001You're good. >> I never sit long back. >> I know. I'm always at the edge of my like >> I think it is otherwise >> right >> like a kid. >> Yeah, >> that's awesome. >> Yeah. >> People problems. >> Right. Exactly. >> Are we good? >> All right. We are good. >> Okay. I'd like to call this OPAC board of education meeting to order at 6 pm. Can we all rise for the flag salute? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> And we have the opening statement according to the agenda. Mr. Halenback, can you please call the role? >> Dr. Capella, >> here. >> Mr. Davio is absent. Miss
002ShraMM >> here. >> Mr. Chaffy >> here. >> Mr. Warren is absent. Miss Paulina >> here. >> Mr. Citri is absent. Miss Gulan is absent. Miss Falcone Schubert >> here. >> Can I please have a motion to go into executive session? >> I'll make it. >> I'll second. >> The motion for executive session. Dr. Capella. >> Yes. >> Mr. Davia is absent. Miss ShraMM. >> Yes. >> Mr. Chaffy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Warren is absent. Miss Paulina. >> Yes. Hi everybody. Thanks for coming. Can I please have a motion to reconvene? >> I'll make it. >> Second. Mr. Helen back. Can you please call the role? >> Dr. Capello >> here. >> Mr. Dabby is absent. Miss ShraMM >> here. >> Mr. Chaffy >> here. >> Mr. Warren's absent. Miss Paulina >> here. >> Mr.
003Citri >> here. >> Miss Gulan >> yes. >> And Miss Falcone Shu >> here. >> Can I please have a motion to open our um public budget hearing? >> I'll make it >> second. >> And Dr. Capella. >> Yes. >> Mr. Davia's absent. Miss Shrimp. >> Yes. >> Mr. Chaffy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Warren's absent. Miss Palena. >> Yes. >> Mr. Citri. >> Yes. Miss Gulan. >> Yes. >> And Miss Falcone. >> Yes. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you for coming out this evening. Uh board members, you have your copy of your presentation in front of you. So I'm just going to walk over to the side here and pull up a couple of things. Um, tonight we're going to take a real brief look at our budget and understand some of the budget pressures
004that we are under. Um, not unlike every other school district across the state of New Jersey. And so, um, in the news, you may read every single day about school districts closing schools, um, laying off teachers, uh, pushing back against the state. And the conversation I've had with members of the public and members of the board over the last couple of years is a lot of these school districts are in the position that we were in five years ago, right, when we had to cut uh, all kinds of our programs. And I I sat in a meeting last week and having some conversations and you know I I said to some members of a couple legislative committee members and things I said look we've lost 8 million out of 11 million of our state aid
005due to S2 cuts. And so for some of these school districts that are just experiencing either flat budgets, not even reduct reductions, right? The newest funding formula from the state of New Jersey limits how much a school district can lose in state aid to no more than 3% of their total state aid. So, if you were to look at that $8 million that we lost over a period of five years, it would have taken us 24 years of 3% state aid cuts to actually have truly lost that $8 million. And we lost it all in five years, right? So, it wasn't until a lot of central and south Jersey districts started to be impacted by S2 and the funding formula that you started to hear all of this complaining. Um, look, I I don't know
006what the answer is. I don't have a crystal ball. The reality is there are um unsustainable costs that are built into each of our schools and they primarily start with healthcare. Right? So from the 242 school year to this school year, our health insurance premiums went up 31.9%. They went up 5.5 million. They were a little over 4.3 million. Next year, our health insurance premiums go to $7.2 million, another 30.6% increase. We are part of the state health insurance plan, the plan that was created to save school districts money by having school districts be part of a poolled consortium to balance risk. So, if you had you were a small district and you had one or two employees or family members of an employee that had a catastrophic claim, it didn't wipe out your insurance
007plan in one year. You balanced and shared the risk. Unfortunately, several years ago, under chapter 44 legislation that was passed, the state adjusted how premium contributions were calculated for employees under the guise that the state health benefits insurance plan with minor changes had to show $300 million in savings. actuarial reports magically showed $300 million in savings. But when the plan was audited subsequent to that, it showed that there were no savings whatsoever. And that should have triggered components in the law that would have required the state health benefits plan to implement additional changes. Where we are at now is that every school district that could get out of the state health benefits plan has gotten out and they've gone to private insurance carriers. The problem with that is private insurance carriers right now Etna is
008seeing a 21.2% increase. Horizon is almost 24%. Um Sign is 19%. All right. So yes, less than the 30% that we are going to see. But across the board, health insurance premiums are soaring. Costs for health care and delivering health care are soaring. It is not an issue that is unique to us. It is not an issue that is unique to New Jersey. It's going to require a lot of hard work and a stomach that I'm not sure politicians have to address health care in our country and how we fund it and what the expectations are. So when you look up here on this screen, you'll see that there are three large cost drivers for expenditure increases. Healthcare at 1.6 million, salaries, contractual obligations at 542,000, and utilities, electric and oil, and that number was
009before um we had a conflict in the Gulf. um those numbers will no longer um hold true. Right now, heating oil uh on futures contracts for next winter is a little over $5 a gallon at port charge. All right, we pay uh port fee plus 25 cents a gallon is our state contracted rate and it's a little over $5 a gallon right now. What are our major revenue increases? We saw an increase in state aid of $183,000. Decided. However, state aid increases, even though the funding formula has been fully funded, are also capped. You can't increase your state aid by more than 6%. The state still owes us for this year because we were capped $520,000 more in state aid that we will not get this year. And that's because they created a cap at
010the top and a cap at the bottom. Losers can only lose 3%. Gangers can only get 6%. Our $500,000 was shared with other school districts to prevent them from losing more. And that's the reality that's here. So that number should be u almost $800,000 increase in state aid. Right. tax levy increase of 2% on the local taxpayers generates 600,000 and a healthc care cap exception generates an additional $1.289 million. We take a look back healthcare increase was 1.6 we can only recover 1.2 of that. So $400,000 of those health care cost increases we have to eat through our local tax levy increase and that state aid increase as well. At the end of the day, what are we going to do? How do we cut to balance the budget? Miss Tammy Miller retired midway through
011this year. We're not replacing her next year. the balance of her salary that we didn't already cut. 95,000 will be cut for next year. We're cutting a preschool position. We're deferring some additional technology positions. We do have or purchases rather. We do have three retirements. So, the breakage, the difference between the old teacher salary, the retiring teacher salary, and a replacement teacher has already been factored into our budget. That's what we have to do just to get us to even. Okay. 6.2% tax increase. These cuts to get us even. What does that mean for the towns? The average assessed property value in Hope Hakong is $346,000. That means this tax increase would account for $2145 per month on an average assessed property. In Hokatcom, 80 73% of homes range in value from assessed value from
012300 to 450,000. 80% fall in that 300 to $500,000 range. If you live in a house that's assessed at a million dollar, your taxes are going to go up $744 for the year, right? Basically, you take the tax rate of 01244%, you go to your tax bill, you look at what your assessed property value is, and you multiply that rate times your assessed property value, and that would give you your new school tax bill for the upcoming year. Is there an easy solution? There is not. As I've talked with the board, if we were to cut one third grade teacher, our class sizes go to 36. If we were to cut a secondary teacher, English, math, science, we're at the point where our classes would probably for that subject would probably be held in the
013auditorium because you'd be looking at 40 kids in a high school classroom. We have cut every single position imaginable over these last six, seven years to stay afloat. I've been here since 2003 and I've said it before. When I started here, there were 27 administrators. After this budget, there are six. Mr. Robinson, the assistant superintendent, is also now the director of special services. I'm the superintendent and I'm also the business administrator. two completely different certificates, but the goal is to try and save money for the district and keep as much as we can funding wise in the classrooms. Other school districts, they're going to read articles. They're going to have to cut back on sports. They're going to have to cut back on tutoring programs. Uh they're going to have to cut back on basic
014skills or reading specialists. Folks, unfortunately, we don't have any of those programs. They've all been cut years ago in order to try and retain the core. The the new governor and the new commissioner of ed have committed to adjusting and redoing the funding formula for school districts for next year that will require legislative approval. But they've got to get through this budget and this legislative process now before they can even look to the future. The reality is, you know it, you see it. Costs have gone up in some cases exorbitantly. What it costs to operate a state government, a local government, a local school district, there are a lot of components that are out of our everyday control. But what I can tell you is that amongst our teaching staff, amongst our small group of
015administrators, we look at every dollar that we spend. We'd look for ways to save $ five dollar here and $10 here. Years ago, it might have been a thousand dollars. Right now, we're into into a dollar, $2, three dollars. Everything adds up and we'll continue to offer what I believe in all honesty is a great education for our kids. I know there are things that they may not get that other school districts surrounding us get, but I'll tell you the one thing that they do not get elsewhere, and that is a dedicated group of teachers and administrators who are going to do everything possible to welcome them into our classrooms every day to give them the individual attention and nurturing and support that they need. that mission will not change even with this budget, even
016next year when we face another difficult budget. That's not going to change. Um we'll continue to work and go from there. So with that, I'll conclude my presentation and I will open it up to um comments from the public on the budget only for right now. you get that or it's just >> I would just take them right from here. >> Okay. >> Anybody that has any comments, anything you want to share on the budget? >> Are we are we joining with Jefferson for the Highlands Impact Aid? >> It is a conversation to to be had. Um the bill right now as it exists uh does not specify the specific localities that are actually eligible. The initial legislation did not include Hopkong even though it says highlands. Um it did it didn't spell out hopong
017specifically. My hope is that it might. Um, but I I've learned better than to hold out hope. >> Do we have to reach out to the legislators? I >> already have. Yeah, already have. >> Other comments, other thoughts? It's a talkative group tonight. >> All right. With that, then I'd like to ask for a motion to close the budget hearing at this time. Please. I'll >> make it. Second. Dr. Capello, >> yes. Mr. >> Davia is absent. Miss ShraMM, >> yes. >> Mr. Chaffy, >> yes. >> Mr. Warren's absent. Miss Palena, >> yes. >> Mr. Citri, >> yes. >> Miss Gulan, >> yes. >> And Miss Falcone Schubert, >> yes. >> Can I please have a motion to approve item seven, approval of the 2026 27 budget? I'll make it. Second. Any discussion? >> Dr.
018Capello. >> Yes. >> Davia's absent. Miss ShraMM. >> Yes. >> Mr. Chaffy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Warren's absent. Miss Paulina. >> Yes. >> Mr. Citri. >> Yes. >> Miss Gulan. >> Yes. >> And Miss Falcone Schubert. >> Yes. >> Okay. Can I please have a motion to approve the March regular and executive um meeting minutes? >> I'll make it. >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? >> Dr. Capello? >> Yes. >> Mr. Davio is absent. Miss Shramm, >> yes. >> Mr. Chaffy, >> yes. >> Warren's absent. Miss Paulina, >> yes. >> Mr. Citri, >> yes. >> Miss Gulan, >> yes. >> And Miss Falcone, >> yes. >> Okay. Next, we'll move on to the superintendent and hip report. And we will start with our student representatives, uh, Lillian. >> Hello. >> Hi. >> Thank you for
019having me here again. Um, so I'd like to start off by saying that we had our SATs this past month. We are waiting to hear back all of the students are waiting to hear back on their results, but hopefully everyone did well. Um the the guys track finished 5 to1 for the season and the girls had their first win in a dual meet in about seven or eight years. So that's very exciting. Also the track championships are this week and the week after and several of our athletes will be competing in those. Our musical Mamma Mia, it's made the most money for our theater program as we've had in a while. It was also a whole lot of fun. A great turnout all four nights. Um, and it seemed like everyone really enjoyed it. We
020also have our AP exams coming up this coming week and the week after. So, everyone has been studying a whole bunch for those. And lastly, our prom is coming up soon. That's May 28th. It'll be at the Chandelier in Flanders Valley from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. And I know a lot of people have been talking about that and how excited they are for that. >> Oh, that's fun. Should get some board throwback prom photos. >> That would be fun, right? I can find that. Thank you. >> And I have I got a note from Natalia. She couldn't make it this evening. Um but she did send a note for a couple of things here. Um she wanted to make sure we mentioned Amanda Gonzalez who received the superintendent roundt award and was recognized last week
021at a lunchon with superintendent from around the county. Um, Triam Music Honor Society is looking at a tenative date of June 5th for their annual recital. I know I just signed off on something on that with today. Uh, Sussex County Youth Orchestra is going to hold their annual spring concert at our high school this year. It'll take place on June 7th. Features two of our very own seniors, Natalie Labbuff and Dominic Mela, will perform solos at the concert. A great honor for them. Um, Junior Honor Society and Honor Society finished accepting applications for next school year. Uh, good luck to everybody who submitted applications. And, um, lastly, Natalia and Natalie Leov were given the opportunity to represent our school in Kittatin's musical Pippen as musicians in their orchestra. Uh, they're going to be part of
022that show. Those dates are April 30th, May 1st, and May 2nd uh at Kennatini. Um so that's a wonderful opportunity for each of them as well. So thank you to our high school student reps. Thank you for your notes this evening. I greatly appreciate that as well. >> Okay. And let's move on to your report. >> Yeah. uh I shared with the board this evening um part of our HIB reporting. We had a total of three Hib reports that were generated uh during the previous month. Two of those were founded HI incidents. One was neither a code of conduct or a HIB. Uh the board will review those for second reading next month and approval at the next month meeting as well. >> Thank you. >> Okay. A motion to approve. I'll make it. >>
023I'll second. >> Dr. Capella. >> Yes. >> Mr. Davia's absent. Miss Shrimp. >> Yes. >> Mr. Chaffy. >> Yes. >> Warren's absent. Miss Paulina. >> Yes. >> Mr. Citri. >> Yes. >> Miss Gulan. >> Yes. >> And Miss Falcone Schubert. >> Yes. >> Okay. Moving on to acknowledgements and correspondence. Congratulations to Hakon Middle School students who made high honor role and honor role for the third marking period. And the same for Hopakan High School students. Congratulations to the following students who were chosen as a Paka Middle School students of the month for outstanding performance in February. Sophia Delgado for grade four, Rosyn Reyes for grade five. Austin B, grade six, and Alyssa Stickle for grade seven, and March Ryder Smith for grade four, Justin Roua Paneros, grade five, Nicholas Royo for grade six, and Victoria
024Koula for grade seven. Have any of those students here tonight? No. Okay, they'll get their certificates at school. Next, we're going to move on to congratulations to Amanda >> Malazooi. Thank you, Malazooi. I'm being selected as our school's honore for the Lake Pack on Elks 2026 Leap in the Lake for our special special kids event. And then we have our governor's educator of the year and educator and educational services profess professionals of the year. Um this honor reflects their commitment, hard work, and meaningful difference they make each day. And I believe we have some in our audience today. >> We do. We've got a couple victims here with us this evening. So, when I call your name, if you would just stand up and be recognized. I know we've kind of juggled some dates around
025here, but um I I want a chance for the board to be able to put faces with names if they haven't had an opportunity to meet you and also for the public to to know what an honor this is to be recognized. Um, so many of our staff go above and beyond on a on a regular basis, but this is an award chosen by their peers and their administrators for the the hard work that they do. Um, you're recognized by your your staff members. You're recognized by by your students and your parents and and it's a wonderful honor. So, Durban Avenue's educator of the year is Kelly Rodic. Kelly, if you would stand. Thank you so much. Our educational services professional of the year is Melanie Purith. Melanie, if you would stand at Tulsa Trail,
026our educator of the year, she's not with us this evening, is Ma Amanda Malazooi. And our educational services professional of the year, also not here this evening, is Dawn Hirs at the middle school. Uh neither of these ladies are here with us tonight. Middle school educator of the year is Hillary Wolf. And the educational services professional of the year is Jacquellyn Deerenza Sikovic. And then high school, our high school educator of the year is Mr. James McCoen. And our educational services professional of the year is Melissa Stein. And our HOPA ESP of the year is Endora Liz Melisso. So again, congratulations to each of you. The uh the check is in the mail. Um I'm just not sure how much the postage is and if it's going to get returned. So um I will get
027back to you. But again, my sincere thanks to you and to each of your colleagues for the work that you put in on a regular basis. Um I get a chance to be in your classrooms and and see the work that you've done. and I've known each of you for um a bunch of years. Um but you are part of what makes Pacong so special. So, thank you again for all of your efforts. Um I would love for you to stay this evening. You're more than welcome to, but please know that nobody here would be um upset if you had other commitments and you needed to duck out for an ice cream or to pick up one of the kids at a sports practice, too. So, you you won't bother us if you need to
028do that. Okay. So, thank you. >> Thank you all so much. >> Thank you. >> Okay, next we'll move on to parent teacher organizations. Do we have any representatives here tonight? >> I've got stuff to share. >> Okay, you go, then I'll go, then you go. >> Okay. Um, the HPCOM municipal alliance is partnering with the project graduation to do one more final push and fundraiser for our seniors. So, this upcoming Friday, we are hosting a candy bar bingo from 6:00 to 7:00 in the cafeteria here at the high school. And then piggybacking off of that, a movie night um starting at 7:15. We're playing freakier Friday. Um it's supposed to be a fun celebration for all moms, aunts, grandma. So, bring them on over. It's $7 for pre-sale and then $10 at the door.
029So, we hope you guys all come out to um you know, support our our graduating seniors. Um, and then I have a just quick announcement about Girls on the Run. So, we have a 5K coming up on the 16th of May. Um, and we're looking for student volunteers to be photographers. Um, and we'll sign off on any, um, community service or volunteer hours that are needed. So, if you're interested, um, come see me or shoot me an email at my board email address. >> Remind me to give you the NHS email. >> Okay, perfect. >> That's a good place to have it. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Um just to piggyback on that for the project um graduation bingo for Friday night, uh pre-sale tickets are online at a reduced rate. Um they're
030going to be just a few dollars more at the door and we are raffling off um with every admission ticket um prizes >> and I think tomorrow at McDonald's, yeah, >> right McDonald's for project. >> Go get the big arch. Rocco highly recommends. >> Um and then I think there's one more to dying to donate. They had like five or six going to >> find it. Yeah. All right. And then for the PTSO, we have our Tricky Tray numbers finalized. We brought in $31,65, which is great. A little bit less than last year, but we were competing with two other Tricky Trays, so take it. Um, each class got about $1,600, so that was awesome. Then project graduation got $7,900. Um the rest of that money will be funneled back into school events. Um they
031also made a $5,000 donation to the gym project which should be on our agenda next month and we're going to be reviewing scholar it is on it this month. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Um and uh we'll be reviewing scholarship applications um as well. Also the booster club is running a a fundraiser for the basketball team. two tickets to a Subway Series game um in September, $25 a ticket. So, see a baseball player or reach out to the booster club. And that drawing, I think, is May 6. >> Uh yeah, the FUD recorders one is April 30th through May 3rd. Um percentage goes to the class. Uh you just have to show the um online tickets that are posted up. >> I saw that. >> Thank you. All right. Anybody else? We're all good. All right.
032Next, we'll move on to public comments. Ma'am, >> Miss Johnson, >> it's just me. >> Just you. >> Just me. Hi, everybody. >> Um, I want to start off by saying I don't really feel bad for any of the schools who have to deal with what we dealt with over the last five years. I think we did it beautifully. Um, and we should be a role model for everybody else. Um, what you guys did, what the board did. Um, as you know, the town is going up 9.74%. We introduced our budget uh last second meeting of March and then we're going to be adopting that apparently on May 13th. Um, so the 6.2 and then 9.74 and then the county is 4.4. So, uh, healthcare is really killing us. Uh, but what I came here
033to ask was two things. Um, my son Shay is a sophomore. Um he is in eports and he loves it and my younger son had Mrs. Roden first grade. We love that. Um Chase is a sophomore and he is he has to take the financial literacy requirement right which is no problem. Um but I had reached out to his caseworker Mrs. Pada who's wonderful and there is no option for our children to take summer classes at the parents expense um or online classes also at the parents expense. Now I know that Nolles offers online financial literacy because my nephew took it. He's a sophomore and he took it online over the summer. Um and I'm going to guess that Roxbury probably has a an option. No >> um >> online option >> uh only for
034summer school >> but they have summer school. Now, I know we don't offer summer school here, which is a totally, you know, budget issue. I totally get it, but I'm I'm wondering why we can't have our kids take summer school at another school and get credit for that. Um, Mrs. Plata told me to reach out to Mr. Jensen, which I did. He got back to me right away. Said that um credit credit retrieval, right? And there was something else. There were two reasons, a class that we don't offer here in the high school. So, I'm wondering why we are limited. Um, if I'm going to pay for it, why he can't take financial literacy or another class because there was an issue with his math going into freshman year where he's already taken algebra 1.
035It wasn't deemed algebra 1. He had to take algebra 1 a second time. Um, and then I said, "Fine, he'll take geometry or algebra 2 over the summer because he wants to take calculus his senior year because he wants to go on an engineering route." And I was told he can't do that. he can't take algebra 2 in another school and I would pay for it. Um, he has to take it here. And I was just wondering why. And I was wondering if that if because you guys have the power to change that. And I don't know if that's in the contract or not. I can't remember if it's part of the teachers contract that we can't do that or why we can't do that. And if that's something that you guys could um look
036into. Um, the other thing that I have is this is where my son is a problem. He really is around us. >> My son walks through the hallways on his Chromebook uh on YouTube watching videos. He is I just had his IEP meeting uh last week and he is in class and he will finish all of his work. He is on he's the second working period in a row he's on high honor roll. He is a high achieving student. He does all of his homework. He does not want to bring homework home. He finishes it in class and he does it right and he does it well. but he's motivated to go onto YouTube at the end of class. So each class that he is finishing his work, he's taking 15 minutes which over the
037course of seven or eight periods plus a 45m minute lunch period which I don't even 45 minutes for lunch like I don't even get that at work. He is on YouTube and I my I have a son who goes to Charter and they use GoG Guardian which I think is what you guys use and as soon as those kids hit any thing it's it's shut down and what I was told was I said why can't we do that that here right it's the same program maybe we pay for it we don't know it I'm sure you would know that because you know all things but he really does um I know that my son is not the only one that does it. I know he's not the only one that that struggles with an addiction
038to technology. His phone, he has a cell phone. I am in charge of his cell phone at all times. He gets four hours a day and his phone is a brick when he comes to school. He needs my passcode. He can text me. He can call me if there's an emergency and that's it. So, I'm just wondering if there is a way that we could work on our technology in these schools to get these kids off of YouTube, off of games while they're in class and they are learning. And I know that the teachers are doing the best they can. Like, I I realize that, but there has to be a way for us to fix it because I know that Chase's teachers aren't the only ones that struggle and Chase is not the only
039one that struggles with it. So those were my two issues >> and I and I'll respond if you don't mind to both of them and give you answers right now. With regard to technology, we're actually piloting and finalizing an agreement now. >> Um we used to have software when we had desktops right before we had Chromebooks that could monitor all of that activity. We have it now starting at the high school on a pilot basis and we'll be adding it for the entire high school next year and all of the middle school next year for classroom teachers to be able to monitor and actually boot students off of individual sites that they might be able to to get to. YouTube is one of the hardest ones to filter and police because new content is uploaded
040every minute. Um, so you can't block YouTube as a whole because individual teachers use individual videos. You would have to whitelist every individual website or video that you would want to make available. So the software will allow us to to do that. So for next year that will be an available option um for us and classroom teachers to be able to use. With regard to courses, you are correct. Students can take an online class for credit recovery or for a course that is not offered as part of their regular program of study at Hopong High School. They cannot take a class that they need to graduate that we offer here and take it online and then take another class in its place. Part of the reason has to do with class rank and GPA. It
041prevents students from taking more classes than other students might have the ability to do. So just because you might be willing to pay for your child to take two or three extra classes, your child could take that class, but they're not going to get high school credit for that course because other students don't have that financial means. And by the by law, we have to provide those courses that are part of the course of study. So I would even though you would say I would you would pay for it by law if I allow it I have to pay for it because it's a required course. So the board of ed would have to pay for that class and any other child that would want to take an online class that is a requirement. If
042they take the class and fail it here, then credit recovery is on the individual family to do. But first time through, if it were replacing a class that we already offer, I would have to pay for that class. >> Can I have ask two followup questions? So, if I wanted Chase to take trigonometry this summer, >> he would get high school credit for that because you do not offer trigonometry at the high school. >> That is correct. >> Okay, that's interesting because I was told no. and then um >> only and you have to apply for it and there's a process at the high school to apply for those individual classes. You have to provide the scope and sequence of the course. You have to provide the standards. It has to be taught by a
043certified teacher uh in the state of New Jersey and it has to be graded. It can't be an online AI class. >> Yeah. Right. And my second question is is I would probably have to do more research, but why why is it allowed at other schools and not this one? >> I can't speak about other schools. What I can say is if they were if they were called on the rug for it, they would find themselves in a in a position that they could be financially responsible for all of those courses. It's not a risk I'm willing to take given our budget. And then can I just ask you why did you want to do that the um I understand the math so you can keep doing the math but that financial literacy just for
044the same reason so you can just put more room in his schedule for something else right because I want like next year we are looking at uh his classes for next year. >> Yeah. >> I wanted to take trigonometry over the summer um just because it's a good basis for pre-cal which he's going to be taking next year in a mainstream classroom. So, he'll be taking pre-cal, but I also want him to take stats. Um, >> so just to give him more room in his schedule, do it over the summer. Got it. Just trying to figure out where we're going with all that. >> And that was the whole thing. It was like, I wanted him to take algebra 2. >> Say it louder. >> Right. Take algebra 2 over the summer. And they were
045like, well, you can't do that because then he's going to have a requirement that he's going to be finished with his math requirement before. And I'm like, no, you're not listening to me. I want the kid to take like eight years of math in four years. He wants to take eight years of math in four years. So like and they were No, no. So then we had to double up. He's taking algebra 2 and geometry this year. >> Yeah, that's common. >> Really good. >> That's awesome. >> But I was told he couldn't do that either. >> I know. We talked. >> I was like, I want a voucher. And they were like, all right, fine. We'll let you do. >> Is he going to not finish any of his math classes in time? >>
046He's done with all of his math. All of his math requirements are done this year. >> Have you thought of just doing college classes? >> Uh, I don't know. Chase. Is there anybody else from the public who'd like to speak who didn't get to sign up? >> Thank you. Okay, I'm going to close public comment and can I please have a motion to move the rest of the agenda items 13 through >> Help me. >> I'll make it 18. >> 18. >> I'll second. >> Okay. >> Great. So, we had a motion was Jim and a second was Natalia. >> I just got >> Yeah, I know. >> Okay. Is there any discussion on the items? It's like we are approving our staffing for next year some of these lunch. Take note our our annual
047appointments. um board secretary, treasurer of school monies, purchasing agent, permit of action, liability, integrated pest management, all of the um all of the bureaucratic uh components of operating a school district, architect of record, school physician, uh newspapers, um our approval of our annual evaluation instruments for teachers and administrators, tax sheltered annuity companies. >> Okay, don't forget We're also approving field trips. >> And we are approving field trips for the end of the year. >> Right. Most fun. >> You're welcome. They're important. >> Okay, great. So, no discussion. All right. Please call the role. >> Dr. Cabello, >> yes. >> Mr. Davia's absent. Miss ShraMM, >> yes. >> Mr. Chaffy, >> yes. >> Mr. Warren's absent. Miss Paulina, >> yes. >> Mr. Citri, >> yes. >> Miss Gulan, >> yes. >> And Miss Falcone Schubert, >>
048yes. Next, we'll move on to board member comments if anyone like to speak. >> You guys all good? >> Oh, we're starting with I'm sorry, I was spacing out. >> Started the line. >> I'm good. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um I just wanted to say an extra congrats to the educators of the year. Uh Don Hirs um fields a lot of my questions. She is an angel among us. Um so that is very much deserved. And I just wanted to give a shout out to Hepto. They had a dance recently. They are an incredible crew doing awesome things. So, thank you, Heepto. There's a color run coming up. So, any kids who aren't registered, please register because it's going to be awesome. >> Um, congrats to the educators and uh, congrats to the was
049it the parent teachers for raising all that money. That's amazing. >> Good. Everybody's got it covered. >> Okay. Good. >> Good. Okay. Um, I'm good, too. Thank you all for coming. Thank you for your continued support. I know it's hard, but we're in it together and we always get through it. Have a good night, everybody. >> Just need a I just need a motion and a second to adjurnn, please. >> Oh, sorry. I'll make it. >> Oh, yeah. >> Veronica the meeting. >> Thank you all.