001All right, we're going to get started. Uh, notice 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 6:37 p.m. on the evening of Tuesday, December 16th, 2025 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 December 11th 2025 caused to be posted at the office of the board of education located
002at 302 Elm Street Westfield New Jersey and delivered to the Westfield leader nj.com the Westfield library town clerk of Westfield tap into Westfield the district website and patch.com A meeting notice setting forth the time, date, and location of this meeting. Patty, may we have a roll call, please? >> Rob Bonacia >> here. >> Kent Diamonds >> here. >> Brendan Galla >> here. >> Charles Galinus >> here. >> Leila Morelli >> here. >> Sonel Patel here. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz >> here. >> Julie Steinberg >> here. >> Mary Wickens >> here. Uh, Kent, would you lead us in the flag, please? reading serious stuff in this sweater is harder than I thought, but we're going to we're going to go through with it. Um, first thing we have this is a this is one of my favorite
003meetings because we have uh recognitions for our athletes. Uh but we are also very lucky to have a holiday performance by the high school string quartet who is joining us over here. Um I'm gonna invite director Craig Stanton just to say a few words and then uh have uh have you four kick us off. >> [applause] >> Thank you also to the stage crew on this side of the table for getting everything cleared up. Much appreciated. Um anytime, anytime. Um so next we're going to move to our fall athletics achievements. Uh this is also something that has become quite a habit uh and quite full uh and a habit very much for the teams that we're talking about as well as you'll see as we as we introduce them all. Um, we are very proud
004tonight to recognize three Westville High School fall teams for outstanding seasons. These student athletes demonstrated exceptional dedication, perseverance, and teamwork, remaining fully committed to honing their skills and supporting one another throughout the season. 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 athletics journeys. Sorry. We start with the girls varsity tennis team. The second seated Westfield High School girls tennis team came away with a 3-2 victory over topseated JP Stevens to claim the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Tournament Championship. It was the second straight sectional title for the Blue Devils. Before I ask Coach Samantha Nichols Jordan up to say a few words, let me first call each
005member of the girls varsity tennis team up to receive a certificate of recognition from our superintendent. After you accept the certificate, please proceed to the stage to a way to photograph. Your families will be invited to take pictures as well. Uh so first up is Lauren Rosac, [applause] uh Katie Stannick, [applause] Ava Holtzman, [applause] Emma Gossby, Sophie Mai, [applause] Abby Pisara, [applause] Ella Terry, [applause] Emma O'Brien, [applause] Haley Pitigala, [applause] Satie Pitigala, Julia O'Brien, [applause] Lily Sims, and Haley Khan. [applause] Uh, and as for the coaches, if you're here tonight, uh, also JV coach Brook Stites [applause] and head coach Samantha Nichols Jordan, do you want to do it? Yeah, that way first. That's I came prepared this year. Okay. Uh, thank you so much to the board of education for recognizing our girls tennis
006team. It's always an honor to be here and to celebrate such a dedicated and hardworking group of athletes. I'm proud to share that this season we finished with an overall record of 11 of 11 and five, placed third in the Union County tournament and advanced the group four state semifinals. This season brought plenty of growth and opportunity. With five out of our seven starters graduating last year, there were a lot of unknowns. And this team had to build, embrace new roles, and grow quickly. Not only did they rise to the challenge, but they put together a very successful team. I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to Jim Darno and Karen in the athletic department for their their constant support and for everything they do behind the scenes to make our season run smoothly.
007I would also like to thank Brook Stites, our JV coach, whose support and dedication means so much to our program. A big thank you as well to our incredible trainers, Nicole and Chris, who are always there when we need them. And of course, the biggest thank you goes to these girls. As I mentioned last year, while we may be a small team, we truly are a family. The way they supported one another, competed, and represented Westfield with poise, maturity, and respect is something I'm incredibly proud of. Thank you again for con for your continued support of our program and for recognizing the hard work and achievements of our girls tennis team. >> [applause] >> Thank you. [applause] Uh, next up is our girls varsity soccer team. The top-seated Blue Devils won their third consecutive North
008Jersey Section 2 Group Four Championship, defeating third- seated Bridgewwater Routin 10 in a rematch of last year's finals. They also accomplished an impressive 33game winning streak. Before I call head coach Alex Schmidt to the podium to say a few words about his team, I'll call each of the players up to receive a certificate of recognition from Dr. Gonzalez. Please remember to proceed onto the stage after receiving your certificate to await photographs. I'll start with Sophia Bosia, [applause] Emily Katagan, [applause] Victoria Corkran, [applause] Karolina Corkran, [applause] Olivia D. Gregorio, [applause] Zara Dobec, [applause] Marin Fowler, [applause] Gabriella Hollands, [applause] Andy Jen, [applause] Ava Jena, [applause] Phoebe Clag, [applause] Caitlyn Kyish, [applause] Mary Lane, Molly McDermott, [applause] Georgia Morelli, Mayan Nair, [applause] Katherine Olivera, >> [applause] >> Kayla Pinaro, [applause] Payton Reed, [applause] Nina Rodriguez, [applause] Callie
009Schmidt, Courtney Smith, [applause] Desra Sonic Schmemellz, >> [applause] >> Ashley Yenowine [applause] and Mia Zbranic. [applause] And for the coaches, uh, if you're here tonight, uh, assistant coach Katie Worerheimer, [applause] volunteer coach Chris Carson, [applause] volunteer coach Bernie Cuddy, and head coach Alex [applause] Smith. >> All right. Uh, thank you for having us. Uh congratulations to the uh girls tennis team and to the volleyball team. Uh we meet again. This is our annual date night it seems. So we're excited. Um so phenomenal year. Uh we've never had this many players show up for this meeting. Uh and it is true. Um just a reflection of our team this year. Um we can go over stats, we can go over records. Um and they speak for themselves. Uh the team did phenomenal this year. Uh the
010team is always a reflection of its seniors uh and especially our captain leaders. Um if you saw our final game of the season, it was a one- nothing loss, but if you watched every single player, the resilience, the grit, and the fight was there from the first game of the season to the last game of the season. For the seniors who have been on this team, uh they have a four-year astonishing record of 69 four and four. Uh out of a 16 total titles, they've won 11 of them. uh and they've done nothing but show the underassmen, you know, what the next generation is going to do. Uh and what all of the younger girls in town aspire to who play soccer. Uh so congratulations, girls. Uh phenomenal achievement. Uh to the athletes in the
011room, again, good luck uh on your upcoming seasons. Uh and thank you again. Happy holidays to everyone. And uh hopefully we'll be back next year. So, [applause] >> [applause] >> Thank you. And speaking of repeat performances, uh, next up is our girls varsity volleyball team. The top- seated Blue Devils win their fourth consecutive North Jersey Section 2 Group Four Championship as they defeated second seated Union City 3 nothing. That's 2513, 2520, and 2520. In addition to capturing their fourth consecutive sectional title, Westfield achieved a couple of historic milestones. Senior Ava Gaspart set the program's all-time kills record with 667. Oh, that's good. 67, huh? All right, great. I got you, Ava. Um, and broke the single season record with 294. Senior Ameilia Dangler also made history becoming Westfield's all-time assists leader with 803. So, let's
012give a round of applause for all those. [applause] UH before I call head coach Beverly Torque to the podium to say a few words about her team, I'll call each of the players up to receive a certificate of recognition from Dr. Gonzalez. Please remember to proceed onto the stage after receiving your certificate to await photographs. Start with Abby Wilson. [applause] Uh, Anelise Bond, Audrey who [applause] Audrey Stack, [applause] Ava Gaspar, Amelia Dangler, [applause] Faith Gorski. I'm glad we put this in the mix. Julia Janisk, team manager. [applause] Karolina Gokovska, Kelsey Dixs, [applause] Lillian Wood, also team manager, Neva Patel, [applause] Sophia Droskovski. [applause] Sophia Simeone, Vicky My, [applause] Liz Breznahan, [applause] and Lydia Wright. And for our coaches, there's volunteer coach Megan Mond, [applause] JV Coach Ed Sagio, and of course, head coach Beverly Tara.
013[applause] Good evening. Uh I apologize for our light numbers. Um many of our players are playing elsewhere and uh still dedicated. So um we we still celebrate them in spirit here. Um on behalf of the Westville High School girls volleyball team, we thank the board of education for honoring us this evening. We are truly grateful for this recognition and I also hope we come back again next year. Uh the season was a remarkable one. We challenged oursel with a demanding schedule to prepare for big moments and our team rose to the occasion. The culture of our program has been built over many years through dedication and commitment. Student athletes striving to improve their skills, embracing change, learning how to be great teammates, and coaches continually growing their knowledge while bringing energy, creativity, and fun into
014the gym. That perseverance led to an outstanding year of success. Uh this season we captured the Watson Conference Championship, the Union County Tournament title, the North Two Group Four Sectional Championship for the fourth year in a row, and advanced to the group semi-final for the second year in a row, reached the state championship match for the third time in the last four years. The state championship was an incredible display of toughness and determination, and we pushed Oldbridge to the limit before falling two to three in a hard-fought five set match. I could not have asked for more from our players. They left everything on the court and competed as one team. Proud is simply not a strong enough word to describe how I feel about this group. Our success is a direct result of the
015commitment of our entire coaching staff. I would like to specifically recognize eighth grade coach Chrissy Cabales, ninth grade coach Dave Terulo, JV coach and master technician Ed Sagio, JV volunteer coach Patty Oasislo, volunteer volleyball co varsity coach Megan Mond. Thank you all for your dedication and for the lasting impact you have had on our athletes over the years. Uh some of these were mentioned, but among the many accomplishments this season, three school records were broken. And uh that is amazing that that that has happened in in one season. Amelia Dangler set the record for the most career assist, 846. Ava Gaspard broke two records, most kills in a season with 338. and most kills in a career 7-Eleven. These are truly outstanding achievements and we congratulate both of them. In closing, we say goodbye to
016our seniors and thank them for their leadership and years of devotion to our program. We wish them the very best in their future endeavors. And um I will ask the two seniors who are here tonight to step forward. Audrey uh Stack, our one of our co- captains, and Kelsey Dixs. >> [applause] >> Thank you all and uh enjoy your [clears throat] holidays. All right. Uh we'll now move to our um our regular role of board announcements. Uh Mary, >> thank you. Uh the counseling department at Roosevelt Intermediate hosted coffee with the counselors on December 11th and 12th. This was an open forum event for parents focused on thriving in the middle, a parents guide to the middle school years. They explored key topics and which included ground rules for social media, managing peer conflict and
017friendships, and the importance of self- advocacy, >> Ken. >> All right. Thank you. West High School's award-winning student publications have once again earned national recognition. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association released its annual critiques and both high and optic received gold medalist distinctions. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association's highest honor. Congratulations to our journalism students and advisers on this outstanding national achievement. Thank you, >> Brendan. None sel. >> Districtwide, our counseling teams have been deeply engaged in initiatives that support student well-being. This month, our school counselors and student assistance counselors participated in DMAGEN's 101, 2011, and 301 training. And for their next session, they will be formally grief informed, further strengthening the district's capacity to support students navigating loss. Ila, >> the next parent teacher council general meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 21st at 10:30
018a.m. The PTC serves as the umbrella organization for all 10 Westfield school PTOs. Monthly meetings bring together PTO presidents, the PTC board, district administration, and the board of education representative Kristen Sonic Schmemellz to discuss district-wide initiatives and updates. For more information, please visit the parent teacher council tab on the district website. >> Julie >> Westfield Public School District will have an early dismissal on Tuesday, December 23rd, and will be closed December 24th through January 4th. We wish all students, staff, and families a safe and joyful holiday season and a happy new year. >> That's the one the students love the most. Okay, there you go. Uh, the next regular public meeting of the board of education will be on Tuesday, January 20th in Cafeteria B at Westfield High School beginning at 7 p.m. The meeting
019will be livereamed via the district YouTube channel, which viewers can access on the board tab on the district website. Uh, with the announcements done, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Gonzalez for a report by the district administration. >> Yes, this evening we uh have a presentation by our district auditor, so I will keep my remarks brief. Uh, I first want to just start by thanking the string quartet for their wonderful performance. Uh, to recognize all of our outstanding student athletes and certainly extend my appreciation to uh, board members for festive attire uh, on this day. Um, with so many celebrations this evening and in the spirit of the season, uh, it's it's good to be able to um, enter the next few weeks with a sense of calm and celebration. Uh looking ahead
020though in 2026, we will continue to look forward to an exciting year for the Westfield Public School District and our community. Uh guided by our strategic plan, we'll continue to build on our strong foundation and advancing programs that are already underway. With the planning uh work ongoing, the district is continuing its efforts for the major renovations scheduled for the new year. We appreciate the public's partnerships, patience, as well as support as we work to bring these improvements to life. As we enter the uh this festive season, I do want to wish everyone a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanza, and a happy new year. And to all those who celebrate in other meaningful ways, may your holidays be filled with peace, love, and happiness. And may the weeks ahead bring rest, happiness, and
021joy uh as well as meaningful time with friends and family. Season's greetings to all. And that concludes my report. >> Thank you. And nothing says holiday greetings like a report from auditors, of course. So, come on up and uh and share the info. [laughter] >> Just press this button to click. >> Thank you. >> Good evening and thanks for the great introduction. always tough to follow your proud accomplishments of your uh student athletes and so forth. So, it always seems like that's where the order ends up after all the students are on display doing something. I will also keep it brief because it's easier to give a presentation in a brief format when the good the news is good. Um if the news was not good, we'd probably be here in half an hour going
022over all the issues, but we don't have to worry about that. um as you'll see through the presentation that um the audit went very very well and your financial condition is very very good. Um I brought with me a partner of mine John Fina who worked with me a little bit on this engagement um just to see just to just to get some more experience in the public and um from that I'm going to lead off by saying that I was the partner in charge of the engagement. U my name is Scott Kleen and leading off with your audit reports. The audit reports were due on December 5th this year, which was about six weeks earlier than the requirement from last year, and they were filed on time. [snorts] Um, also I want to recognize
023Patty and Carmelina and the administrative staff for all the hard work they put into it. Patty's one of the only um BAS in the state that actually provides us with a good set of financial records and the auto report. She prepares a lot of it for us. Um, I guess she's one of two that that actually provide that for us, which is a help getting the audit done in a timely fashion. They do quite a good job keeping track of your internal records and your internal controls. Part of our audit process is making sure we look at your compliance and your controls over your major processes being payroll, revenues, cash dispersements, purchasing, etc. And the audit also encompasses more than just the financial statements. We look at a lot of different areas. We look at
024the general in school administration. We look at instructional expenses. We look at student service expenses. We look at transportation expenses. Supports operations, enterprise operations being your food service program, your capital improvements, which congratulations on passing the re recent referendum and also the debt service that uh you track all your payments of debt. So it's a very encompassing audit that we do again with the help of your administration. What are the objectives of the audit? Well, we take the information that your administration provides us. We perform various procedures to make sure that the numbers are accurate and then we render an opinion in accordance with the US generally accepted accounting principles which is our oversight body for our for how we do our accounting. Also, as part of the procedures, we're required to perform a test
025of internal controls in accordance with government auditing standards and then report on any significant findings which would be deemed a material weakness or significant deficiency. And the third aspect of a governmental school district audit involves performing a single audit or a program testing of your internal controls and compliance testing of major grant programs on a rotational basis in accordance with federal and state guidelines. In the enlarged document that I believe you received electronically, which the state renamed the annual comprehensive financial report, there's four sections in that. The introductory section has a nice introduction letter that was developed by uh your business administrator and your superintendent talking about some of the educational accomplishments and other aspects of enrollment so forth. The financial section is where you're going to find an MDNA, management discussion analysis, which is
026about a 12-page section that provides a nice overview of the current year, the prior year, and then looks back to a third year to give you a little bit of overview of where you've been over the last three years. There's a section in the back called the J section, which is statistical section, 20 pages of various statistical data regarding Westfield in terms of enrollment, businesses, tax levies, etc. And then the last part is your single audit which is where your federal and state grants reside. So getting into some of the actual results, the opinion most important component of your order report is an unmodified opinion which is a clean opinion. Highest level it can be placed on the financial statements. meaning that the district provided us with the information necessary for us to render a
027opinion that is unmodified and again a clean opinion. And secondly, you'll note this year we had to implement a new standard which addressed compensated absences which doesn't affect the way you for budget for that, but it did require the district to now account for things by not only what they're going to get paid for, but it also required districts to come up with an estimate of the amount of time that people will use. And that was now recorded as a liability. But the reliability is not affecting your budget. So it's just a little bit of a change in the policy. It was done by not the district. It was done by governmental accounting standards board which again required um change in the way we presented. Every district in the state had to go through the
028same process. Some of your numbers your fund balance in excess of 2% in the current year was just over $314,000. That's the amount that will be utilized in your 2627 budget as your starting fund balance. Your capital reserve funds are 9.5 million at the end of the year. Your maintenance reserve funds are about 1.7 and your emergency reserve is 1 million. They are very consistent with where they were last year. Um your excess is a little bit lower than last year but pretty much in line. Um what we're seeing in a lot of our districts is they're not generating any excess surplus anymore as things are starting to tighten up in the state. Um, so you're at least generated at least about you had last year to be be keep it consistent and also had
029money to put into your various reserves which again we saw a lot of our districts not have any extra money at the end of the year to put into these reserves. So you continue to be in a good shape compared to some of the others across the state. Again, congrats on passing the referendum. Additional results was when we performed our internal control and compliance testing. We did not identify any findings, no material weaknesses and no significant deficiencies. In testing your various grants, we looked at your IDA special education program this year. And from a state perspective, we looked at your transportation aid and your TPAF social security aid and we did not identify any compliance exceptions and we gave an in unmodified opinion on the compliance related to those three grant programs. In terms of
030the smaller report they received, which is the orders manage report, um there are no findings in there that would require corrective action. Therefore, there will be no corrective action on your agenda. And with that, overall good financial position, very clean audit, very happy to to be able to audit a clean district like this. So with that, I'd be more than happy to open up to any questions and wish you all a happy holiday. Any questions from the board? Excellent. Um, look, I want to thank you for all the work that you've done. Um, you know, it's great to have a clean audit, but it's also great to have an auditing partner that we can trust to make sure that things are are where they need to be. So, thank you so much for the time
031that you put in. I think also on behalf of the board, I'll echo your thanks to to Patty and her team in the office. Um, you know, like you said, it makes it easy when you have a good team, you know, handing the right information in and doing all the things that they need to be doing. Um, we certainly hear horror stories elsewhere about things that are going on. Uh but uh very thankfully that's not something we have to worry about here and that's to the work of of our financial team here Patty and her group and uh great leadership all around and obviously you know the folks who are keeping us on track. So thank you very much for coming out much appreciate. >> Thank you and have a great holiday. >> Happy holidays
032to you guys as well. >> I'd like to give a quick shout out to Carmelina though too because she did a lot of work with this audit. So thank you. >> [applause] >> I didn't see you back there. Sorry, Kirk. >> Okay, next we will have the report from Ben, our high school student rep. November and December are always an especially exciting time for the arts. It is a time for the culmination of months of hard work. These past few weeks, WHS's orchestra and bands performed in their winter concert. And this week, on Thursday, the choir department will be hosting its winter concert. On the 5th, Folio held its holiday coffee house where the young musicians and writers of WHS gathered to share their art. Unified Sports held its first clinic during the common lunch
033on Tuesday, November 25th. 25 students gathered to support the club's mission to bring students together through inclusive sports and activities competing in fun basketball clinic as well as small-sided games. To elaborate on what Kent said, the studentr run publications highs weekly print newspaper and Optic magazine, a seasonal news magazine, both received yet another gold medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The award is the organization's highest honor and places his high and optic among the nation's best publications. Heizi was praised for its depth and complexity while optic was laotted for its creativity and highly engaging production. Furthermore, while attending the Garden State Glass Press Association's fall press day at Ruckers, High's Eye editor-inchief Emma Blousine won first place in an on the-spot writeup competition, competing against 50 other students from 50 other schools. Constantly maintaining
034a high production value and nurturing some of the state's best journalists is no easy feat. The excellence of WHS's journalism program can only serve as a testament to the talent and hard work of our students and adviserss. Last week, nine students attended the annual Union County student training and enrichment program. The sophomores and juniors gained valuable experience in a day centered around cultivation of leadership skills and community service. Abby Selvers was recognized with the Sue Hudac Leadership Award for her outstanding work and her team composed of numerous students from high schools all across Union County. On Thursday, December 4, the No Place for Haste Comm No Place for Hate Committee and the Immigration Allyship Committee held their third annual a seat at the table event. Students and faculty alike gathered to share a delicious meal
035filled with dishes from all over the world and share their immigration stories. This event was an important reminder that in WHS, there's always a seat at the table. The WHS Community Service Club has been doing great work this past month, emphasizing WS WHS's dedication to the community. Last week, they made 50 extra lunches to be delivered to the Salvation Army, painted rocks to be donated to cancer patients, and wrote holiday cards for senior citizens. They're currently holding a sock drive to give the gift of warmth to those who are in need this winter. This is their last week collecting new socks in the drop off bin outside WHS's main entrance. Finally, as we come in for a landing into the holidays, the SJ will be hosting two spirit days at the week of the 22nd,
036sweater day and PJ day and handing out candy canes to students on half day. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ben. Uh we'll now move to our board committee reports. We'll start with uh curriculum instruction and programs. Kristen >> SIP met on December 8th. The committee re received a comprehensive update on curriculum work in ELA, social studies, business education, and financial literacy with all areas continuing to align to the New Jersey student learning standards through the understanding by design framework. In ELA, updates included revisions to the K through2 pacing guides, strengthened literacy instruction, and expanded role for school librarians in dig digital literacy and coding. The progression of dig digital citizenship skills, including early introduction to digital footprints using common sense media and AASL aligned standards, was reviewed. At the high school level, AP language and
037AP literature remain fully aligned to the college board's expectations with strong students performance. [clears throat] Interdisciplinary courses such as humanities, American studies, and global citizen continue to be offered without content changes. In social studies and business education, the committee reviewed revised curriculum frameworks for grades six through 11 that emphasized long-term transfer skills, alignment with state mandates, and improved sequencing of content across grade levels. Financial literacy initiatives were also highlighted, including the successful launch of the sixth grade course, money mindset course, um, which integrates financial and digital literacy. At the high school, a financial literacy pilot program is underway and the development is in progress for a new AP macroeconomics course for grades 11 through 12 set to begin for the 2627 school year. This curriculum work reflects the district's ongoing commitment to preparing students with
038knowledge, skills, and competences competencies that they will need for college career and informed citizenship. Thank you, Kristen. Uh, finance and facilities. Brendan, >> finance and facilities met last Friday morning. Um, we spent the first part of the meeting talking about the audit, which we just got the full report on, so I'm not going to go back into that. But, uh, again, thank you to Patty and Carmelina and the team for another successful audit. uh in the 14 plus audits I've been through as a board member, uh we've never had a problem here in Westfield. Uh and that's just a remarkable something worth uh something worth noting. Uh it's not common, especially when there's changes in staff, to not have a single problem. And Westfield's tradition of excellence extends to our business office as well. [snorts]
039So, thank you. Um again we looked at uh the current operating budget and uh specifically on healthcare uh benefits for October and November were better and uh surprisingly uh prescriptions for November were also less than the previous two months. We're not quite out of the woods, but we're hoping this trend continues. Uh it's not uncommon to have uh expensive procedures and stuff done during the summer and those bills filter in. So hopefully we're out of the we're done with the summer bills. Um the special services department is still struggling to find prior professionals. Uh we have about 150 on staff and 17 positions unable to fill uh that we have to use an outside contractor for. That's going to cost us about $800,000 for the rest of this year. Um we're starting negotiations with that
040unit and we don't believe that however that contract settles will affect the contracted services. Um the budget for for schools for the current year has been closed and Patty's working on building the budget uh for our first presentation in at the January board meeting. Uh again, that's something the public will vote on, but we start the presentations in January. [snorts] Um we're looking forward to kindergarten and the referendum that will be required uh for budgeting. Uh then we moved into uh a discussion around Senate Bill S3915, which has to do with pilot funding. Uh it's a bill that's moved out of committee uh that proposes to amend the pilot law which is payment in lie of taxes uh offered to developments all over the state. Uh that would require school districts be included in how
041those pilot funds are distributed uh specifically for residential property. The amount would be equal to uh the number of school age children and uh whatever the commissioner decides as a per pupil amount. Uh the bill proposes uh the tuition rate. So it would be roughly $20,000 a student times whatever that development has in terms of students. Uh for non-residential properties or mixed or the non-residential part of mixeduse developments, it would be 5% of whatever the town gets as pilot revenue similar to how it's allocated to the county now. Uh and that would be combined with the residential component for mixed use. But in no case would the amount given to the school districts exceed what they would have gotten under a normal property tax allocation. Uh the board the committee is very much in favor
042of that because it's money that we're not currently getting. Um the legislative term is ending so that bill will die if it doesn't pass in the next week or so. But we expect it to be reintroduced uh during the next session as it has been for the last couple sessions. But this is the first cycle where it's actually made progress and moved out of committee. Now on to referendums. Uh electrical service upgrades will go out to bid in January. Uh these the plans have been submitted to PSEG and we're waiting for their engineer to be assigned so they can review them prior to us going to bid. Uh hopefully we get that resolved as quickly as possible. Um, on the agenda tonight, we have approvals to send every single project down to the state for
043final approval. Uh, last year we got preliminary approval before the referendum. Now, we've put uh we've sharpened the pencils and refined everything and the state gets to take one more review at it. Uh hopefully their pro their approval process is faster than last time. Uh this summer we're going to be looking at bathrooms, playgrounds, and the drop off loop at at Franklin. Those will all go out to bid in February. Uh we've also started talking about uh the prospect of imposing a project labor agreement on some or all of the uh subcontracts that go out with this. Uh our attorneys are preparing what that might look like for us and conversations have been productive with the trade union groups. And lastly, Roosevelt. And I cannot wait to be done talking about Roosevelt's Assad. Uh the
044last phase of the final the last part of the final phase of this project is underway, but the weather has gotten cold, so it will probably take until spring to finish. Um but it's the decorative panels on the third side of the building and then brick refacing and power washing. And that is it for our lengthy committee report. Excellent. There's no action item on it, but I I just the one of the highlights for that was the the Senate bill that you were talking about regarding the pilot funds. Um, and I think I'm glad the committee is certainly in favor of what that legislation is doing. Um, I think that would most likely extend to, I would say, most of the rest of the board unless I see nods heading heads nodding otherwise. Um, so
045pilot funds are are somewhat mysterious a thing. um I tend to deal with them a bit in my business. Um and when a pilot is is granted, you know, it certainly provides some benefits to cities, but um the schools often seem to be left behind in in those benefits. Um and the thing to remember, you know, just based on my knowledge of pilots, uh is that what they change is really the tax base from which the school district draws its funding from, right? takes certain properties out uh and certainly requires some of the other properties that remain to make up the difference for a lack of a better way of putting it. Um from a pure taxpayer perspective, where those dollars go, who handles those dollars, who manages the dollars almost doesn't matter. The taxpayers
046just want them spent wisely. Uh and wisely on the on the the uh the things that matter most to them. Uh, and considering, you know, I mean, the vast majority of everyone's tax dollar comes to the school districts, considering that the school district is one of the main reasons that folks move to Westfield, uh, ensuring that our district gets a part of that pilot funding, uh, is extremely important. Uh, because, you know, quite frankly, you are all working together, you know, whether it's, you know, the town, whether it's the county, and certainly whether it's the district. Um the benefit for a tax dollar is always supposed to be for the residents and for the community that it serves. Uh and to any legislation that ensures that that benefit is secured uh in the best way
047possible is certainly something that that I'd be willing to support. Um you know, I see in my business a lot of times pilot funds put school districts and towns at odds. Uh we I will say have been very lucky, especially over the last year or two that we've been able to enter into some shared services agreements with our town. Uh and again that shows the benefit of of what a town and a board working together can do uh and how much farther it can stretch that tax dollar uh instead of duplicating services and the rest. So to the extent that this bill will help get pilot funds back uh we'd certainly support it. I think there's other districts in our area I think Cranford actually has has come out as well in support of this
048as well. Uh you can certainly I think add Westfield's name to the list. So it wasn't an action item but I thought I' I'd just add that thought here on behalf of the board. So um and I think with that thank you for the great work on that in the report by the way. Um so next is report by policies personnel and governance. I think that's Mary. Okay. Um the policy personnel and governance committee met virtually on the evening of December 9th. Uh board members Sonel Patel, Robinacio and Leila Mela and myself were in attendance along with Dr. Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Greer. The committee first reviewed several updated and newly developed job descriptions for secretarial positions across the district. This included the 10-month secretary, 12-month secretary, 12 month first secretary administrative clerk, and the
049confidential secretary to the deputy superintendent. After careful review and discussion, the committee recommends that all four job descriptions be placed on this evening's board agenda for formal approval. The second topic was on the school calendar review. The committee revisited the previously approved 2026 2027 calendar with a focus on the start and end dates, days off, and inclement weather giveback days. The committee also reviewed a recommendation from the district's construction management company which emphasized the importance of maximizing time during the summer of to accommodate substantial renovations and HVAC replacements. As such, the committee is exploring options that would begin the school year before Labor Day in 2026 and potentially apply unused inclement weather days to shorten the school year in June 2027. The administration will confer with the association and high school administration. While no action
050is being taken at this time, the committee intends to bring a revised 2026 2027 calendar to the board for approval at the January meeting. The final item on the agenda was the next steps for finalizing the board goals in order to be able to move forward with developing an action plan. Building on the discussion during old business at the November board meeting, the committee recommends the following timeline. The board goals will be placed on tonight's December agenda for a vote. In January, the PPG committee will develop a draft action plan to be shared with the full board for feedback and also sent to the New Jersey School Boards Association field rep for additional input. Based on this feedback, the committee will revise the plan and present it for formal board approval in February. The next
051meeting of the policy personnel and governance committee is scheduled for January 15, 2026. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Uh we will now move to uh recognize the public. During this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on agenda action items only. Uh these are the items marked at numbers 9 through 12 and color-coded on the board agenda. There will be a second comment period at the end of board action for uh non-action items that are within the board's purview. So if you have something that's not on the action item, just hang on for a little bit until then. Um as a courtesy, please allow current students and staff of Westfield Public Schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state
052their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if applicable for the record. the specific action items they're commenting on and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or designate and not to individual members or staff. The sorry um 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 principal, superintendent of schools, or the board of education, either by telephone, letter, or email. Although the board may not respond to items raised
053during 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 statement. Continued disruptions may result in removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker statement will be limited to three minutes in duration. Okay. Seeing no comment for this portion, uh I will close public comment uh for agenda items. Uh and let's move to board business. Uh I will make a motion to approve the November 18th, 2025 regular board meeting minutes and the executive session minutes. Can I have a second, please? Kent. Uh, I think Pat, we can do this by uh voice vote. That's all right. Uh, all in favor? Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right, that passes. Uh, next, uh, governance.
054Uh, Kristen, can you move the, uh, governance items? >> I'd like to move items A through B. Um, under governance. >> Can I get a second? >> Second, >> Mary. Sorry. You ready? Rob Bonacio, >> yes. >> Kent Diamond, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> no to a yes to otherwise. >> Uh, Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> no to A, yes to B. >> Okay. And Mary Wickens, >> yes. All right. Uh, Mayor, will you move the personnel items on the agenda, please? >> Sure. >> I'd like to move items A through V under the personnel section of tonight's agenda. Is there a second? >> Sonel. Um, Dr. Gonzalez, do you have any comments tonight? No.
055Okay. >> Thank you. >> Rob Bonaccio, >> yes. >> Kent Diamonds, >> yes. Brendan Gallagghan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> yes. >> Laya Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Uh, next, finance facilities and the diamond donation report. Kent, >> thank you. I'd like to move items A through Y in the finance section tonight. May I have a second? >> Second, >> Brendan. Thank you. I'd like to call your attention to item J. We're going to accept the following 13 donations totaling over $14,000. Uh I'm just going to say a big shout out to the Westfield Coalition for the Arts with 11 of these 13 donations totaling $10,89623. I'll individually read them. Uh $1,000 for five
056instrumental clinicians for the music classes at Edison and Roosevelt. $165 for a memory project for the art four classes at the high school. $500 for a ROI printmaking workshop for the art four classes at the high school. $1,500 for a mini res residency by acclaimed brass musician Christopher Bill for the Westfield High School wind ensemble. $1,000 for a will throwing workshop for Westfield High School ceramics classes. That could be fun. $1,500 to support the Westfield High School Chorus Carnegie Hall performance. Wonderful. $1,500 for the art assembly at Franklin and another $1,500 for the art assembly at Tommocris and $31143 to purchase drawing books for Tmacqua's art carts. Next is $959.50 for drawing racks for art classrooms at both Tmacquas and McKenley. That's $959.50 for each school. So big thank you to the Westville Coalition for
057the Arts for their over their almost $11,000 in donations. Then next we have Jefferson PTO donated $596 for the lo for the logo mat at the Jefferson school. And last but not least, the Westwood United Fund donated $3,000 to impact grant for mental health services programs at the high school. This brings our year-to- date total to a drum roll please $148,860. Thank you to all. Any questions? [clears throat] >> Rob Bonacio. >> Yes. Kent Diamond, >> yes. >> Brendan Gallagan, >> yes. >> Charles Galinus, >> yes. >> Leila Morelli, >> yes. >> Sonel Patel, >> yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmelts, >> yes. >> Julie Steinberg, >> yes. >> Mary Wickens, >> yes. >> Okay. Next is curriculum instruction and programs. Uh, back to Kristen. >> I'd like to move items A through C. Um, A
058is asking the board to approve a series of curricula in science, social studies, engineering, and ELA. B is asking to approve two field trips and C is for three student teacher or andor interns for 2026. Can I get a second? >> Kent >> Rob Bonacio. >> Yes. >> Kent Diamonds. >> Yes. >> Brendan Gallagghan. >> Yes. >> Charles Gilitis. >> Yes. >> Leila Merly. >> Yes. >> Sonel Patel. >> Yes. >> Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. >> Yes. >> Julie Steinberg. >> Yes. Mary Wickkins. >> Yes. >> Okay. I'll call the board's attention to the notes for the record. Uh there is no unfinished or new business on the agenda. So next is liaison reports if anyone has them. Kristen, >> do you want to go first? >> Okay. Um I have the PTC report for December.
059The parent teacher council held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 10th. Patty Ramos attended to discuss the PTO fundraising and donation guidelines. Community service week has also been announced in for March 23rd to the 27th. The schools are still in the process of ex um determining exactly what they'll be doing. So those details will come closer to March. The special education committee will be hosting a presentation called caring for caregivers on January 27th at 7 p.m. in room 116 at Edison. The gifted ed the gifted education committee um has announced that they will be hosting steam night and they scheduled it for February 11th from 6:30 to 8 at Edison. The details for that will be shared post the new year and then the next PTC general meeting will be held in person on January
06021st at 10:30 at the Elm Street building on the first floor in the conference room. The PTC will be honoring Dr. Gonzalez's achievement for New Jersey Superintendent of the Year with a breakfast at that meeting. And that's all I have. Thank you. >> Julie, >> uh the uh UCSC met uh and I just wanted to give an update that they are continuing to proceed with their plans for the the the uh changes um based on the purchase of the additional building on Cardinal Drive. Um, while the dates are still fluid and things are still moving forward and just like us, they are moving forward with construction and changes and plans and so on and so forth, the uh upshot is is that instead of all four schools um being um in Westfield, now all six
061schools in UCSC will be in Westfield um ultimately uh sometime 27 28 hopefully um which will be a significant change. Um and uh that's that's something I thought that we should all be aware of and and uh something that um you know should should be considered to be an asset I think to the town. >> So uh board members Rob, Kristen, Julie, Ila, and I attended the Union County NJSBA association meeting last week alongside with Dr. Gonzalez, Dr. Weissman, and Patty Ramos. During the meeting, the association formally recognized Dr. Gonzalez as the 2026 New Jersey Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Gonzalez graciously thanked his colleagues and staff for their hard work, dedication, and unwavering support in earning this prestigious award. We're honored to have him as our superintendent. After the award ceremony, Kristen, Ila, Rob,
062and I participated in an interactive board training focused on strengthening board culture using real life scenarios to prompt thoughtful discussion about balancing our governance roles and responsibilities when interacting with the public. Some recommended practices from NJSBA were to use the board president for guidance, provide consistent public messaging, follow a clear chain of command, and participate in annual ethics training. >> Excellent. Thank you. Um, and I I very much agree it's a it's an outstanding asset to have to have those schools here. Uh, the Union County group did an excellent job on the training. Um, and I I guess I will add one I I am the liazison to the the high school PTO. Uh, Ben usually handles most of the stuff that's going on in the school. So, I kind of let him have his
063have his time with that. Um, but one of the things I do want to mention uh is especially around the holidays and uh with finals, I'm sorry, with midterms, I'm not rushing your year. Um, with with midterms approaching, uh, the the PTO does a lot of work on their own to support our teachers, to support our students with, um, with everything from breakfasts to, you know, just all kinds of support items to celebrate the holidays. Yes. Uh, but also do a little bit of stress relief for our students for when midterms and and ultimately finals come. So, I wanted to recognize the uh the members of the PTO board uh for the high school for all the work that they do uh in uh in supporting our our faculty and in supporting our students when
064the time comes. Um and with that uh I will uh recognize the public uh for uh for more general commentary uh during this 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 the Westville public schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if applicable for the record, and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or its designate, not to individual board 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
065employees 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 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 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. Good to go.
066Uh Kyle George Westfield. Um good evening. It's been a while. It's good to see all of you again. Apparently, I missed the holiday sweater memo. Uh if I had known I would have participated. Uh I want to first uh congratulate Dr. Gonzalez on that award just heard about. Um congratulations. Uh Mr. Bacio, I've returned tonight to congratulate Mr. Gallagan on his victory in his ethics complaint that he filed against former BOE vice president Sahara Ziz in 2023. The case number is C7623 filed before the New Jersey School Ethics Commission. You can Google it. It's available online. Uh on August 18th, 2025, the administrative law judge, also known as ALJ, uh quote concluded that AISiz violated MJSA 18A12-24C and recommended a penalty of censure and quote appeals were made, but on but on October 28th, 2025,
067the school ethics commission voted to adopt the judge's findings of fact, which was that quote the legal conclusion that respondent respondent that would be a Z's violated uh that code section end quote and confirmed uh the penalty of censure. Uh in short, the finding of fact in C76-23 concluded that Aziz voted on an agenda item that she should have recused herself from. The ALJ said that Aziz was quote not permitted to vote on the resolution that approved the payment end quote and that at the time of the vote quote the board meeting occurred during her third year on the board when she had already received her two years of training on her ethical obligations as a board member and when she had a clear understanding of how meetings are are conducted and how agenda items
068are voted on. End quote. in C7623. Uh they also said that quote, "Despite this, the ALJ noted respondent willfully acted in her official capacity as a board member to approve the payment." End quote. I'm going to read more from C7623. It's just astounding what what was in here. Uh this is all a quote right here. The ALJ noted that respondent argued that that the board did not discuss the motion to approve the finance and facilities resolution or any of its line items, including the one for her attorney's fees, and therefore she was unaware that the resolution contained the line item for attorney's fees, and regardless of her vote, the line item would have passed anyway. The ALJ further noted respondent argued that board counsel did not advise her to recuse from voting, nor was there
069any discussion that her participation would violate the act. However, the ALJ found that respondents arguments are not only self-s serving, but they are also insulting. The ALJ stated that respondent holds herself out as an authority on the law as a lawyer and a law professor and therefore she knew better than to vote on the finance and facilities resolution without having first reviewed every line item. The ALJ asserted that respondent was obligated as a board member to do exactly that. Uh end quote. It goes on to say that quote notably respondent does not show remorse for her actions and instead accuses other board members of voting to approve travel. However, the commission finds it irrelevant whether other board members participated in an unrelated vote. With respect to a penalty, the commission agrees with the ALJ that
070a penalty of censure is appropriate. Respondent and attorney who has several years of experience as a board member should have been aware that voting on a personal matter is prohibited. Nevertheless, even after respondant became aware of the error, she failed to acknowledge that the vote was in a was appro if I may have an extension of time uh to to finish. >> I'm sorry. >> Just a sentence or two just to wrap up. >> Okay. Uh I just wanted to congratulate Mr. Gallagghan and the rest of the BOE on this victory. This was filed two years ago. The wheels the wheels of justice grind slow, but justice did prevail. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Should I start? >> Okay. Uh, good evening. My name is Barbara Burton. I'm WHS class of 1971. Ate lunch
071in here many times and a trustee of the Westfield Historical Society. I am here tonight with some of my colleagues and another one will be speaking after me to talk about Dr. Virginia Abgar and the need for our town to provide more recognition for her. It is said that all babies born are first seen through the eyes of Dr. Virginia Abgar. Dr. Abgar, for those of you who may not know, created the APGAR score to assess the health of newborns in 1954 while at Columbia University. It continues to be used across the world today. The score is credited with saving countless infants lives by identifying treatable health issues at the critical moments after birth. Even those who are familiar with her medical accomplishments, and there were many more than just the score, do not realize
072she's from our hometown. A letter was published in the Westfield Leader in September 2023 in the student opinion column there by a WHS senior named David Seansky who opened his letter with a very good question which is how is it that living in Westfield after for 11 years I have never heard anyone mention a single word about Dr. Virginia Abgar. I think David's question is still valid. Dr. Abgar is one of two people from Westfield in the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The other being, as you might be able to guess, Charles Adams, and we feel he gets pretty well recognized in our town. Um, VC Dr. Abggo is a trailblazing woman scientist and a physician who later in life credited her Westfield High School mathematics teacher, Mariel Kay's, with having a large impact on
073her life. She valued her Westfield public education and stated that at various public moments that are on YouTube, you can see her talk about that. She is notably one of our most well-known graduates. In fact, I really can't think of anyone who is more notable. Several years ago, a Girl Scoot Scout Troop placed a marker in a small parklet on Central Avenue with her name. I didn't even know that was happening, but I went over and found it and it's there kind of near the Krowers. It's a nice start, but we need to do more. At this moment, the Westfield Historical Society at the Reeve House on Mountain Avenue is completing a five room exhibit on her life and legacy, which will be opening in January. You're all invited to come and learn more about
074this remarkable woman. You will find that Dr. Agar was not only a gifted scientist, but a gifted musician. And I have to say, I was thrilled to see the chamber orchestra or the chamber quartet here because she did that. She made her own stringed instrument. She was played all the time. and she was quite a talented musician. She was beloved and admired by her colleagues, students and friends. In acknowledging the outpouring of sympathy received when she died, her family stated that they were grateful for her directness, obullience, imagination, energy, and contributions to the world's education uh world's I didn't realize it's going so slowly. Okay. Um can I get to my point? Just a couple of sentences. >> Just give it a sentence. Same thing. >> Okay. We would like to propose that the board
075of ed give the Apgar name to something permanent and visible in our town. And we are proposing the science wing of the Westfield High School to bear Dr. Abgar's name, something visible, something that people would see. And we hope you will consider that. >> Thank you. Go right ahead. >> Okay. I'm Ken Murky, a Westfield resident and a retired anesthesiologist. During my career, I provided anesthesia for hundreds of women having cesarian sections or in labor and was involved in using the APGAR score developed by Westfield High School alumna Dr. Virginia Abgar over and over. I strongly support naming the science wing at Westfield High School after her. After graduating from Westfield High in 1925, Virginia Abgar went on to college and medical school. Then facing restrictions against women and academic surgery departments, Dr. Apgar decided
076to practice in the newly developing field of anesthesiology, devoting herself to obstetric anesthesia. In 1954, using evidence-based observations, she published the first standardized scoring system to assess newborns at one minute after delivery. Other systems for newborn evaluation and use at the time were very subjective. In contrast, her easily performed score was based purely on observation of the newborn and did not require any special equipment. Each of the five attributes was given zero, one, or two points. In 1963, an appropriate pneummonic was suggested to remember the test APGAR. A for appearance, that is color, P for pulse, G for grimace, A for activity, and R for respiration. When the APGAR score is on the high side, labor and delivery personnel can do the routine care that newborns need. But when the score is low enough to
077warrant intervention, medical personnel in the delivery room act immediately and specialists are often called in for their added ex expertise. She used the score to prove that when cyclopropane, an early inhaled anesthetic now no longer used, was given for pain relief to women in labor, it was associated with adverse effects on the newborn. Later, the APGAR score at 5 minutes after birth was added to assess the response to resuscitation and guide whether additional interventions should be instituted. The APGAR score helped show that babies who previously were thought to be too sick to survive could actually survive and thrive with appropriate resuscitation. For decades now, the one and five minute APGAR scores have been standard of care for delivery rooms worldwide. Dr. Dr. Apgar also made other contributions to many areas of anesthesiology and maternal and
078child care. She studied birth defects and was the director of the predecessor of the March of Dimes. She received numerous awards recognizing the importance of her work. Three minutes is hardly time to summarize her accomplishments. However, it's fitting that Westfield honor one of its own, someone who spent her formative years here and went on to have an enormous impact on perhaps billions of children's lives. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> That was pretty good on the timing, too. First, >> um I want to I want to thank the public for coming out always. I want to thank you for the update, for the history lesson, um, and for all the information, uh, that that we've had. Uh, I hope as people tune in, they they, you know, they they listen and learn a little bit
079about, uh, what's what's going on in the town and and its history. Um, and with that, I don't know that we have any other further comments. So, I will close that and I will make a motion to adjurnn. Do I have a second? >> Julie. Uh, all in favor? Anyone? Uh, but perfect. Anyone opposed? Any abstensions? We are adjourned. Thank you.