001Notice is hereby given of the regular meeting of the Board of Education of the town of Westfield in the county of Union, New Jersey at 6:30 p.m. or thereabouts on the evening of Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 in cafeteria B of Westfield High School, 550 Dorian Road, Westfield, New Jersey. The purpose of the meeting is to transact the regular business of the board and to transact any other business to come properly before the board. This is to advise the general public and to instruct that it be recorded in the minutes that in compliance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 entitled the Open Public Meetings Act, the Westfield School Board on Thursday, March 26th, 2026 caused to be posted at the office of the Board of Education located at 302 Elm Street, Westfield, New
002Jersey and delivered to the Westfield Leader, nj.com, the Westfield Library, Town Clerk of Westfield, Tapinto Westfield, district website, and patch.com a meeting notice setting forth the time, date, and location of the meeting. Patty, may I have a roll call, please? Rob Bannachie >> Here. Ken Diamond Here. Brendan Galligan >> Here. Charles Gelinas Lela Morrelli >> Here. Sonal Patel Here. Kristen Sonnek-Schmelz Julie Steinberg Here. Mary Wickens Uh Ken, would you lead us in the flag salute, please? All right. Uh we are going to move right into announcements and recognitions. We will start uh with those recognitions cuz I know everybody can't wait to get back and get to homework and other things, right? Um tonight we are proud to recognize the Westfield High School Girls Basketball team for their outstanding season. These student athletes showed great
003commitment, resilience, and teamwork all season long. They pushed themselves to improve while supporting each other every step of the way. Their hard work and unity are clearly reflected in their success. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the coaches and families whose guidance and encouragement continue to play an essential role in these students' athletic journeys. The Westfield High School girls basketball team captured the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Sectional Championship. Um and I'll tell you I was lucky enough to get to the uh state championship game. I know it didn't work out exactly how everybody wanted, but um if you wanted to see real teamwork, real effort, real heart, real fight to the end, all you had to do is go watch that game. Uh it was great great effort. Great great effort.
004Um and you really made Westfield proud. So, congratulations. It was it was it was excellent play. Uh so, before I ask Coach Liz McKeon up to say a few words, let me first call each member of the team up to receive a certificate of recognition from our superintendent. He's over there. As you accept the certificate, please proceed to the stage to await a photograph. Your families will be invited to take pictures as well. Uh we'll start with Layla Hayfer. Uh Darby Hubner. Sophie Lane. Megan Logan. Alaina Stewart. Maren Fowler. Violet Hughes. Peyton Reed. Kate Simbor. Katie Lane. Erin Wayland. Jella Hollings. Angelina Tessitore and the team manager Kayla Rose Redding. Uh now for uh the three coaches, we have uh coach Zach Warswick. Uh we have coach Brian Simanowitz. And head coach Liz McKeon. Coach,
005the floor is yours. Uh first I would like to thank your kind words. Um that means a lot. These girls have worked their butts off uh not just this entire season, not in the off-season, but their entire careers. So, um I it's very hard for me not get teary-eyed when I know how well they represented Westfield and they just put on a great performance at Rutgers and I couldn't have been prouder of them. So, I'd like another round of applause for them because they're just amazing. Um lucky for you guys we already had our banquet so I won't go through my whole 15-page speech. I'll just give you the highlights, but um for those that are not familiar with our team um this is just an amazing group of women and um I'm just going
006to go through a couple highlights. Um we finished the season 23 and 8. We reached the county finals for the 10th time as a program, nine of the last 11 county finals we have been in. Um we went back-to-back sectional champs. We were here last year. Um this is the first time in school history that we went back-to-back and we've won three sectional championships in the last 5 years. Um and we made a state final appearance which is only the second time in school history. So, these women are just amazing. So, I'm very proud of them. Um We did have some um well a lot of records broken this year. Um our point guard junior Marin Fowler, she tied the single game record for assists with 11 versus Watchung Hills in the state tournament. Her
007145 assists this season is second in school history. And her seven three-pointers in our county game versus Union Catholic tied the school record for threes in the game. So, congratulations, Lauren. Uh senior captain Sophie Lane, she scored 535 points this season, which is the single season scoring record. Um she's also the seventh female to score 1,000 points in school history and ending her career as the fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,222 points. Uh another senior captain Megan Logan, um Megan has been on the team for 4 years and she finished in the top 10 for every single category in school history. She's 10th all-time in steals with 164. She's ninth all-time in scoring with 906 points. She's sixth all-time in assists with 242. Second all-time in rebounding with 703. And she holds every single record
008for blocks. And in in a single game she had eight and she did that twice. In a season she had 121, which was this year. And for her career she has 263 blocks and the whole sole leader. Um so we want to thank you for this recognition. Um like you said in the beginning, they're a great group to watch. Um you would not be wasting your time coming down and down the hall and watching them play. They do a great job. Um the most impressive thing is that our gym is filled with young girls that idolize these girls. They are heroes to them as they should be. They handle themselves and represent us um to the best of their ability both on and off the court and I couldn't be prouder to be their coach.
009So, thank you very much. >> All right, we'll move next to announcements. I think there are only three. Uh Ken, can you start, please? Sure. Westfield Public Schools Summer STEAM Camp registration is now open. We are excited to announce that this year's program will expand beyond science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to now include creative art experiences. Also new this year is a full-day camp option. To learn more, please visit visit the STEAM Camp website posted on the district homepage. Thank you. Brendan? Yep. Grade 1 registration remains open for the 2026-2027 school year. Detailed instructions, requiring required documents, and registration forms can be found under the student registration tab on the district website at www.westfieldnjk12.org. The next regular public meeting of the Board of Education will be on Tuesday, April 14th in Cafeteria B at Westfield
010High School beginning at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be live-streamed via the district YouTube channel, which viewers can access on the board tab on the district website. Excellent. Uh that's the announcements for today. Uh oh, you have one? Oh, sorry. Missed that one. Westfield Public Schools proudly celebrated Read Across Is this an old one? Yeah, that's It's an old one. Never mind. I do not. But it was really Look, it's really important. I like It was a good It was a good one, right? It was If you're going to If you're going to use another one, that was the one, definitely. Um, now I think we're good. Um, so we'll move to the report by district administration, Dr. Gonzalez. Yes, I'll keep my remarks brief as we do have a second meeting this month. But
011I did want to acknowledge that this month we will continue our referendum and budget presentation road show. Starting last month, we've been attending all of the school-based PTO meetings in order to provide information to the school community about our school budget for the 26-27 school year, as well as providing updated information regarding the progress related to each school's referendum projects. In particular, we're providing some renderings of the proposed elevations, external elevations that are going to be added to each of the schools. And by elevations, I just mean the outside views of the schools. Um, we are also using the opportunity as we present to each school to also present the renderings for the schools that the students may be attending after they leave that school. So, for instance, any elementary school that feeds into Edison
012School will see the renderings associated with intermediate school media center at Edison School, as well as the high school addition. If you're on the side of town that feeds Roosevelt Intermediate School, then you would also see your elementary school, Roosevelt Intermediate School media center, as well as the high school. And And all of that is really to demonstrate to the community the value of proposition that is associated with this referendum that really allows all of our students to maximize the benefit across their entire K-12 experience. In addition, starting in actually in 2 weeks. No, actually on Monday I think is our first coffee with the superintendent. So at the elementary schools we will be revisiting our coffee with the superintendents whereby myself and members of the cabinet level administration will be out during the drop-off
013in the morning with some coffee, waters, and and some light refreshments along with a pull-up banner that will show some of the renderings associated with the with the projects. Really trying to seek the opportunity to engage with members of the school community about the upcoming projects. We want people to continue to be excited even though they don't see any shovels in the ground at this time. There there's still a lot of activity and we want to ensure that folks has ample opportunity to engage in those conversations. And then last but not least on April 14th, our next board meeting, we will plan a presentation that will include an overview of the progress that I just shared for each of the schools as well as a presentation by our construction management company who will be present
014also to identify their role in the progress that is being made and the progress that will get us to September 2028 opening. So a lot of work ahead of us, a lot of information coming and we're excited to share that in the weeks ahead. And that concludes my report this evening. Excellent. Thank you, Dr. Gonzales. Um We would next would be our high school student representative report, but Ben is very busy studying, I am sure. He's not able to make it today. He will be back, I think, for next meeting. Um Either that or we have to get the teachers to give him less work. Um now move to board committee reports. Um I do not believe that curriculum or finance have met since our last meeting. That's accurate all the way around. Okay. Uh
015I do know PPG has met. So, uh Sonal, if you have a report. Uh the PPG committee met on March 19th from 4:00 to 5:30 in the Elm Street second floor conference room. Committee members in attendance included Mary Wickens, myself, Leila Morelli, and we met with Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Greer. Dr. Greer began by presenting an overview of the district's application to the New Jersey Department of Education to participate in the limited CE pilot program. The committee discussed how this pilot opportunity aligns with the district's strategic plan goals by supporting efforts to expand and diversify the educator candidate pool with the intent of strengthening recruitment pathways and ensuring the district remains competitive in attracting high-quality staff. The committee then discussed the status of the district cell phone ban policy update. While no policies were formally
016reviewed at this meeting, the superintendent shared that the district is awaiting additional guidance from Strauss Asmay regarding policy language and implementation considerations for next year. Dr. Gonzalez reported that the administrative team is actively reviewing the NJDOE guidance and will share information through staff and district newsletters so that families in the broader community understand what changes may be forthcoming. In preparation for future action, the committee reviewed key decision points that will require board direction including determining the scope and stringency of the district's approach beyond the state's baseline, whether restrictions should extend to school buses and school sponsored events outside the regular day, and which device storage method will best fit building operations and student supervision. The discussion also addressed whether the district should differentiate expectations by grade level, how progressive consequences and confiscation procedures should align
017with the code of student conduct, and what emergency retrieval protocols would be necessary if locked pouches or school-managed storage are used. The committee also noted related considerations about device management tools and strengthening digital citizenship instruction with programming that supports healthy technology use. Following up on prior discussions, the committee reviewed updated drafts of the 2028, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029 school calendars. The committee reaffirmed that the current working drafts assume a student start date on the day after Labor Day for each year and continue to aim for an end date in mid-June whenever feasible. The committee noted that the placement of holidays and cultural observances can create challenges, including conflicts with staff professional development days, and the potential for interruptions to instructional continuity when observances fall intermittently during the week. The committee discussed the importance of reviewing calendar
018options with administration and the association to understand impacts on students and staff, and it reiterated interest in exploring approaches that support ending the school year as early as possible. The committee also acknowledged that as observances continue to evolve, the district may need to consider how recently added observances are reflected in calendar development and what instructional considerations would be necessary in any instances where schools may be open on cultural or religious observances. The committee concluded concluded by reviewing and refining the draft board goals action plan. Members confirmed that the plan now identifies three key activities for each board goal for a total of 12 activities across the coming year. The committee noted that consistent with the discussion from the March 16th board meeting, the draft has been shared with the full board and will be discussed
019during unfinished business. The PPG committee will collect board feedback, make any necessary revisions, and prepare the final document for placement on the April 14th board agenda for board consideration and a vote. Uh the next PPG meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, April 9th. Thank you. Uh we will now move to uh recognize the public on agenda action items only. Uh this public comment will also serve as the public hearing for the for the budget. Uh during this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the Board of Education on agenda action items only, including public hearing on the budget. As a courtesy, please allow current students and staff of Westfield Public Schools to speak first. The board requested individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residence, and group affiliation
020if applicable for the record, the specific action items they are commenting on. Uh those are the color-coded items on the board's agenda at numbers 9 to 12. And ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or designee, not to individual members or staff. The board asks that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should be referred to the responsible building
021principal, superintendent of schools, or the Board of Education, either by telephone, letter, or email. Although the board may not respond to items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the board president may terminate the participant's statement. Continued disruptions may result in removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker's statement will be limited to 3 minutes in duration. Seeing no public comment, uh I will close both the public comment and the hearing on the budget. We will move to board action. I will make a motion to approve the March 16th, 2026 regular board meeting minutes and the executive session minutes. So I have a second, please. Sonal? I will do this voice vote, I assume.
022All in favor? No. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That passes. I will also move the item nine, the governance item on our agenda. I'll move item A for board approval. Do I have a second? Second will be Kent. Patty? Rob Banascia? Yes. Kent Simons? Yes. Brendan Galligan? Yes. Charles Gelinas? Leila Morrelli? Sonal Patel? Yes. Kristen Sonich-Schmelz? Julie Steinberg? Epstein? And Mary Wickens? Okay. We'll now move to the personnel items on the agenda, Sonal. I'd like to move items A through Q under the personnel section of tonight's agenda. Can I have a second? Second. Thank you, Kent. Dr. Gonzalez, is there anything you need to at this point? No. Yes. We have one retirement. I apologize. Um this evening we do have one retirement, and that is included in tonight's agenda announcing the retirement of Dr. Andy
023Perry. Dr. Andy Perry has served as the principal in the Westfield Public Schools since January of 1992, dedicating more than three decades of leadership to our students, staff, and families. For many years, he has led the Washington Elementary School community with a steady student-centered approach. And he had joined Washington as the principal in 2006. Under Dr. Perry's leadership, Washington Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019. An honor that reflects strong teaching and learning, a positive school culture, and a community that consistently shows up for children. Dr. Perry himself has emphasized that this kind of success is never the work of one person, noting that it takes a village, and recognizing the combined efforts of educators, family, and the district in supporting and helping students thrive. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Perry has
024been known for building a true sense of community and for creating school spaces where students feel known and celebrated. He has consistently highlighted the importance of family engagement and the meaningful traditions that connect school and home, including events such as the Washington's Women's Tea, which brings special guests into the school to celebrate learning and relationships. Dr. Perry's lasting contribution is not only in the recognitions he's earned, but in the everyday culture he helped shaped. High expectations paired with care, pride in school, and a deep belief in what young learners can do when surrounded by adults who work together on their behalf. We thank Dr. Perry for his extraordinary service to the Westfield Public Schools and wish him great health, happiness, and fulfillment in his retirement. Ready? Ready for a vote? We'll say yeah, we're ready
025for vote. Rob Banacchio? Yes. Kent Diamond? >> Yes. Brendan Galligan? >> Yes. Charles Gelinas? Lela Merelli? >> Yes. Sonal Patel? Yes. Kristen Sonichschmeltz? Julie Steinberg? Yes. Mary Likins? All right, Well, next move to finance and facilities, Ken. Yes. I'm going to do it in two parts tonight. Uh first, I'd like uh to move item A, which is the 2026-2027 budget. Um before I ask for a second, let me give you some highlights. Total expenditures in the general fund are 142.5 million. Taxes to be raised are 128.4 million. Debt service uh is 2.2 million, but taxes to be raised are 1.4 million. So, the total budget is 146.7 million, but taxes to be raised are 129.9 million. Um Included in this budget is 1.265 million for a bunch of projects, which will uh you know, McKinley
026boiler, the Edison auditorium, uh field improvements at Edison, Roosevelt uh floor replacements. Um Westfield High School courtyard upgrades, gym and cafeteria upgrades, and district-wide security enhancements, among others. Uh Also in this budget is a surplus of 1 and 1/2 million, uh which is great. And then also want to highlight that this budget includes an increase in medical and health insurance of 5.2 million dollars, which is about 20% increase year-over-year. Um and that is it for that. Do I have a second on the budget? Second. Thank you, Brendan. All right. Rob Banacchia. Yes. Ken Diamond. Yes. Brendan Galligan. Yes. Charles Gelinas. Lela Morrelli. Yes. Sonal Patel. Yes. Kristen Sonnek-Schmelz. Julie Steinberg. Yes. Mary Wickens. Okay. And then secondly, I'd like to uh move items B through K under the finance and facilities. I but I also
027would like to call out some donations here. First, we have the Westfield Boosters donating $2,395 to purchase banners for the Westfield High School softball field dugout. So, special thank you to them. And second, we have an anonymous donation of $175,000. Yes, you heard me right. For new playground equipment for Wilson. So, tonight's donations are $177,395 and our year-to-date school total are is a whopping $483,191.44. Can May I say something about the anonymous donation? I was asked to by the Wilson PTO. Sure. Okay. Um the Wilson PTO reached out to me as the liaison and asked me if I could make a quick comment on it. Okay. Is that okay? Um so, I'm just going to read what they they sent me. Um we're currently in the process of securing a significant philanthropic gift to support
028Wilson Elementary. Details are still being finalized and the donor has requested to remain anonymous at this time. We are grateful to the Wilson Project Playground Committee for their continuous effort in building support for this project. And I just want to say how proud I am and how impressed I am with the Wilson PTO and the Wilson community for securing this donation. Excellent. Uh That is it. That's all I have. And All right. May I have a second? Second. And then I'd like to make a couple comments. Yes, I'm Brennan. Yep. Go ahead. Uh I'd like to call out uh items C, D, E, and yeah, just C, D, and E. And they are the first contracts being awarded for our bond reso- our bond projects. Um we Among those projects, we have uh contract for
029just under 600,000 for phase one of Wilson Elementary School. It's uh some grading and site preparation work. I believe it involves uh moving some playground equipment. It's Washington. What? Washington, sorry. Did I say Wilson? I meant Washington. Um then we have another contract for 1.75 million uh for bathroom renovations at Tomas Wilson and Westville High School. And the third contract being awarded tonight is uh just under 2.7 million for uh the media center renovation projects at the two two intermediate schools. Uh the first of many many contracts over the next couple years, but uh I guess later this spring there'll be some shovels in the ground, quite literally. So, it's exciting. Long time in long time in the making and it's finally coming to fruition. All right. Ready? We're ready. Rob Banascia. Yes. Kent Diamonds.
030Yes. Brendan Galligan. Yes. Charles Gelinas. Lela Mellali. Yes. Sonal Patel. Yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. Julie Steinberg. Abstain. Mary Wickens. All right. Next we'll move to curriculum instruction and programs, Lela. Uh tonight I'd like to move items um under the uh A section of um curriculum instruction and programs, which are the field trips. Have a second. Thank you, Kent. All right. Rob Banascia. Yes. Kent Diamonds. Yes. Brendan Galligan. Yes. Charles Gelinas. Lela Mellali. Yes. Sonal Patel. Yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. Julie Steinberg. Yes. Mary Wickens. All right. Those uh motions carry. Uh we'll now move to unfinished business, which is the discussion of the board goals action plan draft. Um Sonal, I it it I'll have you introduce it and then we'll we'll go around and comment. Uh sure, just to recap uh in August after the
031NJASBA training uh board members were asked to submit suggestions for board goals. Then we worked through them in the fall and in October the committee report recommended review and after reviewing the with the NJASBA field representative, we um came up with four bold board goals that were board goal one was around reviewing and strengthening board governance protocols. Goal two would increase board and committee use of data. Goal three is build board capacity around HIV oversight responsibilities and goal four was engage in ongoing board development and activities towards certification. Those goals were voted on and approved by the board in our December meeting. Uh last uh when we met when the PPG committee met in when we last met, I don't know when that was, uh we went through action plans coming up with the idea
032to um come up with three action items per board goal coming up with a total of 12 which is uh what I'd read in our committee report. We proposed that or really uh sent that to the full board last Wednesday, April 1st. We're looking for feedback from board members. So we've gotten some feedback already from uh Julie and anybody else that has feedback, please send it to um myself and Mary. We will be meeting this Thursday to uh review and discuss all the suggestions that are sent in, the feedback that's sent in so that we can prepare a final presentation for the action items for next by next Tuesday. Which we will after Thursday's meeting we will then have out to the full board uh by the weekend so that everybody can review it prior
033to next Tuesday's meeting. All right, so I'll open the floor if anybody has additional comments to add. This isn't the only time by the way. If stuff if if things come up, you know, as you review the goals and and you know, over the course of the next week, like please feel free to to step in. I just wanted to make sure we had the public time. Julie, go ahead. So, I uh wrote down my remarks in advance, but um if if this isn't all if there's any questions, let me know. But, I just tried to write it all down so it would be cohesive. Um first, I wanted to say thank you to the PPG and um to everybody who took time to create the action plan and for all the hard work that
034went into getting it prepared. Um I do want to take a moment to frame my feedback at a high level and also clarify how it connects to my prior actions and votes here. Um over the past year, we've had real governance concerns raised around roles, communication, and how we function as a board. This came up in public discussion, in our training with the NJSBA, and in our self-assessment, which pointed to the gaps in accountability and shared understandings. So, my expectation was this action plan would directly address those issues, not just through structure, but also how the board actually carries out governance. But, what I see is a plan that well well organized, largely assigns ownership to the board president, PPG, and the superintendent with limited reflection on governance as a shared responsibility of the full
035board. And from a governance standpoint, that's a concern. The NJSBA guidance is clear that the board governs itself collectively, and if that isn't reflected in how work is structured, responsibility can concentrate and accountability can diffuse. I also want to connect this to my voting pattern on the monthly HIP reports. My concern is never been about whether or not the reports are provided. They are. It's about whether or not the board is receiving information in a way that allows us to actually fulfill our oversight role. Right now, the reporting is largely static. It doesn't allow us to easily see patterns, trends, or whether interventions are working over time, and at times I haven't been able to fully reconcile the information presented with what I'm seeing in other settings, which makes it difficult for me to rely
036on it for oversight. And from a risk and controls perspective, which is really the lens I'm always looking through, that makes it difficult to rely on the information for meaningful oversight. And without that clarity, it's also difficult to ensure that things are aligned with expectations and priorities. I would also note that this dynamic is not limited to HIP reporting. We see similar patterns in other areas, and in those cases, we're being asked to take formal action, but the information provided is largely limited to summary summary resolutions without consistent visibility into the underlying data or process. And we don't always have a place in which we can have conversations about that. We're limited through the very nature and structures that we have to work within, and that's not anybody's fault. That's the nature of what we
037have to work with. Um and we need to come up with a creative means to address that. While I understand that certain actions may be constrained by statute, the board still has responsibility to be sufficiently informed in order to exercise oversight. And when information is provided in a way that limits that visibility, it becomes difficult to confidently meet that responsibility for me. When I look at HIP on the action plan, I see a strong focus on compliance, training, reporting cadence, and policy review, and those are important, especially as district goals. What I don't see is the board side of that, the controls and structures we actually need to carry out in our oversight role. Reporting is our primary oversight tool, and I don't see it as a defined role for the board in shaping how
038that reporting is structured, what information is included, or how it's used. I also don't see a focus on improving usability of the reporting itself, whether it allows us to identify patterns, evaluate whether or not whether or not changes in policy, process, finance, whatever interventions we are recommending as a board are actually working over time. And without that, we're receiving it not information, but not necessarily a form that supports effective oversight. I do think there's an opportunity here. Um and obviously this isn't just for HIB, it's in other areas, too. I do think there's an opportunity here. My understanding is that more robust reporting systems uh capability exists within our current systems um and when we've had the ability to engage more directly, including with vendors, it's helped us better understand what's actually happening. Creating space
039for that kind of engagement would help strengthen our ability to oversee this area. I do think there's an opportunity to reconsider whether or not our current structures are giving us enough space as a board to fully engage meaningfully in governance. So for me, this is all connected. The same concern that has informed my HIB votes is what I don't yet see resolved in this plan. If the plan is more clearly anchored in governance responsibility for the full board and strengthened to how we receive and use information for oversight, particularly in but not exclusive to the HIB area, I would feel much more comfortable in supporting it. I think we're close. I think a lot of hard work and good effort has gone into this. I just don't think we've under addressed this underlying issue. I
040do think it reflects progress and again, I appreciate the work that's gone into it. Thank you. Thank you. Uh Brendan. Yeah. Uh first, you guys have put together a very comprehensive set of uh suggested action plans uh for the board goals. Uh want to give a couple suggestions and they two of them actually sort of contradict with each other, but the the reasoning is is worth hearing. Um this board has gone through a lot of change over the last couple years. Um we went from a seasoned board to a very novice board, and now we have a mature board again. And we don't we have to balance leveraging people's experience with channeling s- information to the top. You don't want to create an experience gap uh if if a few key board members decide to
041not run for re-election or lose their term. Um where we're left with a a vacuum of leadership and experience. And the best way I can see to do that is undo a change we did a couple years ago. Uh at one point this board had nine operating committees. That was too many. But we've consolidated down to three. And that makes it so that information is lumped together in similar categories and like finance and facilities makes perfect sense. You can't do anything facilities related without it affecting finance. Those were two separate committees that were combined for the right reasons. Um we had four different committees that have since now have become PPG. What that does is it makes it so there's one instead of having seven or eight board members gain experience running a committee even
042a small sort of inconsequential committee, you now have a few board members with experience that are chairing the committees and junior board members are aren't getting the same kind of opportunities. Again goes back to the power vacuum if leadership changes. Uh so I would I would suggest the board analyze the committee structure um and create one committee for sure. A super committee of coordinating among the committees. We had called that long range planning in the past when I was board president. I took the committee chairs and made them the committee so that it became a super committee for coordination purposes. Well, we have three standing committees. You have three chairs plus the board president. There's your sub quorum threshold and can allow committees to meet or committee chairs to meet on a regular basis to
043share information and uh strategize going forward. Uh and just so that's all under goal one and they do contradict cuz we don't want to have we don't want to waste everybody's time, but we don't want power to be left or a vacuum to be left if somebody leaves. And then when it comes to committee goal two or yeah, goal two. Uh don't use data for data's sake. Make it meaningful. Um there should be a a strategy behind what data is requested from committees of the administration. Everything we ask for takes manpower. Uh the last thing we want to do is create burdens cuz it sounds like it might be good to know about X Y and Z and then not have a plan to implement based on the results of that data. Um so value
044our administrators time, value board members time, don't create reports for no reason just to say we we're looking at all the data. And uh yeah, I mean we we have a functioning board. There's no there's no question about it. So little things can be tightened up and I look forward to seeing what happens. Excellent. Excuse me. Thank you. Um other comments? Okay. Um So again, um thank you for the comments. Thank you for the thoughtfulness. Again, um if anything comes up, we have a moment where we say, "Gosh, I wish I would have said." Um we can still we can still do that. It whether that's commentary or even specific suggestions to include, you know, as far as the indicators. Uh I want to thank the committee as well for all this work. I want
045to thank the board for continuing to push this work along. Um we do a lot here. There's been a lot of budget stuff going on. There have been a lot of plenty of other things going on. Um but we all have to make sure that we can walk chew gum and do many other things, quite frankly, at the same time. Uh and this board's become very adept at that, and I want to thank also the district administration for helping us along in in in doing that as well. Um So with that, that's uh I'll close unfinished business. There was no new business submitted for this meeting, and I'll move now to liaison reports, if there are any. Seeing none, uh I will move to our Excuse me, to our second public comment session. Uh during
046this portion of the meeting, members of the public are invited to address the Board of Education on any topic. As a courtesy, please allow current students and staff of Westfield Public Schools to speak first. The board requested individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residence, and group affiliation, if applicable, for the record, and asked that all remarks be directed to the board president or their designee, not to individual board members or staff. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be nor will it be
047liable, for any comments made by members of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should be referred to the responsible building principal, superintendent of schools, or the Board of Education either by telephone, letter, or email. Although the Board may not respond to items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the Board President may terminate the participant's statement. Continued disruptions may result in a removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker's statement will be limited to 3 minutes in duration. Seeing no one approach, I will close the second public comment session. And with that, I will make a motion to adjourn. Do
048I have a second? Kent, we can do a voice vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Any abstentions? We are