001I'd like to call the meeting to order. If you could have a moment of silence and please remember the Babbot family. U we lost a past board member over the past month, Marcy Babbot. If you could please remember her family. [Music] Please rise for the flag. [Music] I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [Music] In accordance with the provisions of the open public meeting act, a public notice of this meeting has been sent to board members, all district schools, the Herald News, the suburban trends, the record, the messenger, West Milford town hall, the county superintendent office, the board attorney, table vision of Warwick, and West Milford TV77. posted in the administration building.
002Copies of the board meeting calendar resolution were provided to all local media, town hall, township, library, and all district schools. Roll call. Mrs. Francisco, >> Mrs. Romeo >> here, >> Mrs. Stevenson >> here. >> Mr. Conlin >> here. >> Mrs. Dwire >> here. >> Mr. Greeno >> here. >> Mrs. O'Brien has to be excused tonight. >> Mrs. Lockwood >> here. >> Mr. Stillman >> here. >> Mrs. Van Dyke >> here. >> All right. Good evening everybody. Welcome to our February meeting. We have a kindergarten registration for September. To date, it's 148 students. So, it's looking like it'll be right around 200 by the time Labor Day rolls around. broken down by school. Absu has 29, Maple Road 25, Marshall Hill 30, Paradise Null 21, upper Greenwood Lake 16, and Westbrook 27. All right. Next up,
003we have our semianual HIV ITP training and program information reporting. This is for period 1 which is July 1 through December 31st. So we report out how many hips, how many trainings, how many programs we have by school. All this gets uploaded to the department website and we report out here after the uh time period ends. We'll do this again right around July or August for the January to June period number two. So for Absure for the first six months of the school year, we had zero HIVs in that school. Maple Road, we had one investigation. It was affirmed as a HIB. Marshall Hill, Marshall Hill was zero. Paradise Null was zero. Upper Greenwood Lake was one investigation. It was affirmed as a HIB. Westbrook was zero. Mman had six investigations. Four were HI. Two
004were unfounded. And at West Move High School, there were two investigations. One was unfounded, one was HIV. So that's 10 dish for the total 10 total investigations for the district. Seven were HI, three were not. Our school trainings for the last six months, we had 28 separate school trainings. Our total school programs were 41. For the past six months, we had 41 separate programs. Um, and we had two district-wide trainings during that time period. Next is a strategic planning update. As you know, we approved our five-year strategic plan. We are meeting with our uh our staff, in particular, our administrators to discuss action plans and goals for those uh for the next five years. we we will have something for the March meeting to present to the board and to the community. So, we're just
005about ready to refine those goals and objectives for the next five years. Uh word of thanks to the Rotary Club. Um we have their dictionary project donation for this year. So, this is something that the Rotary Club of West Milford does every year. Their goal is to get a hard copy dictionary into the hands of every third grade student in America, but in particular in West Milford. So they did this last month. It was a $756 donation to the dictionary project and they sent the dictionaries over. So they were distributed to our our students in third grade at all six schools. Um our student representative, Miss Weiss, is absent. We do have a fill in though. >> Kate. >> Yeah, it's Faith. Okay. >> Hi everyone. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight. Our
006junior and senior proms were announced this week. Junior prom is set for March 25th at Kasa Bianca and our senior prom is being held at the Tides on June 2nd. It was just announced that we will be holding a traditional graduation for our seniors this year on June 24th. And the spring musical of Anastasia will be held March 10th into the 13th. We are so excited to see the show as the last spring musical two years ago was cut short because of co our students have been working extremely hard after school and is going to be a great performance. It was a championship weekend for the Highlanders. Ice hockey bronze cup champs Ben Marcado and Colin Maner district three wrestling champions. Santa Christie state sectional champ and shotput. And for our first time ever, dance
007team made finals for both of their dances and placed seventh and 19th in nationals. The student council is working hard on the volleyball tournament for March 7th at the high school gyms at 6 p.m. At this event, we are raising money for our town Special Olympics team. We had students sign up to be on teams and we will compete against each other while supporting a local organization. That is all I have for today. Thank you again for allowing me to >> Thank you very much. And lastly, did not make my superintendent report, but Friday afternoon, we received a message from the department that they are pushing the budget calendar back uh by one week. So, we will begin our state aid numbers one week later than normal. So, we had hoped to have a preliminary
008budget hearing on March 15th. It's now going to be no board meeting on March 15th, but there will be a board meeting on March 22nd, one week later. So, we'll get information out. will notice it in normal ways. But just for everybody, mark down your calendar. Our preliminary budget will be March 22nd. All right. No change to the public hearing at this time, which will be in late April. >> We're moving the um committee meeting to committee meetings to March 15th. So then there will be no meetings on March 8th. Correct. >> That is correct. >> Thank you, Dr. >> I have a question. Uh >> um Alice, you said that there were 20 school training, separate school trainings and two districtwide trainings. >> I'm sorry about that. Could you comment more about the two
009districtwide trainings like what they were, where were they, were they online, who gave them? >> So these are one of them is our new hires HIV training that was August 31st. Uh it's it's one day here, but it probably wasn't a full day. It was a couple hours. And then our anti-bullying specialist does their start of the year meetings at each school. That is also for the district rather. That's also one day September 2nd. So one catches all the new staff, one catches every all the rest of the staff. >> And who does those trainings? >> Uh the anti-bullying specialist. That would be uh Mr. Row. >> Thank you. You said the kindergarten enrollment you expected to be 200. Do you know what last year's was? >> This year is right around 200. 2011 maybe.
010>> Last year was 250. >> Last year meaning the current kindergarten. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. So I think we're 2011. >> Should be on our your enrollment report that we sent out. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Right around 2011. Okay. >> Exactly where we were on this date. It's hard to say. We don't really track exactly. >> No, no, no. I was just curious. I think 200 is a reasonable estimate. >> Mr. Novat. >> Okay. Thank you. I have a couple of announcements and just a couple of things to talk about. The first one I want to talk about is the graduation proficiency assessment which is the you know if you hear us talking about the new uh NJ GPA that is the um new graduation requirement that is in place for uh for our high
011school students. Uh it's been a bit of a I guess strange five-year period in terms of um what type of assessments met graduation requirements for our students. So now we have um a consistent answer from the state hopefully hopefully going forward. I'm just going to read a brief blurb from the um department broadcast. So was on September 8th, 2021, the state board of education adopted graduation assessment requirements for the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The new regulations comply with the state statute and establish one pathway for graduation. On February 2nd, the uh state board of education adopted the recommended graduation cut scores of 750 750 for both the ELA and mathematics component. Uh so this is an update for all those classes between 2023 and 2025. So we what we do know is that
012it is a uh both for ELA and math. Each section could be up to 90 minutes. Um they are based on uh for English language arts it's based on grade 10 New Jersey student learning standards and for mathematics it's based on algebra 1 and geometry New Jersey student learning standards. So, we will be administering this test um in the spring. Uh and Dr. Matlo and our uh administrative team, guidance, everyone involved in the testing process are in the process of putting this in place and we'll have more uh more information as we go. We're also working on updates to our website where um parents can link and access um testing um practice materials, you know, with some sample uh sample questions and that sort of thing. also a good opportunity for me to once again
013thank you all for supporting the link platform because this directly prepares us for that with the um benchmarks that we give our students three times a year in the standards that I just referenced. Our ELA kids take benchmark assessments in in grade 10 um New Jersey student learning standards for ELA and they also do that the same assessment for um algebra 1 and geometry. So our kids are in the practice of it. They practice it three times a year. So hopefully that translates to um a better maybe more consistent performance on the new uh NJ GPA. Uh I also wanted to uh this was off the off the agenda. I just wanted to comment on there's a hand carry um that that came across tonight. I know there's going to be some um some people
014have some questions on it. I've already I've heard since the hand carry came out, I've heard some um questions from community members about it. So, I just wanted to comment um publicly on on exactly what it is. So, um the current situation we have, we have a vacated uh high school teaching position that covers that is covering courses in chemistry and biology that are also lab periods. Uh the posting has been out since that since we are aware of that that teacher's resignation and we have done our best to f to fill that position. we just haven't had candidates uh for that for that position. We reviewed a number of options. Um one of which is um I guess a a cheaper option which is the program called Ingenuity that we used last year to
015get us through the pandemic when we had 10 to 20 staff members out on any given time. That was essentially an entirely um you know to come back to those words of um as what was it a yes asynchronous sorry synchronous learning meaning with a teacher at the time asynchronous meant essentially a student worked on their own on a digital platform. So egeneuity is an option for these courses. However, it does not give students access to a certified uh a certified teacher of um chemistry or biology. Um the option that we are that I am endorsing and that I am recommending that's on the agenda for uh for tonight is working with the New Jersey center for teaching and learning. This provides our students in those courses um access to certified instruction. Uh the certified
016instruction would occur once per week per course. So they would get a lesson with a virtual teacher. So students would be in classroom being um supervised by I'm referring to as our local substitute, someone we hired from our community to be a sub in a class who does not have any science background, does not have a science certificate. We we did our best to find that person. Uh so these students will get access to one lesson per week in addition to um office hours with this certified certified staff member certified teacher to answer questions, provide feedback, comment on assessments and that sort of thing. So throughout the course of the week they'll have two two experiences with this uh with the certified individual. The certified person also works with our substitute that we have in
017house. You know, I'm going to say the word local substitute. I kind of made up that term today. Um the local substitute that we've provided who's not certified. uh will work with the certified science teacher with the lesson plans will be prepared for their classes so that when they teach to those kids on those four days where there's not a certified staff member they'll be better prepared. This person also provides the lesson planning, the assessments and the grading for for these students. Um so that that's really um that's what you know in a nutshell what this hand carry hand carry is about. There are n number of um you know other ideas that are coming out there. Um you know we we don't have the time to get anybody inhouse uh certified. We don't have
018the time to recruit someone who's ear in another current position. You know that's kind of what happened to us. this staff member was recruited and and you know took on a job in another district. Um our recruiting is would you know leave us they'd have to give 60 days notice and and that sort of thing. So uh at the moment you know this is the uh this is the best choice that that I'm recommending at this point in time. Um you know this is a process I'm not sure if you're aware I think the the pandemic learning gave a gave a bad name to virtual instruction. Virtual instruction has existed for many years. Um, this is often a a answer to a district who can't provide an AP course that students want to take or
019they might partner with another district who's offering a um, you know, a teacher who's doing a a virtual session. Uh, so these these uh types of systems have been around for a long time. I think the um abundance of virtual learning throughout the pandemic gave everyone a sense of you know sort of a bad taste in their mouth of you know why can't we move on um which we have I think we've done a great job with with what we have um but in this particular situation I believe these students deserve the best that we can offer them at this at this point in time and and this is uh this is this program through uh NJ uh NJC CTO. So that's my comments on this. I don't know if you want to wait if
020you have questions now or if you want to ask them during education when you're voting on it. >> Well, we want since we're in the topic, you might go ahead, you have a question. >> Yeah. Dan, who's been doing the lesson plans up till this point for this class? >> Well, the teacher just left us um uh last Friday. Last Friday was that teachers last night. >> I have two questions. I have a question and then I'll come to you. >> My first question is um have we looked to partner with another district for this for these courses? >> We've looked um I've spoken with my county colleagues all the county all the my colleagues in P County. I know our science supervisor has reached out to um her organization for you know creative solutions
021and and that sort of thing. So, uh, partnerships are are not things that that, um, have came up in those those conversations. Um, when we ask for, you know, do you have teachers for this position, it usually comes back to me, no, but if you find one, please let me know because we'd like to hire one, too. So, that's that's typically the the conversation that goes on in the county. It's um you know not funny but it's usually the the joke of the county is when you're looking for science teacher I mentioned this earlier if you're looking for certified science teachers especially chemistry and physics or uh world languages um it's very you know very hard to come by. >> You had two question >> my Thank you Linda. Yeah my second question is um
022I'm very uncomfortable voting this in as the way it reads that this contract would go through June. Is it possible to change the contract to be a monthly contract for because what if we did find someone that could teach these courses like on March 30th? Then we'd be looking to, you know, I I'm very uncomfortable voting on this from now till the end of the year. And I understand this. No one likes this. We need a teacher for our kids. We don't have one right now. I get it. Um but I really think that we should continue to look for a certified in-person teacher. and I do not want to vote this in for the remainder of the year. Is it possible to change that contract? >> I'm I'm sure it's you know we pay
023it's a month by month um process. Um you know those are things that we we'll take care of. By no means does this mean we've we've waved the white flag on the year. We are going to continue um looking for this position and planning you know um you know pretty much can I don't want to give you a guarantee but I know that we'll have a solution by September. Um it does not mean we're not looking if we get an application in the folder next week. >> So then can we change this resolution to be just monthly? >> We will act on it. >> One second because I have then I have Jay >> question. Um just finishing up that that last question of mine. >> I mean it's monthto month. It's monthly charges. >>
024It is a monthly charge. So if we did on >> this can be rewritten then >> it can't do we have to >> well if we don't approve it tonight we can't pay the vendor and we can't start >> effective March first >> right March 1 is when we want to go if we wait till the next board meeting that's that's a long period of so this is almost like a not to exceed or not to extend past June 24th but it can be shorter if we find a solution >> probably should say that >> yeah I I think so it shows that we're not committed to the full four months is what I'm getting. >> Why don't we wait until we come into education by then you can think about what it should say?
025>> Oh. Oh, yes. You're right. You're right. Courtney, you had another question. >> I had a question. >> You said that it's virtual once a week. >> You said it's virtual once a week per course. Is that $7,000 for each? >> Oh, this is total total. >> Are the courses just chemistry and biology? >> That's it. Just biology and chemistry courses. >> And then can you just speak of a little bit because I think people on the board might feel a little bit more comfortable to know what a new higher salary would look like for a course like this. Would it be over $7,000 a month or would it be less than that or around that? Barber question. >> It depends on the experience of course, but obviously with a hire you have to factor
026in salaries and benefits. So most likely, yes, >> a little bit >> because >> hiring a person would be higher than this amount. >> Yeah. So the cost of a district is always more than the salary. It's the salary plus, >> right? >> And we do have a we do have a vacated salary that we're no longer paying monthly for the staff member who left us. >> That's what I was referring to. So this is a bit more cost effective. I think sometimes when we see such a big cost, it's a bit um >> daunting. >> And from what I understand, it also includes lab work. So because I questioned why it was only, you know, four periods, but it's including labs, >> right? >> So I mean, first just to be clear, they're teaching
027two classes, not five, right? Uh, it's actually four classes just plus four labs. >> No, >> you mean the courses or the the teacher? We're talking about >> the courses. >> There's four courses, but they are lab courses. So, there's a, you know, additional workload that goes with that. >> Okay. Um, they're teaching one full lesson per week, per course, plus offering one period of open uh office hours for each course for students to, you know, interact, ask questions, have followup, go over an assessment, parent information, that that sort of thing. >> Four sections or four courses. Sorry, just go ahead. Yes. >> Four sections, four different class periods. Most people teach five. >> Social studies would teach five. >> Science teaches four because there's also a lab connected to each period, >> right? >>
028So four plus four labs is the same as five social studies essentially. >> Is that where you looking for? Okay. And then the second piece, right, in in this perfect world, if we got somebody on March 10th that applied and we liked and we were going to hire them, then we move forward. >> So, we're going to be able to change this to read that this was paid month-to-month. This is a month-to-month contract, right? >> So, this I mean, so this is an approval for us to pay monthly. In my opinion, this doesn't this isn't a contract that you're voting on, >> 7,100, >> right? >> 7,100 per month, >> right? So, again, maybe I'll defer >> and I think Kate will make that motion later, but I maybe I'll defer to Andy when we
029talk just about the wording on this because >> I do feel it does say March 20 March through June. >> Yeah. And it says the cost is to be paid per month, but doesn't say that right >> the contract >> we're tied to. >> Andy, is there any language we can use to just deflect a little think of that while you're talking about? >> That's why that's why I wanted to throw it out until we got to education. Thanks, Andy. >> Okay, Jay, you had a question. Yeah, I was just, you know, to not bring it down to my level and um this isn't something that our science supervisor could take care of instead of hiring outside. >> Well, you know, we have a science supervisor, she can't switch that period, take that substitute, put
030it cover her class, and she do the labs. >> Well, supervisors don't don't teach classes. >> Okay. But I mean, >> so in my in my opinion, I wouldn't trade supervision or professional development goals for $27,000. I mean, I wouldn't put $136,000 staff member into these into these positions when we have, you know, the supervision of three very important department. We're talking about math, science, industrial arts. We have significant um you know professional development goals that we are we're in the middle of. You know we're young we're in year one of a five-year plan in math. You know there's a lot of a lot of those things that go to it. So in my in my opinion I wouldn't trade those things for this. Like I said I was dumbing it down for me. But
031I mean you're talking one per week. So I didn't know you know when everybody hears one per week. Why can't somebody go cover that class? >> Right. you know, the planning planning and the grading and and those types of things. That's that takes a toll. >> Do you have a question, Mike? >> Oh, I thought you had your hand. >> Go ahead. >> I'm wondering and just thinking because I am in education and because of, you know, what I know. I think that this situation is going to come up time and time and time and time again. And I think in education committee, I'd like to ask that it's discussed what the future plans are going to be going forward to make sure that in whatever section we're talking, whether it's the sciences or the
032math or industrial arts, that there is a plan going forward and that we're not relying on computers to teach our children going forward. >> So if I can request that that goes on education committee. >> Absolutely. >> Sure. If you read any of the trade magazines, Ed Week, or go to different websites, you there's a common theme and there's an article every month about a teacher shortage and there's more teachers retiring every June than there are entering teacher training programs. So, it's just it's not going to get better. It may go worse. >> I feel exactly what Courtney is saying is a valid concern. are we need to look forward into the next school year and see where we're going to land so that we're not sitting around this table and saying okay now we
033have to get somebody you know what are our plans how how are we going to make it work >> so we are going to open up some more extensive recruitment in in key areas I think uh there are certain teaching positions that we can fill relatively easily I would say elementary K to five we could fill those because we have plenty of applicants on our website some of your secondary courses science science, uh, German, um, you know, some of your advanced math classes, they're more difficult to fill. Uh, which is why we're going to be doing more recruitment this spring at the local colleges and beyond, just to see if we can bring people in in key areas that we know we're going to need. >> This is this is I I I come right
034to you, Ray, and then I'm going to come to you, Kate. I think that the board is giving you a direction that that's exactly what we're looking for. So I I would say Dan going forward into the next education committee that there's going to be some >> that you should have I mean it's not that's not a process we're not familiar with. I mean um the sort of that's what led to this situation is that we had a staff member who went to become dual certified and then took those dual certificates to another school district. >> So you know as as a teacher becomes more marketable that that you know those are the side effects of those but we've done it in the past. We had a successful process with getting teachers who had um
035science other science certificates um certified in physics to help our expanding goals in physics. So you know that's a that's a process that we um that we do and and certainly we can you know continue to talk about it in ed committee and >> and then I think you can then it will be open and there will be minutes and everything that people can see. Um Ray then K. So, I do think though, right, people do have an opportunity to just like we did with nurses, we can bring someone in that doesn't have a certification as long as they're going towards a certification, right? Is is there like isn't there a path for that? >> Do you have an alternate route? Yeah. >> Thing. >> Well, yes. Uh the problem is in particular some of
036the areas we're talking about a scientist, somebody with a science background is probably making a good salary in the private sector. If you're some sort of scientist, it's going to be hard to recruit them at a entry level salary. It may be something where you have to be more aggressive in your in your offer, which is right >> something we may be forced to do in certain areas. >> We've done that with nurses, right? Well, nurses are nurses are a little different because the New Jersey Department of Ed authorized emergency certificates for them, which they did that for that field, learning consultants, but that's not the case like teachers would have to go an alternate route, which is a little different than the emergency certification process. >> There's an alternate route and and you can,
037right, you you can offer salaries. The other thing though is some people may just not want to do those things in that world anymore either, right? So, I mean, that's happened before. Or sometimes they might get downsized in that world >> and maybe they're a little bit older >> and and they just don't want to go through that again. >> We have >> they can go and we've seen that happen. >> We had we had a chemistry teacher here where we had >> a chemist that came and and taught for us that took the alternate route because he had retired, >> right? >> And but he was still looking to to keep his, you know, hands in the field, right? So I I do think that that is an avenue to agree. Kate, you had
038something else. >> My first is a comment. Um I always have three things. I'm sorry. We have a nurses and bus driver shortage. Also, it's sad to me that when we have a teacher shortage, we can talk about replacing them with computers. Um it just it's it's upsetting. Um and I I know all of us would agree with that, every one of us. But I need to make that statement. >> I was recommending against replacing with a computer. we have that option. That's not the option that I recommended. >> I'm not gonna I'm not gonna comment on that. I'm gonna stay where I am right now, which is um have we offered to our current staff I believe we probably offered to our current staff a sixth period class and it just doesn't fit. We
039we don't have enough to cover this >> lab periods. And have we offered to the current staff if they would kind of like I heard Rey saying, you know, if they got dual um you know, I can't talk about West Milford's contract, but I work at another place. I could talk about my own life and my own contract where if I was to go to college right now, I would have to use those credits in my current job for two years, and if not, I'd have to pay that money back. Uh, so I don't know what what you know, I'm not allowed to comment on this contract, but I'm allowed to comment on mine. And I know I have that in my own work environment. >> Um, and so whoever's on negotiations or whatever you
040want to do with that information, because I heard you say someone became more educated and then took their more education and went somewhere else. >> That doesn't necessarily mean we paid for it. >> Got it. Okay. Um, well then that throws a loop. Um, have we asked our current staff if anyone's looking to get another dual enrollment and and look to pay for more credits? Just another outside idea that I don't think we've done. >> Yeah. >> And I think that that leads to like the bigger picture that I was talking about. I think we have to when you're in the business of education, you have to get creative. And knowing these articles that are coming out that you're reading, Dr. knowing this is coming. We have to get out of our box and think
041how can we support the people that are currently our people and keep them here but do the programs that we want to do for our children. And that's what I'm asking to be done in education committee. Not so much recruiting a scientist who doesn't want to teach in his chemistry lab anymore. Helping our own people get better for our children who are here right now. That's what I'd like to say. >> Okay. So, we that that will be part of next education committee some discussion on that. Okay. >> All right. I guess your next topic >> uh Okay. I'm going to go through um today was our um February 22nd um professional development day that I've been talking about for quite some time. Uh we had a great day. uh true uh true teamwork of
042you know input from um you know central office administration staff uh you know everyone everyone worked together to to get a great day put in place. We had a presentation for um we broke it up into two groups. We had a K5 presentation and a 612 presentation in our high school auditorium um from a uh Mrs. Alicia Dorenzo who is a um uh speaker on behalf of social emotional learning and social emotional wellness for both students and staff. Um so it's interesting transition directly from what Courtney just talked about um in terms of what are we doing for for our staff. I mean the whole the whole tone of the sessions of training we had today is about um you know our our teachers um are feeling the the are feeling the pressures of the
043world right now and and that was the tone of the of the the um of the day that you know teaching has always been a difficult and challenging profession and over the last two years it's only gotten it's only gotten worse to the point of and you guys named some you know Dr. channel referenced a a article. Uh we were we were exposed to many statistics today with the presentation. I'm just going to I'll read a few um just really directly what we're talking about. Over 40% of educ these were um I think these were from USA Today um national polls. Um over 40% of educators are seriously considered leaving the profession. Um, over 57% of K12 educators seriously worry about burnout. More than 50% of educators spend 60 hours or more a week on
044school related activities, not including thinking about lesson plans, etc. One in three teachers are in serious distress. Almost 90% of educators report that work is the primary cause of stress in their lives. So, these are things that are that are very real um and leads to some of the crisis that we we have at the moment that we're just discussing. Um so we are beginning this relationship with um Alicia Alicia Dorenzo. Uh she came highly recommended from members of the county, some other other colleagues from Northern New Jersey for that um she worked with uh their staff and in their administration about um staff wellness first. You know the the theory that uh a dere deregulated adult cannot help to regulate students who are in crisis. So, we have to work on our staff first
045and that, you know, with a a staff who's focused on their own personal wellness is going to be better able to transition that to to our students. And we know we've got a you know, we've got a nation in a world in crisis following following the pandemic in in in a lot of ways. So, um that was the tone of two sessions uh one session for each of our our groups. Today, we had a smaller breakout session with the same trainer uh session three. I know if you want to uh comment where we started working on some action plans. So it's not just a and that's I think the tone you've gotten for me over the years. I don't like to have what you know what I refer to as drive by professional development where
046someone comes in, they do a little presentation and they leave and we don't have any follow through. So, uh, we beginning this relationship. We had a small group of, um, staff from across the district, from K12 departments and schools work with this trainer to begin working on action plans for how do we build more social, emotional, and wellness into our staff's lives and how does it translate to our students lives. uh we are bringing her back again to speak at our administrative retreat over the summer in July and then she's going to be coming back again to help us work on the action plan that we put in place um next year and then a few visits uh throughout the year and just and just help us with that work. So we are committing to
047this our staff uh overall wellness of our of our staff uh staff and students. Uh so that was just one part of the PD day. Uh the other parts that I have been discussing for months is about the work we did with linkit. So we we got our um comparative data from benchmark A and benchmark B that our teachers were able to review for the first time today. We just we just finished the assessment. Lincoln did a great job in preparing our teacher slides for today. So, our staff was able to get into Lincolnit and see the comparative data, see the growth of their students to be able to um identify um New Jersey student learning standards in English and language arts that we still need work in and and to, you know, be able
048to begin planning lessons for that uh for that work. So, that that was uh you know, two two you know, highlights from the from the day that we're we're very excited about. Um I don't know if you want to comment on that session. >> Yeah, I just >> Okay. So I just wanted to also add that um one of the strategic goals which I think the board is aware of is on well-being and mental health and one of the subcategories if you remember some of you that are working in that subgroup is promoting mental and physical wellness for students and staff along with other parts about strengthening those peer-to-peer relationships, schooltoome connections. So today's breakout session also worked in that area to start that process ahead of time of some of those goal areas and
049brainstorm because who better than as we said and she said today you need to have you know a top down support from the board administration down but also grassroots up to meet in the middle. So that's the plan moving forward. It was an energized group that third session that's ready to work. We plan to have follow-up um meetings. The board has heard me talk about the dreams project with the department of education that's offering free nurtured heart training which we're planning to send two people to get trained. We're they're also going to offer us two other additional days which we'll talk about a little more in ed committee next month about what this breakout session committee is going to do. So I plan to put that on the ed committee next month or March so
050that um we can brief the board on some of those finer details of what what happened in our session. The other thing I just wanted to mention is we did also train our special class aids in child um mental health. We did do um applying positive reinforcements. So, we're trying to focus on some of those other wellness areas that our our other staff may benefit from learning about. We did do CPR and we did do crisis prevention institute training today. So, I would definitely say it was a it was a busy day with a lot going on, a lot of cross collaborative planning sessions. Um I think you also had some other people working with other departments. So, it was a it was a busy day, but the feedback was that everybody felt it was
051something relative to their profession. >> Before I go to this, I have one question. Dan, can we get a can we get a copy of like a a bio on this person? >> Sure. Yeah, I'll share you um I'll share her website with you so you can take a look. >> Would be wonderful for all the board members to be able to look at and see who's actually coming in to do the train. >> That was one question I had. Oh, you know what? I did just want to mention for the board also, we did use the grant to fund um so she was written into the grant to meet our grant goals for mental health and wellness. >> Okay. Um years ago, I know there was a committee, a professional development committee made up
052of administrators and faculty members and those faculty members gave input as to what they felt that they needed professional development in. Do we still have that committee where faculty members are involved or is it solely administration? >> We have school improvement panels in each at each building. Um so prior to achieve NJ what you're referring to was the um L OPDC was it local professional development committee that was that was um a you know state run or or not state statemandated process that changed >> when we have we had achieve NJ. So when achieve was put into place with the evaluation system and all those types of things, the school improvement panel replaced the uh local professional development committee. >> So also put in place the uh the DAK, you know, that and that um
053that was a um group put in place for a few it was a I believe it was a two-year then it became a four-year process. That was when districts were transitioning to evaluation models. So um the DAK is is no more but we have school improvement panel in uh in each building that's in that's in place that can that's participation of the um building or department super building principal or department supervisor and um teaching staff members. >> So staff members do have input into what they feel they need as professional development. >> Yes. If I were to ask staff members if they have input, they would say absolutely. >> Well, I mean, you could ask them. >> I'm not going to ask them anything, but I'm just hypothetically I I I want to make sure
054that our staff, our faculty is involved in in their needs being met. I mean, the mental health thing I think is great and I think they all would agree that they they needed that because I know that as a teacher for 35 years as this district changed, I retired earlier because I was burned out and um so I understand what they're going through. Um but I would also like to see our faculty much more involved in what they what they need more than that. >> Mrs. Sawyer, if I can interject, >> okay, >> cuz I'm objective. I sit outside that education cloud as I put the budget together, those teachers, those faculty members can go to their building principles and they can say to their building principal, I think I want to take this, you
055know, I have this opportunity here. And many of them do come across this. you you approve professional development every board meeting cuz somebody wants to take a professional development course and they bring that to their building principal's attention who then turns around does the the the paperwork and gives it to Mr. Novak and M Dr. Anamone. So I think that as long as a faculty member finds something worthwhile and they want to pursue it, they go to their building principal or their supervisor and there it is. It doesn't start from up here. >> So, I'm just going to say you make this sound much easier than maybe it is. >> Well, they have the money in there. There's money available for them. >> My uh title two money. Um although I use many of it
056for district level professional development. There's also money at each building um for professional development. And I don't know if I to be honest with you, I don't know what we've declined if it unless it didn't match district goals. You know, that's that's the um you know, stipulations of using title 2 money is they have to met our identified needs. >> Well, I and I could also comment. I mean, I've I've I receive numerous emails from, you know, staff members all over the district who are who are interested in in this and that. And just to give you a small example, I have a meeting coming up soon, like you know, not an official meeting, just a you know, during a during a prep prep period to talk about um you know, a reading strategy discussion
057that um a couple of our staff members um in in a few different buildings are passionate about and talked about. So I I do listen and hear from our staff. Anybody who presents something to me, I'm always open to to that discussion. So, um, you know, I I personally feel that I'm very approachable and and you know, and takes take our staff's um desires and and goals into account. Uh, however, we also, you know, I'm the director of education. So, um, I've been hired to do a specific job. Um, and I feel that we're being very successful with the, uh, implementation of Conquer Math. Um our work in balance literacy has been has been ongoing and has yielded success. Um you know so you know I think there's a there's a wide range of different
058u professional development um avenues that that we have that's available. We have district goals that I think if you need we need to focus you know and again I refer to uh you know some districts do drive by professional development. They bring in a speaker they talk about a topic and then and then it doesn't doesn't go. I mean, we've had a very uh sustained commitment to um some professional development goals year-over-year that have, you know, really, you know, the fact that our staff could sit today and look at student performance data, you know, that wasn't possible four years ago. And that's from the plan that we had. And and to be honest with you, Terry, if we've asked everyone to vote, do you want to learn more about reading data? I don't know if
059we would have had overwhelming response because everyone hates it, you know. But we had to do it >> 15 years ago. But we had to do it. >> Shame. >> Yeah. But you didn't have a plan 15 years ago. Now you have eight. >> That's scary. >> Courtney, you're next. And then I'll come back to you. >> I think it's great, Mrs. Francisco, that whatever a teacher wants, they can ask their building principal and get and get. I think that's great to hear and and I'm glad to hear that. And Mr. Mr. Novak, I think you're doing a wonderful job with professional development and making sure that our teachers are getting all of that. However, I think what Mrs. Dyer was saying was more about, and correct me if I'm wrong, the culture of the
060school. You know, teachers are kind of I know we have the mental health and and we're doing it, but sometimes teachers just want to know that they're using their time and utilizing their time. Sometimes they just want some downtime. Sometimes they just want team building. So I think Mrs. Ryder brings up a good point that you know you have a lot of professional days built in. You have a lot of meetings after school. Like maybe you could just ask them what do you want to do? Do you want to take go for coffee? Do you like that would be so much bigger than self teaching about self-help or mental health or that would just do it. So I think what Mrs. Dyer was saying was kind of the bigger picture about culture and not to
061say that you're not doing enough professional development, >> but I think she brings up a really valid and good >> I I agree with you wholeheartedly and I think what you could see from me and and the work that I've done over these last years in this role and even in my time as a principal was that exact understanding. you know, and if you want me to go back and track how many times that we've given them time in their professional learning communities or with their grade level in their building to just do the things that you're you're describing. So, this isn't like it's a you know, every second of every PD day is because, you know, to follow through on the district goal. So, we understand the we understand the balance. Very often when
062we have a three session PD day, one session is typically devoted to exactly what you're what you're talking about. It might not make it to your level and you know, no one's given the pat in the back to say, "Oh, that did happen." You know, they might you might hear the other side of it, but I assure you that I'm very mindful of that. And that is typically, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, that is typically part of almost every PD day that I put together is that there is time for our teachers to work together, you know, on the things that they need to do. We actually just did it recently with our >> um January our January Martin Luther King Day. We canceled our plans >> um and we gave it to
063them. We knocked off the it was supposed to be an extended hour. We took away the extended hour because we knew, you know, it was it was actually a give back or a thank you for how they came back from the um holiday break to all of these, you know, the COVID cases on the rise and that sort of thing. So, we shifted gears. I was going to, you know, we were going to go link it then and we said, you know what, now now that we were reflective on it, now's not the time for link it and now's the time for, you know, appreciation and and thanks. So, you know, I'm I'm very I I agree with you, but I am very mindful very mindful of that. >> Ray and then Kate first. >>
064Okay. Kate, >> is your question on topic? Because I'm >> I'm on a completely different topic. >> Oh, different than PD. >> No. >> Oh, okay. >> Yes. >> Oh, you're finishing up PD. Go before me. >> No. >> Okay. >> So, I know you mentioned something about giving some good statist I'm a statistic person, right? So something where you said 57% are feeling burnt out and something about 60 hours a week on school related and and I see that because I've seen I've seen some people bring papers and grade them before a meeting. Um so my I guess question to you is you do you really do you feel that they have all the tools right so you provide tools is you feel they have the right training you feel that they have a
065system that they can use or are you just saying here's the tools just kind of figure it out and do your own thing >> yeah that's a big that's a big question yeah you know I think in specific areas they have the tools and I think there's specific areas where we we need to give the tools you know I think professionals development never ends, you know, um, you know, improvement never ends. So, >> and that's I I appreciate that answer because it sounds like you're saying like you even feel, hey, we could do better at this, right? >> Agree. I mean we could always do better at at everything you know it's just a matter of how how you know coming to some of the points how much can you do and still maintain a
066happy happy staff who wants to come to work you know so that you can only you can only do so much with human beings and and I think we're all very cognizant of that >> I mean just think about that right 50 like almost six out of every 10 of your teachers are feeling burnt out and they're working 60 hours a week or more and so That's where I we as board members, we listen to parents when when they're talking about those things and the and the kids feeling stressed out about having to learn on computers and and virtual learning and back and forth between being in school and out of school. And I think that like that's something that you have to take into consideration as administrator all everybody right and then we we
067do also as board members we have to take that into cons consideration because ultimately at the end of the day they are the team right I I say to my staff they are my customer the teachers are your customer at the end of the day right the students and the parents are the teachers customer at the end of the day I like I just if we can together in the right way. I think that morale probably would be higher than it is. >> And I think it's important because at this point we're seeing that that that morale issue it it's costing people every day and especially when Dr. Anne is saying to us we you know I got to go outside sources to even recruit people because that's how it is. So I think we
068have to take that >> and it's it's clearly not a West Milford problem. It's a nationwide problem when you see statistics like this, right? That's USA Today like like every school district has to be cognizant of that. >> I don't think we're saying and and Dan, I don't think that's what we're trying we're not saying you're you're doing this wrong, you know, where you're not doing it. We're just trying to say we've got to think even bigger because of where we are. Yeah, I agree. I didn't >> I think you get it because you wrote down those statistics. >> I didn't take it that way. I just think there's a balance. I I think if if you know there's not a focus, there's not a bigger picture, >> it's hard to to take everyone's input
069from every corner of the district and try and make a plan out of it. That's that's really what I was trying to explain in a in a summary. >> I I think I think we did understand that and thank you. Kate, you had another question. >> Yeah. Um, I don't expect the answer tonight. Um, but maybe you could email me or update the board on um, the New Jersey graduation assessment that you explained. Thank you for having that on your report tonight. I'm curious how many students the high school has that's doing portfolio assessment this year. Um, I would ask that because obviously education's been different in the last, you know, few school years. So, I'm wondering um I don't know how many opportunities our students were given to pass a test. Like, did the
070ASVAB come as many times as it normally does? Maybe even more times than normal. >> Been in the high teens to to low 20s over the last few years. >> Okay. And so, you think >> since the portfolio appeal had been put in place, that's um those are our typical numbers. I don't know this year's numbers um exactly. I can >> You think they're average compared to all the others? >> We can get you a number. I think you could email it out. >> Yeah. I was just curious if there's been a change and also like if we're giving more opportunities to take another test for instance like I say the ASVAB it's just one example where you can have someone come in and give the test more times than we have before co. So
071just thoughts that I wanted to share while you went over that. >> It's been my experience that we we give we try to give students every opportunity we can. Nobody wants to get to the portfolio appeal. They want to pass that graduation requirement >> um in you know the best way that they can. >> Okay. >> And what's clubs? >> Oh, the clubs. That's >> I think I um did I meet my quota for director of education? >> Is there a motion not to exceed that? So, in a uh so in a in a nutshell, I've used that phrase too many times tonight, but so clubs, I just wanted to before you look to vote, um there have been I've heard some questions from from members of the board about why there's this type of
072club in this building and that type of club in that building. So, there's a variety and it should have said clubs in general. There's a variety of clubs on the agenda tonight that are funded by different sources. So title one clubs are only available for title one schools and that is upper lake Marshall Hill and Apua. So those are the only four schools that will have access to title one clubs. One of the title one activities that you'll see on the agenda tonight is family literacy night which has been a traditional event in our buildings that have had um title one funding over time. So you'll see those on there. Just because a school who has access to title one funds doesn't have a family literacy night on the end this month does not mean
073they're not going to have it. It's just they did it now. Some of them like to get it in during um read across America week. That's a typical one I know in Marshall Hill and and and UGL. Other schools um will other schools will do it at a different different point in time. Family math night is something that is this year being funded through title four, which is uh a structure that all six of our elementary schools will have access to. Well, if you do not see family math on at this point in time, it does not mean they won't have it in the future. So, um those are the those are the two that are that are a little bit more structured. Every school will have a family math night. Our title schools will
074have a family literacy night. The Esser clubs are the um those are clubs that are funded through ESRE 3 which is you know as a summary COVID relief funds. Um there is a stipulation within the grant for after school clubs that don't necessarily have to be academic focused. They're also to be uh well-rounded well-rounded focus uh as well. So you'll see a variety of uh after school clubs for um academics and then you'll also see clubs for um social emotional learning activities, team building that that sort of thing. So I just want to give a statement because you're going to see a variety. You're going to continue to see clubs um over the next two months as we get them as we get them approved. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Let me ask one one
075more question about the clubs. is the family literacy night and the math night is the goal of those clubs to get more home community school support or more academic driven like I'm just >> so uh so title one um the the the structure for that night the funding for that night is intentional for bringing out families so to get families to come out you know that's why there's food money uh in the grant okay >> you know food money you know food brings people out um you know so we have the so that's in there so prizes. >> The purpose of >> uh the purpose of of title one family nights is is just that uh title four funding is innovative programs. Um so at family math night it could be again it's also you
076know family connection family math that's that's our goal of that is to also have family involvement things that um uh parents can do to support our work at home. You know little you know how to use Cheerios as counters and and all those little things. So um so yeah I mean the purpose of all is to increase uh family engagement in our students lives at home. >> Okay. Um special reports and correspondence. Mrs. Francisco, >> we have the meeting from January. >> I need a motion. >> Make a motion to approve. Make a motion to approve the uh board of education minutes. Second >> January 3rd, 18th, 25th. >> Does anybody have a question on the minutes? If not, um roll voice vote. Um all those in favor? I >> uh I abstain on the
07718th and the 25th. >> I for the third. Okay. >> President's report. Well, I want to say thank you to Mrs. Bar for filling in for me for the last month or so. I greatly appreciate it and I'm glad to be back and looking forward to seeing everybody and not looking forward to talking about the budget, but we have budget items that we're going to be talking about. So, we're back into the thick of things. Uh, public comment. This portion of the meeting is open to members of the public for the purpose of addressing resolutions on this agenda only. Members of the public who have requested to speak prior to the meeting will be recognized by the chair first. Each speaker will be given five minutes for a period of 30 minutes and then time
078permitting other public comment limited to five minutes per speaker will be allowed until the 30 minute time period transpires. All members of the public speaking during the public comment period are asked to address topics listed in the agenda. speakers are asked to sign the register provided and to give their full name, spell their last name, group affiliation if appropriate, and provide their address. Issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded to by the board. All comments will be considered, and a response will be forthcoming if and when appropriate. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and respectful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding students and employees of the board are discouraged and the board and the administration will not respond to them.
079Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded to them by the laws of New Jersey. The board is not responsible and is not liable for any comments made by members of the public. Members of the public should consider their comments in light of the legal rights of those affected or identified in their comments. Members of the public are reminded that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Anyone wishing to speak under public comment? If not, >> none of all those in favor. >> Any opposed? Okay. Now motion for to adopt the agenda. >> Just have a couple changes to make. >> Okay. >> Can you read this? >> I can read that, but I do have another another change first. >> Okay. >> So on hand carry the white one. This is a
080budget and finance resolution number eight. >> We're going to change the account number first. >> Okay. I change the account numbers on everybody's sheet. >> You have it already. Okay. So, you have that there. So, the new motion will read the recommendation of the superintendent to approve New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, Trenton, New Jersey to provide direct and supplemental instruction for Chemistry and Biology for the 2021-22 school year effective March 1st. >> on a monthly basis at a cost of $7,100 per month for four sections and related labs and office hours. >> This will continue until June 24th, 2022 or until a replacement teacher is found. >> Is that okay? >> Okay. So, we'll get that in a minutes corrected. And secondly, on the blue sheet, hand carry number two, personnel student affairs
081resolution number 47. We're going to pull from the agenda. Going to change to that already. We'll clear that up at the next board meeting. So, we're going to delete 47. And that's all. >> That's after. >> Okay. >> We're going to delete. the policy account and just a a point of clarification on personnel student affairs resolution number 28. This is for our website committee. We're extending extra hours for uh teaching staff members who are part of that committee. Uh just to for everybody's clarification, we do also have community members on the committee. They're just there in a voluntary role. So their names would not be on here. >> I thought there was a different community meeting. I don't know if they're meeting with the teachers. >> They're separate. I just wanted to let people know
082that it's not just a staff group. It's also uh we have comm parents and community members, but they're not paid. They're volunteer members. >> They're not on this committee. >> Well, they're on the website committee, but they're just not paid members, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. But we thank them for volunteering and helping us out. >> Okay. So, I need a motion and a second to adopt the agenda as presented. >> I move to adopt the agenda as presented with corrections on hand carry. >> Hand carry. >> Mike. I move to accept the agenda as amended with changes to hand carry one and hand carry on education hand carry two on personnel. >> Need a second. >> Second. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I oppose. >> All right. Education. Mrs.
083Dwer. Okay. move to um approve agenda items 1 through six and 8 and number seven is voted on after executive session. >> I need a second. Any discussion on these items? We have no discussion. Roll call. >> Mrs. Dwire. >> Yes. On um everything new on resolution number eight. >> Mr. Greeno. Yes, >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes, >> Mr. Stillman. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Lockwood. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes, >> Mr. Conklin. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Van Dyk. >> Yes. >> Okay. And that's for after executive session. Personnel, student affairs. Mr. Garino. >> I'd like to make a motion. uh bring forward items 1 through 46 and then on hand carry number two um item 48 >> under personnel and student affairs. >> I need a second. >> Second. >> Any discussion on
084any of the items under personnel? >> Mr. Bino. So, I know there are a number of people that are retiring or have retired over the past couple months, but I just want to say um happy retirement. Again, when you say regret in here, um Alex, it is with regret that Leslie thinks going to retire, but um we're losing a great English teacher. Um and Matt been Terry said, one of the best for sure. um and we will miss her, but I think that um this will be a great time in her life and and I'm sure that they've got some fun stuff planned for the future. So, congratulations on uh your upcoming retirement, Leslie. >> Hey, >> um number 28. I mean, we have nine amazing educators listed there, but I'm having a problem with
085how many hours did we approve last time, and [Music] I've seen nothing on what's been done in any of these website things other than Rey or Alex giving an update. And so, I'm thinking what has already been done in committee, where is the notes from committee or something that I would approve this again? And I know that there is a separate parent meeting. So, are they coming together to discuss ideas? Are they doing are these the people that are doing the research and looking at other districts websites and saying, "Hey, we really like how random has this or does that or I'm just confused and I don't really feel comfortable approving more hours for something that I haven't seen anything for yet." >> Okay. No, that's that's reasonable. It the first the original motion was
086for six hours. >> Okay. and we did a used most of those hours doing a lot of research and then meeting with our staff. So, we had a tech committee meeting on Friday and we just need to get more I'm recommending more hours per teacher just so we can keep advancing this project. We're hoping to have it done by the end of the school year so we can use some time to have our old website up and running and a sort of separate website, the new website, I guess a beta, if you will, running concurrently so we hit the ground running smoothly. So, we do have some more work to do on a staff uh with from our staff. So, that's why the recommendations on the agenda. So they're not building the website. I mean,
087nine people already did 54 hours and then we're going to do another 54 hours. So it takes 108 hours to plan. Then we're going to have to probably hire someone to actually build the website. I just feel like it's a little much to 12 hours. But maybe I'm wrong. That's why I'm just confused. >> They're not building the website. We do have it's going to be a company we're going to hire >> exactly >> to to to do that. But there's a lot more planning that goes involved in it rather than just calling a company and say do our website what goes on it where does it go what comes off the website is probably just as important because if you have everything on your website you can't find anything. So there's a lot of
088I think a little things that go into this um beyond the six hour and maybe in hindsight the original six hours was a little too optimistic. You know maybe that should have been higher to start with um you know it's our first time building a website probably it's got to be 10 15 years >> yielded pretty positive result. I mean we found the we found the model that we want to use with that group. you know, they they they searched, you know, they searched websites all over the place and and uh we came back with a plan that we believe is going to be successful. Uh and you know, not to cut you off, I think to summarize what this next six hours could be for in my opinion from our discussion uh was identifying
089and collecting content. >> I guess I guess I understand where Kate's coming from on the adding the extra six. Are you going to come back to us and ask us for another six hours after that? You could. >> Well, I think that that's where we're starting because we I I understand the need, but I think that that's K. I don't know if you can. Is that the direction that you're talking about? You're afraid that we're going to get another six hours down the road. >> Well, I know we have to hire someone to build it and I have I don't know what's been done so far. And without Dan, I will just quote him without him saying identifying and collecting content. I was voting no and now I'm not sure because if that's the next
090steps, I understand that. um 108 hours of research to see what is a good working I mean no offense I did that in 10 minutes we know which districts have a good website but I don't know what they've been doing so in my eyes I'm like 108 hours is a lot of time >> I'm thinking you know maybe if we could have some kind of minutes maybe some kind of summary >> where they're going so that the the the board understands why they're what the money is for you know what the actual I I understand that this something that's it's an undertaking. I get it. But I understand the question. >> Identifying and collecting content that makes sense to me. Everything else so far did not. So, thank you. >> We can we can get
091an update to the board. That shouldn't be an issue, >> right? So, I besides myself, right? I'm on that outside committee. How many We don't need names. Just how many um community members are there? >> Maybe a half dozen. >> Six. >> Yeah, I would say about a Yeah. You're on this committee, aren't you? >> Six, right? And there's nine teachers. I'm just saying I'm wondering why that's another question, right? There's a disparity between we're paying teachers. >> There's nine of them and we have six community members. There's 3,000 students and we have six people from the community. >> Wow, that's a great point. I mean, as a staff member in another district, I don't go to my own website. And I use our website in West Milford as a parent every single day. I
092don't use my work website. That's a great point I never even thought of. I use one page on my work website. It's saved on my bar at the top. I click on that. If I need PD hours, if I need my absence sheet, if I want to see my observations, that's it. I don't look at my work website. So, that actually is a very good point that I never thought of. I think we should maybe get it out there that if more parents would like to come to a meeting or share that they could email you. >> Actually, my thing was maybe that group could maybe the teacher group could get smaller. >> Representatives of every building current represent every building. So I you know I believe that's in our plan. Sorry. I believe that's
093been in our that should have been in our plans all along is that that group is going to be, you know, um intimately prepared with our progress as as it goes. I mean to continue giving updates on what websites we looked at, you know, that's that's not given a whole lot as you as you said. Um we're in that and that was you know Ray, you can jump in. That's that was directly part of our conversation at the last tech meeting was now it's time for action and and time for moving forward if we truly want to have a product in place for next school year. We have to get we have to get those you know that actual content. So that's that's where we're at. Well, I I I would say that I in
094looking at it, I know how important this is to us and it is important that we get we get hit the ground running and that we're moving ahead so that it's ready for the the the fall the fall. So, I think I'm okay with it for this six hours, but I'm a little concerned as we go past that because it's it's a it's a very important the website is very important to the district, but we also have to be conscious on what we're spending to get it there. I know it's going to cost money to to get it built. So, we need to we need to be >> the tech committee will lean on Robert for that. >> Okay, that makes sense. Um, >> make that. Is there any other question? >> Linda, I just
095want to make one comment. I'm not I'm not on this committee, but I I heard the board talk a lot about teacher input and hearing from them professional development. And now on the opposite side, we're almost saying, wait a minute, there might be too much teacher input. And I just want to coming out of the mental health and wellness today, it talks about >> hearing and meeting people where they are and giving them the value. Right. So when you talk about the cost here, it's about 1944 to be able to pay for this expansion. I think you're right, Linda, where and I'm not on the committee, but maybe hear from them after this point. Yes. what specifically then would you need but I I think it's reasonable to add hours at this point because it
096may seem like a lot but you know when you get collaboratively people together you those hours pass pretty quickly. So I just think if you look at the cost and you just talked about wanting to value the the the stakeholders of them I just think it would it would be something that the board should consider. just think it needs to be there needs to be a conscious effort looking at the hours so that we're not going over >> and I'm just going to make clear it's not 1944 it's 388 because we've already paid 6 hours and we're going to pay another six. Now that said there's value >> in that it's not 1944 it's 38.88 88 >> and you just keep adding that up, right? Your point is if there's another six hours, it's another
0971940 port. >> So, >> I don't care about Look, all I'm saying is I know eventually we have to hire someone to build the website. I had no idea where we were. Don't ever think that I would say that we would have too much teacher input. Whoa. Never could do I think that's even possible. What I was saying was I don't understand what's already been done to approve more hours. I think everyone understood that and to for Terry to say that >> you didn't >> sound like you said you were you thought they were too many hours. >> 108 hours. Yeah. Too much each teacher input on something. Never. Especially when we were talking about PD. You can't take one and apply it to the other thing of what I was saying. Um that's it.
098I know we're in voting now. Thank you. Um, any other discussion on the motions? I do have one thing. I want to thank Mr. Bulier for uh donating his time to the lacrosse team. I always love seeing volunteers on the list for things like that. And it's it's a quite a commitment. So, I want to thank him there. I want to reiterate the same as Rey. Thank Leslie Frink for all of her years to the district as a community member and as a a teacher. She is an asset that's going to be lost in the district. So, we're sorry to see her go, but I wish her the best of everything in the future. >> Barbara, I have one last thing. Um, Dan, thank you for explaining like the the money, the title money, the
099clubs and everything. I love love love seeing elementary clubs. Um, and I just hope that the staff in each building and that that we could come sometimes to I'll just point it out. Scooter football. I wish every elementary school had scooter football, not just two of them, you know, or three of them, whatever it is. I wish we had the same amount of clubs and opportunities in all six of our elementary schools. And I know that title funding falls into that. And thank you for explaining it. I just could not vote on this without mentioning that I would love to see more clubs in all of our elementary schools and see the same opportunities for each student. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? Mr. Gino. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes. >>
100Mrs. Lockwood. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> I'm seeing on 35. Abstain on 33. And yes to everything else. >> Mr. Conklin. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dwer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stillman. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Van Djk. >> Yes. on everything. I abstain on number three, operations and finance. Mr. Stillman, >> I'd like to move through second. Okay. Any discussion? I'm sorry. I I my page is stuck together. very sorry. >> And the and the hand carry, right? >> Well, there's other motions. >> Okay. Can I >> There's no hand carry for operations. >> You said that. >> Sorry. We were looking at >> Okay. >> that that's separate. >> You have a discussion on that? >> I do. So I know that there are some people here that like just so everybody knows we
101have heard what you've said as parents regarding food service and thank you Barbara for putting that out to bid to to >> well we have to >> to get other food service companies but boy like we've heard some >> we're very >> things from parents >> we're totally controlled by the department of agriculture. >> Yeah. So, there was a two-year hiatus because of CO, but now um we have to go out to bid along with probably twothirds of the school districts in the state of New Jersey. >> That'll go well. >> Sorry. Well, maybe some that are close together could work on >> any other discussion under the motions. >> If not, roll call. >> Mr. Stillman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Mr. Greeno, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >>
102Mrs. Dwire, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. >> Mr. Conklin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Djk, >> yes. I would like to make a motion in group number six. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Stillman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Mr. Greeno, >> Mrs. Dwire, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mr. Conklin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> Mrs. Van Dyke >> abstain. >> I would like to make a motion to move number 710. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Stillman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Greeno. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dwire. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. >> Mr. Conklin. Yes, >> Mrs. Van Dyke. >> Yes. Policy. Mrs. Stevenson. >>
103I'd like to make a motion to approve numbers one. >> Second. >> I need a second. >> Second. >> I'd like to discuss um number one, the revision of the bylaw um specifically under special committee. Is your mic on? >> Um, sorry, I just turned it on. Thank you. Um, specifically under special committees, we had discussed that um, most of those committees are in place except for special services and I would like to I'd like to see special services have a committee. >> Okay. We did have one years ago. I didn't remember. >> I think it just started coming. I think going back Howard just incorporated into the committee itself. >> I think there's a need um and I'm just going to say what's in black and white there's a lot of movement um when
104you look at personnel people being moved and I think you know maybe that can be discussed or you know maybe there could be things that happen. So personnel items really. So I just so when I was in Westwood I did have a special education board committee. So I'm pretty familiar with the process with that. Um the the unique thing there is that we didn't we didn't have exactly like the same education committee setup as it's here. So >> you can rename the >> Well, I was going to say what I would what I would suggest because I would not be able to talk and correct me if I'm wrong, Andy, but I would not be able to talk about personnel matters in a special education committee meeting. it would still be handled through personnel. But
105what we could, which is why I do join like I was at the personnel meeting this week if there are certain things related to personnel. >> That being said, I usually add my like I just added an agenda item today today to Dan's March committee, right? I usually add it onto his agenda, but if the board would prefer, maybe that committee could instead just be education special education and we can spend we could just delineate the agenda to have part ed part part special ed because that's what we do right now. Um, could we do a separate committee? We could, but then I would still probably need to attend some of the other ed committee meetings anyway. >> Still like Courtney's idea. I I like the idea of a separate special services committee. I don't
106I don't have a problem with I mean like I said years ago we did I I think the problem is right now as far as education I understand what there's there's items that we have a lot of education items. Yeah. >> And then we have special and things kind of get grouped together and we lose some of the >> discussion. I I don't have a problem. We can we can adopt the committee and put committee members on it. It's not >> I don't have a problem. It's just that now your your Tuesdays are going to go a little bit late. I got to figure out I'm gonna I have to figure out where to put people then. So, it's just, you know, it would be another later. I would probably, if it's at all possible,
107I don't know if I have a say in this, but I would probably suggest that it go back to back with education because sometimes I might have Dan and I work closely together. In some districts, they d they should just say there may be more of a divide between the two parties. We try to really integrate together. So I would just suggest that the meetings go back to back so that if I needed to attend his or he comes to mine that we can still have that partnership. >> So it says special committee right legislative town like these are all technology special committee technology we don't meet on Tuesday. >> Oh no you could meet you could >> it could be on another day it could be at a certain different time >> doesn't have
108to be on >> it really is up to the >> it's up to the board. the board committee and then if we establish it will then have to name committee members and find a common time that anybody can meet. So >> it's up to you. >> Well, it it falls under special committees right now. You want it to be a standing committee or you want it to stay as a special committee? >> Whatever you guys think. I just think that there is a need for that. That was my only input. going back to when there was special service committee. It had to do with like um special fa the association of special fa uh uh families Andy and uh the Abduls >> and they met they would meet with the director and a board member.
109This was also prior to I just want to give the board some history in the public because I have I know our CPAC chair here and Miss Lockwood was was served in that capacity. Prior to Alice Steinheimer, this board of education did not have a CPAC. So the CPAC was established because there was not a CPAC in place and the ASCF was kind of serving as one, but it didn't meet the standards of New Jersey Department of Ed. So the other thing I just want to preface to the board and I have no problem meeting in a committee with the board, but you you can't talk about latigious matters if that's a conversation. I can't talk about personnel matters. There's just certain pieces of it. So the CPAC was developed where we do usually have
110a board member, I know Kate has said, I think Courtney's come, Claire attended the last one where they can come to that CPAC and then we advise the parent group and the parents about programs, questioning, concerns, all of those factors are discussed. If we do a board one, which we we can do, I would just say it wouldn't be what the Association for Special Children a CPAC needs to run the way a CPAC runs. It would be strictly for the board about topics similar to what I put on education committee. The only difference would be it being a separate meeting. >> I I I wasn't I'm saying that's what it was. >> Yeah. No, I just wanted to clarify because I just don't want it established where anyone has a misunderstanding. >> Maybe what we
111need is we need a board representative on CPAT. I was thinking that >> which then they could come back like they >> so that's not a I just want to preface that's not though up to the board. So we have I have always invited through CPAC board representatives can attend but that >> it is in our bylaw right >> not for CPAC it it's just special services it does not >> not for CPAC so I just want to clarify >> attend as a board member >> Debbie would attend so I I always welcome board members to attend I think you guys have the rule about you can't have more than four of you or whoever wants to attend but you're always welcome to attend we actually claack where some districts run their CPAC closed forum.
112We do not have a closed forum. We always open it up to the public. So anybody can attend, board members, anyone. >> Yeah. So CPAC's a parent group, not a board group, you know. >> But we do meet with round we have roundts. So >> I was thinking this more specifically with board members like a like like our committee meetings like our education. >> So you want another committee of special service? I I think there I think there's a need. >> I do think there's a need and I think there's going to be more of a a need knowing that education is moving the way it's moving. I think that like I said, we need to be thinking outside of the box and more brains are are better. >> I I go ahead R. >>
113So, if I'm understanding, so number eight, it says uh standing committees of the board. You're saying we should maybe add special services to number eight. I also see the policyy's not under number eight. >> So that probably should be added to number eight, >> right? >> Okay. So why don't we take this back then committee >> so that we get that we add it where it needs to be added >> and then we can have the reading again and in committee we could discuss exactly where you're talking about as where it should land. We can we can put this on the March policy agenda, committee agenda. >> Does that work? >> Yeah, that's fine. And like I said, I I >> don't have a problem. >> I don't care where it lies. I just think
114it there's a need. I think there's going to be a need going forward in the future. I think that we need to just be thinking outside the box as much as possible and collaborating as much as possible. That's all. >> I I guess I hear that there's a need, a need. Um, I just think special education and education do work so closely together that I think putting it together might serve better because I I don't know. It's just like it it is intertwined. We are trying to go into more of an an inclusive environment in the district and offer more, you know, in inclusivity. Um, there is a lot of special education in this district. within a lot of the schools. So, I don't know. I think doing education and special education together might, you
115know, I think it definitely needs a bigger conversation for the board to to discuss, but I think doing it together, that makes sense to me. >> Okay. Well, why don't we bring it back to committee and we can talk about it and see where it lands. But I understand where you're going because there are it seems like we're having and of course it's happening everywhere because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, districts are, you know, it's it's becoming an issue and I can understand we've again with teachers. We've lost a lot of special education teachers and that's a lot of the conversation too. I think that is coming through and I understand >> and so and that maybe it needs to be with personnel you know like >> maybe >> so that's what needs to be discussed
116I guess >> okay so can we >> table that's the difference between the first >> okay >> we're reading it >> perfect >> thank you Mr. Ma'am, >> any other discussion under the policy committee? >> If not, roll call. >> Mrs. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mr. Stillman, >> yes. >> Mr. Conklin, >> yes. >> Mr. Greeno, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dwire, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyk, >> yes. Okay. committ Parks and recreation. Mike, >> just a couple things. They've got uh they're still looking for volunteers to start an indoor floor hockey program. So, if anybody's interested in that, contact the recck department. And bubbling springs registration's now open. And they're also looking for lifeguards, swim instructors, daycare counselors. uh contact the rec department for
117that too if anybody's interested. That's all I've got. >> Thank you. Safety, the meeting was cancelled while I was away and there we're waiting to for res. >> Yes, superintendent round table. >> So, these minutes are from the January 27th meeting. Um they're from um they're written by Kelly Stiniano the one resident uh president. Um there was a question in regards to real time both the app app sorry and the website login. So I guess uh parents are saying that it isn't working even after checking their settings. Um so Mr. Winston suggested um them taking the real time off, deleting it off their phone and readding it and seeing if that um you know um solves the glitch. Um the website, there was a question also about the website and the lag time parent guardians
118change information in real time. Sometimes the changes don't even reflect or save and Dr. Anamon said that the board office has to approve those. So sometimes there's a lag time from the family requests. Um there was a question about can reports be sent to parents for the middle and high school. Um I think this was for link it and for the assessments and uh Mr. Novak said that they would be sent out shortly I think after this uh current benchmark. There was a question about PCTI transfers if we get the money back. Um, and the answer was yes. There is a number of enrollments agreed to before the school year starts if a student transfers back where MOFIT is only responsible for the time they were at PCTI and receives credit the next school year.
119There was a question about the test to stay plan um if the districts is there one like other districts seem to be doing? If so, what does it entail? And then uh with the quarantine time being cut to five days, it no longer makes sense to be part of this plan. And now, you know, I think moving forward the numbers are so low that it really wouldn't make sense. Uh substitute working days. Can substitutes still only work four consecutive days? If so, can anything be done? Allowing substitutes to work more than four consecutive days may alleviate some of the staffing challenges. And uh there are still permanent subs in each building. non-permanent substitutes that may be needed for more than four consecutive days are determined on a case-byase basis. There's a question about lunches. Uh
120they seem to still not be consistent across schools. Um all schools should have the same hot lunch and alternatives. Some schools may offer second alternatives and those are based off what students seem to prefer and what the partic particular kitchen orders. Who plans the menu and decides the rotation? Um, Pumptonian was the answer makes the menu and decides the rotation and do some students are still not being allowed to get a school lunch if they bring something from home and I know Dr. Anamon said that he was going to speak and um to the staff and make sure that those kids uh those students were still getting a lunch if they wanted one that everybody was entitled to a free lunch this school year. Question about quarantine communication. How long does it typically take for
121staff to make aware of students needing to quarantine? Uh 24-hour lag day for staff to get notification of students that are quarantined. And then also a question about the lag day. Is a student marked absent or unex absent unexcused. The absence should be excused and parents should reach out to the principal if it is marked unexcused. Most absences are unexcused with the exception of a few instances which are outlined in the attendance policy. There's a meeting this Thursday um for the February meeting. >> Thank you. >> The city county school boards and New Jersey school boards, Mrs. Brier. >> Um I have nothing for the state county and the Jersey school boards association. Apparently, I don't know if uh Kate if you went into the governance board thing, but it was impossible to get into
122the site to do the class. I signed Oh. um the New Jersey New Jersey School Boards Association, it was impossible to get into the site to do the governance training. Um when we went in, we were able to look at it, but and it said we were registered, but we there was nothing, no other direction, nothing. So, I contacted Kathy Hela and I'm waiting for an answer back from that. So, that's all I have for that. a legislative um Kate couldn't uh couldn't do it. She called me email me. Um Mrs. O'Brien said she would. Unfortunately, she's not here tonight, but she did forward her report to Mrs. Daughter. Okay. Both houses of the legislature approved the delay of Governor Murphy's delivery of his budget speech by two weeks. Due to this delay, it's anticipated
123that Department of Education will be re providing a revised budget calendar to school districts. The Senate approved S354, establishing a school funding formula evaluation task force. This seven member group is charged with studying, evaluating, and assessing the current state school funding formula. They will study the effectiveness of and provide recommendations on potentially improving various aspects of the formula. The task force will be holding a series of public hearings around the state to seek input and gather testimony on the effects of um the current school funding formula and potential areas for improvement within the formula from the public. The Senate approved S905, which extends the period of time for filing special education due process petitions related to COVID 19. The extension can be up to 18 months depending on the individual circumstances. This extra time is
124intended to provide parents time to work out new learning plans for their children with school districts without having to file for a hearing with the state's office of administrative law. Also to note the assembly at the assembly of agriculture and food food security committee advanced bills aimed to expand public awareness and student eligibility for school meal programs. A2365 pertains to educate parents and guardians about existing and expanding school meals programs options. A2368 requires schools to provide free lunch, breakfast, and lunches to students from workingclass middleincome families designated as the workingclass families anti-hunger act. AC109 urges the US Congress to pass the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021, which would provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack to all school children regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds. This legisl legislation also eliminates school food debt and reimbures
125school for all delinquent meal debt. And that's Mrs. O'Brien's report. Um, on that, >> can I just can I say something? >> On that school funding formula, um, if there are going to be public hearings, I think this school board must be involved in those because we are very affected by this and we're going to get hurt this year. So, I think we need to maybe get a bunch of people and and go down there and voice our concerns. So, that's it. Thank you. >> Right. >> So that seven person panel uh did do they release the school funding formula to the >> to the public I think I know the answer but >> do they release it? >> Yeah. Do we know what the school funding formula is or they give us a number?
126>> No they just give you the number. They give they give you >> they give you what comprises of it but try to follow the >> dot is a little difficult. Yeah. >> So, it hasn't changed is what I'm hearing. >> Well, you know, it's based upon student enrollment. It's based upon averages and it's based upon your socioeconomics of your community also. So, um and that comes from, you know, state taxes. So there's a lot of information that they get down in Trenton that they um extrapolate from different areas in order to create what they think is a fair funding formula. So you have to look around at your socioeconomics and um you know that's that's part of it. I think the first >> I think the frustrating part for West Milford, right, and a
127lot of the towns that are in the highlands is you don't have that tax base from business, right? Because all the land is protected. >> That hurts. Yeah, that's why we need to >> and we've seen that year after year in multiple school districts like us and Jefferson and others that >> seem to get money cut and others flourish. >> You know, I I think the reason why we're getting hurt right now is because they feel that they feel that we we've gotten money um in the 10 years prior that we weren't entitled to. and um you know, but they they chose to freeze it and now we're paying the the penalty for it. But it's just um it's not fair. It's really just not fair. And you know they're using a formula that was
128created a long time ago and they really haven't done anything to update it except you know for the last few years and that's based on enrollment and um there's been a lot of additional mandates that they've placed on us but those mandates don't go into the formula when they're figuring it out. you know, we for a while they gave us some additional money for park when they first implemented park and you know, they they would give us some money for um other little projects that they would fund for a year or two, but that's all gone by the wayside. So, you know, we just have to hold our breath and see what happens on March 10th. >> Okay. Ray technology. >> So, um I was not able to attend at the last minute. I know
129Alex said, um Rob is working on the minutes to the meeting, but I don't think that they're completed yet, but maybe Dan or Alex, you've got an update from that meeting with regard to the website. And >> so, we discussed the website um committee where we are. You know, parents are helping out, staff's helping out. That's why we uh made a recommendation to add those hours that were just approved. Uh the bulk of the meeting was to go over that. Although we also did discuss the status of some projects in the district. Um phones I believe we discussed on that for a little while. Um so that's moving along. Um trying to think what else was on the agenda. >> Glass link quick card. >> What was that? >> Glass link quick card. >> Oh
130yes. You want to touch on that? That was a good one. >> Yeah, it was great. Actually, that was media specialist about it today. Um, class link as as you all know is the uh we talking about it's a single sign on. So, our students across the district, they don't have to remember their password for everything in the world. They log in once and they are automatically logged into all of our district resources. This makes that process even easier for our youngest students in K2. they can get a QR code on a lanyard and then the program the the Chromebook for those students will be programmed to when it opens up it'll have the uh camera feature ready to read the code and it'll automatically log those students in uh with that QR code. So
131there is value for students being able to know their username and their password for it. Um however at those ages it takes an enormous amount of time just to log into that one thing. Thank God for class link because that that would take them forever to log into everything. >> Yeah. >> Um but now this really streamlines that process for our uh K through2 students to get into the Chromebook and and get into everything. So it was a good development. I think you believe it was it was piloted here at the Westbrook school >> and they found it to be successful. So we're going to do it in uh all of our elementary schools. >> Okay. Uh township and board of education committee, you want to take that one? We we have nothing. >> Uh
132West, >> we did have a meeting. >> We We met with the We met on a Zoom meeting. >> Yeah, but there was nothing um that was discussed in a prior meeting. >> It was >> Oh, okay. We haven't met since then. >> West Milford Municipal Alliance. um meet last. >> Yeah, I went to it. They they did a survey for their members. That wasn't really, you know, doesn't apply to us. Um they talked about some of the different programs um that they've gotten grants for to help fund our our the programs that are running in our schools such as Heroes and Cool Kids, the Lead program. We're not buying it. um they're very interested in hitting more of the community and doing more townwide and community um programs and activities. So, I just want
133to say I don't think they will be funding those programs next year um for us because they're much more interested in in reaching the community as a whole and not just going into our schools. if they get more grants then maybe they will but um something that was discussed. >> Okay, thank you. Uh old business. Anyone have anything for old business? Kate Ray, I have two things for old business. Um the first is all the way back to November of 2019. I rewatched that meeting today. Um November 19th of 2019 where I asked the board and many of you were not there at that time to look into or I asked the administration and the board to look into a utilization study. At that time I had asked how long would it take and how
134much would it cost. There was a lot of discussion at that meeting about I believe most of the board members it seemed as if they were concerned that it was going to affect moving the sixth grade to Makipin. We are now far beyond moving the sixth grade to Makipin. And so I am now bringing up the idea of a utilization study again. And now I would like to add to it an enrollment projection. And I think we need to look into these two. Um, I did go to some websites of the companies that do these to see. I found that we are we are on the client list of, you know, one particular company. So, I know we've done it in the past because we're on their client list on their website. However, not in
135my time on this board. So, I don't know when the last time we've done a study. I don't know how long these two studies take. I don't know how much these two studies cost. Um, but I think it's now time to start talking about these things again. >> Ray is next and then I'll come. >> Well, you're asking. >> So, first up, I happen to agree with that. Yeah. >> Yeah, I do too. >> Wonderful. So, um, the other piece again, right, because we're going into budget season for next year, I don't want us to lose sight of we've done some good work over the years on various things for um, students from an extracurricular perspective. I don't want us to lose sight of, you know, making sure that we work through the next few
136years to to make sure kill gallon field get fixed the right way. Uh, and I and I probably sound like a broken record, but I'm going to keep bringing it up. You know, I've I've heard that, you know, there might be discussion that maybe we're not put going to put grass on the infield, but I think that that's an important piece of what we what we need to do and we need to make sure that we do everything we can to to get that in the budget and and obviously, you know, there's drainage issues that we have to work through. So again, this is stuff that's going to take the the course of probably two or three, you know, budget seasons, but I I think we can get that field back to the way it
137was. Maybe get rid of some of that fencing so you don't have to look through four layers of fencing to watch a baseball game. Um, simple things like that. I think there's some low hanging fruit that we can get, too. And I'm sure that the outside leagues, the travel leagues, and little league, I'm sure they would be willing to um work to help with some of those things, too, right? If if they're there some of the right things and positive things, they're the ones that are going to use, right? We use this field three months out of the year. They're the ones that are using it at nights and on weekends. So, right, if they need to replace lights, I'm sure that they will replace lights. Um but we I think we we need to
138put parameters around that with regard to care and maintenance of the field also because we don't want people that don't know how to take care of a field taking care of a field either um because it does lead to some things that right we've discussed before like bad lips and so forth. So um let's just make sure that we keep that you know top of mind as we go through this budget. I think that's another conversation in when we're going through the budget our network. What's our first budget meeting for the first meeting where we're going to be talking about different items on >> Well, we discussed the budget in the last committee meeting. >> Okay. >> Budget will be discussed at committee in March now that we won't have our state >> state aid.
139Um >> but the 22nd is the first meeting where we're going to have numbers. >> That's a preliminary budget here. Yeah, I'm not going to have numbers until March 10th. So at least at least your next budget committee meeting >> will have something of substance to talk about because if it if I was going to get state aid numbers this week >> the committee meeting was going to be after >> well you would have had something to speak about March right before the um tenative budget. I guess it falls on the March 15 committee meeting. >> Yeah. >> For the first for the next discussion about that, right? >> Yeah. We're really not going to have anything of sub substance to talk about prior to the March 10th except we'll be speculating. >> All right.
140Well, by the 15th, then we'll have numbers and we'll be able to talk. Courtney, >> I think um the util utilization study is a great idea for so many aspects. Um, besides enrollment, um, busing, you know, we have a busing situation going on. I know that a lot of school districts are doing utilization studies and looking at their enrollment over the next five years. How they even figure that out, I don't even know. But that's bigger than what you do, Barbara. You know, like that's why we have >> we had one done a few years ago. >> Okay. But I think that the board is asking that it's done again because we have some bigger things to look at. The busing we've talked about, you know, the there's reruns of busing. There's things that we
141can really use with a company, utilization company. The other thing that I wanted to bring up, um, Ray was mentioning the field and working with Little League. I I just, you know, thinking outside the box here, why doesn't a board member go to some of the little league meetings that they have? >> Why doesn't >> you go to >> I was going to say I think that's a little different. So little league, football, all those sports have meetings monthly. So if a board member were to go and say, "Listen, we want to work with you and be like we do with the municipal alliance. We sit and if they would welcome us, I think it would be something that we should look at. >> We Yeah, I mean we can send a letter, but we
142have to remember that whoever goes, we we have to, you know, we have to Yeah. But they have to remember that they're going to hear but not commit. >> Perfect. and my you know but I I would say we'd have to send >> I think it can be done on but I think it could be done with all the organizations there's definitely one for lacrosse there's definitely one for football there's softball there's baseball there I mean we it shouldn't just be Mike it should we should be making an effort to reach all of these organizations to be working with them more in hand >> I I mean I don't know how we would do that >> yeah I don't know if open meetings yet like it would be up to them to probably invite us
143in. >> Any member of the public's entitled to go to the little league meetings? >> Yes. So I could say little league. That's true. >> Absolutely. >> I don't know. >> I don't I don't know about they have a board. They go by Robert rules. >> You also have five more than five parents on this board who are parents but also board members. I think we should be utilizing that dual. Well, I would think if you're going, I would hope that you you are as a >> But I I'm asking that we go and and not speak as a parent. I mean, I think sometimes as board members, we have two different roles. We're going as a parent, as a little league parent, or we're going as a board member. I'm asking that we ask
144these organizations to go as a board member to ask for help. >> Would you want us to write a letter to them asking them to appoint us to their committee? No, just invite us. >> Oh, just invite us. >> You want to hurt that? >> No, I I I don't have a problem with it. I I mean, if you if you're going anyway, I guess you can go and hear what they have to say. I don't know what you can commit to. I mean, >> any problem with that? >> No, I think that you can go. The issue is when you go you as a board representative you have to get parameters from the board for >> you know I think I think that discussion needs to be had >> first in terms of what
145it is you're looking to do with them >> yeah I mean I'm always open to working with the community I just don't know how we would go about it as far as what we can't commit to anything to anybody as a board member. So you're going there basically as Mike goes to wreck now, right? You're going there, you're listening. You can't really say to them, "Oh, the board is to So I mean, if if you're if you know people that are on these committees, maybe we could reach out." >> Yeah. I think I I understand what you're saying because unfortunately in West Milford, all the recreation doesn't fall under the Department of Recreation. We don't have >> I mean the only ones that fall into the department of recreation are like soccer and basketball. >>
146So it's like every group has their >> Say it again. What's about with soccer? >> They're all separate. >> They are. >> Soccer is a separate entity. Little league is a separate entity. Wrestling football. They're all separate entities. >> No. But so just some background, right? They all became separate entities because none of these organizations wanted co-mingle funds, right? >> And that's what the township does. They co-mingle funds. >> So if Jay's with soccer and they raise $30,000 and then a lacrosse program starts in town, they co-mingle those funds. Yes, they do, Barbara. >> But that they should have dedicated funds for each program just like we would get what you're saying. >> Well, they could have dedicated funds. However, if they need money for something else, they can take it from one program to
147another. And I know that because I took the wrestling program many years ago out of parks and wreck because that's what happened. Well, we I mean essentially any board would do the same thing. For instance, if I come up with a silly example, we rent out our auditorium to or we rent out our gym to cheerleading, you know, competitions and we rent out our, you know, to dance competitions or whatever. the money they pay us to use our gym. Do we use that to only replace the light bulbs in the gym? No. That goes into our regular general fund. It's like the same thing really, >> you know, but part of that money is to pay custodial, >> of course, electric, stuff like that. But it's a revenue that we're anticipating that we get. And
148if we don't get that revenue, then that revenue line is in deficit. But it's just a culmination of a revenue. Whereas when you run because I'm on my recreation committee in my community, you run different programs and each program has its own dedicated fund so that you can determine whether it's solvent or not. And you would pay your expenses from that dedicated fund >> for so when you when you have registrations the registration money would go into that and you would pay your if you're if you're going to provide supplies or if you're going to provide you know your instructor those that money would come out of that particular fund. >> Yeah. And how that could be something with the chart the charter that that's >> I what Ray is saying I do remember going
149back years ago that's why Paul broke I mean that's why they all broke away is because they want was all they wanted to rule they wanted to control the money that that that they raised which you know makes sense but >> so I mean I I don't have a problem if there's a list you want to get and we can send a letter and ask them if they would like us to attend their meetings and see what they say. >> I mean, it's really not it's not going to the benefit for them is that they use these fields, right? The benefit for us is that we use these fields. Like that's the common ground that >> I'm just saying if they want you there because there are some groups that might say, "Well, absolutely." >>
150You know, I don't have a few if we can get a list together. I'm I sure Barbara could reach out, send a letter out. I'd have to find out from recreation if they have >> Yeah, maybe that you could get that. Mike, >> Mike, can you >> take care of that? Get us a list and then we'll work from there. We could talk about it and >> committee. Is there anything else under old business? >> If there's something on this current agenda, is that new business or old? [Applause] >> Doesn't matter, right? >> Current. >> I don't think it matters. >> All right. Then I have one more thing under all business. Uh under education tonight we approved that this is the month of music in our schools and art youth art month and we've
151had no comments on it and um I just want to say that I am so incredibly thankful for music and art in our schools and our teachers and that our students have these opportunities. But I'd like to tell you about one specific night, not just as a board member, but also as a parent. This year's Makipin Winter Concert was by far the most amazing event I have ever attended. Sorry, I get emotional. It was really that good. And I'm not even joking. Our seventh grade students got to learn a song in sign language in an entirely different language is really what that means. And share it. And it was topnotch. Not only was the singing, the song, the way that their gloves, the whole entire thing was breathtaking, but this was inclusion at its best.
152That's why I get emotional because our teacher and our and our um staff member that helped to teach our students work so hard and you can tell and then the kids work so hard to learn this and put so much time and energy in for full inclusion and present this. Signing a song doesn't happen um word for word normally. If you know about sign language and you and not necessarily word for word assign. So, I know that this took an incredible amount of time and energy from our staff. As a parent, I cannot express how grateful I am that my child got to witness his peers in this um in this event that they got to sing through sign and I just wanted to share that with the word in the community um how proud
153I am of West Melbour for that. >> It it was a wonderful concert. I agree with you. >> Thank you. >> We have a wonderful music staff. We we that we have people who want to come here for and we hear about so much and we need to be very thankful for the dedication of our our our music and art department because they are in special education and special education too. They are hands down we we have a good a wonderful group of people here. Um any other old business? I need a motion to close all second. >> All those in favor? >> New business. >> Whitney. Um, so we have a a lot of talk about culture and mental health tonight. Um, and I I'm wondering about um what we're doing to get our
154children off of the screens and off of the Chromebook and more engaged in paper activities. Um, so I'm wondering how that's being directed to our teachers. Um, being an elementary teacher myself, I know I took the initiative to say pretty much I didn't want to use Chromebooks. I wanted um my students to get their pencils holding their pencils correctly, writing correctly, having some time to even teach cursive, which is a nobody's curriculum anymore. We talked a lot about, you know, >> it is an art. >> It is. And we've talked a lot about um you know just being a little bit more um self-aware and self-conscious tonight. And I'm wondering are we is there a directive to our teachers that's being passed down to our students so that they're not on the screen as much
155as they were last year? >> There's been no directive to this point. Uh we've been speaking about it. We started this discussion um over the summer about um you know that pendulum that swim one way to the other. We went from wanting you know pre- pandemic wanting more technology to all of a sudden now we have too much technology. So >> um we are trying to find that balance. I think we are um on the right track in our elementary schools getting back to you know some some pandemic you know group work and you know we've never abandoned our our program you know we we do share and talk about the especially with our reading consultant about the connection of you know um the brain research connecting thought to handwriting I mean that's that's significant
156you know we haven't um changed our ways in that. Um we see a need in our um secondary program, our 6 through 12 to back away a little bit from uh from the Chromebook. So those are work those are those are discussions that we had most recently um at our admin council meeting I believe this month um about you know we're trying to get the tone across of return to normaly as as best we can. So that is on our list of of items for discussion and our return to normaly. You know with um you know the mask optional mandate coming, the return of reading carpets into the classrooms, the ability to do small group work, the building for our reading specialists to have three kids at a reading table. Like these are all be
157bits and pieces of of return to normaly. Um that is a topic that has been at our department meetings um for you know for looking at the use of technology in our secondary program. Uh we did have a presenter today um for um science and math that spoke about assessment and um the different types of assessment that we're not just using, you know, not transitioning everything into link, you know, so we're making sure that we're not overusing that that resource. Um, I know that this been a big tone of our um, conquer math consultation. You know, that she would, you know, the recommendation that our current teachers who were in that program would would say they're getting out of that is that she would say never use the Chromebook ever for for math. You know,
158that's that's the tone that we're getting in our grades three and four at the moment. And uh in our in our plan, in my um uh professional development plan for next year, we have a lot more grades, you know, grades two, five, algebra and geometry. We'll be entering year one while our three and four teachers enter year two. And and a big piece of that is back to paper and pencil and and you know, hands-on math. So I think I'm going to ask that in education committee um it is discussed things like um problem based learning Mrs. Romeo has brought up numerous times how we can collaborate and do projects across the curriculum on science, math, writing, and art to have more steam days, make it steamy Fridays where the whole district is doing steam
159projects children and that coming from you as the director. I would really like to see that going forward happening in our school across I I agree with you. That's something I've been reading about over this last month or so in a lot of history moving away from the Chromebooks and getting them back to where they need to be. And that's about >> this is a balance and it's too far one way. >> We just have to settle the right spot. >> Y I just have a question. I need some clarification really. I'm a leazison for the WMA for the board. And what exactly does that mean? Um that does that mean that I go listen to the meeting, take notes, and come back and just report to you? >> Does that mean that I'm allowed
160to be a member of the WNA? Um does that mean that I'm allowed to vote on what they're doing in our community or their agenda items? Um, so I just want clarification on what exactly >> I don't know if you can vote because I I think with the the alliance if and it could have changed, but it used to be you had to be appoint you anybody can attend them, >> but you had to be an appointed member by the council in order to vote. >> You do, right? >> Um, as far as us, you're going to hear. I mean, you can always give some input. You just can't promise, you know, it's just like anything else. It's a nine member board, so you can't commit to things. But of course, you can, you know,
161>> I mean, if I compare it to to like other meetings that I attend for school, say, now I'm a PTA member. I'm what I can vote on the PTA. I can be a member on that. I can be, but I'm not coming back and reporting that to you. >> So, you're sending me as a liaison. >> I get that you have to be appointed from the council. I'm not asking that. I'm asking for this board. Am I I guess essentially I'm asking am I a member of the WMA or can I be a member of the WMA if I choose to >> you're you're not a member. You're you're just a liaison that they've you know >> appointed by them is not at all what I'm asking. I could get appointed they would love
162to have more people that vote on. I I know but that's that's how I having I I I did that and having been appointed it did make a difference because we had like 10 members that were appointed and there were 25 people coming. >> So only the 10 members that were appointed were able to vote but I think it also goes to their idols and how they run their meetings. >> Yeah. I'm not asking about theirs. I'm only asking about ours. It would also cause a conflict sometimes like if you were approving a program. >> I'm just asking what I've never been. Can I do both? >> That's what I think I hear. Can you do both? >> Am I allowed to do both? >> So So I know that when I was um a
163member, an appointed member of the parks and rec committee and I became right. I ran for board and I became a board member. I had to come off of the parks and rec committee, right? and Jay was on the partial rack committee at the time. So >> So I had to do that in partial rack. I'm I don't know if that is the same, but it's run by the same group. So >> Mr. Warren is right. I think you need to check with the MMA to see what their rules are. And even if they let you become a member, you may have a problem in terms of what you can and can't participate in by virtue of potential conflicts between your membership of the board and your membership on that on that group. And that
164would work both ways. So it could put you in an untenable situation potentially. >> Any other new business? If not, I need a motion. >> Oh, wait. I do I have something. Just remember, >> nobody ever mentioned when the arts and music >> festival was and it's March 30th. >> So, okay. I >> I meant to say something before and I just it's my age. Thank you. Have a good I I I need a motion to close new business. A >> motion to close new business. Second, Derry. All those in favor? >> I I >> Okay. Uh public comment. No. Uh this portion of the meeting is open to members of the public having a legitimate interest in the actions of the board for the purpose of addressing any subject matter pertinent to andor directly
165related to the operation of the West Milford School District. Members of the public who have requested to speak prior to the meeting will be recognized by the chair first. Each speaker will be given five minutes for a period of 30 minutes and then time permitting other public comment will be uh I'm sorry other public comment limited to five minutes per speaker will be allowed until the 30 minute time period transpires. All speakers are asked to sign the register provided and give their full name, spell their last name, group affiliation if appropriate, and provide their address. Issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded to by the board. All comments will be considered and response will be forthcoming when when appro if and when appropriate. The board asks that the members
166of the public be courteous and respectful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding students and employees of the board are discouraged and the board and the administration will not respond to them. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded to them by the laws of New Jersey. The board is not responsible and is not liable for any comments made by members of the public. Members of the public should consider their comments in the light of the legal rights of those affected and identified in their comment. members of the public are reminded that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Anyone wishing to speak? >> Uh Monica Church, uh 40 Beach Haven Road. I just wanted to comment real quick on the website committee. I'm a parent on that committee
167and we've only had one meeting so far, so I just wanted there was a lot of discussion about so I just want to convey what I've seen so far. Um the research that the teachers did was very very thorough. We saw a spreadsheet of schools that the teachers had researched uh multiple sites all across the country. There was a list of pros and cons and they wrote long paragraphs for each and they had made their consensus of what they like best. Um, I'm married. My husband is also on the committee and he's a programmer. He's built websites. So, I'm a little biased and that I've heard him complain for years about what's a good website and what's not. And he did comment and this might be why the six hours are going to be needed
168and maybe even more time is the old website is so obsolete. There's no mapping. I might be saying this completely wrong, but there's going to be a lot of manual work to go into to decide what should be kept on the from the old website, literally clicking and clicking and clicking. So, I'm assuming the teachers are going to be doing that. Um, and then once the new website is up and running, again, there might be more time needed just to make sure it's it's conveyed correctly and everything. So, um, just again from being married to a programmer, there is a lot that goes into that website and a company is going to come in and hopefully do most of the work, but obviously um, they just need that input. So, I just want to comment
169on that. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Mike. >> Anyone else wishing to speak under public comment? >> See, I like to close public comments. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. Okay. Executive session >> at 9:20. I'd like to make a motion to go into executive session for purpose of discussing personnel appointments, resignations. >> You know what they were talking about tonight? Current litigation, negotiations. >> We're discussing current litigation matters, negotiations, and hips >> and special education matters which are matters of attorney client privilege. Uh the executive session minutes will not be released until such time as privilege or confidentiality is no longer applicable and we will come back for action. >> Okay, I need a second >> all those in favor. >> How long will we >> do we have a
170few things? >> Yeah, >> 40 minutes is good. All those in favor? >> I'd like to call the meeting back to order. Um, Mrs. Francisco, could you take roll call, please? >> Mr. Romeo, >> here. >> Mrs. Stevenson, >> here. >> Mr. Stillman, >> here. >> Mrs. Dwire, >> here. >> Mr. Burino >> here. >> Mr. W >> here. Mr. Conlin >> here. M >> um I'm sorry, Mr. >> Mrs. Van Dyke >> here. Mrs. Dwire. >> Okay. For the hips, I move to approve the recommendation of the superintendent on the following uh HIPS. 2022H4 as un unsubstantiated. 2022 H5 as substantiated. and 2022 M8 as unsubstantiated. >> I need a second. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Mrs. Dwyer. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes. >> Mr. Greeno. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood.
171>> Yes. >> Mr. Stillman. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. >> Mr. Conklin. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyke. >> Yes. Mrs. Dory, will you do negotiations, please? Okay. I move to approve the following agenda. Um, item number one. Do I have to read it? >> No. Okay. >> We had them out. >> Okay. So, I move to approve item number one. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes. Mrs. Dwyer, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lockwood, >> yes. >> Mr. Stillman, >> yes. >> Mr. Gino, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >> yes. >> Mr. Conklin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyke, >> yes. >> 9:55. I'd like to make a motion to adjourn. Second. All >> those in favor? Have a good night, everyone.