001I'd like to call the meeting to order. We can have a moment of silence. >> Salute 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. In accordance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act, a public notice that this meeting has been sent to board members, all district schools, the Herald News, the suburban trends, the record, the messenger, West Milford town hall, the county superintendent's office, board attorney, cable vision of Warwick and West Milford TV77, and posted in the administration building. Copies of the board meeting calendar resolution were provided to all local media, town hall, township, and all district schools. Roll call, please. Mr. Sh, >> Mr. Stovich, Mrs. Jurgensson, Mrs. Rakano, Mrs. Dwire >>
002here, >> Mrs. Lockwood >> here, >> Mrs. Van Dyke >> here, >> Mrs. Markwart, Mr. Lippy >> here, >> Mrs. Romeo >> here. >> Dr. Fenari, the interim superintendent report. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Slackwood. Um, this evening, Mr. Schulz will be presenting the um preliminary budget. Um just for those of you who may not have been following what's been going on uh in the state of New Jersey, there have been some changes to opportunities for school districts with state funding. Um and Mr. Schulz's presentation is going to uh explain all of that and share information for the board's consideration in utilization of some of that opportunity for additional funding. So Mr. Thank you. [Music] >> All right. Thank you everyone for coming tonight for the revised budget presentation. Uh the uh budget season usually
003ends at the uh conclusion of April when we uh do our we do a public budget hearing, but that's already mentioned there. Sound right? >> No, it doesn't sound good. [Music] That's better. >> Yeah, it is. [Music] Okay. So, they opened up the state said some legis legislation issue that opened up the budget. Uh, I'll tell again. Um, on May 14th, there's two new bills signed into law. Uh PL 2024C12 extends the deadlines for the 2024 budget procedures uh for some certain districts, not all districts. Uh they authorize submission of a new budget no later than July 5th to the the county office. and PL 202 24 C13 provides stabilized school budget aid grants for 2425 to all eligible school districts equal to 45% of the amount of the state aid reduction they face for
004this upcoming school year and allow certain districts like us the ability to increase their 2425 tax levy by a certain amount it's a different amount for every district uh for non SDA districts the tax can be increased by the district's reduction in state aid compared to 24 to25 school year compared to 2021 school year. Uh 2425 cap adjustment is limited to a levy increase of 9.9% over what the levy was for the current 23 24 school year. How this impacts our district is we are eligible for both of these adjustments. Um our our utilization aid for this upcoming school year was initially reduced by 81,537 for 2425. The stabilized school budget a grant will replenish 45% of that. showing 36,692 in state aid for the district's use of the 2425 school year. Uh the district's
005net reduction in state school aid in 2425 compared to the 2021 school year, which is the baseline is 5,782,990. uh district received 11,272970 back in 2021 state 11 million I'm sorry 11,272,970 compared to our anticipated amount for next year of 5,489,98 [Music] our total reduction between those two numbers is 5,782,990 but the maximum allowable adjustment that we have is the 9.9% that I alluded to earlier. So it's capped at $4,237,07. That represents a 9.9% increase in tax levy compared to this um school year wrap up. Uh just for comparison, comparison S2 was actually implemented. Our state has been reduced by 9,121,40. uh in 1718 our state received a total of 14,61120 versus next year's amount which I mentioned is 5,489,90 [Music] uh accumulated if the level stayed at the 14 million number from 201819 through
006next year that would resulted in $36,87,530 more of state aid that would have been available to the district to use if we hadn't been cut through for the SD cuts. Uh this tax the tax levy adjustment is a onetime adjustment to raise the base for this for the tax tax base for smoker and will not fall in the bank cap if it's not used in 2425. If the adjustment is not used now, it won't be available for future use. Um so there is a state's way to provide a one time opportunity for S2 impact districts to add to their tax base to offset some of the state aid funding decreases. uh state a funding formula moving forward is currently unknown. This is the first year that they fully funded the formula but now the S2
007has been implemented. Nobody nobody knows what the formula look like moving forward. Um so the S2 they took the state reallocated to other districts and now a chance to let these districts do an adjustment but unfortunately it's on the back of taxpayers to make the adjustment. Uh the maximum allowable adjustment which I mentioned earlier equals $4,237,07. The district can use any amount up to that amount. That's the maximum. So anything from zero to that amount can be utilized. Uh districts with new cap adjustments are requested use of bank cap like we did uh in the previously certified 2425 budget which we passed back in April uh must remove the requested use of bank cap from budget. that we make the district go over the 9.9% uh max in order to utilize the bank cap. We
008use 128,536 of bank cap uh in the original budget. So one of the adjustments I propose is to remove that and use this adjustment and we only carry the bank cap out few forward years in a future year. Uh here is another demonstration of the fresh state a cut test cut since 2017 uh 1718 like I mentioned earlier is we made 14 million 611 120 combined state aid and just a downward trend ever since then. Every year it's been less and less some years $2 million at a time some years little little under $2 million at a time. This year was the best year in a long time where we only lost 81,000 but still the cumulative total is pretty staggering when you look at it over the last few years. So getting into the
009proposed increases and adjustments that we're proposing as part of this um adjust one time adjustment uh revised 2425 budget proposes total adjustments of1,177,78 [Music] which would increase the appropriate appropriations totaling $1,49,69. The difference between those numbers is the bank cap amount of 128539 that I mentioned. Uh that's the difference that that number is already baked into the budget. It's just we're hoping to move it to use a different funding source fees adjusted rather than the bank cap. Uh the utilization of the 36,692 of state that we're getting that is also part of this. I'm looking to appropriate those funds and we have to accept that tonight this meeting as well. uh in order to be able to elible for those funds. uh the utilization of 1,141 to6 $16 uh would be appropriated through the tax
010levy adjustment which would be a net tax increase of 1,12,477 difference between those two figures as well is the uh bank number that I do. This would also provide the district flexibility for bank usage in uh 2526 budget cycle should should the board look to do that when that time comes. Uh the proposed increases that were method explained are predominantly non-personnel expenditures. So they'll not be recurring budget budget expenses. Once these appropriations are fulfilled, funding can be repurposed in future years to address other district needs that we normally would not be able to address under our current situation. So here's a brief summary of what we are proposing for the increases. We currently have a6 math position that is vacated and we're looking to make that a 1.0 full-time position. Um the increase of that
011position would be the difference in the salary and health benefits that would go with it. Uh this would maintain program. um for encore proposing that we remove the the title one walls set we usually do for our encore salaries. Our title one allocation which you'll see two slides has been decreased substantially. So this would be the $140,000 offset that was originally included in the budget and also the share of that position. Uh we're proposing the addition of a.5 social worker for $33,78. That's the.5 salary and also the portion. This would allow for district staff. We currently have staff pole and asha. This would allow us to have a fulltime actual for our elementary program and also have someone at the PK program. Uh 250,000 we're proposing proposing for middle school math program replacement. It would
012be the natural progression for the work that's currently being completed. We just implemented the elementary math program. So this would be the the logical next step in proposing a new textbook series for the next level up. This is why I propose that we use the state aid funding 36,000 of state aid that were offered. So we partially funded through that the state aid and partially funded through the tax adjustment. Uh one item that's come up pretty prevalently in my operational finance committee meetings was our maintenance and grassing staff. Uh this past school year uh the arrangement with the township changed a little bit. So our grafting staff was more responsible for operating updating our fields and taking care of it throughout the whole entire athletic season and they were they did a phenomenal job but
013they were really spread two things. So I love the opportunity to add a ground skiing staff member and it also help me with their other maintenance and keeping some work that be done in house rather than having contracted out to contractors and other companies. Uh so that $113,000 amount would be the salary uh flight the port share flight and health factory cost. Uh related to that as well be the maintenance vehicles. Our maintenance vehicles the fleet is aging rapidly. This would allow implementation that allow us to implement a replacement schedule with for the vehicles so we can upgrade some now schedule moving forward so they're not all kind of dying out at one time like they seem to be doing now. We're having a lot of issues with it. like the past couple winters weren't
014too bad, but even though even though even though they haven't been too bad, we trucks are in pretty rough shape. Um, next item is a $75,000 update of our long range facilities plan. That's a quote that I got from our architect. Um, the LRFP has to be updated every 5 years. It was last updated in 2020. So, we have to do it either next year or the following year. And we all I know we've been talking a lot about updating projects and things going on in the district. Um we have new building around supervised district. So we really love the opportunity to update this this document and update the projects that need to be updated and also update for projects that may completed. Uh the last uh couple this year are a deposit to our
015capital reserve of 200,000. Uh for a district our size, our capital reserve balance is not strong compared to where it could be. This could be an amount that can be in our reserve account where we can offset projects in the future and not have to include them in the budget for taxpayer funding. Uh the stronger your reserves are, it makes your life a lot easier and have that money for any problems when something goes wrong. And conversely, we also propose $50,000 of our maintenance reserve for required maintenance expenditures. We usually um include a deposit in the budget of 150,000 to use the maintenance reserve budget cycle. So this would partially replenish it and also the other night we had a motion on the agenda for the end of this school year once the audience completed
016hopefully deposit funds in the capital reserve maint. And the last piece of the adjustments that we're proposing or reclassification as the bank cap that I mentioned 128,539 those for items that are already in the current budget. This would just be changing the funding source from using the bank cap to using this tax uh tax levy adjustment. The total adjustments for the uh tax Fed total 1,1770. Uh this is a comparison showing the budget that was approved back in on April 30th. Uh total budget including special revenue and debt service total 76,921215. This new adjustment that includes the increases in the tax levy and state aid total 77,97384. uh $275,50 that's the math the math teacher and the textbook series I alluded to the 75,000 for general admin that's the LRFP cost that's the full amount
017for that the operation the maintenance increase is the uh grounds keeping uh personnel and also vehicles 118,732 for benefits is the health benefit space and the lake for those positions that I mentioned uh included in the other expenditures is the encore program getting rid of that offset title one uh the social worker that Dr. Russ recommended and also the deposit maint some of those items are already covered by 120,000 bank caps total increase in the budget is 1,49,169 which represents a 1.36% increase. Uh here is a chart that will show our decreases in title one and in all our other grants. As you can see, our allocation for this year for title one was over 400,000. We had 424,451. A couple weeks ago, we got the allocations for all the all the ESA titling grants
018and our title one allocation was cut over 200,000 $231,58. We're only anticipating 192,871. Um Mr. Novax office uses title one funds wisely and they put on our program for the summer for our summer reading program and a lot of other things. So this is a really big problem for having some less funding. On top of that pretty much every single other grant allocation has also been decreased not as drastically as title one but they've all gone down. Uh yesterday we got the IDA numbers which is usually special ed back district tuition that we use that those funds for that decreased 23,845 only 888,000 for that and I include on the bottom the arter grants are going away at the end of this school year. Um so we're using some of those funds over this upcoming
019summer for STEM camp and other things but those funds are going away. Uh so make sure our allocation for those is zero. So we had well over almost nearly $2 million left to use those grants that we used this past year and that's not even the full amount of the total grants cuz that grant span spann 3 years. So total grants just these grants that's going down about roughly 63%. So they feel like it's important to offset some of that loss especially title one loss with some of these other purchase. Uh here's a chart that shows our fund balance utilization in the budget over the last few years. Uh it's time it's kind of hover around the $3 million mark to $3 million mark. But in 2223 we had to use $4 million to balance
020budget and 2324 we had over $4 million. Uh for next year we the current budget has proposed $3 million $3,123,26 uh to balance the budget. That's a combination of our excess surplus and also a difference of fund balance that we had to pull from to make the balanced budget. I know we alluded to this chart during the last bud presentation. So I wanted to update it for this one to see with all these changes that we proposed how it impacted the total percentages and the answer was 1%. So with all these non-expendure uh non nonpersonnel expenditures that were proposing it changed the total total salaries portion. It was previously 57% of our total budget. Now it's 56. uh the health benefit percentage stayed the same and everything else portion of our budget which is the
021majority of these proposed increases I shared tonight it went from being 20% of our total budget to 21% of our budget so even with another million is really only changing our other our other uh objects or anything else by 1%. So here's the tax impact chart uh showing how it'll impact the residents of Westford. So compared to 2324, the budget that we proposed and adopted back in April increased taxes, the the average assessment of $187.71, which breaks down to $15.64 monthly. That's what we've currently adopted. The the revisions I'm proposing tonight would raise taxes in total 27756 on an annual basis for the average assessed home, which would break down to $23.13 monthly. That's uh and the last column I should show up there is the change from April to where we are currently. So
022the change from April to now would be 89 nearly $90 for average home which breaks down to $749 monthly. Uh in 2324 the increase over the 2% included the healthcare adjustment which was last last year 1,478,570 and the total increase was 4.48% 48% for the tax levy. For 2425, we adjusted the bank cap number out that was origin originally included in the budget. Uh we had a healthcare adjustment that we included in April of 562769. And tonight I'm proposing the 1,12,477 tax levy adjustment that would be included in the total adjustment over 2% of 1,575246. [Applause] Uh it's a total general fund tax levy increase of 4.73% as opposed to the 3.11% that was originally uh adopted and overall including that service is a 4.89% tax levy increase when you include that service uh that
023was previously 3.27%. Here is a chart that shows the trend over the tax levy increase over the last few years uh going back 12 years. So we fluctuated and then we had 201617 and 1718 we had a 0% tax increase and broken down so that no no tax were added to our base in those years and when I bring the numbers today that for 271718 it would have been a $1 million7,857 addition to the tax base and for 1819 it would have been a $1,92,273 uh addition to the tax base. In combination of those two years, there's 2,163130 that was added in tax base back in those years, which would be compounded over the years, right? All the other years that preceded uh when you get last year, as I mentioned, we had the 4.48%
024increase with the uh health benefit adjustment. Our original budget was a 3.11% increase and now with all the with the tax levy adjustment and the additional state aid including this budget, it's a 4.73% overall uh tax levy increase proposal. The revised budget calendar. So tonight we're here presenting the board approved revised preliminary budget. Uh the easiest way to think about it is we're back in March of the budget program budget uh cycle. We previously approved the preliminary budget in March. We're doing it again back in June. The last day for us to do this meeting and send down to the county is July 5th. Um if adopted tonight, I'll be there for the county tomorrow or Monday as fast as we can. So they can turn around, do the approvals and review their review. Um
025once the county approves it, we advertise the revised preliminary budget. And then our next scheduled board meeting is July 16th, 2024. Um, if the preliminary budget passes tonight, we plan to uh revert that meeting as a public budget hearing for board adoption of budget for next school year. Uh, the last allowable date for the public budget hearing is July 19th. So, we're right against the deadline, but we fit right into the time frame of our currently uh planned budget. And then, uh, two within 48 hours, the budget must be posted to the district website uh for any resident to view after the public budget hearing once once it's adopted. Uh yes, as I mentioned, uh it'll be once submitted by the executive superintendent for final meeting, they'll be posted on our website. If you have
026any questions, we have one more day of Dr. Fer district and then Dr. Kitchen starts next week and then I will also be here if anyone has any questions or email contact there. So you have any questions, let us know. Thanks. >> Um Bill, I have something I would like to read. Can we just sit down? >> Oh, I put the lights on. >> Um, I'm I'm very concerned about this whole thing and um I thought about it. I've lost sleep over it and I decided to make a statement. In Thomas Kane's The Crisis, the author writes, "These are the times that try men souls. How appropriate it is to address what's going on in education today. and one-time school districts were autonomous. Now we have mandates and yet we are expected to pay for
027those state mandates. In the past years, this governor has directed a formula for state aid that has been ine inequitable and devastating to so many districts across the state, one which is ours. This formula has tried our souls as the as we consciously conscientiously make budget cuts. Now, like a wolf in sheep's clothing, the state has quote unquote granted some relief for the state aid cuts. Let's be clear, the state is not giving us anything. In reality, it is a loan that must be paid back through an additional tax levy. The decision we make tonight is quite trying. While we could approve this levy, we must consider what it will be of cost to our citizens who already face high mortgage interest rates, high mortgage payments, high property taxes, unexplainable food costs, insurance costs, medical
028costs, high gas prices, and also loss of income. How much more can our community be burdened with? For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to think carefully about the consequences of all of an additional tax levy on our already burdened community. I am totally against trying men's soul any further. >> I'm done. >> Just got a couple questions around here. Um back in the slide where I said the budget comparison >> that$ 275 $275,50 for break education. >> Yes. >> Where where is that one? I don't I didn't see the previous one where you said 275 that's a combination of the math teacher and the total 50,000 for the math program placement. uh included in the slide before that shows 76,000 for the math position that includes the salary increase and the health benefit portion
029of it. So included in the regular education is just the salary portion of it cuz the health benefit piece is showed in a different line. Got >> so it's that and the 250,000 for the math tax. >> That makes more sense. Then one other question $600. Oh, that's the uh average assessed home, the adjustment that that the township shared. So, in 2324, the average assessment home is $242,700. Uh the information that the tax uh tax collector's office shared for 2425 is the average assessed home is $24300. So, it was a change of $600 from last year. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Can you go back to the proposed increase adjustment slide? >> Sure. >> Thank you. Um, the full-time math position would be work grade. >> Uh, that would be high school. >> High
030school. >> And Dr. Resa, can you explain the social worker position? I heard uh Mr. Schultz say I'm sure on PK. I'm just unsure. >> Sure. Yeah, I'd be glad to. So, um, what we're proposing with this addition is the opportunity to have a part-time social worker be assigned to hired and assigned to PK while an existing social worker that we have on that in existing budget can devote her time to the programs we have, not only the school program at Abshore, but also the everinccreasing demands of our ERRI program and which So then you so we would have a >> part-time social worker with the client program at PK >> part-time social worker for the building program at PK while the by while the uh social worker that's currently split between PK and Apua
031can devote her energies to full energies to the ERRI program and the ABU school program. amazing. Missing a few things. Um it I mean that's what we've been talking about in this district for well over 10 years. However, how many elementary schools do we have? >> Five. Right. So, um, it's missing a couple numbers and a couple more positions because we've talked about having a full-time school counselor or social worker at each elementary school. Now, this would do many, many things for our district. A, it would pull us out of this bullying thing that we keep hearing about because then we would have a full-time person in each building able to do prevention, intervention, and investigations and have proper training and training teachers and training students and how to treat one another, the words to
032use, the words not to use. So, personally, I'm glad to see that. Thank you for thinking of it, but it's missing some. So, I would love for that to not only just be a full-time position. Um, but I think we need at least two more, right? And and to clarify too for the nature of that position is one of the things that we're seeing in our program at the ER the ERRI program at the elementary level and at the ERRI program at Highlander Academy and prep is that the students needs in these programs really necessitate therapeutic approach that our social workers can provide and that's really the benefit and that this and the goal for this position is to offset and allow us to be able to devote the resources personnel and otherwise to this
033to this program. So, I I can't speak to what you're describing, but really the intent of it is to really support this erra program. >> So, looking at this part-time position then um if we could skip to the next slide, a minute. Can you tell me where it fits on this? Because I don't see anything under child study teams. I don't see anything in extra services for special ed. So, did that social worker position fall under regular education? No, it falls under the uh other expenditures category. It goes by how it's classified in the uh budget document. >> Okay. >> And the other expenditures is included in that number in that 221,000. And to add to what uh Derek was saying was I'm sure there's a lot of needs for the district. We tried finding
034a balance when we looked at this in between the tax levy and some of the needs to not ask for too much, but find some spots that we can definitely use the money wisely for. >> Yeah. Um, math was never my strength. However, if we were to make that a full-time position, it looks like this budget would need to go up about 120,000. Um, which again in all of it would be change. And you know, I understand and I heard Terry's speech and I have to say I don't disagree. I mean, this is absolutely frustrating. This isn't a gift, but for me, this is an opportunity for me to give. Right now, it's $10. I'd like to give 20 to make our district a better place to stay out of lawsuits or newspapers and to
035help our kids learn what they need to be the best members of society, you know. Um, and many of the people in our community hopefully are getting the tax freeze that they need if they are retired or veterans or whatever it is. Those are the people that I worry about, but yet their property taxes and and their taxes should be the same. Um, so this is for, you know, I I understand the frustration and it isn't fair that the state put us in this position. However, I will I have to vote yes on this to make our schools the best that they can be. And I think you guys did a great job. However, you know, I always look at everything and see how it can be better. Um, and I think that it is
036missing some things. So, and especially in the mental health and well-being area and something this is a chance that we have that to fulfill something that we've talked about in all my, you know, um, for over I'm going to say at least 14 years of my time being, you know, coming to these meetings. It's probably even longer than that. So, um, you know, I don't know if as board if we get to we probably need to add to it. you kind of just get to vote on what's presented. But it would be nice to have a mental health professional in each of our elementary schools full time, not there two days a week, not there 3 days a week. It's not fair to our kids. Um, but other than that, I would be voting yes
037because our schools need to be the best that they can be. Thank you, Billy. >> Thank you. First of all, what the state did was instead of them making the decision, they're putting it in the local counsel. And Terry is right. They're asking us to put it on the backs of our taxpayers because they didn't they weren't strong enough to do it themselves. So, they're telling us, you got one shot, you do it, and if you don't, well, you know, it's not on us. So, and I like Terry understand that when you're a fixed income, it gets harder and harder for you to keep paying those taxes every every month. I think we have to remember what we're doing here tonight as a preliminary like we always do with the other budget. And I guess
038it's going to be up to us in committee to start voicing the concerns just like you said Kate and maybe get some feedback from people, you know, the town people and that to let us know are there areas that Billy identified here and they don't think that that's where it should go. Um I am extremely upset about the title. That's a 45% decrease in our title money. money that encore that's not special needs that are that's the average kid who's just missing it just missing it and then we're going to have to cut that. I can't do that because every year it keeps pushing people back and the dollars that we spend today are going to be twice as much tomorrow if that's the case. So that that's one thing that I I you know
039I I just can't support. I agree about the social workers. I I I see the need. I see what's happening in our schools every day. I know that that's that's our wish list. You we can't have, you know, we not not that we can't, but the reality of having one in every building is not a reality, but I understand where you're coming from on that. I I totally agree. I don't believe that we should push it to the full amount because I I don't think people can can afford that. What I do, what I am concerned about is we got lucky this year. We got good numbers on on the state aid kept our our health benefits were like a gift in itself. We have no idea what next year I mean the year before
040was like a nightmare. So you it's like okay I'm not going to give it to you this year but next year you know so we're going to take it from one and give it to another. I also have watched through the years every time our budgets have been defeated that we go back three we lose three years and then we got to catch them back up again and that our base is cut. And when our base is cut it I I never understood the base until I was on the board. >> And it took me probably 5 years on the board to understand what the base was. And I I feel like sometimes we're talking to the public and they're hearing these they're hearing us speak about things that they you know what are you
041talking about? Taxes are taxes and and that's what I've always heard. Well, the truth is if we can at least increase that base by a little bit, we're kind of cushioning ourselves in the event that whatever this formula is that comes down the line, it hurts us again just like it did before. and and we're getting that opportunity. This is a hard decision for everybody. I don't think this is an easy one. Um I want to support what's here. I I I do. Um and I I I think that we should vote for a preliminary budget tonight that does and then we need to hash that out in in committee only because we're up against a wall and we can't sit here all night and go back and forth about it. But I think we
042all see both sides of it. And you know, I the the programs that that would be, you know, that we could add, you know, the Encore program to me is one of the ones that stand out the most because we've played games with that program so many times because that's always that, you know, and Dan has wiggled the money and done what he could to keep certain, you know, keep the encore program there. So, I'm I'm very supportive of that program. I'm supportive of everything that is on this list and I I probably have a wish list that would add even more. But I think we have to remember too it can't be personnel, you know, because when you see that, you know, that can get interest, but what I'm trying to say is we
043can't bank we can't bank everything on that. I I agree with Billy also about the cap the capital reserve because we don't know what could happen tomorrow and we keep cutting from those things and we could be in a devastating situation and not knowing where we're going to go with that. You know, everybody needs to push it. I know it's a hard vote for everybody. I want to I want to support what you put forth tonight and I want to talk more about it in committee to see where it goes. But I think tonight we have to at least move forward so that we can get that preliminary pass and then you may be in for a harder fighting committee than you are here. But I I I I also want to say thank you
044for what you put together here because it kind of gives us a good impression, you know, gives me a good feel of what you're talking about and where the money's going to go. So, thank you. >> Just to add a little bit more to it, um with this slide up there, there's also, you know, we're talking about how the state is cut from us, but we also have a $159,75 that was cut basically by the town. So that's stuff that we're doing as well. So that's money the town is still using that we're not getting because we have to cover what traditionally wrong traditionally the town has covered and now they're anticipating us and responsibility for ours. >> Exactly. Take responsibility for fields and now they're actually asking us to start charging use. >> So
045that's going to be in there somewhere. So that $159,000 is a one 1.5 person whether it be encore or it be social worker or my own fields of the the STEM and and the sciences and things like that right there. So, I think against my better judgment, I'm going to I will support um this this relatively small amount of increase that we have in comparison to what it could be. Um but I do want to thank um not so much you but your family for what you had to do for this budget, the second budget season that you guys >> supposed to be. So >> yeah, like a my office when they see me in about two weeks or my family right in the air with flowers. >> Yay. Billy's wife and this is what
046they did. >> So uh Oh, wow. Excuse me. So really the only consistency is that the state and federal government giveth and taketh at will. Um this is absolutely insane. This is everything that I mean to be a part of the lowest tax increase and then the highest tax increase in probably 20 25 years. >> Crazy. >> Not what I thought was going to happen. Um I have points. These are going to be sort of random. So I apologize for that. I I figured I have two more weeks to kind of gather my thoughts together after this preliminary. But as Mr. Schultz mentioned, in order to maintain a healthy fund balance, things like this are necessary. And during the course of our our tenurs, we've had roof collapses. We've had breaks. We've had random tuition,
047not random tuitions, but we've had tuitions show up that are just unbelievable when you see them on paper. So that's what that working capital does is it supports that and make sure that we can fill those gaps when they happen. Other districts that don't have that cushion do end up in bad deficits and at that point I don't want to be sitting on at this day thinking about what we have to do to cover that. Um we talked about the federal funding decreasing. If you use 2017 and 18 as your baseline year of when S2 cuts started happening, we've only increased a total operating budget on an average of $348,000 a year, which is what just enough to cover salary. Maybe >> barely. So everything that doesn't go into that 80% and when that 80%
048increases eats away at that 20% now 21 if we pass this in the long term and you know we sit here as a board and we say we want this we want this and we want this we want a new mac program we want new we want security vestibules we want new workers how does that happen when that 20% just keeps shrinking thinking it's impossible. We've been put in this impossible situation where we have lost nine over $9 million of state aid and at the end of it, what do I have here? It's our total tax increase since 2017 18 is $2,438,867. I that's that's $7 million that we're trying to figure out what to do and in order to achieve these dreams and goals that we have as a board and as a district.
049I I just don't see that happening without these unfortunate circumstances. Uh good things that we've done in order to manage our district is we've consolidated sports programs. uh we've decreased our staff size over time due to attrition and effectively kept good teachers around in order to sustain these programs and asked more of our teachers in order to get it done. Uh we've repurposed Wester School by moving sixth graders to Makipin. That was a triumphant moment in my eyes. um we can't risk deferring maintenance in capital projects and that's usually the first thing that gets cut. It's easy to do that. It's an easy deal to say, "Okay, well, you know, we'll kick this can down the road. We'll let the next board figure it out." But thankfully, we had programs like the ESIT that did
050a lot to the guts, the things that you don't see on the outside. But things like security vestibules, if we don't sock away things in capital reserve over periods of time, we're not going to be able to do those things. And and if we are going to do those that that is going to extend it, you know, to the 7-year time frame. And at that point, the needs of security are going to be different. I'm sure they always change. Um, back to math and ELA programs, you know, we're we want these huge changes, warranted changes in what the standardized test will reflect cuz that's what it comes down to, right? You see the standardized test scores and they're not they could be better. And if we do pass this budget, we accelerate the time frame
051in which we can roll those things out. And again, like back to the maintenance and capital projects, if we don't do these things in the moment, all of a sudden that roll out's going to take 8 years. You're going to have a child that goes through school and doesn't have these programs that we're trying to roll out and is left with what we have complained about for years, right? The administration is trying to make these these excuse me, these things happen, but on a sho a shoestring budget. I mean, the best thing that really happened to this school district, you know, don't beat me up for saying this, was co that windfall of federal money, which obviously is eating us a lot now with the record inflation that we have, but if we didn't have
052that thing, like, could you imagine where we'd be in this moment trying to figure out what we do with this budget and these programs and our teachers? It wouldn't be fair. It really wouldn't be fair to our students. had not been for this awful thing that happened to society. Um, I hate this decision. I hate the fact that this is going to hugely impact our fixed income community. I hate the fact this going to hurt our commercial community. Can you imagine what Shopright is going to do? Imagine if we went to 10%. I mean, your groceries would never be the same in West Milford and if we could walk through Shop, right? But I think that supporting this uh is really going to help stabilize the the mess that the state put us in. Um,
053I hope that come the 16th that we really have a focus on either approving or disapproving it. But in my uh in my estimation, this is the best thing to do for our students. And you know, it's easy to say, let's do it for the kids this time. I don't think there's a way around it. We have to do it for the these students. they they deserve the ambitions that the administration has uh with the full efforts that hopefully the community supports also. Thank you. And I guess that just leaves me. So this is a very hard decision for me also. Um we thought we were done, right? We thought we'd pass the budget, we were done, and then we get given this uh what they're saying is, you know, one-time shot at um reopening
054the budget and asking our taxpayers and our community to pay more. Um I agree with the fixed income. I agree with the um you know our elderly, but I also think about the working families who um you know are also seeing costs rising across the board with everything that they're paying. um you know, but a lot of those working families, they have children in the schools, so you kind of hope that they see the benefit of what they're going to pay for, but it's hard for them to see the benefit when their um you know, their funds are being depleted more. It's ironic that today too in this town, we got our third quarter tax bill >> with Yeah. with the increase um that we just passed. And so now they're going to get another
055adjustment with a another increase. However, this was a great presentation, Mr. Schultz, and um as much as I was on the fence about this and really was um you know, mulling over this for the past week, um everything that you have in here, we need and we do need more. I agree with you, Mr. Romeo. We do need more. We need a social worker in every building. We need more across the board, but you know, we've always asked for that for years. Um, and I know that that's a need that probably will always be asking for, but the encore, we can't lose encore. Um, the 6 for the for the um math, we probably need more than 6 for the math. um the social worker. Yeah, we need more um putting all the money into
056the capital reserve and the long range facility plans. We probably need more for that, too. But this, I think, gives us a good base moving forward. And I think it's a good compromise of not doing anything but not doing the most. Um, I think it's spending the dollars wise and not asking for way more than um than maybe our community can um afford. Um, I just wish that more community members came out and spoke uh cuz you know, we're going to hear the backlash of this um either on Facebook or at Shopright while we're trying to pay that bill. Um, but no one ever comes to these meetings and speaks to this. And I think that that's where I grapple is because if you're not going to come out and speak to it here with
057us, we're just going to go on what we as a board of ed believe that we need to do. And I I believe that we do need to do everything that's in here. And um I am going to be voting yes for this also. But again, thank you, Mr. Schultz. She did a good presentation. This was very well put together. >> Can I make one more one more comment? Is that okay? >> Yeah. >> Um M Romeo, you can have one comment. >> Uh Mr. Satovich brought up test scores and um I wasn't even thinking test scores. I was thinking about our goal of well-being when I was talking about the social worker. Um, but research from as far back as I mean research hasn't changed in that any kid that has a trusted adult
058in their school building does better on their academics. So, I do support math programs as long as they're not threelettered starting with an I. Um, and I support new programs and innovative things, but a trusted adult for a child, there's that's priceless. It's absolutely priceless. And that's why I will not stop talking about full-time social workers or school counselors. They don't have to be a social worker or a school psychologist. Um, we have districts very close to here that have full-time school counselors in every building and um, another trustee just said tonight that that's not possible. It is possible. It is doable. Um, and our children deserve that. I will never stop fighting for what our kids deserve in the mental health situation. And the things all of the other things that will align and
059be better for our district when we provide that are countless. So um I would really like to continue this discussion in um committee. Thank you. Um but just you know will saying the test scores it brought that up in my mind. But the last thing uh is a comment Peter made that I didn't even think of, which is is a big deal. Um because I think the township is is at a zero, but yet we, you know, I really like your point on that. I didn't even think of that. Um in that we have now sustained more work this year, right, started this spring that we've never had to do before, you know, um and that costs money, people, time, energy, and machinery. So, um I'm I'm glad that you brought that up. Thank you.
060And um yeah, I just wanted to point those things out and I'm excited to talk more about this in committee, but um this is this is not a professional word. This stinks. This stinks. And when will when you said because of co I I actually fully 100% disagree because co allowed the state to stand behind a lot of money that you know all of a sudden there was all this stuff that was free you know and and they I know they got federal money and there was but there's so many things that the state isn't doing for our education system that they could be doing. Um, and I think CO was a really big thing that they could stand behind and kind of blame it on, you know. So, I understand exactly what you're saying
061in that because of CO, we saved a lot of money, right? And we were able to cover a lot of things years after that. But that was what your point was >> partially. I mean, they had such a windfall of money. It was ridiculous. Yeah. See the inflation. >> Yeah. >> That was it. I just want to like point out some of the really great things that you said. Anyone else? Okay. So, we'll move on to public comments. All speakers will have 5 minutes to speak until a period of 30 minutes transpires. Before speaking, please state your name, group affiliation, and address for the record. Members of the public who have requested to speak prior to the meeting will be recognized by the chair first and have to speak in. All speakers are asked to
062sign the register provided and give their full name, group affiliation, and their address. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question board members individually. All speakers are expected to have read the statement within the agenda regarding the regulations concerning public comments. Members of the public are reminded that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Did anyone sign up to speak, Mr. Schultz? >> No, there's not. Would anyone wish wishing to speak? >> Okay, Miss Babcock should, right? >> Thank goodness. >> The one person in the audience, well, two, >> no. >> Red doesn't normally mean good things. No. >> Okay. Caitlyn Babcock, 13 post place. >> Okay. Hi guys. Um, I just wanted to thank everybody for the hard work that they put in. I really
063enjoyed the presentation. As a math person, I thought it was great. I have all my doodles of fun math going on here. Um really what I think is really important everybody up here in all of your speeches you were talking about the community the community but then not reminding everybody that you're also a part of the community as board members you all live here you all pay the same taxes that we pay actually a lot of the administrators sitting at well about half of them sitting at the table also pay the taxes in the town so I think that's important also you know talking about um people coming today. I was also surprised. I thought I got here like a couple minutes late. I thought I was going to pull in and wasn't going to
064be able to find a spot. I was very surprised. But, you know, in the past, if you had been talking about the budget, maybe talking about cutting band, sports, anything like that, I think we would have had something incredibly different. But doing something like this might prevent that in the future, which I think is important. And also um talking about the students and the programs. Um lots of times parents come up here and you hear them talking about the programs that affect two very different ends of the spectrum. You know, we talk about our high highs and we talk about our low lows, but really doing this type of thing really protects those kids in the middle. Those in education, what we call the bubble kids, something like an encore program, right? Where you're looking
065at the kids who are just almost there. Sometimes I call them the forgotten kids, right? Cuz those are the kids that, you know, they're doing okay. So, lots of times they're easily pushed over to the side, but this is something that could easily um really kind of help them out, really make sure that we're giving them those programs with Encore resource room, all of those great things. Um, you know, as a taxpayer in the town, I think we pay taxes to do a lot of things. Um, I don't think we'll ever regret paying for education. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Babcock. >> Anyone else wishing to speak? >> Move to close public comment. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. Um, any changes to the agenda? >> Okay.
066I have a motion to adop adopt the agenda as presented. >> Move to adopt the agenda as presented. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Personnel student affairs. Mrs. Van Djk. I'd like to move item one under personnel student affairs. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Seeing none, roll call, please. Mrs. Van Dyke, >> yes. >> Mr. Sitovich, >> absolutely. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwire, >> oh, yes. >> Mrs. Lwood, >> yes. [Laughter] >> Okay. Operations and finance. Mr. Leipe. I would like to move number one for number one. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Any discussion? We've had enough. We've had enough discussion. Okay. Roll call, please. Mr. Schultz. >> Mr. Lippy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Van Djk.
067>> Yes. Mrs. Dwire, >> no. >> Mr. Stovich, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Public comment. Do I have to say at all? There's no one. >> There's any new business or old business on here? >> No, but I am planning on saying a little thank you to someone. We don't want public comments. >> Um, did you want to Is it Is it public comment now? >> Yeah, I will read the Hold on. I will read it for you. >> So, public comments. All speakers will have 5 minutes to speak until a period of 30 minutes transpires. Before speaking, please state your name, group affiliation, and address for the record. Members of the public who have requested to speak prior to the meeting will be recognized by the chair first. After speaking, all
068speakers are asked to sign the register provided and give their full name, group affiliation, and their address. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question board members individually. All speakers are expected to have read the statement within the agenda regarding the regulations concerning public comments. Members of the public are reminded that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Anyone wishing to speak? Kate Romeo one Crestell Drive. Um there's recently a newspaper article about um and it's a sess it was mostly Sussex County um administrators that were interviewed discussion of student debt, student debt and walking at graduation, student debt and receiving their diploma. As a parent of West Milford student this year, um my own child was threatened with not walking. Um because honestly, he only
069had $3 in his lunch account. Um I have multiple I think there's actually six emails that came from a school principal um that feels in a threatening manner. Um, as a community member, I don't want a threatening manner email from any principal or from any school administrator stating that if your school lunches aren't paid, if your school debt is this, you can't go to the dance that you might have or might not have been able to pay for, or if your school lunch account is in the minus, you cannot walk at promotion or graduation. Um, as a parent, I'm offended, appalled, upset. The newspaper article was very interesting in um questioning administrators of close by county. I mean, we're pay county, but Sussex County, we are we're like a lot of Sussex County schools and
070asking them what they do in this manner. Um and I just want to ask the board as a whole to please look into this to discuss it with administration to talk about better ways um to communicate um to know what is I mean I know that we talk I'm talking as a parent so I know the board talks about student lunch debt and student debt. Um I it's just upsetting that that goes out to a community at large and this is not just the West Milford problem. Hence the newspaper article is that it is a problem everywhere and everyone deals with it in a different way and I even suspect that maybe every school in a district might deal with it a different way. Um, so it's just something that I wanted to bring up
071um, in that I don't think every principal or every, you know, this wasn't a lunch issue. It was a, you know, school debt issue and I don't think every principal or all of administration is doing the same things, you know. Um, so it's just something I wanted to bring to your attention that um, I was upset about and that needs to be discussed. So, thank you for listening. And when and if I find I had the newspaper article uh and I I just tried to Google it. I can't find it right now, but it's from it. It's from this past week. And if you want to see it, I can send it to you. Thank you. >> It was on the messenger. >> It was like attached. >> Oh, I don't get the messenger. >>
072I I get it on >> um I live in the Oh, okay. >> So, look it up the messenger. Yeah, I'm pretty I'm pretty sure that you're here. >> So, >> thank you, Mrs. Romeo. >> I don't know why. >> Anyone else wishing to speak? >> That's why Paul. >> All right. Seeing none, can I have a motion to close public? >> Second. >> Thank you, Peter. All right. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. So, there's no need for an executive session tonight, >> right? Um, but before we adjourn, because I didn't have a president's report today, I just wanted to take this time to thank Dr. Fernari. Um, this will be her last board meeting in West Milford. Her last day is officially tomorrow. Dr. Kiten will be
073taking over on Monday. Um, but I just wanted to thank you for um everything that you have done this past year. um you you came into a situation where we're kind of in a in some flux. And I really believe that you are leaving this district in a better place um a stronger place, not a better place, a stronger place than than where it was when you came. You've brought back a lot of uh the things that I think went to the wayside because of COVID. We I know we don't like to blame co but um I do believe that a lot of things just changed during then um you brought back cabinet meetings um for your administrators the the weekly ones the monthly ones um you were very visible in the community you were
074supportive of the board um with your weekly confidential updates um you were always available to us um and I just I I always remember I think you said um I I I don't know how I brought it up with you, but I always remember you saying words to the effect of, "I'm not an interim. All I know how to do is be a superintendent." So, I look at this position as not being an interim, but being a superintendent. And and we have uh definitely flourished with you here the past year, and you will be missed. I wish you luck um in your retirement, as Will said the other day, which really isn't because I know you're going on to another district pretty soon. and I don't really think you're really taking a break, but um
075you know, I think that district's going to be pleasantly surprised with the superintendent that they get the interim. So, thank you so much, Dr. Fernari, and I hope you stay in touch and wish you the best for the future. Any anyone else wishing to speak with anything? I want to thank you for stepping in as you did and you truly did step into many issues that we had and you handled each one with grace and I want to thank you very much for handling that. I also want to say it was a pleasure to get to know you um and develop a friendship and hopefully in the future we will still see each other. Um, our district is in a much better place than it was when you got here. I'm looking forward to Dr.
076Kitchen. I think we're we're move turning pages and I think our team is developing here and things will be moving on and I think we'll all be stronger as the the days move ahead. I'm very optimistic about our future here. Things are well and hopefully we are moving into a direction where they are much better. So, thank you for giving your time and your ca and your compassion to our district and the love that you shared with us of many things. So, thank you for being here, doctor. Thank you. >> We'll be here on Tuesdays. You can come on by. If you're going to miss I know me, you're going to miss me. I I I understand she Yes. and you know and she misses my my strange questions from private sector and I appreciate
077that but I I do appreciate more your patience and your guidance um in this process for those of us that were relatively new on the board when you came on board and for some of the things we've gone through which I'm sure other districts have similar more things are different the more things are the same um but thank you very much and oh god speed kitchen. >> I know I probably should have said this during public time, but I should know how helpful um Dr. has been to be as well in just making the transition here. So, she's been she's communicated tremendously well with me. Um so, I want to thank you personally for for your help. >> Well, she's stepping consortium which I'm stepping out of. So, so I'm sure I'm sure we'll still
078be in touch. We have questions for oneonone. Thank you. I also want to say Dr. Kiten that you have given a lot of your time transitioning into this district too. >> I wanted to >> and we thank you for that. >> Thank you Lydia for all you've done. I appreciate it. I respect you. your academic which is a pleasure. Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Ditto. Um I feel like you were a light in the journey. Um although I know I was a thorn in the side many times. Um but I just want to thank you for always listening. Um and I've said this to you personally and I will say it now publicly. Um, I have many years in education and I have never ever seen an interim um like you, Lydia. Um, someone
079who cares and actually comes in and really does the job. Um, with very small and graceful um, humble demands like you have none and and you just um, you know, you're amazing and um, good luck in all of your future. It's been um nice getting to know you and working with you. Thank you. >> Else seeing none >> to motion to >> before can I make bring it down a little bit. I just wanted to make >> I should have made a public comment before on this, but as a board and as educators, um, we've seen a rash of drownings >> over the last few few weeks because it was warm. The weather got very warm. The water was still very cold and I'm sure there's other aspects in that. We just unfortunately had the
080loss at Clinton Reservoir. Um, but if people are listening to us, we're a district that has lakes every 50 ft. Please be careful. Please watch yourselves. Please buddy it. Please. Pools and lakes are different. That's I just wanted to put that out there. Maybe some maybe one person will listen and that'll do it. I just wanted to Sorry, didn't mean to bring the >> No, that's >> Dr. Fernari's right. Retirement >> drowning. >> No, it's a good point though. Um for sure because even the strongest of swimmers can get into trouble out there. Okay, just before we adjourn, I just I just um >> before I go, I just want to say thank you so much to this board. Um we had some lively discussions and we had some very um very interesting times when
081we may have been this far apart and yet we ended together. And so, you know, that doesn't always happen. Um, as you know, I've been in a number of places and I've worked with a number of boards and, you know, keep striving for that that coming together part because, um, that's what helps our students and our community. Uh, I do want to say a heartfelt thank you to the administrative team in this district. You have probably got one of the most stellar administrative teams I have ever worked with. They're amazing. They collaborate. They want to work together. they genuinely like to work together which doesn't always happen and in particular the gentlemen that are sitting to my left um we have had ups downs inside out conversations how do we fix this what do we
082do and at no time did any of them say we can't do that >> they say how do we do that and we we we really every Wednesday our meetings last for hours because we're really trying to do what's best for the West Milford public schools. So, um, again, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I really have appreciated my time here and, uh, and really truly appreciate your collaboration and the ability to work with administrators and staff who are just really genuinely love kids and want to be, you know, the best they can be. So, thank you. >> Okay. Okay. Well, go for it. >> Second. I. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? And the time is 8:18. [Music]