001And we are going to do the flex with everybody. So you can each do it in your own homes. We'll do it here. >> Uh I'd like to call the meeting to order. And if we could have a moment of silence. Please remember all the people in our country who are suffering at this time and what each person's going through each district and town. And please remember them in your thoughts and prayers. Please rise for the SL flag salute. [Music] >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Open public meeting acts. In accordance with the provisions of the open public meeting act, a public notice of this meeting
002has been sent to board members, all district schools, the Herald News, the suburban prince, the record, the mess, West Milford town hall, the county superintendent office, the board attorney and cable vision of Warwick and posted in the administration building. Copies of the board meeting calendar resolutions were provided to all local media, town hall, township, library, and all district schools. Due to the public health emergency in the state of New Jersey, as declared in the executive order 102, the board will be suspending its normal meeting procedures this evening and conducting a virtual meeting. Directions for accessing the virtual public meeting were posted on the district's website, www.wps.org. We very much welcome input from the public because this is a virtual meeting. Public comment will be handled as follows. You can call 9736975700 extension 4709. Mrs. Francisco,
003roll call, please. >> Mrs. Romeo here. >> Sorry. >> It's in the background. >> Mr. Conlin, >> Mrs. >> Here, >> Mr. Gino >> here. >> Mrs. Fitz >> here. >> Mr. Shinski >> here. >> Mr. Stillman >> here. >> Mrs. here. >> A motion uh that I I need to make a motion. Be it resolved that the West Milford Township Board of Education hereby approves the suspension of its normal meeting procedures pursuant to bylaw 131. authorizes this meeting to be conducted as a virtual meeting as described in the statement of public notice due to the public health emergency declared in executive order 103. I need a second for that motion. >> Jason, all those in fa Oh, we're going to do a roll call on this. This is Mrs. Dwer. >> Yes. >> Mr.
004Greeno. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stevenson. >> Yes. >> Mr. Splman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Oinski. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Romeo. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mrs. Fritz. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyke. >> Yes. >> Dr. Animalone, your report. >> Oh, yes. Good evening everybody. Good evening board members. Good evening community members who are watching at home. Uh we just have a couple of brief updates tonight. Um number one, as you know, school is closed until Thursday, April 9th. There is some talk about a longer closing coming from the governor, coming from the state. We're certainly listening, but we don't have anything concrete yet. So right now, all we know is that school is closed until Thursday, April 9th. spring break begins the following day at which point we're off the following week anyway. So um
005this could be extended into April or not. We're not sure. Right now we're just closing to um second of all or secondly we are we have developed some uh continuity of operations plans with our administrators and they are working on similar plans for their teachers. So in the event one or more administrator goes down we have two people who are backing them up so to speak. So if the principal of one school goes down, um the workload would fall to a second principal or a third principal depending on who is available. And the same thing is for the supervisors where they'll be covering each other's departments moving forward. And I've asked the principles and supervisors to develop a similar plan for their classroom. >> For example, if a third grade teacher in one school gets
006ill, the other third grade teacher can continue lesson planning for both classes. won't be a perfect match, but it's better having one class with nobody there. So, we are developing those plans and we are, you know, anticipating uh some of our staff members becoming sick uh with COVID admins, teachers across the board. So, this thing is spreading. It's going to get worse before it gets better. Uh we're doing our best to mitigate ahead of time. >> Ahead of time. >> And the last piece just came out today. Governor Murphy announced that he is applying to the federal government for a one-year waiver on standardized testing, which is the uh New Jersey student learning assessments, which are administered every year. Next month, it would be administered, and obviously we're in no place to be worrying about
007that now. So, um it's not official yet. However, uh the governor was very confident that his waiver application would be approved by the federal government. So, um we're looking forward to that. It's in essence one less thing to worry about during this pandemic. and we're uh thankful for his leadership. So, um does any board member have any questions? >> Just thank you for everything you've been doing, Alex. Um our our district is way ahead of the curve and I put that all on you. Thank you and your team because you you all were on top of it. Uh Carrie, you have something? >> Yes. Um Alex, I you know, I just want to piggy back on what Linda said. Um, I know you had a lot of resistance from the county when you decided to
008close and I respect you for standing up for that and um, you've just done a remarkable job. Thank you. >> Thank you, Terry. And I think >> Courtney, you have something? >> Same thing. Uh, as a teacher myself, Dr. Edamone, I cannot thank you enough for preparing our community, being proactive, getting the teachers ready, which then got our students ready as well. Um, I would like to talk about flex Friday, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate to talk now or after um Mr. Novak speaks. >> Uh, yes, you're maybe right after I think Mr. Novak's going to update the board and the community about flex Fridays. So, we'll hold that thought for a minute or two. >> Got it. Absolutely. >> Thank you again, Alex. >> Okay, I'm ready. Everyone hear me? Okay. >>
009Yep. >> All right. So, we're just just following with what Dr. Emma was talking about. We and I agree with your sentiment. We um I think as a district, we've really uh you know jumped out ahead of this. Our staff has been absolutely tremendous. You know, we basically reinvented the profession overnight. Um and we continue to evolve. Uh, one of the things I wanted to update the board on is the initiative that we launched yesterday through the principal messages in regard to I guess what um now being called a flex Friday. Uh, what we saw with some community feedback, staff feedback, the the I guess overwhelming nature of the first week at home with the kids, um, you know, parents working from home. We have a wide variety of of you know different needs in
010the community between people who are I mean currently out of work already uh and those people who are are needing to you know homeschool their kids with with no prior you know background other than working on them with homework with their students with homework. So we saw a need to relax a little bit but but still staying mindful of the of our goals and that is to continue you know life is going to go on and and education in West Milford is going to continue. Um so we've we've put this practice in place on Friday where students who've been struggling with uh the four days of content we've put in the uh Friday as a as a um as a catchup sort of day uh as an individual needs day. You know, we've worked a
011lot of we've worked very hard on differentiated instruction over the years and and I think Friday fits those needs. Our teachers are still going to be available, but but what we've seen and heard from the community is that um students are behind in in a lot of ways and they need that time to catch up. Uh what we also have is is the need for our staff to have the time to be be receiving professional development to tinker with these new online tools. I mean, we're, like I said, we're reinventing the profession. So, we are we've got a great great team of of staff members and administrators who are sharing resources, sharing videos, sharing best practice with what they've seen to be successful. And we see this growing every every day. So, uh we're our
012hope with Friday is that we're going to take it down a notch for our community. Students are still going to be involved with their studies. They just they just have an extra day um to work on all those things. I think I think our staff was eager to to to rise to the occasion and and uh prescribe education for these two weeks and I think we may have overshot a little bit with with how much we put out there. So um we're providing that time providing our staff members time to to learn and grow and uh we're going to see how it goes until until spring break. You know it's between now and then it's I think it's only two more Fridays after after this one. you know, with Good Friday not not being a
013scheduled school day anyway. Um, so we're we're proud of it. We we we started talking about it, I guess, last week when we with the initial feedback coming in and then we took a few days to to talk and and then see see the landscape of what was going on. Uh, and as we were mulling it over, we started seeing letters from other districts being floated around how how they were seeing similar things. I know there's a number of school districts who have also um moved to this this type of of model. So, I think we are right on track with what we were talking about and and uh again, kudos to our staff for making this all work and and hopefully this can take everyone's blood pressure down a little bit. >> Well, I
014I want to thank you, Dan. I I know that you've been instrumental in helping the teachers and that the administrators and what they're doing and I thank you for what you're you're doing for our our staff and our students. The district is definitely on track and I hearing from different parents out there that they were very excited that they had a plan where they knew family and friends who were just kind of thrown into it but that we had a plan for our students. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yeah, we're we're proud of it. I think and I like I said, it's going to evolve. You know, we don't really know the future of this and uh how long this is going to be, but uh when we start really getting into new content and
015and preparing kids for next year and beyond. Um you know, our staff is they know they're going to have to evolve in this too. So So I think we're we're ready. Courtney, >> is the flex Friday just for elementary schools or middle school and high school as well? >> It is a district-wide initiative. Uh all all the principles put it in their princip Dr. Anamone has our principles doing a uh daily reminder to their school community. So uh we drafted some language yesterday and it was included in every principal's uh Honeywell to their local to their own school community. So that message has gone out to everyone. >> Okay. And I just want to also mention something that has been brought to my attention. I think we have to be careful about calling this homeschooling
016because it's not really homeschooling. Homeschooling is a completely different entity. The teachers are doing above and beyond what is expected. Um it's distance learning and I think we just have to all get familiar, myself included. Um you know, teaching your own child is a lot harder than teaching a room full of of strangers. But these teachers are doing so much to go above and beyond. So I think we just myself included have to be a little bit more cautious about saying it's it's homeschooling. Just a thought anyone else have anything? I have to keep clicking back and forth so I can see all of you. Um the next it the next item um is the minutes Barbara for um for the meeting of February 25th. Should I just read it? >> Uh yeah, you you
017can. Um we have the minutes there u for approval. I believe everybody had them and had a chance to review them. >> A motion. >> Yeah. I'll move the uh minutes of February 25th budget regular and exact. Oh, >> second. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, all those >> Well, you know what? If not, all those in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Carrie uh the president's message. I I I just want to reiterate how thankful I am to Dr. and the administrators, uh, the teachers and the support staff because our district has gone above and beyond. I'm fortunate enough that I I'm seeing grandchildren in different districts and I I can honestly tell you that we are ahead of the curve and definitely thankful to Dr. Ammon and uh, Mr. Novak and and all
018the support staff, the administrators, everybody has gone gone above and beyond. So, I just want to say thank you for keeping our students on track and hopefully when they come back, they'll be able to catch up fairly quickly. So, that's just a big thank you from myself and the board, too. Um, now we'll go into public comment. Public comment is going to be a little different tonight, I think. Um, 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 uh will be recognized by the chair first. Speaker will be given five minutes for a period of 30 minutes. Then time permitted other public comment limited to five minutes per speaker
019will be allowed until the 30 minute time period transpired. He people are uh are asked to sorry uh time minutes transpires period are asked to address topics listed in the agenda. All speakers are asked to sign the register provided and give their uh full name, spell their last name, group affiliation if appropriate, and provide their address. Issu is issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded by the by the board. All comments will be considered and a response will be forthcoming if and when appropriate. The board asked that the 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. Students and employees
020have specific legal rights afforded to them by the laws of New Jersey. The board is not responsible and is not liable for any comment 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. Has anybody sent anything in Mrs. Francis? Like is there any comments or >> We had uh one email that we received? >> Okay. >> Um Lori Bro, you New Jersey. >> New Jersey. Um, and in her email, she said, "Thank you for everything being done. Confused about why the high school continued with a school play on March 12th. I think the announcement came that day at 2 p.m.
021That was the extent of her comments." >> Okay. Um, any other Is there a phone call or anything from anyone or >> No. Uh, not at this time. I'm not sure if you want to wait a a minute or so. I guess >> I'll check. >> There's nobody here either at the board meeting at Westbrook. >> I'm relieved to know that nobody came in the building. >> Yeah, >> there are none. I'll move to close public comment. >> Second. >> Okay. Those all all those in favor? I >> I >> Okay. I Terry, could you um >> Sure. Um I I'm sorry. It's up to me. I'm sorry. >> I'd like to move all the resolutions under education. Um I'm sorry. Operations and finance and personnel. Terry, I'm sorry. I I misspoke. I'd like to
022move all the resolutions under education. I I have to do the consent agenda first. I'm sorry. I'm >> Okay. >> I I I'd like to move the agenda as a consent agenda as presented, including the hand carries. There are two hand carries that you have. And I need a second for the motion. >> I'll second that. >> Dave, that is a voice. All those in favor? >> I Any opposed? Now, Terry, if you could do the the moving of the motion, please. >> Okay. I'd like to move all the resolutions under education, personnel, and operation, and finance for approval. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Second. Any discussion on the motions? That's all the motions in the agenda. Ray, do you have something? >> It's odd to to do this, but I'd like to uh
023say thanks to Janine Stark for taking care of my boys while they were in. >> Sorry. Sorry. >> Um taking care of my boys and thousands of others in Makipin for all those years. So congratulations to Janine >> Harry. Um I'd like to thank Mrs. SP for her years of dedication to our district. She has been a teacher who has exemplified what being a role model truly is and I thank her very much >> and she >> Okay. So, if there's no other comments, does somebody have a comment? >> Roll call. Um, M. Francisco. >> Mr. Conklin. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dwire. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Fritz. >> Yes. >> Mr. Greeno. >> Uh, yes to um everything abstain from uh number 11 under operations and finance. Mr. Oshinski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Romeo, >>
024yes to all and abstain number 11 under operations and finance. >> Mrs. Stevenson, >> yes. >> Mr. Stillman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Van Dyke, >> I abstain on number 11 under operations and finance and yes to the rest. >> Okay. Um old business. Does anyone have anything for old business? Can I just update the board? Um the on the board the budget the budget was submitted to the county and um there were some questions I had to uh make some clarifications that was sent back down to them and I'll send you an email as as soon as I get an approval I'll send you all an email so that you know that it's been approved and that's just so that we can publish it in the newspaper for the public hearing. I did hear today
025that the um districts that have April elections h those uh elections have been moved to March May the 12th. So I'm not quite sure what's going to happen with ours, but um I will keep you informed. >> Yeah, the governor did announce that the other day. Um, so we haven't heard if our our budget submissions final date could maybe move further along the line then >> right for the public hearing. So we don't know. >> Okay. Any other old business? If not, I need a motion to close all business. >> I'll make a motion to close all business. >> I need a second. >> Second. Nicole. All those in favor? >> I >> Okay, on to new business. Does anybody have anything under new business? >> Kate. >> Yeah, I just wanted to say um
026I should have said this after DNS update, but I saw on social media that we've donated a bunch of the science supplies, safety things like um gloves and things say that that is an amazing idea. Thank you very much for donating that. >> Okay, just to update everybody magic and Mr. Kelly went around to Max High School Science Labs >> and they found some supplies that would be better [Music] in the medical in the medical squad. So we pulled up the gloves for personal protection for West Milford first and we were we donated today >> to the OEM. >> Very good. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Anybody else? >> Okay. I need a motion to close. I'll move to close new old business. New business. >> All those in favor? Hi, >> we're going to
027the second >> um the same position. Now you're able to other than on the other portion to members of the public having a legitimate in the action of for the purpose of any subject matter to and directly to the operation of the West Milker Public 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. Then time permitting other public comments. We'll be limited to five minutes per speaker until the time period transpires. All speakers are asked to sign the register which we can't right now anyway. uh if appropriate and and provide the the their name and address. Issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded
028to by the board. All comments will be considered and a response will be forthcoming if and when appropriate. The board asks that the members of the public bees 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 it's 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 or identified in their comments. Members of the public are reminded that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Barbara, did anybody call? >> Okay.
029So, I any I need a motion to close public comment. >> I'll move to close public comment. >> Second. I second. >> Okay, Mike. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? If not, we need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> I'll make a motion at 7:29 to adjourn the meeting. >> I'll second that. >> Don't we have to vote on the >> No, we voted on everything, right? >> Yeah. We're not going into executive session. That was the only thing left. >> I thought we were doing the other things separate. That's >> we were doing other things separate. >> I thought we did it. >> I thought it had to be separate. I misunderstood. >> Did Should we Did we Did we We thought we could move it all together. >>
030Yeah, the Hib's already been voted on. We only vote separately when we meet in executive session. We vote afterwards, but we're all good tonight. >> So, all those in favor? I >> I >> any opposed meeting adjourned. I hope everyone stays safe and hopefully we were able to see each other again at some point in time. >> Happy Easter everybody. >> Take care everyone. >> Happy happy. Take care folks. Take care. Have a good night. Stay healthy. >> Night. Promise. Night. >> Stay safe.