001But, once again, thank you very much for your patience. Thank you for waiting. Um as you rightly pointed out, um there there's no path that is there's no way there's there's no real wins, just only um it was a matter of really just coming to whatever conclusion we come to, and each member has to vote his or her his or her conscience. Um before we move into that, does anyone any of the board members have anything else they'd like to add publicly? That said, uh >> Dr. Howard, I'm sorry. Um and I just I just want to reiterate what my question and what the answer was earlier um as far as what happens um if a decisions was not approved tonight, and I just feel like as hard as whatever decision we all have to
002make, just that everyone understands that it doesn't if we don't you know, vote to our best ability of what we feel and we allow state whomever to come in that it it can be 10 times worse. And and and there's no right answer to any of this tonight, and it's a very difficult decision for each of us. I mean, I'm going to speak for myself, but I'm pretty sure for this rest of um my colleagues up here. So, I just want everyone to keep that in mind that it's not anything personally, regardless of what we decide tonight. But, um we have to keep in mind not just for, you know, not just for the staff here, but also for the residents at hand, like for us to allow anyone state to come in and do
003whatever they want. They definitely won't care individually. They'll just So, I I'm I'm just want everybody to really keep that in your forefront. The people that are out here still, the people that are listening online, and and just the resident community at whole. Thank you, Dr. Howard. >> Certainly. Um certainly, Ms. Ms. Best. Um Mr. Garrett, don't you just having a fiscal monitor? I think I can. Mr. Hamlin mentioned that he had some experience with having a fiscal monitor, so he wanted to share that with the general public. Not me, but in a professional experience >> representing a district that had a fiscal monitor. It is unlike anything that you are experiencing now, meaning that the law is such that the fiscal monitor would have control of everything. Every vote, every expenditure, anything that the
004fiscal monitor doesn't like, if you approve it, has the right to override your vote, then reject it. If it's something that you don't want to have happen, and vote against it, fiscal monitor has the right to override your vote and approve it. It ultimately resulted in a lot of litigation in a different district, but it it it effectively removes your role as board members to approve things. And it almost removes the role of the superintendent to recommend things. And it leaves it to one person that as Mr. McNeal says, you pay for. So, you you don't want to be in that circumstance. I I wouldn't wish that on this board as a board, or on this district, because it is not something that you will ever You'll regret that you didn't take matters into your
005own hands, and you let someone else do it for you. Not a good idea. >> So, let me ask this, then. What is the point of having us vote? If we're not Like if if if it all if everyone voted no and then like what's the point of us having a vote if if it allows the state to come in and tell us what to do anyway? >> The belief is by not approving a budget that's been recommended that the state I I assume the county superintendent has has approved it, right? They're like, "Okay, this is your budget, you created it. We're approving it. We believe that you can run and you're responsible for your fiscal operations. Once you fail to do that and and they appoint somebody, they're telling you you can't do it.
006You don't You don't have the ability to do it, so we're going to do it for you. We're going to oversee your operations. We'll let you see how you do, but at the end of the day, I have the final say. If I don't like it, too bad. >> Thank you. >> One last question. Should that go down, do you have any recourse to challenge them? >> Oh, if a monitor is appointed, no. I've I've never seen where you can prevent it from happening. It's like they're they're appointing a monitor, that's it. >> Okay. That's it unless there are any other comments or questions. Mr. Shapiro, would you move finance agenda, please? >> Just Just real quickly. The cuz I was reading an article on this issue and in this article, I'm not going to
007say where the school district is, but it says a new phase will be present at the next such and such education board meeting. The person will be serving as the school district state monitor, a position ordered by the New Jersey Department of Education last year. >> Ordered. Thank you for that. >> Yeah. >> Mr. Shapiro, if you would. >> Move Move items 1 through 3 under finance. >> To second. >> I'll I'll second. >> Okay. Um roll call. >> Ms. Best. >> Yes. >> Mr. Aguero, you did. >> I would say yes, except for item number three. >> So, is that a no for item three or you're abstaining from item three? Like, is it a no for item three? >> Yeah, no for item three. >> Okay. Ms. Horton-Gibbons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Parks.
008>> Yes. >> Mr. Shapiro. >> Abstain. Mr. B. Hargrave? President Dr. Howard? Yes, and abstention no three. Okay. >> I'll second the move to >> Parish. >> All right, hold it three with two abstentions and one no. It motion Parish. >> I'm going to count this yes. >> Yes, cuz it's >> You all know it's a majority of >> Yeah, the majority. >> Abstentions do not count. >> Passes three to one. >> Vice President Hargrave, would you move items under labor? >> You don't want to move it? >> I don't >> Okay. >> Move items one and two under labor. >> All right. Roll call. Um, Ms. Best? >> I'm sorry, I have to say yes. >> Ms. Sag Wo Hiday? >> Yes. >> Harkin Givens? >> I'm abstaining from one and yes to two.
009>> Ms. Parks? >> Um, I'm abstaining from one and yes to two. >> Ms. Shapiro? >> Same. >> Mr. DeBeer Grave? >> Um, abstaining from one, yes to two. >> And President Dr. Howard? >> I also abstain on one, yes, or two. >> I vote two did it. >> Motion two, motion passes. Two to five abstentions, unfortunately motion passes. >> Wait, what? >> Motion passes. >> All the abstentions? >> Yes, everybody else didn't vote. >> Okay. By way of final comment, I'm going to certainly allow my colleagues to chime in, of course, as always, but um tonight was a decision that I don't think the decisions made tonight, and Dr. Perez rightly pointed out, no one arrived at lightly because tied to all of these decisions and these numbers are human beings. And to Dr.
010Perez's also very excellent point, that the ultimately the reason and the purpose for our work is to make sure that we're maintaining the best options and possibilities for our children. Um we don't know exactly what's going to happen yet. Unfortunately, we don't have all the information because there's still some things that are pending. The charter school, some other things out there. So, we're going to pray for the best and see how that works out. Um I just certainly hope and pray that each and every one of us will continue to do what it is we know in our hearts to do, and that's to service our community, and most importantly, the most precious part of our community is our children. I leave the floor open. My colleagues, if you have anything you want to add?
011>> I have a question for the record, the results of the two motions because it wasn't loud enough to be picked up on the recording. Just the results, not the votes. That they both carried, correct? >> Yes, the vote did carry. Three yeses, five abstentions, yes, they carry. >> The record's okay. I just wanted to make sure that it's >> Anyone have any comments? Anything you want to add? Sparks? >> Um this wasn't an easy decision to make. I think all of us almost 11:00 at night, of course. Um I just want to say that I think going forward doesn't matter who's in these seats. I feel like we need to continue to be more fiscally fiscally responsible when it comes to a lot of things. It's unfortunate that a lot of things had to
012be cut. Positions had to be cut or consolidated and stuff like that. But I think this is a lesson that we learn. But also going forward, this is something that we can look back on. Right? Um and I just want to thank, you know, Dr. Perez. Um Mr. McNeill, that I know it wasn't easy. Especially when it comes to administrators, directors. But it's hard right now. Um and I do thank everybody in the community to continue to support us, support the students. Because the students are our main focus. And they're our district, and we have to put them first. >> I wanted to say Excuse me. I also wanted to say thank you um to Dr. Perez and um Mr. McNeill for especially for the presentation and expounding upon things that we probably have never
013received in the prior years. This has been Oh, this seems like this has been the hardest meeting yet for me. Um and the decisions that we had to make Um just know that it's in it's for our scholars. Our scholars are at the forefront. They should always be at the forefront. And we appreciate everything that those that work in our district do. We appreciate teachers, our supports, um the people, um everyone in the district, we appreciate everything that they do so that we can continue to our district forward. And on behalf of our scholars. So, um I have to ditto what um my colleagues have said and I thank you for each of you that have stayed this late with us. It's a little late for us, but we appreciate you and your support. >>
014Thank you, Ms. Horton Gibbons. I do want to just add one more thing and thank you for that. As Mr. McNeal rightly pointed out in his presentation, this is a global problem. It's certainly a statewide problem. I encourage each and every one of you to take the time out speak with your legislators, to speak with them particularly about the the school funding formula in the state of New Jersey, which is absolutely horrific. The funding formula is unbalanced. It is not It has been for years and um Governor Sherrill has her work cut out for her, but do speak to your legislators who get a chance to actually make this an actionable moment in Trenton, but they need to look at the school funding formula to make sure these schools are funded properly so that we
015don't have a repeat of what we just had in 2 years of taking the hit that we did because the outcome certainly would be different. I also wanted to just take a moment. One of our board members is celebrating a birthday, Mr. Estremera. He's not here tonight, so birthday, so happy birthday to him. Uh yes, we we have to talk about that, Mr. Fox. Um No, no, we'll discuss that this year. The next meeting. >> On the next meeting. >> Yes, sir. >> Um Thank you very much once again to everyone. Drive safely and um we'll wait and see what happens next. Have a good night. >> Good night. >> Motion. >> Um yeah. >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor. >> You got it.