001[Music] calls to order. This is to advise the general public that compliance with the open public meetings act like Harvard board of education meetings were advertised in Adbury Park press and city pressed at the office of the board of education located at 307 Harvard, New Jersey and posted at the office of new harbor. Roll call please. Mr. Sakone here. Mr. Phill here. Miss Lawrence here. Mr. Leasha here. Miss Moore here. Dr. Snder here. Miss here. Corian. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [Music] I recommend a motion to approve the agenda. [Music] Motion second. Second. Are there any questions? All in favor? I I would abstain. Okay. Any opposed? I get one extension. [Music] I
002recommend a motion to accept the following minutes. Can I have a motion? Motion. [Music] Did we take a roll call on that one? Or are there any questions on minutes? All in favor? I Any opposed? Any abstensions? The motion carries. Okay, now we're going to open the floor to public comment on agenda items only. And I just want to let the public know that we are going to have a separate public comment after the uh budget presentation. Would anyone like to speak? Yeah. You're going to address the budget at a separate time? Yes. Okay. Thank you. This meeting after after the you see the presentation. Thank you. Okay. Okay, seeing no one, we'll go on item committee reports board work session. Any committee reports? Meetings that I know of, right? And now moving on to
003superintendent report. Thank you, Miss. So, I know that we're at the end of April, but April is child abuse prevention month. And according to the CDC, one in four girls and one in 20 boys will experience sexual abuse or assault before the age of 18. And our staff plays a huge role in sexual abuse prevention. Staff members, all staff members, but most especially teachers are uniquely positioned to recognize and report signs of abuse both at home and in school. And when staff members recognize the warning signs, they can intervene early, helping to prevent abuse and stop it in its early stages. Staff who foster trusting relationships with their students can serve as a safe and supportive resources for those experiencing abuse. Certificated staff are mandated reporters and are legally required to report any signs of
004abuse or neglect of a child if teachers understand and all staff understand early warning signs. They can report suspected abuse earlier. Also, administrative professionals day took place on April 23rd. And while it occurred while we were on spring break, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the work and dedication of the office support professionals who are essential and play a tremendously crucial role in keeping our offices and the larger organization running seamlessly. And finally, as we return from what I hope was a relaxing spring break for many, it's clear that we are at the beginning of the end of the 25 2425 school year. Spring has definitely set in and the weather continues to be finicky. Nevertheless, school is indeed still in session and we need to end the year strong. Remember that
005attendance is essential and is hugely important. It's hugely important to attend school each day. So, we want to end the end the year strong with strong attendance and uh ready for the summer. Thank you. Thank you for that. And now we'll have our presentation student of the month starting with comments. Good evening. The character trait for the George Mitchell School for March was perseverance. All of the students chosen were chosen based on that trait. First, Cadence Anderson from the Swaggers class. [Applause] Mrs. Swiger said, "Canad works hard every day to do his best work. When he comes across a task that is challenging, he doesn't give up until he gets it right. He is a role model for the other students on how to persevere. Super job, Cadence. Keep [Applause] soaring." Next, we have Trevor
006Robinson. [Applause] Mrs. Martin said Trevor has been using his voice to communicate his wants and needs in a positive manner. He is eager to learn his colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. No matter how hard something may be, Trevor works until he succeeds. Great job. Great job, Trevor. Keep up the great work. [Applause] Next we have Isabella Muca from Mrs. Penn's class. Okay. Mrs. Pettis said, "Isabella is a role model to all students in our class. Each day she is present with a smile on her face and ready to try her best in all that we do. She never gives up and will keep trying until she succeeds. I'm so proud of you, Isabella. Keep on soaring for the stars. [Applause] And lastly, Julian Le. Julian is in Mrs. Lorenzo's class. And Mrs. Lorenzo said, "Julian
007always strives to be his personal best. He accepts suggestions and goes back to the task to improve as needed. Julian is always proud of his work and never gives up on an assignment. I'm so proud of you, Julian. [Applause] You [Applause] love me. Mr. Danny for good evening everyone. We are going to start with Enzo Barbs from his partner's class. Enzo, let's see. I am proud to recognize Enzo as our student of the month. Enzo consistently demonstrates dedication and focus in everything he does. Whether working on assignments or collaborating with peers, he approaches each task with a sense of responsibility and care. Not only is Enzo an exemplary student academically, but he is also known for his softspoken nature and genuine kindness. He creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom by supporting his classmates and
008contributing to class discussions. Enzo, your hard work, quiet strength, and thoughtful attitude made an exceptional role model. So, keep up the amazing [Applause] work. I am proud to announce a third grade student of the month from Mrs. Glock's room, Robbie [Music] Musket. Mr. clock says, "I am thrilled to announce Robbie as our student of the month. Over the past few months, he has demonstrated remarkable growth and maturity. Robbie is not only a smart and good friend to peers, but also someone who consistently tries to make better choices in challenging situations. Robbie remains calm and collected, and he provides a great example as a good role model for all others. I am proud to have Robbie as part of our class, and I look forward to seeing all the great things you will accomplish in the
009future. [Applause] Next from Mr. Dit's home room, we have Kaylee [Applause] Dascalakis. Congratulations. Good job. Kaylee is Frogman Elementary's student of the month for March, and she truly deserves this recognition. At first, she may seem like a tiny, quiet student, but when you get to know her, you quickly realize she is a natural leader with a strong, powerful presence. Kaylee is kind, compassionate, and always works hard to do her best. She's an excellent example of what it means to be a Frog student, and I am incredibly proud of all she has accomplished. Congratulations, [Applause] from fifth grade and from Mr. Schmidt's class, Sophia [Applause] RCA. And speaking of Mr. Schmidt, he's kind of here right to my left. So, these are his words. Thank you, Mr. Schmidt, for being here. I am honored to nominate
010Sophia for student of the month. Sophia has been a role model for her classmates and peers since the very beginning of the year. We can always count on her to be attending to her lessons, participating with her thoughts and ideas, and putting forth her best effort when it comes to her academic work. She doesn't hesitate to help others or offer valuable advice. Courteous, yes. Dependable, yes. Charismatic, yes. Features just a few of the ways we can describe Sophia. Her kind, heartwarming personality are infectious to all. This nomination is welld deserved. And he says, I keep being you. Congratulations. [Applause] And last but not least is Addison Kuna from Mr. Cardi and Miss Cook's classes. Addison comes into school every day with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She is one of the
011kindest and most caring students I have ever had. She is always willing to help her classmates, whether it's providing someone with a pencil or helping them with a question. Not only is Addison extremely kind and caring, she is also hardworking and driven. She works hard in all subjects and always perseveres through challenges. Addison is not only a great role model for her classmates, but for the younger students as well who see her in the halls as a safety. If everyone was as kind and hardworking as Addison, the world would be a better place. [Applause] [Music] Where's mine? [Music] Thank you. Congratulations to all. Um, now we'll move on to the public hearing for the 2526 budget. [Music] Good evening. Sorry. Okay. So, you've seen many of these before. It's on the website, but we did
012add some additional slides. So, we'll go through it. But if there are any questions after we make the presentation and the board has questions, the public will be able to ask questions as well. So, board budget committee. And again, what is what is the point of a school budget? And it's about our priorities for students. We are in unprecedented times in the state of New Jersey school budgets. We are not the only district feeling it. Districts across the state are feeling it. But really, it's about money and the decisions are made with finances as much in mind. Two simple rules. The rules are the same from the beginning. We must be within our cap or cap plus allowances, which we are. And revenues must be equal to expenses. We have to keep in mind that
013as expenses change throughout the school year, our our revenues do not. They are what they are and so we have to work within that. This is the budget process. The comparative spending guide is on the district, it's on the sorry, it's on the New Jersey Department of Ed website. There is a link below for all of the different variables and all the different costs. Um, we talked about this a couple weeks ago and it talks about where our district is comparatively with other K prek8 uh prek6 districts throughout the state. And we do that for administration budgetary costs per pupil. You'll see that we're below the the budgeted amount the state amount, the state average. And in this case, our classroom spending numbers go directly to the classroom, which is a positive thing. You see
014that schools are facing budget crisis across the state. This is the this is this week, next week. This is when all a lot more is going to come about because we are not the only district having budget public hearings on the budget. Districts across the state are having public hearings on the budget. And these are just some of the crises that districts are facing and there's more every day. There have been stated cuts to South Jersey. 63 in New Jersey had their funding cut in 2024 and 27 and 2025. Okay. Thank you. So some of the things that uh we want to talk about in the budget, we've mentioned many times before, what is local fair share and what is an adequacy budget. So what is local fair share? It's a big paragraph, but I'll
015read it. In New Jersey, local fair share is the amount of money a school district is expected to raise locally through property taxes to fund its schools. The state calculates this amount based on the district's capacity to raise funds which is determined by its property values and the income of its residents. Local fair share along with state aid is intended to reach the adequacy budget needed for a thorough and efficient education. So since we talked about an adequacy budget, what is an adequacy budget? For every school district, the state calculates what would be the necessary funding level to provide a thorough and efficient education to every pupil in that district. This is what is referred to as the adequacy budget. The state then calculates the local fair share or what it believes the local taxing
016authority would be able to raise and earmark for the school district's budget. [Music] Sure. Thank you, Nick. Okay, so since we just Since we just uh talked about what the district adequacy budget is in definition, uh the adequacy amount, what the state believes is an adequate budget for the Little Lake Arbor School District is over $30 million, just over $30 million. And what the state calculates to be the local fair share is $24 million, almost $25 million right now. The residents of Little Arbor contribute $14.6 million toward the local budget. So we're about $10 million below funding the district adequately through the local fair share. So as I stated on the last meeting, the decision that must be made is unreasonable. While everyone recognizes this respect, it's very different when you are not those actually
017making the final decisions. We need to focus our main situation or we need to focus on our main situation, issue, concern, problem, challenge. Our main challenge is that we do not have enough resources financially to minimally maintain current staff which ultimately affects affects our ability to provide a thorough and efficient education to the students of LH school district. Keep in mind that thorough and efficient sometimes referred to as T& includes a safe and healthy educational environment. There is nothing frivolous in this budget. In fact, there's essentially nothing new or innovative at all. Everyone wants what's best for our students. What that looks like and how we get there may differ. But the fact that everyone wants what's best for students remains consistent. As previously explained, the issue with which we are dealing is not a
018new issue, but rather a 15 10 or 15 year issue in the making. Little Life Harbor along with many other school districts across the state are in quite a dilemma. The time to act is now. The state is pushing back on communities to pay their local fair share. As Mr. Dream explained, "The state is simply not going to fund local schools any longer. This is why this board must act now in the best interest of our students. The state offered the tax levy incentive for a reason. It's our last chance to attempt to close the gap between the local fair share and the tax levy. Students must remain the for at the forefront of the decisions made for our school district. The New Jersey Department of Education approved our tax levy incentive aid application, thereby
019allowing us to request a 32.6% increase. By doing so, they are affirming that we need this money to provide a thorough and efficient education to the students of Little Parker School District. It's not a nice to have or a want to have, but rather a need to have. Keep in mind that even with this 32.6% 6% increase being recommended. We must still reduce support staff in addition to those positions we have already not backfilled. I've been asked whether we will be in a similar position next year if we approve this increase. Honestly, I could never predict to know what will happen next school year. I just don't know. However, I do know that increasing the tax levy and beginning to close the $10 million gap is a step in the right direction for the students
020of Little Rock. Okay. So, just to recap some of the figures that we have recommended on the agenda tonight. Currently, the local tax levy is 14.6 million. In order to qualify Oh, give a side little side note. We are happy to announce that the tax levy incentive for aid application was approved today. We received a letter at 3:48 p.m. this afternoon that tax levy application aid has been fully approved by the state department of education. In order to uh in order to have that approved, the district was required to take the maximum adjustments available. The first adjustment was an enrollment adjustment of $557,000 and the tax levy incentivate itself was just over $3 million. The healthcare adjustment was 57,000 and the bank cap adjustment was 670,000 and that would bring the total tax levy to
02119 million 19.3 million. And that does help close the gap between the difference of the local fair share and the district adequacy budget. Okay, these are the uh various increases on assessed property values. Okay, this slide shows the allocation of each area of the budget as far as our revenues. So the tax [Music] levy comprises of 64% almost 65% of the [Music] revenues. The second highest revenue is state aid at almost 26% And then we have tuition from Gass River. We have ascending uh relationship with Cass River or receiving relationship with Gass River and that represents just over 4%. So those three together are the three biggest revenues in our budget. We do have other general fund revenue. We'll give the details of that on a on a slide upcoming. We also have a minor
022amount for maintenance that we're taking from our own reserve of 31,000. We're also taking some other air from areas of our own reserve of unemployment reserve of 27,000. We have the maximum amount being taken from our budgeted fund balance and from the current year budget we're allocating [Music] $300,000. As far as the appropriations go, salaries and benefits are the biggest cost factor in the school district budget. Salaries are 56% and health benefits are 22%. Now the other areas of the budget are Ps contribution or the public employees retirement system contribution the district is required to make the board share of the FICA contribution again required by law by statute contracted transportation and energy and the district really does not have much discretion over those areas. Those are pretty much dictated by the [Music] market or
023the [Music] state. So, as I stated earlier, our tax levy incentivate application was approved. We requested $3.1 million A little over three million is going to come to the tax levy and the state is going to provide $151,000. That is a 95 to 5% split. So 95% is coming from the tax tax levy and 5% is coming from the state. So, one of the problems that the district has been having in the past four years is that there's been a decline in state aid funding. And the state has sent a clear message to just about all school districts. And we are going to be funding the district less through state aid and that the district must be funding itself through its own tax levy. So, over the past four years, we've lost over $1.5 billion
024in state aid. So you saw this information last time since 2324 there's been about 36 approximately 36 total staff members who were lost or not replaced due to reduction force non-renewals retirements attrition or resignations and we're anticipating the loss of five additional staff members for 25 26 based upon the 32.6% tax level. So subclass size impacts at 32.6 and and the reason why you see asterisks in grains 3 4 5 and six was because that's where we state assess. Okay. So this is what we're looking at. If where you go to 32.6% 6% you'll see that what our average class size would be and the sections that would be there where you see in grade two you see 32 33 or 28 that depends whether it's six sections or seven sections of that grade level
025okay grade three it's 20 or 23 depends if it's eight sections or seven sections now the principles building administrators do have some flexibility but we have to see where what's our enrollment what are our biggest numbers and where we place these staff members. We only have so many staff members, so we have to work within what we have. If we were to go to 25%. You can see the class size impacts would be in some cases unsafe. This will be on the website tomorrow also. Okay. So, so if we look at our current versus potential class sizes and tax increases, you'll see our the first three section the first three areas are current sections. Now, the reason why in kindergarten we have an average class size of 21, you see eight, and you see nine
026in parenthesis is because we started with nine and we had one of our teachers who left and we redistributed those students on the other teachers. Okay? So, that's why that's there. If we go to a 32.6% tax increase, that's the two the two columns in the middle in blue, you'll see what the differences at each grade level. And then if we went to 25% the last two. Okay. So, we're recommending the blue, the 32.6 at this time. So, that's it all together. So, that you can actually see that across the board. Okay. So, to detail and dovetail on that $1.5 million that we've lost in state aid, that's a loss in revenue. Okay. Then on the appropriation side, we have surging healthcare benefit costs. This year, we're seeing an increase in the rates of 18%.
027We had a presentation from the health insurance consultants back in February and that's basically uh coming down to um the cost of prescriptions right now and again we do not have we do not have um discretion over that. The district does everything it can to get the lowest health benefit uh rates. So, our health insurance consultants market our plan to just about every major health carrier in the state and we are in fact beating the state health benefits which is the benchmark. So, when you're beating the state health benefits, you're doing well even if it is an 18% increase. We noted before that we have a local fair share shortage. Uh each year transportation costs rise and each year energy costs rise. Uh this year we were recommended by our um our consortium that we
028joined. So we buy in bulk. Uh we buy our gas and electric through through something called an ASUS consortium and they have recommended that we have to increase our energy cost by 15%. We also have contractual salary increases and general liability insurance which also increases every [Music] year. So we wanted to make available this information to all the seniors that are in town. There's a senior tax freeze eligibility. Uh again, superintendent did state that this will be on our website tomorrow morning and this is the information that'll help anybody who is eligible to take the senior tax freeze. Uh it gives you uh the websites and some of the places to go in order to apply for that. So, what the community can do to help? Okay, you can reach out to the local senator
029and assemblyman and ask them to urge the state to support restor restoring state aid to school districts. We are aware that some of the burden does have to come from the taxpayer, but at this point with the declining state aid so quickly, you can see what the effect is on the taxpayer. So the state can help us. But the way they'll hear us is if the public does contact our local senators and assemblymen and urge them to request the state to restore state aid, especially right here in Little Lake. Thank you. Now we'll take time for questions. Yeah, you can you can go on to the podium. You need a motion to open the floor. Okay. Can I have a motion to open the floor to the public? Motion for budget items only. Second. Sorry.
030Who's the first? [Music] All in favor? I would anyone like to speak? Sure. It's usually so If you can please say your anyone speaking, please say your name and address and you'll be limited to three minutes. My name is Kevin Berto. I live at One Tom's Court in Little Harbor. And as I stated, I am Kevin Merto, one Tom's Court. and I was a police officer for almost 26 years and I've been retired for 11 years. I tell you this because I and other public employees have not received the cost of living increase in [Music] years. I along with many other public servants are not eligible for social security. My wife is a retired educator. My daughter and daughter-in-law are presently teachers and my son is an assistant high school principal. I hear their concerns
031about staffing, classroom size, security, etc. So, I can appreciate both sides of this issue. But I stand here as a concerned taxpayer. We purchased our home in Mystic Island 26 years ago and like many seasonal homeowners have been paying municipal and educational taxes every year. Yet, we've never sent a child into this or the Pine Lands district. We made this our full full-time home. Four years ago, our children were grown and again never utilize this school system. I tell you this because over 50 the taxpayers in this township have never sent the child to these schools. data available in 2023. Little has 8,844 households based on the analysis and available data of the of the following households in the 55. Mystic Shores 365 homes, Sunrise Bay, two, I'm sorry, 323 homes. Cranberry Creek, 325 homes.
032Sea Oaks, 387. Harbor Bay, 387 homes in Mystic Island. There's approximately 3,490 homes with an estimated 700 students attending the schools from Mystic Island. Osborne Island wasn't even factored into that. Combining these households, approximately 4,500 homes are paying taxes out of the 8,844 households. So over 50% of your taxes used by the school system are paid by people that have no impact on it. Now let's look at the results we're getting for our tax dollars. The latest school rankings for this district only includes Frog Pond and not George Mitchell of the Robert Wood Preschool. The student rankings on statewide assessment show the student proficiency rate in English was below state standards receiving the score of 38.8 out of 100. The score for mathematics was even lower at [Music] 33.6. Let's look at the cost per
033student in the district. Fund Elementary 14,730. George Mitchell $24,476 per student. Robert Wood Early Childhood uh Center $18,552. I asked are we the taxpayers getting the best results for our dollars? If you can please wrap up, sir. That's [Music] your just one second if you don't mind. It is a forout conclusion that our taxes will certainly go up even more as finance was granted a 5% increase and the township was raising their rates. I stand here to say that the residents wrap up that enjoy our homes in Mystic Island in Osborne Island in a five-seater community centers are tired of being relied on as the cash cows for the board of educations in the township. I thank you for your time. [Music] Um, good evening. My name is Crystal Gverson. I live at 17 Sherwood
034Drive in Little. Um, I come to you tonight wearing four different hats for our district. I am a taxpayer. I am an employee. I am a PTO executive board member who has raised over $75,000 for this district. But most importantly, I'm a parent. Uh, we moved to Little A Harbor about 5 years ago and one of the selling points for us was the school district. Providing our children with a quality education was a key factor into choosing where we would purchase a home and taxes played a close second. Throughout the past five years, I have become heavily involved uh within the school district as a PTO board member as well as an employee. I have come to love the school district and everyone that is a part of it, which is why I dedicate so
035much of my personal time to the betterment of it. As someone who survived the cuts last year and has seen the effects firsthand, I can assure you that we cannot afford any more staff cuts. From the power professionals in the district to the administration and everyone in between, they are all stretched thin, working harder than ever, and jugging juggling multiple roles. Our teachers are struggling to maintain classroom order with over 25 plus kids in the classrooms. And in order to give our students the best possible education, we cannot afford to increase those class sizes any larger. I understand that you're being faced with a difficult decision, but is important to remember who we are doing this for, our children. I know we can get caught up in the tax percentage, but instead we need to
036think about the dollar amount. For me, it'll be an extra $35 a month. $35. Think about that. I don't know any about anyone else, but I'm willing to give up a few extra coffee runs a month to cover that $35 in order to keep the jobs that our schools are so desperately need so that our students can get the education they deserve. Because if we aren't willing to invest in our kids, who will? [Applause] Hi, my name is Barbara Corbo. Live at 24 Way here in Little Equer. And mine is more of a question than it is a comment. My question is when this budget was originally proposed May or March 11th, it had a 9.9% increase from what I read, which in my house in particular would have resulted in a $260 increase, which
037I feel about I could accept. I don't understand what's happened in the last 45 days to now make it $615. And you got more state aid for next year than you had. So the fact that it got cut at five prior four years isn't really applicable from my understanding and I saw that last night pilots just passed a budget with 5% increase with about a similar amount of students involved. So I just need some clarification as to why yours is going up 33%. And thank you Is there an answering after all public questions are taken. Anyone else like to speak? Hi, my name is Denise Lupana. My address is 118 North Burgie Drive here in beautiful Little Ed Harbor. I apologize. This is uh off the cuff, so to speak. I only became aware of
038the fact that my taxes are going up 33% today. Um that's a lot of money. It's not just no coffee for me. I understand. Um, in the form of qualifications, I am a former school board member in the state of New York. Um, we are now retired and considering our options about where we want to spend the rest of our lives. I had always thought it would be little at Parker. Candidly, if our taxes go up that much, we have to reconsider. I understand the problem. I don't know what the solution is. [Music] Um, it's always difficult, but I can tell you that I cannot afford a 33% increase. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak? Hi, my name is Katherine Quick. I live at 404 Cathway. Uh before
039I launch into my opinion, I'd like to say thank you to the board for hosting the meetings um to inform our community about the issues that were presented tonight. I certainly don't envy the decision facing you. Uh but I trust that you will make the right one. Neither myself nor my spouse grew up in Ocean County or in the life harbor which when we moved here 14 years ago seemed like an anomaly where I grew up in Atlantic County. Uh the school districts of goodlike harbor and Pinelands were something to be feared. Uh that the kids that were educated in this district were the bad kids. But I'm happy to report that since we first enrolled our children in the early childhood center in 2019, those fears have now come to fruition. My girls have
040received nothing but support and care and kindness and love from every person they have interacted with in this school district. Every teacher, every power professional, every administrative person, every custodian, every lunch and recess aid, every school resource officer, and even some of you sitting in front of me tonight um have had added value to my children's lives and by extension our famil family's lives. I'm here now to urge you to pass whatever budget is necessary to continue this quality of care and support for the children of our community. You'll notice I haven't said a word about test scores or report cards because at the end of the day, our children are worth more than the grades they produce. We should want more for our children than to mold them into little testing robots. Children are
041not a costbenefit analysis. They are an investment. If we want a strong future for our community, we have to be willing to invest in our schools now and continue investing in them in the future. As a fellow public servant, I stand in solidarity with all our school employees. And I am more than willing to shoulder my portion of the tax burden this year and every year so that my children and all the children of our school district now and in the future continue in this legacy of learning and love. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak? [Music] I have more questions. All right. My name is David Marcia, 21 Baker Drive. Um, I know I've seen everything here from K through whatever I go through here. I see nothing about the
042preschool. What is the how is the preschool impacting the budget and is that a 100% necessity is I understand that's not something that is state requires I know it's a big perk here in the township but what is the cost of that to the budget that's the board possibly doing away with [Music] Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak? [Music] Hi, it's been Elizabeth C5. I'm teaching district. Um, I just wanted to say two things. Number one, thank you for uh answering some of their questions and putting up the class size impact um that they had asked for last week. I really appreciate you giving the board members what they need. Um, we walked into this when we were working on bare bones. My department itself went from nine down to eight five now.
043Um, I cannot imagine working with less. Um, and I just question the class sizes that you put up there. Um, I know at earlier points of where we started in March, there was talk of being out of compliance. There was, you know, are we still worried about being in compliance or out of compliance with some of those class sizes? And I question the legality of us being able to go to those class sizes that were presented for the 25% increase because I thought since we were um a low-inccome district that we had um limits for what our class size could be. So a thank you for giving the board what they asked for um in some ways. Um and b I'm still curious if we're going to be Thank you. Thank [Applause] you. Anyone else?
044Motion to close the public session. There's no one else. Motion to close. All in favor? I I All in favor? I Any opposed? Any abstensions? Motion passes. Yeah, I would think that we could take the answer. A finance committee can certainly Okay, so I start with the easiest one first. probably always not the best route to go. I should always That's the procrastinator in me. Um ECC is state funded. So that does not come out of our budget. It's a separate um ECC is uh their early childhood center uh preschool program. That was a question that is not part of our budget. They have a separate budget which I've read in detail. Um so that's not having an impact on these numbers that you see here except for busing I believe. Yes, transportation is on
045my list. That's the only thing. And then I'm going to give it and Robert can probably um for the question regarding the 45 days why the increase um being that we got more state aid and I'm going to make this very very easy ke to understand hopefully and then you can elaborate or correct me if I'm wrong. So the reason it changed from this year to last year, last year we used a lot of our savings so to speak. Can you say that? Our reserves are different. What question are you answering? Sorry. Um they asked why in 45 days why our go from 13% to 32.6%. I thought it was 9.9. But were we totally at 13? The question barber had was 9.93. But were we actually at 13.9? Didn't they actually I believe it
046was actually what we approved. So imagine like you didn't have enough money to your paychecks came in. Imagine you didn't have enough money to cover all your expenses that month, but you had money in savings. So you took the money from your savings to cover that month. Well, now that savings is gone and you don't have it to cover this year. So while that was a temporary fix for us last year, that fix is gone. So that contributed to our issues this year. That makes sense. Correct me if I'm wrong. And I would also like to add that we were offered that number and we took some adjustments based on um health care costs and enrollment costs and we were also offered to hopefully maintain our programs and maintain our staff. That's what that number
047would do for us. There's one more thing I'd like to add that what is helping hold a little further. Okay. So, what what's helping uh what's helping the school district right now to not have any staff layoffs is the tax levy incentive aid. And at the beginning of the budget season, the tax levy incentive was not available. Okay. The state only came out with that about three maybe three and a half weeks ago. um officially came out with that and so the district took advantage of it. I'd also like to point out that this district was available to take $11 million in tax levy incentive aid. The district only requested $3.1 million and is only funding just a little over $3 million. And specifically on that application was staff, educational staff, nothing more than educational
048staff, certified staff, staff that have an impact on students every day. Okay? There were no frills outside of that. No building projects, swimming pools, uh, uh, building uh, HBAC projects, nothing of that nature. Simply educational staff. And in order to not have the draconian layoffs that we would have had originally, the district chose to take advantage of that. Were there any other questions that were comments that you wanted to add to that? The class size the class size impact uh in and out of compliance. So obviously we strive to be in compliance in in all areas. So that's always that's always what we want to do. The numbers that you see we how do we reach them? We met with the building administrators and said okay let's let's look at this. What do we need
049to do? And that's what we did. That's how we got those class sizes. And dependent upon the number of staff is how we'll distribute those. But as Robert said, every single every single uh request in that tax levy incentive was for a teaching staff member. Can I ask you, Lisa, um are we a low-inccome district that there are caps required that we're supposed to withhold to in in certain areas of kindergarten, things like that? So there's best practices and there are some guidelines, but we can get extensions for those things if necessary, which we really don't want to do if we can. Um, I think there was one more question around the state aid, uh, how it went up 6% this year, um, and those impacts and and my thought to answer that question, Robert,
050please correct me if I'm wrong, is that we had a decrease of 15% in state aid last year. said, "Okay, 17 17% um decrease." So the the 6% increase this year was still a decrease. Okay. So it wasn't really an increase in aid from the [Music] state. Any other comments? We answered all the questions. Okay, we'll go back to the agenda. Uh, recommend a motion to approve finance items A through F. Motion. Second. Any discussion? Question on the um presentation salary 2526 or 16.7 million. Um I have two copies of budget summaries in front of me. One is 16.7, the other is 18.1. Um what is the uh salaries for 256? Is that what this one of these? Yeah, that's not on this. You're not there yet. You're not a little ahead of the game.
051Any questions on A through F? Seeing none, please. Mr. Sakone. Yes. Mr. Figella, yes. Miss Lawrence, yes. Mr. Len, yes. Dr. Snider, yes. Miss Bar, yes. Miss, yes. Motion passes. Recommend a motion to approve facilities item A. I have a motion. Motion. A second. Second. Are there any questions? Okay, seeing none, I have a roll call, please. Mr. Sigone, yes. Mr. Figello, yes. Miss Lawrence, yes. Mr. Lee, yes. Dr. Snder, yes. Miss Martin, yes. Miss Ber, yes. Motion passes. recommend a motion to approve school business administrators non-personnel items A through I. I have a motion. Motion. I have a second. Second. Or are there any questions? I just want to say one thing. Thank you very much to all the generosity um from local businesses and individuals to our school. It's always so nice to
052see I know we see it also too um coming up with sixth grade promotion ceremony. But we are I'm sure our students and staff are very grateful. Now it's a budget question. So this is Yeah, go ahead. Any questions? Yeah. So in the presentation the uh projected payroll for 2526 was 16.7 million. Um I have two budget summaries. One says 16.7 the other one says 18.1. Uh what was the actual projected uh weight salaries for 2526? [Music] 16,735,575 $557. So there's only an increase of 346,000 year. That's [Music] correct. The um the budget summary shows an increase from uh 5.2 million to 6.7 benefits. Uh this is 29.4% 4% increase. Um I believe the presentation said that we were going to have a 18%. 18% 18%. That's correct. Okay. So the rates are increasing 18%.
053Okay. Okay. So we've we've taken on a couple extra uh our professional employees who take benefits this year and so that increases the base. Okay. Uh, so that's one of the areas and I have a detailed worksheet that spells out every single employee and what benefit package they take and uh that matches what the health carrier uh put together for me. Well, there's a difference of $931. But between the two estimates that I have and the healthcare carrier has uh it that number that I have that on that sheet is only $931 difference than what the healthcare carrier is stating. Okay. So, there's extra employees that are within that base. That's why it's causing it to be more than 18% as a dollar amount, but the 18% is just a rate increase. Okay. Um, with
054those two line items, uh, add it up, it's a $1.8 million increase. We're asking for $4.6 million. Um, 4.7 in the tax levy. Uh, where's the rest of the money going to? If you take a look here on the sheet that I gave you 13 days ago, that detailed sheet. Oh, that it's a summary sheet. Yeah, but that doesn't add up to at least on the summary, I don't have increases of 4.7 million. Well, this is what the budget is and we are not having any staff layoffs or almost no stay staff layoffs at this level. So, why don't you and I meet and we can go over some of those details. So, it's it's also the energy, right? transportation costs. So those are the things that also increased. Right? We've talked about this over
055and over. Um and we analyzed this last meeting. So the salaries I think from the initial budget there were some retirees included as well as some health benefits. So Robert corrected those numbers and sent us all the detailed information on the health benefits. I think the biggest increase for me that stands out the most in this balanced budget now is the almost 30% increase in health benefits which is a combination of the 18% increase the claims um the prescription medication um etc. What what else goes into that Robert? Anything else that new new employees new staff we were required to hire uh quite a few staffs this year uh specifically power professionals to address IEPs. So we have to we have to hire onetoone aids uh in order to make sure that we in compliance
056and special ed. So our hands are tied in that area and those staff those employees are entitled to benefits and some of them take those benefits and don't wave and that causes that causes the to Yes. Okay. So I just have a question with regards to energy and health benefits. Um, in the documents that you had sent us, you said that those two categories originally were underfunded. So, how did they become underfunded and how does that mean in order to compensate since they were underfunded that we're paying that out of the 2526 budget or that 2425 number that you provided us with is actually greater? It should be actually the actual number is greater but what we budgeted for 2425 was the number that you listed. So for 2425 okay we we have a number
057there but remember that we added some people to the budget. Talk about energy cuz here you have energy going about 44%. I I was addressing the healthare first. Okay. So in the healthcare account we added employees to the district. We add employees to the staff specifically power professionals and most of them took the full benefit package. And so that adds to the base. So when I say underfunded, we didn't know when we prepared the budget two years ago that right now we were going to have such an increase in special ed students and new IEPs. And so staff had to be hired. So technically, if we had known that at that time, we would have addressed that, but we didn't know. So that was so that explains the health benefits. As far as the energy,
058that 15% increase that was recommended, that actually went into play this year already. Um so the energy increases came I guess somewhere around I think in November energy start to increase by by a lot and so unfortunately we didn't plan for that and we didn't plan on a 15% increase. So the piece of that energy line has to be increased. We have to transfer from other areas of the budget. But the to compensate for that they came out of this year's fiscal budget right now. Correct. Yeah. Yes. That is correct. And then also too on your one slide you had regarding the unemployment reserve as a revenue, but that can only be considered a revenue if we're going to be laying off people that we have to take funds from that. Correct. That's correct. And
059we can only use that for unemployment. So if we don't need to uh pay any unemployment claims, which is usually impossible because there's always somebody who claims unemployment regardless, that'll go right back into the reserve. However, um we can use that uh money towards any unemployment claims, but we also have a reserve um from employee deductions that come out. It's in a separate bank account. So, that that money can only be used for employment claims. So, if we don't if we'll use it and if we don't use it, it'll go back into the unemployment. And then just with the classroom um and the class sizes are and I it's been a while since I've had a student here. Um, do we have any two teacher classrooms anymore or they don't mix? They do. Do they?
060Is there one per grade level like there used to be or No, they push in. We don't have any co- teachers right now. No co- teachers. No teachers right now. And for me personally, I mean I'm not looking at the 25% but anything over 25 kids per classroom and that still is high for me. Is there anything that can be foreseen to help with second and sixth grade so that we do not have such high um class sizes in this 32.6%. It's it's definitely possible but once we know where we're going, I will bring the administrators together again and we'll take a look. But they don't want the class sizes that high either. So whatever we can do to to decrease them, we will do that. because it would have been helpful to have this
061when we were looking at the percentage increases because yeah I I can't I mean I taught CCD for second grade and I think I maybe had 14 kids. I couldn't imagine having 33 second graders in a classroom. I have a couple comments and questions. Um, we only budgeted 70% for our federal funds. Is that right? That's correct. So, we potentially could get more federal funds. That's correct. When we find out that number. So, we still have variables here. And while I I, you know, acknowledge that our tax bills only show 49% go to the schools. I just cannot accept the $4.7 million tax levy increase. Um, it's 16 times the 2% cap. And I understand the adjustments that we needed to take. I just have a problem with that 3 million that the state decided
062for us that was appropriate and fair and that we needed. But it's it's actually a 100% of our reserves. our budgeted fund balance. We're using 100% of it towards next year's budget. So, can this be used as budget uh bad cap is what I'm asking. The 151,000 that they gave us as a reward to increase our taxes. That doesn't go in the bucket of increasing our taxes. No, I don't. No, no, no. I don't think that's going to be I I would imagine that they're not going to make that allowable as part of the um this is just a one-time band-aid fix, correct? They came up with three weeks ago. So, is that a is that an addition to her? That's that's not calculated. No, that's not calculated in there because uh Okay. I just
063want to remind the board got moved to 348 today. Okay. Just want to remind the board that, you know, it is 16 times over the 2% cap and for an average house 30 $38,000 home with Pinelands and us the the tax is $715. Yeah, but the alternative is 50 kids and a second grade class. Well, see, once we allocate monies, I do believe adjustments can be made. I've seen budgets. I've been around a long time. I've seen budgets. I do believe some creative things can be done on that 25% number. It just worries me because with the 33% we still have listed here possible reduction of one SRO. We have additional staff cuts. We have um increased class sizes reduction of paraprofessional hours. I mean this is going to have federal monies confirmed yet. That's
064all I'm saying. There there's still things in the air. I'd rather have the federal monies with 32.6 six and get rid of some of those 30 plus class sizes. That's just me. Okay. Um and I would I'd like to revisit Lord help me for saying the transportation. We have so many people that are drop offs that do not use our transportation. Is there some way that we can recoup some of those costs, have a couple less bus runs and grab back a couple teachers if there's any way humanly possible to because that's bus runs are not well I mean they're bus drivers but I mean that doesn't impact the school and I feel like that's I think we talked about that though but I mean it's something that still and I've seen the 33 class
065sizes before. I mean I we're mandated to do most of those runs if I understood correctly within miles for every child but we can't create a a new a new ad hoc committee to address the transportation. I just think we can't our budget on the backs of the taxpayers. It can't happen. We're just going to bloom more people out. This is the state's fault. This is the state's formula for funding's fault. And to me, I can't help but think this is all political and it drives me crazy. The state of New Jersey is being political about this because I'd like to see what counts what's happening to bipartisan school board is bipartisan, right? But next year our new candidates for that are running or you know indicating that they would bring fairness and equity. I
066would stay away from comments like that. [Music] I would just like to add the reason why we are here as school board members is to do what's best for the students. So, whatever paradigm you can see that through when making a vote is what's best for the students. Maybe we should have gotten hired now that we know some numbers, but right now what's before us is a 32.6% 6% budget increase and and on the back of that Chris already, but like other school districts like um Lacy or uh Jackson, those school districts have seen decline in enrollments. Ours have been flat. They have things to sell. They could possibly, you know, reduce their staff. We don't have that option. Over the years, our enrollment has I'm going to say somewhat flat. I may have increased
067a little bit but not not not that significant but still like you have to keep that in mind we have nothing to sell we you know we don't have land we don't have buildings we can close we're we're using every piece of space that we have plus how could we fire hazard like how could we have 40 kids in a classroom with capacity we don't what are we going to do open up the cafeteria and the gym to have classrooms it's just not it's it's not feasible. It's not safe. And um you know, we have to think about the stress and the impact and the mental health on the students and the teachers. Yes, I was getting there. Um um in the classroom, could you imagine going home after having 40 plus kids? I mean,
068I'm going to say 30 in a classroom because now it's push in. We don't I I'm going to guess most of those classrooms don't necessarily have aids. or not two teachers. It used to be like if you had more kids, maybe if you had two teachers, it would be a different scenario. And again, I don't know. Um but um yeah, I'm not comfortable with that whatsoever. Um these kids deserve better than the possibility of 40 kids in a classroom and so are the teachers. [Applause] I mean, I have three kids in the district right now. I have uh one at ECC, one at George Mitchell, and one in Fragman. And I know that the teachers and the par professionals are doing the best that they can. And by voting for this budget at the level
069that it is, we're putting a firewall, so to speak, around our district. Because if you look at other school districts, they're laying off hundreds of teachers and staff. They're cancelling sports. They're they're making parents pay for for buses and transportation. Our district, if we pass this, will be at least this year not having to deal with those issues and our kids can continue their education at the level we're providing it. Now, a few weeks ago, we were talking about not having music, art, or steam. And that personally hit me because my one son um who has Down syndrome, he came home uh with a recorder and he was playing music on it and it was like a beautiful thing. And then I the next day we had a meeting about possibly eliminating music and to
070me I could not do that to him or any other student that they would be robbed at that going forward because of the decisions that we made. So, I'm voting for this budget in the tax increase for the kids and for the teachers because we all, at least I did, I went through the school district many years ago and, you know, have nothing but great things about it. And now it's our turn to pay it forward. [Applause] Any other comments? I actually have a non-budget question on E. Um, is is there a cap by law on the flexible spending accounts and is there a fee for the district to offer that to employees? No, there's there's no fee. Okay. And I do believe that the cap is $2,500. Okay. All right. Thank you. Any other
071questions, comments? Comment. So, at the end of the day, as we seen in the presentation, four years state funding, we lost $1.5 million. That's a decline. Correct, Robert? That is correct. So, that's a four-year run right there with nothing from the state in my opinion that they have given us. Okay. So, I'm not sure what formula they're using for funding, but the formula needs to change. At the end of the day, it has to change. And to me, um, the children are the most important here and their education is very, very valuable. And at this point, uh, the local people in the community are helping the children get the education they deserve with this tax money. And I feel at the end of the day, that's what we need to do. And Crystal said it
072best before. She said, "We need to invest in our kids." And that's what needs to be done here. There's no other option that the state is giving us. They gave us this incentive. That's it. And that incentive helps us keep this moving forward. Getting the kids the education that they need to get at the end of the day. That's what I have to say. [Applause] Okay. Anyone else? No. Everybody said it perfectly. Roll, please. [Music] Mr. Stone, yes. Mr. Figello, yes. Miss Lawrence, yes. Mr. Lee, I feel that it's a you can't qualify your vote. So, it's a yes or no or state? Uh, no. On everything or just just on the budget? Yes. Everything else? Thank you, Mr. Lee. Dr. Snider. Yes. Miss Bart, yes. Miss on yes on everything except for I [Music]
073[Applause] all recommend a motion to approve personnel items A through H. Can I have a motion? Motion. Second. Are there any questions? Personal items into question. Okay. Roll call, please. Mr. Sigone, yes. Mr. Figello, yes. Mr. Lee, yes. Miss Lawrence, yes. Dr. Snider, yes. Miss Martin, yes. Miss Ber, yes. Motion carries. Recommend motion to approve superintendent schools non-personnel items A through F. Can I have a motion? Motion. Second. Are there any questions? Nice. Okay. You know what I'm gonna ask? I know. You know what I'm gonna ask. Um AI, right? A lot of AI movies out too if you want to AI people. Um so are we going to be developing a plan? Yes. Because I did see that there are AI to make lesson plans. I had no idea. So I'm learning lots of
074things. So, I just want to see if there's I learned also too that there's a way like let's say you have a program and you want to break it down a summer program into four weeks. It'll show you how to condense it and do different things. So, there's a lot of things. So, I think you need to really think about what's out there and what's like is I guess also too allowable for non-tenure teachers, you know, or maybe they have more experience with it. and also students like what we're going to allow if there's any um consequences for students using it. Do we use plagiarism checker or anything like that? I'm not sure if we use that in sixth grade here. There isn't also an option for AI checker. Yeah, I can. So, an AI
075checks and pledge and checks, but I will uh yes, if the if the board approves that second reading, then we'll start putting in place the plan that we need to put in place as per the policy. Okay, great. I'm not on a committee, but I would love to see copy of the plan. Well, we don't have any committee, so we'd have to do an ad hoc and then we have I would like to include the staff, teachers, and get their input. Just [Music] have there, by the way, there is PD. I'm sorry. New Jersey school boards is offering a whole day on AI. Check it out. Just a question on calendar. That's just an adjustment with the facilities, right? Uh yes, and that for an early dismissal, but that will be next. We'll do that
076in at our next meeting. That's not on this agenda. I just wanted to let you guys know that that's going to be coming forward as Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Mr. Sigi? Yes. Mr. Figello? Yes, Miss Lawrence. Yes, Mr. Lee. Yes, Dr. Snider. Yes, Miss Lauren. Yes, Miss Herbert. Yes. Motion passes. New business. Is there any new business? Or do we want to discuss about um who's going to attend what the events coming up? Should we save that for form because we have another Yes, ma'am. Okay. But any new business? Well, that wouldn't be considered new business. What we were talking about originally with adisement that was originally discussed. Okay. Presentation. Okay. Open it up to public comment. Again, floor is now open to members of the public. The board of education recognizes the
077value of public comment on educational issues. The board requests that each statement made by participant is limited to three minutes as stated in policy 0167. There's a signin sheet. Please sign in before you speak. Would anyone like to [Music] speak public comment and open it up to board forum? last. Um I do want to say even though I did vote for the budget, um I do want to appreciate acknowledge the two residents who did come up uh the gentleman right here who hasn't had a cost of living increase in 14 years and the uh the lady that came up to talk about that her and her husband would have to consider leaving Little Lake Harbor. Uh definitely this was a a a difficult tough decision that we've been talking about for weeks and weeks. Um
078and I do just want to acknowledge that unfortunately this was the situation that were put in and now the taxpayers um are going to have an increase. But as I continue to see what's going on around us in Ocean County, uh, with school districts that we are very familiar with, and especially if you grew up here, you played them in sports, you know, people who live there. Um, I feel like we made the right decision for our district and our kids at this time. This budget buys us a year. We don't know what next year is going to be like. Uh, and anybody that is concerned about next year should really consider who's running for governor. This is a gubanatorial election year and you should really see what each candidate's stance is on school boards
079or school funding and what they can do for our town and our community. Um because you know I I'm I'm a social studies teacher and this goes back to you know the the state government and what their role is and local government and then school board and unfortunately we are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to certain things and this is one of them and we're the last line of defense for our kids and I feel like the budget that we voted for builds a firewall at least for one here to maintain the great education that we give them for at least one more year and it was a tough decision but I think we did the right thing tonight. Anyone else? Sure. Um okay this of course has been extremely
080difficult emotional and time consuming not just for me but for every single person at the table. Um I want to start by acknowledging that the school board we are all volunteers doing this and our children only um our schools and our community's future. We've devoted countless hours late nights and difficult conversations to ensure that the educational experience of our students remains strong before us came down to two very difficult ones. one, raise taxes significantly, which we chose, or two, cut staff significantly, leading to extremely high class sizes, fewer services, and a direct negative impact on the quality of education our children receive. This decision has kept me up at night, and I'm a working mom of three young children. None of us wanted to make it, but protecting the integrity of our students education had
081to come first. The state of New Jersey and specifically the state state school funding formula has put us and several other districts across Ocean County in this incredibly difficult position. Children should not be political. According to the state's calculation, our town has not met its local fair share of funding for our schools. While the state previously made up the difference, they are now cutting that aid dramatically. As we all know, the gap between what the state believes we should pay and what we actually have been contributing is very large. Right now, the state says we should be paying 24 million, but we're only paying 14 as you've heard time and time again. And while we have worked hard over the years to avoid burdening taxpayers, and I don't think um this board has raised taxes
082at all, except for last year, rarely going above the 2% cap. Last year again was the first time in a very long time that we did so. We've done everything we could to shield our community from steep increases. But now the reality has caught up to us. Choosing to raise taxes tonight is not something that I or any of us celebrate. It is the decision that protects what matters most. It protects our teachers and our staff. It protects critical programs like arts, steam, and music. It protects manageable class sizes. And ultimately it protects the quality of education that every single child in this district deserves. If we are not willing to invest in our children like I have said before our future then who will? [Music] Thanks you. Yeah, I I just want to also
083so um my husband is retired law enforcement also um does not qualify for um social security either. But when I look and I do not have children in this district, my youngest is now in 8th grade. Um I have two children in college. I couldn't not vote for these kids cuz some of these kids need it more than others. They walk around these halls happy and feel safe and protected and I have positive memories of this district and I want that experience for children to come. And as Abby had said, they are our future. If we don't invest in them, who is going to? And it it's it is a sticker shock and it is a lot. Um I will say don't necessarily let the percentage sway you. If you look at Lacy, Lacy is
084raising theirs roughly 14 15%. But if you look at the dollar amount on assessed values of homes, we're comparable. So I think I got that right. Um but I I feel we were left with no other choice. And we this district took a huge hit last year with staff. And I I again I could not imagine class sizes of of 40 students even how it would look. Um I'm not even overly thrilled with class sizes of 30. Um, but I think we made an investment that hopefully will make next year's budget season, I pray, not as difficult as this one. So, and um, every board member here asked questions. You know, we probably anoint uh Lisa and Robert beyond belief with our questions because we went down to we literally looked at every single number
085to make sure everything was correct. You know, were there any errors? I mean, every single line item we looked at to make sure um that we were doing the right thing because we did not take this lightly. We understood that it was an impact. And I can't stress enough if you're over 62, you can apply for the senior freeze. Um, and if you do not know what that is, I know from my mom when she was alive, it literally pretty much covered the impact of school taxes from our tax bill. So, it's definitely something to do on Wednesdays. Wednesdays. Wednesdays. I cannot remember the time to live. Sorry. Um I like my phys teacher voice but um every Wednesday I believe through the month of May and they will walk you through the process and
086help you uh apply for that. And and I will say I believe that my mom would usually receive her funds before her August tax bill. So you do receive it in a timely fashion. I think it's also now one application for the anchor and yes. So um on the slide for uh presentation as well. And I will I will say when I we first moved here, I'm not a res I'm not born from Little in Little Egg either. Um I remember when we actually used to vote on budgets and it was Mrs. Biker for any of you who remember Mrs. Bkerk. I know I cry. Um she is like you have to, you know, vote across the board for the town. And that was when Pinlands did not have Friday night football games cuz they
087didn't have lights. And you know what? I was like, "She's right." She's like, "You got to vote." Cuz I'm thinking, I have a kindergartener. How far away is, you know, high school for me. Um, and she was right, you know. Um, so they they are the future. So, thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Motion to motion. Second. [Music] Our next meeting is All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any extensions?