001Good evening everyone and welcome. We have met in executive session and we have done the flag salute. So, I will begin by reading the statement of public notice. This is a regular meeting of the Board of Education of Bernards Township. Notice at the time and place of this meeting were provided and copies of that resolution were forwarded to the official newspapers as designated by the Board of Education and to the Township Clerk. And a copy of the notice was posted on the bulletin board of the Board of Education offices. For those members of the public who cannot attend our meeting in person, a live stream link to the meeting is posted on the district website. We very much welcome input from the public. There were two times during regular meetings that the public is invited
002to speak. One time is early in the meeting before the Board votes when you may speak about any item that's listed on tonight's agenda. Towards the end of the meeting, there's another public forum to address any matter of public concern related to the schools. When you approach the microphone, please state your name and address. Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to 3 minutes duration. No participant may speak more than once during a given public comment session. The first public comment session will be limited to 30 minutes and the second will be unlimited. In order to run efficient meetings and to allow maximum opportunity for members of the public to speak, the Board reserves the right to set a different time limit for individual comments and the overall time limit for the public
003comments portion of the agenda. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No participant may address or question board members individually. Please understand that public comment portions of our agendas are not structured as question and answer sessions, but are offered as opportunities to share your thoughts with the Board. The Board and administration will respond to public comments to the extent possible. Any Board responses to public comments will generally be addressed during board forum or committee reports. However, all comments are considered and will be investigated and addressed as appropriate. Please be courteous and mindful of the rights of others when speaking. Comments may not be abusive, obscene, threatening, or irrelevant. Please understand that students and employees have specific legal and privacy protections. The board is not permitted to respond in public to comments about students
004and employees. Please also understand that the board will not be responsible for the content of comments made by members of the public. Members of the public are cautioned that they are speaking at their own risk and any personally directed statements they make may subject them to legal liability to the affected individual. If it's necessary for the board to go into exact session at the end of the meeting, we will provide an estimated length of time for the session and whether any action is anticipated to be taken upon to public session. And with that, we are up to our student representative, MJ. >> Hello everyone and thank you for joining us today. As per my usual role in the Board of Education, I'll be going over updates of what we have been doing in student government
005as well as updates of the school community to both inform the public as well as the board about student life. Please do excuse my slightly informal attire today. I'm usually a bit more formal, I promise, but I finally committed to a university and it's student tradition here at Ridge to wear the clothing of the university that you are going to. And without further ado, Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Yeah, this has been a amazing time for seniors as we've finalized our college season. But yes, in terms of student government, uh right before spring break, we held our Talk Kind panel. Thank you for all of the parents, teachers, and board members for attending. And if you did not attend, we would strongly encourage you to watch the video recording of the panel. I
006talked to a lot of Bernards Township parents who attended the panel about how they felt afterward. And I think it was a great opportunity for parents to learn that hate speech has been really permeated into protected classes like race as well as gender identity as well as religious identity as well. Um a lot of parents were telling us how they didn't know about this issue and after listening to what we had to say, everyone has been a bit more incentivized to put a stop to this. So we'd strongly strongly encourage you to watch the video which is posted on YouTube. In addition, tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. we have a screen time night and we strongly encourage all the parents to attend that. We have a lot of student representatives who are going to be
007speaking about, as the name implies, screen time here at Ridge. Furthermore, the student government will be holding their elections for next year's student government soon. So if you have any children of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors who want to run, we'd strongly encourage them to do so. We're also trying to organize an international day in 2026, where students of different cultures and ethnicities can spend the day spreading awareness of their foods, cultures, clothing, and customs. I don't think we held it last year, but we're hoping to bring it back because it's just incredibly fun and amazing to try other cultural foods and see the diversity we have at Ridge. I already brought up the meeting we had with Maschio's Food Services and the work we've done in the past, but because we've got so many members
008of the public here today, I'd like to quickly thank Mr. Roberts and summarize the changes we've made, including fresher sourcing of veggies and fruits from local farms rather than commercial ones, uh healthier caffeine alternatives, more vegetarian options, and Mr. Robert is now working to bring in halal options for Muslim students. And we've recently had these meetings to kind of give student voices and advocate for these changes within student government. We're also changing up our music Fridays, which is an initiative we started to play music between every period um on Fridays and really encourage school spirit. This week we're finally letting the Ridge High School faculty choose the songs. So and we're excited to see what they select. Secondly, within the school community, I'll cover the events that occurred before spring break and beyond. In terms
009of athletics, our track and field team had several school records broken in many events with season openers. We also had athletes from our Unified sports team sign up for the New York Red Bulls team and I wish them a huge congratulations because it kind of portrays how inclusivity of everyone really brings strength to our school. Within the realm of stewardship, I also want to shout out the National Honor Society. I also lead the organization and this year we have had 166 members of our Ridge National Honor Society give back 4,000 hours of community service. And this has taken in the form of school events, volunteering, and tutoring students all throughout the community for more than 4,000 hours. We can't wait to see what next year's National Honor Society will bring as well. In terms of
010career development at Ridge, we're also hosting our spring career representative visit by the counseling office and I know several freshmen as well as sophomore peers who are learning about professionals across fields like medicine, law, government, and education and so much more. I know a lot of seniors and juniors who are looking forward to attending and learning more about the professional world have benefited greatly from this opportunity. Last but certainly not least, I also want to end this report on a a of a casual anecdote. Um, during spring break, as seniors, we finally decided and attended college visits. And since most of us know the school we are going to at this point, I have many friends who are now attending Bulldog Days for Yale, Weekend Square Days for New York University, and Rockers Days for
011Rockers here in New Jersey. So, I attended Cal Day um in California, and it was just amazing to see what the next 4 years will offer. But, while I was talking to a lot of professors there about course requirements, clubs, leadership, and more, I realized something about Ridge that has really, really benefited me in the next 4 years. The curriculum we offer at Ridge mandates exploration of all fields across fine arts, musical arts, athletics, and a lot of interdisciplinary courses to really, really learn the foundations of philosophy and government and critical thinking. And to a lot of students, they complain about having all of these course requirements. But, after listening to what the professors there at UC Berkeley had to say about the school, I urge everyone in the community to be so grateful for
012the curriculum we have at Ridge that it not only prepares students academically, but also for the rest of their life, as well. That will be all for our school updates. Thank you for listening. >> Thanks, MJ. Um I also just want to echo what you had said. I did I I had the opportunity to attend the Speak Kind, and it is always so powerful to see the kids speak themselves, and the panel of you and your other students very bravely spoke up and and shared stories. And so, I do um really encourage parents to um watch the video when it's posted. Um and just as that was spectacular to be able to watch those students, it is also another opportunity to hear about the greatness that goes on in our district from the presentations um
013from all the different elementary schools. So, we are going to go and sit in the audience for the showcase and then we'll come back to the stage after. All right, while that is making its way down, I just want to share that tonight from Cedar Hill, we have some of the members of our fourth and fifth grade character Crusaders. So, this is a group of student leaders in fourth and fifth grade who are really known for their exemplary character here at Cedar Hill. And they do so much within the building to really promote all of the goodness that you see from our golden owls. Later on, they're going to do a little game called Goldie says. It's very similar to Simon says. Now, if you're here during the monthly assembly, you would see our school
014mascot, Goldie, but there is a very comfy nest where Goldie is resting right now. So, Goldie won't be making an appearance tonight. But, without further ado, I'd like to welcome Maddie Bowman, Hannah Higgins, Suviti Jan, and Anya Pamidipati. >> Good evening. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to share about our character crusader student leadership program at Cedar Hill. In fourth and fifth grade, all students have the opportunity to apply to become a Character Crusaders are student leaders that help promote our character education program at Cedar Hill. We act as role models to students in our building and set a positive example by being kind, respectful, and following our expected behaviors. We also follow our Cedar Hill salute. One, be kind and show compassion. Honor yourself, others, and our community. Show your personal best in service
015to yourself and others. Each month, we focus on a new character theme, including topics such as respect, empathy, communication, self-regulation, and more. We meet with the school counselors to practice our assembly and then present a new assembly each month to the entire school community. We are now going to share a little bit from our most recent character assembly in April, which was focused on the theme of neurodiversity. Neurodiversity means that everyone's It means that everyone's brain is unique, like a different map for seeing the world. And these differences are not good or bad. They're just different ways of learning, thinking, and acting. When people think differently, they bring different ideas, talents, and strengths. This helps classrooms, teams, and communities become more creative and better at solving problems. Some people's brains like to move a lot.
016Some people's brains are really good at remembering facts, noticing tiny details. Some people's brains are great at imagination, and some people's brains are great organizing things. All of these are different ways brains can work. Neurodiversity means no two brains are exactly the same. Different brains make our school stronger. And two, different brains bring different strengths. And sometimes people may need different kinds of help and tools. Think about a classroom toolbox. Inside are crayons, scissors, glue, and markers. Each tool works differently, but they all help us create great things. Our brains are like that, too. Different brains of Different kinds of brains help the world in different ways. >> Neurodiversity reminds us to be kind and patient with others, respect that people learn differently, and appreciate the strengths in everyone. Different brains make our world a
017more beautiful place. >> As we discussed discussed today and during our April assembly, it is important to respect all of our friends and their and differences and others. We are now playing a game with you called Goldie Says, which is similar to Simon Says. We will read a sentence, and if you agree with the sentence, you will put a hand on your head. For example, Goldie says, "Put a hand on your head if you have a pet." >> Goldie says, "Put your hand on your head if you play a sport." >> Goldie says, "Put your hands on your head if you learn best by hearing things explained." >> Goldie says, "Put your hand on your head if you learn best by seeing pictures or videos." >> Goldie says, "Put a hand on your head if
018you like ice cream." >> Goldie says, "Put your hand on your head if you like math." >> Goldie says, "Put your hands on your head if you like to work quietly by yourself." >> Goldie says, "Put your hands on your head if you prefer working in a group with others." >> Goldie says, "Put a hand on your head if you are proud to be a part of the Bernards Township School District. >> Thank you so much. Now you got to see a little piece. Our character crusaders get up in front of the entire student body and they present to over about 700 people, staff and students every single month on a different character focus and I think you did a really good job showcasing that tonight. And now I'd like to welcome up Liberty Corner.
019>> At Liberty Corner School, our theme this year is step into our story, which provides us multiple opportunities to incorporate literature into cross our curriculum and in everything we do. Together with our specialists, students have the opportunity to participate in many student leadership opportunities. For example, we're going to show you a little media presentation with some student led assemblies, some video morning announcements, and other opportunities for students to be peer mentors, as boosters, and readers. And we have a live accompaniment for you. Of course. With some fourth and fifth graders. >> We are members of the LCS Kids for >> You ready? We good? >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you so much. We invite you to step into our story. >> Good evening, everyone, and welcome. >> We are members of the LCS Kids
020for Character Boosters program. >> And we are proud to participate in one of the many leadership opportunities at our school. >> Enjoy a look at just some of what we've been up to this year. >> And now I'm introducing select members of the orchestra >> under the direction of Mrs. Fantina. >> Q orchestra. >> Yay. >> Good evening, everyone. >> That's amazing, that you live in Liberty Corner. I'm like, "Yeah, let's go run a bus again." You can stay and soundtrack our our partner if you want to. Um thank you. Good evening. My name is Mike Papaleone. I'm the assistant principal of Mount Prospect School. Uh tonight I'm excited to highlight the work of our student council, which is created each year when our third, fourth, and fifth grade students elect two uh leaders to
021represent each of their classes. And being a member of our student council requires a high level of commitment. Serving as the voice for our student body, taking feedback, concerns, and ideas back to our administration. And we really work to uh be collaborative in creating real, concrete ways to um promote student experience in for each of our students. And I have the pleasure of introducing two of our fifth grade representatives with us tonight, Hiya and Advey. And they're going to share some of the initiatives for our student council this year. >> At the bank. >> At Mount Prospect, our values are built around panther pride, which stands for being positive and showing respect, integrity, determination, and empathy. The student council is responsible for promoting these traits among the student population. One way we do this is
022through a leadership role during our monthly assemblies. Our student council speaks at each assembly to introduce the character trait of the month. We also illustrate real situations where these traits should be used with skits that we act out during the assemblies. By presenting these character traits to our peers, we aren't just talking about values, we are modeling them. We also organize school spirit days throughout the year. These days include unique ideas, like crazy hat day, team sports day, and mismatched day, to name a few, that the student council decides on and promotes each month. While these are fun activities, they serve a deeper purpose to build a sense of belonging and community within our school. >> As a member of the student council, we believe that leadership is defined by service. We work on projects
023throughout the year that connect our school to a wider community. One example of this is our annual food drive. This initiative allows students to practice empathy by providing essential resources to local families in need. The student council organizes and promotes this food drive, and helps deliver the collected items to local food banks and charities that support families facing financial challenge and food insecurity. We also help organize our yearly school beautification project. The last 2 years, we raised funds for gardening supplies and planted flowers at the entrance of our building. These projects teach us responsibility. By participating in the school beautification project, students learn that they have the power to improve their surroundings through planning and hard work. This year, for family reading night, the student council decided to turn our cafeteria into a five-star restaurant
024called the Literacy Cafe. When families arrived, they didn't just find a place to read together, they found an elevated dining experience where our guests were treated to a full three-course meal of literature. We started everyone off with a poem appetizer, a small taste of reading to get things started. For the main course, families ordered a picture book from our many to read together with a focus on great illustrations and storytelling. For dessert, we hosted a silly Mad Lib session. We shared these as a group at the end of the night, and the whole room was filled with laughter. The student council didn't just plan the event, we ran it. We took our jobs very seriously and even had two soft opening practices. During the night, the greeters welcomed every family at the door and showed
025them to their seats. The waiters helped families find a perfect book to enjoy, and our chefs worked behind the scenes to keep everything organized. We also wanted to make sure the reading didn't stop when the cafe was closed. We organized a free book exchange where students could browse donated books. Every student was able to choose a book to take home and keep for their personal library. >> We We really took off with our family uh reading night in the cafe. We're ready to open up our own restaurant, I think, now. Um you know, I think for Mount Prospect, we just are really dedicated in developing student leaders and our student council gives us that opportunity to do that and show that um students really can make a uh have a significant and make improvements in
026our school. We appreciate that. Thank you so much for your time and and thank you to Adlai and to here for being here tonight as well. And now I'd like to introduce Mrs. Foley from Oak Street. >> I'm going to let the video they made speak for themselves. I'm just going to tell you that we have to thank Mrs. Rogerio for helping the students write the script and plan it and Mr. Madarazo for helping them film it. I'm going to let them each introduce themselves and then we're going to take a seat and watch the premiere of our little film. >> Say your name into the microphone and then you can >> Um my name's Logan. >> Okay, and then just have a seat right here. >> My name is Zoe. My name is Leanna.
027My name is Edin. My name is Charlie. And my name is Kevin. >> Okay. Here is their great work to tell you all about how they're leaders at Oak Street. >> Hi, we are >> Edin >> and Leanna. >> We're here to tell you about the kindness challenge. The kindness challenge in the is an amazing week at OSS where everyone has a chance to learn and experience kindness. >> Everyone gets a paper with challenges to spread kindness. >> So So kids who are new to Oak Street feel included. Everyone and everyone feels good while also learning about kindness. >> The paper has check boxes to check off the things that you've done to spread kindness. >> We hope you see one of the reasons that OSS is such a good school. >> Thanks. Hold the
028door, check. >> I'm Zoe Ho. >> I'm Charlie Truitt. >> And I'm Kevin Glaser. >> We are on the Oak Street Student Council. >> We are here to talk about how student leadership led to lunch changes. >> The Student Council met with the people who run our Buyers Life. >> We talked about the food that we liked and disliked. >> And then food decided to change the menu. >> And lunch got tastier for everyone. >> These lunch changes show that students can make a difference. >> Pizza, please. >> We love our school so much for many reasons. >> One of the reasons is that we help our community. >> We do the purple apron and >> food drives. >> These activities teach us responsibility and community awareness. >> Ooh, thank you. >> Thank you. >>
029We're here to tell you about our science fair. >> You get to show off your science and math knowledge to your friends and family. >> Each year, students run fun experiments and present their ideas to judges. >> But the best part is you feel like Albert Einstein. >> And we learn how to be accountable for our independent projects. >> Don't forget about the award. >> Right. Everyone gets an award, helping to build confidence. Okay. You do your thing. I'll do mine. >> Hi, we are Nila and Teagan and we are both in the Student Council at OSS. >> And we're here to tell you all about Buddy Builders. >> Buddy Builders is a program that >> fifth grade and fourth graders on responsibility and compassion by buddying up with children in our C-lab program. >>
030During Buddy Builders, you play a bunch of fun games, make new friends, and have a great time. >> It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that teaches us to lead with empathy. >> Hi, we are Charlotte >> and Teagan and we're here to tell you about kickball at OSS. >> Kickball helps with fitness, sportsmanship, and teamwork. >> They elect team captains who help organize and communicate with the team. Not the best player, but the kids who represent our class with integrity. >> We are also taught that anyone, not just captains, can lead by example and encourage each other. >> As student council, we are given the opportunity to keep the entire school informed through videos like this. In something we call kick OSS kickball news. >> Uh-oh, out of time. Recess is over. >> Testing 1 2, testing
0311 2. Testing 1. >> Greetings from Agatha. We are >> Leanna. >> Kevin. >> And Charlie. >> This is the stage where our drama club puts on an annual show. It is an opportunity where you get to audition for a part. >> Or take part in creating sets and props. >> It's a very exciting experience for fourth and fifth graders. >> A very nice thing about the play is that only you do audition, everyone gets a part. >> And we practice multiple times a week. >> Drama club teaches us about inclusion, work ethic, and dedication. >> It's super fun as well. >> Portal world. >> Hi, we are Logan >> and Martina. >> Our Nest program is where small groups of students from all grades get together with an assigned teacher. We talk about our
032feelings and do bonding activities. >> Nest helps kids build characters and helps you become a better person. >> And just like the Buddy Builders program, it teaches you about empathy and kindness. >> It's a very fun experience for every student. >> Bye. >> Okay, you ready for Nest? Come in. >> I don't know why I know I did. >> Okay, let's go. >> Peace Patrol is an awesome opportunity for kids to learn responsibility and leadership skills. >> You get to be a leader and make friends with kids in younger grades. >> You get to meet younger kids and have fun with them. You can also learn to be kind and be a leader. It's a great opportunity. Bye. Okay, go. Do something. Lemonade. Cross applesauce. PTA at OSS does so much to make exciting events
033happen for the students here at OSS. Whether it's the speaker dance, family pizza night, or the color run. These are events where we interact with friends and peers from all grades. This is when we are able to interact and demonstrate the social emotional learning skills that we learn from many activities we talked about in this video. All of the grades look forward to the events. And we make new friends. This is This is why OSS is the best for leadership and character development. We are given given many opportunities to learn and to practice these skills. Thanks for watching. Student Council signing off. >> So, I was really proud of their leadership and proud of all of our schools cuz I think we do a darn good job of preparing these kids for the next step.
034Thank you guys for coming. >> I'm sorry, Jim. I just Chris, you just put your >> One of the things that our district does really well is provide opportunities for students to show us how they shine each and every day and that is what makes this this presentation so special. So, thank you to all the students for coming in and participating. It's not easy to stand up in front of a full audience. So, you're to be commended for that. And thank you to the parents who brought their children here tonight. We appreciate that and thank you to all the principals and assistant principals and administrators who make this all possible for us. Um with that, we're up to the superintendent's report and there are two items. >> Thank you, Ms. White. Just to echo your
035thoughts on the presentation. Uh really appreciated. Thanks again to the parents, the kids, the staff, the administrators. Uh great job and thanks for lifting our spirits with the kids tonight. Um just two items tonight under superintendent's report or head report and we have to report out whenever we have our school bus evacuation drills. So, they're listed as well. Thanks. >> Okay, can I any questions before I ask for motion? I can hear a motion. Robin and Dave and a roll call. >> Ms. White? >> Yes. >> Dr. McCune? >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari? >> Staying on item one, yes on item two. >> Ms. Corrado? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw? >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbott? >> Yes. >> Mr. O'Malley? >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohan? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Lefkowitz? >> Yes. >> Okay,
036we're up to public comment on the agenda items. If anybody has anything that they would like to say, please come down to the mic, sign in, state your name and address. >> Members of the Board of Education, John Coello, Benedict Crescent. I'm writing to really request a challenge for the selection of superintendent of the Bernards Township School District ahead of this meeting that I saw on the agenda. I believe we could have done better. The challenge is based on demonstrated left-leaning bias and preference towards the rank and file of the local Democratic Party, wherein education is intended to be objective and free of political bias. >> a just as a reminder, as as we mentioned before, please be aware that you should consider your comments in light of the legal rights of the identified or
037affected people, and the board bears the responsibility, and any personally directed statement might subject you to the legal liability. >> I understand. Thank you. My remarks are directed to this that the superintendent must prioritize parental transparency and be the protection of all students from misguided external agendas and bias. I think this is a very important fact that the board should consider. I urge the board to consider its appointment and the implications. Thank you. >> Uh good evening. Frank Klaus, Owens Court. Um every month we come here and we pick up the uh stacks of the agenda items. We have pages of a lot of people are getting different appointments, different uh things that are going on, and all of the uh amounts of money down to the penny um for all of these different items.
038I noticed that it was a pretty big agenda item, and um we have a 4-year contract going to new superintendent, but we've neglected to say what that contract uh holds and how that pay uh compares to an outgoing superintendent with a couple decades of experience and someone who has weathered a number of uh pretty tough storms quite well. So, I'd be curious since we list every single other person's pay, if we could have the transparency on this appointment as well. Thank you. >> Great. Not very techy. Nancy Locklighter, Peachtree Road. I'm here to discuss or the field use policy. I understand that it was a first reading at the last meeting. And this meeting is the second reading. I have strong concerns over most specifically is the stipulation of an allowance for privately used sound
039equipment. I don't understand where that come from and why that is even being considered. We have PA systems at Lee Field, we have PA systems at Varsity Field, we have PA systems at the at the softball field. When members of this administration went to the zoning board to get approval for the uh uh turf field, it was explicitly stated there would be no amplified sound on that field. So, my question uh one question is, where are we allowing this use of publicly of public sound system? My other question is regarding what are the stipulations that if you allow this, where are the constraints around this? There is a lot of specifications in the policy about the system run by this district, that it's only run by administrator, that the sound is set by the administrator,
040that it's only run in with um adult supervision. There's nothing indicating anything like that with this privately used sound equipment. Where did this come from and why are we allowing that? You're putting it back on the neighbors to have to police it because the the standards are vague. The wording says that the sound equipment would be reasonable and considerate. Who's judging what's reasonable and considerate? You're putting that back on us as neighbors. And that's unfair. We came to you asking for a policy that was measurable and a policy that was enforceable to make our lives and our yards livable. And that use does not allow that. It actually does the opposite. So, I would ask you to please remove that from the policy. And I also don't understand where this where the use of portable
041lights came in. I thought that the lights were dead when we came last time. Portable lights have more glare. They're run by generators. They're noisy. So, can you speak to where these lights will be used and what type of situations? I would also ask that those be stricken from the policy as well. In terms of setting the volume by the administrators, the volume at Lee Field currently, specifically for the lacrosse games, the warm-up is too loud. It's loud in my home. And when I went up last Tuesday to see what's the size of the crowd that warrants noise that loud, there were five people on the ridge side and no one in the stands on the opponent's side. So, who's setting these limits? Also, the baseball field, varsity field, who's setting the limit on varsity
042field? The music starts at a warm-up and it goes for 3 hours until 7:00. And you're hit with sound bites. You get walk-up music for the players. You get music when the innings change. You get meetings when the new music when the pitchers change. Sometimes, there's three music changes in a 10-second span. That's unfair to the neighbors. The volume needs to be lower and the use for that field needs to be looked at more carefully. Thank you. >> I'm worried about the glider. I also live at Peachtree Road. Um We've had a long history with this noise issue with the with the fields both at Leaf Field and the varsity baseball field. I have 10-15 years worth of emails that I shared with some of the board members last year. And we were advised to
043come to this board and to seek policy that they could enforce that would do something. The policy that's been put forth is it's neighborly on the surface, but the detail and the broadening of it makes it much worse than anything we've seen before. So, I don't really understand what we accomplished here. We've gone backwards. It leaves us in a position where we're going to have to complain for another 10 years and be frustrated. So, please reconsider this policy. We saw it the first time we the first reading was not privy to us. We saw it after last board meeting and it's got we're going backwards. I don't know what to say, but please reconsider this policy and vote against it tonight and give it a little more time. Thank you. >> Okay, with that I
044will close public comments. Mr. McCary, is there anything you want to address? >> Sorry. Uh thank you, Ms. White. So, uh with regard to uh the superintendent's proposed salary, starting uh salary is $230,000 um relative to the existing superintendent, that is uh myself, it's notably less. Uh I think uh in terms of uh compensation. Consideration was given to similar positions recently being approved by similar school districts and boards of Ed. With respect to the sound system policy, the policy, just to be clear, is very specific to Bernards Township sponsored athletic co-curricular activities. So, there are two policies that relate to the use of school facilities and fields. The policy that the board has been considering is specific to the student sponsored activities, meaning our own sports teams, our own student events that may take place
045on school fields. I think I understand that what is considered reasonable is not necessarily going to be agreed upon by all parties. I certainly can appreciate that that we are, you know, looking for a balancing point. The students are supposed to be using the systems with the supervision of the staff, but we do understand that there are times where kids may be using their own athletic fields and they may have portable sound equipment that they bring to an event. And so, they are expected to be considerate of the neighbors. The policy does call for concerns regarding the use of the fields and activities therein by our students that those concerns are directed to the school principal. So, I can appreciate that it it's not necessarily perfect. Uh, if the board wants further consideration, um, I'm
046sure they will give me that direction. Thank you. >> Okay. With that, we are up to approval of minutes. May I have a motion? Mike and Robin. And a roll call. >> Ms. White? >> Yes. >> Dr. McKune? >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari? >> Abstain. >> Ms. Corrado? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw? >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbott? >> Yes. >> Mr. Omelianuk? >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohan? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Lefkowitz? >> Yes. >> Okay, we're up to finance. There are 16 items in the report. Dave, do you want to do the report first? >> Uh, sure, I'll do the report first. So, there are actually two reports. Um, I'll do the most recent and the older one. There probably isn't much, but I'll look at it real quick for everyone. So, first item,
047the committee reviewed an additional advertising revenue proposal from Fox Run Group, a firm that works exclusively with school districts. Key terms of the proposal include commission rate of 35% implementation timeline approximately 18 months before advertising would be placed. Uh, projected annual revenue ranging from 60 to 400,000. The district would retain veto power over the placement of any types of advertising. The committee had follow-up questions and will continue its evaluation. The item will be revisited at future meetings. Uh, the next item, we discussed the budget and the county review and the district budget remains under review by the county. No changes to report at this time. Um, next we looked at, um, informal Somerset County School District taxes and the committee discussed the Somerset County tax increases for, um, and compared it to ours. Uh, the
048next item the committee reviewed per pupil cost and activity fee data from peer districts. Following a review of the peer districts data and accounting for additional staffing, savings realized through additional retirements and other personnel changes, the committee is recommending a reduction from the original preliminary budget proposal for activity fees. The new fees that we're recommending is for high school, it's $100 per participating students, so only participating students an activity fee. And then for the middle school, $50 per participating student for activity fees. Uh, there is no fee if you do not participate. This represents approximately half of the amount originally contemplated in the preliminary budget. The next item, uh, we discussed was Chromebooks. So, we were informed of growing constraints in the Chrome Chromebook supply chain driven by elevated chip demand, particularly from the rapid
049expansion of AI-related applications. This pressure is anticipated to persist in the foreseeable future. To mitigate potential disruption to the district's device replacement cycle, the committee is recommending that the budget for Chromebook replacement be secured early in the procurement cycle. Uh, next the district will transition away from My School Bucks. I think everyone will be happy with that. Current payment platform used by families for school activity fees and related charges. Key drivers of the change include the current provider provider's credit card fee of 4.95% has led many families to revert to paper checks undermining the benefits of digital payment adoption. My School Bucks has generated complaints from families included limited visibility into food service purchases. Um we'll be moving so the district will move to PaySchools. The new fee structure is as follows. E-checks will be
050a $1.75 flat fee. Credit cards will be 3.25 plus a $1.25 transaction. Food service payments will transition to PaySchools in September. Other payment categories will mitigate on a timeline to be confirmed. Uh the next item, which is also a voting item, is our 403 uh 457B employee retirement accounts. The district has administered the process internally without using a third-party for years. We're planning to switch this to a third-party service, which will mitigate risk to the district among other things. Plan Connection is the company we are looking at and there will be no additional charge to the district for that. So, it'll just save us on risk. Uh the next item is Maschio's, which replaced Aramark as the district's food service provider at the start of the school year. Um is they're completing their first year.
051The committee received a preliminary look at year-end financials at a ahead of the contract renewal discussion. Um it is typical for a a new food service provider to operate at a deficit in year one due to startup costs. Maschio's is currently approximately $40,000 short, which may reduce the district's contractual guarantee of 225. The provider is entitled to deduct for certain items including reduced serving days resulting from snow days and half days. Despite the financial result, Maschio's has been a strong partner in year one fully staffing to district needs and demonstrating responsiveness to feedback from students, parents, and staff. And then just a quick look at the week before, I think we discussed everything, but um we're voted on them. So, I don't think there's anything else to report on there. Yes. The budget was approved
052Oh, the budget was approved so by the county office. So, the budget was approved. Thank you. Um And then as far as voting items, I want to point out just a couple items before we vote on them. So, number six, the Oak Street PTO and the PEC are both looking to um raise money about $30,000 for a swing set for Oak Street. So, that will be very exciting. Um Number eight is the preliminary approval for grants for the BTEF. So, we are approving the preliminary list. That doesn't mean that all the items on there will be approved. So, it goes through additional rounds. Uh number 10 is what I talked about for the 403b. That um that's approving PlanConnect as the third party. Uh number 11 on the list is USA Architects. That will be
053the board approved um architect for record for updating the district's long-term range facility plan. And then number 13 is also good. Um a direct install the direct install project for Mount Prospect. We're getting some additional savings there so it has lowered our costs a little bit. That's it. >> Any questions for Dave? Robin. >> Not a question. I just wanted to clarify for anyone out there for the activities fee. This will be $100 maximum for as many clubs and sports as you could possibly do at Ridge. And the same thing 50 for William Annin, right? >> Okay. Can I get a motion? Keith, Mike and roll call. >> Ms. White? >> Yes. >> Dr. McKeon? >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari? >> Yes. >> Ms. Corrado? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw? >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbot?
054>> Yes. >> Mr. Romanick? >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lefkowitz? >> Yes. >> Okay, we're up to personnel. Robin, do you have anything that you're able to share? >> Um the committee met on March 19th. Um there's only a couple items that I can report out on. One of them is um we just had gotten clarification about AP readers. So some of our AP teachers um I think five of them this year have been asked by the college board to be a reader/scorer for the national tests. This is an honor and we feel that it helps our teachers learn about what's upcoming in changes to the curriculum for the AP classes and tests and how to teach the tests the teach the classes and prepare prepare the students. Our district grants
055PD days to teachers who are asked to do this. Um and the other thing was we discussed um the rate for BTAA members who work at an event and um discussed the fact that it would be the same rate if they were working at a WAMS event versus a Ridge event. >> Okay. Uh any questions for Robin about those two items? Okay, can I get a motion uh motion? Smithy and Brett and roll call. >> Ms. White? >> Yes. >> Dr. McKeon? >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari? >> Yes. >> Ms. Corrado? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw? >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbot? >> Yes. >> Mr. Romanick? >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lefkowitz? >> Yes. >> Okay, so for those of you in the audience um or at home viewing, I am
056thrilled as you just heard us vote on, to be able to introduce Kristen Fox as our next superintendent. Ms. Fox is our successful candidate among dozens of applicants due to her outstanding skill set, experience, and knowledge of our district. Ms. Fox began her career as a high school social studies teacher in Maine and then in New Jersey. As an administrator, Ms. Fox served as a social studies supervisor in West Essex, New Jersey before assuming the same position here in Bernards Township from 2008 to 2018, at which time Ms. Fox was promoted to the position of assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. In her 18 years in Bernards Township, Ms. Fox has proven herself to be an outstanding employee and school administrator who works well with staff, students, families, board members, and the community in a
057professional and student-centered way. Ms. Fox is extremely hard-working and tackles even the most challenging situations in a graceful manner to resolve them. Ms. Fox's time in the district has positioned her well with an in-depth knowledge of district programs and operations so that she can keep the district on a positive trajectory. Ms. Fox earned her bachelor and master's degree from the University of Maine and Southern Maine, respectively, and is currently working on finishing her doctorate from Drew University. With her educational background, experience, proven leadership capabilities, and deep understanding of our district and community, Ms. Fox is an outstanding choice for our next superintendent, and we're lucky to have her. And on a more personal note, I've had the opportunity to get to know and work with Ms. Fox for many years, especially while I chaired the
058curriculum committee, and I'm excited to continue to work with her in this new role. So, congratulations to you, Ms. Fox. Thank you so much, everyone. I appreciate you coming out. Those of you who came tonight, I appreciate you being here. Mrs. White, thank you so much for those very kind words. I appreciate them very much. Thank you to the whole Board of Education for your vote of confidence. I'm grateful that you're trusting me to pick up the torch when Mr. Markarian lays it down at the end of the summer in order to go pursue his dreams. I'm deeply committed to our students and their families, our staff, the administration, the Board of Education, and the entire community, and I'm ready to face the challenges ahead of us. I've worked alongside Mr. Markarian, Mr. Rollo, Mr.
059Sayed, the rest of the administrative team to navigate the current budget challenges we are working through, and I will continue to do so with that amazing team. Our other major priority right now is the Restoring Focus Initiative. I'm especially proud of our district's long-standing commitment to supporting students' mental health and well-being, as evidenced by the wonderful presentations from our elementary students tonight. We've worked intentionally to ensure that students can achieve at high levels while also maintaining balance and having a positive overall school experience. The Restoring Focus Initiative is committed to this goal, and we are navigating together with families the impact of technology on student learning. In fact, I would encourage you to join us tomorrow night in the Ridge cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. for a dialogue on screen time. While those may be two
060of our biggest priorities, there are many more, and I'm ready to move into this position and focus on all of our goals and priorities. I will work hard every single day to that end with our outstanding team, and again, thank you so much for the opportunity, and I really look forward to working with you starting in the fall. >> Any other comments before I Um Oh, MJ. >> First of all, I just want to say a huge congratulations to Ms. Fox and especially as a part of the student government here for the past 4 years, I just want to share a really quick experience I've had with Ms. Fox that really adds credence to her value of focusing on the students and really trying to better the district. When I first reached out to Ms.
061Fox, I was a nameless sophomore who she's never heard of before and I asked to meet with her after school to bring up some policy initiatives as well as some questions. She responded literally an hour later. I've never seen anyone respond so fast. And she stayed an entire hour and a half right after school to help answer my questions. And even in junior year when I was having issues applying for early college credits at our community college, she met with me regardless of how small the issue was. The issue of like early college credits for instance affects five people out of the 1,600 students we have at Ridge High School. But despite the fact that no bad or good could really come out of whatever we had to do in the meeting, she decided to
062meet with me. Not because she is so focused on just the results, but she's also focused on the value of uplifting my student voice as well as the voices of others in those community. I am so so so grateful to have her as our superintendent because she is someone who will offer a listening ear to everyone. >> Thank you, MJ. It's great to hear from the students' perspective. >> Robin. >> You just said it all right there. But congratulations, Kristen, and we look forward to working with you in your new role. >> Thank you. >> Keith. >> Yeah, I've served on the curriculum committee for I think going on 4 years now. So, I wrote a few things down so I would get it right. I do want to congratulate you Kristen. I wish you
063well in your upcoming tenure as superintendent. And you know, over the last 4 years we've we've had disagreements on aspects of the health curriculum, on notably the text sociology textbooks, but those were resolved in one way or the other, and I think in the end for the betterment of the district. And you know, there's a lot of people out there who are going to focus on those disagreements. There's actually been major items that we've been completely aligned on. And you just mentioned one of them, restoring focus in the district. Um as well as school start times, and you know, numerous points of everyday agreement that mostly fly under the radar. Um you know, it's these points of alignment along with my confidence in your work ethic, experience, and good intent for the district that led
064to my yes vote. Um now, that's not to say that we're going to never disagree in the future. I think we just spoke about that in the a little bit earlier, Nick. Um there may be times when we don't when we disagree. And there may be times I vote against your recommendations. And that's okay, cuz I hope it's the same relationship I had with Mr. Mark Herring. You know, where alignment is is possible even in disagreement, where we can have respectful discussion even when we don't agree. And that's always been kind of the approach I've taken to my seat on the board. Um and I do think those in the community who view that going against and voting against an administrator or teacher is disrespectful, I think that's misguided. Uh just as I think that
065those who feel that we can't work with those who we have certain points of disagreement, I think that's misguided, as well. So, uh I Kristen, I look forward working with you. I look forward to collaborating with you. And when need be, I look forward to uh debating you with you and maintaining a positive constructive constructive tension that I think in the end is the best for the betterment of the district and for our students. So, congratulations. Good luck. >> Thank you, Keith. >> Okay. With that, we uh will move to policy, which there are three items. >> Uh the policy committee, we met on April 9th, and uh it's pretty short report, but um uh we talked about the funding for current new athletic teams and extracurricular clubs. Uh want to make it clear the
066fee can be charged not just for high school and K-12, but there will be no exemptions for sports regardless of how much the sport costs. So, if a sport costs more than another sport, you know, there's they're not exempt from paying the fee. Uh another aspect uh with 5P 5513.1, uh it said all activity fees and other charges to pupils must be kept at a minimum and may not exceed the total direct and indirect costs of the total academic program budget. Uh So, basically uh the schools are going to should be keeping the school the student fees as low as possible. The total amount they charge can't be more than what it actually costs to run the program, whether that's an academic pro uh program or club activity or sport. And with the school calendar,
067the 2020 2027-28 school calendar, we didn't make any changes. Uh so, it's pretty much kept the same, but we did slightly revise the 2028-29 school calendar uh after talking to the Islamic Center of Basking Ridge, schools will be closed on February 14th, 2029 for Eid. So, that was after consulting them. And that's pretty much it. >> Dave. >> Yeah, so my maybe it's a question or comment, but just based on the comments earlier from um from the audience, I think it's worthwhile to revisit the policy just to make sure it's all buttoned up. I'm going to reread it myself, so I definitely think it's worthwhile to make sure we're addressing their questions. >> Yeah, I agree. I think that will be on there. >> I >> still say we can vote on the changes that
068we have, but we can make more if we need to. >> Robin. >> Yeah, I mean I agree. We keep trying to like fine-tune it to cover everything and the thing about like the portable, you know, devices was because there are people bring little tiny speakers can be really loud, you know, and people can bring them. So, we were trying to address the fact that like you can't just come bring your speaker and blast it. We weren't trying to like open up new noise. It's already happening and we're trying to like find a way to control it. So, I agree we could we can look at the wording of it again and stuff. That's fine. >> Mike. >> I was just going to say that is, you know, something we've been talking about for a
069while and it's really not easy wording. So, I do understand, you know, the neighbors' concerns. I also understand the athletes' concerns. It really is tough getting the wording down to have, you know, a proper policy where, you know, neighbors are going to be happy and, you know, athletes are going to be happy. You know, we've changed the wording a few different times, but it's something we're still working on. >> Keith. >> Yeah, a comment and then a question. Uh yeah, it is tough because there's so many different situations and so many types of nuances that you can't put enough language in these policies to cover every possible point of concern with the neighbors, which which I totally understand. My question and maybe I misheard it because I was looking through the policy and one of
070the one of the members of the public came up and asked about portable lighting. I I I didn't see that in the policy. I was reading through it and I I wasn't here last meeting, so maybe I missed discussion on it, but if is that a thing and is is there any anything in policy about that that I might have missed? >> So, I think that that was really just conceived of to recognize that there are times where portable lighting might be necessary around the field like we've we've lit up the space sometimes behind the home bleacher or behind the home bleachers with portable lights just to create a little bit more safety for events at night. Um so trying to recognize that when we're scheduling the lights off and on, it might not strictly
071just be the high lights over the field, the ones on the poles. >> Okay, so we weren't talking about uh portable lighting at like the softball field or anything like that for >> It it it could be anywhere. >> be from that too? Okay. >> Yeah, it could be anywhere. >> All right, should we maybe should think about language regarding that in the policy as well. >> Yeah. I I mean when you read the the section, it is about Lee Field lighting and supplemental portable lighting for special events. So I I think the most transparent thing is to recognize that you might have portable lighting somewhere else depending on what the event is. You know, I mean you're trying to get events done and and things held with the with the kids. It's possible that
072there's going to be lights on a field besides just Lee Field. >> Um so that actually is the third item um on policy. So it seems like you want to discuss it more. So does that mean we we >> I I would say if if the board sentiment is work on it some more, I wouldn't pass it on second reading. I mean you could pass it on second reading and start over and come back with a new first reading and a new second reading, but I would say just you know, I mean it's it's April, right? So you're really talking about things that are affecting waiting the next school year. So I would say just take it off to even vote, amend the vote for items one and two only >> Okay. >> and then
073we'll go back to the drawing board and try to tighten it up some more. >> Okay. All right, so um can I get a motion? Janice and Smerthey >> For items one >> For one and two. And a roll call. >> Ms. White? >> Yes. >> Dr. McCune? >> Yes. >> Mr. Molinari? >> Yes. >> Ms. Corrado? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shaw? >> Yes. >> Mr. Talbott? >> Yes. >> Mr. Amalanchick? >> Yes. >> Ms. Mohan? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Lefkowitz? >> Yes. >> Do we need We don't need to do a motion for three cuz we're We're tabling it. >> Yeah. If you I mean you voted on one and two. >> Okay, we voted on only one and two. Okay. Um okay, we're up to curriculum. I know there's a report. >>
074Yes. Uh the curriculum committee met on April 1st. We had six items for discussion. The first item was the summer curriculum project summaries. Ms. Fox provided an overview of the proposed summer curriculum projects for 2026. These include district-wide projects such as the artificial intelligence plan implementation for year two and work on the information literacy standards curriculum. Because budget allocations for curriculum writing were reduced by half in 2025 and are reduced again by half this year, supervisors have identified a limited number of essential projects in their specific content areas. Should additional funding be obtained, a second list of projects has been prioritized and will be considered. All of those projects are linked in the minutes. Uh we also had an an update on math criteria. Because school districts will not receive NJSL A adaptive scores until
075mid to late fall this year, program placement for advanced math four will be done in two phases. Mr. Comer will send an initial round of acceptance emails based on CogAT and spring MAP results before the school year begins. Once the district receives NJSLA adaptive test results from the state, a second round of notifications will be sent to the families of any additional students whose NJSLA adaptive math scores now qualify them for the program. For accelerated math, the criteria has been updated to remove the NJSLA adaptive component entirely for this year. The revised criteria is based on reviewing prior student metrics for comparable student enrollment. That information is also linked in the minutes. We also received an update on cursive handwriting in grades 4 and 5. Dr. Hunscher had convened a committee including teachers, special education
076supervisors, and occupational therapists to review the available resources for teaching handwriting in grades 4 and 5 as is now required by the state. The committee overwhelmingly recommends continuing to use Handwriting Without Tears, the program currently in use in grades K through 3. Teachers have requested training in late May after administration of the NJSLA adaptive, which will allow them to use the Handwriting Without Tears resources with their current students in preparation for full implementation in September. Supervisors shared that handwriting instruction will be differentiated as it currently is for students in grades K through 3. The cost for Handwriting Without Tears materials is $4,600 per building. The cost for training is $3,700 funded by the Title IIA federal grant for a total of 22,100 in total expenditures. Um, Ms. Fox also shared an update on the district's
077efforts to partner with Raritan Valley Community College for dual enrollment class credits. Curriculum supervisors of English language arts, math, social studies, and science continue to explore opportunities for courses offered at Ridge that can also be taken for dual enrollment credit at RVCC. Ms. Fox will update the committee as potential courses are identified. Further, the administrative team is working on a 1+1 program. This program will provide students with a pathway to earn 30 credits in their junior and senior year at Ridge and then complete their associate's degree at RVCC in their freshman year. The administrative team will continue to update the committee and the board about the progress. The goal is to offer this program beginning in September 2027. Uh, we also received an update on Bernards Township Education Foundation grants. Uh, teachers and administrators were
078invited by the BTEF to submit funding requests for educational projects or supplies not provided in the 2026-2027 school budget. The foundation's role is to supplement rather than supplant the resources the district provides. BTEF leadership met on April 2nd with a committee of teachers and administrators to review the submissions. They will meet again on May 1st to determine which projects will receive funding this year. Applicants will be advised of those decisions soon after. Um, we also received an update on the artificial intelligence plan. The AI committee is considering input from all stakeholders about their experiences during year one of the district's AI plan. This feedback will help to inform next steps including potential revisions to the AI plan, curriculum projects, and professional development for 2026-2027. Among the topics under consideration are consideration to change Chromebook distribution
079to students from grades five to grade six. Analysis and discussion of screen time usage at elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Revision of our curriculum in grades K to 7 to increase our focus on information literacy, digital literacy, and AI literacy. Ms. Fox will provide an update on the year two AI plan at the of the committee's September meeting. And the next curriculum committee meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 1st. >> Thanks. Does anyone have any questions for Janice? Okay. Uh next we're up to the wellness report. >> Yes. Wellness met on March 26th. We discussed two items. The first was a thrive program update. Ms. Hodak and Dr. Lazarevic shared an update on the success of the thrive program. Thrive is designed to help our at most our most at risk students with
080social, emotional, or mental health needs that impact academics. The program offers integrated support, direct interventions, case management, and wrap-around support services for students and their families. For the school, the program has improved attendance and all around academics. But the real success is the direct impact it has on the students. The program gives them the resources needed and a safe place to work through anxiety and stress. Cases case studies show an improvement of attendance in both WAMS and Ridge. In WAMS, one student missed 37 and a half days and was tardy 121 times during the 24-25 school year. The number of absences decreased to nine with 79 medically approved tardies in the 25-26 school year. Ridge had a case with 39 and a half absences and 23 tardies during the 24-25 school year. This student improved
081to 26 absences and three tardies. Another Ridge student was on the verge of dropping out. This student missed 50% of school and was tardy another 50% of the time when they were in school. By meeting with a Thrive counselor twice a week, they were able to stay in school, recover their class credits and grades, and are now on track to graduate with their class. Both Ms. Hudak and Dr. Lazevic shared letters from students telling how Thrive helped them and how grateful they are to be a part of the program. There are currently 18 students in the program at Ridge and 10 at WAMS. Four students have successfully exited the program. Students need to be recommended to the program and there is a waitlist. Thrive allows the district to have more control over the outcomes. Additionally,
082there is a cost savings with with our in-house program. Without the program, there are potentially three to five students that would need to be placed out of district. Most districts do have some type of program, either in-house or partnered with another organization, and there's a link to the the full presentation in the minutes. The second item was what we had a lot of talk tonight. It was about the Talk Kind and Restoring Focus events. So, Dr. Lazevic discussed a series of upcoming events. Um a power presentation centered around the Restoring Focus initiative. There are three events planned to help facilitate creating a unified culture between the middle school and the high school. The first is Talk Kind. While students are polite in person, they are using inappropriate language on devices with their friends. This presentation
083will help us understand how kids communicate on electronic devices. While impacting the high school the most, it is designed to involve the entire community and to reinforce that we must start teaching our children how to communicate using devices early on. That talk kind of presentation has already happened. That was on April April 7th. And I believe MJ mentioned that there is a video link to it. The next event will be restoring focus, dopamine, devices, and decision-making. This will focus on grades 6 through 12. It will help determine school policies around screen time and how screen time impacts learning. That event's going to be held tomorrow in the Rich Cafeteria. Uh there's a link to RSVP and more information with the flyers in the minutes. And the final discussion is balancing screen time. The focus here
084is on elementary school students and when and how they should be using screen time. Discussions will involve when to give students Chromebooks to bring home and when to introduce AI. There will continue to be ongoing discussions to create policy around these issues. Uh that event is going to be held in Cedar Hill Cafeteria on 5/20 at 9:00 a.m. So, that one is during the day. Uh and uh again, there's a there's a link to RSVP for that in the minutes. >> Does anyone have any questions for for Brett? Okay. Uh we're up to facilities and apps. Um do you have a I'm sorry, Janice. >> I'm sorry. Just have a comment. I really would love uh for people to come out tomorrow night. These um these groups and this restoring focus initiative is so important
085for our students and really talking about serious issues that affect not only the students themselves, but entire families. So, it's really would be great to see a lot of people come out. >> Thanks, Janice. Keith, give us a report for facilities. >> Yes, here's a report. Uh we met on Thursday, April 2nd. Uh first thing we went over was the work orders. Uh we the committee could be discussed work orders older than 90 days. Uh the majority are painting orders, so it's uh taking time for the painter to catch up with requests. It's kind of like you make a clean spot and you got to make another clean spot. Uh but Mr. Mickley's not concerned with the other work orders that are over 90 days as they're mainly smaller non-critical items or projects with materials
086on order. And having some professional services with the district now is one painter, one electrician, two HVAC workers, one plumber, one carpenter, and two general maintenance personnel in-house as opposed to contracting out is more efficient and it is saving the district money. And there was discussion about bringing some additional painters in over the summer. Um, we talked about our food service operations. We had Shawn Walsh in from Educate. Now, Educate helps a district manage its food service and maintenance contracts. Uh, Mr. Walsh gave an update on sales from Maschio's first year. Uh, Dave touched upon that in finance. Um, I'll go into a little bit more depth here. Operational improvements, especially at WAMS, they've led uh to year-to-year revenue uh improvements at that school. Operational improvements are still ongoing at the high school. However, year-to-year
087costs have also gone up. So, currently the district is not trending to meet our revenue guarantee. Uh, but again, that's not unusual for the first year. Uh, the committee discussed ideas with Educate to increase revenue, including uh grab-and-go options, uh increasing serving times, and creating food stations that are draws were ideas to be explored during Educate's next site visit. Other ideas discussed demonstrate to demonstrate to Maschio's opportunities for expanding sales were app app based ordering and expanding food sales during sporting events, uh being careful to avoid encroaching on events where booster clubs are already operating. Next, we talked about a a DEP grant for Eco Hub. Now, Eco Hub is a sustainable transportation initiative that is trying to make electric buses more attractive. Solar arrays, battery storage, and contractors will be paid for by a
088grant through the DEP with a potential for up to 80 kilowatts of power generation and storage. Uh, Mr. Rollo will explore this further. Again, Dave touched on this, but we selected an architect for long-range facility planning. Uh, there was discussion around various architects for approxi- approximately 12 capital projects. Uh, Bill and Jim ranked four choices all with extensive public school work and we decided upon USA Architects. Again, we talked about that in finance. Some construction project updates. Varsity Field. Now, Mr. McKinley and Jim have been pushing the contractor on the fields. Weather had been an issue and Mr. Royal, please correct me at the end if I if anything's been updated since I read this out, but the field was ready for play on Saturday April 4th. There was a parking map distributed showing fans
089where to park. The Township was, I'm not sure if they still are, letting us use parking at the engineering building which has a path to Varsity Field. War Memorial parking is also available for softball. Parking is going to be a challenge during working hours. Coordination between the athletic director contractors and parents has been emphasized as this will be a construction zone throughout the spring season. And the new turf field is scheduled to be ready to go mid-July. Some other projects, Mount Prospect roof, that's the punch list, that should be done by spring break. The direct install at Cedar Hill and Mount Prospect, Cedar Hill is happening as soon as possible. Mount Prospect is waiting on waiting on scheduling. And some construction 2026 projects, Ridge Track. The start date is right after school lets out. So,
090planning's underway for full activities if the project overruns into the fall season. Oak Street paving, paving lot on the Oak Street and Henry Street sides, that's a summer project. And thank you to the Township on doing shared service on the design of the project. Cedar Hill roof section should been starting during spring break. And direct install questions that are currently outstanding, still looking into the numbers for the Oak Street direct install. And we'll be meeting again on May 7th. Uh, did anything update since we had met? >> Uh, yeah, no, the only um, slight update is is the Ridge Track start date. We've we've kind of confirmed the schedule that given the amount of cure time needed for that track that um, it will be ready uh the first couple of weeks into September. So,
091it'll spill a little bit into the fall season. We'll have to shuffle around that. Um that's the only update schedule-wise. >> Thank you. >> Anyone have questions for Keith? Janice. >> Yes, the Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council met with Mr. Marcarian and the administrative team on March 30th. Several items were discussed. Among them, dates for elementary conferences, recognizing that the confluence of teachers convention, Thanksgiving holidays, teacher in-service, and elementary conferences creates a difficult November for elementary families. The district plans to move the fall in-service dates to September and October, and elementary conference dates to October 26th, 27th, 28th, which will accommodate evening conferences, and 29th for the '26-'27 school year. Uh we also discussed school funding advocacy. In response to requests from the school community, Mr. Marcarian shared the resolution passed by this board at its
092March 23rd meeting. PTO and PEC presidents will be reaching out to parents to share information so that they can call or email New Jersey legislators regarding school funding. Please contact your school's PTO or PEC president for additional information. The next Parent Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 18th. >> Were there any other liaison? Mike. >> I met with the Municipal Alliance uh about 2 weeks ago, and just two I think important announcements. Monday, May 11th, uh 6:00 to 8:00 at the Bernards Township Library. Uh it's really interesting documentary called Angst, and it brings attention uh to living with anxiety, utilizing the voices of kids, teens, parents, educators, and mental health experts. The documentary screening will be accompanied by a guided discussion. So, I uh encourage it. I think it would be a really
093a good program. And also, again, I've been saying this for a while, but 36th annual Pleasant Valley Twilight Challenge 5K for the Municipal Alliance is scheduled for Sunday, June 7th, uh 2026 at Pleasant Valley Park. So, sign up. It's really cheap. It's only 20 bucks right now. So, it's a great cause, and you can come race me. So, come. >> Thanks, Mike. Brett. >> Sure. The Somerset County Educational Services Commission met on April 1st, um had their board meeting, and there's two notable things that we discussed. The first is they're moving forward with uh plans to build a cafe in their school. Uh Uh initially, it's just going to be for students to eat at, but they plan to expand that into uh a full teaching model where students will learn how to cook food
094and and serve the food as well. Uh the other notable item was they are moving forward with a um C-BAT program internally for elementary school students. Um and that's not off the ground yet, but they're starting to launch that and do the initial work for that. >> I think that's it for liaison reports. Uh with that, we're up to public comment on non-agenda non-agenda items. If anybody has anything, come on down, sign in, and state your name and address. >> Good evening. Uh Frank Klaus owns Court again. Um I was surprised to learn at the last BOE meeting that GLP-1 medications are a primary driver of our rising healthcare costs. At $14,000 per user annually, even modest utilization creates a massive budget impact. We're definitely seeing its consequences already. We have a projected 10% workforce
095reduction, that's about 45 teachers, over 3 years. So, we got to ask, how many people are using these and at what total cost? When was the last drug utilization review by our pharmacy benefits manager and what were their recommendations? Other New Jersey districts are implementing common sense guardrails without eliminating the benefits. Some of these include limiting coverage to clear medical needs, such as diabetes, requiring lifestyle program participation, evidence that the medication is working in order to continue coverage, and prioritizing generic generics. That could save up to $10,000 per person. This isn't about stripping benefits. It's about sustainability of the program. I urge the board and union leadership to collaborate on these adjustments to protect teachers' jobs as well as taxpayers. Making these changes would allow for more people in the union, which means more teachers
096for our children. To our teachers, please ask your union representatives for reasonable GLP-1 requirements. The job you might save may be your own. Finally, I urge the board, please take caution before committing to the SHBP, that's the State Health Benefits Program. That would lock us into these rising costs for an additional 5 years. This is ultimately about balance, protecting the benefits of the teachers, protecting the teachers' jobs themselves, while ensuring that our district remains financially viable. I hope we can approach it that way together. Thank you. >> Annika Forzani Don Drive. Um, just as a parent who's been to a lot of board meetings, I just wanted to say that the day that I got the email from Mr. Markarian and that he was going to be leaving our district, um, I felt very down.
097I felt very down for a week or more. Um, and spoke to a lot of people who felt the same way. Um, I just felt that, um, Mr. Markarian, you were a very rational, um, student-centered, intelligent, uh, approach throughout all of everything I've seen in all the board meetings. It was something I really appreciated as I know, uh, many of the parents, most of the parents in our district did as well. So, I really felt it was going to be a great loss and I still feel it would be a great loss, but I will say that my spirits were lifted this week when I um, saw on the board agenda that, Ms. Fox, that you're going to be taking over. I think it's really fantastic to have that continuity. I think your experience is
098amazing. Um, my limited interactions with you have been nothing but positive, um, and I have heard similar comments from everybody who has had interactions with you and it was great to hear the student, um, comments as well. So, I really feel extremely grateful that you're taking on this position. I'm also grateful to the board, everyone on the board who voted yes. Um, so I just want to thank you and thank you for stepping up and good luck. Congratulations. >> Nancy LeClaire, Peachtree Road. First, congratulations, Kristen. Um, second, thank you for listening to our concerns and re-looking at the language, um, for the policy for the field use. When you see, um, privately owned sound equipment, you your hackles get raised because that does that sounds very different than, um, a Bluetooth speaker. It sounds a
099little more, um, perhaps an organization buy buys it and then uses it on the field for multiple teams. So, that was a concern. We also went to Turkey Brook, which was recommended to visit for the field lights and we saw what portable lights look like and sound like and that's very concerning. So, I would urge caution with the language you use regarding portable lights because we don't want to open Pandora's Box with the use of those lights on our fields. Um, I would like to get some clarification what the next steps are. So, there was a first reading for that policy. Now, is there a first reading for an updated policy or is it a second reading? And also, where would the public see that policy prior to coming to the meeting. Um, the other,
100um, thing is short-term, could we please look at the volume of the PA at Lee Field right now, particularly for moms for the lacrosse games and also for varsity field. Um, you all voted on my retirement this evening and so I am not riding off into the sunset to, um, Montana, but I would like to spend some time in my yard and and do some gardening, so I would like it livable. So, thank you and if you can just clarify the policy, I would appreciate it. >> Anyone else? >> Hi, I'm Vanessa Han Montag. 41 Essex Place. Uh I just wanted to thank and commend the board for such an excellent selection of our next superintendent. It was news to me. It was really pleasing news and I know I'm not alone. I know a
101lot of people share my view. Just um being delighted that we were able to find someone from within the district who's thoroughly familiar with our district and our schools and already has a proven track record of dedication and commitment and extensive knowledge of our community and our schools and our needs and you know, it's not an easy act to follow up on to continue what Nick has done so capably for all these years. So, we're excited and um just want to thank you again for your service and for making such an excellent choice um of someone who's navigated through some challenging days and always done so above board and made clear that she's always had our students' best interests at heart. So, thank you and we'll miss Nick, but we look forward to seeing how
102uh Kristen continues to shepherd us in the days ahead. So, thank you. And good luck. Anyone else? Okay, with that I will close public comment and that brings us to board forum. Does anybody have Did you want to Nick, do you want sorry. Did you want to comment on anything? >> Uh sure. So, uh GLP-1's interesting issue. Um what school districts public school districts in New Jersey are required to do as it relates to their health benefit programs. Uh even those programs that are not part of the state health benefits plan and and the obligations that um the districts have to to mirror those are some of the challenges confronting um I think really lawmakers going forward in looking at um the program. So, we'll see where that where that goes. Um with respect to
103um the comments about, you know, out with the old and in with the new. Um thank you for Thank you for your kind words. Um Yeah, no, I I think it's it's amazing. Um Kristen's tremendous. Um I would just say to you, um don't be afraid to find the smartest people you can to help you with the job. Uh and try not to make me look too bad. Uh the policy for the athletic field and the sound systems and so on, when um when we don't vote to approve a second reading and we go back to the drawing board with the policy committee, we have to start over with a new first reading. So, we'll we'll work on that and when it's ready, we'll come back for a first reading and then that has to
104get approved on second reading before it's finished. So, we'll start over there. Uh That's it. Thanks. >> Thank you. Board forum. >> Yeah, um I thought it was interesting and I maybe I just caught a little bit of a theme tonight throughout uh you mentioned the restoring focus um meeting tomorrow. We talked in curriculum about um pushing Chromebooks possibly from 5th to 6th grade. Uh there uh new handwriting uh guidelines coming into um the elementary schools. Uh Internet literacy was part of what we talked about in curriculum. You know, we talked about we talked about uh wellness, too, some of these aspects. So, it's like it's it's a theme going throughout everything we're talking about right now. Uh rethinking the approach to electronics. Um not but but not being luddites and make making sure our
105students are prepared for the digital world. It's a I thought it was an interesting night tonight cuz I saw I saw the same theme throughout different uh different reports, different aspects of the school district. And uh I don't I just wanted to comment on that and also talk about the elementary schools. It was nice to see them up here. Um we talk almost not exclusively, we talk the majority of what we talk about is at Ridge High School, which, you know, that's right cuz that's the capstone of of everything we do. But the elementary schools are the cornerstone, so it was nice to see the little kids up here. >> Anyone else? Okay, then. Can I get a motion to adjourn? Brett and Janice. Good night, everyone.