Board Meeting August 25, 2022

001Johnson IT is ready. When we're ready, we have a quorum. Yes, so. Folks, everyone ready? Okay, we're ready, 18. Welcome everyone. Today is August twenty-fifth, two 22 and this is the August Jersey Board of Education Board Meeting. Madam Secretary, would you please call for the board meeting, read the virtual preamble, and take the roll call. Good evening. This meeting is being held in conformity with the Open Public Meeting s Act NJSA ten colon four dash six. Proper public notice of the meeting was caused to be sent to the Jersey Journal and Eldia La Prenza newspapers and posted on the district's official website. Public notice was also delivered to those persons requesting that such notice be given to them. The public has been advised that the board meeting may be viewed live by the district website

002at WWW. JCBOE. org. In members of the public may remotely access and provide comment at this meeting through Zoom, a remote video conference system. I will now do the roll call. Trustee Jones Watson. Present. Trustee Barcooch. Present. Trustee Velasquez. Here. Trustee Hamilton. Here. Trustee Richardson. Trustee Shaw. Vice President Vertebello? Here. Vice President Ayofi. Here. Here. I will also call Doctor Polander Doctor Cowan. We have a coral. Thank you. Will everyone please stand for the salute to the flag? I pledge allegiance to the And to the father, which he stands, one nation under God, indivisible Do we? Yes, we I I was just told we have someone singing for us tonight. Yes, we. President Lyons, we do. We have Kehlani Cothbirth. She also sang for us this morning during the high school graduation. Please stand. one

003Much better. See what's so proudly at the twilight last glea who's brought strives and bright stars through the satisfied the ramp between were so gallantly streaming it's red the bones bursting in gave that our flag was still oh spangled banner way the land of the and the internet connection and she graciously offered to stand in. As we get ready to start the twenty twenty-two, 2023 school year, I would like to thank Doctor Fernandez, mister Wayne, Doctor Christino, and Doctor Savino, and all their staff for the incredible opportunities that were offered to our students over the summer. Programs all included bilingual and special needs programs for all students including bilingual and specialty students took place at many different locations. Several of the trust were able to witness first hand the benefits of these programs and I'm

004hopeful that we can expand upon what we are ready what we have done in the future. I know several trustees shared their experiences during Monday's caucus meeting so that everyone understands that we were there participating with them and watching what's going on. The education department provided lengthy detailed presentation of the numerous numerous curricular updates that were completed over the summer. We thank mister Wayne and her entire department for all the work they did on that. Information on district curricular will be available on the district website in early September, Miss Wayne. Is that correct? Early September? Thank you. Yes. Doctor Fernandez listed many of the facility updates completed over the summer. Although we have made many great advances, there are still many more issues that the district has scheduled to address and they are actively working

005on them. The district has been actively recruiting new staff members as is noted in the personnel section of tonight's agenda. Well, you will also see is as quickly as HR can fill those vacancies, new vacancies arise. This concern is not unique to Jersey City but we need to discuss ways to minimize the loss of staff both instructional and non-instructional as every employee plays an important role, important role in the smooth running of the district. As the administrative staff returned to work last week, some committee meetings were delayed. We will provide time this evening for any trustees who would like to report out on any of the committee minutes that were not covered on Monday. On behalf of the full board, I would like to wish all the Jersey City School employees a very successful year

006and I'm hopeful that it will be an extremely educational, enjoyable year for all of our students. The board has requested an update on the status of the New Jersey of the status of the state of New Jersey and the Aster Park Group. I want to make it very clear that the full board has asked the district to assist however possible to provide access to the community to use this garden and they have been actively working on that. I've seen recent pictures of the land and it is very disheartened to see what has become of it. Many years ago, when I was teaching county prep, Bishop Bland shared pictures of the garden in its full bloom with many of the local community members plots full of magnificent flowers and vegetables. am the son of an Irish

007farmer. My father lived with me for 17 years and always had his own victory garden. A throwback to his time on his farm in Ireland during World War two when the only vegetables that they had were the ones that they grew. I cannot make it clear enough that the use of this land is the decision of the state, not the school district. I would like the district attorney mister Pritchnick to pride any updates that he may have on the use agreement between the state and the Aston Park Garden Group. I cannot stress enough that this full bo and this district would like to do whatever we can to help you to get that garden active again. Mister Pritchnick. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for President Lyons. Um the update that I can provide this evening

008is that on at the end of June, on June 28th, the Bites Lead Council, myself and mister Albert Barnes, the chief council for the school's development authority had what I can describe as a very productive meeting. Uh our discussions and our our ongoing over the summer and you know, so at this point, we're waiting to hear back as a result of those discussions. We're waiting to hear back from Bites Council and so, that's where we are at this point in time. Mister, I just want to clarify that this is in the hands of attorneys. Yes, it is. That this this district, not the employees district, or the volunteer trustees here have anything to do to stop this from happening. That is absolutely correct. And we've offered every bit of support including letters that the district

009has sent state saying, please allow them to use the land. I've cop, I have copies of letters. If anyone wants to see what we sent out the state saying, please allow this group to use it. The pictures that the board members got this week are extremely saddening to see this land overgrown in a shrine now in front of it. You know, so, we guarantee you that we'll do whatever we can but this is, it's not our land to give. We've told the state we'll work with the group, we'll do whatever we can. We do not own the property. It is not ours to say how it can be used. I hope everyone understand we'll do whatever we can to work with you on that. Thank you very much mister Pritching. I appreciate the update. Doctor

010Fernandez, I know that you have shared a great deal of information on Monday but like to offer you this time for any additional comments. good evening, and thank you. At this time, I'd like to greet our president, you, President Lyons, Vice President Ayafi, Vice President Verdobello, Board Trustees, parents, and community. I begin by thanking, thanking Kehlani, Cuthbert, Johnson, a rising senior at Snyder High School. She's part of the JC Arts program who attended Lincoln for a short period, PS twenty-four and fourteen but she is definitely a tiger at Snyder High School. On Monday, all the principals, vice principals, and supervisors returned from summer vacation. We have participated in professional development opportunities on such topics as security, new curricular, and how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the lessons. The training sessions will continue through

011next Tuesday. The Sparks summer program, the extended year program, the 21st century programs, the camps, the enrichment activities, and the credit recovery programs for high school students was a success. The high school credit recovery program was so successful that today we graduated 89 additional seniors as we celebrated their accomplishments with their families. Not all the students were present but 89 additional seniors from our comprehensive schools received their graduation diploma. The administrators are also working within their schools to get ready receive students on Thursday, September 8th for a full day of instruction. This evening, the board will vote on a contract with Rutgers Health to provide mental health support in the schools. Once approved, we will share the specifics of the various services in tiered interventions for the twenty twenty-two, 2023, and twenty-four school year. We

012also partnered with the Jersey City Medical Center, the Robert Wood Johnson, Barnabas Health to establish new health clinics at Dickin High School, Lincoln High School, and Ferris High School. We will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony late September, October. This year, the district provided the Road to Higher Education Award to two students attending Hudson County Community College to reimburse accrued expenses in the amount of one thousand five hundred dollars after success of successfully completing one year at Hudson County Community College and an additional one thousand500 after completing the second year. This commitment binds the Jersey City Public Schools as long as the students is a a full-time student attending with 12 credits. SMSer and remains in good standings, academic standings, but with a B average each semesters. The students must apply to be considered for this award

013Today, I'd like to recognize Lucas Hurada from Liberty High School and Alyssa Dominguez from Renaissance Institute who graduated in our successively completed and were reimbursed for one thousand500 for their expenses. That that district leaders are working with different agencies to keep schools safe as a and as it's one of our priorities. We regularly schedule monthly fire drills and school safety drills. After students participate in school safety drills, this year, we will be sending home a brief notice to parents just letting them know it was a practice and not an emergency. I continue to ask all our employees and parents to be vigilant in making sure that doors closed securely behind them as they leave our facilities. The Liberty Science Center and the of America will be partnering with James J Ferris High School in the

014HSOF High School of the Future Pilot Program beginning in September of twenty twenty-two. The Liberty Sciences Center is a leader in immersive step technology, engineering, and mathematics education. The pilot program will consist of various teachers who have been part of the STEM club at Ferris for the last 2 years. They will be train and work with our students after schools. The students name will be submitted through teacher recommendation and student interest. Out of these submissions, twenty-four juniors will be selected to participate in a two-year professional job training program including a summer experience partnership. Students participating will gain skills for high-earning careers in the STEM labor markets. Upon completion, students in the program will be guaranteed quality jobs in the US businesses as new-collar, emerging technology, oriented employees. This was a a proposal from Liberty Science

015Center who approached the district and of course, we could not turn this down and hopefully in the future, Liberty Science Center will seek to embark on other partnerships with our other schools. At this time, I thank you for the opportunity and I return the meeting back to you. Thank you. Doctor Fernandez, thank you. Uh miss Johnson has something to say? Yes. My apologies. Miss Johnson and I wrote it down. to the chair? Yes. On the agenda tonight, we have resolution nine point twosix which is the approval of a renewal contract of the pharmacy purchasing coalition contract. Uh we have two representatives here from Canaan who would like to go to their presentation which is in your addendum tonight. Jeff, Michelle, can you hear me? responsible for your I could talk all night but I am

016passing this on to Michelle Porter. She's our account director. Between Michelle and myself. She has a brief presentation that's going to go over satisfaction numbers. immediately avoid solar content, structure design, and designer of the programs. So, I'll turn it over to Michelle. I'm thankful for being here tonight. Thank you so much. oh can you assume and make sure I take myself off mute. Alright. thank you guys. Uh again my name is Michelle Porter. I'm I'm glad to be here. Um I am the director of county in pharmacy. I have been with you guys since you implemented with us on October 1st twenty twenty. Um I'm just going to give you a brief snapshot of what you have been saving with us in our program and kind of what we are looking towards for twenty twenty-three.

017I will briefly share my screen for any of you that can see the screen. Though Karen, it has disabled. I'm not able to share. Oop, I think I've got it now, Taryn. And there we go. Are you all able to see my screen there Is it a blank screen? The home screen? No. I think maybe Karen, it might be sharing your screen still. I see on the side, I'm saying your face. Here we go. Alright, are you guys able to see that now? something like this for my community meetings. A PowerPoint? Absolutely. No, I mean like the Zoom. Like so say people can't come in person. Can I do like a Zoom? We try again. Do you know what I'm saying? I'd like to do one more. Okay. Okay, we're good. There we go. Gotta

018love our technology, right? Alright. So, just a brief overview. Um just I I won't spend too much time. I want to spend more time with you guys as far as our numbers for you but we are Keenan Pharmacy Services. We are a larger part of Assured Partners. Um we focus purely on pharmacy management, consulting, auditing. We do annual market checks. We're going to talk about that, what that means for you here in just a few minutes. Um our team all we do every day, day in, day out is pharmacy. So, you have a team of experts looking at your data on a regular basis. Um we created back in 2007 and we had a custom contract with express scripts. They are known as the pharmacy benefit manager also known in kind of acronym world PBM

019and we also call Express Scripts ESI. So, if you hear me use those two terms, that's what those mean. Uh our coalition contract has provided you all with significant savings since 2020 and we're going to talk about that here in just a couple slides on page eight. Uh our coalition is marketed across all 50 states. We have successfully grown our membership back in 2007 at 40, 000 members to today at about five hundred 000 members. Uh we do currently manage over 750 million in drug spends and more about 350 million in that is an savings. We we do a lot of business with school districts. Um we have plenty of school districts in California. We also work with the National School Board s Association, schools in New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We also have another

020district right up your area in Jersey. Uh Mimi, Edison, Township. Uh we also work with a lot of hospitals and commercial group employers. What we work on day to day other than making sure your members are taken care of. We work to deeply discount our pricing. This custom contract that you get year in. It is rigorous in those financial guarantees. We'll talk about how that affects you in just a moment. Uh but we are also serving as your liaison between ESI. Uh we help implement any programs that you want to put in from the pharmacy side. We deal with your member issues. Whatever anything comes up. Uh and constant account management in whatever needs that you guys need from the pharmacy space. Back in May of twenty 20, you joined our clinical pharmacy management program.

021Uh this helps you guys separate ways. We have specialty drug management by ways of we do prior authorizations for all specialty drugs. Not just looking at the most lowest cost effective therapy. We are making sure that the right number right drugs for their condition and that they have they are utilizing the most cost effective. So we are looking at this very holistically beyond the scope of what a normal PBM might do. A non-specialty we look at your drugs retrospectively to look and see if there are lower cost alternatives available to what your members are taking. We work directly with the physicians on both of these programs to identify alternatives that are available for your members and make sure that it's appropriate for their care. So, the most important part for you all is what are

022your current state of affairs? I am happy to state that just in the clinical program alone that has been in place from May 1st, 2020 through our most recent data reporting for that program is April 30th of 2022. We have a net plan savings of 4. 9 million just in our clinical program. Uh we continue to work on that month in and month out and we will provide updated reports quarterly. We actually will have one here in the next couple of weeks that we will share with our team that works directly with you all to be able to present it in the next meeting but right now, that program has saved you 4. 9 million. As far as the coalition concerned where you started October 1st twenty 20, this program has a a great to

023be a part of it at $3 and five cents per member per month. Your net plan savings from October 20th. Again, through 2022 or 2021, I apologize, is 2. 7 million compared to your prior ESI contract. One of the things that comes along with our contract with the express grips is we do an average wholesale price performance guarantee where we make sure that you are exactly getting what your contract states. Uh there is a $1. 4 million dollar credit coming on your September 6th 6th invoice. and so that will bring your total net savings to your prior contract to about 4. 2 million. We also have your rebates from quarter 4 2020 through quarter four twenty twenty1. You have earned $5. 5 million dollars in rebates. And Karen hot off the press. You actually just

024got a 1. 2 million dollar credit on your August 23rd invoice for the quarter one 20 twenty-two rebates. And Karen I will share that with you inside in an email so you have that documentation. Um so, in total, with the four-point-two million that you've received in your contract savings, along with the two different sets of rebates, you are looking at a total net savings prior to compared to your prior vendor at 10. 9 million for being a part of this program. Again, we do an annual market check. Um each year, we go against the market to double check the pricing. Each year, you get improved rates not in stock in a stagnant contract where your rates don't improve, we do improve ours every year. In 2021, you had a $918, 000 pricing improvement. In 2022,

025you had a 6hundred 000 pricing improvement just in the contract and right, we are finalizing our negotiations for 2023 with our round one pricing. We are looking at an estimated six hundred and 000 pricing improvement for 23. Again, we're still finalizing that. So, we expect that number to either stay the same or continue to grow and we will provide that as soon as we finish up our negotiations for twenty twenty-three later on this fall. This is just an additional slide here. It kind of takes all those numbers we just talked about on the previous slide. Puts them a little prettier for you all to see. Again, it talks about that performance guarantee, the $1. 4 million. Again, that will be on accredited invoice September 6th and then it also shows the rebates paid, the 5.

026five that you got from fourth quarter 2020 to 2021. So, in total between just those alone, there was $7 million dollars in payments made to Jersey City as far as what is from a contractual standpoint. We do breakout again those contracts, saving improvements, and with our estimate for twenty twenty-three, we'll again provide this once we finalize negotiations and this just brings down that $4. 2 million. So, this is just another way to look at those numbers that we provided on Slide eight. In slide 10, this is just our reporting for that clinical program where I told you the 4. 9 million in cumulative savings since you started in 20 20. The first year we boarded this as a full year. In this last year, from May 21 to April of 2022, we break this out

027quarterly. We report that quarterly and we have that total and so, just in May 21 to April 2022, you achieved a 3. 5 million net savings. Uh we just started your third year in the program and again we'll have that reporting later on next month to show what the first quarter looks like for this particular plan year. And that is what I have for you. If Karen, if there are any questions, anybody, I feel free to ask the way. To the chair. Chair. Miss Johnson. When does this contract expire that we it says a renewal? When does the current contract expire? Michelle. Michelle. The current contract expires on September 30th of 2022 and we have submitted in an amendment to continue on at the current rate of this program for the next 12 months. fellow

028trustees, I have asked on many occasions that we not get these kind of contracts given to us. This was given to us tonight, six o'clock when we walked in. There, this contract is over $300, 000 and they're discussing millions of dollars worth of transactions. I have no idea how this going to impact our members because this is talking about pharmaceutical goods for our members. If this is not going to expire until September, I'm not sure if it'll expire after our September meeting but I want to pull it from tonight because I have too many questions about how this could impact our members. You know, so, I don't want this going out there unless we have, how can we vote on something unless we've known we've totally vetted this. So, mister I'd like to pull this

029knowing that this is going to continue till September and then hopefully by September we'll have time to read this. Not passing judgement. Anyone forgetting it so late. But I'm just worried about us signing something before we've totally digested it. Mister Gross so any suggestions on having this pulled? Any reason why I should not have this pulled? Well, the the issue is it's on the agenda for this evening. The board could decide to not move it and wait until the September meeting since the contract does not expire until the end of September provided that during our September meeting. Uh we've gotta have something in place whether it would be this new contract or not but certainly it couldn't it certainly could be deferred until this September meeting if the current contract doesn't expire until September 30th.

030Through the chair. Will it be a lapse? Yes. Trust trustee? I suppose. Yes. And this contract expires at the end of September. Our meeting is at the end of September. Would there be a grace period just in case we our vote? Yes. I'm speaking. I believe. Miss Johnson. Is there going to be, would there be a grace period between the time we vote in case it expires prior to our paperwork getting through? Going once. Erica, they answer that question. Yeah. To the chair. So, yes. This presentation was added today because at the caucus meeting, Trustee Richardson asked for the presentation that was presented to them last year. So, that is why I called Keenan yesterday and they were graciously able to turn this around for us so that we can have it here tonight for

031discussion. Um I do believe that This is money. This was about the savings that's due to the district. This is about this presentation is showing what the district is going to be saving. My question is, and I will repeat, is there a grace period? Let's say, we vote at the end of September to rehire them, okay? And Our paperwork does not get through until maybe October. Is there a grace period Because we are supposed to have this insurance. Are we not? We will, we will not, we will not leave you. This is Jeff Hall from Keenan Pharmacy. I'm the leader. We will not leave you. We'll stand behind you. Whatever your timing is. So you have my commitment. Thank you. Sure Trustee Richardson's on his way. So, he's the one that asked for this. So,

032we're not voting at this time but. When we get to that on the agenda. Yeah, when we get to the agenda and if we have any other question, I want to thank the people that presented and please, this is not a reflection of your presentation. It's it's a reflection of getting inundated with a lot of very useful information and and since trustee Richard had asked for it, we will discuss it and then come up with a decision later on but this is, you know, your presentation was great. It just provides a lot of questions now for the trustees. So, yes. see it's in the book for nine twenty-six. So, Karen, it's not this. It was a late submission. I correct myself. This was a late edition of it. More information. I thank you for that.

033So, please let me correct myself that this was not something was put on to us. It's just that you were able to get us a great deal more information as of 6 o'clock tonight. Thank you. We'll discuss this later on. It's time to vote and I would like to thank the presenters for the great information. Thank you for having us. Thank you very much. To the chair. Trustee Richardson. Uh I just wanted to know if there are any questions for me, any direct questions for me related to the the program that was presented. You you're in the Zoom room I guess. Trust the reason you're in. Okay. That explains. Yes. So, I I just wanted to know if there's any questions for me or we're just going to wait until we have a discussion. Wait,

034wait, wait, John. I, we'll wait til the item comes up. Trustee Richardson and then when you're here in person, we'll be able to discuss that and answer any questions. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Brett. I appreciate you being there Zoom to hear us. Thank you. Miss Johnson, is that it for you? Yes. Thank you and I I appreciate you getting that information. I stand correct. I sit corrected. It is now time for comments from the public. I believe that we have over sixty speakers this evening and due to large number of speakers, we must restrict the number of minutes for each speaker to 2 minutes. Mister Gross, would you please read the preamble to the public speaking session? Thank you. Good evening everyone. All speakers must adhere to the five-minute speaking rule. The

035clock shall not be stopped. The speakers will be called to the microphone to speak in the order that their request was received. All statements are common, shall be directed to the chair. It is the expectation of the board that comments will remain positive and focused around the best interest to students and the district as a whole. The board will not condone comments that can be perceived as harassing, insulting, threatening, or lacking in respect or civility. The chair reserves to interrupt, warn, and or terminate a participant's statement or comment when it is too lengthy, interrupt, and or warn a participant when a statement or comment is abusive, obscene, or maybe defamatory. Uh request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe a reasonable decorum or presents themselves as a danger to others

036in the building. Requests request the assistance of law enforcement, officers, and the removal of a disorderly person. When that person pre or disrupts the meeting with an act that obstructs or interferes with the meeting including threats by words, actions, or objects. Call a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of a meeting and waive these rules when necessary for the protection of privacy or to maintain an orderly operation of the board meeting. Pursuing to board policy, request to speak may be made up until 4 PM. Of the day of the board meeting by calling in the request of the office of the or by emailing board docs at org. Please provide your name, phone number, and the date of the meeting at the discretion

037of the president. The order of speakers may be changed and I know I said five minutes but as the president has earlier commented, the board is going to be amending the policy at this time given the vast number of speakers that have previously signed up to speak for this evening and therefore, the maximum time limit for each speaker will be 2 minutes. Thank you. Miss Johnson, would you please let the speaker quote the speakers who are here in the room. to the chair So, we have 59 speakers. Uh number four and number five have declined to speak at this moment. I have thirty-eight in person, four and on Zoom, two of which are students, and 17 calls. What is the order that you would like for me to start? So, I have two students, Misha,

038Gada, and Janitha Are you, can you hear me? Misha, can you hear me? Miss Johnson, if they're not in the room, I had told them they had Emailed me. I told them there's 60 odd speakers that it might not be until 730, eight o'clock. So, we might have to check back with them later because I gave them the wrong time frame based on how many speakers there were. Okay. No. We already have some of the lawsuits saying doing that to different people. So, I don't want to have anyone say it that So, you like to start with the in person? If that's the only students that we have, yes. and trustee if you hear from them that they're in the room, we can go to them, select them because I know they have school tomorrow.

039Thank you. So, the first, the first three speakers I would call it, Eunice Rivers and Delisa Floyd, Mary Cruz, and Luz Mai. Eunice Rivers, Delisa Lloyd Okay, Mayor, you have 2 minutes. Okay. Good evening all. My name is Mary Cruz. At the end of 2021 and 2022 school year, the former HR director was hired as a consultant to straighten out the mess in civil service. There is so much to be done but some items are easy to fix. For instance, there is a person working in human resource department in a position which requires one to pass a civil service test. The person I'm referring to has not passed the test after taking it. Also, civil service correctly determined that she did not possess the required experience. The person who failed the test has been in

040the position for four years and has paid a higher salary. This is an easy fix If you fail the test, you don't get the position. If you have the position in an acting capacity and fail the test, you lose the position. This is an employee that the consultant knows very well since they work together for several years. The matter has been brought to the board's attention several times and still it has not been corrected. I will continue to ask about civil service and the camp system until both are fixed. Another concern as the school begins is the safety of all employees. There is a policy in place that outlines the steps that are to be taken when students strikes other students or adults. District employees need a policy the same as students so employees know

041that there is consequences when they are strike when they strike another employee. Policies needs to be consistent and quickly enforced. There are also needs to be training for children and adults on anger management before someone gets seriously hurt. I am hoping that you Trustee, Mister Lyons, will put a policy together on aggressive behavior with such a policy in place and consistently apply maybe employees will not be afraid to come to work. Some situations are handled correctly while other acts of aggressions are ignored. Let's stop this now. Doctor Fernandez, I know you want to do the right thing for everyone and you have. Mary, your time is up. Oh, I have 5 seconds. But I'll I'll I'll move. Yeah. Thank you. Don't do that. Thank you, miss Cruz. Luz Mai. Bridget D'Souza, Sabrina Harold, and Monique

042Andrews. You have 2 minutes. Okay, thank you. Good evening, everyone. I come to you again as I did on Monday with serious concerns regarding the abolishment of the Civil Service Position of Affirmative Action Officer. Um due to economy inefficiency and that is very interesting because economy and efficiency is usually because there is an extreme financial hardship that the district is suffering and that is not able to maintain that particular position. Um do all have a permanent breakdown of the finances to justify the economy and efficiency portion of that decision that should be attached. Also, there is a current affirmative action. Officer, civil service list that's out. So, I believe that once again, there's two African-American women that are on that list that are highly qualified, have been certified. This here abolishing of the title is

043once again, targeting highly educated, qualified, and African-American women. We have a problem here that needs to be addressed. I've heard about the diversity and inclusion training that's all well and done but you have to address the fact that you can't keep targeting people. That is a violation of affirmative action in itself. Affirmative action is here to protect the rights of people, all people, okay? Race, creed, gender, and by you doing that is a slap not only Indian that are on or the people that are on that list but our community and the school community, the employees, the teachers, they need to understand that they're going to be protected and they're going to be fairly protected. Not someone who's going to be a yes person and go along and do what you want them to do.

044You need that person who has been certified. To do the job. Not somebody who was just there learning the position and learning understand that's coming from a school. be fair. Thank you. Good evening. I'm going to talk real fast but I don't like to do this. First of all, I think that the policy needs to be changed about the how many speakers are allowed to speak because this is minimizing my time because there's too many speakers and now the stuff that I have to say that I prepared for, I cannot get it out. It's not fair. If they're going to come up here in the group, that's fine. But they're stopping other people from getting their their their speaking information out and it's not fair. So, I'm going to talk as fast as I can.

045First of all, I want to go back to Doctor Lyles Foundation. I still do not know how much money was in that foundation is very important for that me to know that information because there's still people connected to that foundation including Sue Henderson that just resigned from NJCU. Okay? Snyder, we, let me go back. I want to thank everybody for all the work they did for Snyder High School. We still got some more work to be done but I appreciate everybody's support on that and so, again, I gotta talk fast. So, this is what I'm talking about. Um one of the things that Snyder needs, very seriously, we need four per diem security guards and we need more custodians. Our custodians are worn out and a lot of them are taking vacation time. They need

046to take their vacations and everything but we're not getting the work done fast enough to get the school back in order for September and that is why why we need these people. Um status of the groundskeepers. We still don't have a groundskeeper. You guys know that me and my secretary went and put the the the fountain to what do you call it? The flower pots together. Okay? We didn't get paid. We didn't ask for no money in it like that. It's just something that need to be done. We put fake flowers in because we don't have a groundskeeper because there was nothing but weeds there. So, there's nobody there to water no plants. So, we put fake. That's common sense. You put fake stuff there when you don't have resources. Okay. Um I need to

047know when the next policy meeting is and also I want to speak about the uniform shirt vendors. Parents are having problems producing, getting money to buy shirts in a low-income area. So, I need help on that. Maybe the district can get some type of venue. Miss Andrews, your time has concluded. Thank you. Okay, one more thing. It's just an announcement. Um Jumpstart Snyder, September 1st, eight o'clock in the morning to twelve o'clock. Peace. Miss Andrews, can I ask you to please? I know that you take this very seriously. Can you please Email me the rest of the things you could not touch on tonight and I will discuss them with Doctor Fernandez. Thank you very much and it's Monique K Andrews, is it? Thank you. Okay. The next two speakers are Cheryl Mays and Jim

048Nelson. Good evening. When I called on, oh **** I mean, excuse me. I'm sorry. I apologize. Uh Okay, I'm sorry about that. Okay, when I called on Monday, I had spoke about 1111 and how it was posted up on board docs and there's no name and there's no salary. So, how do you vote on that if there's no name and there's no salary? The public has a right to know who's going to get that position and how much money they're going to make but then I see magically today, all of a sudden, the name appears there. How is it that the name appeared all of a sudden? So, if you're trying to slip somebody in that position, understand we watching. Another thing I want to speak about is 226 two's contract because heard that the

049salary guy was going to be adjusted but it needed to be voted on. So now, once we've waited, it's going to be a hundred and sixty-five days that we've waited for our retro pay. After being without a contract for 12 months and you giving us a presentation on some pharmacy, medicine. We don't care about that. We need to pay our bills right now. On another note, abolishing an affirmative action. Position speaks to the incense. Activity, the direction this district is going into in the ignorance behind it because it was recreated for African Americans to be treated fairly but as we know that anybody that comes over here always benefit on what black people fought for. Understand that anybody that comes over here benefits on what my people fought for. So, please understand where I'm coming

050from with that and also I'd like to ask that that god and be open back up and we keep hearing about lawyers, so on and so forth. So, if you don't know when it's going to be opened up, where do the lawyers come in and who's speaking to the lawyers? But also, I like to know if the contract is going to be voted on again because why would you have to vote on something again? If it needs to be corrected, then, just correct it. We supposed to get 2. 5%. First, we was told we got 1%. Then, we was told we got 1. 37. Tell me what type of sense that makes. 1. 37. That's a odd number. Now, we're being told we gotta wait an additional 75 days. It's not fair to our families.

051Have a blessed night. Thank you, miss Mays. Jim Nelson. Minister Rosa Roney. Miss Johnson, if we could try again for mister Nelson because I know often he comes to meetings a little bit later. So, if we try him again later on after public comments, okay? But go towards the end of public comments. Good evening to everyone. am kind of confused with lawyers. If we go to the SDA, the lawyers are having a problem. If we come to the board, the the lawyers here are having a problem. Why can't the lawyers get together on opening up the garden it's it's it's it's becoming a disgrace and it's becoming just just something that should be taken care of if if it's not beneficial to all of the people, then I could understand it but we, when we

052get out there to feed people, we don't discriminate on who gets food. If you're on that line regardless of what you are or who you are, you are fed. And for these lawyers to get together and not know what they are doing perfectly is a problem to the people who are working so hard to get the garden open back up. Now, I've this time and time again. I have a son that's 50 years old and when he walked through there, it was a mess. When my grandchildren walked through there, it was a mess. Now, my great grandchildren are walking through there and it's back to where it used to be and that's that's just kind of sad that you don't want to see something that's beneficial to all of the people in the neighborhood to

053satisfy a few people. We are not to the point of where we going to bow but we I'm thinking that the people who are in charge of getting it together should get together and make it happen. Thank you. Missus Shaziah Rafiq Did you see? Missus Shazia for my feet. Chaplain Maggie Branch. Good evening. My name is Maggie Branch and I'm in support of the Astra Garden being reopened. This garden when they first took over, it was a blighted area with all kinds of animal carcass and all types of debris and things like that that was present. After Esther took over, they cleaned the garden up. And this garden was a beautiful place for the children and for the people from the community. To come and just enjoy a beautiful sight. Now, it's going back to

054the way it was because the SDA shut it down and it's just, it's a terrible place. Recently, there was a person that was killed that kind of I think right close to the Astro Garden Place. And it was drugged lots of drug and then drug activity is in all types of derelicts. Everybody, I mean, all kinds of people from the not from the community but those people lives undesirable lives have taken up shelter. Almost there in the garden. And I just would like to know what is the hold up? Why the SDA can't get together with whoever the lawyers and everything and come up with a plan to reopen the garden. Because it's a beautiful place. It's good for the children. And it will benefit the whole community. Okay, thank you. Eleanor Mixon Gloria Navarro

055Sophia Shadid. Carl Joseph Phil Carrington Kim Griffin. Chaplain Shirley Peters Danny Bono. Chaplain Peters. Good afternoon. The the Astra Community Garden was created by bishop Tanya Bland and Reverend Deborah Alston to stand as teaching and feeding tools for all in in need. For almost two decades, food was grown, flowers, flowers was planted by school children under their instructions. People receive free quality, fresh foods. Class were taught in this gathering and resources were made available to all. Thank you. Thank you. Dani Bono, Kenny Caulfield How you doing guys? Ladies. Ehm I'm just here. From what I've experienced I've seen ehm eh many lives being supported and helped and I I've seen all the good work that has been done so just here to say that's what I've seen and you know it's eh it's we're bringing

056good eh doing good things for people. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. I'm very honored to have the Irish chairman here tonight speaking on the behalf. Thank you, sir. Francis Kuzman. Reverend Jackie Smith. Ibrama, Manjing, I'm sorry. Smith. Sorry. Evelyn, A V E L Y N. Okay. I'm here to say that the gardener should be remain open. Not only does she feed the people within the neighborhood but she also give out to churches. My church is Hill and Temple, United Holy Church. I get from 25 to 50 bags of food and stuff and take it to my members that is unable to get out. People are looking forward for this food. So, it's not only for the neighborhood, she reach out all over. And one Saturday, she took her time with me go and help deliver

057the food. Now, this lady worked very very hard and you know, some, she's not even getting paid for. it. So, she got a heart of gold and helping people and it's very few people today that want to help people because I figure if it ain't a dollar sign there, they don't have time for this. This woman is giving a lot of time for her family that she can have a life so that people can have not only for the babies. I'll be there just every Saturday. She'll happen to mothers that she given out pampers. She given out clothes. She giving out toys. She giving out fresh fruits. She giving out meat. She giving all of this stuff. So I think that the garden should be remain open because it's a very few people that would

058take their time to do this. Not on on Saturday. She's out there on Monday. Some others places are open on one day a week. This young lady is out there on Saturday and Monday. Now, she giving her time and saying that she hope want to help the people then we should give time and help the people ourselves. God bless. Thank you very much. Maria Pierre Carol Good evening everybody. I've been here before with the same same question. Please. I've heard I've been to Trenton three times. This is the lawyers. But I thank everybody should put their feet you know in the shores of these people who cannot afford you know to eat and the children is a positive movement for the organization. To help them. This way they be indo state. You know, as delinquent.

059Okay, please, those of you who have the power and try to understand, do something about it, please for us. Thank you. Because everybody, the community will benefit and then we don't have delinquent in the state to really arrest us. Thank you. Carol Soto. Good evening. My name is Eleanor Mixon. I had heard you had called me already and I just got in. Thank you, mister. So, take ahead. Thank you. Thank you. Here. Um I come on behalf of the of Bit and I come to to ask that you would allow them to continue doing the work that they were doing on the building to beautify that neighborhood on Ask the Place. It was so beautiful when people come down to see that they the plants out there. They had people out there every day working

060on that area. It even helped the school children because they could come out and learn how to do planning. and even to give out food for our for the neighborhood. This was a big help to all of us. Especially the seniors. The seniors always had something to eat. We were there each and every Saturday. Or Friday to receive a package from Vit. I thank you for letting me speak to you today. So. Yup. Carol Soto, Dora Butler, Good evening. I'm speaking on behalf of that garden on Asta Place. It's a beautiful place and if you let it grow up, it'll be really ugly to the eyesight. Um if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for 1 day but if you show him how to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime. I want to

061say that they need that garden there because it is pretty and god likes, he doesn't like and he doesn't care too much for pretty but let's go with the pretty and off the record and this is not an insult. I just want to say as a retired union organizer, no negotiator, y'all need to go for a four-year contract. Thank you. Thank you, miss Butler. Muru Manjang Good evening. I'm speaking for the garden. I moved and asked to place about five years ago. Okay. Good evening. Uh my name is Modu Manjang. I live on Astral Place. I moved to Astral Place about five years ago and the first thing I was walking my daughter around and we see the garden and then I didn't know that it was provided by the bishop and Deborah. So, I

062walk into it and my daughter start putting her hands on the ground for the first time, planting something and that impact me and that I always him there and then nine hours he was actually about two years ago. Last year that why we are not going to the garden, I say it's closed. I'm just and the impact it does in my community. I know. I know some people around that be far away from where I live but I tell them to come to the garden and they will have food and juice together. I'm just speaking on behalf of everybody in the community. I think we need that guiding open if we can have it it has a very really impact on the community because of the elderly people and the younger people. Thank you. Sonia

063Leon Terrence Cook Good evening, everyone. How you doing? I pray that all is well. My name is Terrence Cooks Junior and I'm one of the representatives for NJ Byte and I'm here in support for our petition to use Asset Place Community Garden to distribute free much needed and essential food and clothing to those in our community. NJ Bite is a non-profit organization founded by Bishop Tina Bland and Reverend Deborah Austin. That has been serving the community of Jersey City for over two decades. The organization serves as a skill building incubator and distributor of food and clothing for all in need regardless of age, race, gender, or education. And J Bite is an organization that partners with schools and other non-profit and social organizations within the community to share information and skills to help the community

064to flourish. An example, an example of this is the partnership between NJ Bite and the Jersey City Board of Education. Through this partnership NJ Bite brought the children of PS number 12 to Esther Community Garden to teach them principles of gardening, growing, flowers, and vegetables. And by doing that, we are able to assist our new next generation on how to grow fresh vegetables. So this way they don't have to worry about the shortage of food. Um based on pandemics. So in this huge it this huge for in this city. Children. Who often do have access to yard in their living spaces. NJ Bite has also created curriculums to teach the children and as the community guardian can serve as a classroom in which the children can experiment and see how the they can nature, they

065can nurture a seed through the growth process to fill, produce. NJ Bike works diligently to identify and secure food and clothing for those in need. but unfortunately, as the community garden has been closed since the pandemic. So we pray that we we pray that y'all are able to help us with the lawyers to receive Aston Place Community Garden back. But thank thanks again for your assistance so. Thank you. I believe Mister Caraton is here to speak. I'm sorry. Phil Carrington. State your name, sir. Phil Carriter. Phil Carrington? Yes. Yes, you have 2 minutes, sir. Thank you. My name is Phillip Carrington. I want to give my support for the Community Garden and I think the board also should support that as well. And the reason for this is that the Garden Gives oxygen. And the

066building if you build a building would give carbon dioxide. See, if you let the guardian survive or you supported yourself, which abort should support it. It would of a a the children the kind of exposure to to thing that is living. Now I know prophets can't wait. And I know you plan to do some building. But we also very clear that the building that you plan to build for the children that expand in are no longer is needed as it was back in twenty 19. Because of the pandemic You have remote learning and less children are coming to school. Of course the children are there but they're not coming to school it was. So, if you have a delay for two years or 3 years, it just would not hurt but again, I know a

067prophet can't wait. We just ask you all to consider because nothing would be done if the garden is being used, they're not going to move the land, they're not going to dig anything in the land. The land is still going to be there. So, you have a two years or three years extension to give yourself time to Bill later on and give them time to expand if they have to expand. So, I'm asking for the survival of the garden because you really really is in desperately need for that spot and you know that. All of us know that and so there's no need. He says, there's no need and you could give them the opportunity to continue to operate for another 2 years. I am Philip Harrington. That is my viewpoint. Good Thank you. Miss

068Johnson, may I ask you to call the two students now because they have school in the morning and they are ready now. And Bishop Bland, if there's any members of your group that have come in after we start the meeting that we've already called their names, will you let us know so that we can, we will call, well, at the end, then, we'll call back to all the people who didn't get a chance to speak yet. Thank you. Misha and Janita, can you hear me? Yes, we can. Can we have a moment to share our screen, please? I'm sorry. What did you say? Uh can we have a moment to share our screen please? They want to share something like that. to have a pav. That's the one. There you go. Okay. Can we go

069ahead and start? Yes, they have 4 minutes? Yes. Yes. Good evening. We would like to reacquaint with you a project that is close to our hearts. Next slide please. This press here Alliance Again Supplies has been taking place in high-tech high school where the results have given us feedback that will display the program in the best way. Next slide please. Out of the 205 fracturemen, this was administered to 4-nine who had little to no automatic preference, forty-6 had a slight automatic preference, 83 had a moderate preference, and 27 had a strong automatic preference. Next slide please. On the screen, we decided to post a feedback that we have received from students that have taken the test which we believe would be the best thing to improve ourselves. Next slide please. Furthering, students provided us feedback

070for us to embrace and to improve to ensure this program is better for the following year of the programming. This program has helped students understand everyday biases, who will understanding the flaws of the program. This has allowed us to make the program more flexible for all of our students. Our goal is to ensure that this task can be administered to everyone and cater to their needs. The Harvard of the Tobias test provides resources those who are blind and deaf to take the test as well as having a shortened test for those who have attention disorders. This will all be done while maintaining maintaining privacy for our students as that is our number one priority. We also would like to do this while targeting our limiting the number of harassment, intimidation, and bullying reports that are

071filed by our schools. Next slide, police. While the Harvard implies a bias test is not perfect, there's definitely room for improvement. Which is why. Giving the success of the alliance against bias project in the HCSD district, we are confident that the alliance against bias program will have even more success in the Jersey City Public Schools given their wide diversity of students and supportive staff and family members in our district. Thank you. Ladies, I know you're not here and the process is we will be discussing your presentation later. We don't respond to public comments at this time but I thank you for this beautiful PowerPoint presentation. Thank you. Michael cylinder. Jennifer LaRoque So, I'm also here to speak about the importance of the Astor Community Garden. Throughout the years of living in the Bergen Hill neighborhood,

072I've had the opportunity to take part in the Astra Garden activities. From my children volunteering to help the garden grow, watching it flourish in an urban area, and watching it give back its riches to the community. It was always a welcoming sight to walk past and see the garden in our neighborhood and to have our city kids learning about agriculture, feeding yourself naturally, and self sustainability. Yet, with a locked fence and overgrown roots at the moment, the benefits of the garden continue to spread with food pantry gatherings every week. Diapers being provided to families in need as well as a strong sense of community being shared at a time when we all seem to need a little more love. I come here asking on behalf of my own family as as well as my community.

073Give us back our garden. To see the love and hard work just sitting there becoming overgrown and unused is simply devastating to those who pour their time and effort into its space. It is for us to have this communal space that brings the neighbors together to serve themselves and others in a time of need. Thank you. Thank you. Michael Coleman, Good evening. I'm the driver for I'm the driver for Bite August Nation. I hear a lot of people saying it. It's a good thing for the garden to be opened. But there's people around other people who say it's never going to happen. and what they would do. I'm trying to just you know, get the thing straightened out, whatever the hurdles are, get the hurdles taken down. So, this way, there is no nothing to

074argue about Uh the people that want to do things or have nothing to do. So, please, whatever the hurdles are, help us get em down. Thank you. Good night. Howie Smith Bishop Walton, Bruce Edwards, Landon Beckett Vera Bland. Reverend Austin Miss Johnson, would you allow those who were colder earlier that didn't get a chance to speak here because they came later to come up to the microphone one by one. If you had signed up to speak, would you tell us your name? I know, sir, you had raised your hand and any of the other Astor Garden Park, come on up, sir. Any other Astro Garden Park group that you came in late at you're welcome to come up and speak at this time. If you're for another reason, we haven't called yet, we will be

075calling you. Okay, I'm Dan Daniel Bono. Dan Bono, BONO, yeah, I'm also here to speak about the garden. Um you know, as you know, this this is been run by reverend Deborah Alston and bishop Len for 20 years, Almost 20 years. Um the land was, you know, a former decrepid lot in the city. Uh improved, insured, and provided a space as you know for the community to receive to receive learn self sufficiency school self-sufficiency skills but and it's run by volunteers. It really hasn't cost the city a dime. There's been no out-of-pocket costs for running this space and it's been run by volunteers. My wife and I are one of those volunteers. Uh we see the good that it's doing for that neighborhood. And we want to continue seeing that. Um which I didn't know.

076I guess from hearing some of the folks here it seems that I don't know if this is true or not the problem seems to be that maybe they want to develop that space and you know to me at this point if you haven't developed it already at this point you you're probably going to be waiting a few years anyway because if anyone who actually turns on the TV knows that we're about to have a severe real estate crash. It's already started. So I don't think going to be too many new projects that are going to be coming up in the next few years especially with interest rates going the way they are. So, given that, to extend the contract until this recession and likely depression finishes then that's something that we'd like to see because

077those services that happen to be provided by this garden are going to be in much greater demand in the next 12 months. Thank you very much. Mister Bono, are there any other members of the Astor Garden Park group that did not get called up to speak yet? We have someone coming up now. Okay. While they're going to get that speaker, I just want to tell you a group, there seems to be some confusion because Doctor Fernandez, if you can confirm for me, this is this is a two-pronged thing we're discussing tonight. One prong is the state, the state-owned land that's next to number nine school that we have 12 school, that we have no control over, that we've been asked the state to please work with this group. That's what the state controls. That's one

078prong of it. The other prong is when we realize that Bishop Land and and Reverend Austin were doing this wonderful service of the Community Food Bank and when they took that land away, what the trustees did at that time and through the graciousness of the district, we opened up Lincoln. We provided a storage space in Lincoln, parking in Lincoln, service space in Lincoln because soon as the state took that away from you, we said, what can we do to ensure that that food is still being delivered? When members of the community went to the city and complained that the road was all blocked up because of people delivering on we said give them our space. I remember having a conversation with superintendent Walker that time and said, let them use our own property around the

079corner. That is still an operation. If nothing else tells you that we support this, it's what our own actions have shown you. We have said, give them our own space to use. We do not own that land. The state is the one that came in and said, that land is not going to be used like that anymore. We sent a letter to the state saying, let them continue using the land. The land that we have, our own school property, we have given to you with open arms and said, use it however you need to feed the community. What we control, we have shared with you. What the state controls, we have no control over that. The lawyers have been working on this. I've watched the the the plot deteriorate year after year. We had meetings

080pre-pandemic about this and it still goes on. It's I would love, love, to see this resolved. I would love to know that next March, that they're tilling the land putting the seeds in. It's not up to us. It's the state's land. And I don't know why we people keep thinking that we're trying to stop you. We are not. We want you to have that land. It is not our land to give. Are there other speakers from this group that have not spoken yet tonight? If so, now is the time. Good evening, everyone. This is Reverend Deborah Alston. I know we're talking about the garden which is very important to all the community people. I don't care between the board education, the STA, work together as a unit. Even if y'all come with us to the

081Meeting Down in Trent and that would be a big help to the whole community because you need to see what's going on down there. Cuz I'm I'm sick and tired of people passing the buck. It was a murder in front of that garden. And y'all know it was a murder. And you see what it looked like today. It looked horrible and getting worse and it's not even the end of the summer yet. And we don't want no more death there at all And I know a lot of our business people are complaining about that garden. Cuz that's how people attract to come there. We even had a TV commercial shoot there in that garden. We had Love and Hip Hop Hasht shoot. A video shoot with the kids in that garden. And people had to

082realize the garden that's how people buy their houses on our block. Cuz of that garden. We do not want people get shoot and kill and drug dealers back in the community again. It seemed like the SDA want that land to be. They the worst slumlords. Uh huh. That's the biggest. If I if my land in my house was like that, I would get fined. And nobody wouldn't have compassion on my family at all for having to have being a slumlord like that. Thank you. Thanks Reverend Austin name is Charlene Lopez. Um I live on Crescent. I'm actively a member of Bright at the moment. and that garden, it brought a lot of the community together. You know, everybody came together. They was peaceful. Everybody would come out and help each other. They've had block parties

083on this block. That brought the community together and stopped basically all the violence that was going on because they saw that everybody is helping everybody. That's all I have to say. Very much. Bishop Land? Yeah. So, I'll conclude. You know, it's so easy to blame each other. It's so easy to say, we want it. Don't know why it's happening. It's the other fellow. But you know what? Two and a half years, after almost two decades, do the math. How many of our children and their families are suffering? Where are your hearts and how do you help? Instead of saying I can't. I wish I could. I'm trying hard. How do we make it work? That's why you're elected. Because it's difficult. It's hard. The problems are complicated. We're like the elephants. We will remember. And

084you know what? We love you. But just because we love you does not mean you're helping us solve our problems. And this isn't even a problem that is ours. It's all about problems. When there's a family that cannot eat and you can go home and sleep after you've eaten, there is a problem. It's called a conscience problem. So, I'm saying to you, if we are our brother's keepers, instead of saying, it is not us, find a way to help these children because believe it or not, that is the population serve together. Thank you. Okay, that's it from the Astra Garden Park that we move on, miss Johnson. I believe Jim Nelson is here. Thank you and welcome to the new school year and thank you to the district and many principals for communicating with the

085school families ahead of the school year. I encourage further attention to updating the district and schools websites and the integral parts of the public school's communications, ecology. First, in light of that, ecology, I'd like to thank Doctor Fernandez for her efforts to ensure that staff utilization forms are post on nearly all school web pages. These lists of instruction and non-instructional staff are found under each school's about us section, Immediately following the names of the principles and anti-bullying specialists. This form is necessarily a work in progress showing snapshots of assignments and vacancies. Thus does not include names and changes pending approval or ratification. This is a tool for transparency showing families and the public where our fuller funding investments in our children is going as well as the recurring challenges. I hope that the staffing formula

086ratios might also appear on the district page somewhere with indication on which school ratios such as pre K and kindergarten staffing are state driven and which ratios reflect district discernment of the balance of human resources, equity, and modifications given unique school community needs. The superintendent has already highlighted the board resolution for partnerships with Rutgers and Health for Mental Wellness Support. I hope the board not only approves these resolutions but with funding support but also prepares to sustain funding for such social, emotional wellness support beyond twenty twenty-three. Second, we know the Jersey City Council is expected to vote on their budget on Thursday, September 8. Is, could you clarify where the shared services are going to be to the city and the school board is such as the waste collection and assistance with snow removal, etcetera

087and also, as mentioned on Monday, some of the work being done to upgrade playgrounds to more green playscapes. Third, the longest long-range facilities plan is underway and as noted last Thursday, this is a collaborative process. So, I involve. Thank you and you have an Email version with further work about the water. Where will kids get water this year? It depends but it's going forward. Thank you. Thank you, mister Nelson. Miss Johnson, can I ask you? We have former Governor McGreavy here. Would you be able to call him up next? Cuz I'm sure he's got a time to set the schedule. Governor McGreavy, did you, did you want to speak? Thank you, mister president. I I was just getting my orders from the bishop. Um you know, bishop is so shy and retiring. Um but I

088just I just want to say thank you to to the president. I want to say thank you to Madam Superintendent. I want to say thank you to all the members of the school board. Um I admire your courage. Um I I I'm here on behalf of one I just on a on a professional level. I just want to say thank you very much for working with the that I do for court-involved young people and the challenges that they confront whether it's addiction or returning from prison and county jail facilities and I want to thank the school board for your leadership and your partnership but I'm here tonight on on a on a personal basis and I just appreciate your indulgence. Um I'm here on behalf of an individual that many of you know if if

089you would ask his wife, it's an acquired taste. Um none other than than than Tom Curtis. Um I just and I and I understand the difficulties obviously and it and the challenges in administering the school board. Um I just have had the pleasure of knowing Tom and working with him. Um for some time and I and I believe on the merits that whether it's grappling with the removal of trailers, whether evaluating and cleaning catch basins whether it's removing outside contracting work, whether it's flagpoles, whether it's in partnerships between the city, the Board of Education, and the State of New Jersey, as well as the JCMUA. Uh Tom has developed partnerships, memorandums of understanding, and cooperative agreements that one could make the argument that this is how municipal government should work and that is a cooperative

090venture between public works, the utility authority, the school board, and the state of New Jersey. And you know when I heard the bishop talk about the park, it's almost a metaphor for the need for different levels of government to work together. And I believe that Tom has tried to do that on many occasions. Uh, with the Board of Education, with DPW, with the Sanitation Department, and so I Understand that people have different perspectives as the incidents. Um I would just respectfully ask that you could consider having that more thoroughly investigated but respectfully due process is important. Um the process is the basis of what we believe as a nation and as a state and just with humility, I would just ask perhaps if we could table, it would be possible to consider tabling a personnel

091action so that one, there is a more rigorous review of the actions and savings that have occurred as well as the possibility of looking at personnel actions were actions or involvement that I think merit a deeper understanding but I again I just want to say I appreciate this opportunity mister president, madam superintendent, and I just want to say thank you for your indulgence and on a on a private note, I'll set up a meeting with this with the school development corporation and and power of prayer. Thank you very much for your time. Dear Governor McGregor, we hope to see you here again and we appreciate you coming. Thank you. Miss Johnson, so we can continue. Is there anyone else here in person? I know mister Suz, I saw her. Mister Souza. Oh, thank you. Bridget,

092yes. You have 2 minutes. Everyone. Um firstly, I want to echo Jim Nelson's comments. Thank you, Doctor Fernandez for putting this staff utilization forms under the about us section of each school's website. I had an informed discussion with my husband about some of the staff in our school and it was enlightening to him as to some of the investment and where people are. So, I think it's a helpful starting point and and I hope that it that continues because so thank you for that. I'm here actually wearing a different hat other than why I'm usually here. I'm I'm a at Saint Peter's University. I teach accounting and taxation and and I wanted to you know, make the board and anyone else really listening aware that accounting is a profession that is that is growing. There's

093a demand for accountants graduated from college. Um CPAs in particular and there is a there's a shortage of them and there are scholarships available for high school students who are interested in studying and counting. So, I I'm aware of this just Professionally because of my role at St. Peter's and I want to connect what I'm aware of with any interested high schoolers or school professionals who might find that helpful Um you know, I'm doing research on this professionally in terms of what they call the CPA pipeline. Meaning, you know, accountants who are entering the industry, we need more of them. Well, how do you get more of them? It can be difficult because the average, you know, there's a lot of lot of people think accounting is boring which which I don't think is true.

094It's going to be a really dynamic career but also it pays well. There's a lot of interesting jobs and there's an awareness issue. A lot of awareness can occur as young as high school and even in middle school because middle school math is used pervasively in accounting. I talk about things like Pemdas and the Order of Operations with my students and and we're learning excel and spreadsheets and tablo and data visualization. These are skills that are priced in high-paying jobs today. So, I just wanted to, this is an open invite to if you want more information on the scholarships, I'm at the university. I'm happy to have any kind of dialogue that might be helpful for the Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, mister Souza. Is there anyone else here in person, miss Johnson? I

095don't. Anyone else that signed up tonight that has not spoken, that you're, you're on our registered list to speak? Seeing none. Miss Johnson, would you want to move over to, I don't know if you want to do the Zoom room, Zoom room, or the calling the people? So, we have two speakers on Zoom. Daryl, can you hear me? Who is this miss Charles? Yeah. Darryl Lucas. Daryl. Yes sir. Okay. You have 2 minutes. Oh, okay. Um I'm sorry. I was listening to a previous speaker. I didn't think it was my turn yet. So, I'm just calling tonight. Uh good evening to everyone. I'm just calling tonight because I really want to voice my frustration and disappointment about the decision to move principal manuscalko From PS33 to PS 34 if we are using evidence-based practices and

096building school communities, school learning communities removing a principle does a quite a bit of damage. Um she's spent two years building relationships with the students, with the parents, with all of the staff at that school. Um what happens when a teacher or a principal is abruptly removed from a school? Um those relationships have to start again. There's disorganization. There's uncertainty. It causes a lot of anxiety, and so this was just not a very good decision. Uh and only in my opinion and probably the opinion of others. Um specifically she nurtured my two children. She paid a great deal of attention to them when they were struggling. Um and I know she did that with not just my students. My my children but like with other students at the school as well. So I urge you

097to do better communication. This decision was made you know, I, I, I don't know when, but I think before the school year starts, such communication needs to go out, to families, and staff, and parents, peaks, months ahead of time. She will be greatly missed Um and we prefer to continue start the new year with her. But I understand that these decisions are sometimes irreversible. But again our lunar community, our small community at PS33 has been harmed by this decision I think. Um so thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Have a good night. Question for you. I see mister Curtis is here. His name is Lisa on the in-person. Did mister Curtis, did you want to speak? You're listed as a speaker. Did you want to speak? No. Okay, just want to make sure

098we didn't miss you. Thank you, sir. Jessica Taub, can you hear me? Yes, can you hear me? Yes, you have 2 minutes. Okay, thank you. Um good evening to everyone. My name is Jessica Taub. I'm a parent of two children at PS thirty-three. Um I just want to say first of all, I wasn't calling about this but I passed that garden on AstroPlay so many times when I walked my children to daycare and then pre K three at Play and Learn and I just love that space and I just want to send some positive energy their way and I really hope that this can get worked out. Um I'm actually calling tonight. Just actually in support of what I believe to be the new health curriculum. Um I don't know of any strong opposition in

099Jersey City but given pushback I've seen across the state and country to some of these newer things that we're introducing into the curriculum. Um and my experience with anti bias education, I just thought I would call and offer support. Um and I I saw an article in the Jersey Journal about it sort of saying what the critics were saying. Um and I just wanted to say too often when we hear critics say that families should teach these things at home to their children. What they actually that they don't want their children to learn to affirm identities that fall outside of what they believe to be normal or moral and this leads to bias and discrimination at school which we cannot allow. We know that transgender children, non-binary children exist, gay and lesbian families exist. Um

100any gender expression, sexual orientation, or any type of family should be affirmed and valued. I mean, because unfortunately, we can't always count on individual households to teach tolerance and inclusion. It is our job to do it at school. Um we we also have to remember that children absorb about sex and sexuality all the time. If they live with a mother and father who are in a relationship, they watch a Disney movie where characters fall in love. They already know about this stuff. They're just absorbing it from the media. Um there's really wonderful children's books out there that teach topics about gender and sexuality and age appropriate way. I've been doing this with my own children and what I've seen is that they've are really growing into healthy and happy children and they're kind and loving

101and supportive to any child that they meet regardless of that child's identity which can really mean the world and a society where others might bully or harass that child. Um and when we don't talk to children about these topics or other topics like race and racism, oppression, and privilege and so on, children often internalize messages that lead to bias and discrimination. Um I feel very lucky to live in a state like New Jersey where the state has made it a point to support these important conversations and lessons. And I thank you Jersey City for allowing them to continue to happen in our schools. Uh thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. I will now move to the calls. Huh? Hi, Beggin. Yes. This is the Jersey City Public Schools. You're here for public comment?

102Yes. You have 2 minutes. Okay, great. Thank you. Um thank you everybody who's at this meeting tonight. Hold on one second, honey. I have my kids in the background here. I just wanted to quickly speak on behalf of a lot of parents. Can you ask that person? Hold on for a second so we can turn up so you can hear that. Please. Sure. We need IT or something and we can't hear what this person saying unfortunately. I don't want to miss this. We apologize to you but we want to make it louder so everyone can hear you, okay? Yeah, can we reset the time for that person? Thank you, Trustee Velasquez. Thank you. We're trying to make it louder so we can hear you better. Okay, here we go. Let's try again. One second, Megan.

103You can start over. Now? Yes. I just wanted to pick out about the the fact that many of us parents feel very frustrated at back to school time about the delayed communication from the district. Um for example, I am a parent of a PS33 student and we still haven't been contacted about the fact that we're receiving a new principle. I only learned about the fact that we were losing our beloved principal through reading the agendas items for tonight. Um obviously, there's a lot of changes that go on behind the scenes of staffing and I'm not even questioning the decision. I'm sure we'll love our new principal as well but the fact of the matter go back to school in two weeks and we haven't been able to tell our kids yet who in principal is.

104Many parents still don't have classroom placements for their kids. I've heard from early childhood parents who don't even have for sure what school their children are going to. They're still waiting for those letters. We went through that ourselves 2 years ago. It's incredibly stressful especially when there's supplies and uniforms can have to get purchased as well. We're trying to prepare our kids during really uncertain times, work on transitions for some of us whose kids don't do well with transition to not have this information, you know, two weeks before school is really, is really challenging. So, I would really like to stress to the district to please consider the start date for administrators moving forward and for an office staff. Um I know that they just went back to the office. I think Monday and of

105course, there's a lot on their place but I just don't think we can run a district of this size without having administrative staff going back earlier to make sure that parents are getting the information we need to start the school year. Um so, I just want to stress that. I understand it's a complicated staffing matter but we need to start sending staff back sooner if parents are going to be able to start the school year on the right track. Thank you. Thank you. That is definitely louder. Thank you. They can now hear you in PS-12. Hello. Yes, I'm looking for Ashra? Yes. Yes, this is the Jersey City Public School. She signed up for public comment. You have 2 minutes, sir. Okay. It's the only guitar now? Yes. Straight. My name is Ashraf Sarag. I

106live at 200 Gates Avenue. my voice actually is coming back to me. Anyway, I'm suffering from three problems coming from school number three. number one from ah boys in Ivy. this on ah in any way between my house and the school sense. Last Tuesday I had vaccine on Wednesday I cleaned the some of them covered and so enter my AC condenser in the backyard. Thursday. I have itching all over my body, swelling safe. And red redness skin. I went this little mythology in Havoca. The following day I had I went to the doctor office. I doctor office. On Friday, I went to the emergency room. even my tree between my house and and the the school. Actually I cut it. I cut it two years ago. Cuz how do you want to have any any

107any problem between the the three my three and their three. Ashra. Mister Farrak, can I speak to you for a second? This is Jerry Lyons. We've been emailing back and forth. I just spoke to Doctor Fernandez. This issue will be addressed this weekend. Please email me on Monday and let me know the progress. Even though this is not all of our property, Doctor Fernandez is going to ensure that it's all taken care of. not have this issue continuing, okay? But I have two more problems if you give me 30 seconds more. You can't have 30 seconds more. You can Email me and I will then address it with Doctor Fernandez because unfortunately, if we give you 30 seconds, we have to give everyone 30 seconds. So, if you would Email me then just like I've

108done for all the other Emails you've sent me, I will present them to Doctor Fernandez. Thank you very much, sir. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. You're very welcome, sir. Hello? Yes, I'm looking for Ronald Wiley. Speaking. Yes, this is the Jersey City Public School. She signed up for public comment? Yes. Yes, you have 2 minutes. Thank you. Yes, please community gardens created by bishop Kenya Bland and Reverend Deborah L. To stand as teaching ground and feeding to all in need. Almost two decades, food was grown, flowers were planted by children under their destruction. People received free quality, fresh food, plastic was taught in the garden, and resources were made available to all. Ask for your garden is currently closed. The guard resides in a state of in therapy. And during the pandemic

109Cole, the creative bishop's land and her assistant brother Austin were not at fault. Their contract with the security city board of education was in water. The garden was closed by the New Jersey State School Development Authority. The Garden and Our Children and Family became a charity. Now we request the reopening of Aston Community Garden by the Brightwalk Station under an excellent care of bishop's land. Put out children's birth. Put out families first. We open the app. We need God. No more talk. No more blame. That's it. Thank you. Thank you. This is Marcus. I'm not at right now. You know what to do. Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system. Yes, I'm looking for Ryan Bland. Yes, that is me. Yes, this is Jersey City Public School. She signed up for

110public comment. Yes, I am. Thank you. Yes, you have too many. First off, thank you. First off, I'd like to thank the board president and the entire school board for hosting the discussion. Um I'd like to talk about the Astra Committee Garden a bit of its history. So, the Aston Community Garden was originally created by Bishop Bland and by Reverend Alston. Originally, the garden was bit of an ice on the community because the environment around it was that of drugs, violence, prostitution, and likes around and in that garden. So, the original Jeff's desire was to simply change the environment slightly and hopefully, the surrounding individuals would then be able to enjoy and able to utilize it more In two thousand and 11, or sorry, in 2021, there was an article written by the Washington Post

111in the aftermath of the George Floyd and all the Black Lives Matter protests around the country and around the world. They were specifically data in it in regards to the adopt lot program that New Jersey and Philadelphia were also taking part of. It found the WIN communities and when organizations it upon themselves to revamp gardens. They saw a 30% decrease in crime. And I believe that that is specifically what the city of Georgia City, the school board want, especially for a gun that's connected to a school. So I implore the school board and the board president all to work better to make it so that the as a community guard can be reopened with by running it Thank you. Thank you. Please leave your message. Please leave your mess. How many are still? Less than

112ten? No? Yes, I'm looking, I'm looking for Alero. This is she? Yes, this is a Jersey City. This is the Jersey City Public Schools. You signed up for public comment? Yes, please. Yes, you have 2 minutes. Okay, please, I live or not. participate in and I'm just to say here forget what is going and just bring it back children need it I need it. I go there with my you know, in the summer time and many even oh where food comes from but this guy being hit they they plant school eat and eat through and no weapon is coming from I don't know why this garden is cut down we need to make it we need it please bring it back let's talk Covid is out, we should be discarded. Alright, I'm airing my tonight.

113I hope I've I've been into Thank you. Thank you. Hello. Yes, I'm looking for Chaplain Bland. This is Chaplain Bland. Yes, this is the Jersey City Public Schools. You signed up for public comment? Yes, I did. Yes, you have 2 minutes. that at the place community god is so well needed. Will you have love and you have learning, you have peace. When the garden was open, there was nothing. Since the guard has been closed for the last year or so, there's been four murders. And the murders that have happened that happened to Definite third generation families that have been here. And that's a bad thing. We need to get the garden back from us so we can get the love and we get the peace back into the community. For years straight, there was no

114violence in anything when the garden was open. It's been closed for one year and has been a fall homicide in the area. Bethel, I have to say thank you very much. Thank you. Yes, I'm looking for Lucy Oh, sorry did I lose it? Hold on. Hey, love. It's me, Theria. I'm sorry, I can't see a call right now. But please leave a message and I'll get back. Hello? Yes, I'm looking for Tichina Roney. Yes. Yes, this is the Jersey City Public School. She signed up for public comment. Yes, you have 2 minutes. Okay, this is about the garden on Aster Place in Monticello. Um me and my kids thoroughly enjoyed the garden when it was there. Um my kids did community service. They logged their hours for school and they also taught us how to

115garden. Um it's very vital for our community. I have that garden in the area. I also got baby supplies from there and they feed the community as well. So, this is just my petition to have the garden, you know, reopen at that particular spot. Hello? Yes. Yes. Are you finished? That's the statement I would like to make. Yes. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Hello? Yes, I'm looking for Genesis Roney. Yes, ma'am. This is, this is the Jersey City Public School. You signed up for public comment? Yes, ma'am. Yes, you have 2 minutes. Yes, I would like to Jersey City Garden Open to ask for community garden back open. Because when I come home from Louisiana and school, I actually go back and get some community service hours and they, that's how I get my food

116and necessities that they provide. Because I said myself. Hello? Yes, ma'am. Yes. Are you, are you, are you? And. Yes, ma'am. That's done. You're done? Yes, ma'am. Okay, thank you so much for your comment. Have a good evening. You too. Please leave your message. Hello. Yes, I'm looking for Karen Lewis. This is she. Yes, this is the Jersey City Public School. She signed up for public comment. Yes, please. Please ask them to put that garden bag. See, I grow my vegetables in the backyard during the summer and my grandson is here and he planted the tomatoes and cucumbers and green peppers and strawberries and they're coming up and he is so excited and he has to write a paper when he goes back to Ohio about his experience in during the summer as usually every

117kid does during the summer. And he wants to write about that. That he cultivated something from scratch. From the tomatoes that we had used before. We didn't buy the seeds. We squeezed the tomatoes and we planted them. And we used egg water. And egg shells. To let the vegetables develop. And I think it's important that these children learn how it's fresh vegetables that gives us the vitamins and minerals that we need. We don't know what we're going into the grocery stores and buying. We don't know what they're using you know to develop them to such a great big you know, size at home and and and in a garden where you're maintaining it, you're seeing exactly what is being done and the kids are learning for the future. We don't know how many of these

118young kids coming that are going to be farmers to develop the food that we need and by teaching them how to do this on their own and having them write about it is a very good experience for them and I think this garden that Brightheart is a very important thing that one of JC schools. Public or or otherwise. Yes. Thank you, miss Oliver. Yeah. So, I think we should open up that that garden again. Please, please have them the board think about it. You know, and and have them, you know, donate some sort of stuff as to continue this this procedure. Well, well, will they think about it? Will they at least give it a thought? Thank you, miss Oliver. Yes. Yes. Thank you. So, that's my view on it because I haven't been a

119teacher for 30 something years in a Catholic school and one of my subjects was science. Science is very important. With this global warming, we are having going now. We don't know what the food is going to be like in the future. We don't know, we don't know even know we going to have food. And if we could learn, we teach the souls to develop something meaningful. Like a garden and and a community garden. You're hearing all of this all over Brooklyn and New York and all these other places. I can't jealousy be the same way. Why can't Jo city set of presidents and instead of golden. Miss Oliver. Thank you Miss Oliver. What to do. Please have them think about it. Thank you for your comment Miss Lewis. We appreciate you. Bye bye. Buh bye.

120Miss Pierre. Is there more, are there more public speakers? I'm sorry. Are there more speakers? Yes, I have three more. I'm sorry. My list is not accurate then, okay? Number 59 called back. Okay. Um And sixty-one. Miss Oliver. I'll wait until you're done. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, may I help you? Yes, Michael Leon. Who's calling for him, please? This is the Jersey City Public Schools. Did you sign up for public comment? Oh, I most certainly did. Hold on one second because I'm sitting on my front porch. Give me one moment. Yeah, you have 2 minutes, sir. I have 2 minutes, sir. What's going on? The Hold on. Women. So, they The Jersey City public, the business public to allow me to speak to you all about sights, about the garden do you hear

121me? Yes. Okay, sir. How do you like the picture of what? Thank you. Alright it's gotta be for allowing me to okay? You know, the border breaks to ask immunity got what created by thank you And and as ah for all in need is of foremost of two decades. Food was grown, flowers, plan to buy the school children under under the instruction of the people received and their instruction, okay? fresh fruit, classes were taught at the garden and in the resources were missing a bit to all. They asked the community garden is currently closed. The garden resides. It's the garden state of Miss Jersey. And during our petting, it was slow. Michael? Yes, brother. Can you hear me? Yes, it is. Hello, can you hear me? Yes, your time has concluded, sir. I'm sorry. Please

122make sure before my time is up, that you understand that bishop Bland is doing a great job with that. Yes sir. Thank you. Have a great day. You too. Thank you, sir. Please leave your mess. Hello. Hi, miss Terrell Page. Yes. Yes, this is Jersey City Public Schools. You signed up for public comment? Yes. Yes, you have 2 minutes. Thank you very much. Good evening, board president and trustees. I listen to the meeting, caucus meeting on Monday evening and I have a couple questions. What is the status of the vocational school that was planned for PSforty I haven't heard any comments on that quite a while. What is the status of the all-girl school? That's being planned at PS thirty9. Is there a contract? Who's paying for that? And how much is it going to

123cost? I also wanted to reference the point oh six item on four docks. It deals with the affirmative action officer. surprised and disappointed to hear that it's being abolished. I don't know what happened to the staff member who occupied that position. Does she know that this position is being abolished? The other position was the rector of custodial services. I'm hearing that perhaps a name was now added to four docs for that position. Perhaps in the personnel committee chairperson gives his report. We can get some accurate information on those two positions and what's happening with them. I understand we have two minutes to speak this evening but I was concerned about a list of repairs that was given Monday night for construction and repairs to the buildings owned by the Jersey City Board of Education and

124I was just curious to know if that list was part of the long-range facilities plan that did extensive tours of the district buildings and came up with a report on what needed to be repaired. So, my last comment, of course, would be on Astop Place and I'm suggesting that those tax-paying resident who have spoken out tonight. Perhaps it's time to go to Governor Murphy because it appears that the State Department SDA who's handling this, is not handling it very well. So, thank you for allowing me to speak this evening. Have a good night. Thank you. Thank you, mister Charles Page. Uh miss Pierre, I thank you for sitting there displaying your poster all night long and I thank all of you with your commitment to this park. That noise is always made when I speak.

125I'm mature like why? But that's it. We're done. Is there someone we're calling? Someone calling back. Someone's calling you back? Yes. Miss Pierre, I have to wait on you again. Just keep that poster, miss Pierre. That's all we want. That's good. Agnes Hooper Yes, Hopper. Harper, sorry. This is. This is Jersey City Public School. She signed up for public comment. Yes, you have 2 minutes. I want you to reopen the garden. A lot of people need food that don't have cars and now, I'm not driving and they deliver food to people. So, you need to reopen the garden. And a lot of people walk there and get food. They get clothing or whatever they have to offer. I've gone there before for breakfast and I'm a senior citizen August the thirtyfirst, I'll be 80 years

126old. God bless you. So, it's very convenient and it's helpful. For the people, in the community. Hello? Yes. We can we can hear you. this must take years. Say that again. I said we can hear you. Are you are you finished? Yes, I'm finished. Okay, thank you for your comment. Have a good night. Thank you very much. You too. Miss Johnson. Might that be the last caller? That is the last caller. Miss Pierre. Thank you for waiting patiently, miss Pierre and for displaying your poster all night long. While this was going on, I reached over to Doctor Fernandez. Oh, hold on a second. I I can't hear and I can't see miss Beer. So, if you want to just turn it around so people can see it. Thank you because I know you've been waiting

127all night long. So, just turn it around so we can see what it says. Gerald Lyons is extremely handsome and a great educator. Thank you, miss Pierre. I appreciate. Plant a little love. Watch a miracle grow. JCBOE and SCA reopen the S Garden Community Garden. Okay, thank you. We appreciate that. During the meeting, I reached over Doctor Fernandez and I said, I wonder if we can get the state to sell this piece of land to the city and then we could get this resolved because there's no more open land left in the city. Every little spot is being developed. So, maybe what we can do because Bishop Bland said, you know, we need to do more. Maybe we can write to the state and write to the mayor and the city council and say, buy

128this land, give it to them. Through the chair. Give it to them. So, if we could do that and then during the meeting, we got a note from our youngest advocate here and I just want to tell you Governor McGreavy that we have a start. So, maybe you can reach out to Governor Murphy. She came up and she gave us a dollar and she goes, I'm putting this towards buying that land. So, we have our first dollar to buy in that land and and I want this to grow as well as stuff used to grow in the Astra Garden Park. So, if there's something that trustees can do where we can write to the mayor, write to the governor, and say, find a resolution. So, we don't have to go through another year of people

129not being able to have this beautiful victory gardener here in Jersey City. Trustee Velasquez. Yes, I'm strongly going to encourage Chairman that we look into our notes of last year because we brought up that issue last year with mister Walker and for some reason, the city didn't want to join with us to address it in that manner. Uh perhaps, now that the former governor is here, how you doing? Uh Latina from Agree, you forget? Never. Anyways. I I agree. Now that you, yeah, now that you've brought it up again, then let's look into it further. But we need to, at some point, address it, and just put it away. Great, I agree. So, we're going to move on that. Uh, if I can step back about something earlier, when I was recognizing the many different

130things we did over the summer, I left that one very, very, very important group, the early childhood department. And over the summer, there was a pre K enrichment summer program at 6 sites, Danthirth Avenue, Early Childhood Center, PS 15, P 17, PS 37, PS 26, and the Infante Early Childhood Center. The students were engaged in a variety of fun activities to support literacy, social, and emotional learning, math, fun and gross motor skills, and the arts and this is really important that we get this stuff out to our kids early and I really appreciate Doctor Hippolite for having this available for our kids and Doctor Fernandez for allowing that to happen. This program is offered from July 5th through August the first if I'm not mistaken. Doctor Hippolite went from July 1st to August the first.

131Yeah Yes, it did. It went from 830 to 11: 30 in the morning. So, it's another great thing that we're offering during the summer. I just want to note to miss Gibbons when this meeting start the the public comments you had at Granny Square in front of you. I think you're up to a baby blanket right now with your crocheting. I just want to let you know we've seen very good progress over there. Doctor Fernandez, if you would like to respond to the public comments. Thank you, President Lyons. I'd like to acknowledge the and thank all the speakers that came out today and the service that Biden organization provides to the community. It is extremely valuable. However, that land is not ours to give or share or provide to our neighbors but we will continue

132to provide this space at Lincoln High School to distribute the food and supplies to the community that is so much in need and we will continue to support the organization with that space. It is not the garden. It is not as beautiful. but we will continue to use the what we do have to share with you. Um we are working with the MUA on remediating the water infrastructure and will continue the dialogue as they work on different topics. Um it is a very busy organization and they have other they have a lot of things they have to address at once. Um mister Souza, thank you for the information on this scholarship. I'm going to ask mister Morales to share with the high school, administrators, and with the counselors to make sure we promote accounting and

133if we have individuals with accounting experience, we may be looking for accountants in our in our districts. So, please apply. Um then, I'm going to ask Assistant Superintendent Doctor Savino to work with the PS 33 community to welcome the new principal and to do activities to meet and greet as the year starts in a couple of weeks. Um the any parents who have any issues with the early childhood department and a placement for their children, please contact Doctor Cummings Hepalite or her office. If you have not received the information and to the gentleman from PS thirty that alleyway will be cleaned this weekend. Um and of course, we are working with developing the CTE program at Middle School forty. I've met with mister Wayne and Doctor Safle and we are moving to make sure that

134we start that CTE program at Middle School four as well as we will be working to plan for the young women's leadership school. On the personnel items, I am able to comment but I thank all the speakers. Thank you President Lyons. Thank you. Are there any trustees that would like to respond to public comments right now? To the chair. Uh trustee Hamilton and then Trustee Shaw. Thank you. Excuse me. Excuse me. If there's not order in this room, we'll hold the meeting until there is. Thank you. Trustee Hamilton has the floor filed by Trustee Shaw. followed by Trustee Watson. Thank you, Trustee Watson. Thank, thank you, President Lyons. Uh first of all, thank you to all the speakers coming out Um, the the phone calls, the Zoom calls. We understand obviously your passion about the

135garden. We understand that, understand that everyone's heart on this board breaks for the garden, for the neighborhood, for the people who are relied on the services, but I assure you that a strong effort has been made to try to communicate with the state, and I really appreciate what President Lyons just said about really trying to reach back out city and you know, trying to get them to buy this land so that we can actually have a say in what happens there and make a difference and I did appreciate the one speaker who said, you know, we may have to go above and beyond, you know, what we've done through legal and lawyers and maybe there's another route. Maybe there's another way that we can do something because that is why we're here, right? Um the

136second comment I want to make is actually something that Monique Andrews brought up about the speaking time. This is something but I've probably spoken to all of you guys about and and visually but I've never really said in public comment and I think we should come up with a policy regarding public speaking. Um I think it should change. I think maybe there should be a cap on the number of speakers because what winds up happening is exactly what happened tonight. We put two minutes on people and then we call all these people or we look for them. They don't show up. They don't answer their phone and then someone like Monique Andrews who is a loyal member of the community and and you know, dedicated. Can't say everything that needs to say. Now, that's not

137to say that I always like or agree with what Monique has to say but I value her opinion and I think that what she says is very valuable to everybody. Um so, I would actually propose not just maybe making a cap and keeping it five minutes but also perhaps on on meeting nights, when we're here, speakers have to come because we run into technical difficulties with Zoom and calls. We can't hear. The people who are here made the effort to be here. They deserve the time that they signed up for. They should get to speak. We have a caucu on Monday which is virtual. People can come in through Zoom, they can come in through the phone, however they need to, but that's the time for that. If we're going to hold an in-person meeting,

138I think we should change our policy around that. Instead of it always having to fluctuate and change about, well, we got this many speakers. So, we're going to do this, we're going to do that. It should be straight, it should be known, it should be understood, but the people who show up to this building, they take the time to come down here, should be rewarded for the fact that they need to get their message out. Thank you. Thank you. Joy your second followed by Trusty Watson and then Trusty Barcooch. Thank you to the chair. I would like to thank all the speakers for coming out this evening as well. Busy evening and lot to unpack. But what I want to talk about most importantly is the garden. Um being on the board of education for

139some time now. We run across issues that it seems like it's redundant and it's the same comment over and over and there's a lack of motion that it seems on the boarding or other parties and but what's most troubling about this situation particularly is it's similar to A Harry Moore. If we look at the population that disaffect, it's our most vulnerable group. I mean, you you heard people speak tonight saying that I depend on this garden to eat. You heard people speak about this garden murders occurred in front of it. You heard people speak about this garden gives a beacon of hope. So, you know, hearing a call from bishop Bland this evening about, you know, you can't say it's you, him, her, whoever, you know, just do more. You're elected to solve complex complex

140issues. Um while speakers were speaking tonight. I took it upon myself to look at the NJR SDA website and see when the next man actually is and it's September 7th. Uh 9 AM and I intend to go to that meeting and implore the SDA to put a move on it. Because it's a shame of the SDA to put us in this position to be here to say we're fighting as much as we can. And we're not getting answers. So, you know, again, it's not to praise myself. It's not to look good but it's my intention to go to that me and and just say, you know Let's move this and let's get this to amicable position to help people resolve their home at being at this garden and feeling that peace because to have people

141calling constantly and speak about and you hear the age on some of these people seventy, 80, and then just the the older lady with the sign here, you know, I just would like to see an end to this and Imma do everything that I can and it's my intention to go at the next SDA man. Thank you. Thank you. Trustee Watson, you're on the floor? Always forget that. Good evening everyone. I'm our guest outside repetitive but I do want to thank everyone that came up and spoke today and they shared their concerns. I want to thank the young people for their presentations and even those who gave us some advice or information that we're not we're not aware of. I do want to piggyback on what you said. Um President Lyons when bishop said that

142we need to do more. I agree with you 100% that if we can buy the land that would be excellent I understand that the SDA has meetings monthly and if I'm available, maybe I could attend maybe the October meeting but to the bike group, I want to say that people try to put you down at some the state or whomever but you're a contender and you rose to the top. You're still rising and every week, I see bishop Ben out there with Bland with her committee and volunteers, diverse group of people, serving the people over of families a week and I just want to know that even though someone is trying to not let you move forward, you're a contender and you're still moving up and I just want to commend you on that. Thank

143you. Thank you. Thank you. Trustee Barclucci on the floor. Thank you. Uh to start off, I want to talk about the students who came here to speak tonight. Misha and Janti, they've, I've actually been working with them for since I became a board member and they've been really excited about getting this program started within Jersey Public Schools. Uh they have it going on at Infinity I believe and county prep. So, this is something that they've been working on and their goal is to reduce implicit bias through advocacy for anti-biased programming and education. So, I I hope eventually we can get a similar program in Jersey, public schools before they graduate. Uh the second thing I'd like to talk about, the Astro Garden, Reverend Olson said, if in the in the least possible way you could

144support us is just by showing up to Trenton. Uh the next meeting is September 7th at 9 AM. So, if there are any board I would like to attend. I I will try to attend and if we can write up official board statement showing our support for the community garden, that would be awesome. Uh and lastly, Miss Monique Andrews spoke about how there's a need for four per diem security guards as well as custodians and groundskeepers. Uh I'd like to request mister Rivera if at the September board meeting, you can provide the number of vacancies per non-instructional and instructional positions. By titles or the job title, that would be awesome. So, if we can speak afterwards but that's something that I'd like to see and that's about it. Thank you. Do any of the chair

145members have a comment? Trustee Vice President Vertebello? Hi, good evening. Um I also want to thank all the speakers and thank Jim McGreavy for being here. Um I appreciate all of that bite does and the the volunteers and bishop Lan and Deborah Alston. I appreciate, I mean, I was just memorized by all the like the words that are coming out of everybody advocating for this garden and seeing how beautiful it can be again. So, please don't stop, you know, pushing us and getting this to work because I I'd like to see it come back and be as beautiful as it was before. Um and I will speak at the SDA meeting as well if if that's you know that will help. Um I love going to those things. Um and I want to thank Monique

146for doing such a great job with Snyder because she planted these beautiful plants in front of the school and I didn't know they were fake flowers but they look gorgeous. In the picture I thought they were real. But I it you know it's sad that it has to be fake though because she's right. There's noone. We don't have groundskeepers to keep up a lot of these these properties. And and that that makes me very you know upset because we should have beautiful flowers. We should have all that schools have in other districts. Um I want to thank Cheryl Mays too for coming out and always speaking for 2262 because you know, two two six two really takes care of our buildings and like, I went to the bathroom before and I was like, this is

147real smells very clean and the fact that I walked in the building and I smelled paint and I smell, you know, you can smell, you can, you know, you see it but you also smell it, you feel it, and I know that you guys love the schools and thank you so much for all your hard work this summer. I know it was brutal in some of the schools because of the heat and I appreciate, you know, you guys do all that. Um I also wanted to congratulate all the students that graduated today. Um that was, you know, amazing that they, you know, finished up to the summer to do that. Um and I also wanted to it was something that you know, we were talking about the stuff that was happening this summer. Something that

148my daughter participated in the Priecto program at NJCU and I got tell you that program has expanded since my older daughter did it and it's a really great program. It's a very hard program but our our students, you know, majority of them are from Jersey City that attend that program and Manisha Shaw is doing a really great job with it because I mean, who wants to learn geometry and calculus and all that stuff in the summertime but you know, and physics and stuff but I mean, our kids excelled very much our program. So, I just wanted to put that out there but again, thank you so much for for attending tonight and I welcome all the students and staff and everybody who's coming back this year. So, thank you. Thank you, Vice President Vertebello. Trustee

149Velasco, you have the floor? Thank you. Again, I want to thank Governor McGreavy for joining us I would like to also communicate to the board that on Tuesday, when the principals came in, I had the pleasure of joining them that morning at number seven and on behalf of you, mister president and this entire board, I welcome them to another year and they feel, I mean, they have a sense of and and it's like they're very happy to come back. They're very happy with many of the moves that we have made and they're quite grateful. Um I also attended the graduation today with colleague Natalia and I was able to speak to them in Spanish to let them know my message today was on perseverance and that's exactly what makes them do what they do and

150mountains are moved via perseverance. Um with regards to the students from Hudson County Community College, I remember miss Royne. It's so good that that's still up because I remember miss Wayne and I kind of started that program and and you know how mister Wayne is? She gives you a task and you have to just run with it. So it's just great to to see it still flourishing. Uh I was also saying thinking that maybe every school we can take Monique and clone her. Every school needs a Monique. Really? And I think that's it. I thank you. To the chair. I just have one more comment. Yes, Trustee Watson. Yeah, I just like to address it to is miss Maisie and Cheryl Maine still here. Yeah, I just want to, you know, I had a conversation

151with you and I just want to tell you how aggregable it is of you for all the energy that you put forth and the effort that you do in working with your fellow workers and the concerns that you have in the building that you work for the safety of the children. I just want to give you that compliment. Okay. Okay Thank you, Trustee Watson. Good day. Vice President Ayofi and then Trustee Richardson. Thank you. Thank you so much Board President. And I also want to say something to Miss Cheryl Mays. I know that often the motions that we make seem extremely redundant. But you know thanks to your advocacy and thanks to the pressure. This redundancy is often also about obtaining justice and rectifying things. And so we have to go through the redundancy in

152order to make things right. And bear with us as we do. Um so Absolutely seconding everything that was spoken about Monique Andrews. Um in along those lines I had an opportunity to meet with some of our parents from the district this week and I'm very happy to see how and also by attending a Vice President Verdobello's Community Outreach Meeting s with parents that parents want to organize. So, there was, there will actually be, right, Gina, on the thirty-first, the PTA workshop at PS 20, which the registration is taking place. So, one of the best things that we could do for our schools is to mobilize parent leaders in every school, and that is a dream that is ongoing, and there are lots of wonderful parents who are willing to take the helmet, that is very

153encouraging. So, that's great to see that, that we look, we look forward to starting the year with that effort, and as my colleague Trustee Velasquez said we had we were very blessed to be able to speak at the Summer Academy graduation this morning and to see the children who actually work through the summer to get their high school diplomas and I was also reading the surveys that they filled out as they were attending the summer academy as to what obstacles did they have to overcome in order to continue their education through the summer and they had to point out that you know sometimes it was a transportation issue sometimes it was a family situation I'm sure it wasn't easy for many of them also redundant and maybe even you know some stigmas were involved while

154all their other friends were already enjoying summertime. They still had to put their uniforms on and go to school. But they did it anyway. And it was amazing to watch them. Their pride that they had and the pride that their parents had in them. And one last thing I want to say is to applaud their educators which I failed to do in speaking this morning. But it's all those teachers and principals who've worked with them this summer. I know that the common perception is that teachers only work from you know eight thirty to three everyday and then take three months off in the summer which is obviously not true because they all work around the clock and in this case, through the summer as well. So, thank you to all those educators who spend the

155summer with these kids who volunteered their hours, who, who, who invested in them and the the product was was evident this morning. So, thank you. Thank you. Trustee Richardson, you're on the floor? Thank you, to the chair. Uh first, I'd like to thank all the speakers who came out tonight as well. Uh particularly the students who spoke on the student supports on the the Zoom. Um of course, the Astro Police Garden I think we all agree that it's it's a beacon of hope in the community. Uh and it provides a source of hope for those who are in need and I think it would be a great idea to to do whatever we can to figure out what we can do with the city to work with the SDA to acquire the land so we

156can put an end to this saga. I thank those who came for the who spoke on the personnel concerns, miss Mays, you know, who's always here those concerns again do not fall on deaf ears. I also want to thank the staff who are getting the schools ready for September. Um hearing a lot of great things that are happening Uh Miss Monique K Andrews let us all know how well Snyder is coming along. and he she's even helping out with that. and then also the summer school staff, you know, there's been a lot of learning and activities going on during this summer for the students, even my own son, participated in the Sparks Camp. Um and I just want to thank everyone who contributed to that because it really did benefit all of those students and

157we appreciate all that you do on behalf of our students. Thank you. Thank you, Trustee Richardson. Do any of the trustees have comments? Okay, first of all, Misha and John T are two young ladies. One is still a high school student. They both still in high school. One in high school, one in college. They've come to us and spoke several times and they keep presenting this anti-bias program that they want to share with us. And if you look at our HIV reports again this month, they're horrifying. That what people say and do to each other while they're in school. The hate that's out there. The racism, the the homophobia, young grades, young kids that are saying hurtful, hurtful, disgusting things, hitting each other. It has to stop. And if we can get to a high

158school student and one high recent high school graduate to work with us and say how can we make a program together? We can share with them saying, stop this. We're in the most diverse city in the country, if not the world, one of the most diverse. 44 different languages spoken, not including subdialects. We have everything here. One thing I can say about county prep, it wasn't perfect, but everyone of every group sat together. No one cared. It was Muslim, Christian. You could have been wicked, gay, straight, and different, noone care they just seem to get along and it seems like this is growing in our school. This problem of people not accepting and respecting other people's differences. If we can reach out to those girls and see what we can do to try to embrace

159that program. There was a question asked about a a fund that the money was given to us years ago. I have not heard an update on that. I'm going to request that we get an update on that fund that she mentioned. again, Monique, I I just don't know. If we, if we could clone you and have more people like you and the others that come repeatedly to these meetings, as it was stated, Monique beautified the front of the school so that when the kids come in, they have a great place to look at. Uh Doctor Fernandez, I know that you're working on an update for the two two six2 employees to find out when they're going to get the money. We've acknowledged that the mistake was made. They have to rectify it. They will get

160the funds. Everything that they've been that they should have gotten, they will get and unfortunately, it's still being worked on. There was a few requests for staffing changes to be put on the website and I think that's an appropriate request. I know that you've been working very hard all summer, Doctor Fernandez and people have been leaving in droves. So, part of what the problem is is as HR keeps replacing people, other people keep leaving. I think we hired like mister Rivera, some like 40 new teachers and 50 people left. You know, something that's like that. As each time we fill a spot, another school is grabbing a kid. The problem, the problem is that if you go to Elizabeth, they're going to pay you so much more money or go to another town. They're going

161to pay you more and you know, as as wonderful as our district is, sometimes that might be closer to home or they need the extra funds but we'll continue doing whatever we can to have those positions filled and hopefully, we'll have better transparency in the future with when we do make changes. the there was a request for an update on the Civil Service titles and testing and I'm going to ask that we can get that provided for the full board that there are people that are working that there's tests coming up and we need to find out what those tests are to make sure that the entire district knows about the test so that everyone that's eligible for them can apply. I sent an email out to the trustees earlier maybe a week or two

162weeks ago saying that we're going to begin recognizing people from the community and tonight was a prime example of people that come out time and time again fighting for not for themselves not even just for their own child but what we could do better for our own community and so I'm hopeful in September we'll begin having presentations and letting people know that we're honoring you for what you've done for Jersey City what you've done for our schools or for our community because unfortunately we'd be lucky if we had 10% of the people out there doing what they could do to help and then maybe another 20% you can drag along kicking and screaming 70% to like get away from me. You know, so we could recognize the people that are doing stuff and they're not

163doing it for themselves. They're not saying, hey, I want extra money. They're saying, I want to make something better in my own community. All curriculum will be on the website. This is very important for everyone to know that. As the first week in September, every different curriculum that this district has worked on will be available to you that you can go and look it on your own. So, if you're curious, your child's taking fourth grade math, you want to see what you could do to help them to assist that with that home to see how you can enforce the I think fractions and percentages to cover in fourth grade. Well, then, you can look on the website and see it. It's a great tool for you to have as a parent to be able to

164see what can I do to work with my student in the classes. Are there any other comments before I move on? to the chair. Trustee Richardson, you have the floor. I just wanted to take a quick second to reflect on one of our former board members again. Um Jevonda Dupree. Uh huh. Uh last night, her family held a a celebration of her life which was pre planned by Jovanda herself. Um and so, last night when I left ehm I was given one of these photos of Jevonda that had been taken with myself Uh Trustee Marilyn Roman, Vice President Vertebello, and President Lyons. Um and they had a montage of a photos on the screen. And there was some board staff there. Uh Mister Wayne was there They even had this little I don't know what

165you call it. This thing you stand on and it looks like you're dancing all over the place and it spins around. So I'll just share this little joke. So, miss Ruwayne got on it and I said. I thought so. And I said that she could do it. I could do it. So, I got on there too, you know, because I I love Jevonda so much and I just wanted to, you know, let that moment be a happy moment and everyone there was very grateful for who she is as a person and what she's done for so many people and how many people she affected. A lot of people don't know her stories like how many children she helped when they were growing up and kids she took care of. People who she helped out financially.

166Um so many other different things and it was just a blessing to know her and I was just wanted to share those thoughts with everybody who wasn't able to be there but I thank god for the opportunity that was able to make it. through the through the chair if I may. Trustee Shaw. Yeah, if I could just add on to Trusty Richardson Moments of encouragement regarding missus Dupree. When I first got appointed to the Board of Education, I'll never forget. I think the vote was seven two and miss Dupree actually voted against me being appointed and I was like, wow. That's strange but immediately after the vote, she hugged me and she said, I want you to do the job very well and afterwards, she was very helpful and she would always call me and

167say, Shawn, we gotta do this civil service audit. So, you know, I just want to say rest in peace to Miss Dupree and she was great advocate for public education and she was good to work with on the board although she originally voted against me but she taught me in that moment was, you know, it's not permanent and you could always make it work and you know, although you have different opinions on views. You know, find a way to make it work. So, I just wanted to state that. Thank you, Trusty Shaw. I saw Jovanda in the spring and we were sitting down having a conversation. She said, you know, one thing I'll always regret is that she voted against you. Uh any other comments, Richard Vonda? Uh I I had the pleasure meeting Jovanda

168back in about 2010 and boy, what a lady. She was drop-dead gorgeous, so classy, and I sat there talking to her and she just was just a ball of life and she was going to support me for my first run for the Board of Ed and she was very genuine about it. She said, you're not going to win, you know? And I said, thank you very much. I've been told that many many times and she was right. I didn't. Didn't stop me but I didn't but when she got on the board, we used to sit next to each other and she would turn to me. She goes, what are they talking about? Because she knew HR and civil service stuff like the back of her hand but some of the other stuff was brand new

169to her just like to all of us when you get but she just fought to learn the new stuff and she was a really integral part of our group and I was I'm really proud that I got the chance to to sit with her on the board. I I was unfortunately just got in at one o'clock in the morning last night so I wasn't able to attend that but I hope I get a copy of that picture because it sounds wonderful. If there's no other comments, any other comments before I move on? Mister Morales became a grandfather too. Mister Morales became a grandfather? Uh congratulations, Jamie. He's gone. Jamie, congratulations. We wish you all the best. Okay, think now we're going to go into close session. Uh hold on. Before we do, the New Jersey

170School Board Association has all school boards across the draft, across the state to draft a resolution that opposed any increase in cost to our employees for the school employees health benefits program. Vice President Vertebella has offered to read this lengthy resolution for the board and the board will vote on whether to accept this or not. Once we have voted, if we do vote to approve this, the NJSBA is asked to please send us them a copy of it and they're very thankful that we took them up in their offer to include this in our meeting. Vice President Vertebello. it's lengthy. I apologize. resolution opposing the proposed increases to the school employees health benefits program. Uh whereas the school employees health benefits program SEHBP governed by NJSA fifty-two colon fifteen dash seventeen forty-six at I don't

171know what is this? Uh anyway. Offers medical prescription drug and dental coverage to participating school district employees, retirees, and eligible dependents. And whereas all SEH VP plans are self funded, meaning that money paid out for benefits comes directly from an SEHBP fund supplied by participating local employers and member premiums. And whereas the division of pensions and benefits is responsible for the daily administrative activities of the SEHBP. The school employees health benefits commission is the executive organization responsible for overseeing the SEHBP. And whereas the school employees health benefits Commission comprised of state officials, union representatives, and representative of New Jersey School Board s Association annually considers the calendar year premium levels for the local education employee group of the SEHBP based on recommendations found in the rate setting recommendation analysis of the local education employee group

172and whereas the school employees health benefits plan design committee has the responsibility for an authority over the plans and components of the plans including for medical benefits, prescription benefits, dental, vision, and any other health care benefits offered and administered by the SEHBP. And whereas existing law, it requires three members of the school employees health benefits plan design committee to be appointed by the governor as representatives of public employers, IE local school districts whose employers are enrolled in the program but currently are all such representatives state level appointees. Whereas the recommended rate changes for medical and prescription drug coverage for the active twenty twenty-three local education employer group is 15. 1%. Which includes a 15. 3% increase for active employees enrolled in the New Jersey Direct ten slash fifteen and a fourteen 9% increase for active

173employees enrolled in the New Jersey Education Educators Health Plan NJEHP. And whereas such pose exorbitant rates, increase will fall upon the local property taxpayer as well as school employees at a time where there's a record inflation and whereas, since employees enrolled in the NJEHP pay a percentage of salary toward their health benefits per PL twenty 20 C 4four, commonly referred to as chapter forty-four, any increase in N J E HP premiums will fall almost entirely upon local boards of education. placing a severe strain on their budgets. And whereas the proposed premium increase for most active employees will take thousands more out of their paid checks annually and lead to huge cost for local school districts that will translate into higher property tax bills for struggling families. And now therefore it be resolved by the Jewish

174City Board of Education in the County of Hudson. Call upon the school employees health benefits commission to reconsider the rate increase and strike a rate increase that is appropriate in the current economic conditions and be it further resolved that JCBOE in the county of Hudson urged the legislator to adopt legislation expanding the composition of the school employees health benefits commission and school employees health benefits plan design committee to include additional representatives from local school district management and be it further resolved that the JCBOE in the county of Hudson urge the legislator legislature and executive branch to examine the impact that chapter forty-four had on school district budgets and to adopt legislation that will reverse any of its negative consequences and provide relief to those districts and be it further resolved that a copy of this

175resolution be forwarded to Governor Murphy, state treasurer Moy, Senate President Gutari, Assembly Speaker Cochlan, Senator Stack, Senator Cunningham, Assemblywoman of Knight, Assemblywoman, Assembly Man Samson, Assemblywoman Chaparo, Assemblyman and the New Jersey School Board s Association. Thank you. I would like to have a motion to Trustee Velasquez. I move that we should accept this. And Trustee Richardson, you second it? Thank you. Uh miss Johnson, can we get a roll call? Thank you. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Trustee Richardson? Yes. Yes. Trustee Velasquez. Trustee Jones Watson. Yes. Trustee Shaw? Yes and I want the public to know that. I think this increase is close to 27% because I'm a public employee myself and I think this reverts to all public employees. So, wholeheartedly yes. trustee vice president Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons. echoing what Trustee Shaw

176said, knowing as a public employee, how much of my salary went out to health benefits. I think it's really good that we put a curb on this, yes. okay? The board will now go into executive session. Can I have a motion to go into close session? Motion. Hamilton. Second. Second. I'm sorry. Who is that? Miss Johnson, would you please read the preamble and take a roll call? Who was the first motion? Mister Hamilton. Hamilton Aiofi. Thank you. Trustee Jones Watson. Trustee Velasquez? Yes. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee Richardson? Yes. Trustee Barcoup? Yes. Vice President Vertebello, Yes. Yes. Yes, but before we do, Doctor Fernandez, may I ask you a question? Well, let her, let her read the motion. I'm sorry. Good. I will now read the preamble. Pursue it to the open public meetings Act NJSA

177ten colon four dash twelve. The Jersey City Board of Education will now be going into close session for the purpose of discussing matters where confidentiality is essential and particular to one or more of the following. To protect the confidentiality of individual privacy rights. A matter involving the lease or acquisition of property. Pending or anticipated litigation. Matters of attorney client privilege, contract negotiations are personal matters. The matters discussed in this close session can be made public at the time that the need for confidentiality no longer exist. It is now 9 o'clock. How long? Trust. We we. we need to be out of there by eleven because we still have to go to the rest of the meeting. So, no more than 2 hours. And if I could ask superintendent Doctor Fernandez, if there are no issues

178that the board needs and I'll ask the trustees that you need to address with one of the administration if we could allow them to go prior to the if there are no questions, they can absolutely leave. Are there any trustees have a reason for anyone from administration? We need to stay for the two hours and not be able to go to their homes. If you want to ask that of them now. go to hell. No? Okay. Hearing nothing, Doctor Fernandez. We'd like to thank you for having your administration here. Any questions we have, we can Email to you. Yes, certainly. Have a nice evening. Thank you very much. We're now going to close session for about 2 hours. Thank you. Good evening and welcome back. Miss Johnson, would you please take a roll call? Trustee

179Jones Watson. Present. Trustee Velasquez. Yes. Trustee? Trustee Richardson. Present. Trustee Barcooch. Present. Trustee Shaw. Trustee Hamilton Here. Vice President Vertabella? Here. Vice President Ayovi. Here. President Lyons. President, we will now go into the agenda into the meeting. There were no board comments during the caucus meeting on the adoption of minutes. If there are none now, we will move on to the vote. May I have a motion, a second to vote on the fives? Motion. Motion by Trustee. Second by Trustee Hamilton or Velasco. Who is it? Uh Lorenzo. Richardson. Trust. Second mister Trusty Richardson. Vote please. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee Shaw? Yes. Trustee Velasquez? Yeah. Yes. Trustee Bercooch. Trustee Watson? Yes. Trustee Richardson? Yes. Vice President Vote? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons? Yes. Motion passed. Thank you. We will now implore for any comments

180on the sixes. If there are no comments in this communication section, the agenda, we move on to education. Yes, sir. I just have one question. Did you want me to read my report now or wait til later? If you would like to read it now, Trustee Richardson will take it now. Which is part of communications? Okay. That you can for sure. Okay. It's brief. So, the technology committee meeting the technology committee did not meet this this month but we do have a summer report. and so there's a brief summary of what's going on in the district. Um we have a health check going on during the summer to make sure the district is up and running for school reopening. Uh we're doing testing of our cyber security protection measures and network vulnerability. We're upgrading the

181networks of twelve schools. We are restructuring technologies for our board meetings of which you have already seen the new monitors and cameras being utilized. Uh we can to promote the affordable broadband internet plan for families and will have the schools share the information when the students return in September for Doctor Fernandez. Information is also available in our district website and parents can visit their school prior to September the eighth. Now, that the administrators are back. If they do not have online access. Um there were there's also been training on the student monitoring software that you're aware of from our minutes prior. Um The onboarding of the two Verizon technology labs at PS-17 and PS 23 and we're actively looking for additional grants to fund technology needs of the district and the one next step is

182there will be a summary of the school technology readiness taking place over the summer break. So, that will take place in September. We'll have something from the committee. Thank you. Trustee Richardson. Excellent job. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. No problem. You like that? We had a detailed description of the education curriculum meetings and have minutes from that meeting. Mister Barcooch provide information on his meeting on Monday. If there are any additional comments or questions there, you can bring them to mister Barcooch now. Anything? Hearing none. May I have a motion? The second vote. To the chair. Yes, sir. Um I just have one request that mister Wayne and her department get the opportunity to present like the PowerPoint that I shared with all of you regarding the health curriculum in September. So, if

183that's okay with the miss Rain will have a presentation ready. as well as miss Craig. Doctor Fernandez, would you please work that out with mister Wayne that we can have that presentation during the the one that not the caucus of the board meeting? Caucus or Board Meeting Works. Not sure probably. Probably would be better at caucus. Yeah. Because that's remote and the PowerPoint. It's easier to see. Than point. Good point. Okay. Very good. So we've we've we've requested the district to have that available for the remote meeting, the caucus meeting in September. Mm hmm. Very good point. Thank you very much. Thank you. Any other comments or questions about the sevens? Hearing none. Can I get a motion in a second? Second Richardson, miss Johnson, may we take a vote, please? Trustee Velasquez. Yes. Trustee

184Barcooch? Yes. Yes, Trustee Shaw. Yes. Trustee Jones Watson. Yes. Vice President Rotobello. Yes. Vice President Aiofi. Yes. Yes. Thank you. We will now move to the eights and special education chair, Trustee Hamilton. Assistant assistant superintendent Chris Sunino shared notes from the meeting and with his department and trustee Hamilton on Monday. Are there any additional comments or questions for Trustee Hamilton on the eights? Hearing Nunmeg at a motion in a second. Motion. Motion by Trustee Hamilton. Second. Maybe take a vote please. Trustee Shaw. Yes. Trustee Barcooch. Yes. Trustee Velasquez. Trustee Hamilton. Yes. Trustee Yes. Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons? Yes. Thank you. We will now move to the nines and finance chair, Trusty Shaw. He provide information on Monday. Are there any other questions or comments for

185the finance committee? Second. Motion. Motion I trust Ah, sit. Do the chair. Um, I thought you were emotionally, I'm sorry. I have two questions. Okay. Um, when I brought up earlier, when I was virtual before I got here, are there any questions on the nine point two six agenda item regarding the pharmaceutical, you know, the Keenan, Bikinan contract. That anyone would like to ask or does any background information? Uh, my two point six. Nine point two six. The key. The king of the presentation. Yes. The other one is for nine point two four. Uh the the corrective action plan should the civil service be part of this? It's not listed in the corrective action plan. That's all. That's only the financial audit. The correct. Corrective action plan. The corrective action plan is only on the

186financial audit. Yes, on the finance. Sorry, it is only on the financial audit that was conducted and presented at the June meeting. personnel. Remember, if you remember when I questioned the the firm about going to meet with other departments, that was did not take place. There was no civil service involvement or any review of any of that information. With that audit. Okay, thank you. And miss Johnson, thank you because trustee Richard was on his way here earlier but thank you for arranging for that presentation and that explained everything was going on that we had the information but as trustee Richard asked for more detail and they provided that. So, we appreciate you doing the work to get that done for us. Any other questions on the nines? We have Trustee Shaw, you're going to motion

187and then second Yes, hold on. Don't second yet. Trustee Hamilton. on nine to 6. We'll read voting on that this month or we wait. So, we're going to vote on it now. Yes. Okay. Okay. On 926 on Monday, Trustee Rich and AS for additional information. Miss Johnson got the additional information. We had the presentation night. So, to be voted on this evening. So, we're going to be voting on that now. Okay. Motion by Trustee Shaw, second by. Trustee Lyons. I'm Pardon. Actually, no, it was Richardson Shaw. Oh, okay. There we go. Okay. To the chair. Yes. for 9 05 is is there usually concerned this is my first time at the start of a school year. Is there usually a report from the treasurer? Or is it okay to have no submission? Fernando. To the

188chair. Uh Chris Johnson. Yes. Um Trustee Barcooch. We are the the nine point oh four and nine point oh five deal with the year end June 30th. So, we were able to place 904 here as an unaudited item and the nine point oh five. We still have some reconciling items that we need to address as far as tolling out, finalizing our cash but both of those nine point oh four and 9. 05 will be addressed and looked at by our auditor. This is a this is a year-end report. Okay, so so will the board get like I guess the submission for nine point oh five? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Okay, miss Johnson, it's motion by Trustee Richardson, second by Trustee Shaw, and we'll take a vote. Trustee Hamilton, Trustee Velasquez? Yes. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Trustee

189Richardson? Yes. Trustee Shaw? Yes. Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Vice President? Yes. Yes. President Lyons. Yes. Motion passed. Thank you. Vice President Vertebello, where are we putting your rep under. I think it's under legal. It's under policy? It's under legal 12 point oh eight. So, it's going to stay under legals that we're doing? If you, if you want. Okay. You're the president. Yes, sir. 12. oh. Okay. She was, we weren't sure if that was just stated illegal or not. We will now, we will now move to the tents and facilities. Chair Vice President Vertebello covered this at Monday's caucus meeting. Do any trustees have any additional questions on facilities? I have a question to the chair. Sure. Uh for ten point zero one, it's it states that we're in need of window repair district wide as

190needed and the company is Smack Corp. When I I'm I personally am not familiar with this company when I search them up. It their website led to a very weird like I it's not even associated with window repair or contracting or anything. So, personally, I'd like to ask, could you provide more information on that or would it be possible to table it so we could get more information on the company? I could, I could show you what the website led to. Look, you're the the wiz with technology. So, I'm going to assume that you know what you're looking at. There's not two different companies out there. It's not like one is some nefarious thing and one is a window company. Again, I I clicked on every single link that associated with the company. There was

191on every single link, there were some websites that like provide information on contracting companies. There was little to no information other than a number and a website and every time I click the website, it led me to something completely unrelated to contracting or window repair. Okay. I'm only asking because it's. I got a decent amount of money. Do you have any any you have knowledge of the window company? I do not have any knowledge of the window companies. We can research get back to you. Can this, can this wait, can this wait till September? question to to the to the chair. To the chair. Karen, I'm sorry. So, based so this is a ward of a contract for window repair district wide. Um this when things go out to bid, they have to submit certain

192documentation. They that the state requires them to have. So, our purchasing agent does a great job of of compliance and making. It's a state-approved vendor. I don't know. This was bid. This was a rebed. Okay. So, they have to submit their W nines, their their So, they have to submit certain paperwork to show that they are a legit company so. It it Yes. Do the chair if I may? Yes. And ABA, correct me if I'm wrong. Once they get started on the work, we don't advance payments, correct? Right? It there's some there's some check mechanisms in there to where it's like we're not going to be duped out of the entire amount for whatever the bid go for, right? No, and this is as needed and my understanding is that the bid is for window

193repair and not not the glass. Oh, okay. Yeah. Like the the frame's not the glass, I'm sorry. Okay, so they would have to perform the work and then. And then we pay them back. We pay them at. we pay them after they're, they provide the service. Okay, so that's technically on the back end. Yeah, and that's not even 30 days out. In some instances, that could be 60 to even 90 days, correct? We should really be paying our bills within 30 to 45 days. I know but look, anybody that do public work, they know, you're not getting paid within 30 days. That's just like, it it should be the norm and it should happen and it's purchasing laws in place to pay quick but that's not the norm but best case, they'd be paid out

194on forty-five to 60 days. Okay. Uh huh. So, I mean, with that being said, I get my colleagues point that the website might be a little nefarious and you might not be able to track down this company so speak. Okay. I think there's several mechanisms in place if the if. Thank you. Mister mister Gross would like to make a comment. I just have I just have a question for miss Johnson. If she knows. So if this was a rebid when was the bid submitted and how long are we able to hold their bid price if we don't move this this evening with that bid price be able to be held until the next board meeting. That's why we have lawyers up here. Yes, so to the chair, so looking at the resolution that is here,

195it says that 53 vendors, the bid was sent to 53 vendors. And published into two newspapers and only one response was received, which I'm assuming was this person CMac here. But I am not sure when the rebate when the original bid was. Cuz there must be also a time limit for them to be obligated to hold their bid price before the board either accepts it or rejects it. I just want to make sure that that time period doesn't elapse before the next meeting if some board members are considering not moving this this evening. Well, the contract term does say September 1st 2022 to September to June 30th of 2023. So, I think it could probably wait for another month Miss Johnson, is it possible as a spelling error? Because trustee Barcutra showed me the website.

196That ain't Windows. I'm sorry. Maybe Windows to Hell because what he just showed us was little frightening looking. It's a it's a it's a creepy website. What's that? It's creepy. Yeah. It it was a little bit we wouldn't want that in our schools. You know so why don't we trustee Barcucci your suggestion would you like this tabled until the district can ensure that this is the right company that that because there's one response. I don't and I again I wonder why we put 53 people responded and one person us up a new offer. So, are you suggesting that we table this right now to the district gets more information on it? I would appreciate that. Lawyers, is there a problem with this? So, Doctor Fernandez, are you okay with that? Cuz that website does not

197look cool. No, and I appreciate. And I appreciate you finding that because I would never have gone that far to look for another website. Thank you. The benefit of having young people on the board, right? So. So, for purpose of this evening then, we need a motion and a second for ten point 02 through tenpoint 0 five. Motion. Second. Motion by Lyons. Second by Bakuch. And that is just the two on leaving off the one. Thank you for catching that trustee. And now a vote. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Trustee Richardson? We're we're voting for this. Yes. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee Velasquez? Trustee Jones Watson? Trustee Shaw. Trustee Vice President Brother Bella. Yes. Vice President Ayofi. Yes. President Lyons. Yes. Motion passed. Yes. Accept 10. oh 1. I'm going to ask mister Gross to run the elevens

198for us because of some changes mister Gross. Can I put you in charge of the elevens please? Thank you everyone. We're going to take this rather slow this evening with regard to the elevens. Right now, I'd like to it a motion and a second for 11point0 1 through eleven point 2 four with more to follow. Wait wait wait hold on Hold on. However, that motion from 11 point zero one through 11. 24 excludes item eleven 11 number two under maintenance and eleven point one seven. Item number one under maintenance. Those two will not be moved as part of this motion in second. Motion. Okay, Be in a second if they want to take a look at that in their book or online. We have a motion by Trustee Shaw, I think it was? No. Trustee

199Richardson? A second. Second by Trustee Shaw. Number two, the chair, which which items are we pulling again? 11. It's eleven, 11, 11, number two, under maintenance, and 1117 over one 1111 just just to reiterate. We're not moving eleven eleven number two under maintenance nor moving eleven seventeen Number one under maintenance. So now, mister Gross, do you want a motion a second for the eleventh? Oh, point 01 through 11point24. I think we just got that, mister Richards. We're good. And mister Shaw. So, noone to questions or comments. We can. Any questions or comments? If not, then we will take a vote, miss Johnson. Trustee Hamilton Yes. Trustee Shaw? Trustee Velasquez? Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Trustee Jones Watson? Trustee Richardson? Yes. Vice President Rotobello? Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons? Yes. And now I'm going to read a

200new I'm sorry eleven point two five. I'm going to read that into the record and then we'll have a motion in a second if you so desire. Uh this is the approval of the doctrine of necessity. Whereas a majority of members of the Jersey City Board of Education have been named as individual defendants in a civil lawsuit by a current employee of the district. And whereas the Jersey City Board of Education sought an advisory opinion from the New Jersey School Ethics Commission on how the district can proceed and take disciplinary or any other adverse employment action against that current employee and whereas the ethics commission advised that such action can only be taken if the Board of Education adopts a resolution invoking the doctrine of necessity, consistent with the commissioners June 2five, 20 18, I'm

201sorry, the commissions, June 25 18 resolution on invoking the doctrine of necessity. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Jersey City Board of Education hereby invokes the doctrine of necessity in order to address the employment matters and issues of employee number two eight eight nine two due to the pending civil action filed by this employee against the majority of member board members of the Jersey City Board of Education individually. Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be posted in such places that the district posts public notices for a period of 30 days and a copy of this resolution shall be provided to the school ethics commission. I'm looking for a motion and a second. Motion. Second. Second. Are there any questions? Any questions or comments? Miss Johnson, can we have a

202roll call please? Yes, the motion was from Richardson. Second is Ayofi. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Yes. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Yes. Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Trustee Shaw. Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons? And finally under the elevens this evening, I have another motion, 11 point two six. I will be looking for a motion and a second on this as well. Be it resolved at the Jersey City Board of Education hereby places on administrative leave with pay. Employee number two eight eight nine two. Effective August 26th 2022. until further action by the Jersey City Board of Education. Second. It was Richardson. I'm sure. Thank you. Roll call. Please. Trustee Barcooch. Yes. Yes Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee Jones Watson. Yes Trustee Shaw. Yes. Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. Yes. We will now

203move to the twelves leaguers chair of Vice President Ayofi. Are there any comments of the twelves that could be discussed in open session? Having none, we do have something for miss Fertobello to read at this point, I think. Uh do we need a motion, mister Gross for her to read a resolution? Okay, I am going to be reading the resolution supporting Women's Equality Day and the Jury City Board of Education. Whereas, women in the United States have continuously worked to gain full rights and privileges, public or private, legal, or institutional as citizens of the United States and whereas women in every state, in every cultural and religious group work to secure women's right to vote and whereas at the behest of Representative Bella Asbug, a 1971 and passed in 1973. The US Congress designated August

20426th to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th amendment of the constitution. Granting women the right to vote was certified as Women's Equality Day. And whereas Women's Equality Day was the culmination of a massive peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world's first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women's Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th amendment but also cause attention to women's continuing efforts to full equality workplaces, libraries, organizations, and with public facilities that now participate with Women's Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, and other activities. Whereas recognizing women's equality day as a day of celebration throughout the country, emphasizes the importance of women's work for democracy. Now, therefore, it be resolved that the Jury City Board of

205Education will commemorate Women's Equality Day, August 26th as a national day celebrating the importance of the women's movement and the work to secure and expand equal rights today. So, we'd like to have a motion and a second to accept this motion. So, you got the motion? I I'll second. Who is the motion, Paula? Watson. Trustee Watson, motion it and trustee Trustee Richardson seconded it. Miss Johnson, can we take a vote? Trustee Velasquez. Trustee Richardson? Yes. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee sure Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi? Yes. President Lyons? trust Vice President Vertebello recognizing all the stuffs going on in the country right now. I appreciate you putting this forward. Thank you very much. My vote is yes. Yes, good job. We will now move on to the

206thirteens. I've asked the lawyers to prepare a policy and that covers the full board being apprised of any reports that open any issues of legal or ethical concern. Mister Gross is working on that. We're hopeful to have it for the next board meeting. Uh you have some, we, mister Gross, who also brought to my attention that and then I brought it to miss Doctor Verna's attention that unfortunately, on our website, we have the old policies and a link to that and we have a link to the new policies. So, Doctor Fernandez going to correct that and we just because we paid all this money to Strauss estimate to the updated ones and I kept going to the old ones out of a creature of habit. So, miss Doctor will work to have that corrected. So,

207all of our new policies will be available only so that people can't get confused with that. So, are there any mister Pushnik, is there anything else on policy? Hold on a second. No, no, go ahead. Okay. If there are no other questions, can I get hold on a second? Vice President Verbella, we got that. Uh can I get a motion and a second for the thirteens? Motion. Second. Presty Richardson, can we have a vote, miss Johnson? Trustee Shaw. Truste e Burcooch. yes. Trustee Velasquez, Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Yes. Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Vice President Bretabello. Yes. Yes. President Lyons? Yes and I think we have an issue we have to address also. I think that when we were all so taken by Gina's wonderful presentation that we didn't vote on those items. So, can you correct

208me if I'm wrong? Items one through seven, unlegal. under the twelve's legal, do we vote? No. No. We have to move 112 one to 12. We only voted on genus things so we didn't vote on the rest of them. Through the mister the chair, I believe it would be 12 point oh one to 12. 0 9. Cuz there's a resolution for the SEHB. So we need to vote on 12 point oh 1 through 12. oh nine. I believe so. Yeah. Okay. What's nine? What's mister Gross wants to know at 9 is? Nine is the resolution that we're submitting at the request of School Board s Association about the health benefits. Did we vote that before? We voted that in earlier. you. Thank you for catching that mister president. And there's no submission for the thirteens,

209I don't believe. right? There's nothing stupid for the thirteenth. Right. You still didn't need to move and May I get a motion a second for the twelves? Motion. Second. Second Miss Johnson, can we take a vote? Steve Velasquez. Trustee Richardson, I'm going to vote yes on 12. one to 12. 0 five. I'm voting no on twelve point 0 6. I feel that the size of this district and the the matters that come before the district requires a stand-alone person in this position And so I'm saying no to twelve point zero six. And yes to 12 point 07. So I'm saying yes to all except for 12. 0 6. All except for 12. 0 6. That's a no. and this motion is 12 01 to 12 point oh eight or oh nine. Oh seven. Yes, okay.

210This is dry. Trustee Hamilton? Yes to all. Trustee Velasquez Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Trustee Shaw Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Ayofi. Trustee Barcooch? Yes. President Lyons? Yes, with the understanding that if the need arises for the affirmative action officer, that we will revisit this. Right now, we've been guaranteed that it's going to be taken care of but if there's need down the road that will revisit. Thank you. So, it's yes. Yes. Yes. Okay, 14's conferences. Are there any comments on conferences? Motion. Motion from Trustee Richardson. Second from Second from Trusty Hamilton. To the chair. to the chair. I was literally. Many of us listed on conferences coming up in the fall. All of us as a matter of fact are listed on the NJEA conference. I mean the NJSBA conferences in Atlantic City. So,

211should we all be abstaining on that? As it applies to yourself. Due to chair, I was just going to ask mister Gross to direct us. When it comes, you can vote yes except you're abstaining on. As it applies to yourself. As it, as, as mister Groats said, the terminology is, as it applies to myself. So, do we have a first and a second on that? We do? Okay. Trustee Hamilton yes to all abstain on what applies to myself. trustee Trustee Barcooch? Yes to all abstain on number four for fourteen point oh six. Trustee Richardson. Yes to all except for 14. 06. I abstain on myself. But yes to everything else. Trustee Shaw Trustee Jones Watson? Yes and I'm abstaining on myself. which is six. Yeah. Unfortunately. Fourteen oh six. Vice President Verdobello? Yes on all

2121406 abstain on myself. Vice President Ayofi? Yes to all. 140 six abstain on myself. President Lyons What date is that afternoon? twenty-four. Let's move that up a week, didn't you think? Yep. A little bit up to fifty. Okay. Um sorry about that. Doctor Fernandez just bringing something important up to my attention. Hang on a second. Uh so the technology we got a report on that. Uh we got everything else I think we're taking care of. Doctor Fernandez is working on the vocational program at PS forty. Uh community outreach we've had comments on. There are the floors now in the comments. So Doctor Fernandez just put up a very good point. Thank you for being on top of that. The first night of the conference in Atlantic City is our caucus night. So would you folks

213like to back up our board and Caucus to the week before that that would be October 17th and October which still is late in the month. October 17th and twentieth. Does that it's Lee Sims birthday on the 20th just in case anyone has big plans for the chocolate that night. Any anyone are we fine? Paula, trustee, would you guys mind if we moved it up a week because then anyone that's planning on the conference as Doctor Vans just correctly pointed out. That's going to be an interference. So we've moved everything up a week ahead. Everyone trust Vice President Ayofi you fine with that? Uh not only am I fine with it somehow in my calendar I already have that. I feel like we already discussed it. And no I think we discuss Your wisdom and

214insight. So, then, do we have to make a vote to adjust the calendar, mister Gross? Yes. Okay. So, Doctor Fernandez, through yours, your catch right now, we're going to vote to adjust the calendar and we have to make sure we notify everyone that we're going to change the caucus meeting from October the twenty-fourth to October the seventeenth and change the board meeting from October the twenty-seventh to October the twentieth. So, can I get a motion on that? Motion. Mo from Trustee Paula Watson. Second. Second. Trustee Barcooch. Can I get a roll call? Trustee Barcooch. us. Trustee Richardson. Trustee. Yes. Yes. Hold hold the presses. Hold the press. My apologies. We we the error is you guys are so good. We've already corrected the whole era. It's already all done. So it's been moved back too.

215That's why Natalia had it on her calendar because Doctor Fernandez someone had given her account David the wrong information. Now she checked another one and it's got the right. So guess what? We don't even have to do anything. It's done. Mm hmm. Okay. There's. We were in the middle of the vote what do we do now? Continue the vote. Continue the vote. So, it's just going to do it twice. That's okay. Okay, continue the vote. So, we're really voting on this. It's going to really happen on this. That's right. Trustee Jones Watson. Yes. Trustee Shaw. Vice President Vertebello Vice President Ayofi, President Lyons? Yes. to the chair. Vice President Verabello, you have the floor. Thank you. Um I would like to figure out when we can do a meeting for the Long Range Facilities Plan

216as a board and not on a caucus and not on a board meeting and then from there, figure out a date to do the community one because we're very behind on it and I'd like to get it before we start doing budget stuff. We need to know what we're going to fund like what we're going to you know. To the chair, I concur with that and mention that on Monday night. about the long-range facility plan. So, would you like to set up an additional meeting? Okay. So, if we look at our calendars, for those that can and Doctor Fernandez will get information on when and you'll be available for that. Uh Vice President Verabello, you're looking at September? Okay, would you look at mid September? Uh the twelfth. Well, I've I've is everyone comfortable with

217meeting on the twelfth? It's going to be Vice President Verbell, do you want to be virtual? Yeah, I think that's. Virtual's fine, folks. Yeah. Okay. So, Doctor Fernandez, we would like to add to the calendar a meeting on the 12th to address miss Vice President Verde Bell's concerns. So, is that feasible for you with the district? Yes, Doctor Fernandez says that's good. So then, we'll add to the calendar, September 12th, three weeks that the district will provide a virtual Zoom meeting and we will cover the materials requested by and second it by I request by Vice President Vertebello, seconded by Trustee Richardson. Do we have to vote on this, mister Gross? It's a change to the calendar or addition to the calendar. Meeting. Yeah. You have to vote on adding a meeting tomorrow. Okay. So,

218we have Vice President Vertebell, you're you're motioning it and Trusty Richardson, you're seconding it? Motion. I guess I'll second it. Sure. A hardy second from from mister Richardson. I was trusty Richardson and then we can take a vote miss Johnson and we have to make sure we have the other members know that this happened, okay? If we could send an Email out to everyone. Trustee Barcooch. Yes. Trustee Richardson? Yes. Trustee Hamilton? Yes. Trustee Velasquez? Trustee Jones Watson? Yes. Trustee Shaw. Vice President Vertebello? Yes. Vice President Aiofi? Yes. President Lyons? Yes. From six until nine. Yeah, that's that's good. Chicks until nine. To the chair? Yes. Vice President Ayofi. I just want to clarify. So, that looks like the start of our committees week. So, we're going to have that Monday. Nice to be back. So,

219September 12th. Right. Sounds like our the beginning of our committee marathon week. So, for those of us who have already like four committee meetings that I'm not saying no, I think it's still a good idea. I'm just. Yeah. Keep in mind you all who have committees on that day we have I think policy legal starting from 9 AM Tell your family. All the way to 9 PM basically. Right. And and you bring up a good point Vice President Opie. We're supposed to be looking at consolidating our committees. So maybe by that meeting everyone can have I've asked for ideas. A few people got back to me. But let's work on getting these committees consolidated for the benefit of all. I've emailed the full board that I'd like to honor some members of the community for

220the work they have done. If you have any names of people you want to have honored I'd like to have us do this at the September meeting and start recognizing people that have gone above and beyond for years. There's the same people that have done this. And it could be someone new. But there's just people that constantly fought for our district. We might not always agree with them but there's people that have come here religiously and to say this is what my fight is and so I'm hopeful that in September, we will begin doing this in the tradition we can carry on to recognize the wonderful people in our community. Are there any last comments? Trustee? To the Hamilton? Uh would anyone like motion to adjourn? I knew real quick. I I'm I'm only saying

221this because you brought up the point that we should be honoring people who have contributed to the district. The tech team is here every single board meeting. They stay as long as we do. Unlike the administrators, they don't leave early and they rarely get the credit they deserve. So, yeah. When when I came back from a closed session, Mister Barcooch, you could tell you're young. You're so rude. It's just hard. I'm sorry. You're my girl, baby. My back is usually towards you. So, I I I see them constantly in mister Rivera and Doctor Sevier. And how about the security guards, mister Baruch? Are they nothing Chopliva? The security guards? How about the maintenance team? This is what happens. I apologize. This is no good deed goes unpunished. We would like to acknowledge all the people

222that are here with us all night long. That stay with us to the bitter end and get that one leftover salad downstairs. So, that's it. So, thank you all for being here. We appreciate. Any, if not, we're going to take a motion from mister Hamilton, a second from mister chair. Yeah, hold on. Yes. I'm sorry. We almost got there. You people gotta be faster. I just want to wish. Everyone, a happy and safe the rest of the summer and a great beginning to the school year. Good night. What a wonderful thought to end the meeting on. First by Trusty Hamilton, second by Trustee Shock, we get a vote, all in favor, I, get home safely, everyone. Thank you.