Board of Education Meeting - Public Session - 5/21/26

001meeting of the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education. Mr. Carrick, would you please take the roll call? >> Board member Jeff Bennett. >> Board member Dear Jab Brown, >> here. >> Board member Elizabeth Callahan >> here. >> Board member Meredith Higgins >> here. Board member Bibl Capedia, >> board me board president Will Meer >> here, >> board member Malan Nyar >> here, >> board member Shaina Sacka Gable, >> board member Paul Stefen. We have a quorum. >> Very good. Uh, please stand if you are able for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Oh, you guys got it. All right. >> Please take notice. Adequate notice of

002this meeting was sent on January 6, 2026 from the office of the secretary of the board to the Maplewood and South Orange Township clerks and the editors of the news record star ledger tap into Soma and the Village Green. Uh we have an exciting meeting this evening. We are going to be celebrating retirement of numerous devoted members of our staff. We also have very exciting uh committee reports and other things we're going to do. But first, we have a uh performance by the Clinton Elementary School fifth grade chorus led by Miss Rebecca Jacobson. Thank you. We're excited to be here tonight. There's a lot going on in the town and in the district. So, I'm very uh grateful for these fifth grade students joining us tonight. We're going to open with a song, a Congolese

003folk song called Banana. They will sing it in a three-part round. I do see it. Came banana cheese. Jack doan I Yeah. Banana. nail. I do enough. Can I help? We have one more song for you tonight. It is the song Kiss the Sky from the movie The Wild Robot. What happened? Oops. Hi here. Can I get a photo from you guys? That was fantastic. Thank you so much to uh Clinton Elementary School for that fantastic musical performance. Uh we are now going to move on to uh one of our favorite but also very bittersweet events which is recognition uh of folks who are retiring from the district. Uh this evening we are honoring a total of 18 retirees for the 2526 school year. uh they have served a total of 426 years of service

004altogether uh and uh have touched countless uh the lives of countless students uh over that time. So uh I'm going to turn it over to you Mr. Bing to uh tell us the full list of who we're honoring tonight. >> I tried to Google I put in Google today things that last for more than 426 years. Nothing came up. was zero. I take that back. A shark from Greenland came up who lives to 450 years sometimes. That is it. So this is truly unbelievable. I want to read the total list off before we start acknowledging our folks that attended tonight. Uh first off from S Soom, I want to acknowledge Linda Bella. Uh 28 years in the district. Uh from Marshall from Marshall. Deborah Balor, 25 years in the district. From Seth Bdon, Susan Brody,

00520 years in the district. Oops. From Clinton, Vanetta Budu, 24 years in the district. from SM South Mountain. Vernell Conjurs 22 years in the district. for Daily class increasingly forcing teachers to hands and foreign. do want you to quickly look around this room. Um these are the faces of colleagues who have shared laughter, tears, have carried you through long weeks and swapped countless and countless stories about what happened to them uh during a day, during a lesson. Uh and more importantly, I want you to think about the thousands of invisible faces. Um the students and lives who these individuals have touched. uh hundreds of thousands. I have a privilege of seeing our district from a bird's eye view. And from where I stand, I can tell you that the heart of our schools doesn't live

006in brick and mortar of our buildings or in the pages of our curriculum. It lives in you. Uh it is our staff. It is our personnel that carries this district. Um when we see folks leaving after long careers, um there is a sense of sadness. there is a sense of gratitude. Um there is also a sense of exhilaration for those moving on to their next chapter. Um I guarantee uh as a former elementary teacher and someone who just had a couple of their students reach out on >> okay >> on a social media platform to remind him of how old he was. >> You are leaving a legacy behind. >> Uh it can't be measured through test scores. It can't be measured through mile retirement milestones. It could be measured by the impact you've had

007on your children. Uh that legacy is woven into the very fabric of this community. >> It is why families move here at a rapid rate and why they stay here. >> It is why our children become doctors, artists, parents, and kind human beings. It is because of your inspiration and motivation and most importantly uh your modeling. Um, so I wish you a few things on your next chapter. Um, may you rest physically, mentally. Just rest. May you rediscover things that you may not have seen because you've been working day and night on weekends because this is a tedious and hard job. Uh, and may you remember on those quiet days, please remember that you mattered, that you changed the world, that you made the choice not to work in a cubicle, right? You made the

008choice to jump into a very difficult profession so you can impact our future. And you where their influence stops from the bottom of the school district. We thank you. We welcome you to deeply and we wish you the most joyful. So, we are are so grateful to have seven of our retirees uh present uh and able to be honored specifically tonight. Uh and for the first, I'd like to uh bring up to the microphone uh Maplewood Middle School principal Derek Grenell. Good evening. >> Good evening. Um, I would like to call up Lauren Quinn to honor her. Lauren Quinn. Um, I was thinking of the word that I would best associate with her and what immediately came to mind is unflapable. Um, and that is a really important um, it's really important to be that

009person in a middle school. Um, if I can be corny. Um, she was a science teacher retiring as a science teacher out of 8th grade, but began her career with our sixth graders. So, a little corny science term. She really truly is our thermostat, not our thermometer. She really is always even. She's always calm. Um, always so kind to the kids. Um, and sometimes middle schoolers aren't their best. They feel big feelings. They they come in with different moods and every single day you've got the same Miss Quinn patient with them. Um, doing things to engage them. She has the eighth graders. There are seniors of the building. Um, and she knows how to get the best out of them. Um, and meet them where they are. And that's the kind of you want your

010child to have, especially your middle schooler when they're going through so much. um she knows our kids, she knows our community. She met grandm babies in one of our elementary schools. I remember and so she really always approached her her job with that kind of love as a community member as someone wanting to do just the right kids she would want for her grandbaby. So I thank you Lauren. You're a beautiful human being. You deserve a beautiful We're gonna get our steps in tonight. right here. Yellow. Three, two, one. Thank you. For our next honore, we'd like to welcome uh principal of Marshall Elementary School, Laura Siberius. I think Miss Baller was joining us virtually. I was told they bring >> Do we have her on screen? >> She's not on. Okay. Can I just

011share her? >> All right. She's not on right now. >> We're recording this. She'll get it. >> But I do want to share a few words about Deb. So, our retiree from Marshall is Miss Deb Aller. And Miss Baller is retiring after 24 years of dedicated service to the South Orange Maplewood School District. She began her career at Dillia Balden Elementary in 2001. And Deb spent the majority of her time in fourth grade teaching math, science, and social studies. Deb is just so inspiring. She is so upbeat. She's the warmest, kindest individual and she's incredibly creative. I think the one thing that everyone remembers about Deb who really has worked closely with her and knows her is her excitement. And we hear this a lot in education. This is so true about Deb, her excitement

012for learning. Every new Hi. every new topic, every new concept. She was so excited to teach her students and so excited for everything they had to share. She was frequently, which we don't always get a chance to do anymore, doing creative side projects, plays and and role plays and craft activities to go with every concept for math, social studies, and science. And she's just a joy to work with. She's a compassionate and kind human being. And even though she couldn't be here with us tonight, I just want everyone to honor Deb in her move on to her next adventure. And we wish her all the best in her retirement. She has earned it. Thank you everybody. >> Thank you. For our next honore, I'd like to invite up uh principal of Columbia High School, Frank

013Sanchez, and Supervisor Dr. Ramon Robles and Student Representative Scarlett Strog. >> Good evening. So we're c we're gathering here today to celebrate our retries. I'm I'm here to celebrate someone truly special, Mrs. Lopez Roth Roth Lope. It is both an honor and an emotional moment for me to speak about Rotho because our journey together spans many years. First as colleagues teaching Spanish together in this district, later as a supervisor working side by side in support of students, teachers, and our school community. Rotho is an exceptional educator in every sense of the word. Anyone who has had the privilege of walking into her classroom knows immediately that it is not simply a Spanish class. It is an experience. Observing Rutho teach is like immersing yourself in a world where Spanish truly comes alive. Students are actively

014using the target language, engaging in meaningful conversations, discussions, debating complex and challenging topics, and learning to express their opinions with confidence. At the same time, there is always respect, warmth, and a sense of belonging in her classroom. Her lessons are engaging, dynamic, and intellectually rich. Students are challenged. They are also students are challenged, but they are also supported and inspired. Rotho has mastered the art of making students feel capable, empowered, and excited to learn. And the results speaks for themselves. Year after year, her students achieve extraordinary success in the AP Spanish language and culture exam. Many years, a 100% of her students pass the exam. An accomplishment that reflects not only her expertise and preparation, but also the high expectations and care she brings to every single student. In education, we often hear people say

015that when you feel overwhelmed or exhausted, you should observe an elementary classroom because it will remind you why you became an educator. Honestly, that is exactly how it feels to observe Rotho teach. Watching her interact with students, seeing how deeply engaged in conversation they are, hearing authentic conversations taking place in Spanish, it energizes you. It reminds you of the Yoi purpose and beauty of teaching. But Rotho Rothio's impact extends far beyond the classroom. As a president of the teachers union, she has been fearless advocate for her colleagues. She has always fought with integrity, fairness, and courage. Yet through every difficult conversation and every challenge, one thing always remains clear. For Rotho, students come first. To her, nothing matters more than doing what is best for students. that that belief has guided every decision she has

016made and every role she has taken on. On a personal note, Rotho, I want to say how grateful I am for you. You have been a wonderful colleague, an outstanding staff member and a friend. I am deeply saddened to see you leave because your presence has meant so much to all of us. At the same time, I am genuinely happy for you as you begin this new chapter of your life. I hope retirement brings you the time and joy you deserve. More time with your family here in the United States, but in with your family in Spain. I am sure they are looking forward to seeing more of seeing you more often, sharing meals, laughter, celebrations, and enjoying beautiful moments together both here and in Malaga. And perhaps that is the perfect way to end.

017In English, we say retirement, a word that sometimes likes sounds like being set aside. But in Spanish, we say hubilion, a word connected to jubilee, joy, and happiness. And that feels much more appropriate for someone like Rotho. Rotho, thank you for your dedication, your passion, your leadership, your friendship, and the countless lives you have touched throughout your career. Congratulations on your hubathon. You have earned every moment of happiness ahead. My name is Scarlett Strogov and I'm honored to serve as the student representative representative to the board of education. But tonight I have the privilege of standing before you not just as a representative but as a student. one who has genuinely been changed by the teachers we are celebrating tonight. I want to speak about someone who I can only describe as a true force

018of nature, Senora Lopez. I walked into her classroom barely able to construct a proper sentence in Spanish. And I'm not exaggerating. And somewhere in that classroom, something happened to me. not just linguistically but personally because Senora Lopez never just taught Spanish. She built a Spanish-speaking community in that room. She created a space where you could stumble over your words, laugh about it, try again, and feel completely at home and supported doing all three. She has this incredible gift for making joy contagious. Her classroom felt like a space where ideas could breathe. She didn't just teach us to conjugate verbs. In fact, we spent very little time focusing on grammar. She taught us to think in another language and to see the world differently because of it. To hold space per for perspectives that weren't our

019own and to articulate them in Spanish. That is not a small thing. That is, in my opinion, one of the most important things a teacher can ever do. And somehow it worked. And I know it worked because in the beginning I didn't know how to speak Spanish in the past tense. And right now I am reading labrevio de Oscar wow by huno Diaz in Spanish. But beyond the classroom, Senora Lopez is a fighter. She fights for her students when no one is watching. She fights her for her colleagues. She fights for the p people she loves with everything she has. And she does it all with her heart completely on her sleeve. There is no performance in her advocacy or her care for her students. It is just who she is. That kind of teacher

020doesn't come around often. That kind the kind that always has their door open during their free periods. The kind who makes you feel seen. The kind who makes the classroom feel alive. And the kind who sends you out into the world genuinely better equipped. Not just with academic skills, but with character. Senora Lopez. I'm a better student, a better thinker, and a better person because of you. This community is richer because you choose you chose to give your career to it. And while tonight we celebrate your retirement, I think I can speak for every student whose life whose life you touched when I say Yeah, >> my god, I'm so humbled to to follow uh both both Rammon Robles, an incredible colleague of mine, and Scarlett Shrog, one of our great students. Um, I just

021want to I want to thank Rosio for two ways. First, as a teacher, and then as an as as a adversary. I don't know what the word is. A as a teacher. I just want to say I I've worked in several districts and I mean this Shira Pash Dallas I don't mean this in a bad way. I've worked with many unions and associations and I will say sometimes association leaders are not the best educators just saying that out loud. And sometimes they become leaders in the association because they've been dinged or something with with with by by administrators or what have you. I I observed's class. I I go to her class all the time because she yells at me and then she makes me go talk to her at her office, not mine. And

022I cannot tell you what an incredible instructor she is. She's a fabulous fabulous teacher. And and I said, "Oh, I I can't believe you're such a great teacher." and you're an association president. I've said that several times and she she really is incredible as as Scarlet has mentioned. So, I don't have to talk to that much about it. I will say as an adversary with love, I grew up in a two-bedroom apartment with six people growing up. My dad, myself, and four women, Latina women, my grandmother, my mother, and my two sisters. And my dad would always say, "We're a bunch of privates living in a sergeant's household." And we would listen to these women. Rosio, you're like a sister because you tell me what to do. And I will say we we have had

023many serious engagements. But what I want to just mention is that every single engagement that we had, it wasn't about teachers first. It was always about students underneath. And I thank you for that because the love that you have for education and the love that you have for the craft of education is so rare sometimes and I really appreciate it. And even though I think I may have won, no, I I've lost more than I've won. We've always talked about kids and about the great teachers that we have. at Columbia High School and of course for this whole district and I appreciate all that passion. Um uh I I look forward for your I I could not be more proud of you for your retirement although we will miss you greatly at Columbia High School.

024So we thank for your work >> quicker than you are. >> I have the mic. >> Set the cameras off, please. I've got something to say. Cameras off. >> I have I have the mic without time limit. For once in my life. >> Three minutes. >> I've been waiting 25 years to do this. >> Yeah. Never. No. Not now. For as much time as I can. And look, I can even move around. Um, no, I actually didn't think about what I will say today because at the end of the day, and I don't know how to look at all of you. I think I should go this way. Um, at the end of the day, retirement is something that is happy, but at the same time, it's kind of sad. is is that moment where

025you are changing a period of your life and going to another right another cycle and it has been a ride but I want to tell you all that being a person from another country and coming to the United States and coming here to South Orange and Maplewood school district this has been my home it's hard to find a home when you live in another country and this has been my home. So, as much as I'm happy because I'm not going to lie to you, I was tired of being president already. The teaching is not the problem. The problem I'm sorry, Sher, the problem is, you know, the other fight that you have to have and I needed to find another way to keep moving with my life and enjoy it. Um, you have been my

026family and I'm living my family. So hopefully I'll be super happy and hopefully things will be for the right reason. And especially I want you today to meet my other family. You have my kids over there and my granddaughter and my ex. And this is the people. Yes. Because we get along that way. Um and and so you guys know one of the reasons we're excess is because of my job as president. So let we all have to take it. Uh I had spent too many hours, you know, at work. Um but this is the people that have made the sacrifices with me. So I just wanted to name them because you're here for three years, maybe six. I have been president for nine years. So the sacrifices that these individuals have to made for

027this community and for all my colleagues and our students, it was great. So, thank you so much to everyone. You will have a little part of my my heart. Um, okay. Thank you. I think you Sorry, my family of the union, they're here, too. Shira, Patrice, Dallas, Jesse, Lori, Jessica, you know, I I hope I didn't forget anyone. Thank you for coming. And my two students that are here also. >> Okay. For our next honore, I'd like to please uh call up to the microphone uh president uh principal of the South Orange Middle School, Dr. Lynn Herby Hill. Good evening. Good evening. It is an honor and a privilege to wish my friend Lisa McFersonson um a happy retirement. Uh she's been in this district for 25 years. Um she was our incredible art teacher.

028So she was here when I first came in the district and I can't say enough about you. I'm going to talk directly to you. Um but also I guess to everyone else. Um one of the things that I love about Lisa is that she embraced everything that we were trying to do at South Orange Middle School. She her classroom was a space where every child could feel safe. She was perhaps she embraced being a culturally responsive teacher the most through her art. She explored new artists from across the African diaspora to everywhere in the world to introduce that to her children to the children in her classroom. uh when we began COVID and my ELA teacher and the math teacher and everyone's putting packets together, it was Lisa who said, "We won't forget about art."

029And she herself packed up about 250 art supply bags for the students and they were able to come and get it. Um the jewelry that you see her wearing is something that I admire because she makes her jewelry. So, how blessed and honored I was when she came in one day and handed me a piece. There is one project that we have yet to do, and I'm going to put her on the spot because she won't say no in front of everyone. We said that we were doing a schoolwide South Orange Middle School quilt where every student would have their family would have a piece of artwork that they would create and we were going to stitch it together. And every year we were gonna watch it grow and grow and she's also a seamstress.

030She's an in she can sew like she makes everything. Um she's gonna make my costumes for Black History Month next year. Um because the relationship that we have at South Orange Middle School doesn't stop. When we say we are Smrong and we are a family, we mean it. She lives close by, so she will hear my calls. I'll make sure I'll call and say good morning South Orange Middle School family. just so she feels connected. But I love you and I don't say that lightly. I thank you for all that you have given to our children, to our staff, for embracing new staff. Every time they came in, we could send them to you. And I wish you the best of everything. 25 years is a lot, but our relationship and your relationship with South

031Orange Middle School will never end. And I thank you. Is it? >> It's on. >> Okay. Um I just want to say um I started in uh September 2001. So uh and I would had been teaching in a charter school for two years before that. So that was quite the initiation to teaching in South Orange. Um and it was very impactful I've loved about teaching in this district is when I in conversation people say I I'm a teacher and they where do you teach and I say South Orange Maplewood. the number of times that they said, "Oh, that's that art district." And that just meant so much to me that that's what we are and were and I hope continue to be known for is our support of the arts. Um, a friend asked me

032the other day, um, what's what's one of your favorite moments you remember from teaching? And I had, you know, there's just like so many that stand out, but the one that I that finally popped into mind. And I said it was that student who at the end of the trimester quarter or whatever said to me, "I never knew I could be good at art." And and that's really what it's about. I also want to say I was on the interview committee for Miss Herby. So So yes, we have been together from her beginning. So anyway, thank you so much for love. >> Thank you. All right. Count three, two, one. Thank you. >> Thank you. And now I will ask Dr. Irby Hill to come back to the microphone. So as A ask a president,

033I also have the honor of speaking on behalf of one of our members, Miss Raquel Horn. Um, Raquel was here. She's looking like what? Um, she's been in the district how many years? 16. So, she was here before I came. But I want to say that one of the first people to embrace me in ASCA and as a fellow administrator was Raquel. I was able to call her at any time, text me, what do you need? What do you need? so many fabulous ideas and things that you've done with the children at Marshall School. Your morning announcements, if anyone knows, I can say it now that I got all of my ideas for my morning announcements from you. Um because the children were involved and that's one of the things that I think brought you

034and I together is because we always put children first no matter what was going on. Um, again, I'm so happy for you when I just embraced you there and you said retirement feels good. So, I'm happy that you are enjoying it. I thank you for how you have blessed my life. Um, this is obviously not goodbye because you and I are who you and I are and that is always going to continue. And you are an amazing educator. Don't ever doubt that. You're an amazing woman. You're an amazing individual. I love you. Even if I could just have two minutes, I just like to say my time here in South Orange Maplewood started in 2009 as assistant principal at Seth Boyden and I worked with a great principal Mark Keelis and had a great time

035working with Shaina Sackett as well. um 2018 I became principal at Marshall and I love my time there. I love my students. I love working with Laura Swiper. I thought she was wonderful. And I remember when I was going to Mar to Marshall, people were saying, "They're going to give you a hard time. They're heavily unionized. You're not going to have a great time over there." And after one month, I said, "I love the union. I I love Sher. I love Patrice. They're great. Um, they became my people over there. I will always love you, too. I will always love you, Laura. I will always love my students and my parents over there in the Marshall community. And I know I've been tired. Miss Horn retired. Principal Horn retired in October. And I've been tired.

036But I promise my students, if you're watching, more videos are coming. I used to do cultural arts videos for the kids to celebrate um every holiday because I wanted all my students to be seen. I promise more videos are coming. I will forever love you all. Thank you. It's Come on. >> Step back. If I can see you, you can see me. I can see you here. And on the count of three, two, one. Big smile. Thank you. And next I'd like to ask to come up to the mic uh from South Mountain Elementary School uh principal Kevin Mason and assistant principal Anthony Cena. Yeah. >> Good morning. >> I got you a chair. All right. Good evening everyone. I didn't think I was going to make it today because I'm also the coach of

037the high school golf team. We won today. We have a 3 and 0 season. So hopefully we will be varsity next year. So I invited Mr. Cena, my trusty assistant principal. So you're going to speak because I made you come all the way here on crutches. And I'm also going to have Miss Jacobs speak, the former principal of South Mountain. So I'm actually gonna let Miss Jacob speak first. >> Gail. So I don't know if everybody knows this, but um Miss Fergella was my teacher when I was in fourth grade at South Mountain School at the time. I think you must have been just out of college. Maybe it was like your first or second class. and you were really fun, a really fun teacher. And when I came back to South Mountain as principal,

038it was a very strange thing to be the principal of your former teacher because I don't didn't know who was in charge and you know, Gail won. She was in she's in charge. Um, but congratulations. Thank you for all that you've done for me as a student, for all the students of South Mountain, for your colleagues, for the families. I wish you all the best in this next chapter. I thought I was escaping this when he showed up, but um but I have to say working at South Mountain over the past four years, um our our culture of of family very similar to you have at S, we have that at at SMS. A big part of that, especially because she's been there, sorry, over three decades. Um, she has really become South Mountain. She

039is what epitomizes uh our school. Friendly, always smiling, never angry, treats every kid fairly and friendly. Um, anytime I went Miss Schaefer Galla's room, she's doing something with kids. Exciting. And then on the personal side, we get to share a lot of stories about our families. We both are, you know, Maplewood kids that grew up here. We have similar friends in circle. So, you're going to be really missed for sure. Um, and irreplaceable for sure. So, I wish you luck with your next adventure and uh good luck. So being a principal is a very difficult job. Um walking into a school building where you don't know anybody and your first year also being COVID makes it even more difficult. But one thing I can always say about Miss Schaefer Gallow when we were on Zoom

040meetings, we would always end the meeting on is there anything for the good of the order? And without a doubt, Miss Schaefer Gallow's hand would go up and it became a joke with us. Like every time I say it, I just looked at Miss Schaefer Gallow on the screen and I knew she had something to share. But like Mr. Cenior say, South Mountain is a family and not many principles and teachers get along and can have conversations. But I knew I could always go in Miss Schaefer Gallow's class and just sit and talk and laugh and talk about nothing that had to do anything with school. I don't know what kind of energy Miss Schaefer Gallow had. I wish he could bottle it up and give it to me. But she was always in a

041good mood. She was always smiling and she was always happy. And not many teachers invite the principal to their classroom. But Miss Vagalla would come in. Mr. Mason, what are you doing at 11 o'clock? Come to my classroom. And I would go in there and the kids would be doing something crazy, putting stuff together. But I always appreciated her inviting me into her classroom and I would walk in and the couple hours later I was like you can meet for your post. Like she would not stop doing her work if I had an observation because I would always be in her classroom. So Miss Sha, I appreciate you as a teacher. I appreciate you as a person. I'm going to miss you and just let me know when you're sub subcertified so you can come

042back and help out. But there's a piece of South Mountain missing now that you're not going to be there. So congratulations. Enjoy your retirement. Get outside, travel, have fun, but you will be missed. Okay. Thank you. Another one of my former students. a few words. >> I'm going to but >> I'll just raise my hand. >> So, I grew up in I'll stand here too. >> Oh, right, right, right. Um, so I grew up in this community, graduated, came back, and I was at South Mountain my whole career. Um, so many great memories. Amazing that Alina was one of my students and then became my principal. And it was kind of weird at first, but it worked out. It was fine. Um, and then of course I see some of my former students and then

043there are some other people that I've taught that have come back and subbed. One of the most special things about this is I still hear from former students. In fact, I just heard from a student uh a couple weeks ago reaching out. I don't know if you remember me. Of course I remember you. Oh, and yesterday I um had lunch with a teacher and she went to a mommy and me group and she said, "Oh, do you remember Alyssa?" and I won't say her last name, but do you remember? Yeah, I taught her. Well, she remembers you because she was the leader of my meeting today. So, um it makes me and she said such kind words and it makes me feel really special and proud that I've had the opportunity to make an impact

044on so many people and so many little children grew up to be amazing adults. And I know I tell my students at the beginning of every year that one day when you become the important person that I know you will be, just remember I am and will always be one of your biggest fans. And I say that to my students every year. And um I'm really lucky to have been a teacher for this long. And it's this is really bittersweet, really hard, but thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. A little bit more. Three, two, one. And I'd like to again turn the mic over to uh Mr. Mason and Mr. Cec. online. >> I can start. >> Yeah, go ahead. Yes, please. >> Okay. Miss Conurs is online. So, I have

045a very funny story about Miss Conurs. Um because I had never known Miss Conurs and I went to a professional development at Montlair State >> and we're in a conference room. We're eating lunch and this woman walks up to me and she's like, "Are you Mr. Mason?" And I'm like, "Yes." She's like, "There's a posting for a job as principal of South Mountain." I was like, "I don't want to be the principal of South Mountain." And she's like, "You really should apply to be the principal of South Mountain." So I go home and I was like, "I met this strange lady at the conference today and she told me to apply for the principal of South Mountain." My wife's like, "Apply for the job." So, I applied for the job. And I'm here today wishing

046Miss Conjurs a happy retirement. So, I say all that to say, when Miss Conjurs was at South Mountain, she was an excellent math and science fifth grade teacher. I would always go into class and joke around with her because I was a I'm a former math and science teacher. So, I used to always go in her class and always bother her and work with her. And just like Miss Schaefer Gallow, Miss Conurs is going to be missed. And it's going to be another part of South Mountain that's not going to be at our school. One thing I have to tell everybody, there's one thing that Miss Conjurs does not do well, and that's park. >> Cuz every morning she would park across the lines, and she was always somehow diagonal. And I would tease her

047every day. And two weeks ago, I met her brother and the first thing I told her brother, I like, "Who taught your family how to drive?" So, I would tease her every day. So, I'm gonna miss you, Miss Conjurs, but I'm going to be happy that we have an extra parking space at school now. But just like Miss Schaefer Gallow, just let us know when you get your sub certificate so you can come back and sub at South Mountain. But you are truly going to be missed. Just saying. You want to say a few words? >> Can I say that? Um, also can say the same thing about Miss Conjurs. I always happy, loves being around kids, is hilarious, very personable, and of course, the parking space that she parks in is right next to

048my car. So, while Mr. Mason was making jokes, I was pretty paranoid that she was going to hit me one day. But now I don't have to worry about it. But, Miss Conjurs, uh, wish you all the luck in the world. And like I said, I hope to see your face and uh back at South Mountain with your subsert. We'll be looking forward to it. >> Never. >> And Miss Con, would you like to say a few words? I think we have you up on screen. >> Oh my god, I don't know. >> Um, can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> Oh, okay. Uh first of all, thank you. It was uh wonderful, wonderful working at South Mountain uh with all of the various principles. I see Alina there. Um yes, I am

049happy to end my career with Mr. Mason and Mr. Cinia. It has been truly a wonderful experience. um they are kind of correct about the parking, but um I'm going to work on that in my retirement. So um I enjoyed South Mountain Maplewood and um I I hope to have a great second half of my uh new venture >> and I will miss all of my kids and I do keep in touch with them on LinkedIn. They are doing such wonderful things. It is great to see. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Miss Conurs, and congratulations. Uh at this time, uh we will now recess to enjoy some refreshments and celebrate our retirees. Uh and for the board, we are going to uh go immediately thereafter to an executive session as permitted under the

050open public meetings act to discuss uh personnel, legal, and miscellaneous confidential matters. No formal action will be taken. Do I have a motion? Order second cable. Do I have a second? Remember Kapatia? All in favor? Show of hands. All right. We are now going into executive session. The time is 7:36. I'd like to call this meeting back to order at 8:35 p.m. The board is now back in public session. Thank you for joining us this evening and for your patience. Uh our next order of business will be approval of the minutes from the board meeting and executive session from our regular meeting on April 23rd, 2026. Do I have a motion? Board of Callahan. Do I have a second? Board member Brown. All in favor, show of hands. Unanimous vote. Thank you. Um, just for

051members of the public, I know we do have a number of people signed up for public speaks. We are going to get to that pretty quickly. We do want to prioritize student speaks. Uh, so we're going to get to that much sooner in the next uh, couple minutes. But first, I am going to ask that we uh move for our student update and recognitions from uh student representatives Strograph and Shapiro. >> Absolutely. So, I don't think that we have recognitions tonight or I wasn't given any. Um however, I and I will be talking a little bit more in depth about um some of these updates at next week's meeting. Um but we have kind of expanded our um internship program. So we have now an overarching domain that we've we have up and running and

052and now it's actually being um it's it's working um called SOMD connect. And so basically it is currently linking students to administrators um and it's it's internship rel um relationships for now. However, um I've started to expand this kind of connect um theme to we are starting a little big program. So a um student in the high school will be linked with a student in the middle school um hopefully with the same interests um and they can kind of be a mentor to the younger student as they go through middle school and get excited about coming to CHS hopefully. Um, and we also are going to, we're working now on an advisory program. This is in kind of the idea stage. Um, but we're hoping to get volunteers from the public and run kind of

053small group conversations with um, high school students to get them thinking about their future. So, yeah, >> it's great. >> Thank you. >> And I believe you may have some late breaking recognitions. Okay. Um, so a big congratulations to Dileia Balden Elementary students, um, Winter Nation and Aiden Hines for having their artwork selected for display at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark during the spring and fall 2026 seasons. Their creative pieces showcased originality, artistic skill, and self-expression while representing the talent growing throughout our district. We are thankful to our teacher, Miss McN, for helping guide and encourage these young artists. Um, please join us in congratulating Miss Lee Mung and the Columbia High School Chinese Honor Society for earning first place in the 18th New Jersey Chinese Cultural Project Contest, continuing a remarkable

0545-year winning streak in the statewide competition. Through research, presentations, performances, and teamwork, students demonstrated outstanding dedication while strengthening their understanding of language and culture. Please help us congratulate Leslie Beaz, Amy Pop, Rich Coltrona, Sarah Fakornney, Sarah Haldderman, and Ramse Lawson for being select selected as recipients of the Michelle T. Reek Teaching Fellowships through the Achieve Foundation. These educators will spend part of their summer pursuing advanced professional learning opportunities that will strengthen their practice and benefit students through the throughout the district. We pref we proudly celebrate Ethan Lure, Shimley Jien, Charlie Fleer, Lillian Clark, Ara Espinosa, Yuv Connor, Claire Seglio, Anushka Pimplascar, and Aiden Kleinman for helping Columbia High School earn first place in the 2026 New Jersey Chinese Cultural Project Contest. We also recognize Leila Gordon, Robin Nostrand, and and Camelid Alexis for contributing behind

055the scenes through prop design and project support. Congratulations goes to the Colombia High School DECA chapter for an outstanding first year of competition and leadership development. Competing in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management events, CHS students advanced through both the district and state levels before earning a spot at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta. Researching reaching the national stage in the chapter's inaugural year is a remarkable accomplishment that reflects the students hard work, professionalism, and commitment to excellence. A well-deserved congratulations goes to Nathaniel Eids, Kevin Roth Deves, Hunter Edgar, and Norah Hershey for earning second place in the New Jersey Chinese Teachers Association Chinese Video Project Contest. Another well-deserved congratulations goes to Columbia High School students Naifactu Naifacto Maria Joseph August Schuman Shimi Jiang Ethan Lures Aiden Kleinman Lillian Clark and Leila Gordon for

056their outstanding performances at the Soma Soma Cross Cultural Works AAPI celebration with dance and music. These students helped bring energy, creativity, and cultural appreciation to a community event and focused on inclusion and connection. We also recognized Miss Leaping Mung for her guidance and support in helping students share their talents with the broader community. >> Thank you so much. Uh, and uh, you nailed the pronunciations on those. You read that, Cole. It's excellent. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Now I will entertain a motion to move up our first public speak specifically for students in the audience. Do I have a motion? Bover Callahan. Do I have a second? Boatia. Show of hands. Unanimous. All right. Um, thank you students for coming in person and joining us online this evening. We value public comment

057at our board meetings and while we cannot engage in a dialogue with you, we take your comments very seriously and your impact your input will inform our work. Uh our comment period is limited to 1 hour. Each speaker will have three minutes. We ask that you please begin by stating your name and your town. Uh and first like to welcome up Jacob Dunar button right there. >> Yep. Mhm. >> That's right. >> Good evening everyone and congratulations board on your recent recognitions at the ECSBA spring celebration. My name is Jacob Dunar and I am an MMS 7th grader who is proud to represent the Maplewood Middle School steam tank team, the Cafe Compost Crew. Right now, effective recycling is practically non-existent across our middle schools and high school. With a combined student body of over

0583,500 students, that missing infrastructure translates to mountains of unnecessary waste adding up every day, which in turn ends up in landfills. We didn't just notice this problem, we set out to fix it. Our crew successfully implemented recycling in our own cafeteria, and we are working to improve recycling throughout our school. To measure our impact, we launched rigorous student surveys capturing over 350 responses twice. The data speaks for itself. We saw a 20% spike in student recycling with 76% of our respondents now actively making an effort to recycle. Our work caught the attention of the state judges in the NJSBA steam tank competition. Just yesterday, we presented in the finals as one of the only 20 middle school teams remaining statewide. And we are aiming to make it to the championships this fall, following the tradition

059of steam tank excellence at MMS. But our steam tank team can only go so far on our own. To make a lasting impact, we need the district's backing. Tonight, we have three direct requests. First, classroom infrastructure. We ask the students to pro we ask the district to provide dual bin systems in all classrooms to students can so students can easily separate paper from co-mingled items. Furthermore, we need custodial support to ensure these bins are emptied daily rather than relying solely on our student team's Friday collections. Second, we need district accountability. We need to ensure that what goes into the recycling bin actually gets recycled. We have discovered that our current waste management company frequently throws our carefully sorted recycling into the exact same truck as the regular trash. Third, policy review. We urge the district

060to review our waste contracts. We need our current provider to supply separate outdoor dumpsters for proper sorting or we ask that the district research alternative eco-friendly recycling companies. We are doing our part to change the culture. Now we ask you to help us fix the system. Thank you. >> Uh Jacob failed to mention is that MMS are are uh 2425 New Jersey Schoolboard Association Steam Tank State Champions. They won the competition last year. Okay, next up on the same steam tank topic, we have and I'm going to apologize because I think I'm going to butcher this name. I think we have Micah. Maybe it's Rogers. Tell me who it is. >> Up with me. You said it. >> Come on up. >> I believe we have a slideshow. >> Wow. All right. No, it's fun

061now. It's fun now that we're up here. >> What? >> Yeah, we do. We sent it to >> someone. It's It It's It's green. It says >> engine zero. >> Oh, this is so nerve-wracking. Okay. >> Okay. >> Summarize. Summarize. Summarize. >> I'm just going to >> Okay. Okay. Okay. >> I'm sorry. Are we waiting? They're good. They're going in with like good expectations. Okay. >> Is there? >> Okay. The floor is yours. >> Names first, right? I'm Mila Rogers. And I'm Theo Reed >> from Maplewood. >> Yep. >> All right. Ready? >> Yep. >> Hello. I'm Mila Rogers. >> And I'm Theo Reed. and we are here representing the eighth grade MMS steam tank team, Engine Zero. Can you switch the side? Um, this school year we are back with a new campaign and

062innovation. Our goals include establishing a no idling educational campaign in our school community, designing an idling sensor that alerts drivers when they are idling, and earning certification as a sustainable Jersey school. Next slide. The Steam Fake Competition is a contest where teams of students from elementary and middle schools across New Jersey compete against each other to solve real world problems using science, technology, engineering, art, and math, aka steam. Next slide. Last year, as many of you know, we implemented our crossgard device in the streets at MMS, which won us the steam tank competition. But a new problem has arisen, idling. In response, we began collecting data to track this issue. Next slide. We also made an announcement in the morning in the We also made an announcement in the morning at MMS and put out

063PSAs on social media. We additionally we held up signs at morning drop off that read, "Please don't idle, no idling zone to encourage drivers not to idle." Next slide. We also made an announce Oh, that's the wrong side. We we met with experts such as Julia Summer from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Katherine Red, who is a lead chairperson of the Soma Green Team. These experts help us confirm that widespread anti- idling policies drastically lower carbon footprints and help us claim our anti- idling points to get closer to a sustainable Jersey school certification. Next slide. >> Let's skip this or not. >> We also met with our Steamp mentor Jennifer Steel who told us that it would be beneficial to implement a dynamic sign me in the morning. drop off the sign

064to display the message MS is a no idling zone. Please drop and go. We spoke with Mayor Victor Duca and town engineer Paul Kitner to get the the dynamic sign placed on April 6th. Um we know this is not a permanent solution. So we are we are in the process of implementing permanent no idling signs around our school. Um to say that the sign was successful is really an understatement because um as you can see in the next slide um yeah um well the next slide it says that um before our campaign idling rates were at 90%. After our campaign started they were around 60%. And after recording data in April and May they were below 11% on average >> after the damage >> which was after the implementation of our signage around our school.

065on on top of the success of our new dynamic sign, we re-erveyed 380 students from MMS and found that 70% of students that had previously said they didn't know idling um now knew several effects of idling and how it can harm both student health and the environment. So, >> next slide. >> Yeah, next slide. Um once again, around this time we discovered the three-minut rule which states that if drivers are idling for three minutes, it's like breaking the law in New Jersey. So, we created fake tickets that were warnings of violations. And although those were not legally binding, um police starting once the dynamic sign is removed may give out real tickets to um consistent idlers. Um and >> next slide. >> Um we're going to have to skip around to the slideshow here, but

066we're also making a um machine kind of it's a it's a sensor that detects idling and that will be a product that would be sold. It costs $32.25 25 cents to make and it uses like some technology that I don't really have time to talk about, but it's really cool. >> I think we have a couple extra minutes for you. Is that correct? Yeah. Okay, please keep going. >> All right, I got it. I got it. Okay, so um it's an idling sensor that will use an LIS 3DH accelerometer and vibration sensor to detect idling. It's going to be powered by a 3.7 volt lithium ion battery and it'll give an audible notification when idling has been detected for 60 seconds. And our hope is to make our idling sensor a marketable product that's going

067to be appealing for users. One model costs $32.25 to make. And we haven't quite settled on what we're going to sell it yet because we like don't really know about that that much. But um we're going to settle on a price too once we have um product finished. >> Next slide, please. >> Here. >> Okay. Uh next slide. That's our that's that's the materials we're using. >> Next slide again. >> Next slide. >> Yeah. >> Talk slow. We have time. >> I will. Just yesterday, we presented in the regional round of the of the steam tank competition. We aiming for back-to-back championships following our crossguard victory last year. Tonight, we ask that you, the board of education, um implement formal district-wide idling legislation. We already know this policy works because we've because we've proven it

068at MMS, but the benefits go far beyond our school walls. We know that the district is actively working towards sustainable Jersey school certification. We've already finalized the necessary documentation with the green team chairperson, Katherine Red, to claim the anti- idling um points for our school this year. Districtwide policy would only solidify this progress. Finally, passing this legislation will give our team a competitive edge if we qualify for the uptime um upcoming steam tank finals in October, which would be final three out of over 650 applicants across New Jersey. Um top 20 >> Yeah. It would put us closer to the $2,500 grand prize that we would reinvest directly into our steam program. By enacting district-wide anti-idling regulations, you can protect students lungs, protect our environment, and support student innovation. Thank you very much for your

069time. >> Thank you both. So, the district is in the midst of uploading our sustainable New Jersey documents. We should have them on the site within the next couple of weeks. Um, and that uh green Buick station wagon with the plates that say Soup One, that is my car you've been ticketing, so I'd appreciate it if you just walked right by it next time. Thank you. >> Next, we have Chase Barnes. Um, I also have a presentation. Yeah. Okay, good. Thank you. >> Great. I love this. >> You're going to start a trend. Everyone's going to come with a PowerPoint from now on. >> What? >> Should be fun. That sounds good. As soon as it's up. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Okay, >> we may be at the end of your presentation. We're going

070to back it up here. >> Can you do it in reverse? You just your cards. No, I can try. It's not smile. There we go. We're almost there. >> Okay, good. >> Okay, now go ahead. >> Hello, I am a member of the cafe compost crew, the seventh grade um steam tank, a member of the seventh grade steam tank team along with Jacob Dunar. Next slide, please. We noticed a large problem in our cafeteria. It is highly unsustainable. Students put recyclables, compostables, and trash all together in one bin. Next slide, please. Um, this is a short video showing the state of our trash bins before we implemented our recycling program. Um, there's all sorts of waste mixed together. Next slide, please. Um, we noticed that this is a problem at other schools, too. And as

071this is a video of the CHS trash bins that which are not much better. Next slide please. Yeah. So to talk to learn about potential solutions, we consulted with our um school principal, Miss Grenau to improve waste management in the cafeteria. Um we changed our plans based off our recommendations and conducted a student survey to gain data about recycling and composting in our school. We have a multi-step integration plan with composting coming in the 2026 2027 school year. Next slide, please. Um, we also created designs of waste bins, potential waste bins that could be used, which are colorcoded to make um it easier for students to know what goes in what. We um we also contacted students at um South Orange Middle School. We unfortunately could not get the video in on time. Next slide,

072please. So we have done social media posts to promote recycling, hung up signs in the cafeteria and um in other classrooms. We also posted them in the newsletter that comes out I think every week. Next slide. So we um learned about an organization called sustainable Jersey schools and we con um which is a organization that gives grants to um schools that are within it. um and is you have to meet the some requirements that they have which are um waste management I think. Next slide please. Um yes so waste reduction and recycling cafeteria and food waste and documenting recycling waste all of which we have done and we've been focused on getting sustainable Jersey schools as it is very beneficial to be within. Next slide please. This is actually recycling program recycling only what should

073be recycled and recycling >> as shown by >> will you say that part again >> um there's an overall positive change in all recycling and as shown by the video although it's kind of hard to tell because it's far away um so yeah this is shown by the data so next slide Um, we talked to our custodians and we learned that we dropped two to three trash bags of waste per day. Um, next slide, please. This is um, we did two student surveys and there was an 11% increase in students belief that the cafeteria is sustainable. Next slide. There was a 20% increase in the amount of students who recycled here at MMS. Next slide, please. Um, we learned that 76% of students actively sort their waste into recyclables and non-recyclables at lunch. Next slide,

074please. Um, we learned that 65% of MMS students have learned from our educational campaign and we hope to increase this number in the future by um, expanding it. Next slide, please. So, how you can help board of education? You can provide the uh schools with the tools necessary like recycling bins, dumpsters, and contacting the waste companies in order to properly dispose of it. Um you can promote and encourage to other schools to follow in our footsteps to and establish their own recycling programs. And um I know that and you can support us our district with possible grants um to help fund our steam tank project. Thank you for viewing our presentation. >> Thank you. Next we have Leila Rapaort. >> Leila. Yes. >> No worries. No, I just want to make sure. Thank you. >>

075Sorry, >> Ila. Sorry. That's you. >> Yeah. Hello. Uh, my name is Laya Rapaort. I'm from Maplewood and I'm a junior at CHS and I'm here to talk about the plumbing in the photography room at the high school. Um, the water in A133, the photography room, has been out since mid- winter due to a burst in a pipe, um, effectively disabling the dark room. And we've been told that fixing the pipe would require digging through a speestous. So, the repair will have to wait till school is out. Um, I've come to ask you to prioritize fixing this the the water this summer before school begins in September. The dark room is absolutely vital for the photography department to operate. And if the water is not fixed, film photography students, club members, AP art students, and

076artists from around the school will be forced to pay to have our film developed at expensive and scarce film shops instead of actually learning the skills to do it ourselves and utilizing the excellent lessons that our exceptionally passionate teacher, Mr. Mr. Katrona offers for free. Uh, for months, Mr. Katrona has has been having to fill water bottles um and carry them back and forth across the school and spent his own time developing film to keep his classes running. Um, adding to the a large list of responsibilities which he always goes above and beyond for. The dark room is an invaluable resource to our school's photographers who consistently win awards and competitions under the guidance of Mr. Katroa. Uh this year my friend and classmate Francancy Christensen won the New Jersey Governor's Award in art in

077arts education um which is New Jersey's highest honor for student artists and she did this with um help from the dark room at Colombia. Um countless others including myself have had our film photos featured in galleries and win awards because of the dark room. Uh Mr. Katrona and the Columbia dark room produce excellent artists who produce excellent art and the fixing of the dark room water is essential for this. So, um we ask you to prioritize the issue of the burst pipe in the photography room at the high school uh when making plans for school maintenance over the summer. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have Ellie Timmyir. Good evening. My name is Ellie and I'm from Maplewood. I'm here today to address a growing concern within our community, which includes the increasing

078political polarization that is finding its way into our schools, our public discourse, and our interactions with one another. In recent months, a proposed professional development opportunity for district staff became the subject of significant controversy online. Yet before any administrative official decision had been made, the proposal became the center of a highly charged public debate. My concern tonight is not about the specific destination of that trip, nor is it about taking a position on any international conflict. Rather, it is about how how quickly discussions in our community have transformed into sources of outrage, hostility, and division before the facts are known. Too often, social media rewards emotional reactions over careful consideration. Partial information is shared, assumptions are made and narratives are formed before the full context is available. As a result, conversations that could be productive

079become adversarial and opportunities for learning become opportunities for conflict. This trend extends beyond any single issue across our community. We are increasingly seeing disagreements framed as battles between opposing sides rather than opportunities to understand differing perspectives. Whether the topic whether the topic is education, politics, culture, or current events, the immediate response is often to condemn rather than to discuss, to assume bad intentions rather than to seek clarification. That approach is especially troubling within a school district that provides itself on diversity, inclusion, and critical thinking. True inclusion does not mean only welcoming perspectives in which we agree, but also in which we disagree. It means creating an environment where people can engage with difficult subjects, ask questions, and learn from one another without fear of being publicly attacked or dismissed. At the same time, we must

080acknowledge that political polarization has real consequences for students. When public discourse becomes increasingly hostile, students absorb that hostility. They see adults modeling division instead of dialogue. They learn that disagreement should be met with outrage rather than understanding. Addressing these issues requires education, empathy, and a willingness to listen. It requires us to recognize that complex subjects rarely fit neatly into social media posts or comment sections. Most importantly, it requires us to resist the temptation to turn every disagreement into a public battle. Our district should be a place where students learn how to think, not what to think. It should be a place where difficult conversations can occur without hostility and where diverse perspectives are met with curiosity rather than contempt. I urge the district and community leaders alike to prioritize accuracy over outrage, understanding over assumptions,

081and conversation over conflict. By doing so, we can ensure that our schools remain places of learning, respect, and genuine inclusion for everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ellie. >> So, we will be circling back for the balance of our public speaks at the normal point in the agenda, which should be in just a few more minutes. Uh, for now, I am going to turn uh to the superintendent update. >> So, just a couple quick staff recognitions. Uh, Antonio Fudo, South Orange Middle School. Uh, I'd like to recognize Mr. Fuda for his calm and heroic actions during a recent lunch period emergency at the school. While supervising the cafeteria, Mr. Fuda noticed the student showing signs of choking and immediately rushed to help. Realizing the student could not breathe, he quickly performed the Heimlick maneuver and

082successfully dislodged the obstruction, preventing what could have been a tragic situation. Staff and students also act quickly to alert the health office, allowing the school nurse to immediately provide follow-up care and support for the student and family. We deeply thank you, Antonio, for not only being a wonderful staff member, but also stepping up during a very difficult time. Thank you, Antonio. Like to recognize Emily Vet, Columbia High School. Um, we want to recognize her energy, encouragement, and creativity she brings to students at CHS every single day. Beyond the classroom, Emily volunteers her time to support the both the music studio club and music industry club. The student led groups organizing this month's annual BeatFest concert. Whether students are recording music for the first time, performing live, or learning how to collaborate creatively, Emily has helped

083build a space where students feel supported enough to try something big. Uh, if you've read a recent article, I believe it was The Village Green, uh, impact can be seen in the story of Columbia High School junior Andrew Pellegrino, who recently released his first self-produced album at my piano onto streaming platforms after more than a year of work with classmates, friends, and mentors at CHS. Andrew credited Emily for helping him believe in himself as an artist, saying, "Miss Veta has been inspirational to me. She made me feel comfortable enough to do something big like make an album. So big thanks uh to Emily for her work. >> By the way, it is a great album. It is on all streaming sites. Uh our newest doctors I want to recognize quickly. Uh we are so proud

084of them. We congratulate Dr. Lynn Herby Hill, Dr. Tieia Bennett, Dr. Candace Stewart, and Dr. Kesha Knight on earning their doctoral degrees. Their lifelong learning represents strong knowledge of educational pedigogy at SAMS and CHS. Big round of applause for those four. I know another >> want to quickly revisit the budget and some of the things we were talking about before the budget was approved and also thank the community, our board members and educators for uh working uh tirelessly um to get uh an extremely difficult budget balanced. Um, since September 2024, we have worked thoughtfully and intentionally to shield students and classrooms from the impact of the anticipated statewide fiscal cliff. Recognize early on recognizing early on that the potential financial challenges ahead, we took proactive steps to absorb budget shortfalls internally rather than passing those

085impacts on to students, families, or instructional programs. To preserve the integrity of the classroom experience, we made the strategic decision to prioritize staffing attrition as a primary cost savings measure. This meant carefully evaluating all vacancies resulting from retirements and resignations and where feasible leaving those positions unfilled or maximizing the use of internal transfers, aligning exist existing staff to areas of greatest need rather than relying on external hiring. Uh that work last year saved the district over $4.5 million. Through these combined efforts, we were able to avoid monetary obligations and payroll while maintaining continuity instruction and support for students. These decisions were guided by a clear priority, keeping resources as close to the classroom as possible while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Looking ahead to the upcoming budget cycles, we find ourselves at a difficult crossroads. For many

086years, we've relied on short-term fixes and emergency funds to keep things running smoothly. But we have reached our limit of what those reserves can do and what budget freezes starting in October can do. Please know that we see you. We value your contributions and our priority remains focused on navigating these transitions with respect, transparency, and care that every member of our team deserves. We are committed to supporting those affected during this difficult time. We also strongly encourage uh our community members to reach out to local assemblymen, local uh their local representatives around the current state funding formula uh and a change that is badly needed for districts such as ours uh and districts that you are now seeing in the news on a regular basis, including many of our very close neighbors. Part of this

087work uh also had to deal with riffs, reductions in force. So just very quickly a little background on riffs. I've been receiving some emails just for clarification. Uh generally all employees are subject to reduction and force although there are some slight differences depending upon the type of employee involved. Note that certified staff members have seniority both by statute and administrative code. Neither statute nor the administrative code requires chief school administrator recommendation for RIFF. Certified staff members. While certified staff members can be riffed, they have statutory and administrative code seniority rights under NJSA18A28-12 and NJAC 6A 32-51. Thus, the certified staff member with the lowest seniority is the one who would be rifted first, followed by the one with the next lowest seniority, and so forth. Situations in which a teacher holds one or more endorsements

088are very fact specific and require an extensive investigation of the teacher's specific endorsement and years of service in such a specific title. Once a certified staff is rifted, the staff member is placed on a preferred eligibility list for recall in order of seniority. Uh this certified staff member remains on this recall list for an indefinite period of time essentially until he or she is returned to position in another district or removed from the list for some other reason. I quickly want to address some of the emails that we've been receiving as a board in reference to a recent trip funded by an organization to Israel. So, uh, with regard to the matter of staff trips planned to Israel, the district has not sponsored, funded, or endorsed any such trips. Several of our staff members have

089accepted educational training opportunities on a personal basis and plan to take personal days during that time. While the district has not endorsed those trips, neither are we in any position to forbid the actions of our employees in their personal capacities. Moreover, administrators and teachers are highly educated professionals who possess the judgment and critical thinking skills necessary to thoughtfully engage with diverse perspectives and educational experiences. We trust him to engage with diverse perspectives without being captured by any single narrative. If you ever have a concern that a classroom presentation lacks the balanced perspective required for independent student thought, please reach out to your child's school. Maintaining this balance is a collaborative effort between our dedicated staff and our community. Finally, as we approach the close the close of this school year, uh we want to reflect

090on a year of growth, resilience, and meaningful progress across the South Orange Mapwood School District. While there is still important work ahead, none of this would be possible without the continued support and partnership of our community, staff, and families, and board. Together, we remain committed to finishing the year strong and building an even brighter future for our students. Quick notice, all emergency snow days have been utilized for the school year and schools will now remain open on a regular schedule. The only remaining district closure will be in observance of Memorial Day on May 25th. Do want to shout out the Columbia High School robotics team recently competed as noted at the first championship in Houston where they had the opportunity to collaborate with teams from around the world. The team delivered a strong performance, winning

09150% of their matches and earning an award for their robot. Notably, 60 of the six of the eight New Jersey teams in attendance received awards, including Colombia. An impressive accomplishment for our students and programs. Congratulations to Sophia Khan and Lola Car Foster on being recognized as Essex County Valad Victorian and Saludiatorum honores. This prestigious recognition highlights their outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and dedication throughout their high school careers. Both students have demonstrated exceptional commitment to excellence inside and outside of the classroom, earning the admiration of their peers, teachers, and the broader school community. Their accomplishments are a reflection of their hard work, perseverance, and the positive impact they have made at the Columbia High School and within the South Orange Mapwood School District. Big congratulations to them both. Um, we also want to extend sincere gratitude

092to Cougar Cares for their continued generosity and ongoing support of our students and families. Uh, Cougar Cares once again donated snacks and supplies for this year's extended school year and summer uh summer jubilee programs continuing a tradition of giving that has positively impacted our school community in the past years as well. Their thoughtful contributions help create a welcoming, engaging, and supportive summer learning environment for students and staff. They do a lot of work behind the scenes. They don't get enough recognition. So, I truly want to shout out Cougar Cares. We truly appreciate all of their work. Uh, and finally, we want to shout out the Coug the Columbia High School Cougar girls softball team that made it to the Essex County softball tournament championship match. Our girls showed great grit and sportsmanship as they barely

093narrowly lost a close game one to zero to one of the most powerful teams in the state, Mount St. Dominic Academy. We are so very proud of them. They are about to start the state tournament. Uh so we wish them all the luck in the world. We also have to acknowledge Claire Shupe who is now the all-time hits leader in Columbia High School girls softball history and she'll also be attending Boston University and playing for the division one Terriers. >> Any questions? Okay. Uh, my board president update. First of all, I was concerned you were not going to get to that last piece. Uh, that game, the championship game on Saturday night and the semifinal game on Friday night were both stunning. Uh, and as someone who spends about four nights a week watching uh,

09410U uh, Little League, the level of play there, holy smokes. Uh and this year although they did not win the championship, this is the first time since 1979 that they made it to the championship. So it was a huge accomplishment and uh a very uh it was a great vibe there. So >> I dare say uh the support for our girls outnumbered the other team. I would say two to one. >> At least two to one >> among adults and among our students. >> Yeah. students came out, our parents came out, our community came out to support these girls. Two division one pitchers going at it. Uh, and we just wanted the shout out because it she uh got the record during the game and obviously with the loss error. Uh, they they uh weren't

095as happy as they should have been because they worked as hard. The effort was unbelievable, but we wanted to make sure that that was recognized that she is now the all-time leader in the school's history. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, uh, a few things. Uh, the only thing that anyone wanted to talk to me about at that game was, uh, Ritzerfield. So, we are, uh, the board has been, uh, looking in committee at the ongoing, uh, plans for the development of Ritzerfield as part of the bond project that has been contemplated for a little while now, uh, in addition to our, uh, auditoriums. And uh we are hoping that in committee and through our uh professionals that we're going to have uh a completed plan to bring forward and discuss on the board uh to

096try to move forward and maybe stop talking every month about that program, but um try to find a path forward there. So hold tight. We're hoping to have more on that soon. Uh the board had a busy month so far. In fact, last week we had a number of things. On the 11th, we had our third and final strategic planning session uh which was very well attended. Uh it was a terrific opportunity for a lot of community folks to look at the work that's been done in the prior strategic planning sessions and make a number of goals for what we would like to see in the next five years. Picturing if we achieved all that we want to do, what would things look like? What would the newspaper story say? Uh and so uh we

097identified a lot of pieces of of what it is that we want to see achieved. That's going back to uh district staff and we're hoping that is going to turn into an actual strategic plan to be unveiled in the next few months uh which is going to guide the development of our uh 2627 district goals and board goals. Uh so we are thankful to NJSBA for their uh support and guidance in that. Uh on the 13th the a few of us four board members were uh lucky to go to the Essex County Schoolboard Association meeting to receive uh honor. Uh as mentioned at a prior meeting, we have received uh a board certification which demonstrates uh progress on a number of different domains as far as compliance with both state requirements and some best practices

098and uh the training that board members over the past four years uh in uh boardwide contexts have engaged in. So that was uh a great achievement for this board and for the prior boards that led up to it and uh it was uh a good time. Uh myself, board members Callahan, uh Sack Gable and Higgins uh got to attend that and be honored and board members Callahan and myself also received uh acknowledgement for the individual uh new board member certification. Then on the 16th, uh, board member Bennett and I took a a road trip down to the Mercer County Community College where the NJSBA's, uh, delegate assembly took place. and uh they took up I believe six different proposed changes to the NJSBA policy manual including uh one that was proposed by the South Orangewood

099school district and was championed by uh board member Bennett to adopt a uh policy that the schoolboard association would advocate for the use of ranked choice voting in schoolboard election elections which we think would be a great uh progressive movement forward not as a requirement but as an option. and could lower the uh temperature in schoolboard elections in towns like ours. So, we do have a number of people who want to jump into the race. Unfortunately, that did lose by a very narrow margin. Uh so, it's not part of their uh policy book at this point. However, there are still uh bills pending in the legislature, including uh our own uh assembly person chose uh who is um championing uh championing one of these bills. So, uh we didn't win, but we moved the ball

100forward. And uh last we have on our agenda a healthc care resolution resolution 4981 which is urging relief from the state from rising public school employee health care costs. That was one of the single biggest drivers in our budget increases and tax increases this year. Uh and you know it is clear that this is not something that any board uh or any local uh set of taxpayers can fix. We need to have state help. And so we will be taking that up this evening uh to make a plea to our state and federal lawmakers to uh step in and sort this out. Any comments or questions? Okay, hearing none, we're going to jump back into our hearings of individuals and delegations. So, thank you again for coming in person uh and joining us online this

101evening. Again, we value public comment at our board meetings and while we can't engage in a dialogue with you, we do take your comments very seriously and your input will inform our work. Uh, our comment period is limited to one hour. Each speaker will have three minutes. We ask that you begin by stating your name and your town, and I will have that list momentarily. But whoever signed up first, you know who you are. Be ready. And our first is um the Lilia uh Shro and I'm I'm >> butchering that and I'm so sorry because your daughter is amazing on our board. So >> thank you. I appreciate it. >> My name is Leila Stroggo and I am the mother of two students in this district. Uh I identify as both a Christian and a

102Jew and in fact the Christian side of my family saved the Jewish side during the Holocaust. I moved to South Orange because I believe in this community and what it stands for, diversity, inclusion, and honest dialogue. And I will always believe in that. I have stood alongside friends of all backgrounds at countless events supporting causes from the New York Conservancy to Harlem Children's Zone to my own uh foundation that supports college kids needing full rides to um to go to school. And um I recently attended a freedom seder celebrating the shared history of black and Jewish liberation. It was a beautiful evening of solidarity across faiths and races. The black experience in America carries its own profound weight, entirely distinct from Jewish suffering and Palestinian suffering. And I am here to say that all deserve

103to be honored fully and most importantly without competition. I say this so that you understand where I'm coming from when I raise a concern tonight. There is a Facebook group in our community called Soma Justice uh that is private. It is separate from the public group and it allows encourages and I would say even baits unspeakable things to be said about Jewish people in our town. I have been blocked from that group. I know many Jewish residents and allies who have also been blocked specifically after raising counterarguments or push back. What remains by design is a space where one narrative about Jewish people goes unchallenged and where Zionism is painted as a dirty word. I'm asking this board to be aware of the climate that is being created. This affects our town. It affects our

104students and it affects families who sit at these schools every day. There is a problem when a communications professor, someone who has literally written about how repeated negative framing of one group causes real community harm, uses those same mechanics against Jewish residents of South Orange and Maplewood. That said, I want to end with something more than a concern. I want to end with a vision because I do not believe division is the destiny of our community. I sit at tables where black, white, Asian, Latino, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian people break bread. We share each other's wounds. I have seen what happens when people choose to lead with humanity and compassion and with questions instead of with firm answers when there are none. I know that this is possible and I know that our children deserve

105to inherit that pain shared across difference should not diminish anyone. It should multiply our capacity for compassion. And it is in this spirit, not in anger, not in fear, but in love for this place and the people in it that I ask the board to take seriously what is happening and to help lead our children towards one another. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, Tara Jacqueline. Uh, my name is Tara and I am a mother of Jewish children in South Orange. I love this community. I chose it deliberately. And tonight I want to be honest about something that has been weighing heavily on me, which is um there is a Facebook group operating in South Orange and Maplewood called Soma Justice. It regularly publishes content characterizing Jewish community, organizations, and Jewish people as propaganda

106machines, describing Israel in terms designed to provoke maximum outrage and framing Jewish institutional life in our area as something sinister and suspect. My older child has read these posts. I hope you can understand what it feels like as a Jewish mother to watch that content spread through your town's social media feeds, shared, amplified, commented on, while voices that push back are quietly removed from the conversation. When one side is systematically silenced, it's not dialogue. My children go to school with the children of people who read and share this content. My children's teachers live in this town. And I have to wonder whether the climate cultivated online stays outside the school doors or whether it walks right in with everyone on Monday morning. I'm not asking this board to police speech. I only think Jewish parents

107deserve to be heard and Jewish children deserve to feel as safe and as seen as any other child in this district. I don't know why that sentiment um should feel controversial sometimes. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, Marie Paul Florestol. >> Uh, good evening board. My name is Marie Paul Flortol. I am from um local 68. I represent the PAR professionals working at the um South Orange Maplewood School District. I know that um the district doesn't want to recognize the Paris as a bargaining unit, but they are and this is a union shop. Um South Orange Maplewood School District decision to reduce PAR professional hours while lowering the qualification for these position to only a high school diploma is deeply concerning. This approach undermines the quality of support student deserve and places cost cutting ahead

108of educational excellence. Our students deserve better and our professional deserve respect, fair treatment and the resources necessary to provide meaningful support in the classroom. weakening standards in reducing hours will inevitably impact the level of of care and attention students uh receive in the classroom. I've seen it cuz I work um I negotiate contract in different district and I've seen when you uh reduce um the qualification in the result balancing the budget on the back of some of the lowest paid employee is not a responsible solution. It sends the wrong message to staff, parents, and the community about the district commitment to quality education. residents of South Orange and Maplewood already paying significant property taxes and should expect the district to invest in qualified professionals who can properly support a student success. And I'm talking from

109experience. I've seen what happens when lower quality into a high school diploma and I've seen it and I'm just letting you know. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next we have Meredith Dragon. >> Good evening. Meredith Dragon. I'm the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West and uh I live in Morris Plains. And before I share my thoughts with you, I really just want to commend everybody tonight. It was really beautiful being here for the teacher recognition and the students. It was such a highlight to see them present. It really is far better and more important than anything that our adults have to say and they were just outstanding. Um but I am here tonight because um of what is being portrayed on the Soma Justice um social media we've heard a little

110bit about. Um, and I I believe that an important line is being crossed and one that should concern everyone um, regardless of where you stand on political policy in the Middle East. Um, the Jewish Federation has been a topic of conversation um, significantly uh, on this site and is being portrayed as a political lobbying organization and a propaganda machine. And I want to share with you that characterization is simply untrue. Um, the Federation is a community service organization and every day we support seniors, we feed families in need, we provide mental health services, respond to disasters, combat hate in all forms. Um, we support education, strengthen civic life across the broader community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. And our mission is humanitarian, educational, and communal. Um, and like many nonprofit organizations, Federation also sponsors educational travel

111opportunities, as we've heard about. Um these per the purpose of these trips is not political indoctrination. It's exposure, learning, dialogue and understanding. Um and what is deeply troubling is that the growing suggestion that educators should be prohibited from participating in these opportunities simply because because they involve Israel or because they are sponsored by a Jewish organization as our superintendent um so eloquently mentioned earlier and I appreciated your comments. Um, I agree with you that teachers are trusted professionals. Um, and I am the daughter of actually a public school teacher and a college um, dean of education and I grew up in a home that really supported public education. Um, we do not assume that teachers lose their judgment because they attend a conference, travel abroad or participate in a cultural exchange. And we trust educators

112to think critically, engage thoughtfully and bring broader perspective back to their classrooms. This in fact is what learning and education is about. Um we should ask ourselves honestly would there be this level of outrage and really negative discourse if a church group, a cultural organization or another ethnic community sponsored educational travel or as Israel and by extension the Jewish communal institution connected to Israel being uniquely singled out. People are free to disagree about Israeli government policy. In fact, many within the Jewish community do. But disagreement with the government should never become justification for excluding Jewish organizations from civic and educational life. Public education should expose people to complexity and not shield them from it. It should encourage dialogue and not ideological gatekeeping. If we start deciding which educational opportunities are acceptable based on political activism

113or social pressure, we move away from pluralism and towards censorship. Um, and I like I said, I appreciate the openness the district has for inclusion, intellectual curiosity, and respect for diverse perspectives. including Jewish perspectives. Um, and I urge this board and the community to reject efforts to delegitimize federation and to affirm the principle that educational engagement should be should be built on understanding and not be restricted by a political litmus test. So, thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have Lydia Sherzer. Good evening. My name is Linda Scherzer. I am director of the government affairs and community relations uh building wing of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West. And like my uh CEO before me, I have come tonight to talk about these Facebook uh posts as well as uh

114the mission of these educational trips to Israel that we sponsor. So earlier in my professional career, I was a M East correspondent for CNN. For eight years, I covered the Israel Palestinian conflict, reporting from Gaza and the West Bank. And I know from experience on the front lines the tragedy and complexity of this story. For that reason, following the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7th, 2023, I raised the idea of bringing educators and legislators to the region, a decision that was supported by my federation CEO and the board of trustees. Despite ugly accusations on social media, this was not an attempt to indoctrinate, but to educate. to give educators here in New Jersey with little understanding of a conflict 3,000 miles away the chance to speak to firshand sources to ask tough questions to

115use their critical thinking skills exactly what we ask of our children our students in their classrooms in order to form opinions based on experiential learning not from Tik Tok where do we take these educators you may ask the answer may surprise you. We brought them to meet with Israeli and Palestinian thought leaders. We took them to Yadvashm, Israel's Holocaust Museum, to learn the true meaning of a genocide. They toured the old city of Jerusalem, learning the history of an ancient city that is sacred to three religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. And in what was probably the highlight of the trip, we took educators to the Handinhand School, where Jewish and Arab students learn together, where Jewish and Arab teachers teach together, building social bonds, engaging in respectful civil discourse, modeling what it means for Jews

116and Arabs to talk to each other and live together. All we asked for in return was for educators to embrace complexity, to be open to the idea that there is humanity and trauma on both sides of this conflict. That the history of this region can't easily be collapsed into a framework of contemporary social justice and human rights. That we keep politics out of the classroom. and above all that we talk to each other that we learn from each other and be open to the idea that no one has a monopoly on truth. I am proud to represent an organization that facilitated this experience and know that all those educators who joined will say unequivocally that their understanding of this story has been deepened and enriched. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Uh, next, Sherry

117Langberg. Thank you. My name is Sher. I'm the mother um of a 14-year-old in South Orange. I want to start by telling you the story of a couple I met recently, Iraqi Marina. They are Ukrainian refugees who fled war with their three children and came to America trying to rebuild their lives. After arriving here, the person who sponsored them passed away. They needed job, stability, language support, and a path forward. And the JVS stepped in to help them. Every year, JBS helps thousands of people across northern New Jersey through refugee assistance, employee services, ESL programs, disability service support, senior services, career training. Many of the people are not Jewish. What many of people in this room don't realize is JBS stands for Jewish Vocational Service and is supported and closely affiliated with the United Jewish

118Federation. The UJA, which is in question, helps fund in few food insecurity programs, mental health support, refugee settlement, disability services, youth programs, and they support the vulnerable families throughout the community for people of all backgrounds and religions. And none of this is funded by taxpayer dollars. These are charitable donations from people trying to help. I know because my parents came and were refugees. They saved my parents. That matters because tonight people are talking about any organization connected to Israel and Jewish people as though somehow they are dangerous and inappropriate for our schools or our community to engage with. As Jews, it is in our mandate to help other people. And honestly, I keep asking myself, where is all this hatred coming from? I love people. I love humanity. I truly do not understand why so

119many people today seem to live with so much anger and hatred disguised as social justice. There is so much misinformation and anger right now and that is exactly why these educational trips matter because real understanding comes from firsthand experience, conversation and human connection. And as a parent I need to say this plainly. We have seen in classrooms where hijabs are handing out handed out during cultural activities. Jewish heritage month is completely ignored. Swastikas are painted on bathroom walls. Student walk students walk into libraries and see pro Palestinian materials with no balancing perspective. It cannot go both ways. Jewish organizations cannot be treated with suspicious with suspicion for the good that they do while hatred toward Jewish people and families in our town is ignored or mineralized. You cannot celebrate inclusion, empathy, and cultural understanding for

120every group except Jewish people. And heartbreakingly, I have to say that my son no longer wants to remain in this district. As a family, we've decided to send him to Catholic school next year because he does not feel safe here. At the end of the day, we need more conversation, more humanity, more education, no more division. Thank you. Thank you. >> Next, we have Lauren Rutkin. Hi, I'm Lauren Reken. I've lived here 20 years. I live in Maplewood. I have three kids. Um, all who are, um, two in the district and one has graduated and is at the University of Maryland. Um, I have to admit today I what's gone on in this town really got to me and I couldn't believe it. I I work full-time and I I I had to take a

121nap. I I feel like embarrassed to say that, but I was so disheartened and exhausted by waking up at 4:30 in the morning dysfunctionally to check social media on some of the things that have been going on. I literally took a nap. So, I decided to come tonight. Um 20 years ago, I didn't need reading glasses either. Last week, a Facebook campaign emerged aimed at discrediting and spreading misinformation about trips that were offered teachers to go to vis visit Israel. The situation escalated so rapidly and devolved into spaces filled with vitriol and hatred. The tip this type of discourse has unfortunately become commonplace in our district. This is just one example of the lack of civic engagement around this issue in our town. Personally, I have felt the rise of anti-semitism, which seems to have

122become completely acceptable and even fashionable. I raised the issue of trips as just one example. Since October 7th, I have traveled to Israel four times. Each of these trips have included meaningful yet very difficult conversations and visits to places that foster shared society, opportunities on the ground for real critical thinking. I question whether those most vocally opposed in our town and against tip trips like this have ever visited Israel, the West Bank or Gaza. I have been to all three, including Gaza. Of course, these visits can be challenging and difficult and painful. Yet, they offer nuanced understanding of the realities on the ground. In January, I participated in a gathering of Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Palestinians in Israel on the border of East and West Jerusalem. We felt in ways we are all broken. Yet

123in that moment, our differences didn't break us. What brought us together was what we had in common and a similar experience at the Black Jewish Freedom Center two weeks ago. I challenge our community to have these conversations. I have tried in that context in our own high school to meet and talk to other groups of parents who feel differently than I do. In the past, they did not want to have these conversations unless we agreed to significant preconditions in place. This type of unwillingness to listen to each other's perspectives trickles down to our children. Just like the student speaker said, because I am Jewish, it is often assumed that I support every policy of the government of Israel. This assumption is misguided. Just as being American does not mean I am aligned with every view

124of our president. Yet, I feel that Jews continue to be subjected to unfair standards. These debates and controversies consume valuable time while pressing needs within our own schools remain unressed. So, please can we pause like we tell our children, "I have an open invitation for coffee. I would love to talk." Today in class, a student used the word Zionist in a derogatory context in our own high school as a reaction to something they had seen online. We may not all agree on these critical issues, but can there be a space to potentially have these difficult conversations? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, Lauren Levy. >> Hi. Um, I'm Lauren Levy. I have two children in South Orange Middle School and I live in South Orange. Um, I just want to follow up with what

125everyone else is saying. Um, I am a member of this community and I am uh deeply concerned about what our students are seeing and absorbing from the adults around them. Children in our schools know what is happening in this community. They hear the rhetoric online. They see the hostility. They watch adults publicly shame and stereotype people over Israel and Palestine. Jewish students are watching adults dismiss identities and experiences connected to Israel, while other students are learning that disagreement should be met with exclusion instead of empathy and conversation. That has real consequences. It creates fear, silence, and division inside our schools and friendships. It teaches students that some identities deserve less understanding than others. There are people in Soma who care deeply about Palestinians and there are people who care deeply about Israelis. Many families here,

126including Jewish families like mine, carry truthful and overlapping narratives about this war because we have real loved ones and real pain connected to it in Israel. What is happening in our community right now is not dialogue. It's division. A major voice shaping this environment has come from certain justiceoriented groups and community activists who have repeatedly created a hostile atmosphere for people who do not fully align with their views on Israel and Palestine. I know this personally. I have been blocked, publicly dismissed, called a racist, and shut out of conversations that have could been that could have been constructive and respectful. We have seen statements and rhetoric that make people feel unwelcome in spaces that claim to value inclusion and respect. Supporting the existence of Israel does not make anyone anti-Palestinian. Wanting dignity and safety for

127Palestinians does not make anyone anti-semitic. Most people in this community understand that suffering exists on all sides. But when influential voices encourage hostility and ridicule, it poisons the environment for everyone. People here are already hurting enough. Many are carrying fear, grief, and trauma. We should be finding ways to hold space for one another and not tearing each other apart. This community deserves better. If we truly care about justice, then we must also care about how we treat each other right here at home. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Heather Harrington. >> Hello. Good evening. My name is Heather Harrington and I have a daughter who's at CHS, a sophomore. I'm here tonight because I found out that the AP studio art teacher is being fired. My daughter is an artist and we have a close

128friend who knew about my daughter's interest and told us all about this teacher. what an impact she had on her daughter. Her daughter is currently at the Rhode Island School of Design. Very difficult school to get in. We also have another friend with a son at Cooper Union who also just gushed about this teacher. AP Studio Art is a very important class for a student who wants to pursue art. This is the year that they get their portfolio together which then they apply to colleges. This teacher has been the sole studio art teacher for four years. She in 2024 was recognized for her efforts. She I know that there are other teachers who are certified but they have not taught this class at this level. It is important to have a teacher who knows what

129she's doing. I cannot understand. I knew that there was going to be one art teacher and one English teacher from CH CHS that was going to be fired. I thought it's not going to be the studio art teacher. No, they can't do that. That shows me where the priorities are. I thought that our school prioritized the arts, that we saw the whole student. I'm shaking because I devoted my life to the arts. I came here not nothing prepared. I just couldn't believe this was going to happen. That's the teacher that we get rid of. One who is an asset to our district, to our students. What are we doing to our students? What are we doing to the ones who want to pursue art? We're taking away their studio art teacher. I don't know who

130you're going to have teach it, but it's not going to be this teacher. I was so upset when I found out about this. I I wish you could talk to the parents of children who had her as a teacher. There's no time now, but I hope you can just step back. What? We're doing such a deep disservice. We have a shortage of teachers. When we have such an amazing teacher, we shouldn't be firing her. We should be trying to keep her. We owe it to our students. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> That concludes our in-person public speaks. We do have, I believe, one online public speaks. Uh Amelia S. is that person online? No, unfortunately not. Okay. Uh that then concludes our first uh hearing of individuals and delegations. Uh we'll now move on

131to uh committee reports. Uh this is discussion and committee reports and I believe uh board member Bennett as uh as delegate to the DA I think you have a a brief readout. I may have stolen your thunder a bit. I apologize for that. >> Right. Okay. No, chat. Take a second. >> Um, could someone else go first? >> Happily. Okay. Uh, why don't we go uh board ner if you want to uh report out on FFT? Okay. So the FFT committee met two times in May. Uh we met first on May 13th and um that committee discussion was attended by all members of the FFT committee uh on the board as well as Superintendent Bing, a representative from uh Speasel Architects as well as CME Associates who is the engineer on the Ritzer project. Uh

132the topic um and the agenda for that meeting was um an update on the status of the woodsfield project. We started with uh Mr. Bing asking for an update on uh the LRFP from 2019 um and asking for a um update on the work done so far, the projects that were identified in the LRFP um and were finally funded um projects that had cost overruns and projects that are still underway within the LRFP. Uh he also asked for um a reconciliation of the bond proceeds used to fund the various projects within the LRFP. Uh the Speasel architect said they would be providing that update um in the next FFT meeting. Next we discussed um the district's proposed plan for Ritzerfield which is D2 and we talked a little bit about certain design aspects of that

133um of that plan. Specifically, we talked a little bit about um signage, entrance, um you know, the design around the entrance, um seating, a rain garden area, um the preservation of trees along Valley Street, um potentially having a green screen, so um traffic and and cars and are not distracted by activities going on with the field. Um we also discussed areas of the field that would remain grass and what uses that would have um going forward. Uh the committee also asked for a detailed um update on the playability analysis that includes current usage of fields across um the district as well as the future usage and playability uh based on plan D2. Um then we talked a little bit about the storm water drainage considerations. Um and we had a discussion around the current pipe

134that runs under um Rutser Field and the need to potentially upsize that pipe. Um given that the plan D2 will will have three different storm water basins and the current pipe does not have the capacity to uh drain all the the the storm water that comes through there under this plan. Uh we also looked at another option which was a potential bypass um as well. Next we talked about site conditions and we discussed um additional soil testing uh an additional toxicology uh review and then further things around air quality monitoring and exposure mitigation during construction. Uh finally we talked about the timeline for the project. um 8 weeks for design, 5 weeks for bidding, and 30 weeks for construction, which uh with the potential start of um summer 2027. Uh there were a number of

135deliverables that the the committee asked for um and that will be in the minutes, but it really is around um detailed cost analysis, detailed design considerations um and um other aspects that I just identified. Any questions on that before I move on to the next committee? Okay. All right. >> Yeah. >> Award number. >> That's a great question. Um I think the plan D2 seems to I think that the current budget is about 7.745 million but that is an estimate and it's based on the current design. It we will only know once we do more scoping as to what the actual costs are going to be. We did discuss some alternate design that might uh reduce the cost of um the overall project that included um one multi-purpose field and and the rest of the

136field being grass and that having only one storm water basin. Um so we did discuss that option. Um but the district is looking to advance D2 is my understanding. >> Correct. And currently, um, and I think it was mentioned, uh, earlier, uh, we did receive debt relief from the state of over a million dollars. And, uh, we did also, uh, locate the prior grant, uh, sorry, bond funding for the 2019 richer project, I believe, uh, at about 1.8 million. Uh, both could be used uh, to lower that cost of the, uh, field. Yep. Yeah, I I don't think there's been anyone thinking that reducing the storm water plan would be a good use of uh cutting the cost of the program. But I do think that as I recall part of the discussion in uh

137the last board meeting was how much would be submitted to the public for a bond. So looking at alternate funding that can be contributed to it uh is definitely part of it. So I think uh I think discussions have uh included what the correct responsible cost of it would be to not undercut a plan and have something that would either go up later on uh during building or would produce a product that was not what the district needed. I also think the estimates that were provided previously on the various plans have costs estimates and um the other there were other plans that were less expensive for a variety of reasons. Uh it's less complex and doesn't require this level of underground storm water drainage um basins and things like that. So that is something that

138that you know if if that's a consideration to reduce cost and that's a request from the POSC that we should be looking at that as well. Um >> yeah board member Brown. >> Yeah thank you. I um we can continue to have these conversations. I actually think the district has done an excellent job to will to board member or board president Meyer's point of we had last summer estimates that we presented to the OSE. They were okay with those costs. Since that time, the district continued to listen to the community, continued to refine costs, continued to work to ensure that we had the proper drainage, that we were taking care of the trees, that we were doing lighting properly, and I and I think we are having a conservative estimate because we are planning for

139overage. On top of that, with the state aid and the use of leftover bond funds, which were for Ritzer, we are coming in at the same number as we were last summer when the Bose approved the pro approved the product the project verbally. And I think this is a little bit of a premature discussion because what we need to put out to the public is what is the cost burden to them? How is this going to increase their taxes which I believe the district is preparing and will provide to all of us. >> Some of the things we're working on right now and um when we met with uh Boseies was very helpful. I can only I don't want to speak for everybody here but I thought points brought up were very helpful. We took

140those points we made the checklist. We want to make sure that we're addressing all those points. uh at that at that time I don't think we had the debt relief as of yet those numbers um we only had what we had remaining from the last project um so I think those two combined significantly reduced that 77 to a to a to a doable number if if we're looking back at what was requested from our South Orange mayor if I'm correct in regards to numbers um and I think we just forwarded a a draft of what the tax impact could look like. Frank is doing a little more work on that, too. I want to make sure we solidify those numbers for everybody before we make them make them public. And I also I do want

141to note, so I don't want to uh forget uh we have a subcommittee that is working on innovative funding um not only for this project, but for the needs really across the district. I think you're going to see more I think we're going to be a trailblazer in that area. I think you're going to see more and more districts following in these steps. Uh because I I just don't see school districts being able to continue this vicious budget cycle every year that we're reading about in the headlines. So I think we've got some wonderful community members, some wonderful alumni um that will lend a pretty big hand to this project, the richer project as as well as other projects across the district. >> Okay. And then Oh, >> sorry. Yeah. this. >> Yeah, I just

142want to remind and also reiterate that when we're thinking about cost cutting or whatever it might be to get to get to this project being done, I think the district has done a wonderful job of actually trying to put in allin cost including contingency maintenance long view because what we've seen in previous projects around the town is you do cost cutting short-term measures and only for long-term and you're just revisiting it again. So, I think it's imperative for this group and for whatever we present to the community and for for our district and for our students, this does have the right long view and not having to repeat this again in a couple years because we cut corners or we did some short-term vision here. So, I'd rather have the upfront. I'd rather have the

143full view all contingencies maintenance that does not impact our operating costs uh because we know that we cannot maintain those things. Again, you might have it on the short term, but you get the pain on the long run. >> We did talk at FFT about making small investments now around additional like soil testing and scoping so that we are not going to run into issues down the road with cost overruns or unexpected things that come up. So that is something that I know that Frank had brought up as the BA and he's working with Todd on the with the SPEL group to make sure that the estimates that were looked at last year are still relevant and um especially as you continue to do design work that you're kind of keeping up with the cost

144of what it is today versus what it was last year. So there's more work that's being done and will be presented. So let me move on very quickly to the other FFT meeting that we had. Uh the FFT committee also met on May 19th. Um attended by all board members rep um representing FFT as well as um Superintendent Bing, Frank Surwells, and Tiffany Rena. Uh we discussed a number of different things. Um definitely a little bit update on uh Ritzo. We also had a discussion around the potential tax impact analysis. Um it was very preliminary. Um and so you know you can you you can read a lot of it in the minutes but basically um the summary is that we did receive approximately 17.5% um debt service aid. >> Those are estimates. Correct. No.

145Yeah, that's what I said. Estimates. Um and so certain assumptions were made and and and I'm not going to go into the numbers, but there was a preliminary tax analysis that was presented. Um, so we've been we've asked for updated numbers and we will be looking at that. Um, we also talked a little bit about um issuing a bond that includes other projects because if other projects are included, we could potentially use leftover proceeds from one project towards another and that's that's a benefit to the district. Other than that, we talked about a few other things. Um, we talked a little bit about renewing the food service contract. Um and that specifically we talked about um the unit launch model that's going to be implemented at Columbia High School. Uh this is in conjunction with

146the new block schedule that's going to be implemented next school year. Um we we talked a little bit about the logistics around that. You know where the um the where the pre primary area where food will you know will be served. It's the cafeteria and then that students will be able to be uh using the gym and wellness areas to to sit down and eat. We talked a little bit about the impact of this model on the program including the expenses and revenues um and ways in which we can offset potential losses in revenue. Uh we also uh looked at a request for equipment purchase to be prepared uh to roll this out in the fall. Um and then we also talked a little bit about ensuring that communications rolled out and that there is

147a a proper operational plan in place before the start of the school year. Um we we also talked a little bit about contracts um that went out to bid and um you know we just had a discussion around some of >> why we cannot discuss. Sure. Yeah. >> Or not just updates on those. >> Um and then finally we also talked about uh we had an updated hazardous roots evaluation report that was presented. Um and so the administration um has said that they will be reaching out to impacted families where roots have been deemed safe um and uh let them know uh regarding transportation. I'll stop then. >> Any other questions, comments? Or Higgins? >> Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. >> Oh, okay. Um I the hazardous roots one kind of piqu my interest. Do

148you feel like there's anything that we need to look at in policy to change to be aligned with that or is the language still like I don't I'm not sure what the details are that are going to change but is that something we should start looking at? >> No, we what we wanted to do is every three years you really should have your hazardous roots report redone. So we just wanted to really start that cycle. We were on actually year number four. So, we just wanted him to come back in uh >> especially with all construction going on. Um because every meeting with the police was a new construction, the bike lane. We just wanted a new fresh pair of eyes on >> and if there's anything that does need to change that would just

149go to policy and governance. Okay. Thank you, >> Board Member Bennett. >> Just want to say one thing in reference to the costs for Ritzer. um at least some of the money we're spending on that maybe we weren't planning on spending a few months ago is actually to make it a better project, you know, like better drainage. Um one of the new proposals we looked at actually had a very nice entrance area um on the side of the field that's actually closest to Columbia High School. So like, you know, people can like walk up to the field and like maybe with a little bit of pride and how nice it looks. So um not everyone will agree that that's worth the money, but I think many people would that it is an enhancement. So we're

150getting something for our money. Thank you. Uh we're going to go back to you, board member Bennett, to discuss uh briefly in your role as our delegate to the delegate assembly. >> Uh yeah. Yes. I'm sorry I wasn't ready before, but >> I did want to quickly shout out Jeffrey uh you and thank you for you and Will going down there and also thank you for putting that proposal out. I talked to a couple of my colleagues and peers uh and they were very proud of what SOMD put out there. >> Well, thank you very much. Um it's was an idea ahead of its time. >> Um >> you know there's always 2027. Yeah. Um six months ago I was very proud when the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education became the first board in

151New Jersey to pass a resolution in favor of any kind of rank choice voting. I was proud of the board for passing the resolution unanimously and the public was so supportive. Uh though our resolution on RCV was very clear that we were only asking for an RCV option and not a mandate for all districts and I thought I respectfully outlined several of RCV's advantages. The delegate assembly on Saturday voted against authorizing the NJSBA to support RCV on a 58 to 55 vote. The outcome was very disappointing. I admit I was surprised by the antagonism a few other districts had for a resolution that was just an option and wouldn't have affected them if they didn't support it. Um, even before the NJSBA's introduction of the resolution was complete, board members lined up at the microphone

152to oppose it, uh, the second person to speak after me actually tried to have the resolution tabled instead of just criticizing it on the merits and then waiting to vote against it. Uh the debate devolved into a thicket of parliamentary maneuvers and explanations about tableabling the resolution and then maybe postponing it. Uh more board members who were pro RCV had to defend the appropriateness of voting itself um than the substance of rank choice voting. Uh the assembly probably heard more about Robert's rules of order than ranked choice voting and there was no chance to answer questions attendees had about the mechanics of multi-winner RCV or the pending bill in the New Jersey legislature. Throughout this, I was very glad that Will Meyer was there with me because I didn't think people back in South Orange

153would believe me about how the debate devolved. Um, after some more parliamentary votes about extending debate and then a vote to end debate, the final vote was that very close outcome, 58 to 55. I was great I was very disappointed by that, but I prefer to see our RCV resolution as an idea ahead of its time and not as an idea that's not meant to be. If you're curious, the South Board Board of Ed could reintroduce an RCV resolution in 2027. Although there are legitimate criticisms to make of RCV and defenses of block vote, I do have to say that I think some structural factors played a role in the NGSBA's vote. The delegate assembly by definition is a group of people who won a board election. Hence, anyone there, someone for whom block vote

154worked. Thoughtful people who might have had very large constituencies and their communities, but who lost because of block votes problematic dynamics wouldn't have been there to support RCV. The NISBA uh the NGSBA's delegate assembly also votes by one district one vote regardless of the huge differences in enrollment that districts have. You know, hence Newark has literally a thousand times more students than the smallest districts in New Jersey. The enrollment differences are relevant because larger districts are more likely to have the big fueled elections where problems of block vote and the benefits of RCV are more manifest. If the NGSPA voted in some population weighted way um reflecting the different enrollments of member districts, the outcome could have been different. Anyway, I'm sorry not to have better news, but I thank everyone for voting um or

155RCV and for trying this democratizing reform. No, perhaps it'll live again another day. Any questions? Okay, move on to board member Callahan Special Services. >> Thank you. Special services committee met last night uh with board members Stefan and Higgins in attendance along with Miss Jess Maria and Superintendent Bing where we reviewed district and board goals related to special services. The first one related to strengthening academic culture and climate through collaborative learning where we received initial results of a survey that was administrated to special education teachers in our inclusion classrooms using the new uh inclusion rubric. Efforts to recruit additional feedback will be ongoing, but initial results point to strong alignment with goals for inclusion and accessibility alongside a clear demand for greater clarity on some of the evaluation standards put forth. Teachers also emphasize that

156long-term success will require continued explicit professional development and structural support for co-eing collaboration. Um, in addition, LA this month on May 18th, the special ed and curriculum instruction team hosted a parent webinar uh focused on accommodations and modifications that was attended by almost 50 community members from a range of our schools. Finally, in terms of literacy, Orton Gillingham training has been completed this spring for a cohort of teachers and anecdotally feedback has been positive, though a survey will also be administered for more formal feedback. We also re reviewed, excuse me, our board goal on budget. Um, as has been discussed uh within the context of previous discussions around the budget, we did discuss the RFP process as it relates to our PAR professionals as well as continued analysis of related services. Um, we continued discussions

157around additions to our autism classrooms, expansion of the ERRI program into middle school. Um, and I did want to note just in terms of the PAR professionals that this of course extends through our extended school year. Um, in terms of things we're voting on tonight, we are, um, tonight you'll notice that both the policy and regulation for section 504 are on the agenda for, I believe, first and second read, respectively. Um, the district did propose a small process change to make meetings more efficient for families. Uh, currently, student identification and eligibility are often discussed in separate meetings. Coordinators gave some feedback, indicated that in some cases, those steps could happen in a single meeting if there is enough evaluation information available. Guard rails were proposed and included that it would only occur if a parent

158or guardian gives written consent and has the opportunity to review all information ahead of time. The goal is to streamline the process while also ensuring that families remain fully informed and involved and the language is identical in both policy and regulation. Finally, I just want to encourage folks to keep an eye on your email inbox and your social media channels. The district will soon launch the second annual family experience survey for our special education families. We know there's a lot going on. We know there's a lot of surveys and that that end of your fatigue is real, but we value your voice and your feedback so we can stay responsive to the needs of our community and we look forward to hearing from you on that. Our next meeting is going to be I think

159the 14th. We had to schedule it in reschedule it in June. Um the 17th as we uh had recognitions moved to the 11th. A full recap of this meeting is available on the website and I am open for questions if there are any. Board member Sacka Cable, >> you borrow someone's mic. Thank you. >> Thank you. So, um, not a question, but I just wanted to highlight, um, I read through your notes about just the there seems to be some, um, overall synergy going on between the special services department and the CNI department, which, um, is fantastic because the students need that collaboration, which is then reflected in the classroom. um particularly with the PD that was happening um focused on higher level teachers of higher level math classes and um tier one instruction and

160differentiation that can happen there. Um so I just wanted to point that out and hopefully we'll see more of that. >> Thank you. All right. I believe the next report we have is uh board of reck cable for curriculum and instruction. Thanks again. Okay, so the CNI committee met on May 18th with all members present. We had a very productive meeting and we were also joined by CHS counselor Miss Hicks and director of guidance Dr. Anton. They gave an overview of all the tremendous programming happening at the high school um in the counseling department specifically. And this and other um updates are detailed in the committee minutes online, but to keep the readout concise, um I'll share the CNI items that are up for our uh vote tonight. So last month, we approved the addition

161of three new courses at CHS, fashion design 1, 2, and three, which are all semester classes. The curriculum for these courses are up for approval tonight. Students in these classes, students will explore textile art with an emphasis on basic structure of knit and woven fabrics. They'll um read and modify commercial patterns and ultimately create a runway portfolio. Um also we received updates on out of out of district travel for professional development and um that is up for our approval. This will be a regular practice going forward where we'll get a little bit of um insight into these workshops. Um so there are two CNI related. The SIOP SCP conference is uh title three funded and its focus is on essential tools to support English learners and multilingual learners um with teaching strategies to improve classroom

162practices. The APSI business with personal finance workshop is also up for approval now but will come out of the um 2627 budget and this workshop is focused on helping AP teachers implement an engaging and student centered project-based instructional approach in their classrooms. Lastly, Miss Bodner shared the rationale for two new job descriptions we're being asked to vote on. Currently there is a super a position for supervisor of K8 STEM and another position for supervisor of 912 STEM. These positions are being revised to allow for more consistency across math and science courses broadly K12. So uh the proposal is to have a role for K12 math supervisor and another one for K12 science supervisor. Um, oh, and finally, we do have regulation 5111 that is up for second read. This is the regulation um that details

163procedures the district follows surrounding registration and enrollment of students. So, the next meeting is June 15th at 6:30. Any questions? >> Board member Na, >> are the supervisor positions new or are they just replacing? >> They're restructured. >> Restructured. Okay. >> Yeah. So, there were two supervisor positions before, but they were split. >> Okay? >> They were STEM, fully STEM, so science and math combined. Um, K8 and a separate one for 912. Now, they're going to be K12 positions, one for science and one for math. >> Thank you, >> Board Member Brown. >> Um, I just uh wanted to lift up something that was in the notes. Um, I think I just I want to applaud uh Mr. Bing for the focus on collection um and analysis of data to really understand where our children

164are academically. And um I also really appreciate the district starting to show share more data regularly with the board, you know, including in CNI on where we are with ELA and math and other subjects. And so that was one of the things that we discussed in CNI and is and is in the CNI notes is just um we have we have some real work to do with our math scores in particular. Uh you know specifically if you watch from third to 8th grade, the number of students that are below grade level grows each year substantially. and particularly um students of color, free and reduced lunch students and special education students are disproportionately represented in the students that are not at grade level. Um, so we discussed this in CNI and the district has implemented a

165new math curriculum which we all know takes time. But in the meantime, I think we want to be purposeful and really think about how we can support these students in the interim, especially to try and lift them up before they reach high school because that's really when the rigor hits. Um, so I I want I'm just bringing this up to all of us because we are going to be working on board and district goals this summer and I think we should, you know, to the extent you all think about it, I think focusing on math is one area that we should consider. >> Higgins, >> um, I appreciate the explanation of the supervisor of math and science K through 12. I also noticed the preschool relief teacher. So, I was wondering if you guys had

166a chance. It's in one of the resolutions. So, I was wondering if you could elaborate on that role that's listed. >> Do you know which resolution you're referencing? >> 4970i. It's a I'm sorry, it's a job description. Approve a job description for preschool relief teacher. >> Oh, well, my computer just died. So >> that's not one we discussed, but perhaps um Mr. Bing has more information. >> And if you don't have info now, that's okay. I can always follow up later. >> Yeah, that's that's that. So uh this this particular teacher supports uh classroom teachers. It's grant funded, not out of our operating budget. >> Um it was one of Leroyy's proposals >> at the start of last year, but um he pushed it off till uh this year. Just stuff came up. Um it

167is a it's a teacher that will support the classroom teacher and also work collaboratively collaboratively around making sure preschool is seamless to kindergarten which is one of the gaps that CNI has been working on um that we noticed uh last year looking at the data. Uh so this is just the second step of that. >> Great. In general, I think kind of to piggyback off of um what board member Brown was saying around district goals, we do not talk about prek enough. And I really would like to center a little bit more time around prek because that is our earliest entrance of our kids. And if we can grab them as early as possible, especially our kids that need the most support, and intervene sooner, we're going to see a reduction in behavior issues. We're

168going to see more inclusion. We're going to see more belonging earlier. So, if I can just kind of put that out there, too. Sorry, piggybacking. >> Okay. Board member Stefan. >> The policy and governance committee met on May 6th. In attendance were Mr. Bang, Mr. Jess Maria, Dr. Gilbert, and board members Brown, Higgins, Meyer, and myself. Uh, consistent with our board goals, the dis uh the committee reviewed the governance handbook. No changes to that handbook are recommended at this time. Uh up for a second read tonight are a number of items related to sexual harassment. Uh policy and regulation and policy and regulation 4352 are being abolished and policy and regulation 1552 are being adopted to take their place. Uh we also have up for second read regulation 5111 which uh board member second gable

169just mentioned. Also up for second read is regulation 2418 on uh section 504 that that board member Callahan described earlier and similarly up for first read is policy 2418 on on section 504. Uh I also want to note uh the committee had a robust discussion on policy and regulation 5512 on harassment intimidation and bullying although no uh changes to the text of those policy and regulation are being recommended at this time. Uh the district is working on standardizing communication to families and is developing a three- tiered response protocol for communication with parents in the school community uh when it's in its arise. >> Just a question on that for clarity of the record. The change in the sexual harassment policies is there any to the your knowledge any substantive changes there or it's just sort

170of changing where in the policy book it's sitting? >> I'm not aware of major substantive changes. We're making the change uh at the recommendation of our um our policy vendor Strauss Esme. Um and I and I and the idea is to consolidate those two separate policies that were for teaching staff and non-eing staff into a single policy. Uh I also want to note something that was discussed in committee. There's a lot of or there's some language in in these that are a bit uh dated and maybe not fully aligned with our district's uh understanding of of gender equality and and uh sexual harassment. Uh but we were advised to not alter that language because it is uh basically mandated by statute and regul statute and regulation. And so there is now a bit of language

171at the front of those just noting that that this policy was basically taken straight from the recommendation of our our policy vendor. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Board member Bennett. >> Can I be forgiven for saying something about prek? Um you know in um continue on what board member Higgins said. Um I don't think we're at the point yet where like prek has become an integral part of the district like we want it to be but it's not yet um at that point. And know prek is very different from our K12 system because we are not even close to providing a pre-k seat to you know all 500 kids we have per cohort like we have seats for about 410 kids and unfortunately since we don't have a seat for everyone we have to

172devise an equitable way possible to assign those seats and you know that I think merits some discussion um also like we only operate one of our 10 preks the other nine are independently operated and we have some control over it and know we should have some conversations with that. Um you know for the next year like you know students will still be assigned to a prek but there might come some point where actually we want to give some parents some choice so they can drive themselves to a prek because what's ideal for one parent may not be so good for another parent and some parents may have a lot of flexibility or you know for whatever reason some choice might be prudent. Um kind of like the geography of our preks um doesn't really make

173a lot of sense. Like they're almost all in uh eastern or central south Orange Vapewood and you know a whole lot of people live on the western side of town. Um prek unlike our K12 system is still expanding like you know we have 410 seats now but in the future we may have hundreds more. So you know um f so uh directing that expansion in the most logical way possible is something like worth discussing. So, um I agree with board member Henry that some more discussion is warranted. >> Anything else? Board member Brown. Um, just wanted to kind of piggyback on what board member Stefen said about our discussion regarding kind of the HIP policy. And I think one of the things that came out of there, which I I know the district's aware of

174and is is working on and has hosted town halls, but which are on the website, I believe, or will be, um, is that, you know, there is strict criteria about what it meets the definition of a HIB. But just even if you that criteria is not met, that does not mean that the district does not do anything. They follow the code of conduct. And I think that's an important message that the district's just going to continue to communicate to to families. So that, you know, family feels safe and they they feel like if they send their their child to school and something happens, you know, that child something, you know, there is going to be just some investigation. It might not be a hit, but there will be actions taken to remedy the situation. >>

175Board Callahan, >> thank you. It's like you knew I barely said anything. Um, well, I just want to thank the policy and governance committee for having that conversation. I know um I did speak to board member Stefan ahead of time to surface some of the the questions and concerns around both policy and then connected to policy. you know, that policy is a tricky one to touch because it's so related to statute, but talking more deeply about potentially the uh regulation um which hadn't been updated, I think, since 2018. And I think the district's done such a nice job the past few years of adding things like our MTSS system, which you know, not just that doesn't just touch on our academics, but also there is a behavioral side of it. Um, and so I know

176Superintendent Bing, I've shared this with you too, just figuring out as we move forward to build on what board member Brown said, how do our systems like our code of conduct, our MTSS systems, our school culture and climate teams, how does that all kind of like work together and speak to one another so that in the event that something is not AHI that it's super clear to both our school teams and parents when these things happen um that something might be unfounded, but there are still actionable ways that our systems speak to one another to make sure that all kids involved and teachers involved have the supports needed to mediate situations effectively um so that we can continue making sure that schools feel safer for all of our kids. And so I'm excited to hear

177more coming from um both our student and family affairs committee and policy about what that will look like. Um we know that's been top of mind for the community um in different pockets and so it's exciting to hear that we're you know able to be responsive in these ways. So I appreciate the work those committees are doing on that. Thank you. Order >> second cable. Um, and just um along those lines, I do want to say thank you to the district for offering the HIV training sessions to board members um where we can sign up to um for about an hour and a half presentation on HIV and the legalities around it and um a few of us attended together last night and I found to be very helpful even though I I thought of

178well I kind of already know all of this but I really learned quite a bit. There's a lot of nuance in the language and um so thank you for your team to your team for providing those sessions. >> Anything else? Uh board member Stefan, go ahead. >> While we're on while we're on the topic, I do want to also note a few weeks ago, um the district also put out a a series of town halls for directed for families and parents about HIP by is it Dr. Wayel? uh and uh and I I attended one of those. I thought it was extremely informative. So, I I just also want to commend the district's work on that. >> Does anyone else want to compliment the district? >> I'm all set. Thank you. >> That will conclude

179then the discussion portion of our meeting and we're going to move on to the action portion of our meeting. We're going to take up uh a consent agenda this evening covering resolutions 4970 through 4981. That is to say specifically 4970 a uh our personnel monthly resolution. 4971 our substitute resolution. 4972 concerning out of district placements. 4973 our financials resolutions A through O. 4974 adoption of curriculum. uh new field trips. We have both Six Flags and Disney Springs on here, which is a pretty good time to be a student. Uh, resolution 4976, affirmation of our HIV investigations for the month of April. 4977, which are actions on our second read policies and regulations. 4978, actions on our first read policies and regulations. Uh, 4979, the transfer and removal of non-domiciled students. 4980, a confidential settlement agreement.

180and 4981 our resolution urging relief from rising public school employee health care costs. Uh first of all can I get a motion board? Can I get a second? Board member Sack Gable. Uh are there any severs? No severers. Is there any discussion? Board member Higgins >> only because you brought it up the field trips. Um I just want to understand we are struggling in the budget. So what is that exactly? Is it just approving the site? Like how does the funding around that take place? >> This is definitely not a funding resolution. We have to have a resolution. I believe approving each particular place. It's also a church on here. I think are all probably these are musical performances. I'm going to bet. Um but it is not for the district to pay for it

181specifically. It is to allow the kids to go under the opices of a field trip. >> Okay, great. I just saw Florida and I thought that was really far. >> It is. Yeah. Any other discussion? Okay. Mr. Car, would you please call the role? >> Will you just jump on your mic? So for all the avid viewers at home, board member Stefen, >> yes. >> Board member Sacka Gable, >> yes. >> Board member Nyer, >> yes. >> Board President Meyer, >> yes. >> Board member Capadia, >> yes. >> Board member Higgins, >> yes. >> Board member Callahan, >> yes. Board member Brown, >> yes. >> Board member Bennett, >> yes. >> Motions pass. >> There you go. >> And that concludes the action portion of our meeting. I have failed to bring back down the

182uh the sign-in sheet for second read, but you can show of hands. Anyone who's interested in a second read this evening. >> Hop in. Shia Draper, welcome. Hello there. Great to see you all. My name for those at home is the Shai Draper and I'm our district's communications director. I'm at every one of these schoolboard meetings, but I seldom speak on the microphone unless it's a presentation. So, great to see you all. I felt compelled to take a moment tonight to say how proud I am of our school district, our school board, and the initiatives we've completed together over the years. For more than 20 years, this district has been deeply devoted to community engagement and strategic communications. And I'm incredibly grateful to the people who have helped build that foundation long before I arrived.

183I want to acknowledge my media predecessors and friends. Paul Brewbaker who has helped establish strong relationships with journalists across New Jersey. An Ustashi who unified the district's visual identity and reinforced the idea of two towns, many voices, one community. and Suzanne Turner, who helped families understand that this work is not purely public relations, but true family and community engagement that should be rooted in trust, collaboration, and credibility. Because of those previous leaders and because of the work that's happening every day in the school district of South Orange and Maplewood, I know our district will find ways to continue to execute that vision moving forward. I've kept this news relatively modest, but I am truly humbled to share that I've been elected as the first ever black presidentelect of the New Jersey School Public Relations Association.

184Thank you. That term begins in July as a part of a school district that comes after years of building expertise in this field. That association is the counterpart of your NJSBA, ASBO for business administrators, and the school superintendent association, NJASA. Beyond my work in school districts, I've spent years contributing to our state's broader school communications profession through statewide and national leadership roles, presentations, and collaboration with educational professionals across the country. That work after long school days often makes for lengthy and demanding academic years. But South Orange and Maplewood was different. Not unique, we don't use that word, but definitely distinguished. This district presented one of the most meaningful and professionally rewarding challenges of my career and I'm deeply thankful for not only the improvements I've been able to contribute but also for the personal and

185professional growth I've received in return. In just the past two years, we have launched a vast new website with 260 pages that we've been reorganizing, conducted countless webinars and engagement initiatives for residents, and provided real world communications experience to Columbia High School students interested in journalism, media, and public relations in the future. I'm proud of the systems and strategies we've built together and I know that they will continue supporting Superintendent Bing, our school staff, and our families well into the future. And while public and while public service is never easy, I think what has always stood out to me about this community has been its passion. Members of our two towns care deeply about students, about staff, and about the future of this district, especially when it comes to connecting with said families, even during

186difficult moments. That priority has been very apparent to our family constituents, and it's something that I will always appreciate about this district. As always, thank you. >> Thank you, Ethan. Do we have any other public speaks this evening? All right, then I'm going to close our second hearings of individuals and delegations. Uh, is there any new business this evening? Hearing none, I will now announce our future meetings. Uh we will next meet on Thursday, May 28th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. for a board retreat followed by an executive session for the purpose of discussing the chief school administrator i.e. superintendent evaluation among board members. Uh as of now, no action will be taken. Uh on Thursday, June 11th at 6:30, we'll meet for a presentation of our SSDS and HIV data, followed by an executive session

187to discuss uh the CSA evaluation with the superintendent. Uh action may be taken. And on Thursday, June 25th at 6:30 p.m., we'll meet for our regular monthly board meeting and executive session. Uh action will be taken. Uh do I have a motion to adjurnn? Or Callahan, do I have a second? Board Bennett, show of hands. We are adjourned at 10:40 p.m. Have a good night. >> Good night everybody.