Board of Education Meeting 7/18/23

001[Applause] Please first respect. Heat. Heat. In accordance with the provision of public transport Heat. Heat. [Applause] Here I am here. Here. Here. Here. at 632. Thank you. We'll be back in half now. Back to roll call. Mr. Francisco, >> Mrs. Ricano >> here. >> Mr. Sidowitz, Mr. Lippy >> here, >> Mrs. Dwer >> here, >> Mr. Go >> here, >> Miss O'Brien >> here, >> Mrs. Lockwood >> here, >> Mrs. Van Dyk >> here, >> Mrs. Romeo >> here. Um, first tonight we'll have the director of education's report, Mr. Novak. Sorry to have Am I on? Am I on? Okay. Thanks, Nate. All right. Um, tonight a little bit of a different director of education report. I have the honor and privilege of introducing three uh very special little girls who um I've been talking

002with periodically over the last month or two. uh they are in the process of uh creating or finishing their um Girl Scout Bronze Award and they're going to be doing this with the uh collaboration of the Makipin School. Uh I'd like to introduce from troop 97403, Caitlyn Donaldson, >> Lily Santiago, Sunonny Lyn Hart along with their round of applause. They they've been doing a great job. [Applause] and they were worried if they were going to present in front of a crowd or not in July. So, thank you for accommodating uh accommodating their request. Uh I'd also want to introduce um their uh group leaders and parent volunteers. That is Mrs. Rebecca Santiago, Mrs. Kelly Hart, and Mrs. Kelly Donaldson. Do you want to stand up for a round of applause? Before you start, is your

003poster okay up here? Is it okay if I have this here? Okay, thank you. >> All right, you're ready. >> Hi, my name is Caitlyn Donaldson and I'm a student from West Brook School. Hi, my name is Lily Santiago and I'm a student from Marshall Hill. >> Hi, my name is Sunny Lyn Hart and I am also from Marshall Hill School. We are from Girl Scout Troop 97403. [Music] ridiculous and we will be starting our sixth grade year at McPin Middle School in the fall. We are here tonight to discuss our idea for our troops bronze award, the GPC. The GPC is the girls preparing closet. It would be a space that would be offered to all students needing period products. We do not want equal. We want equitable rights. Everything we need should be

004available at school when we need it. There's soap, paper towels, toilet paper. So why do we not why do we also have why do not why do we not also have pads and tampons? Scared me. We have met with principal uh Ryan hold and Mr. Novak and came up with a plan to have a giving closet located next to the nurse's office, which would h allow for a semi-private process for students to get supplies they need during the school day as well as an as an area for solitude if needed. We feel there is a need for this because did you know that one in four girls experience period poverty? On average, the cost in pads and tampons are $100 yearly. For some students, they will experience their first period at school, and having access

005to a free closet will be helpful. Boys don't need to pay for toilet paper, so why should girls have to pay for pads? [Applause] I know. Have you heard of the bill A1349? If you haven't, it is a bill that has been passed on June 22nd, 2023, mandating that all NJ schools supply period products for students in students 6th through 12th grade. By incorporating the GPC, you will have already started the process. Please, please help us getting this project approved. questions. [Applause] I just want to say ladies, I was about to announce that in my portion of the meeting tonight, so you stole my thunder a little bit, but thank you. I'm glad you did a better job than I would have. [Applause] I'm really um I can tell that I'm not alone in saying

006that we're really proud of you. Um this is awesome. Thank you. My only question is uh where can we drop off donations? So for donations, we would like to have a box out of Macin School and we would like to send home like fundraisers stuff and stuff to or flyers to donate um all sorts of all sorts of stuff that we would need for the closet. So possibly maybe in the front out right outside the front lobby will be like a box. >> We Yeah, we we talked about the uh we already have the black and gold boxes in front. They're going to have an area that partitioned um just for them and then we're going to periodically share um information about the process for donations so that when we have a back to school

007night, we have a parent event where people are coming to the school anyway, a good good opportunity to replenish their uh replenish their supplies. >> Wonderful. And I see on your poster it says what we can donate. Tampons, pads, chapstick, deodorant, facial wipes, underwear, black leggings, and lotion. anything else that you can think of. All right. And these things are are going to be available in the bathrooms, the locker room, and the nurse's office. Um, tampons are always available at the nurse's office. Uh, just so you know, if anyone's in an emergency, they are always there. But, um, this is incredible. Thank you so much, [Applause] Where? >> Was there something else you guys want to say? You're good. >> Go ahead. You still have the mic. >> Okay, >> go ahead. They didn't change

008that poster to what we had talked about with Mr. Novak. So patient is going to be, if you didn't hear them, the next to the nurse's office, there'll be the room there. So they can they can set up the room with the closet chairs if they need a minute. >> Wonderful. That is not a problem at all. >> Um the board was pro provided with a map and a diagram of their um plan and and the types of things that they're going to um work on this summer. And then >> um on the flyer there's um an Amazon wish list. Does that have all of those items? Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Thank you guys. Great job. [Applause] >> I just want to comment on how impressed I have been and and their um how

009serious they've they've taken this, the passion that they have behind it. Also want to say thank you to the girls because I've been able to talk better at home with my daughter about such things. I usually run from the room screaming um and uh you've changed my um change my perspective. So uh thank you. And that concludes [Applause] Francisco special reports. Yes. Um, we have the board meeting uh minutes from June 14th, June 20th, and the special meeting from June 26th. >> I need a motion. I'd >> like to make a motion to approve the following board of education meeting minutes. June 14th, 2023 special meeting. June 14, 2023 executive session. June 20th, 2023 workshop regular meeting. June 20th, 2023 executive session. June 26, 2023 special meeting. Second. >> All in favor? I opposed. >>

010I abstain from uh June 20th workshop and executive session. It wasn't there. >> And I abstain from June 14th uh special meeting executive session. Well, >> and I abain June 14th special meeting session. >> And I abain from June 26 special meeting. >> We have all that. Okay. Next is my president's report, which is really small. um this month. Um I did attend the STEM camp um and was very impressed by our students um and their willingness to just get right in there and touch frogs and um salamanders and really fun science things. Um that was never my strength. Uh, but it was really cool to watch like the kids just want to learn and want to be there and have fun and they I actually heard some kids go like, "Oh, the buses are

011coming." Like they didn't want to leave. And that's when learning is just so amazing. And uh, what a great program. Um, I also just wanted to >> Can I ask if you just hold that mic closer to your >> Oh, you can't hear me? >> Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. >> That is very unusual. >> Um, >> that's for sure. better. The next thing um is I just wanted to let everyone know that board of education trustee petitions uh to run for a board of education seat um the petitions are due to the county uh by July 31st um for the November election. And um I'm really excited. I even though it is hot and it's July, I love seeing the community come out and support one another. So, thank you for being here. Um, the next

012portion of our meeting is public comments. [Music] 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 speakers are asked to sign the register provided, 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. Our first signed up speaker um is Miss Katherine Signarelli. [Music] This

013is so low. >> Hold it. You can't adjust about that. Do I sign after? >> Okay. Okay. When I'm nervous, I talk really fast and so good luck. Um, my name is Tina Signarilli and I'm an English teacher at West Mford High School. I just finished my 19th year of teaching and my 15th year advising the GSA. I'm here to talk about the importance of GSAs in general and particularly in our school district. First, I'd like to talk a bit about the founding of our club, its origins, its purpose, even its name. When I started at West Milford in 0405, there was already an ER race club, its acronym standing for ending racism and sexism everywhere. The Erase Club was quite active, doing great work in our school. But I came to find out there

014seemed to be an unmet need for some of West Milford High School students. At the end of my first year teaching, I wanted to reflect on my process, find ways to improve my classroom, and determine what worked and what didn't. I've continued to do this every year since. That first year, one student was quick to point out that his favorite aspect of my class was, and I quote, the fact that he could spend 45 minutes without hearing he goes on to state homophobic slurs, which brought a sense of calm to his nerves. Fast forward a few years and I had the honor of that same student and a friend of his asking me if I'd consider founding a gay straight alliance. This club would be like the erase club, but instead would focus on the

015pressing needs of our LGBTQ plus students. Since the formation of the club, the needs of our students have changed, and we have therefore changed our name to the Gender Sexuality Alliance. It was important to us to make sure that our transgender students felt welcomed into the club. However, regardless of name, this club has always been and will continue to be a place for the LGBTQ plus population and their allies. To quote the June 20th board meeting, "One of the problematic aspects of GSA, according to some, is that an unlicensed professional is discussing sexuality with minors. I guess that unlicensed professional would be me." However, that statement could not be farther from the truth. I can only assume that as is typical of people speaking on this hot button issue today, the term sexuality and sex

016have been conflated, confused. When students identify or try to begin the process of discovering their own identities, they might be ascribing labels to themselves. These labels are fluid. These labels are self-escribed. These labels are theirs. That is their sexuality as they try to define it. The specifics of their behaviors regarding those labels are never discussed. Sex is never discussed. The comments from that meeting, though brief, made very broad and inaccurate statements about the content and purpose of our meetings and club. Our mission is simply to provide a safe space for students. We spend meetings learning about local, national, and global LGBTQ plus issues. We champion the students successes and we comfort them during their struggles. We discuss how to handle an unsupportive family member at Thanksgiving, what colleges might make them feel safest, and even

017for our straight students who attend, how to be a better ally. Something honestly we could all learn a thing or two about. We plan and run various events ranging from national days like the Day of Silence to something as simple as a rainbow bake sale, literally sweetening the day of staff and students who partake. We've made bulletin boards for important LGBTQ plus dates and milestones. And we've remade them when they've been torn down. Our town, like many, needs GSA. This is not just my opinion. Research backs this. GSAs create safer schools for LGBT students and their allies. This is just a fact. Students in schools with GSAs are less likely to hear homophobic remarks in school and are less likely to feel unsafe than students in schools without one. LGBT students are less likely to

018miss out miss school when there is a GSA. LGBT students in schools with GSAs are significantly more likely to be aware of a supportive adult at school, which is reported to impact higher grade point averages and post-secary education as compared to LGBT students who do not. Our board of education has a duty to support and protect all students. And this marginalized community is a marketkedly safer and stronger to get to the mere presence of the Gender Sexuality Alliance, whether or not they even attend. If research is enough, I'll use anecdotes and the students own words. Like all of my esteemed colleagues over the years, I've received many thank you notes from former students. I'll quote some of my favorites. And though typically my favorites talk about how I made them love reading, these are pretty

019cool, too. One student said, "In this town, having a friendly ally around school is super important, and you've helped more gay kids than you realize." Another stated, "Coming out in high school is one of the most terrifying things I've ever done. Feeling the support from a teacher was life-saving. I remember not feeling judged or threatened by the fact that you knew I was gay." Another, "You may never know all the ways you've saved lives." Another, "I'm in awe with the impact you've had on this town's LGBTQ plus community. It is so hard to put into words. Your hard work trying to make everyone's voices heard does not ever go unnoticed. You bring safety and happiness to an amazing community. I'm so lucky to have been a part of it. And finally, thank you for being

020a kind person, an ally, and a positive, supportive presence. I'm grateful for how much you helped me when I was struggling the most. Thankfully, I'm in a much better place now, but I wouldn't be here without you. I'll end with an anecdote anecdote or two that have stuck with me over the years. The captain of the football team outside my classroom overheard explaining to his teammates the day of silence was not about gay pride, but instead about protecting those who have been bullied and harassed, sometimes to death. The GSA member who got up in front of the staff and explained the importance of honoring students pronouns. The student who came to me in tears during my lunch because their parents threatened to throw them out if they tried to identify as gay. the student who

021ran to my classroom with a friend of hers. Neither of them GSA members because a teacher was using his dead name and he didn't know what to do about it. But my student, his friend, knew who to ask for help. None of these quotes or anecdotes are about me or who I am as a person. This is the role of a GSA adviser. Any of my colleagues would serve in this role in the exact same way. We are teachers. We are here for the students. Their health and wellbeing is always the most important thing to us. But the existence of this club, the sheer fact that students know there's someone, anyone, not just me, naming themselves as the person who will always hold that safe space for them. Every other Monday in room 133 from

0222:15 to 3:15, I have one more sentence. >> And whenever they need me in between, I need a second. >> Go ahead. >> I'm going to start that sentence again. I'm sorry. >> Go ahead. You can finish and you can slow down. They extended you. >> Thank you. I was really ramping it up there at the end. Okay, I'm going to dial back just a second. I'm sorry. The existence of this club, the sheer fact that students know there is someone, anyone, not just me, naming themselves as the person who will always hold that safe space for them every other Monday in room 133 from 2:15 to 3:15 and whenever they need me in between. That support is more vital than some of you will ever understand. Consider yourself lucky that you don't need it.

023Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Our next speaker is Wendy uh Miss Becker. I'm going to read. I'm sorry. I'm Wendy Becker. I live at 22 Hillview Court. Okay. I'm Wendy Becker. I live at 22 Hillview Court, West Milford. and I'm going to be reading an email that I addressed to the board of education members about a week ago. Dear West Milford Board of Education members, I'm writing to you regarding some concerning remarks made by a board of education member in regards to the high school GSA club. I'm a resident and a parent of two current high school students and one recently graduated student of this district. My own children have found and continue to find the GSA club to be an inclusive club and a safe, supportive haven for LGBTQ plus students and their allies.

024Mr. Sidowitz publicly and erroneously tried to link a situation that happened several years ago in which a former PE teacher and athletic coach was found to be having an inappropriate relationship with a student and player. This case does not have any relevance to the GSA club, the current club advisers or students. Implying that any past or present grooming of students is somehow related to the GSA club is a false and slanderous claim. Remarks such as those made by Mr. Caitz incite fear in an already vulnerable group of students who meet together in order to find a safe and supportive space in which they can be themselves. This group has not changed their mission statement, nor does the group engage in any political activities unless you consider it political to advocate for a school environment that

025is free of discrimination and bullying. I'm also writing to you as a concerned faculty member of this district. As a faculty member, I find it extremely sad and upsetting that our LGBTQ plus students and their allies should find the need to advocate to our board of education members for the continuation of their club. I've always been so proud of our district's commitment to providing caring and respectful and inclusive school environment, all of which are reflected and intentionally taught to our students through our core values. I'm equally proud to work in a district that has earned the distinction of being named a district of character. I've been part of this rigorous process and for multiple schools within our district. A key component or principle of being a district of character is creating a caring community, creating

026attachments and relationships that foster a sense of belonging, connection. My colleagues and I see firsthand that when our students feel cared for, feel a sense of belonging, and most importantly, they feel safe, they're able to learn and grow as individuals. I can attest to the fact that our faculty and staff work extremely hard to create this type of environment in all of our schools in order to meet the needs of all of our learners. This is especially important for our LGBTQ plus students that are more at risk for isolation, bullying, discrimination, depression, and suicide. I would like to remind you of the code of ethics for school board trustees which states that you will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the

027individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing. It is expected that you will frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them. I'm wondering if those trustees that have a problem with the GSA club have consulted with the club adviserss, district mental health professionals, or spoken with any of the students that participate and find support in the club. If not, I urge you to do so. Your code of ethics requires this of you. I'm also writing to you as a licensed clinical social worker, a school social worker, and a mental health professional that's employed by this district. In this role, I find it necessary to share with you that there are countless empirically validated research findings that support the continuation

028of GSA clubs with similar missions to support our students. To summarize this research for you, recent studies indicate that having the support of at least one accepting adult dramatically reduces suicide attempts among individuals that identify as LGBTQ plus. Finally, I wish to remind you that in your role as trustees, you are responsible for helping to create and support approved district goals. For the past several years, at least one of our district goals has focused on the mental health and wellness of our students. During the 2223 school year, the goal was as follows. Build and foster a culture of mental and physical wellness for students and staff in order to craft a more supportive educational environment. The words and applied agenda of Mr. side with seem to be in contradiction to this goal. In closing, I

029wish to state that should a trustees personal beliefs interfere with being able to make decisions that are in the best interest of all of our students, I urge you to resign your position. If a trustee chooses to act on personal opinions or beliefs that would undermine our district goals, can I just finish my last sentence? >> Second. All in favor? >> Go ahead. >> All right. Um, if a trustee chooses to act on personal opinions or beliefs that would undermine our district goals were the daily efforts of our faculty and staff that they spend creating this caring environment, a sense of safety and a sense of belonging. Again, I urge you to resign your position. There is no room for that hate and small-minded ignorance in West Milford. Sincerely, Wendy Becker, resident, affirming parent, and

030district social worker. [Applause] The next speaker is Mrs. Vatzololis. I will say this, if there are many many speakers in the audience, we are not going to get through all of you if we clap and stand after each one because every minute counts. So, we're on a 30inut time right now. Um, and it seems like the board is extremely willing to extend not only the individual speakers, but probably I would assume as they've done in the past again. But if we can maybe hold all that to the end. I mean, I know we love all of you and it's just we can we can clap, but we'll go a little quicker. Okay, I will speak quickly. Thank you. Hi, Mrs. Bolus. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Cheryl Batles. I'm a history teacher at

031West Milford High School and I am reading a statement written by a former LGBTQ plus West Milford High School student and member of the GSA. We live in a world where LGBTQ adolescents constantly feel alienated and ostracized. We are subjected to an onslaught of discrimination in our workplace, our communities, and even in our own homes. Providing a safe space to support such a marginalized and vulnerable group at school is essential. The GSA Club does just that. Furthermore, it connects LGBTQ students and allies, letting them know they aren't alone and that there are people at school who they can relate to and confide in. You cannot feain concern for your students well-being while suggesting we eliminate the one space where they feel wholly accepted by their peers. We see right through your nonsensical dredging to conclude

032that GSA the environment is the problem rather than the offender himself is profoundly facious. You have made it clear that your intention is not to protect the LGBTQ students but to diminish their prominence in this school. The message you send if you are to eradicate this club is that LGBTQ students are unwelcome at Russ Milford High School. You will make them feel isolated. You will make them feel unwanted. You will make them feel alone. If you truly care about the welfare of your students, you will vote in support of the GSA's continued operation. >> Thank you. Our next speaker, my name is George York. Mr. York. >> Good evening. My name is George York. I live at 24 Shadowy Lane in Pine Cliff Lake. >> My comments tonight are based on 50 plus years in

033education. I am old enough so that I may not be able to look 50 years in the future, but I certainly have enough experience to look 50 years in retrospect. I have watched our nation create a society that I believe is truly global, inclusive, and diverse for all and truly works for all people being equally and afforded all the rights and privileges that our forefathers put forth. And for that, I'm truly proud. However, over the past few years, I have become disillusioned by the many institutions to which I claimed an affiliation and claimed me. and I have watched our government, our churches, and some of our educational institutions who purport to support us fail and not live up to my expectations. Schools are just one of the multiplicity of institutions that educate our youth in

034addition to the family, the church, and other institutions among many. However, they are the only institutions that are mandated to very young to about 16 or 18. But we have to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of schools? I would argue that the main purpose is to prepare our youth to think critically, constructively, and creatively, and to prepare them to participate fully and globally in our world. We have certainly come a long way in serving the educative needs of all of our students. But there's still a lot of work to be done, and that needs to be done to help all students achieve their full potential. Banning books that deal with issues of race, gender, sexuality, and identity, among other issues, does not mean that these issues don't exist and that our students will not

035get that information somewhere. But just where can we trust it? Limiting and denying the rights of some people, women, LGBTQIA plus youth, minorities, and the disenfranchised does not mean they we don't exist. But schools can also be some of the safest places for kids. Some stats. In 2022, the Trevor Project surveyed over 34,000 LGBTQ plus youth across the country. Half of them between the ages of 13 and 17 reported that they had seriously considered suicide. Trans youth had the highest rates of considered and attempted suicide. And queer youth of color have reported higher rates compared to their white peers. Nearly 3/4 of LGBTQ youth reported anxiety while 58% said they were depressed. Yes, the data are alarming and it's a call to action. However, there is hope. The data also show that rates of considered

036and attempted suicide are drastically reduced in schools where there were affirming spaces where students knew they could be themselves and would be loved and supported. Researcher and lecturer Bnee Brown wrote that what we can do and what we are ethically called to do is create a space in our schools and classrooms where all students can walk in and for that day or hour take off the crushing weight of their armor, hand it on a rack and open their hearts and be truly seen. It is our duty to our youth in our schools and our communities to ensure that our LGBTQ youth are celebrated, affirmed, supported, and fully educated. For many of the groups I mentioned, there are no safe places in society. We can no longer depend on all of our institutions to protect us.

037But I am asking West Milford to rise above the rest and create, if not a safe place, since some places are not safe, a safer place. My hope is that we recognize that it is our duty to push past our discomfort, learn more, engage more, and possibly change some of our views for the sake of our children. Their lives depend on it. It could save a life. They are the future of West Milfred and the future of our society. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. York. [Applause] Melissa Bridget, >> can I start talking while he's writing? >> Okay. Good evening. My name is Melissa Pritchette. I live at 16 Postbrook Road North in West Milford. I am the parent of two current West Milford High School students and two West Milford High School alumni. My

038speech has been sent to you via email with access to links for the documents and websites that I'll be referencing tonight. I will also be abbreviating and paraphrasing my speech as some points were so eloquently covered by those who spoke before me. I'm here tonight to give you a little education. As a teacher, a mom, and an ally of our LGBTQ plus students, many of whom are the dearest friends of my children, I feel the need to speak out after hearing the very uneducated remarks that were made by a board trustee at the last meeting. I would first like to speak to you about the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union. For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation's guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatores, and communities to defend and preserve the

039individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. The ACLU states, "While school administrators sometimes buck allowing students to have GSAs, federal law guarantees that students at public high schools have the right to do so." Under the law, there are two types of clubs in public high schools. Curricular clubs, those that relate directly to things that are taught in the school, like a math club, and non-curricular clubs, those that don't relate directly to things that are taught in the school, such as a chess club. The Equal Access Act is a United States federal law passed as title 8 of the Education for Economic Security Act in 1984 to compel federally funded public secondary schools to provide equal access to extracurricular student clubs. The Equal Access

040Act says that if a public high school allows students to form any non-curricular clubs at all, that it must allow students to form and continue any non-curricular clubs they want. and it also has to treat all non-curricular clubs equally. I would now like to refer to the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education from the New Jersey Department of Education. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education revised standards incorporate rigorous evidence-based processes resulting in a focus on concepts that are essential for lifelong student wellness. These standards reflect the current thinking and best practices found in health and physical education documents published by national content specific organizations as well as public health and other education organizations and agencies. On page six of that document, you will find

041the standards for social and sexual health. These standards encompass respect and accept differences of an individual's race, religion, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic background, and perspectives of health related decisions. The extent to which people connect with others in different environments, adapt to various social and sexual situations, feel supported by individuals and institutions, and experience a sense of belonging, all contribute to social and sexual health. These are the standards put forth by the state that have been adopted by our school district and are part of our current curriculum. The standard states that by the end of grade 8, inclusive schools and communities are accepting of all people and make them feel welcome and included. All of these lessons at every grade level convey the same valuable message. Be a nice human. I want to

042thank you for allowing me to speak to you tonight and I wish to leave you with this quote by Emma Zoo. In a world where so many are throwing bricks on others, be the one who builds with them. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Richard. [Applause] Next speaker is Miss Chandler. Uh Sarah Chandler. [Applause] >> My name is Sarah Chandler. I live at 39 Orleans Lane in West Milford. >> Sarah Chandler. >> Okay. Um, my name is Sarah Chandler. I live at 39 Orleans Lane in West Milford and I graduated West Mford High School in 2021. My freshman year, I watched videos of a boy tearing down the Transgender Day of Visibility bulletin board. It stated why trans people need more visibility and listed some facts about increased suicide rates and things of the like.

043My sophomore year, I watched this act of hate occur once again. This time it was accompanied by hateful, vulgar social media posts made by my classmates, people I had grown up with. How did I find myself in such a hate-filled environment? I sat at my lunch table facing the half torn sign and started researching New Jersey's interd district poet school choice program where I would be allowed to attend another public school at no cost to my parents. I was dead set on going to Pmpton Lakes Public High School, a participant in this program. I researched requirements and forms and texted my mom letting her know of my decision. She asked if I really wanted to leave my little sister in the district alone. No, I guess I didn't. My junior year, I found GSA. I

044walked into Miss Signarelli's classroom on the first day of school and was was greeted with an environment that I hadn't exactly experienced before. Signs were posted designating the space as hatefree. One sticker depicted the equality sign. Another read, "I'm a safe person to come out to." I glanced over to my friend, Alex with a look like, "Whoa." He introduced her to me as the GSA adviser. GSA was highly stigmatized. It still is. But all right, I thought I could get behind this. I soon found myself never missing a Monday at school. I vividly remember coming home from my first GSA meeting I attended. I was smiling. I hadn't often found myself smiling for presumably no reason like that. But I felt hope. GSA gave me hope for an environment where everyone feels safe, for a

045more understanding and educated community, for a class of students who don't have to watch their bulletin board get torn down. I soon found myself in a leadership position in GSA where I was helping to run some of the meetings and set agendas. I would like to give a brief synopsis of what GSA meetings look like, seeing as there seems to be confusion about its content. Over the pandemic, we began to start meetings with our rose and thorn over the past week or two. Our best and worst days, what we're happy about and what was bothering us. It was up to each student to discuss what they'd like, if at all. It could range from I earned an A on my test to I'm anxious about seeing my family for the first time since I came

046out. As a group, we would brainstorm and research different ways to help finding that student resources that could aid them better. We would then do a check-in discussing upcoming dates or events. If there was an approaching event, we would then work on what we needed for that, such as posters or social media posts or data gathering. If we weren't working on anything, then we would read news stories and discuss the happenings in popular culture. We discussed the good and the bad, talking about how that particular news story, bill or event could impact us and what we could do about it. We watched Taylor Swift's music video for You Need to Calm Down, probably my favorite meeting. Um, we listened to the Oscars speeches when LGBTQ plus actors were recognized for their achievements, but sex was

047never discussed. GSAs are necessary. GSAs do so much good that goes unseen. GSAs save lives. This GSA has saved lives. Voting against GSA is voting against equality, voting against safe spaces, and voting against all students. Thank you guys. [Applause] Hi, my name is Dina Grisuti. I live at 28 Starlight Road. Um, I have one alumni and one uh daughter going into her sophomore year in the high school. Dear board members and administrators, this past May I found myself emailing and speaking at the monthly board meeting to support protect our much celebrated West Milford Arts program. I was shocked at the time that such a value program would be at risk of being gutted. Little did I know that I would find myself writing the board again, this time with a much more grave concern. It

048has come to the community's attention that one of our board members has expressed shameful and ultimately dangerous views on our GSA club and in turn our LGBTQ plus student community. I must start with how remarkable it is to me that we even need to be having this discussion. It is enraging. His remarks were disturbing and in my opinion this board member should be immediately removed from the board or at the very least an ethics violation should be filed with the state because his views because his views which bear repeating are dangerous to our children. The following quote is from the Trevor Project. A growing body of research suggests that gay straight alliances are similar or similar efforts that explicitly acknowledge and include LGBT LGBTQ plus students can play important roles in promote promoting emotionally and

049physically sorry I can't say safe schools in particular GSAs and similar student clubs for LGD LGBTQ plus students are an important strategy for positively connecting students with supportive adults and peers. GSAs can help schools address the harassment of LGD LGBTQ plus students, encourage dialogue about diversity and acceptance, and promote respect for all people. GSAs can also enhance students self-esteem, and foster their resilient and coping skills for responding to bias. These factors have been a direct correlation with rates of mental health concerns among our youth population. 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously consider attempting suicide in the past year. To all responsible, educated, and informed adults, these statistics should be terrifying. And in my opinion, every conceivable action to address this sobering statistic should be explored and considered in our school environment. But at the absolute very

050least, the adults at your table should be educated and empathetic enough to understand that our GSA club is a lifeline for our students. On countless occasions, my children have come home to tell me that they have heard in the hallways and in classes derogatory, hateful remarks made about LGBTQ students. This is also a vital reason for school communities to offer a GSA club to promote a more educated, empathetic, tolerant, and inclusive environment for our student body. I'm not sure if we can change the minds of parents who may be promoting hate in their homes, but we can educate the hearts and minds of the students in our school district, making tolerance, inclusion, kindness, and empathy a guiding force in and outside of our classroom environment. On the other side of the coin, I am overjoyed

051by the support I do see for our LGBTQ community among our students. I've gotten to see this firsthand with both of my daughter's groups of friends. The future, I believe, is in good hands with them. However, it must be noted the fact that my 15 and 19 year olds and their friends have a better grasp of understanding of the topic at hand and what it is to be a kind and compassionate human being than some on our board is disgusting and unacceptable. You are supposed to be an intelligent role model for our children. Educate yourself and do your job. All right, the board needs to know that that's 30 minutes. Um, so we can close it and move on or you can There are I was just going to say there are um also two

052speakers still signed up. So you'd like to extend for those two and then further for another half hour. Is that what you're asking? Sorry, just be specific if you can make a motion for a half hour. [Applause] >> Thank you. Second. All in favor? Hi. Thank you. Um, next speaker is Nichollet Carpenter. [Applause] Hi, my name is Nichollet Carpenter. I live at 119 Upper Highrest Drive in West Milford. Hello, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak tonight at this board meeting. My name is Nicole Carpenter, and I am an alumnest of West Mulford High School, graduating in 2021. Since my time at West Mford High School, I have transferred to P County Community College, recently graduated, and I'm now set to transfer to Harvard this coming fall. An educational journey where my

053foundation begins in West Milford School Districts, a school district with a commitment to providing an inclusive, respectful, and empathetic environment. As a passionate ally and advocate of the LGBTQ plus community throughout my time at West Mford High School, I have found the GSA club to be a catalyst and conducive for a safe learning environment as well as a supportive haven for LGBTQ plus students and their allies. Within this space, my fellow students and I find solitude, safely expressing experiences and identities in the comfort of a support system. As a district committed to fostering a sense of belonging and a board of trustees with a duty to protect the mental health and wellness of all students, I urge you to consider the importance of a GSA club. By having access to at least one accepting adult,

054LGBTQ plus students were significantly less likely to report a suicide attempt in the last year. GSA clubs save lives. Alongside creating a sanctuary for students, the Westminer GSA Club has cultivated a safe space to learn from others, serving as an educational platform and promoting understanding and respect for not only diversity, but the individual and unique experiences that my fellow students have undergone. GSA's impact extends beyond LGBTQ plus students. Those who have had the opportunity to participate in a GSA club are more likely to become advocates for LGBTQ rights and equality in society. They carry with them the lessons of empathy and acceptance, becoming agents of positive change in society. I'm positive the members of West Milford want nothing more than for West Milford students to become agents of social change within our larger society. A

055GSA club is not just a mere extracurricular activity. It induces positive change. The West Milford GSA Club fosters inclusivity, educates the entire student body, attendees or not, and provides support for LGBTQ plus individuals while promoting understanding and empathy among all members of our community. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every West Milford student feels safe, celebrated, and heard. With these principles in mind, I urge you to understand the importance of a GSA club in the West Mford School District and the duty by which you hold to create a safe space for all students. Thank you. Thank you, Courtney Stevenson. I don't think they heard >> Mr. Stevenson. >> Um, Nichollet, can uh Courtney, can you hand Nichollet the board to sign in or whoever has it? >> Thank you. >> Well, my name

056is Courtney Stevenson, 307 Ridge Road, West Milford, New Jersey. I am not here to speak about the GSA club tonight. Although I am impressed with the eloquency especially of our alumni and how they have spoken to you. I know being on this board in the past that the GSA will get passed tonight because you are all wonderful trustees. I am here to speak tonight about number two under education curriculum associates. This is a company that provides the I Ready platform that I have spoken about when I was a board trustee. I'm very excited to see this on tonight's agenda. I Ready is an educational tool that will be such an asset to the educators of our district as well as support for parents who want to help their children academically. I Ready is a very

057easy to use tool that will provide specific data in areas of math and reading. Teachers will give their students a diagnostic assessment at the beginning of the year. The program then sets the child's learning path according to his or her level. The program will get harder if the child performs well in his or her lessons and it will get easier if the child is struggling. In addition, teachers have the ability to adjust lessons to make them harder or easier. Teachers can assign specific lessons to students depending on what they are teaching. I Ready will provide teachers with groupings of students so they can easily teach small groups in order to differentiate instruction. I Ready also gives students gives teachers oh sorry I gives students benchmarked assessments so educators can assess students levels multiple times throughout

058the school year. Educators can have great discussions and collaborations on how best to help students based on assessments that I Ready provides. Teachers can have open discussions with parents about their child's progress as parent reports are easily generated from I Ready. This can be a huge help to teachers who may have difficult conversations about a child's progress academically since the data is very clear for everyone to understand. On the other hand, is a if a parent is feeling like their child is struggling in a certain skill, they can ask the teacher how to help their child. I Ready will allow them to have specific lessons assigned to that skill. Parents can support their child at home using I Ready. Of course, I Ready should not be used as the only tool to assess or support

059students, but it is an invaluable resource that I hope you will pass tonight. Again, number two under education. In my district, as a teacher, administrators encourage teachers to use I Ready in the classroom. We have seen the NJSLA scores improve due to the amount of time I Ready is used in the classroom. Since West Milford is a district district that is in desperate need of tools to help our students perform better on standardized tests, I am hopeful that everyone will vote yes to approve number two under education tonight. Is there someone else that would like to speak that hasn't signed up coming up? Uh Mr. Batulus. Is it? >> There it goes. Got better. Okay, good. Uh, Chris Bols. I'm an English teacher here at West Milford High School and I'm reading a statement uh

060that was written by a former student of West Milford. Uh, hello everyone. I'm sorry I could not be here in person. My name is Christopher Servin Casino and I graduated from West Morford High School in 2013, 10 years ago under a different name. If you were around then you might remember me. I was very active in the school as vice president and of the student council, chief of staff of the model United Nations, cast member in the school play, and I took almost entirely AP classes. I was also one of the only openly vocally queer students I knew during my four years there. When I attended MacPI in the high school were not kind to LGBT LGBTQ students. I had classmates switch schools due to homophobic bullying. I had a crush malicious maliciously outed. Other

061students protested the day of silence. Teachers would make homophobic and transphobic jokes in class or laugh alone when students made them. I had more than one friend stay in the closet because of bullying. Yet, I didn't join the GSA. I had too much going on. And frankly, I didn't want to face the bullying I knew the members of the GSA faced. But its existence was important to me. I knew that if it got too bad, there was a room where I would be welcomed by other queer kids and allies, and there was an adult who was not only safe to talk to, but who would actively support and help me. That adult was Tina Signarelli, the adviser of the GSA. The fact that there was a community in the G community in the GSA often

062kept me going, even if I was too shy or proud or scared to take advantage of it. And I know so many queer kids felt the same way about Miss Signarelli in the GSA back then. We weren't alone, even if we weren't ready to jump in. Now 10 years later, I've since come out as trans and established a life for myself, a stable one filled with joy. I have a trans husband, a dog, a job I like, and a one-bedroom in Brooklyn with a backyard fruit and vegetable garden. I know, brag much. But my husband and I owe everything to the different queer communities we have been a part of. When my husband got sick and couldn't work as much, gay and trans people paid the paid his rent. When I needed major surgery, queer

063people provided food and care. I have a great job in advertising, which I got because a trans person from the internet preferred me. I have paid strangers rent, brought them groceries, contributed to their medical funds and school supplies for their children, help with their resumes because queer people take care of one another, even if we don't know one another. I know a lot of parents are scared that if they let their children explore their identities, their lives will be harder. But life is always hard. It's unavoidable. And you cannot decide whether there are they are LGBTQ or not. You can only look for ways to help them adapt to the chaos and joys and stressors of life even when you aren't with them. They can't do that without strong communities of people who understand their

064experiences and can help them access the support they need. Teaching them to develop that community is fundamentally what the GSA does. When kids can grow up forming bonds with other LGBTQ people, they will be safer than you can imagine as adults. They will learn how to ask for help. They will never be alone. They will find housing, jobs, and the loves of their lives. They'll practice thinking deeply about who they are and what they want. They will stand up for themselves and others. I wish I had joined the GSA in high school because if I had learned how to be a part of the queer community back then, maybe my late teens and early 20s wouldn't have been so hard. Once I did, my life was changed. So, keep the GSA around. It helps everyone

065in the school, whether they're out as queer or not, in the club or not. It's not just a safe space. It teaches a skill that has saved me many times over. To paraphrase poet John Dunn, nobody is an island. We are each part of a vast varied continent and all children deserve to know that connection. I wish I could be here in person so I thank whoever is reading this. Again, my name is Christopher Serving Casino. I'm a transgender alum of West Milford High School, class of 2013, and I support the GSA so that the next generation can find the security, comfort, and community that makes for a happy life. >> Thank you. I have this menu. I don't know your names, so Can everybody hear me? My name is Andrea Shapyo. I am a

066alum of West Mil West Milford High School from 2009. I know the uh inaugural member of the GSA uh Malcolm de Caesar. So, I'm here representing him. Sit. Say, hold the mic. >> Thank you. Yep. Nope. You're good. >> I can hold it. I'll hold it. >> I want to thank you for the opportunity for allowing me to speak today, but I am really heartbroken and sad to be here to speak upon this. I was informed that the GSA is up for closure. Um, I speak as an ally of the LGBTQ community and I stand as a testament of what happens when um we encou we what happens when we embrace these pe like when we embrace uh LGBTQ culture in our school. Um I as a West Milford High School alum uh I have

067complicated feelings about being back here. I'll be honest. Um, it was not easy going to school back in New Milford back in those times. I had a fair share of bullying trauma and if it wasn't for my gay friends, I would not have survived my last two years of school. And I'm here in support of them. And I remember the first meetings of GSA and a race. I remember when GSA was gay straight alliance. And I I'm just so so heartbroken that has come to this place. Um this journey of my uh having sorry this journey of um my friendships have taken me across the world and I I still support the gay the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, interex asexual communities. I'm also really disheartened about the comments that were made in regards to uh

068the uh Gay Straight Alliance and the purpose of the club. Um it's dangerous. These comments have been used to weaponize gay communities for far too long and it makes marginalized communities feel even more marginalized. Um, I want to reflect upon a anecdote back in 2008 when we had I believe it was the first day of silence uh in marking the death of Matthew Shepard uh 10 years to the day he died. We had a silent protest where we had just vowed to take a day of silence. That was it. Plain pure simple. We were met with taunting. We were met with bullying. We were met with unsupportive faculty and we were even uh met with students that decided to create gay pride uh straight pride t-shirts and stickers. And um as angry as I was

069then, I have to remind myself that we were teenagers and we were working through some really complicated emotions. And you know, as dare I say, as an idealist, maybe that would have been a great opportunity for us to have more conversations around the LGBTQ community. But as angry as an incensed as I was, uh I could not imagine the shame, hurt, and just just humiliation that my friends have felt. And I want to sit I want to stand here in honor of them. I also want to have a moment for a classmate of ours that recently passed away from AIDS related illness. This is not someone who was born in the 80s or the '9s. This person passed away just a couple of years ago and he was an alum of West Milford High School.

070And for him, I want to really advocate for this safe space to remain open. If it wasn't, again, if it was not for the community that we cultivated in our time of West Mulford, I I don't know where I would be. So again, I stand here as an ally and that I support the continuation of GSA and that I'm really proud to see everybody here supporting their rainbow flags and I I just cannot thank you guys enough for showing your support. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello, my name is Serena Cuns. Uh, I am a class of 23 graduate and I live at 15 Robin Road. What would people think if they found out I was gay? I could never admit that to anyone. I'd rather die. These are the thoughts that I walk the

071MacBook hallways with every day. I come from a supportive family, yet I was horrified at the idea that I would be seen as different from everybody. How devastating to be branded with something that sets you apart, confines you, disconnects you. Every day I walked around with shame and guilt of my existence, hoping that anytime someone looked me in the eye, they wouldn't find out my secret. How disastrous it would be. My freshman year was a first year of co. The time away from social expectations left me with the tremendous room to reflect. I love my sisters more than the air that I breathe, and I know they feel the same. We spent every day of our lives side by side. Yet I was horrified at rejection from them. I talked myself out of coming out

072to them more times than I can count. But I did it and they still love me. I am not a degenerate. I am not corrupt or impure. I am a human with love and life and happiness. I planned on hiding the secret. But that changed when we came back to school after co. There was no villain in my home. No prejudice from loved ones that prevented me from being authentic. None except my own fear. But that villain is in the air, in the news, the whispers, the slurs. It was not until my junior year at the age of 17 that I began to understand who I am and be okay with who I love. It is hard to come to terms with living so many years being ashamed and unhappy. I would never wish 17

073years of that grief on anyone. This tragedy of being afraid, thinking that your mere existence is a disgrace, is not something anyone should ever go through alone. I am just a person with a heart and a mind like everyone else. I joined GSA my junior year. No one indoctrinated me into joining. I was not groomed or conditioned or brainwashed. Before that, I was alone in my journey. We talked significantly about bullying and harassment prevention that every student has a place to turn to. But how deeply does this run? Until my junior year, I had never heard a slur directed towards me. Always in the background, always about someone else, but still happening. It wasn't until I started walking to class with another girl, standing out our lockers together, hiding our interlocked hands. People sometimes stared

074at us as if we were freaks, but I didn't care. I knew there were others who experienced this, and in GSA, we come together and grow from these interactions. Every member has a story like mine, and many are not as fortunate to experience the acceptance that I have. In my last year at West Milford, my second year in GSA, I learned to live authentically and with dignity. I do not believe I could have done this without GSA. Would you be so callous to rob our younger students of this growth? One of the first few questions my mother had asked me about my relationship was, "Do you feel safe in public?" Like, "Do you hold hands?" It took me a moment to think. Actually, no, I don't. I realized it happens everywhere. At the grocery store,

075at school sporting events, out to dinner. I stifle my love, smother my affection until it is quiet in exchange for safety and security. What agony. How sorrowful is it to experience the most unparalleled and unmatched human emotion, love. to be forced to bury it and suffocate it in your own throat, at your own fingertips, on your own lips. The idea that GSA could ever be associated with grooming is incomprehensible and baffling. I graduated West Milford just a month ago, glad to have been a part of GSA, only to find out that there is threat of it being removed. There is a moral panic sweeping across educational facilities. However, I ask you to reflect on where that panic is coming from. There is no perversion in providing teens with a safe space to talk about who

076they are. Being gay is not a degenerate set of sexual acts. It is a human trait of identity. In my four years of high school, we had required health classes once a year. We discuss well-being, mental awareness, safe sex, pregnancy, and biology. Would you consider the education of safe heterosexual sex to be grooming or the biological process of pregnancy and a woman? These topics are standard within our high school. GSA is held as an optional after school club. It is our safe space which will not be violated. Irrational terror cannot be substituted for a skewed moral compass. For being moral is treating others with dignity and kindness without unnecessary harm, no matter of their lifestyle. There is a tendency of hysteria within our history that has not disappeared from the psyche of the American mind.

077And we are yet again faced with a crisis. We cannot allow this phantom of perversion to force us backwards in progress. Thank you. [Applause] Hello, my name is Sarah Polar, 80 Paradise Road, Oakidge, New Jersey, and I will be speaking for someone who could not make it today, so this is their words. Good evening. My name is Katie Schiller, and I'm an alumnest of the West Milford Township Public School District. I attended Paradise No Elementary School, Makipin Middle School, and I'm a graduate of the West Milford Township High School, class of 2013. I went on to pursue my undergraduate education at NYU's Tish School of Arts and graduate at the Form University Graduate School of Social Services where I earned a master's of social work. Today I have a dual career as an independent filmmaker

078producing film and television content across scripted and documentary programming as a clinical social worker conducting weekly weekly psychotherapy with adults and adolescence. During my first time at Westford High School, I served as the student body president and as the student representative on the board of education, where I was in the privileged position of hearing the discourse surrounding the policies that informed my school district. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I was often disappointed and disheartened by the viewpoints of people responsible for my education. These feelings of disappointment are what have brought me here today. It has come to my attention that a board of education matter member made dis disparaging remarks about the high school's gender sexuality alliance or GSA expressing his intent to vote against approval for the club. I

079stand here today to advocate for the club's existence and for the students who for which the club is a lifeline. Various studies showcase that LGBTQ plus youth are at a particularly high level of risk for bullying, harassment, and discrimination at school both by their peers and school faculty. Hostile school environments have negative consequences for both LGBTQ plus and non-LGBTQ plus student populations. Prejudice and discrimination not only make a difference for individual students, but those belief systems and behaviors shape the culture of schools and threaten the effectiveness of education institutions overall. In recent national school climate surveys from the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network and Human Rights Campaign Foundation, respectfully, it was reported that LGBTQ plus students who have experienced bullying, harassment, or discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity also reported missing more

080days of school, lower receiving lower grades, and having lower educational aspirations than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. These results do not only impact the LGBTQ students, but also reflect poorly on the individual schools, school districts, and entire communities. I can say as a filmmaker who has made numerous award-winning films about about and featuring the LGBTQ plus community, as a social worker who works with many LGBTQ plus adults and adolescence daily, and as a lesbian woman myself, clubs like GSA are central to young people learning about and accepting themselves and others. To suggest that clubs like GSA have no place in our schools today is deny a specific population of students the space to feel affirmed and validated as they discover who they are. And that denial, that's discrimination, black and white. And let's remember what

081we're really talking about here. A GSA is a school-based group of students and faculty adviserss that provide LGBTQ plus students and their allies as social and activist space within the school ecosystem. GSA's offer students an opportunity to build community, learn about the LGBTQ plus experience, develop leadership skills, and order or organize within their school. And if we go back to the national school climate surveys of LGBTQ high school students surveyed, those with GSAs reported less bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity, less homophobic language, and a greater sense of belonging in their school environment. Additionally, the data showed LGBTQ plus students participating in GSA had better attendance due to a feeling of belonging and safety at school as well well as a higher grade point average. Additionally, GSAs are particularly important timely because today

082LGBT youth recognize, label, and come out as LGBT at younger age than ever before. And the legalization of same-sex marriage is likely to lead to more children with same-sex parents, further amplifying the need to teach students about diversity and prepare them to live in more of a puralistic society. Lastly, acknowledging that West Milford Township is in the state of New Jersey, which as of January 1st, 2019, introduced an LGBTQ history requirement as a supplement of chapter 35 of title 18A of the New Jersey statutes. It would be quite unfortunate to eliminate the GSA as a space of learning when most New Jersey schools, West Milford included, have not adequately added instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people to the curriculum. I hope those of you that sit on

083the board of education can put your personal bias aside and make the decision that is right for the students district and West Milford community as a whole. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you, Miss Blur. I saw this hand first. This one and then one more. Okay, so as of right now, this will be our last speaker. Um, >> wait a minute. >> Hi. Uh, my name is Emily Torres. I live at 1449 Union Valley Road. I'm a 2009 graduate of West Milford High School and one of the first members of the GSA. Uh, I can tell you this is my first time in a school board meeting. This is the first time I've actively participated in anything involved in the West Milford school system by choice. Um, I learned late in life that I am a

084member of the LGBTQ community and that space was the only safe space that I had. You cannot propagandize my existence. If you don't know Matthew Shepard's name, consider yourself lucky because I grew up with that name in my heart. A safe space for children. Your children, teenagers, whether they are straight, whether they are gay, at the end of the day, keeps them out of the morg. There are a lot of deaths in my graduating class that have nothing to do with gender identity and everything to do with a lack of safe spaces present in this town for our youth, especially our marginalized youth. And there's more behind me. There are more children who are currently I know of at least one who is struggling with this process this journey of self-identification who no longer rides

085the bus because their school community will not do anything about the things that they are facing. There are safe spaces that exist for them now and here we are getting ready to take that away from them. I can't fathom if an offender had been in charge of the chess club for a short period of time, we wouldn't be standing here talking about punishing those kids for the offense of an adult and for the failure of their community. Thank you. >> Excuse me. Wait one second. Can you tell me your name again? >> Emily Torres. >> Emily, thank you. If that student is a West Milford community student in our schools, I do not want you to answer and do not sell any names, but please call the board office and speak with one of the

086two people to my left, please. And thank you. Thank you. Close this public. That's the second half hour of public comment, Mr. Gino. >> So, I would like to extend that for at least another half hour. [Applause] All in favor? >> Yeah. >> Would it be fair to have a show of hands of how many speakers would like to speak? >> That would be fair. Yes. Um, please raise your hand if you would like to speak. >> Hopefully all of you. >> I see four. So, we can do one more half hour and then and then we will move. So, yeah. Uh, all in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> I am not opposing. I I I need to go to the lady's room. So, I really I am so sorry. I Okay. Yeah.

087Thank you. Okay. So, I am guilty of mass consumptions of All right. Hurry up. Can we do Can we do a one minute break? Not have to wait for her. Um actually, I'm not going to wait for her, but go ahead and um Deb. Debbie. Yeah. I'm going >> She's not listening. No, I I understand why she said that because she doesn't want you to think that she's being rude. She can get in that bathroom. I already went there. Um, hello, Sarah. Uh, I'm sorry. You know what? I should have started this meeting with sharing my pronouns. Kate Romeo, she and her. And I'm struggling up here saying hello to everyone not knowing your pronouns. So, I really uh struggle with that. So, I'm sorry. Hello, and thank you for being here. Please share your

088name and address. >> Uh, I am Denny Grall. I uh live at three sbook road and um I am currently a student at West Milford High School. I would like to start by thanking you all for your time. I stand before you today West Milford Town Township Board of Education to discuss a recent claim made about the high school's GSA one stating that is that it is inappropriate. As a member of two years, I can speak from experience to say that it is anything but. The GSA offers a safe space to students who are in need and abortion. When the world throws everything from bullies to traumatic and unwelcome environments, the GSA offers a sense of normaly. Even though I do not stray from such an arduous environment, the GSA helps me in ways I

089never expected. Being a part of a community of people who face similar uh challenges as I have has helped me become a stronger individual helping me for when those challenges present themselves again. If the GSA has helped me in that way to that extent imagine how much it means to the students who unfortunately face harder challenges. The GSA is not just an important club is an essential one. Besides offering students a safe space, we discuss current events regarding LGBTQ issues to better our understanding of said issues. We host bake sales and give the profit to charities like the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ youth who are in crisis. Uh the Trevor Project itself estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth seriously consider suicide each year in the US. spaces, communities, and

090spaces, groups, and communities like the GSA are vital to many students well-being. I simply ask you, the board of education, to handle any matter regarding the GSA with the knowledge of its importance to many of the students at West Milford High School. That is all I needed to say. Please consider my and my peers words and any decision you need to make. >> Thank you very much. Um, can I have the speaker from this side of the room, please? Thank you. Please sign um Yeah, I had someone raise their hand from over here. One person. [Applause] >> Hi, my name is Charles Dea. I live at 315 Morsetown Road. I'm an alumni of West Milford High School, class 2008. And so is my sibling, Mount. Sorry if I get a little emotional. I'm going to

091keep it short. If it were not for the GSA, my sibling would be dead. There were multiple times in my growing up in this town where I faced toxic masculinity. I faced bigotry, but not nearly as much as my sibling did. And many times I had to stand there and see them suffer. And you can have all the love in the world at home, all the love in your siblings heart, but they spend hours at school, days, years, and for what? two hours a week. They get some semblance of safety from their own peers that talk down to them, treat them like they're disgusting, or something that shouldn't exist. Shame on anyone that believes the GSA should not exist, for it is vital to the survival of our community. the people, the children, the teenagers.

092My sibling Malcolm would not be here today if he did not have the support of people who advocate and are allies like myself and for all the lovely people here who came in support of this club. GSA is necessary. It's vital. It saves lives. That's all I have to say. >> Thanks, Charlie. Thank you. Please make sure to sign the thing um when next speaker um in the back. >> Hi, please state your name and address. >> Hi, my name is Rachel Chandler. >> Actually, you don't have to share your address. Go ahead. >> Yes. Uh okay. Uh sorry I didn't have anything planned. Um, I left work early. People can get their coffee tomorrow. This is important to me. Obviously, um, I'm speaking as a happily out lesbian. I'm a happily out non-binary person.

093And I come from a different sort of perspective as I was blessed with an amazing amazing family and I was never afraid in my home. I didn't have that experience like most GSA uh members. Um and I am blessed and lucky for that. Um however, West Milford High School is not a safe place in those hallways. It's not as a outgay individual. You can't walk down those halls holding somebody of the same gender's hand without getting a look on your face or somebody calling you a name behind your back or you hear whispers. And those are sometimes the worst because they could go either way. But I joined GSA my sophomore year, I believe, as I found out from my sister that um it was an awesome club. It was uh a great community. Um

094I'm also speaking to you as a the uh co-president of GSA. I graduated in 2022. Um running the club was a great experience as well. I got to work closely with other students and individuals. Um, however, getting rid of this club is not only it it's becoming political and it shouldn't be. This is not a political matter. This is something that is societal. It doesn't matter about what your opinions are. This is something about love. This is about people. This is about society. These are real teenagers that are trying to find a safe space to discuss these issues. And luckily, I'm not coming from that perspective. I'm very lucky. Um, however, without this kind of safe place in this school, in this community in particular, there are places you could probably find where people are

095happy uh with people walking down the street holding this the their hands if they're of the same gender, but it's not here. Not in West Mford, unfortunately. And if you're not gay, you may not know that, clearly. However, getting rid of this club, it's only going to do harm to these students. This is a board of education. It's not a board of whatever I want to talk about or whatever I think is right. [Applause] There will be blood on your hands. Whether that is mentally or physically, these kids are going to talk badly to themselves. They're going to do things to themselves. And God forbid one child finds themselves in a position where they can't find anybody to talk to and feel so alone that they find the need to take their own life. That

096blood is on your hands. Nobody else. Yeah. And that goes for those who vote no as well. That's really all I wanted to say, but thank you. >> Thank you. [Music] [Applause] Okay, last speaker of the night. >> Actually, I'm sorry. It's not the last speaker of the night. It's the last speaker of this portion of the meeting. >> Hi. >> You guys hear me? Okay. >> Yes. >> All right. My name is Raven Romero. I live at uh 338 Lakeshore Drive. Um I am one of the uh founding members of the GSA, the original GSA uh when it was founded in 2008. So I felt like it was really important that I come out here and talk to you guys about this. Um to say that there's >> Is that okay? I'm not loud

097enough. It's the first time I've ever heard that. [Applause] >> Right. Right. Okay. So yeah, I wanted to come here and talk to you guys today. I'm going to keep this really brief because I know you've already heard from a lot of us and really there's nothing that I can say right now that hasn't already been covered. We've gone over statistics. We've gone over people's personal experiences. I just want to give mine as a person uh who gradu or you know an uh former member of the West Milford High School as a queer woman as a biracial woman as a person who you know unfortunately has been affected and had to live and walk through those hallways every day. I think everybody here knows how necessary the GSA is. I think anybody who's ever been

098to Es Milford High School or any of the other uh schools in this district knows how vital this is. Um at the end of the day, you know, this is suicide prevention. Everybody who's talked here about this today, you know, they've talked about it. I just want to say personally for me, I would not be here today alive to speak on this if it wasn't for the GSA. That was a community that showed me love, that showed me acceptance. It gave me a safe place to be myself. I remember the first day after leaving the GSA, relief. And you know, when you're walking around every day, you're worrying about being who you truly are when you're at that delicate age in high school. To feel a sense of relief, to feel like you found community.

099There is nothing like that. Honestly, I mean, that is suicide prevention. That is community care. I think all of you guys know that, you know, and I think that's why you've extended the time to make sure that we all get a chance to talk because you know how vital this is. and just seeing the ripple effect of the GSA throughout our community. You know, some of the people who have talked here tonight have been intrinsic to making sure that I'm safe, that I'm here, that I'm alive today, you know, and if I didn't have that community and and that can be a tough thing in West Milford, especially because, you know, there is a lot of bigotry, you know, case in point, we're here right now. There's obviously a lot of bigotry, you know, and

100that's something that it's hard to divorce the idea of West Milford and bigotry from each other because for such a long time we've dealt with this. I mean, since I was grade school age, I've been dealing with this in West Milford High School uh or West Milford school district, you know, and so for there to be something like this, and you can't tell me, you know, because what what other uh community program do we have for queer youth in this community? Can anybody name anything for queer youth in this community? Exactly. You know, this is the one thing that we have. And honestly, you know, at the end of the day, queer people are going to continue making queer spaces, making this community safe. The reason why I've stayed in this town and I feel

101so passionately about staying in this town is because I know I'm not going to go off somewhere else where they're going to accept me more and leave the people behind in this community who are vulnerable people who need that help and support who need to see other queer members of their community you know not only just surviving because that's hard enough here but also thriving you know and not only that this group has taught me how to advocate for myself not only in the workplace which is absolely absolutely 100% necessary. You know, not only in my own education going forward after I left West Mford High School, but just in my community at large, you know, if we didn't have these other community members building each other up and creating that safety for each other,

102I mean, you know, like so many people here have already said and like I've said myself, I wouldn't be here right now if not for that. So, I want you guys to take that into consideration. I'm going to leave it there. Um, you know, at the end of the day, I think all of you guys know what you need to do here. The person who had said before about blood being on your hands is 100% true. You know, and it does sound like that might be something really dramatic to say, but at the end of the day, you know, I wouldn't be here. You know, I hope that other people will take that consideration and make sure that we protect the kids who are coming forward. >> Thank you, Raven. um being that our last

103speaker Raven just um asked us if we know of any other support groups for the queer community and um wasn't sure that I was going to share this, but I do know of one um at the Sparta Methodist Church. Um and they meet the third Wednesday of every month. Um their group has grown. I'm not sure what it stands for, but it's sounds like some of you know about that. But uh the Sparta United Methodist Church does have meetings um for support and um the Highlands Family Success Center would be a place where you could go and ask them to build a West Milford meeting if that was also needed. Um thank you everyone. Um uh motion I'd like to make a motion to close public comments. >> All in favor? I any post. >>

104Okay, hang on. I asked you to say it again with your mic on cuz I cannot hear you. >> I would like to make a motion. Oh, of course my mic doesn't work. Well, I would like to make a motion to suspend the rules so I can address the audience. >> Peter, you second. All in favor? >> I. So that's You're in favor. So there's four. Any opposed? I >> post. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Thank you. Wait a minute. >> Claire. Okay. >> So math for me. Um Claire, can you explain? You are saying that you are in favor or you are opposed. So it's five in favor and four opposed. Will you may address the audience? >> Thank you. First, to the members that asked for my res resignation, I'd like to say

105that's not happening only because I'm here because nobody else in the township of 10,000 homes ran for this position. Secondly, you guys did win over my heart. And I just before I address that, I want to address a couple things. A lot of things are brought to the table by email and discussed with trustees and all it comes with is venom, bigoted, homophobic, on and on and on. Do you know who I am? Do you know what I do? Do you know my family? Do you know my friends? The answer for most of you is no. And the people that do know me probably have the disagreements about budgets in this room. But when it comes to what was said about the GSA in June, that wasn't a hateful statement. Thank you. >> That wasn't

106a hateful statement. It's just a better microphone. That was a having a background in scouting that had abuses happen. That was a background that saw barriers to abuse happen. Now, this is not at all a slight on any advisor in particular, and I got the time to think about that. I got the time to think about that. Yeah, this isn't tennis. This isn't golf. This isn't football. But we could think back and we know that abuses did happen in those areas. Absolutely. I know they happened. We all know that they happened. And I further thought about it that things happened in this school and it wasn't the children's fault. It was an adult fault. And as a board, there were gaps that were breached and we never addressed them. Fair enough. going to all the

107statements that were made. You know, I'm just going to keep going with all the statements that were made. There is a place that youth need to feel connected with others for support, for health. And with that in mind, I will vote yes. And I will also >> apologize. >> Yeah. How about a >> not time for public comment right now? >> The ap I'm not going to apologize for what I thought because I just explained it to you, but I do want you to have yours. That's enough. You cannot have conversation from the audience to the board member. It is not time for public comment. And even during public comment, you are only to speak to me. Thank you. >> I just need another minute of time. >> Uh well, you have Yeah, you have

108enough. Go ahead. >> Thank you. I am sorry that it seemed like I wanted something taken away and it was misconstrued on my thinking and it takes people to speak to you to open your mind to something different which is what happened tonight. I was never a student that had struggles like that. I was never a student that felt that alone and that scared. I was never in that position. And you see the people that walked out weren't willing to listen to me on this final note. Does that tell you something about their character? >> No. >> Well, it should because I wanted to listen to you and I would hope that anybody would just listen to me. I will vote yes on this. I will support it. First, it was brought up that this

109is a part of Supreme Court Supreme Court president that any club shouldn't be banned. I understand that. I do. And I do want your rights protected and I do want you to feel safe. So, I don't feel I need to apologize for anything because I was looking out for the best interest of students, but I didn't know the impact that something like this would have. Okay? And I do remember names like Matthew Sheepard and I never forget those. I have family members that are gay. I was a minister at a gay wedding. I was the minister like >> still privilege. >> Good job. >> Still privileged. >> I thank you for your time. Thank you. >> Um, thank you. [Applause] All right. Are there any changes to the agenda? Okay, we're we have the two

110hand carries. like to make a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Um, Mrs. Lockwood Education. >> I make a motion to approve the agenda items 1 through 10 and Hank Carry number one, agenda items 11 through 14 >> under education. Second. >> Any questions or comments? >> Linda and then Terry. >> I I I would like to table number four uh until after executive session. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. Terry and then Mar on number three. Can you explain what that is? Um I don't recall. I might might miss something. Zern educational services. >> So Zern Zern is the uh digital companion to the new math curriculum that we just adopted.

111So in in our process over the year, we adopted the Eureka Squared Math. This is the digital component that supports that uh program. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I I'd like to uh ask to um table number two just so I could get more information. I read the summary. Do >> I have a second >> from the committee? >> I just want to All >> in favor? >> That's what Mrs. Stevenson is discussing also. >> Um any opposed? >> Okay. So, we're tableabling two and four. Any other questions or comments? Are they both until after till after executive session? Yes. Okay. It can be. It's a contract. He doesn't know what it is. I didn't turn your mic on. You don't like it? >> Hey, this mic doesn't work down a couple weeks, >> Mr.

112I don't know where your question is, so I can't tell you that it's supposed to be an executive session. We have two choices. You can either ask it now and we can tell you that it's going to exactly you'll have the same conversation outside. >> Okay, >> we'll we'll do that. It's already approved to be discussed after and voted on after executive session already approved. So can't discuss it and if then you guys can have a private talk. Can you pass that to Tara, please? No, that's okay. Okay. Um any other questions or comments under education? Roll call, please. Mrs. Lockwood. >> Yes. >> Mr. Gino. Yes, >> Mrs. Rico. >> Yes, >> Mr. Sidowitz. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Dwyer. >> No, I'm number one. Yes on everything else. >> Mrs. Van Dyke, >> no.

113Number one, yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mr. O'Brien, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. At this time, I would like to welcome um and ask Dr. Fernari if she would like to take the microphone um and say a few we did not >> Oh, sorry. That's the next one. Personnel, wait a minute. >> I wrote it on my agenda in the wrong place. I I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Slow down. >> Stay seated. >> Okay. Operations of finance, Mr. K. >> Personnel and student affairs. >> Where? Okay. personnel. I apologize. I totally jumped ahead. It's okay. If you think you should >> Oh my goodness. Personnel and student affairs. Mrs. Van Dyke, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you. I'd like to move item number one through uh 11 on the agenda

114and the hand carry number uh a motion 31 through 30 and the hand carry of 32 through 37. Second. >> There's 31. >> No, 31. >> The 31 on page 13. >> Oh, it's 30. I apologize. I missed it. 31. Awesome. >> So, I saw in the hand carry today that um there's a resignation from Tracy Lombardi. I know that uh the folks at Paradise Null um are really going to miss uh Tracy being there. So, whatever you're doing next, Tracy, we uh we applaud you and and we're very sad that you're leaving us. Good luck. >> I would um any other um I would like to thank Henry Cox for his um years of service. He was a custodian in my section of the building when I taught at the high school. And I

115can I just give an >> Yes. Can I just give this one anecdote? I was I was um doing the HSPT at the time and the blower in my classroom was always noisy and that day it blew and water started coming out and I called Henry. He helped me get the kids out of the classroom. We had to contact the state because there was an irregularity in this intestine. But he he's wonderful and and he's going to be sorely missed. The kids loved him. the fac I mean I loved him. I'm sure the faculty loved him and I just want to thank Henry for all his service and all his help with that classroom disaster. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments? >> Is anyone else there? There's also uh we have a

116media specialist leaving Cindy Reeri and um again it's a tough year with the media specialists and uh seeing Cindy leave and and going to another district I think is tough on us all and um we wish you well wherever it is whichever district you are going to Cindy. Go ahead. >> I'm going to grab on to a hot topic tonight real quick. Number 24 is a number 27. I want to thank everyone for coming out and speaking their mind, sharing their thoughts. As a graduate of West Milford High School way back in and having friends who were in the was then just known as the gay community. Um, I understand a lot of what went on for for those people and I do see and do uh remember what was what some of you mentioned

117in the hallways and things like that. Um, what I'd like to do is ask the board that with some of the words that were used tonight, uh, things like suicide, depression, anxiety, um, feeling vulnerable, and things like that, um, I I do not know either one of the adviserss. I'll put that out there right now. I do not know what their qualifications are. Uh what I'd like to know is that in the future we can revisit in order to perhaps bring in people who are trained to deal with ideas of anxiety, depression and the likes just to make sure that and again I don't know teacher um I don't know if you have those qualifications or not. If you do, fantastic. Um, but I would just like to make sure that that we support these

118these children. >> Can you re are you requesting that the board get that our staff be trained on anxiety and depression? >> We look deeper into making sure that they have the tools in their toolkit >> to help these children. um having dealt with some other kids who are who are not necessarily they were they they were not in in the in the LGBTQ plus community. Apologize if I forget the letter here. Um but they also dealt with depression and without having the proper people bad things happen. We know that. So I just want to make sure that as a board we put that on record. >> Well do in the future. >> Yeah. I um >> that's all I got. >> Thank you. house. That's a good request and it from my opinion it

119looks like they have the proper person running GSA based off the support and um and I know after working in Westford and myself that that individual and any other individuals are trained to know who to bring students to that are in need and then it's the our counseling staff and our CST case managers and um you know we've we've had a lot of success I believe in West Milford in supporting um because they have from where I sit now and from when I did work there all of my experience it's the proper people you know >> there can be uh my own experiences can be short-term success and long-term success and these are sometimes completely different >> yeah yeah and and that's good to discuss and we should be discussing it and all schools should

120be discussing it right and suicide prevention programs and all those things so yes that is something that we can >> yeah I say go ahead And um to my knowledge and Mr. know about correct me if I'm wrong profession we have had professional development in mental illness and dealing with su I I mean I remember sitting in professional development for suicide and so I really believe our advisors are trained and and are compassionate and um am I wrong that we >> our staff completes a annual suicide prevention training >> that's what I thought thank you thank you But it sometimes it needs to be deeper. If I could make one more statement. >> Yeah. >> Okay. It items. >> All right. Item number 29 and and 30. I'd like the table until speaking about in

121executive session. Go from there. Um, it didn't pass. Demi. >> Um, so, uh, I don't want to sound redundant, but I I believe, um, all right, let me go in this direction. Um, education doesn't work in a vacuum, and working with our educational community doesn't work in a vacuum. And working and the community does not working with students isn't just a onetoone thing. And I believe um and I know this indirectly and I'll leave it as that when my children were in school that when they had issues of their adolescence that it was not one teacher and it wasn't just one instance where it it was if there when there was a problem was a team effort. I believe and from what I can see today, it's validated, okay, inside the educational walls, outside the

122educational walls, that we're all here for this, for each other, whether we're part of the LGBTQ community or not. Um, and uh, what I do for a living, and I'm not going to go into that, I work with with families dealing with uh, with uh, homelessness, domestic violence, and that kind of stuff. It's never just one thing being by saying that I truly believe that as the group is important there's support with people the educational community for that group for the for those students and for hopefully all students and as long as we work together as a team to the best of our ability I I I it's a win-win for our kids and and it's always got to be kids moments by Linda. I >> I think I'm just going to piggy back on

123what you just said. Oh, why? Because Oh, when I look out at this audience, I'm seeing many staff members who are here in support of Mrs. Mrs. Sign. And I think that that's a good thing because it shows that the work that you're doing with JSA and in the school itself has you're these are the fruits of your labor right here. So what I say to you is thank you for caring about our kids. So, um, my comments are that this is better than a good movie. I, um, got some tears in and I feel the love. Um, and I do want to address Mr. Simits and just say, um, you're a good team player and even when you make comments that upset the community, they're still you're still willing to learn and listen and

124I respect that from you. Um, and the fact that you shared with everyone that they've changed your mind, um, carries a lot of weight and respect from Kate Romeo, whether that means something to you or not, but, um, I truly, um, respect that. And, um, yeah, so thanks for the good movie. Not that it is a movie, but you know, those are the things I look for in a good movie. Um, so with no other comments, let's please go to roll call. Mrs. Van Dyke, >> I abstain on number nine and yes on the rest. >> Mr. Sidewoods, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> no. On 2930, yes on everything else. >> Mrs. Ricell, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mr. Ino >> staying on number 9 and 23. Yes on the rest.

125>> Mrs. Dwire number 28. Yes. >> This O'Brien. >> Absolutely. >> This is Romeo number nine. And now I would like to w up our uh new superintendent, Dr. Fenari. [Applause] I may even have to and I'm the short one in the crowd. Thank you so much to the trustees for not only sticking through a long process with me. I really appreciate the deliberation and the conversation that we had um and the subsequent conversations I've had. Um thank you uh to Miss Francisco for supporting me throughout you know the whole process and just being so helpful. Um this is my 39th year in education and I have been in large districts in very very small districts. Everyone right now is struggling with so many important topics and and um so much of it involves how

126we take care of our students. I applaud you for this evening's discussion. I applaud you for sticking with it because this is not easy work and you are all volunteers. And to you and to the staff members and the parents and the community members who are here this evening, I really look forward to getting to know all of you. So, thank you so much and um hopefully August 1st will be here soon. >> August 1st will be here before you know it. Thank you. [Music] Mr. Grio, operations and finance. >> Okay. So, I'd like to make a motion to approve numbers 1 through nine. Second >> under operation finance. >> Uh questions and comments. >> I don't know if this is for here. Just one question on number nine. We're looking at the three buses

127for a five-year term. Is that is the five-year term as I'm not in the finance committee. Is that what the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey has? Do we have other ways to get a six-year term? We're looking at a cash savings during during this. >> Yeah. Um, we work with Municipal Capital, which is uh where we lease purchase our buses through them. Um, we find that um with the number of miles that our buses travel, we usually um turn them around. Some of them last a lot longer than the the 5 years, but we usually find 5 years is a good turnover for our buses. Um, so that's why we finance them for 5 years and then the ones that are 10 years old, then we can start it. There's a flow. There's a

128flow. So, the 5-year lease gives us a reasonable uh purchase uh month annual purchase cost and um you know, we we keep our inventory healthy. You know, just like anything else when you No, no, we usually keep them, but it depends. You know, we get lemons just like everybody else gets lemons. And when we find that our maintenance costs are are increasing because they're burning too much oil or we can't fix them or something keeps happening, then we know that we can sell them. Uh we we go to auction for for them and then we can replace them with other things. So we keep a healthy inventory. Um so that some of our buses if they go on field trips, we use a newer bus because it's going to be further away from the district.

129So there's there is actually a type of science that our mechanics use when it comes to uh requesting equipment and um fortunately they know what they're doing when it comes to maintaining it. I just want to say something about that. Years ago, we used to have to buy like 20 buses at a time and this is the best. I mean, it used to hit us so hard in certain cycles of the year. You weren't able to do what we're doing now. And I think that's it definitely helps us as a we're experiencing a lot of problems though because the inventory is not there. Um, you know, we're just getting buses in that we ordered a year ago. Um, so it it's really problematic. The supply chain has really affected us and so has the financing

130cost because just like everyone else is dealing with increased financing cost, so are we. And uh we're dealing with pretty large numbers. So it it we're we're trying to be as uh costconscious as we possibly can, but we also need to keep our students um safe. So we're doing the best we can. No other questions or comments. Um, roll call, please. >> Mr. Greeno, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rico, >> yes. >> Mrs. Laughlin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwer, >> yes. >> Mr. Sidowitz, >> yes. >> Miss O'Brien, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyk, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. I'd >> like to make a motion to approve item number 10 under operational finance. >> Second. Any questions or comments, please? >> Mr. Greeno, >> abstain. >> Mrs. Rico,

131>> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwire, >> yes. >> Mr. Sidowitz, >> yes. >> Miss O'Brien, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyk, >> Mrs. Romeo D. >> I'd like to make a motion to approve items 11 and 12 under operation finance. >> Second. >> Any questions or comments? >> Mr. Gino. >> Yes. >> Mr. Rico, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwer, yes. Mr. Sidowitz. Miss O'Brien. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lippy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Van Djk. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> See. >> I'd like to make a motion to approve item number 13 under operations and finance. >> Second. >> Yes. I My agenda is messed up. I'm sorry. I am a yes on the former one and I need to abstain

132on 13 when I get there. I'm sorry about that. Um, any questions or comments on 13 roll call? >> Mr. Gino, >> abstain. >> Mrs. Rico, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwer, >> yes. >> Mr. Sidowitz. >> Miss O'Brien, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyke, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> I'd like to make a motion to approve items 14 through 16 under operations finance. >> Second. Any questions or comments? Seeing as none, roll call. >> Mr. Greeno, >> yes. >> Mr. Sidowitz, >> yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. O'Brien, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwer, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyk, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rico, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. >> Committee reports. Um, >> there

133was no parks and recck meeting this morning. >> Okay, great. Um, Terry and WC, >> superintendent round table. >> Uh, no superintendent's round table until the new school year. >> State County school boards, >> New Jersey school boards, legislative. >> Yeah, I got a report. My turn. All right, kids. All right. So, the fiscal year 2024 appropriations act was approved by the Assembly and Senate budget committees on June 28th. Oh, >> thank you. And then by the legislature and the governor on June 30th. With limited uh exceptions, the signed budget includes nearly all the education programs the governor included in his proposed bud budget budgeted at the same time. Um I'm going to bring a couple of points to our uh our audience and our board of ed. Um speaking about buses, um they want

134to there's a bill called the extend service life of school buses. They want to extend the useful service life of certain school buses to 20 years, providing a temporary one-year extension of service life to type S school buses. The bill would extend the service life to most school buses from 15 years to 20 years while spec specifying that it does not allow the use of any school buses for pupil transportation if that school bus is determined to be unsafe or unfit. Um the Senate passed a few uh um bills. The teacher loan uh redemption uh aims at addressing the school teacher shortage and would expand the New Jersey class teacher loan redemption program to include teachers from all subject areas with any kind of student loans. Emergency teacher certification establishes emergency teacher endorsements in certain

135circumstances. The bill would establish an emergency instructional cert certificate for teachers and teachers can c teacher candidates in high needs fields. The certificate would allow eligible certified teachers pursuing an endorsement in high needed areas to fill positions in areas while they are in process of getting the endorsement. And the other thing I'd like to mention, and this is under the general assembly and was passed, is boosting reading levels. It directs the commissioner of education to establish a three-year pilot program to increase reading levels of certain students and appropriates $1 million. The bill would direct the commissioner of education to establish the pilot program that will provide general education students who are not reading at grade level by the end of second grade in selected school districts with summer school instruction. >> Thank you. There's a

136lot more but it's a long night. Well, thank you. Technology oversight, >> no report. >> Um township board of education. Uh we're just a waiting for the feasibility study to be finished. So nothing new to report. >> Thank you. West Milford Municipal Alliance. Uh the alliance met on Monday, July 10th. There were there were discussions uh on the agenda for the money West Milford received from the opioid settlement and process of survey that part of that is that the survey they want the community surveyed on the best use of this. The alliance has reached out to the township administration and town council regarding this updating information under our section of the uh township website. The alliance is going to be putting some more information on that correct. Uh upcoming events uh for the municipal alliance

137will be the national night out on Tuesday, August 1st, which will take place at our high school parking lot this year. The wellness family uh wellness family festival has joined forces with Chuck Emering uh H health fair for a yearly community event on Saturday, September 23rd at our Macken School. There will be plenty of activities, information, and services for all of our community members. The event is free. There may be a small fee for certain tests being offered. The municipal alliance will be at our annual ALF festival. Our next meeting will be a hybrid meeting on Monday, August 14th at 700 p.m. So, you can either attend at the library or on Zoom in and if you're interested in becoming a member of the alliance, please contact the uh township. Thank you, CPAC. Um, CPAC

138just asked me to say that they're putting a date on the calendar for August, a tenative date for August 9th, a virtual meeting for the parents and caregivers. Thank you. Uh, any old business? >> Terry has mine. Go ahead, Terry. I I don't know if this is old business or new business, but I have to say that um Dan Cojacki, I think is his name, thanked the board profusely for the use of the grounds for the fireworks for this year. And the fireworks were spectacular. And I have to say that everybody that was there bleed that field immaculate. And um it was a good night. And I thank Dan and the wreck for letting us give that that opportunity to have those fireworks. Any other old business? Second. All in favor? I. >> Any oppose?

139New business. >> Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? We are at the second public comment portion. Um, this is where you can talk about non-aggenda items. Also, 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've requested to speak prior to the meeting will be recognized by the chair first. After speaking, all speakers 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

140they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Um I believe we have one person signed up. Dr. Is it already on? Okay. Okay. So, before I give an update regarding the funding committee, first of all, Dr. Merc, resident 34 Center Street, um I did just want to ask a question regarding the director of education's report. I didn't want to take away from the GSA community, so I wanted to ask it now. Um, I commend the Macan Girl Scouts for coming up and speaking. That is a very sensitive topic, especially at that age. But, um, if there's any way that you can ask a group of girls to maybe introduce us at a younger age, from personal experience, I was 10 years old when I had my first period. So, having that available at the

141elementary school level, maybe having a period kit in the bathrooms would be super helpful. not having it at the nurses station unless they have a sweatshirt handy that they can wrap around their waist as I know most of you know that from experience. So with that said now I'll get into an update regarding the funding committee. So let me take a minute however to reiterate how I got to this point. Many of you have reached out to me and provided me with your knowledge and your guidance. Although I am not an educator I am more aware of how all of this works. I understand what is involved with title funding now funding programs, special services, and the financial disparities that our unique town faces. For those that I may have offended in the past, please

142accept my apologies as I was speaking purely from my frustrations at that time. Like many others, I want to be a part of the change. I want to help you make the difference. It was brought to my attention a few board members back, a few board meetings back how there are million dollars in grant money to be had with the help of my dear friend and colleague Courtney Stevenson. Our idea has now become a collaboration. We are extremely grateful for those that have reached out and helped us thus far. Our joint venture is to bring back an education foundation that will help raise money for the schools and touch as many lives as possible. This will require its own board members, trustees, and volunteers. We want everyone to understand that this does not just positively

143impact families with children in the school system. We aspire to be like nearby foundations such as Ringwood that raised $42,000 last year alone, which they put back into their elementary schools, or like Sparta Education Foundation, who has raised over $1 million since 2018. We need to boost morale, not just in our schools, but also in our town. We need to have fundraisers that praise our restaurants, our scenery. We need to remind everyone why this town is for them. This could potentially lessen the financial burden and tough decisions that you as a board have to make on a daily basis. Grant money from the Ed Foundation can be allocated to STEM, creative programs, clubs, enrichment, you name it. This could be a tedious process that would require an application approval process and require the board of

144ed to help us distribute those funds, not allocate them. We were really impressed when over 30 people attended our general interest meeting last month at the town library. We have the people. Now, we need to work out the logistics. I have here with me a handout which breaks down our tentative plan. Our goal is to have different subgroups or as we say, divide and conquer. There will be a group of board members that approve applications for funding requested by our staff or students. Other members will take care of our fundraising events. Other members will focus on grant requests directly through the state that are available. We invite any who is interested in being a part of our cause to attend our next general interest meeting on Wednesday, August 16th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at

145the high school cafeteria. I will repeat that. Wednesday, August 16th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the high school cafeteria. There is much to discuss at this meeting, and we hope someone from the board will join us. We appreciate your support and more than and we appreciate your support and are more than willing to meet with you outside of these board meeting walls if you have any questions regarding this foundation. This is a combined effort where we are taking every interest and experience into account. Thank you, Dr. Gra. Can you please add on your um handout Senator Go um who has been fighting on our behalf of West Milford and understands our needs um and is uh Senator Anthony Buo is um working to get West Milford some funding. Um so please add him on

146there. Um thank you. You're welcome. Do I have someone else that would like to speak? Okay. Who could this be? >> Um, one last question. I'm just curious where we stand with a chemistry teacher come this fall. That is a >> Oh, we didn't. >> Fantastic. Um, but I think the real question is does that mean that labs would be back? And I haven't heard anything about that. So, could we add that to the committee meeting agenda for August, please, to discuss chemistry labs? I would like to know if that means that we can have everything back in place and it has not yet been discussed with the board. So, thank you for bringing that up. to be a liaison for the um head. So it might be >> well this is interesting and probably

147needs to be discussed. So yes, I will appoint um a board member for the ed foundation and essentially I think but I haven't I I don't know for sure which is one of the things I wanted to discuss when I go on August 16th is will the Ed Foundation and then HFC be two different things? Um, and so if they are, I can either appoint two different board members. Um, I know that, um, HFC originally was trying to get anyone and everyone from the community. Um, and we had discussed that it was an open public meeting. Um, and that if five of us showed up, you know, that that was okay, just like when we did um, with Kathy Hawa, you know, the go um, strategic planning, right? Um that is that. >> Okay. So

148um when is committees in August? What's the date is committees before the 16th? >> It's the day before. So that will not help me. Um so I uh will need to know if you plan on attending on the 16th because if you are then I will advertise it as um a board meeting. I I know I'd like to go. I think we should all as many as can go should try to see what's happening and um so we can discuss this um if you could um text me or email me around July 26th as my car's packed for vacation right after this meeting. Um no I'm kidding. So then I'll know if you guys are going or not and then I'll ask the board office to Okay. All right. Cool. Uh, do I have any

149other speakers? >> Yes, sir. Please. >> Hi, Joe Connor 37 High View. Uh just a point for clarity uh for those of us trying to follow along sometimes especially when you're discussing uh a large number of agenda items like uh personnel finance which I believe had uh I'm not sure if you approved 37 or 39 because there was two on the back page of the hand carry. I'm not sure if those got included. Uh so maybe for the future uh before you do the roll call kind of just kind of do a clarification like this is for you know these items so everybody is on the same page. >> There is no sturdy. >> Oh yeah >> back of the page >> and we moved. >> So um it would avoid that problem as well.

150Um, so I guess that answers my question for whether or not you guys approve 38 and 39 for tonight. I guess that the answer to that is no. But, uh, please try and in the future, especially when there's corrections to which I the numbers you guys are approving, try and be a little bit >> Thank you. Thank you. >> So, you didn't see 38 and 39. >> Those been tabled at to executive session. 38 and 39 were not tableds until after executive session, but thank you. Um, and I'd like to move items 38 to 39 under personnel uh and student affairs on the agenda. Second. Any questions or comments? >> Yeah. >> Roll call. >> Mrs. Van Dyke. >> Yes. Mr. Sid. >> Yes. >> Mr. Libby. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Rico. >> Yes. >>

151Mrs. Lockwood. Yes. >> Mr. Greeno. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dwer. Yes. >> Mrs. O'Brien. Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Connor. Anyone else that would like to speak for public comment? Seeing none like to close public comments. >> All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Mrs. Lockwood. Okay. So at 9:24 p.m. I make a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel appointments, current litigation matters, and matters of attorney client privilege. The executive session minutes will not be released until such time as the privilege of confidentiality is no longer applicable. The board will be in executive session for approximately 30 minutes and we will be coming back to take action. Second. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Thank you. >> I'd like to call the meeting

152back to order. Roll call, please. Mrs. Van Dyk, >> here. >> Mr. Sidowitz, >> here. Mrs. Rico >> here. >> Mrs. Swer >> here. >> Mrs. O'Brien >> here. >> Mr. Greeno >> here. >> Mrs. Lockwood >> here. >> Mr. Lippy >> here. >> Mrs. Romeo >> here. >> Um, Mrs. Lockwood, education. >> I make a motion to approve agenda items 2 and four under education. >> Any questions or comments? Roll call, please. Mr. Sidowitz, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwer, >> yes. >> Mr. Greeno, >> I'm staying on number two. Uh, yes. >> Mr. Lippy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Laughlin, >> yes. >> Mrs. O'Brien, yes. >> Mrs. Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. >> Vanilla like to make a motion to >> Oh, no. No. Um, Mrs. Lockwood personnel, >> I want to make

153the following motion. Be it resolved upon the recommendation of the superintendent that the board of education authorizes the settlement in the matter of HGV West Milford Township Board of Education at Paul's docket as P--D791-21 and be it further resolved that the board president is authorized to execute the settlement agreement on the board's behalf. call. >> Do roll call. It's zero roll call, please. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dwyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Greeno. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lippy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood. >> Yes. >> Mrs. O'Brien. >> Yes. >> Mr. Rano. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. Mrs. Van Dyke. >> Yes. Right. >> I'd like to make a motion to adjourn. All >> in favor at 957. >> I am on vacation. [Applause]