001Call to order. This is to advise the general public that in compliance with the open public meeting act, the Little Harbor Board of Education meeting was advertised in the Asbury Park Press, Atlantic City Press, and posted at the office of the board of education located at 307 Brock Pond Road, Little Lake Harbor, New Jersey, and posted at the office of the mun municipal clerk of Little Lake Harbor. Uh, roll call, please. >> Mr. Solomon, >> here. >> Mr. Pichello, >> here. >> Miss Lawrence, >> here. >> Mr. here. >> Dr. Snder >> here. >> Martin >> here. >> Miss >> here. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Can we please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God,
002indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, so we have Laura with us virtually tonight and I'm filling in for her, so bear with me. Uh on my last board meeting, um the first is executive session. Are we voting on the items from executive session? Is that correct? >> Voting on items from executive. >> I don't know. That's what it says on the sheet. >> No. Okay, skip that. >> Okay, >> gotcha. Thank you. Can I have an approval um of the agenda, please? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> Okay. Roll call. >> Mr. Sak. >> Yes. >> Mr. Fichello. >> Yes. >> Miss Lawrence? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lagga? >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder? >> Yes. >> Miss Martin? >> Yes. >> Mr. Okay. Approval minutes. Um, can I have
003a motion to accept the following minutes? >> Motion approved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Sakone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Philello. >> Yes. >> Miss Lawrence. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee. >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder. >> Yes. >> M. Martin? >> Yes. Okay, that brings us to our first public comment. Agenda items only. The board of education now welcomes the public to comment on the items which are on our agenda tonight. It may not always be possible or appropriate for the board to directly answer questions during the public comment period. Each speaker is allotted a maximum of three minutes to make their statement. No one may speak more than once on the same topic. You are required please to give your name and address before speaking and please keep your
004comments respectful and non-examinatory and maintain the level of decorum appropriate for a public meeting for minors may be in the audience. Thank you Tiffany Milar. I have two separate concerns on tonight's agenda. First, regarding the January meeting schedule, the November recording contains an audio gap from approximately 31 minutes 27 seconds to 35 minutes 24 seconds, which appears to include the discussion of selecting the dates for the January rework and regular meetings. And under the Open Public Meetings Act and JSA 104-6, the public is entitled to meaningful access to board deliberations. When part of a meeting is unintentionally inaccessible, transparency is compromised for the entire community, including board elect members preparing to take office. Since I will be sworn in at the New York meeting, accurate dates are necessary for my planning. My recollection was a
005discussion between Tuesday and Wednesday, and that matter was tabled, but without audio, I cannot confirm that. I respectfully request that the board state the finalized dates and times for both January meetings. Second, I want to address policy and regulation 9130. While a structured complaint process is required, the procedures outlined here are extensive responsibility on the public while limiting the role of the individual board members under NJSA 18A 12-24.1. The degree of administrative control embedded in this policy is significant. When every stage of the complaint pathway is directed, reviewed, or filtered by the district, it creates the potential for administrative gatekeeping, whether intentional or not. A policy with this much concentrated authority must be accomp accompanied by strict transparency, consistent timelines, and equitable information. Without those, the process risks functioning as a barrier rather than a
006pathway for resolution. particularly for families unfamiliar with formal procedural requirements. A complaint system cannot function equitably if the public cannot reliably access information, understand expectations, or trust that each step will be carried out fairly. A transparent process protects both the public and the board. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Would anybody else like to speak? Agenda items only. Hi, good evening. My name is Cindy Phillips at 36 West Mill Road. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our board member, Abby Martin. The work of a board member is often challenging and rarely seen. Your willingness to advocate for our students, support our staff, and guide our district with integrity has had long lasting impact. You have helped build opportunities, strengthen programs, and keep our schools moving forward during the toughest times. The
007Little Lake Harbor community has been fortunate to have such a dynamic, insightful, and caring person as yourself on the board. Thank you for all the hours you've invested, the thoughtful decisions you've made, and the steady leadership you've provided. We appreciate you more than words can express. Thank you. Thank [applause] you. Crash. Um, thank you so much. Uh, anyone else like to speak? >> Okay, I think that closes public comment. Next is correspondenceformational items only. Any questions? All good. >> Next is committee reports. I know we had a couple committee meetings. Um personnel was postponed till the new year. So I think we had curriculum and finance. Okay. I'll go ahead and do curriculum. Um we met I guess last Thursday was it? It's been a blur. Um the holidays just run run. Uh we met
008last Thursday with uh Dr. Antuna, myself, Laura, Abby, and Mrs. Gallagher. And pretty much we talked about CUAC curriculum updates. Um we focused specifically on the development of a document that was requested by the county office with the pending QAC um process that's going to occur in the new year. Uh basically it's a document that kind of outlines the standards that are addressed at each level level uh for art, music, theater, dance, health and physical education. Um it clearly delineates the standards students are expected to meet in g grades K through 12 and 3 and five. Um there were no adjustments that had to be made for grade six. Additionally, a document also includes a note um regarding the social studies instruction where it reflects the transition to the wonders curriculum. Um and really all
009of these updates uh were completed and presented to the committee so that they would be ready for approval for next month and just basically as you guys saw in my uh report to you over the weekend. I would really like to thank Mrs. Gallagher. She works countless hours. um she's being very proactive in this QAC process, taking it very seriously. So she definitely deserves kudos from all around. So that's my report. >> Thank you, Alison. >> Yes, I guess I'll go ahead with finance. So the finance committee met yesterday actually and um John um Laura and Carl and Dr. tuners were all part of the meeting and we discussed um some money that we were awarded that was due to us from a capital maintenance funding. So, we received those funds that are going to
010go into our general fund uh balance. And we also talked about Operation Hero and how that it's a program that we purchased about a year and a half ago and we're going to move forward to implement the process of it of recording and documenting all of our supplies, our equipment, everything like that into this um program um within the next six months to a year. And then we also discussed the possibility of potentially switching in the restrooms to air dryers. And I'm not sure um if everyone watched the video or not, but there was a link that was submitted along with the second um agenda which showed what um what's it say? I guess a little bit of chaos that is being um wreaking havoc in the restrooms due to the paper towels. And so
011not only the fact that in the long term this would be a savings for the district, there would be an initial cost. I think we're going to be looking forward to doing that in potentially the next budget season those funds are provided and that's where we left off. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments from anyone else? I have >> Yeah, go ahead, Laura. Policy. >> Okay, I'll just read my report. I would just like to correct the name of the policies. In my notes, I said, but library material agenda. This policy primarily created the legislator made sure that librarians are not also gard. the open collaborate with library staff regulation library the updated public polic detailed procedures for any complaints regarding staff and material in the committee that there's a recent decision by recent
012court of edi religious rights by them and not for not allowing optifications. I will send the board after the meeting this topic covered at the school. That's all I have. Anyone else like to share? >> Thank you, Laura. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Anything else for board work session? >> Um [snorts] I just want to revisit from last month about the calendar for next year. Um we began discussing about the meetings in January and the entire year. uh reorganization meeting currently is on Tuesday the sec or the 6th. Um I would like to put forth moving it to Wednesday the 7th just a reorganization meeting. Uh just on a personal level uh we were reelected the Christine and Tiffany and uh Wednesday night's actually the only night that my family can come watch us
013be sworn in. So, I just wanted to put that out there if Wednesday works [clears throat] for everybody so that uh you know my family can see us when I have a question. Can everyone attend that meeting? >> I don't think there's an objection. >> I know that the new board member uh spoke and she can attend on Wednesday. I of course will not be here, but this is open to for dialogue as to what works best I think for the majority of the board. >> I'm fine with whatever. I'll make my schedule available. >> I I would prefer >> everyone. >> Great. >> I require more work conflict, but I'm fine with the meeting to set And how about our administration? >> Carl, Lisa, did that this Wednesday the 7th >> 7th of January
014work for the both of you? >> Okay. So then we will change the schedule. We'll advertise the reorg meeting for the sixth and it is at that meeting that all the other meetings are approved. >> Gotcha. >> So we'll get that together. >> Okay. So at the reorg meeting the schedule for the year will be approved. Got it. >> And that will be at 6 also on Wednesday the 7th. [clears throat] >> Yes. There will not be an executive session that day because it's reorganization. So we can begin the meeting at 6 and that's the way we'll advertise it. Thank you guys. >> And our new board attorney will just check his schedule and if there's a I didn't mean to put you on the spot, but >> that's okay. I I already know that
015I'm I'm busy on the 7th, but I will send um someone from my office attorney. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> I just want to say thank you guys. I appreciate that. >> You just can't wear the Giants. Yeah, suit and tie, Chris. >> Yeah. >> Yes, >> those kiddos. Okay. Um, next we have superintendent report. >> Thank you. >> So, I have a couple of things to discuss tonight. >> I don't know if that's on. >> Okay. Now, can you hear me? >> Is that better? Can you hear? >> All right. I have a couple of things to to discuss tonight. So when an organization begins moving forward to expand or to build a department, there's a sense of excitement and perhaps even some anxiety along with growing pains during a transition. Every organization
016experiences it. So there's it's certainly no secret that our district is building up the transportation department and in so doing we're building an amazing team of drivers and bus aids and not only are they bringing a great positive atmosphere to Little Lake Harbor School District and the transportation department, but they're also doing great honestly at adapting to lastminute adjustments that frequently occur during transportation in the transportation world. Again, especially as we're just coming upon this, our new buses are rolling and we're expanding our routes in a very strategic manner. Mr. Kofer has hired rock stars who have gone above and beyond. And we continue and as we continue to get up and running, so will our expectations go above and beyond. They will also continue to rise. A huge shout out to both Mr. Kofheer
017and our bus drivers and bus aids. and we thank them for their commitment to the students of LHSD and everyone's patience as we continue to work through issues that arise. It's um it is a daunting task and we're working through all the things that come up often times at at their recommendation to to adjust things. So, it's it's been very helpful. We we are looking forward to continuing that expansion, saving the district some money. Just a reminder to parents that our first trimester closed on Friday, December 5th. And remember that report cards will be available in the parent portal in the parent portal on December 15th. So take a look there in uh this this week. Next 15. Is that this week? Next week. Thank you. Also, a friendly reminder to everyone in the community
018that there is a chain of command when working through an issue or concern. You have to you want to be sure to follow the chain of command because with any concerns or suggestions that come up and you want to make sure it's handled at the level closest to your student going above that it hinders the process. So it'll it'll work up the chain as it's supposed to, but please follow the process because that that way we're able to assist you in the swiftest manner possible at the building level. Also important for our community members who take advantage of our before and after school program. Beginning January 5th, so the first day we get back from break, beginning January 5th, Frog Pond students attending before and after care, we'll be doing so here at Frog Pond.
019We'll be moving them from Mitchell over here to Frog Pond where they ought to be. So, uh, more information will be forthcoming from Ryder Schools. And we just talked about this. We It's been in the process for quite a while, but we needed not us right at schools needed to get approval [clears throat] for their classrooms that they're going to utilize. So remember, January 5th, chronic absenteeism, as you are aware, is an issue within Little Lake Harbor School District and other districts across the state. And so we want to make sure we keep talking about it, keep bringing it up, put things in place that will help assist our community, our students and parents to attend school on a regular basis. Chronic absenteeis absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% more 10% or more
020of the school day for any reason, excused or unexcused absences. Now, can this happen if a student has the flu? You miss 10 days of school? Absolutely. Is that considered chronic absenteeism? Yes, by its definition. Is that a reason why the district is going to call you 15 times to talk about it? No. If your child is always in school and your child gets the flu and is out 10 days, that's different. It still counts against the district, but that's different than being out for other reasons. There are some facts about chronic absenteeism that are really, really important just for people to understand. Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read on grade level by third grade. That's an important that's an important thought. Chronic absenteeism is the
021single strongest predictor of dropping out prior to graduation. And when they talk about graduation, they obviously high school graduation. Students who drop out of school are less likely to succeed in a career. In fact, high school's graduation makes on average over a lifetime, students who graduate high school on average make a million dollars more than a student who drops out. Chronic absenteeism is linked to increased suspensions, teen substance use, as well as poor health as adults. 85% of students who drop out of high school were chronically absent prior to that time. And this can be predicted as early as third grade based upon elementary attendance which is why one of the reasons why we're really focusing we have both of our schools ECC does not count in this in this rate as per the state
022but both frogcon and Mitchell have a chronic absenteeism rate above 10% which is why the board has that as a goal and we are putting things in place to help to combat that. So reducing chronic absenteeism is definitely a community issue and we need everyone to assist us in helping to overcome it. Excuse me. Winter is right around the corner and we're certainly feeling it in the morning when it's 11° out and I want to take a moment to share what is involved in making a weather related closing. This is something that many people don't understand and I want to make sure that everybody understands that this is a very deliberate carefully thought out decision. It's not that I'm sitting home warm in bed making this decision. While we understand that closing schools absolutely have
023an impact on our families, it remains number our number one obligation in keeping students and staff safe. The decision isn't to close or delay our schools is most often one that involves many, many people including our transportation partners, our local police, our local emergency management and dispatch, our road workers, and while one road may be okay, another road may not. And so we take all of these things into consideration. Honestly, often times Mr. Kofheer is out at 11:00 at night, 2:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning, and he's driving around taking pictures, calling me. We're on the phone. Um, Mr. Morali wasn't with us last year, but he will be on the phone with us as well. We we do have all these conversations often. We're not sleeping. We're not sleeping the night before.
024So, these are not decisions taking taken very lightly. And I just want to be sure everybody understands that the amount of snow and ice accumulated and are predicted could change. I'm told that there's often a line in this area and sometimes we can be hit and sometimes we won't be hit. It just depends the way the way it goes. So we we have to go with what other districts are doing around us because of transportation. We have to go with with what the weather report is telling us and we make the best decision possible as early as we can as possible so that people can make whatever arrangements they need to make. Often the timing is an issue. So the decision to delay or close or close our schools is absolutely made in concert with
025many individuals and ultimately the responsibility ends with me. But I want you to know that I will always air on the side of caution. I don't want to place our students or staff at risk. However, I also have to rely on all the affformentioned variables that we just talked about because as well as our own internal team, >> we'll strive to announce a delayed opening or school closure by 6:00 a.m. or as early as possible. I will not call you at 4:30 in the morning. I promise, but we'll do it as early as possible. And forecasting and changing weather conditions can result in a later announcement. However, we'll do the best we can to let everybody know as soon as possible. I appreciate the fact that you all understand this is not an easy decision
026and we do appreciate modeling for our our students how to deal with any unexpected anything that comes up unexpectedly productively. Just a couple more things. PTO events. There are several really exciting PTO events coming up this month and into the new year. This Friday, December 12th, is Milk and Cookies with Santa here at Frackconf. And mark your calendars for that. That's a great event. I am I will be here for that as well. And we have the Winter Wonderland Dance at GJM on January 9th, the ECC Winter Wonderland Dance. Cupcake Wars, which were a hit last year, is on January 23rd at Mitchell. And the GJM Sweetheart VIP and me dance is February 6th, also at Mitchell. So, I'm hopeful to see you there at some of these events as well. Finally, the holidays are
027more fun for most of us, right? They are they're often fun for many. However, they can also feel very overwhelming at times. Abby and I were just talking about that walking over here. We're we never know how others are feeling during this time. And so we want to make sure that when you're feeling stressed or you know someone else is feeling stressed or simply need to calm down a bit, take a few deep short breaths, take a few breaks, take a walk. Talking to someone you trust is often helpful. Asking for help is not a weakness, it's a strength. And so better to do that than to have a meltdown. I'm reminding everybody to choose kindness each and every day. to support your classmates and colleagues who seem upset or alone. A simple gesture, smile
028can make all the difference. Every single person matters. You matter. Your choices matter. And you just may be the reason someone feels calmer and safer. So, as the holidays come upon us very quickly, uh on behalf of the board and everybody else, I wish everybody happy and safe holidays and we'll see you in January. Thank you. That's it. >> Thank you, Dr. Anton. Excuse me. I mean, can I ask a question? Sorry. Um, you mentioned the report cards and you might not have the answer to this now. That's fine. Um, is there because the reason that I like that you switched to the paper once because I found and I don't I think we're a hybrid now, right? Between [cough] um learning goals and actual percentages. Is that correct? Um, do we have a way
029to see that parents are opening these or do they is there a way so for my high schoolers I receive an email link that report cards are available and you can just simply click the link. Is that something that parents receive with this or is it something way that we can track that parents are just actually being able to look at because I think what I found last time was a lot of parents weren't even looking at the report cards when they're digital. >> I'm not sure about that answer. I know for myself personally, I get an email. I also get a link and then I get did you forget to look at the child support card? I never forget, but when you then when you go into the portal, it says that this has
030not been reviewed yet if you haven't reviewed it. I I'll find out if our program does it, if Genesis does that or not, and let me know. >> Okay. Yeah, we might have been a bit on course at that point when we did it. But I think that's a nice thing to see, too. And I know it's very expensive to credit for card, so I understand the reasoning, but I also would like to know that parents are looking at >> Sure. Absolutely. Thank you. >> Okay. Anything else from the board? Excellent. Thanks for those reminders, Dr. Antunez, the message. Um, okay. Moving on to our favorite part of tonight is presentations. Uh, so students of the month acknowledg acknowledgement acknowledgements. Gosh, excuse me. For George J. Mitchell. We'll start with him. Good evening. The character
031trait for November at the George Metro School was kindness. All of our students were chosen based on this trait. I'd like to call up Emily Delisa from Mrs. Gallivan's class. [snorts] So, Mrs. Scallivan said, "Emily is a kind friend who loves to share, help classmates, and make everyone smile." In class, Emily tries her best on every activity, whether it's reading a story, playing with toys, or creating amazing pictures and sentences. Emily shows kindness, respect, and a love of learning every single day. Keep up the awesome work, Emily. You're a superstar. Benjamin Graham from Mrs. G's class. [applause] Ben is a role model student and friend. He loves to help his classmates and teacher. is kind to all of his peers and always tries his best. Ben shows respect and kindness daily and is a wonderful
032asset to our caring classroom community. Keep up the wonderful work, Ben. You are amazing. [applause] Next, we have Everly McMullen from Mrs. Gatsby's class. [applause] Mrs. Gatsby said, "Everil is such a kind friend. She treats others with care, uses kind words, and is always ready to lend a helping hand. Everly shows respect to teachers and classmates, and sets a great example for others. Her bright smile brings joy to everyone around her. Keep up the great work, Everly." [applause] And Roxy Skinwood from Mrs. Ramy's Mrs. Sarami said, "Roxy is always the first to want to help a friend. She likes to help the teachers in the classroom." Also, Roxy uses her manners when talking to friends and adults, too. I hate cookies. Thank you. >> All right. Good evening everyone and I am proud to share
033the names of the frog pond students for November students of the month. We're going to start in third grade from Mr. Goiku's classroom. Lincoln Shelby [applause] is here. But I love the way Mr. Bogito starts this. First three words from Mr. Bikito. What a guy. What a great way to start. Lincoln has boundless, positive energy and a heart of gold. Lincoln always wants to help anyone at any moment in the day. He makes me smile every time I see him. On top of being a great young man, he's also a dedicated student. I'm not sure how he's so active yet so attentive. He is a superstar and I am blessed to get an opportunity to teach him every day. Congratulations, Lincoln. In fourth grade from Mrs. true class. John Baker is John here. [applause] Mrs.
034Trux and her team says, "John is a pleasure to have in our class. He has been a leader this year and has made so many great strides as a positive role model in our class. He has shown us that he is caring. He's always looking to help teachers or friends in need. John comes to school in a positive mood, ready to learn, and is always prepared for a challenge. He's responsible, and can always be counted on to do errands around the school whenever needed. He is the first to congratulate a peer on their successes, and he's always happy for others. We are so proud of him and all that he's accomplished so far this school year. Congratulations for this. [applause] In the back, come on down. Fourth grade, Olan Griffin from Mansome [applause] Sisters. Nolan
035is hardworking, kind, respectful, caring, conscientious, a wonderful role model for his classmates, and a joy to have in our classroom. He's a shaker, too. I can see every single day, he comes to school with a smile on his face, ready to learn, eager to help. Whether he's working on a group project, helping a friend understand something, or tackling a challenging assignment, he always gives 100%. Nolan treats everyone with kindness and respect. His peers know that they can count on him to be supportive and friendly. His warm personality and good sense of humor make him such a positive presence in our classroom community. Page two. We know this is just the beginning of all the amazing things that no one's going to accomplish. So congratulations. We are so proud of you and we can't wait to
036see all the wonderful things that you're going to do in the future. And those kind words come not from just Mrs. Dances but also Mrs. Looseall. So congratulations [applause] in fifth grade. Mrs. Roser Cody Sanford Reigns. [applause] Another one from the way back. Another one hustling. We like it. Mrs. Ros says, "Cody is a hardworking student with a friendly smile for everyone. He's always ready to help. Follow his directions without hesitation and he brings a fun, silly energy, but it brightens the day and brightens our classroom. He has a positive spirit that make him a joy to have in our class. We are all truly lucky to have Cody as a student in five roster. Congratulations. And princess, Mrs. Andrews, Logan McMillan. Logan is a shining example of what it means to be a positive
037role model in our classroom. We got to face the crowd. Someone might take some pictures. He is always kind and respectful to his classmates and teachers, and he's the first to offer a helping hand whenever someone needs it. Logan takes his responsibilities seriously, completing his classroom jobs with pride and care every single day. He consistently gives his best effort in everything he does. And he does it all with a cheerful attitude and a big smile. His kindness, responsibility, and positive spirit make our classroom a better place. And I'll say our school. Logan truly deserves to be student of the month. [applause] >> [applause] [clears throat] >> Take a couple. Mr. >> Yes. So, we have one last presentation. This is for our esteemed colleague, Abby Martin. Abby, we're going to present you with a plaque
038and I'm going to read the plaque uh what's on it right now. The Little Lake Harbor Board of Education recognizes Abby Martin, member of the Little Lake Harbor Board of Education in appreciation of three years of outstanding dedicated service to the student and students and staff of the Little Lake Harbor Township School District. And with this award of gratitude goes our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your service to our community. You've also served on four committees the past three years. The technology committee, the personnel committee, the curriculum committee, and title one from January 2023 until December 2025. And at the bottom is something I think that you wholeheartedly believe especially coming from uh being raised as a teacher's daughter. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. And I
039believe that's why you ran to make our district better. And we just all want to say thank you. [applause] Yes, you can. >> [applause] >> So Abby, I think we're going to say more good things about you at the end, but since it was a presentation, we wanted to do this now. >> Thank you for that. She got too. >> Yeah. Yeah. [applause] >> Well, it's been a fun three years. I will say that. Thank you. I did not expect that. So, thank you very very much. I I will say some things at the end. That's okay. Move on with the meeting. Wow. Okay. >> So, at this time, we're going to move on to the agenda to do approvals of the agenda items. So, folks want to leave um get home for homework, that's
040great. If not, please feel free to stay. Um it's totally up to you, parents, but I I know you're in shape. Feel free to take some cookies. Congratulations. Great job. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Are we good? >> Okay. Thank you. >> We're going to move on to action items. So, we're we're all ready. Uh recommend a motion to approve finance items A through F. Motion. >> Second. Are there any questions? [clears throat] >> No questions. Roll call, please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lawrence. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Dr. Snider. >> Yes. >> Martin. >> Yes. >> That's a Yes. We're having a little bit of trouble hearing Mrs. Bert. I don't know if you can help us over there, but >> not really, but we'll
041try on our end. Okay. Recommend a motion to approve facilities item A. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Can I have a second? Second. >> Any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Shaken. >> Yes. >> Mr. Philello. >> Yes. >> M. Lawrence? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee? >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder? >> Yes. >> M. Martin? >> Yes. >> Mr. Motion carries. >> Recommend a motion to approve school business administrators non-personnel items A through G. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. Are there any questions? >> I just wanted to comment on the MC teacher night and to say thank you to all the teachers that are involved with that. I don't know if anyone here has been to one of those [clears throat] evenings, but it is very wellreceived
042among the community. Students love seeing their teachers at the drive-through line and I had asked inquired um and that money goes into the activities fund for that school. So, which I think it's a great cause and the teachers are doing that for the students of our district. So, thank you Darren involved for that and for McDonald's I guess for allowing us to do it. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Sakone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Pello. >> Yes. >> Miss Lawrence. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee. >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder. >> Yes. >> Mr. Martin? >> Yes. >> Motion cars. >> Recommend a motion to approve personnel items A through G. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. Are there any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Sakone.
043>> Yes. >> Mr. Fichello. >> Yes. >> M. Lawrence. >> Yes. >> Mhga. >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder. >> Yes. >> M. Martin. >> Yes. >> Miss Ber. >> Yes. I can move my >> motion carries. >> We don't see you, just so you know. Um, okay. Recommend a motion. >> Okay, >> now we can hear you better. >> Okay. >> Hi, Laura. >> Okay. Recommend a motion to approve superintendent of schools non-personnel items A through D. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Are there any questions? >> Yes. Um just about the um field trips. Are they going to be upcoming or are they just possibilities? >> Possibilities. >> We had a museum at the American Revolution. Hey Kristen, I knew you I knew it. >> Everyone should go. >> Yeah,
044that's a great addition as well as the Liberty Science Center. >> Is that New Jersey though? >> Okay. Can I get a roll call? >> Mr. Saka? >> Yes. [clears throat] >> Mr. Fichello? >> Yes. >> M. Lawrence? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee? >> Yes. >> Dr. Snder? >> Yes. >> M. Martin? >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Okay. Believe that's all of our agenda items. Any new business to discuss? Okay. Um, next is public comment. The floor is now open to members of the public. The board of education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues. The board requests that each statement made by a participant is limited to three minutes as cited in policy number 0167. There is a sign-in sheet located on the podium. Please sign it
045before you speak. Yes, cuz you're speaking. [snorts] I don't have anything for this one. I just wanted to give the PTO a shout out. Um, I did the holiday show for many years and these ladies have been putting in full days at all three schools for 3 weeks. So, you have about two volunteers starting at your school every single morning and staying until closing. It's exhausting. So, shout out to you ladies for getting that done. And I miss you guys. Thank you. Would anybody else like to speak? >> Okay, that closes public comment number two. Um, and now we will open it up for board forum. I'll start. Um, I actually want to start on somewhat of a a somber note. Um, many of you may have heard, but uh Joe Kakamo uh recently passed
046away. He was the vice president of the Pineland Soccer Association. Uh he was in charge of travel soccer, but more than that, he was part of the community for many years. His kids are uh in the high school level at Pinelands. Uh but unfortunately, he passed away unexpectedly. and I had served with him last year on the Pineland soccer board. And he was just one heck of a dedicated father uh to his kids, but also to everyone in the soccer community. Uh he'd be out there lined in the fields when everybody else went home. Um he dedicated so much of his time and life to the kids of this community and it was just very unexpected. Um his services will be this Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00 at Maxwell Funeral Home. Uh but I did
047want to acknowledge that he he was uh did such so much for our community and it's a very unfortunate passing and please keep his his kids and his wife uh in your thoughts and prayers. Um the school buildings I'm involved in the Pine Lands Basketball Association and it's just awesome to see kids come back into our buildings at night with so much enthusiasm and just fun of wanting to be here again. Uh, granted they're playing a sport, but these buildings are really the heart of our community. Um, they come and make new friends. They see friends that they just spent all day with, now they see them in a different capacity. It's made me really appreciate these buildings for as old as they are. I mean, literally, I went to school here when I was
048a kid. uh and never really truly appreciated the buildings as meeting places where these kids can come and and further make friends for life around these sports and activities and other events that the PTO has, the dances and you know the bingo nights, all the stuff that goes on in these buildings. It really is the center of our community. So, I just wanted to mention that. Uh I did want to congratulate and welcome Mr. Adam Weiss, our new board attorney. Uh congratulations on being uh selected. You came highly recommended and uh we're very excited to work with you. Um Dr. Antunes, you talked about the uh attendance problem here in our district and actually for the month of November, my son came home, one of my sons came home with the perfect attendance flyer and
049I never saw that before. And then I soon learned that that was part of the new initiatives to get kids to come to school. He was so excited that he was here for school every day in November. Now granted, November is the shortest month of the year, [cough and clears throat] but he was still super excited to get that. And you know, he's looking forward to to being healthy and to coming to school every day in December. Maybe he'll get another one. Uh but I just wanted to mention that it doesn't go unnoticed. Little things like that really get kids excited. And now in the back of my head, I'm like, I don't He needs to go to school today. He needs to go to U. So it does work. Um, Abby, many of you
050know Abby and I went to high school together. Uh, literally I've known you since we were teenagers. I think we had drama together, Miss Wear's class. And it was it's funny because in that class, in that drama class, we were paired together and our job was to uh write a skit in the beginning of the year, memorize the skit, and then perform it at the end of the year. And we did all that and we got an A. I don't even remember what it was about, but at the end, our teacher said to the whole class, "The reason why I had you do that was for you to learn how to make it happen." And I think Abby has been making it happen, whatever she puts her mind to her entire life. Um, back in
0512021 when I was interested of what was going on here in the school district, I wanted to see who was running for school district at the time, school board. and uh Laura, Pam, and Howard were running. And so I reached out to the Facebook page of their campaign. And to my pleasant surprise, I found out that Abby was a campaign manager. And Abby played a critical role in getting those three individuals elected to the board. Behind the scenes, people had no idea. I think Abby personally recruited them for a long time trying to get them to run and then, you know, all the work and effort she put into them, getting elected in 2021. But she wasn't done there. In 2022, when nobody else would run, she put herself forward as a board member candidate.
052And uh me, Laura, me, Abby, and Christine ran in 2022. And I've just seen the countless hours that Abby has put in with the school district uh and just making sure that our our kids have the best education possible and that all the common sense that she gets from the private sector is tried to brought over to the public sector. Although that's frustrating sometimes because they're very two different entities. uh she has always been a stalwart for efficient education, effective education, and just doing what's best for the students, for the staff, and for the district. And really, my only regret so far on the school board has been not seeing her as the president of the school board. I think she would have been fantastic. It's good to see you there tonight on the way
053out. Uh but that is really my only regret. I think you would have been a fantastic board president. And no offense to Christine or Laura or anybody else, but you know, had we just bring something special to the table, we're definitely going to miss you. >> And just finally, merry Christmas and happy holidays to everybody and happy new year. And I'll see you at the milk and cookies on Friday with Sam. >> Okay, I guess I'll go. So, I remember start with Abby when um she was considering um running for a board seat and she literally we're on a Zoom call talking and she's has her list of her pros and cons of whether or not you know this is the right thing to do for herself, her family, her kids, her job. And that's
054how Abby comes to the table with everything. She thinks of the benefits. do the benefits outweigh the costs? She thinks about everything and how it could have an impact and has always wondered what's best for the students and the district. And so I I've always remembered that day uh to this day. And we spent countless hours between superintendent search, sitting on meetings for interim superintendent, interim BAS, um lots of different things. and I'm going to miss having you here to bounce ideas off of. Also knowing that you will meticulously search the Bills list because that uh is definitely your forte. Carl may not miss it, but um and I wish you the best of luck. I know a lot of things have changed in your career and you you stayed with it. you still gave
055us everything that you had to give to the board and that's really who you are and so I will miss you and best of luck and I would also like to welcome um Adam to our board and wish everyone um merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah um and a happy healthy new year and we will see you back in 2026. I'm going to say did to a lot of what you guys said. Um, I've just had a great time being able to see Abby more. We go back a long way. Her mom and I are very good friends. We're good friends. I finally got Abby to stop calling me Mrs. Lawrence about a half a year ago. I kid you not, Mrs. Lawrence. I just can't say it. I can't say it. Um, but I just know
056that she's the person that if you ever need uh a ear to listen to, something uh something to bounce off of her because I value her opinion. She's the person to call. She's my go-to girl. I'm sure we'll see each other. We'll be doing fun things with your mom now that you have a little free time. So, uh start planning things and I'll still probably call you from time to time. Um to everybody else, uh enjoy the rest of uh what is December going into the holidays. I know I'm indoor decorating the season right now. It's all I'm doing now. Just having fun doing thing great things with kids. So enjoy the holiday season. It's going to go fast. Um cherish every minute and uh have a wonderful holiday everybody. And welcome, Mr. Toy. >>
057Oh, and thanks for the cheesecake. You got it. Well, technically it was Aby's >> Abby. It's crazy how fast the year went by. Um it was great getting the time to sit on the board with you. Um going through the whole year, your expertise, seeing you in the vice president seat. Um you'll definitely be missed greatly uh on this board. Um I will never forget the impact that you had here. Um welcome uh Adam to the board. Uh, and then, uh, I hope everybody has a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a nice safe new year. [clears throat] Ditto to most of the stuff that was said about Abby because it's all positive, beautiful things. I I wish I got to know you a lot more, but I got to know you enough to know you
058have a great heart and you're a great person. You did a lot. So, um, with that being said, I wish you the best of luck. I hope you have a blessed year. um great Christmas with your family and also I wish a happy new year to you too and everybody else. Um with that being said, I'm still going to probably shoot you text here and there by you >> and uh pick your brain because you got a lot of knowledge in the field and I wish I would have learned a lot more from you, but I got enough from you. So I appreciate it. Uh welcome Mr. Weiss. Appreciate you. Thank you for coming and nice to meet you tonight. Um, and also, uh, I wanted to say congrats to everybody that got the awards
059tonight, which was a big thing for the kids, uh, students of the month. That was a great thing to see all the kids getting their awards before they go into their Christmas break. And I want to say congrats and thank you to the teachers. Enjoy your long break that you're going to have for your holiday there. Um it's you put a lot of time in during the year and you need that break and it really definitely makes a big difference in re-energizing and getting back out there to teach and uh give the students the education they uh they need. That's all I have to say. >> Laura, are you still with us? >> Hi. Yes, I'm here. >> Just want to say a couple things. Welcome, Mr. twice. >> Happy holidays. Merry Christmas to everyone
060on the board and in the audience and happy we will miss you. Thank you for your dedication um to the board and to the students of Little Lake Art School District and I trust and I'm sure that you'll continue continue to um be involved with us whether it's in the audience or behind the scenes. And thank you for your support for this district and all all that you've contributed. >> Thank you, Laura. That's it for me. Okay. Um I'm overwhelmed with these flowers and this plaque. Thank you. Thank you for doing that. Um I really appreciate it and all of your kind words. Uh it really means a lot. I I can't believe it's been three years and I can't believe my term is now over. Um and this is my last meeting. So, it's
061it's really bittersweet for me. Typically, I go um off the cuff, but I just I had to write something because I wanted to make sure I I got everything out. So, bear with me. I'll try to make it quick. Um so, this was a really difficult decision for me not to run again for another term. Uh but due to my new role at work um and the needs of my family, I've decided to end this chapter of my life. Um but of course I will continue to stay actively involved in this school district. Um as I have a very strong investment here and I still have a child here at Frogmont. The Little Lake Harbor School District is near and dear to my heart. Both my husband who's actually here tonight and I attended school
062here and all of our three children uh have as well. This is um this is home for us. Being on uh this side of things has been eye opening for me. What you might think from a community seat, those folks listening on YouTube, looking in is actually very different from reality. There is more public policy and government intertwined in our public education system than you could ever imagine. And that is why having a committed administrative team and a strong board attorney is absolutely essential. Um, over my three-year tenure, we have faced repercussions from COVID and missed learning, curriculum changes and mandates from the state of New Jersey, extreme cuts in funding that forced us to make heartbreaking decisions between students and their education, teachers losing their jobs, and raising taxes significantly. hiring a new chief
063school administrator and then the appointment and support for a new business administrator and then of course transportation transportation which is still evolving as we speak. None of this has been easy and I want to acknowledge very honestly that many of these decisions have impacted you, our families, our staff and our students in ways that it sometimes have been very hard. When I first joined the board, I knew school funding was complicated. I did not fully grasp what it what it would feel like to sit up here and know that millions of dollars of state aid were being taken away from our district year after year. I've sat in meetings where we looked at spreadsheets and numbers for hours and hours, Christine. But those numbers always had faces for me, for us. Faces of teachers who
064love our kids and suddenly weren't sure if they would have a job. Faces of students who deserve small classes and extra help, not fewer supports and larger groups. Faces of families who are already stretched thin and now facing higher taxes. There is nothing abstract about any of this. These have been real losses and real sacrifices. But even in the middle of these storms, there are things that I am so incredibly proud of this board that that has this board has been able to do to move this district forward. We continue to update and strengthen our curriculum in ELA, math and science and arts, especially for our youngest learners. That matters because it because it means that even when funding was shrinking, we did not give up on providing quality education. We kept pushing to make
065sure what happens between a teacher and a student every day is aligned, thoughtful, and effective. We supported steam and innovation from projects that went on to competitions to hands-on learning that helped kids see themselves as problem solvers and creators and not just test takers. We recognized and honored our educators of the year and educational service professionals of the year. And we made a point to celebrate the people who show up day after day for our students. teachers, paras, nurses, counselors, bus drivers, secretaries, maintenance folks, principles, substitutes. I hope that every one of you heard at least once that you matter and we appreciate you. We embraced inclusion and support for all students. From our CPAG activities and autism acceptance events to spirit weeks and awareness days that remind kids you belong here exactly as you
066are. We improved communication and transparency from updating our website and digital tools to hosting community input opportunities around the budget and the superintendent search. Was it perfect? No. But we made important strides in making information more accessible and inviting more voices into the process. And of course, we hired a new superintendent. Transition and leadership is never simple, especially in a time of financial strain. But we have put new leadership in place to help guide the district through the challenges ahead. Serving on this board has changed the way I look at public education forever. From the outside, it is really easy to assume that the board does not care. They are not listening and they're wasting money. Well, I have witnessed something over the last three years that is very different. I have seen little like
067Harvard administrators working late into the night, rewriting schedules, analyzing budgets, calling parents, and trying to find one more creative solution so a program doesn't have to be cut. I've seen my fellow board members wrestling with decisions long after a meeting ended, questioning themselves, worrying about staff and families, and often carrying the weight of those votes home. I've seen parents and staff come up to this microphone, sometimes angry, sometimes scared, sometimes heartbroken. And underneath all of that, I've heard deep love for our kids and this community. Has it been tense at times? Yes. Have we always agreed? Definitely not. But disagreement, discomfort, and hard conversations are part of democ democracy. They are part of public education. And I firmly believe that we are better when we engage, even when it's uncomfortable, than when we walk away.
068To our teachers and staff, thank you for doing the hardest and most important work with fewer resources than you deserve. You have loved our children through the pandemic recovery, academic gaps, behavioral challenges every day, and the ups and downs of being a kid in 2025. Please don't estim underestimate the impact you have. Years from now, our students will not remember our budget line items, but they will remember you. To our administrative team and our new board attorney, thank you for navigating uh the maze of policy, regulation, mandates, litigation that most people never see. It's not glamorous work, but it's absolutely essential to keep our district running and our students protected. To my fellow board members, past and present, thank you for your partnership, your passion, and yes, even our debates. Good governance doesn't mean we
069all think the same. It means we all show up, we do the work, and we focus on what's best for the kids, even when we have different paths to get there. So, I encourage you all to agree, to disagree cordally moving forward, and always keep the students at the forefront of every vote that you make. To our families and community members, thank you for holding us accountable. Thank you for your emails, your questions, and your comments at these meetings. Stay engaged, and please keep coming. They come from a place of care, and this district is stronger because of you. As I step away from this seat, I do so with mixed emotions. I will still be here in the hallways, at concerts, at games, at school events, and I'll still be the mom emailing a
070question or the neighbor talking about the budget. This chapter of formal board service is ending for me, but my commitment to public education to this community and to the Little Harbor School District is absolutely not. So, thank you for trusting me with this responsibility for the past 3 years. It has been one of the most It has been one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the greatest honors of my life. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And to the next board, my simple ask is this. Keep the focus on the kids. Fight for fair funding. And never forget that behind every line item in that budget, every policy, every vote, there is a child, a teacher, and a family whose future is being shaped by what we
071decide. So thank you and happy holidays. [applause] So, I think it's time to close the meeting. >> Can I have a motion? >> Thank you for joining the meeting. >> Oh, you're welcome, Laura. Sending me out with a bag. Can I have a motion to adjourn? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Okay. >> I motion 8:30. >> Thank you. Congratulations.