams, blue and white, put together a great show surrounding the theme Cartoon Network with jazz, palm, and aerob aerobics and tap routines. White overall Sanjaith and blue overall Lily March along with their captains showcased their amazing talents and choreography. Congratulations to all the girls on an amazing season. Wayne Valley also celebrated Take Your Child to
022Work Day. Different clubs and departments held special events to make the day special for the kids. The foods classes prepared yummy pancakes for them while the art classes helped them to create their own pieces. Throughout the day, there were many fun activities that created that created a great atmosphere for the visiting kids and for the students as well. Our photo program has continued to bring in more success. Three Wayne Valley students received awards in the Join's North America photo competition. About approximately 5,000 students enter every year. Danielle Brown won a third place award in the photo illustrations and manipulations category. Delila Stewart won third place in the academics and community service category. And Gata Ten won an honorable mention. Congratulations to all the students. On Wednesday, May 21st, the Wayne Township Automotive Program will hold
023their car show. This showcase this will showcase our talented students and their amazing projects they have produced all year long. The event will be held at Wayne Hills and food and music can be expected. Also on May 21st, the Wayne Valley art program will be hosting their annual art show. This will take place in the Wayne Valley Media Center and will allow guests to enjoy all the artwork made throughout the year from visual foundations all the way to AP Studio Art. The exhibit will stay in the media center for students to enjoy throughout the rest of the week. stop by to see the amazing talent these students have produced. On May 1st, seniors celebrated decision day. Seniors were asked to wear a shirt or item of clothing representing their future school or path. Throughout the
024day, students took pictures celebrating their success and final decision. During lunch, the guidance counselors helped to make an ice cream party to cheer us on and signal the end of a long and stressful college process. Last week, Wayne Valley celebrated teacher appreciation week. To start the week off, peer leaders sent anonymous letters to different teachers, letting them know just how much they mean to their students. Later on in the week, student council delivered food to the teachers and the CAD students made custom gifts. Teachers enjoyed a nice coffee truck on Thursday and kudos bars from the culinary students. On Friday, the PTO held a lunchon and the graphic design students made custom mugs for each teacher. Throughout the week, the Wii A club held a fun gift raffle for the teachers. The students of Wayne
025Valley truly appreciate all the teachers do and say thank you for being such inspiring mentors. On May 4th, Wayne Wayne Relay for Life partnered with the Color Run in honor in order to honor our late principal, Mr. Palski. Valley students joined together to remember the beloved educator, mentor, and friend that Mr. Palszki was to so many. All proceeds from the event went to the American Cancer Society. It was a great way to celebrate the life that was lived by our amazing principal. During these past two weeks, students are officially taking their AP exams. Good luck to all. Lastly, spring sports have flown by and have had amazing success. Wayne Valley baseball is sporting win after win and are keeping the record strong. Wayne Valley softball has also had an amazing season with captain Sophia Pasor
026breaking the school record of 122 career hits and senior captain Emma Pulitz reaching 100 career hits. Congratulations to boys tennis for reaching county finals. Girls flag football, boys volleyball, golf and track and field have all had amazing seasons. Well done to all the athletes. Congratulations to Wayne Valley for an amazing school year. Amongst change, hardship, and stress, you were all able to persevere. Good luck to the class of 2025 and all their future endeavors. Thank you. Thank you, [Music] Addison Isabella. On behalf of the board, I want to thank you for your time and your dedication that you've put in over the last uh year almost. Um I I hope the lessons you've learned here that you can take with you when you go to college and when you read the book and see what
027the book says, then you can tell everybody in the class this is the way the world really works. I thank you and I wish you all both the best of luck. and know you will be very successful no matter what path you go. Thank you. All right. At this time, the board's going to move into executive session for about 30 to 45 minutes. Uh we have a personnel issue along with a legal issue. Um and at that time, we'll be coming back and we will be taking action. Thank you. Have a motion. Move, Mr. Chair Dano, Mrs. Regaloso. Thank you. Thank you for your patience. I appreciate it. Um, we have one revision to the agenda. Item V is in Victor number eight is going to be withdrawn. At this time, we'll open the portion
028of the meeting to citizens for comment on agenda items only. Residents are asked to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to three minutes per person. Members of the public are discouraged from speaking negatively about an employee or student. The 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 or at subsequent meeting under old business. Do I have a mover? Move. Mr. Chair Dano, Mr. Batter. Anyone from the public wishing to speak on an agenda item? Come on up, sir. [Music] Good evening, members of the board. My name is Jason Lewitz, 26 Madison Street in Wayne. I'm also a parent of a sixth grade violist at Anthony Wayne, a lifelong
029violinist and a supervisor of performing arts in Clifton Public Schools. Over five years ago, I stood with two other advocates to help establish Wayne great program because we believed our children deserve access to a complete well-rounded arts education. Today, I'm frustrated and saddened to see that vision quietly dismantled, justified by the claim that the program quote unquote only serves 2% of the population, but 2% of what population? That figure lacks context. And worse, it masks the deeper issue that this program was never given the support needed to grow. Let's look at the facts. The elementary strings program serves about 140 students across nine schools with just one teacher trying to do it all. At the middle school level, one strings teacher is stretched across all three buildings while each band teacher is assigned to a
030single middle school. And more concerning, many students and parents have shared serious concerns about that one middle school string teacher's effectiveness. At the high school level, there's no strings teacher whatsoever. There's no pathway forward for string students once they leave middle school. And meanwhile, elementary band, which serves about 450 students, has almost five dedicated teachers. The gaze program, which serves approximately 100 students across the district, has two full-time staff members. And lastly, at the high school level, there's about 160 students enrolled in band across a combined student population of 2400. That percentage is nearly identical to the strength enrollment at the elementary level. Yet, the band program continues as it should, even after staff reduction, while strengths is being eliminated entirely. As Clifton's art supervisor, I've seen firsthand how a program like this can thrive
031when it's supported. We started with just a handful of string students like Wayne. Today, we have over a thousand. It took vision, consistency, and patience, but we believed in the long game, and it paid off. Research backs us up. String students consistently outperform their peers on standardized tests. They develop precision, focus, resilience, and emotional intelligence. trait traits every district should want to cultivate, not eliminate. Wayne didn't cut a program that failed. He cut a program that was never properly staffed. And now, instead of investing in solutions, were taking away one of the few spaces where some students truly find their voice. And I urge you, don't let this be the legacy of this board. Don't quietly close the door in a program full of potential. And please reconsider this decision and restore strength. And let's
032not dismantle opportunity, let's rebuild it. Thank you for your time. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, my name is One second, young man. Yes. Thank you. Okay, you're good. Hi, my name is Henry Pas. I live at 82 Point View Parkway. I'm a fifth grader at AP and I've been part of the strings program this year. I play violin and it's something I really love doing. I'm here tonight because I heard the district might be cutting the strings program and I'm really upset about that. I've worked hard all year learning how to play and I was really looking forward to continuing next year in middle school. I want to keep getting better and be part of the Wayne Strings Orchestra. I don't understand why something so important would be taken away. Music is just as important as
033sports, reading, or math. It teaches us discipline, creativity, and how to express ourselves. Please don't take away the strings program. Please give me and other kids the chance to keep learning and growing throughout music. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening members of the board. My name is Adam Gora and I live on 18 Canton Road. I am a seventh grader at Skyler Kfax Middle School. I have been playing the violin for four years and have been part of the school strings program for almost that entire time. I began my strings adventure back in fourth grade with Miss Edell. She was a wonderful teacher. She was always enthusiastic and ready to answer any of my questions. She helped me get into my for first orchestra where I learned many new techniques that came in handy later
034on. She often spent extra time helping us improve at the end of class and she'd often hand out stickers as encouragement. In middle school, I met Miss Weiner, a very skilled strings player who has been teaching for over 30 years. She introduced me to shifting shifting into higher positions on the violin, a very valuable skill, and she often stayed after school to help students who needed extra support. She sometimes was strict, but she always rewarded our hard work. Over time, the violin lessons started feeling less like a class and more as a fun group where we learned and played music together. Miss Weiner started to feel more like a friend than just a teacher. Then this year I joined another orchestra led by the new elementary school teacher Mr. Tapielski. We meet every Thursday at
035Wayne Valley. The orchestra has been growing to around 15 students ranging from fifth graders to high schoolers. Over time, we've built friendships while learning to play challenging and fun music together. Reflecting back, I've noticed one quality that all my strings teachers share. They always make time for us, even outside of class. They go above and beyond, often spending their own money on music, instruments, and even even small treats. Most importantly, they're enthusiastic and make everybody feel included, helping build a strong and supportive string community that I will never forget. That is why I'm asking you, please do not cut the strings program. It is a valuable opportunity for students to grow, especially for those whose families cannot afford private lessons. It gives students a chance to practice playing in an orchestra, just like my younger
036brother who will be eligible to join next year. As a beginner, he needs this kind of training and I know from personal experience how much it can benefit him in the future. The strings program has helped me become a better musician and I hope it will continue to help others for the years to come. Please take this from me and my friends. Do not cut the strings program. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening members of the board of education. My name is Albert Gora. I live on 18 Canton Road and I'm 9 years old. I'm a third grader at Tunisai. I'm here today because I really want to be part of the strings program next year. My big brother Adam was in the strings program and I remember how proud he was when he learned
037to play the violin. I used to watch him practice at home and sometimes he even let me try his own instrument. That made me so excited to join the strings program one day just like he did. I'm already practicing so I'll be ready for next year. I've been waiting for my turn and now I'm being told that it might not happen. Learning music is important. It helps kids like me, concentrate, be creative, and feel proud of something we work hard at. Playing an instrument isn't just fun. It also teaches us responsibility and teamwork. I hope that you can pretty please with the cherry on the top keep the strings program in our schools. There are many so many kids like me who want this chance. My mom always says, "If there's a will, there's a
038way." Thank you for listening to me. Thank you. [Applause] That's a hard act to follow. Um, good evening, Board of Ed. You may not have ever seen me here because this is indeed my first meeting. I am a soon-to-be resident of Wayne, 13 Cook Road. Uh my name is Nancy Classen. My family has deep roots in this community for over 70 years and a history here. My mother was part of the first graduating class of Wayne Hills High School in 1968. I am proud to continue that legacy and by becoming a part of this community both as a resident and as a lifelong music educator. with 25 years of teaching experience in the field of music education and as a current member of the board of directors for the New Jersey music educators state board.
039I am here to express my concern over the potential elimination of the string program of Wayne Schools. While I understand there are budget constraints that districts face, I urge you to protect this vital program. Music education is not a luxury. It is a powerful academic and emotional tool. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that music supports cognitive development, boosts academic performance, and enhances students emotional and social well-being. The arts offer a unique outlet for creativity, collaboration, and problem solving, especially for those students who may not find their niche in traditional academics or athletics. And not to mention, it is a proven fact that students who study music score higher on the standardized tests. Wayne's music faculty is among is among the best in the state. The district has built a reputation for strong music programs and eliminating
040any part of them would not only hurt current students but would also impact the district's standing and appealed for future families. Furthermore, I as a music educator and as a board member of the state board for music teachers will be happy to assist in researching and complying a list of grants and alternative funding sources that could help support and maintain this string program. There are resources available to ensure the financial limitations do not jeopardize the opportunities our children deserve. Please know I am committed to supporting this program as a future taxpayer here and for the community in any way that I can. Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your dedication to the students of Wayne. Thank you. [Applause] One last thing, I have a compiled list of 12 grants, Dr. Toback. [Applause] Sure,
041I'll take Good evening. Good evening. My name is Ursula Gura. I live on 18 Canton Road and I'm a public school educator as well as a parent of two boys at our school system. I moved to rain from across the ocean filled with hope and the belief that my children would receive a wonderful enriching education. However, lately I've been heartbroken to hear things from my sons that I never expected. My younger son is worried about the condition of his school building, especially a leaking roof. and my older son has had to miss scheduled classes because of the same issue. In addition to these concerns, I've learned that programs my sons are care very deeply about are being cut. We definitely can do better. There are school districts around the world operating with smaller budgets, yet
042they manage to prioritized what's the most important, students and their growth. I have emailed many of you twice on behalf of myself and other families present here today and I received no response. One parent shared that she did receive a reply to her email from the assistant of the superintendent stating that the string program only serves 2% of the student population and that it is why it will be cut. to that I say 150 students is not just a percentage. It's nearly six full classes of children. That's more than many programs currently being supported. If you look into those faces, you will see joy, discipline, teamwork, and just good kids. You will see children gaining confidence and building friendship all through music. Music, especially in small groups like string ensembles, is more than just an
043activity. It supports social emotional learning, teaches commitment, and offers a safe space to express feelings. It can be life-changing. The cost of the entire district-wide strings program is approximately $250,000. It's a cost equivalent to one maximum two central office administrative positions. Is cutting this program really a smart and student centered choice? With the arrival of Mr. Topielski, the program began to flourish once again. The orchestra is sounded better than ever. Children look forward to rehearsals, to performing, and to growing. This program only takes two periods per week in each school, but its impacts last a lifetime. Please, let's brainstorm solutions together. Let's find a way to keep this program alive, support and save the strings program. Not only because it serves 150 students, but it also because it enriches all Wayne Township public schools. Thank
044you. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening, uh, members of the board of education. Um, thank you for hearing us out. Um, thank you for all of your your efforts, uh, to this point. Um, sir, excuse me. Can you give us your name and address, please? My name is Greg Palusni. Um, I live I live on Point View Parkway. I've been a resident of Wayne for the last two years. Um, I moved from Elmwood Park. Um, when I was researching where I want to move, um, I took different districts under cons consideration, different towns. Wayne, um, offered a lot of the things that I was looking for. Um, one of the things that was that was important to me is all the choices that the kids have, all the different programs. Um so we made the decision
045to to move into Wayne. The last two years have been um overall very positive. Um the the schools overall are very positive but in the last few few months we've gotten um the information that the strings program is being cut. My son um joined this strings program um last year. He found it very very um very good. Um he took advantage of of his of his um of his friends. He he found time um instead of playing on the iPad to um concentrate on something else. So please take under consideration what um the strings program can can offer. Um do your best. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening members of the board. My name is Gary Frank and I live at 53 Joseph Place. My son has been with the string program since fourth grade.
046He is now a sophomore in high school. We decided to move to Wayne. One reason was the school district was outstanding and superb. So, thank you for having that go on. Getting rid of the strings program is more than just getting rid of a program that 2% of students attend. It is getting rid of music, a music program that's very necessary to help kids. My son has learned focus. He has learned community. He has learned math. Don't tell him that. He has learned to be a better person. He has learned a love of music. All different kinds of music. And that's because of the Wayne Strings program and getting rid of it only hurts the community. It hurts the students as well. And I think it's very important that we continue with this program. I've
047heard different ways to make this happen. I don't think this should be a the budget doesn't allow so we're getting rid of it period. I think there's a lot of options that are available to the board and the residents and perhaps having a special meeting that you promote as a meeting to discuss the strings program. Unfortunately, one of the things I've seen is a lack of of promoting the strings at the high school level. It's it it's a funny thing when you say there are so few students in the strings program in high school. Well, it's not promoted to the parents, to the families, and it needs to be so that kids who are learning strings in elementary and middle school have a place to come in high school and be a part of that
048program. Thank you, and I hope this all works out for the best. Thank you. Thank you, members of the board. My name is Nancy Frank. I live at 53 Joseph Place. My son Benjamin has been with the strings program since fourth grade. He survived through the period where COVID took it out and we didn't have any music. Band came back first. That never understood to me because band was wind strings came back second a year later with a lot of pushing and a lot of requesting to resupport that program. I have been advocating for the strings program all through his middle school years when there wasn't going to be a teacher at first to his high school years where he's probably one of five students in Wayne Valley High School that has strings class. But
049there are many students that are still there. They were discouraged during middle school because they did not have the support they needed and they felt that they couldn't go on. When we don't promote a program, when we don't support a program, the students lose. We lose students that have talent that they just need nurturing for to build that confidence to move forward. Not all students are sports-minded. We need to have enough programs for these kids to have another outlet. Without music and arts, they will not have those opportunities. The strings program has been separate from band. And I never understood that. There's no reason to separate the programs completely when they are both music programs. Why would we one without the other? Can you explain that to us? You've heard tonight that there are opportunities
050that could support this program even despite the budget cuts. I want to hear about how you're going to explore those grants because if there are opportunities, it makes no sense to cut a program. Not when these children can really grow and blossom in it. My son was so excited to be part of the All Strings Orchestra after school program and actually get to conduct one of the last concerts. He has been working very hard and to lose this program is very disheartening. So I really truly hope that you will reconsider this decision. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else from the public wishing to speak on an agenda item? Seeing no one and I move to close. Mr. Pakis, Mrs. [Music] Rigos. Do I have a mover for the agenda? I like to move the agenda,
051Mr. Dano. I like to move the agenda in total, please. Second, Mr. Batter. Any discussion? Seeing none, roll call. Mr. Alqu. Yes. Mr. Batco, yes. Mr. Faber is absent. Mr. Geodan, yes. Mr. Landry, yes. Mr. Paul is absent. Mr. Pacos, yes. Mrs. Regal also. Yes. And Mr. Pac. Yes. Motion passed. this at this time ask we have some retirements. I'll start down to my right. Mr. Alquin. Today I'll be reading for Taser Marza. With over 20 years of devoted service, we celebrate the retirement of Taser Marza, a valued and steadfast member of the Wayne Township Public School District. Taser began his career as a custodian at James Fallon Elementary School, and for more than two decades, he dedicated himself entirely to that building. a true testament to his loyalty, consistency, and deep knowledge of the
052school. Throughout the years, Taser became a go-to figure at James Fallon. Always dependable and ready to step up one year, including taking on head custodial responsibilities. His familiarity with the building and commitment made him a true, reliable part of the school's community. As Taser closes this meaningful chapter and steps into a well-deserved retirement, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes. Thank you, Taser, for your incredible service. You leave behind a legacy of dedication and pride that would not be forgotten. I'll be reading about Beatric Puchella. Beatrice, otherwise known as B. Puchella, will be retiring from the transportation department on June 25th, 2025. Began her career as a VA as a van aid on September 1st, 20 oh 2003. Over the course of her 21 plus years of service to the Wayne Township public schools,
053she has been dedicated to her work responsibility of assisting students with special needs every day as they ride to and from school. Be has truly made an ass has truly been an asset to the transportation department and her years of experience and knowledge will be missed. Be often chose the roots with the same children so she could watch them grow each year. be especially enjoyed riding with our young preschool students and assisting them with buckling their seat belts. She took extra work in the middle of the day just to ride with them. The transportation department and the Wayne Township public schools wish to express her sincere thanks and appreciation for her outstanding support and dedicated service. Her commitment to the special needs students of the district will be hard to will be hard to replace.
054Beatrice will be missed but never forgotten. From all of your friends, co-workers, we wish you a long, happy, and healthy retirement. All the best you be. Aubrey reading first Sandy Rosen. With deep gratitude and the warmest wishes, we honor the retirement of Sandy Rosen who faithfully served AP Chahoon community as a dedicated caregiver and site lead for nearly 25 years. Since 2000, Sandy has been a constant compassion present, compassionate present in our before and afterare program, offering children supervision and structure, kindness, encouragement, and joy. Her wavering dedication, professionalism, and heartfelt commitment have made a lasting impression on countless childrens and families. Sandy's bond with the children she cared for for enriched for enriched not only for their lives, but also for her own. Her words in retire in her retirement letter reflect the deep connections
055she formed and fulfilled and fulfillment she found in work. Those relationships and the trust she built within our Wayne community are a true testament to her impact. Her children in the program appreciated all the arts and craft projects bought in with the kindness of your heart. Sandy has been more than a sight lead caregiver. She has been a mentor, a friend, a beloved member of the AP Tahoon and before and afterare family. We hope that she will continue her passion for the position by working for the new ch child care company. We look forward to seeing to still being able to eat your delicious homemade cookies and potato and potato lectics um for many holidays to come. On behalf of the Wayne Board of Education, the Wayne Community Program, and AP Humes uh school staff,
056we extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitudes to Sandy Rosen for her extraordinary service. We wish her joy, relaxation, and new adventures in a well- earned retirement. Thank you, Sandy, for 24 wonderful years. This retirement is for Gina Barardi. After over two decades of dedicated service, you were honored to celebrate the retirement of Gina Barardi and admire member of our school community. For more than 20 years, Mrs. Barardi has been a constant presence in the cafeteria and on the playground, helping to create a safe, welcoming, and joyful environment for generations of students. Whether it was offering a kind word at lunchtime, ensuring every child had a friend to play with, or gently guiding students with care and patience, Mrs. Barardi has touched countless lives with her warmth, compassion, and steady presence. Her laughter, kindness, and unwavering
057commitment to our children will be deeply missed by students, staff, and families alike. As Mrs. Bardi embarks on her on this well-earned new chapter, we thank you for her years of tireless service and the love she has poured into our school. Her legacy of care and connection will remain part of our halls and hearts for many years to come. Wishing you all the best in your retirement, Gina, may it be filled with relaxation, adventure, and everything you love. Thank you. I have Debbie Douglas. We bid a fond farewell to Debbie Douglas who's retiring after more than 20 years of dedicated service at the Wayne Township Public Schools as a custodian at Sky Kfax Middle School. Debbie began her journey with us in the early 2000s as a monitor at Wayne Hills High School and quickly
058became known for her reliability, strong work ethic, and positive spirit. Over the years, she brought her commitment and care to every level of schools, high school, junior high, and elementary school, leaving a lasting impact at every stop. as she looks ahead to well-earned retirement in the warmth of North Carolina. We thank Debbie for her years of service and wish her nothing but happiness and relaxation in this exciting new chapter. Congratulations, Debbie. You always will be part of the Wayne School family. I have the honor um of reading uh Miss Cologne from Wayne Valley um her retirement blurb. Miss Cologne is a caring professional who has taught Spanish for over 20 years in the Wayne public school district of mi of which most were at Wayne Valley High School. During her time at Wayne Valley, Miss
059Cologne has taught all levels of Spanish language from Spanish 1 to Spanish for honors. Miss Cologne is a cherished leader and mentor, inspiring collaborator, and passionate Spanish educator. Maria's impact has reached far beyond the classroom. Her unwavering commitment and encouragement to help her students to appreciate the important importance of learning a foreign language in today's global word world was admirable. Maria is an educator who is constantly evolving and creating learning new methods and bringing a fresh enthusiasm to approach to teaching. She's empathetic while expecting the best of her students which is nothing less than she gave to them. Maria has touched the lives of thousands of students as both an excellent educator and class adviser. Her decades of service has contributed to the success of countless young people she was charged to instruct and encourage.
060She has been a mentor to many student teachers and new teachers, a true leader in the world language department and an a separable collaborator to our school. Her legacy is woven into the stories of those she taught and worked alongside and her influence will be felt for years to come. Maria Cologne is a role model and mentor to many of her colleagues. Her collaborative nature demonstrates her unselfish approach to education, always having the best interest of our students and the world language department in mind. Maria is a well-liked and respected by all her colleagues, administration, students, and parents. She never misses an opportunity to help someone or let someone know how much they are appreciated. Maria, we will miss you tremendously. We wish you many, many years of happiness, relaxation as you transition this new
061chapter of your life. Congratulations on your retirement. I have two retirement blurbs. The first is for Patricia Perota. Prior to teaching, Miss Perota was an administrative assistant for upper executives at an international travel services conglomerate. After that, she was awarded the shearing plow internship from Monontlair State University and spent some time at the Monontlair Art Museum where she worked in their curatorial education and marketing departments. Miss Parata's experience at the MAM along with the birth of her goddaughters fostered her love for helping children develop both cognitively and emotionally leading to a change in her career path. Miss Para attained her teaching certification at William Patterson University in 2000 and her master's degree from Ramo College in educational technology in 2004. Having earned that teaching certificate was a key to happiness and Miss Petta began teaching
062science at George Washington Middle School in the year 2000. She learned many valuable lessons and has many fond memories from her time there. When Anthony Wayne Middle School opened, Miss Perala transferred there and has spent over 20 years there. She taught sixth grade for a few years but knew that her heart belonged in 8th and eventually asked to be changed back. She has spent almost 22 years teaching 8th grade and 25 years teaching science. Miss Petta has voiced many times that it has been so wonderful teaching and helping so many students and being part of the Anthony Wayne family. She has had such a rewarding career in the Wayne School District and has been given many opportunities. If you know Miss Pota, you know she is an animal lover. She is often found sharing pictures
063and stories of them. All her animals will certainly love having her home, especially Holly, who now will be able to go on walks at any time of day. Miss Pera will be greatly missed, but we know she will enjoy her retirement. Arlene Mutzburg. Tonight, we are proud to honor the retirement of Arlene Mutsburg, who has been a pillar of the Wayne Board of Education's before and afterare program for the past 22 years. Arlene and I were hired together in January 2003, not me. and from that day forward, she has been a trusted colleague and my best friend. I wouldn't know what to do without our partnership and daily conversations. Her presence has been a constant source of professional and personal support. Over the years, Arlene has proven to be one of the most dedicated team
064members we've ever had. She rarely took a day off and was always willing to step in wherever needed without hesitation. Whether managing day-to-day operations or helping solve lastminute challenges, Arlene was steadfast, dependable, and committed. Her contributions behind the scenes have been critical to the program's longevity and success. I can confidently say the program wouldn't have made it this far without her hard work, support, and unwavering dedication. She has gone above and beyond to include all participants and given extra special attention to those who needed a warm, energetic, supportive staff buddy. Arlene's love for the children, the program, and her team of caregivers has left a deep and lasting impression. The memories we've made, the last we've shared, and the work we've done together will always hold a special place in my heart. On behalf of
065the Wayne Board of Education, with my most profound personal gratitude, I congratulate Arlene Musberg on her well- earned retirement. We wish her continued happiness, good health, and wonderful times in this next chapter. Thank you, Arlene, for everything. and to all our retirees on behalf of the board and we thank you for your service to the district and the community. This portion of the meeting is open to s will be open to citizens for comment on any topic. Residents are asked to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to five minutes per person. Members of the public are discouraged from speaking negatively about an employee or student. The board bears no responsibility for comments made by the public. Comments regarding employees or students cannot be legally responded to by the board. Other
066comments may be responded to tonight or at a subsequent meeting under old business. Do I have a mover? Move. Mr. Groano, Mrs. Leandry. Good evening. Good evening. Uh, my name is Eileen Hayes. Uh, 300 Compton Road. Uh, I am Eileen Hayes and I work at William Patterson University. So, I know that seems a little odd that I would be here addressing you. However, I am here to speak on behalf of uh Andrew Empirator from Wayne Valley High School. My office at William Patterson works with the dual enrollment program and we have worked with Andrew and he has been an integral asset to providing that service to the students at Wayne Valley. He works tirelessly to make sure that students have access to the application. He helps us with organizing courses for approval for William Patterson
067at the high school. He tracks down parents to complete their consent forms and their payments. Without his diligence, students would lose out on the benefit of their applications would be incomplete. They would be dropped due to lack of payment. So you would have a lot fewer students at Wayne Valley High School who would have the benefit of knowing that they can both complete college level work and building that confidence in themselves as well as earning those credits for a much reduced cost to their parents and helping them on their college career. I would really hate to see the Wayne Valley students miss out on these opportunities to help themselves in the future by Andrew losing his job because we work with about 39 districts and I will tell you I have not met another person
068in another district who is as helpful to us getting the program to the students in their school as Andrew is. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening members of the board. My name is Cindy McCann, 300 Pmpton Road. I also work for William Patterson University and I'm here to speak on behalf of Andrew Imperator. I work with Eileen and I echo everything she has said. Uh Andrew, Mr. Imperator at Wayne Valley High School works on the dual enrollment program. His role has been crucial to the successful operation of this program at Wayne Valley High School. He is a dedicated school counselor and colleague who I have seen go above and beyond to ensure his students are getting every opportunity available to him. So our office is so grateful to be partnered with Wayne Toucha public schools
069for dual enrollment and to be working with someone as organized, caring and devoted as Mr. Imperator is. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Hello, my name is Jennifer Hollstead. I live at 30 Lake Drive East in Wayne. Um, I am a Wayne School's graduate. I'm a parent. I'm a teacher. And I'm a taxpayer. And I want to take a moment to sincerely thank each and every one of you for being here. And more importantly, for listening. Listening not just to words, but to the voices. The voices of a community that rose together to express concern, gratitude, and deep admiration for someone who has truly made a difference. Rachel Hoffbower. As an educator and a proud member of this community, I've come to understand that success is not measured by titles, salaries, or
070accolades. It's measured by impact. It's about the lives you touch, the hearts you lift, and the futures you help shape. Over the past days, I believe we've all been reminded of the truth in the most powerful way. Dozens of people, students, athletes, colleagues, parents, and friends stood up and spoke out. Each one sharing how Rachel's presence has lit a spark in their lives. Their words weren't rehearsed. They were real. They were raw. They were a testament to the legacy that Rachel is building. Not just within the walls of her classroom, but the hearts of the entire community. Now, I can only imagine the storm of emotions that Rachel must be feeling. On one hand, she's received an overwhelming outpouring of love and support. Messages from the past, encouragement from the present, and admiration from all
071corners of Wayne. To know that you've made such a meaningful difference in so many lives, that's the highest honor anyone in our profession can receive. And yet, on the other hand, uncertainty still looms. Questions remain. The path ahead is unclear. And that is not an easy burden to bear. But here's where Rachel's story becomes extraordinary. Since the moment she was told of her non-renewal, Rachel has continued to show up, not just physically, but fully with focus, with humility, with unwavering dedication. Her heart remains locked on one purpose, the social, emotional, and academic well-being of her students. That is the mark of a true educator. That is the character of someone who just doesn't teach content, but inspires character. Someone who just doesn't prepare students for tests, but prepares them for life. So, let's let Rachel's
072example be a lesson to all of us. That even in the face of adversity, grace and resilience can shine. That's where we choose purpose over pride, love over fear, and students over self. We can create ripples of change that extend far beyond what we may ever see. To Rachel, thank you. and to this community. Let's continue to raise our voices, not only for what is right, but for those who quietly make all the difference. Because in the end, the greatest measure of any school, any district, and any community, is the courage to stand behind those who stand for our children. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, my name is Jessica Capidana. and I'm a senior at Wayne Valley and I live at 44 Almadada Drive. I'm here today to talk about someone who has made
073a major impact in my life, Mr. Imperator. My freshman year, I entered Wayne Valley assuming I would go through my four years with my guidance counselor barely even knowing my name. About halfway through my freshman year, my boyfriend Rocka was diagnosed with cancer. Immediately, I shut down. I refused to talk to my feelings about my feelings with anyone. When the word got around school, I was called down to guidance. As I walked down to the office, I told myself there was no way I would share my feelings with someone who I barely even knew. I walked into Mr. Imperator's office and sat down. When he began to talk to me about the situation, I suddenly felt safe and able to share the feelings I had bottled up. Not only did he listen to all of
074the emotions I was going through, but he validated my feelings. As Roco's cancer worsened, he passed away in May. When I came into school 2 days after he passed, I had people coming up to me that I didn't even know, saying that I could talk to them. It was at that moment that I realized that the only person I was willing to open up to was Mr. Imperator. I walked straight down to his office and sat down and just started crying to him. He sat with me and skipped his lunch break just to hear what I had to say. I entered his office wondering how I was going to be able to continue on when the person I person was closest to had died. And I left his office laughing and feeling relieved that I
075was able to talk to Mr. Imperator. I came to him with all the many different feelings I felt through the whole grieving process. And he led me through each and every single mo emotion. He never made me feel alone or lost and told me how I had a right to be angry at the world. That he was angry at the world as well. To this day, Mr. Imperator was the only person who could get me to talk about my feelings. Not only did he validate me, but he gave me a reason to look forward to coming to school. He became one of my biggest supporters, encouraging me to study for the tests I didn't have the energy to study for, saying hello to me in the hallways, and supporting me in my extracurricular activities. I
076will never forget the way Mr. Imperator changed my mindset after everything that had happened. If it wasn't for him, I'm not sure where I would be today. Mr. Imperator brings a light to Wayne Valley. I am so lucky to have had had him as my guidance counselor all four years of high school as I could not gone through this experience without him. Wayne Valley needs a guidance counselor like Mr. Imperator. A counselor who doesn't hesitate to skip their lunch break to make sure you're okay. A counselor who actually knows you by your name and isn't just around when it's time to make your schedule. I hope you can reconsider your decision. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, my name is Adonia David and I'm a senior at Wayne Valley High School and I'm speaking on
077behalf of Andrew Imperator and sorry, I transferred schools last year from Wayne Hills. Switching schools and coming to a new school is really hard, but Mr. Imperator made me feel so welcome. Although he's not my assigned guidance counselor, he's always there for me and if I if I need him and never fails to make me laugh. He's not just a guidance counselor, he's also a friend. He's really dedicated to his job and has definitely made my senior year a lot less stressful. Me and along with the rest of the school would love to have him stay so that the incoming freshman and future students of Wind Valley would have a guidance counselor who is always there for him. Please reconsider your decision. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening everyone. Lori Cron. I am the New
078Jersey Education Association representative for about a thousand of your employees. the Wayne Education Association, the Wayne Custodian Maintenance Association, and the Wayne Par Association, and your budget issues have impacted many, many of my members. Um, we all know, those of us in education, we know that there are non-renewals that come every May 15th. Then we know that there are some that get hired back, and we know there some that leave. April 28th, 29th, and 30th of this year was probably the worst week of the lives of many people in this district. They went to work on Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, and they left with their world overturned. They didn't have a job. I have people who have performance issues all of a sudden. They have asked for their Donaldson hearings and they have
079been granted their hearings and we will see you on May 29th. But I have some riffs. And for those of us in the public who don't know what a riff is, that's a reduction in force. And I just find that's not my three minutes yet. I Okay. Um, their letters were a little different. Their letters said due to economic reasons. They're non-tenured people. I have two guidance counselors, one in each high school who are non-tenured, but they are rifted. That means that they're technically on your side telling us that they can't get a hearing. Rifts don't get one. We don't agree with that. Both of them would be getting tenure in September. So I have my own theory as to why they were riffed and not non-renewed. Okay. I have two secretaries in the guidance
080department as well who have been rifted not non-renewed. In the modern day of mental health and social and everything, taking two guidance counselors out of a high school where these students who you just heard depend on them is real detrimental. And I'm going to ask you two things. Think about that first and rethink. And maybe in the goodness of your heart, you can tell your superintendent, your board attorney, let's just listen to these four people who asked for hearings for 10 minutes and give them their opportunity to speak. That's all that I'm asking from you. Thank you. Thank [Applause] you. Good evening. My name is Lindsay Sinu. I live at Fort Echo Court with three school age children. For a little bit of my background, I've been teaching all levels, including advanced placement French at
081Clifton High School for 21 years. I'm the head coach there of the girls flag football team where I'm also an assistant coach for the girls soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Most recently, I have accepted a position to coach college level flag football as well. So to say I know a little bit about high school age children and the education system in our area would probably be an understatement. At Wayne Valley High School, the recent layoff of a beloved counselor and the head flag football coach has left students, parents, and community members stunned and deeply concerned. Mr. Imperator has been a cornerstone of the school, dedicating countless hours not just to his official responsibilities, but to the personal growth and well-being of the students that he mentors. As a counselor, he is a trusted confident guiding
082students through academic challenges, emotional struggles, and the stressful college application process. His office is always open, his support unwavering. In his role as the head flag football coach, he has brought energy, discipline, and team spirit to a program that has grown tremendously under his leadership. More than just a coach, he is a mentor who has taught young athletes the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and respect. His layoff is not just the loss of a staff member. It's the loss of a vital figure in the lives of many young people. As you've heard, the void you will leave behind will be felt throughout the school hallways and on the field. Upon hearing the news, students immediately began speaking out, expressing their sadness and confusion as to what's happening here. Mr. Emperator has been a pillar of the
083school community, someone whose presence extends far beyond the confines of his job description. As a counselor, he's the first person many students turn to in times of personal or academic difficulty. He offers not just advice but genuine care, compassion, and guidance. As the head football coach, Mr. Amperator brings passion, energy, and mentorship to the field. Under his leadership, there's no doubt what those girls can do. As a taxpayer, it's incredibly disheartening to witness these types of cuts happening in our community. We invest in our schools not just to educate, but to nurture and support our children. Mr. Imperator has certainly taken a step in all the directions that we want to be moving in. I respectfully urge the board of education to reconsider their decision and reinstate Mr. Emperator for the sake of our students
084and our community. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else from the public wishing to speak? Seeing no one, I move to close. Mr. Mr. Bish any old business new business board member comments Mr. Denim. Thank you. Um, couple things I want to say before uh we get moving here. Uh, congratulations to Elizabeth and Desara for their awards. That was fantastic for shot putting backstroke. My congratulations to the competition cheer uh for their championships. Wrestling's North won group three state championships. Um, this is an example of what can happen when we come together as a community. What I'm seeing in front of me is also an example of what happens when a community comes together. First of all, I I also want to acknowledge um all the special education teachers and this is a week of reflection
085for uh students who don't always fit the natural mold that society has given to them. We're finding out more and more uh even in my studies that there is no real you know ice cube tray of education. Everybody comes out of square. So, we're having to learn how to do things like differentiated instruction and working in different uh techniques and it makes teaching much more difficult, but it also makes it much more valuable to society. Um, I'm not a happy person right now. I am gut-wrenched by what's going on. And I'll tell every single person up here that came to that mic the exact same words. You're all right. you everything you said is 100%. But we're at a point right now where we've got a basically we've got a financial gun to the back
086of our heads and they're telling us choose. Okay. So, let's bring everybody back and then we're going to take a list and put it up on the board and said you pick the one who's got to go home. You pick the teacher. You pick the counselor. You pick the coach. Cuz right now we don't got it. And the reason why we don't got it and and I I don't normally comment on what people say, but somebody came in last week and said, "Don't talk about the referendum." Stick it in your ear. I'm talking about the referendum. If I cross the street and somebody runs me over and I'm in a hospital for 6 months, I'm going to talk about the guy who ran me over. Don't come back to me three or four months later
087and say, "Oh, it's 3 months ago. Don't worry about it." No. I was furious at those meetings. I was furious at a certain politician who kind of turned around and shot that down for us. And if you go on the computer on the Wayne website, you'll see I had a few words to say to the gentleman when he came to one of our meetings. It was here today. I'm sorry. I didn't he left already tonight. And why am I mad? Because of this. Because I have to watch good people come up here and speak the truth and I still have to say no in some cases. That's heart-wrenching. To the person who gave the the the list over to Dr. Tobach, please take a look at it because I'm always up here saying, "You got
088a better idea? Come let us know." Thank you for bringing that up and letting us know. I'll make sure at the very least that we pursue every single possibility. Grants are touch and going. If anybody here does grants, you know, it's touch and go. We're pretty good at writing them. We're pretty good at going at them. I'll be the first one to say, "Hecky, I'll take that money. Heck yeah, I'll keep that teacher. Heck yeah, I'll keep that program. My daughter played violin going through school just before string started. I know the values of it. I was a professional educator. I can sit up here all night long to talk about the psychology of cognitive studies and about mathematics and application in music. I can talk about that till I'm blew in the face and
089you guys would fall asleep on it. It's true and it's right in his head. That's why he was here. But let's say that okay, we'll keep the strings program. No, let's cut the band program. You think that's going to go over well? Let's cut football. You think that's going to go over well? Let's cut cut the play. You think that's going to go over well? None of this is going to go over well. And I'm not saying because it's 2%. Something had to give. We're riffing people who are fantastic employees. There's no doubt about it. You just testified and told them they're fantastic and we've got to lose them. And I guarantee you because they're fantastic employees, they're going to snatch up a job before June because they're that good. And if somebody calls me
090and ask me about say, "Heck can't take them. They're really good. Why can't you have it?" Well, you didn't see the papers. We have no money. And a lot of places have lost a lot more instead of talking about I'm not trying to belittle the strings program, but imagine losing 51 teachers. 51. That's in South Jersey. What if we closed two school buildings? Two school buildings. You think the place is going to be empty here? They're going to be up with pitchforks and torches. Everyone up here is agonizing over this. We had to leave here and go into the executive session. So, we get to sit and agonize for another 45 minutes and come out with a imperfect solution to an imperfect situation. I'm not going to stand up here and blame the referendum. I'm
091done talking about the referendum at this point and I've spoken my peace. Why? Because now you are seeing the results of it right now and you're seeing re the reason why I was ticked off back in November when it went down. It had nothing to do with ego. It had nothing to do with politics. I knew from being here for six years that I was going to have to sit up here for an hour and a half and two hours and have people tell me the truth and I can't do a damn thing about it. So, no, I'm not happy about this right now here. So, we need to come together as a community. And thank you for the person bringing up that the list of grants there. We need to have you continue coming
092up, not just telling us the truth, but help us find solutions because we got some pretty smart people up here and we're at a loss in a lot of this and we need your help. Thank you. Anyone else? Bazakus. Thank you. Um, thank you everyone for coming. Um, I want to congratulate all the student athletes that were here tonight. Um, all the champions. Um, also want to thank everyone who who uh came up here tonight. And I also want to thank our our student representatives. Did a great job. They're not here anymore, but if they're watching on TV, roll tide for Addison. Go Hooers to Isabella. Um, they'll do really well. Uh, and hopefully we'll see him on the board one of these days. Um, so I just want to comment on a bunch of
093things. Uh, as you saw on the agenda, um, we pulled V8. That was the shared services contract. Um, it's not a money issue now. It's with the mayor and it's with the town council. We sent an agreement. We're all good with the money. However, Mr. Mr. Mayor, Town Council, there's common sense language that you took out. Sign it the way we put it in. There's common sense language. This is a one-sided deal for for the town. It needs to be a shared deal. There's common sense for our children in that language that you're playing with the security of our children. It's not about money. The money's there. the money. We found the money. We all settled on the money. But why are you We saw a redlinined agreement that they struck out. All these common
094sense items. So, please tell the mayor, tell your representatives on the council, sign the contract the way we sent it in. Okay? So, that's that's for our children. I saw all these these things on Facebook saying, "Oh, there's no price on our children. you know, pay whatever the the the town is asking for, whatever. We came to that agreement. The contract as far as money goes is done. Okay. Right now, they said no and struck away, struck out, redlined common sense language that really undermines the security of our children and our schools. So, they need to step up. So that's that. Second, um thank you for the um for all the parents concerned about the the strings. You know, I saw many of the uh emails email responses from our assistant superintendent. Um you know,
095it's about $250,000. That's that's three to four teachers that we'd have to get rid of. But thank you for the solutions. I know uh with the grants. I know our assistant superintendent, as a matter of fact, today was saying, you know, I need to look into some some grants. And coincidentally, you know, you know, come here. We're only a few people here. We're only a few administrators here. Um, we can't see everything. So, if there's grants that we've seen and we tried, hey, if you show it to us, okay, yeah, we've seen this grant, you know, we haven't. So, if there's, you know, there's there's just so many things that we can do. So if you see grants, you know, give them to us, you know, that that definitely helps. This is this is one
096community. Um what really hit me today also was um uh the lady who's the the Clifton flag football head coach who came up here. She said four words that I think we all need to think about. The four words she said was invest in our schools. the mayor and thousands of other people who believed him struck down the referendum which was an investment in our schools. So I mean that that right there the town voted not to invest in our schools, not to invest in our children, not to invest in my children. So there's consequences. This is the last time I'm going to say this. There's consequences. You know, we're talking millions of dollars that could have been saved, millions of dollars coming back to us from the state that that we would have saved.
097So, and then you know we we're talking about we had to do riffs. A riff is a reduction in force. That position has gone away. Doesn't matter who was in that position. That position is not going to come back again. It's gone. So, um I think I've uh you know said enough for tonight, so I'll pass it on to somebody else. Thank you, Mrs. Lumandry. Well, first of all, I'd like to thank everybody for sitting so patiently and I it's just uh it's emotional to see the support for just so many different things that we're all passionate about, right? And people you care about, programs you love. Um, so, uh, at the end of the day, you know, you can't get water out of a rock. So, I'll leave that there. Um, I also would
098like to congratulate these two young men. Amazing, amazing, amazing. First of all, your love of music is beautiful. Totally blessed my heart. Secondly, you spoke so well. Absolutely. and articulated how you felt and how music made you feel and how all these wonderful things going on in your lives. Whether or not the strings program can we can salvage it. We can do anything regardless. Pursue music. Pursue it with all of your heart. Just keep going. Um and you too, young man. I'm sorry I said but the three of you actually and your parents too and everybody who spoke about the springs uh strings program. We all felt that like as soon as we saw it come across the table, we were like, "Oh no." You know, we dread these things, you know. It's really, really
099dreadful. It's hard. But anyway, um, so thank you. Thank you all for being here and for listening and and for being patient with the process and the things that we have to do. Everybody's working hard to try to make things work. Thank you for your comments, Mr. Al. Uh, I just want to congratulate all the student athletes who won honored tonight and also everyone who came up to speak. You know, we heard what you were saying. And I'm just going to switch gears real fast and um just touch on a meeting I went to on May 7th at the Wayne Community Center with Wayne Special Education Parent Advisory Group and also the Wayne Special Parents Association. Um discussions around this meeting were centered around more ways to get parents involved with the groups as uh
100there hasn't been you know too much attendance. But uh these meetings are a great chance for parents to meet other parents in similar circumstances and also have a more personal and in-depth conversation with the district's student support service uh leadership team. Um because in attendance to these meetings is the director of student services Dr. officer AP Richard Pidudo and AP Caroline Devario. Um, and just two quick things that would discuss is they're looking to start up a mentorship program where parents will help other parents and this is in the beginning stages so more will come about that just keep an eye out. And um something that was pretty cool was the Seagull family along with the Wayne Education Foundation have started up the Bright Future Scholarship and Extraordinary Minds. This scholarship will award one graduate
101from Wayne Valley and one from Wayne Hills with $1,000. And uh this scholarship could be used for college tuition, vocational, technical certifications, um training, and transportation. But the only issue with that is the deadline to apply is tomorrow, May 16th. So short notice, but head to wayneed education foundation.org if you want to uh apply for that. And uh the final CPAG Wayne spa meeting is going to be on June 11th. uh the final one of the school year and that's going to be at the Wayne Community Center. You can bring your kids. There'll be activities for them to do and um some snacks. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. B. Sure. So, I I'll just piggyback on something that um Wilson started there as well. Um about two weeks ago, um the the CPAD group as
102well donated the uh the funds from the Turkey Trot uh for unified sports and and so on as well. So I think this week being special education week is a really good week to start talking about some of the funding we get for for these things. Those those actually um helped my uh my children integrate and and um work alongside a much wider broader range of people which they continue to today. It makes them really much more um real people by being involved with unified sports and and helping some of the special education kids and and so on along the way. And I think it really helps the special education kids see that people care about them. Um, so I've been very pleased to be able to support the turkey trot and find from the
103turkey trot that that's really uh enabled us to uh continue to fund the unified sports thing and being able to cover that in uh special education week I think is a fantastic thing. Uh in addition to that, we did the second reading on the AI thing. Hopefully everybody uh heard last week and and one way to look at that, but that really can help with things like the multi-tered support system um that we have in place and and the differentiated ed education as Matt put it earlier. Um, and that really can help drive and make a make those systems a lot easier to be able to do um by driving towards an ability to be able to get uh individualized lesson plans and individualized uh actions that come out of that which is really going
104to help everybody to be able to move forward. So, I'm very pleased to be able to get some of those things moving on uh special education week as well. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Regala. Real quick, you guys have sat here long enough. I want to congratulate Wayne Valley, Wayne Hills on their outstanding accomplishments. Congratulations to to all the student athletes, but especially the parents and coaches, uh, Isabella and Addison that aren't here with us, but they were great in reporting all the highlights of both high schools. It was really, you know, really fun to hear. Boys, when you're in Carnegie Hall, you better send us some tickets cuz you guys are the real deal. And I'd love to hear you play that violin one day. I think you should have brought that violin today.
105That really would have been that the next meeting. Yeah, perfect. I wish I could put a cherry on top on our budget, but we're going to try our best. We listen. We hear you. We go home. We think about it. We talk about it. Um not just once a month, every single day. We're just trying to make the best decisions we can for the district and and we're going to listen and we try. Um that's pretty much it. You know, I really want to thank Nancy uh Clawson and I want to welcome you to Wayne and I loved hearing about your family history and thank you so much for a list of all the grants. Um I think that's great. I know you're on the state board and I know you know Mr. Pno very
106well and and this is what we need. We need to put our heads together and come up with solutions. And I think we're doing it. I think it's working. Sometimes when things don't go well, it brings the community get uh together. And I think we're going to be okay. We're going to talk about it and we're going to see what we can do. All right. Have a few more solutions if you need them as well. Absolutely. And I just want to mention that Nancy is from the Garfield District where we always have solutions. Right Nance? Thank you very much everyone. Good night and I really appreciate you coming out. Um, lastly, uh, guys, you were great. You were the hit of the show and I can see why. You were so articulate in your speeches
107and believe me, we hear we hear what you're saying. Um, I can't make you any promises, but I can tell you things are so dynamic now. Every day things are changing. And how we got here is a story for another time. I'm not going to belabor the point, but there's a lot of pieces to the puzzle that have caused what's happening now in this district and other districts in the state. So, you know, people want to go on social media and point the finger at us and say, "Oh, it's you." Take a look at the newspaper. Nutley's looking at cutting sports. Another district's looking at cutting whatever out. You have districts that are selling property, selling schools. Gotta tell you something. It's not just us. It's the state. And again, that that's a whole another
108issue for another night. Um, but we hear what you're saying. U Lafayette people, again, we hear you. Uh, you know, we can't answer you, but we do hear you. I promise you that. Um, Mr. Sinq, your words too impacted me when you said invest in the schools. That's what we need to do. That's what the and I hate to go back there, but that's what the referendum was about. And I think it was Clifton that just passed a referendum the other night for $386 million or something along those lines. Yeah, they did it in Clifton. We voted it down here 2 to one. And I'm not getting into pointing fingers or not, but you know what? We we have to realize something here. And then we're going to have to come up with another referendum,
109folks. I'm telling you that now. And it's got to come because if it doesn't, two years from now, this is going to look like nothing. It's going to um one last and I want to congratulate the athletics, uh all the athletes and the dance team and everyone. Um, great job by everyone with that. I want to one last thing I want to address is uh V8 which was pulled from tonight. Uh, the mayor did work with us monetarily. We got there. But at the last board meeting, we approved a contract that not only prioritize safety, but also about accountability and transparency. And I hear that word transparency a lot. The two negotiable principles when it comes to protecting our schools. The township returned the contract to us with no explanation other than no, we're not
110doing it that way and that's it. And this has nothing to do with the police officers. I want to say that again. It's nothing to do with the officers that are there. This is what's happening with the administration. And let me tell you what they cut out. We asked for monthly activity reports. We requested reports to understand what the assigned officers are doing in the schools. This was is about oversight and collaboration, not micromanagement. The township rejected it without comment. $1 million roughly. I'm paying what? We're paying You're paying $1 million, but you don't know what you're getting. We ask for notification. Let us know who the officers are that you're going to assign to our schools. We asked for a 20-day notice. They told us, "No, we're not telling you. you'll get who we
111give who we give you. We asked if there was issues with any of the officers. We wanted to have a codified process to work through in writing. They declined it without comment. This is the one and I will never sign a con this contract or vote for the contract. We asked that an officer if an officer calls out sick or takes a day off. We asked the town in our version of the contract, we as we stated that that spot had to be backfilled by the police department. The contract the town gave us said, "Well, they'll try and if they can't try, guess what? There'll be no security in that school that day. I'm not taking that chance." That goes against everything we talked about here. We ask that officers be in the schools at
112certain days around holidays, the beginning of the school, the end of the school year, the prime time when we need to upgrade our security. They declined that. We asked for a process of uh having the superintendent have the ability to meet with the SRO's who are going to be assigned to the schools. They said no. They said no to actually everything that we put in. Not one of the things costs one dime. It's about accountability and transparency. And I know the next when the next meeting sits in here, they're going to be blasting us left and right. That's fine. I'm big boy. I can stand up for it. But the bottom line is we're talking safety of people of our children. If the town's really committed to the safety that they say they are, there's
113no reason any of these pieces that we put in, we ask to be in the contract are going can be not be there. There's nothing. It doesn't cost them a dime. When you're contracting somebody for a million dollars, don't you want to know what they're doing? I I don't think it's unreasonable to ask what they're doing. for a million dollars. You know, this board remains committed to working in good faith with the township to reach resolution to this. And I I just hope we could sit down and agree to it. And I don't I hate to do this. I don't like to negotiate a contract in public, but you just get to the point where you get so frustrated and that everything's going to be our way or no way. There's no reason for it.
114But I'm again, I'm not going to sign a contract that's going to compromise a staff member, a student, or anyone else. And I don't think what we're asking for is unreasonable. With that, I'll take I thank you all for coming and hanging in here tonight. Um, do I take a motion to adjourn? Move. Second. Thank you. We're journ. Thank you, everyone.