001I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I just saw the Full House episode of when Stephanie goes to kindergarten and DJ and Kimmy are like, you it's it's just easy, you just need to to know the pledge of allegiance and then they just say it so fast and she goes, Oh, no. So, >> [laughter] >> I just was giggling. Okay, adequate notice of the meeting of the Long Hill Township Board of Education was given as required by the Open Public Meetings Act as follows. Notice was provided by posting on the district's official website on the district's legal notices webpage. Notices were posted on the bulletin board in the first floor
002entrance hall of the school district administration building, Gillette, New Jersey. Notices were filed with the Township Clerk and notices were mailed to all persons who have requested individual notice pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Here. >> Mrs. Daley? Mr. DeJames? Mr. Foster? >> Here. >> Mr. Groskopf? >> Here. >> Dr. Marr? >> Here. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Here. >> Mrs. Nyquist? >> Here. >> Mrs. Case? >> Here. >> Any communications? >> None to report. >> Okay. Board committee and liaison reports. I'll start with Karen. >> Okay. Uh and I just have something to say prior leading into them, okay? On May 6th, the Morris County School Board Association will be hosting a countywide hybrid meeting celebrating successes and honoring service. Board of education members from across Morris
003County will be recognized for their dedicated service and achievements, including those who earned individual certifications through the NJ SBA Board Member Academy and those reaching major years of service milestones. One of those certifications acknowledges that a board member has attained certified board member status. To attain that status, a board member must earn at least 20 cumulative board member academy credits in at least four core areas: governance, student achievement, policy, finance advocacy, special education, and communications. They must attend at least four county meetings, attend at least one annual NJBSA workshop, attend at least one NJBSA delegate assembly, attend at least one statewide or regional professional development program, complete at least three year full years of service as a local school board member, and may not have been judged to have violated the School Ethics Act as
004determined by the New Jersey School Boards Association. Kim Case has achieved that certification. This achievement indicates Kim's commitment to the Board of Education, to the students and staff of our district, and the Long Hill community as a whole. As a As our president, she consistently seeks best practices and actively works with each board committee. She provides objective and knowledgeable leadership, enhancing the performance and effectiveness of the board in all aspects of its responsibilities. Congratulations, Kim, and thank you from the bottom of OUR COLLECTIVE HEARTS. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S I I We've been encouraging other board members, too. It It sounded like a lot of work when you went through it, but you do get some time to do it, and it really gives you nice insight and education about how boards
005work, and I think we always say we can be proud in New Jersey our school board members are the most educated elected officials in the state, so hope we hear from more people on that. >> Yeah, when you go to the different meetings and you get to meet different, you know, members of the different boards and then you learn how good we are. I mean, like >> [clears throat] >> based on my [laughter] When you hear some of the stories Okay, uh with respect to the Governance Committee, we met and one of the big things was reflection on the goals review that you guys had, and it was a consensus generally that it was a successful review. That it seems to be getting a little more efficient and proficient each time you do it. What
006came up was a discussion about AI. Obviously, it couldn't be, you know, anything determined there. One thing just came up that it has to be acknowledged. And in the education arena, it really has to be learned how to work with appropriately for the students as well as the staff. Uh >> [cough and clears throat] >> It also came up you were talking about certification requirements. I think you got an email where I refreshed you about what the requirements were. I think I also notified you in the May 16th delegate assembly meeting. It's only 9:00 to 1:00, and you can go attend it hybrid. And you still get credit. So, if you're looking for that, you know, certification to attend at least one delegate assembly, you got it right there. Uh then we got ready we
007talked about getting ready for the CSA and self-evaluation. I think Did you get another email on that? Or did I send it out yet? Maybe I didn't send that out yet. Okay, cuz it's coming up. Cuz George will have his >> every year. >> Yes. >> George George will have his input uh in by the 12th. I don't know how many hours or how many days or how long it takes for us to get a notice that it's been updated and it's available to us. I will let you know that when I get send you the email. What we also said is that what I'll do is I'll be putting uh little reminders not only in my emails, but also pop up on your calendar. Your Google calendar. So, as we move forward. And then
008um it was suggested, you know, these county meetings that are held for North County, that maybe we could look into hope hosting one of them. And Kim went ahead and talked to our I guess the gentleman in charge, Robert Asara. And um if there's a potential for us to do that, it would be December. And we talked about some of the plusses and minuses and some of the difficulties or what would be easy to do. So, nothing's been finalized about that yet, though. Uh oh, Morris County Ed Services Commission there's really nothing to report. We did our uh superintendent review and you know, that's that's all there was nothing else this that would be of of uh interest to us. Moving on to finance, um I think it came out before, but we received $67,000
009plus grant for the playground equipment in at you know, in Gillette. There was a [clears throat] press release provided and we're going to I guess it's going to be forwarded to the paper to see if maybe they'll include something associated with that. >> We did share it with the paper. >> Okay. Um there's a grant of $2,900 for what they call focus. Uh it's a continuation grant funding for optimal comprehensive universal screeners. This is something that has to be done for K-2 uh students in the K-2 3 grades. So, we got a grant for that. And uh there's an I know last year we were turned down for a water a filter water filter program with uh you know, getting money for from uh New Jersey American Water. And now there's something came out from
010the Department of Education and uh this is a re- reimbursement grant. So, we're going to get the money. We do the work, we send in the bills and we get reimbursed for it. Uh associated with some funds, Title 1 and Title 2 funds, there was some money $1,830 which uh uh be used for some summer tutoring for academically at risk students uh mostly out of I would say out of Central and working with a Dr. Mr. V for you know, getting the number of students. >> [snorts] >> Uh there's uh money for out of district training, but we've been paying most of our training where they come in. So, Raman has to do some You're going to see that in the in some of the things you're approving. She's just shifting the money from internal
011training to, you know, external training to internal training. And things well, it would have come up in the buildings and grounds, but all the change orders and everything associated with the broad grant are in. Uh continued assistance for the negotiations. I guess there are uh more meetings the 6th of May, 11th, and the 7th on May 21st were the scheduled. Um one of the things that came up associated with our brokers fees for the health insurance. Typically, it's been a percentage of the premium. And as we know, as the premiums go up, that means that that's going to go up, you know, exponentially. Robin was able to negotiate a flat rate for 3 years of $50,000. This year alone >> [clears throat] >> that saved us 9,000 plus dollars. [snorts] Um summer institute, as you
012know, is not going to go ahead. Um we had only two emails came in after it was everybody was notified that it was being canceled. It said they would have uh enrolled if they had known, but we needed 40 to break even, so that even would not have helped. Um especially on the on the board agenda, you know, see the county approved the budget. Uh there's an the extraordinary aid application. This is, you know, just a a thought. It might only be 50 to 60% of the previous year. Uh then there's the approval for instruction services. Uh extended school year speech and OT services, and neurological evaluation services. There's approval for CD accounting to continue their work with us. Uh there are no vendors over $53,000 this time. There was a bussing error with the
013fourth grade trip. Uh ordered three buses, only two showed up. Everybody was still able to get to where they had to go. But the $900 will be uh people can get the a refund or it'll be credited in their account for a future trip that they take. And uh the Long Hill baseball >> [cough] >> Excuse me. association donation, they reimbursed us about $500 for new AED equipment on the field. And um an update on the budget, as of today, there were 84 hits for a review of the video. And um the senior lease I guess uh we have to we have to have a resolution every year that kind of acknowledges it, but that lease is in existence for a really long time. So, that's it. Uh bills were reviewed. They're ready for approval.
014Just another note or two. The lunch program is running in the black. And uh in the coming months or so uh Rob will be working with the auditor after a certain period of time and we have so much bills up. Now, some of those funds can be allocated to some of the support services of the lunch program, such as you know, cleaning, lighting, insurance, whatever. But the auditor will work that out with us. Um the long-range [snorts] facility plan I'll leave to buildings and grounds. And uh there is there are on the budget there are moves into reserves for the maintenance reserve, capital reserve, and emergency reserve. And um then uh that's about it. So, any questions? Okay. >> Okay. Any questions? No? Okay, Crystal. Um policy committee met on April 24th from 3:00 to
0153:33. It was myself, Karen Nyquist, Kim Case, and Superintendent Alexis. We [snorts] reviewed the policies that you see on the agenda and apologies to the committee. I don't have the minutes out just yet, but I sent them this weekend. And um and we will get those out. We had minor changes to the health and research policy um and everything else was good as is. Very good. Any questions? No? Okay. And Um student achievement met as well um on April 29th. Um we were joined [clears throat] by Mr. Viterallo. Uh he updated us on his plans for a summer program for students at the middle school who are struggling to meet the grade level standards during the school year. This would be a program for a small number of students to help with remediation and support
016for them uh to help them meet those grade level standards and get them in the best shape for the next year. And it would be funded by grant money uh Title I uh grant money. Uh Mr. Viterallo also uh reviewed with us uh work in progress with the math sequencing chart um and just the alignment of our math program from each grade and offerings and then how that uh coordinates with the Watchung Hills Regional High School as students move in. Um when that chart is complete, it will be presented to the board and posted on the website. Um and then we discussed uh some changes in the grade four and five sections for next year. Uh you can see on the agenda in number 50 that uh one of our teachers will be moving up
017to the fifth grade for next year. Uh and that Mrs. Dawson, Dr. Jones, and the the teachers on the team are really looking at that fifth grade program and the way in which the students uh for those of you not familiar uh you know with it, in fifth grade the students start to change classes. Up until fourth grade, we're with the one elementary school teacher for the full day. In fifth grade, they have the program that starts to prepare them for the middle school and the high school with the changing of classes. So there's going to be some slight redesigns to program uh that Mrs. Dawson will present to us, which will be for the 2027-28 school year. Not next school year, the following school year. But, I just wanted to let the committee and
018the township know that this is underway and something that's being planned. Um we had an update on some programs that were being added materials to the ELA. Um this happens frequently enough, I think, that um we had like in the K1 um is moving to a new phonemic awareness materials that better match the district benchmarks. Uh and there's there's some additional reading materials that are being added into the 3-5 grade sections that Dr. Jones uh went over with us. I did think some of you would be happy to hear Dr. Jones reported with the grade five uh 3-5 the materials emphasize a pencil-to-paper approach. Right? Um and it also had a stronger social studies and science component to bring in those um reading materials into the ELA program. We looked at the revised NJLASA schedule.
019Um it's an adaptive testing this year, and so it's just new across the state for all the schools. And the recommendation that the state's been giving for that testing schedule. Um the district has the NJSCI um survey that is available for parents and students and faculty. Uh it is uh we are going to keep that survey window open to encourage participation. Uh it is a survey we did last year as well that gives us some feedback from the student parent and teacher perspective on the district. Uh and then um we reviewed um the PD plans for next year and getting started on the professional development. Um I think that was it for the meeting. >> [clears throat] >> Any questions? >> Uh you said the 27-28 year, is there some reason why it can't be
020done I mean, I guess that obviously there's a lot. I mean >> So, uh the the current fourth grade class is a bit larger than all the other classes in the elementary school. And the current fifth grade program is running with five sections. So, we had a retirement in the fifth grade that our fourth grade teacher is moving up to fill. Uh but then it looks like they're going to be able to make some changes to the program and it may run with different time schedules and a four teacher schedule. >> Oh, okay. >> five sections, it may go to four. It's kind of responding >> Yeah, that was in the >> I mean to the class size changes that we see coming up through the grades, but also um there's some interesting ideas about
021combining um the programs and and the time schedules. >> that was in the minutes. I'm sorry, right? Yeah, yeah, I apologize. Yeah. >> It also allows us to expand the instructional minutes. >> Yes, that's what I meant by the minutes, George. Yes, so they're they're looking at the instructional minutes and how much time is being devoted to each subject, so. >> Cool. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> I think it was really a good meeting and and kind of piggybacking off of what you said about the paper and uh pencil. I think the fact that the district is being mindful of that is something the community be aware of so that >> Yeah. It's not all computers. >> It's not all computers and we are, you know, mindful of the current climate and trying to
022meet the needs of the district and also the needs of our students, so. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay, Tom. >> Okay. Uh I have nothing [clears throat] to report. Danielle D'Alli has asked me to report the following. For the um community relations committee on we met on Fe- uh April 25th and my notes are uh oh, sorry, April 28th. And we all met was George, uh Danielle and myself. We spoke about the Sterling Street Fair, how it went, some suggestions for next year. Those suggestions include QR code at the table for Instagram account, uh for other things and other things as well. The Instagram direct feed. Need more stickers, more things to give out. Maybe a raffle for a stuffed animal or a toy tiger. I'm thinking of, right? Not a real one. Kids
023don't like that. Mascot was great. Maybe move the time from till 12:00 to 2:00 as opposed to a little bit earlier cuz that seemed to be the peak time. Need to order new tablecloth or a runner that says Long Hill Township School District. And possibly we could wear name tags next year or maybe a popcorn machine to draw more people or even a bubble machine. That was brought up by our superintendent. >> Just an observation. Seemed to be drawing a crowd at the other booth. >> Carney, the Carney Bank has a bubble machine. >> We probably all have one somewhere. Yeah. Sorry to interrupt. >> We That's fine. Our next meeting is May 26th. As for the PTO liaison report, the LA Long Hill Township PTO, they're still hoping for receiving nominations for the PTO
024board. And that is my report. >> Okay. Any questions? Okay, Justin. >> Nothing to report this month. >> Okay, Alex. >> Hi. Um I do have a report from the last buildings and grounds committee meeting which was held on April 22nd. Uh it was fully attended by Kate McLennan, um Kim Case, Tom Groskopf, Charles Frank, uh um Miss Bomer and Mr. Alexis, uh and myself. Uh we spoke about the long-range facilities plan which is currently being updated by a new architect uh called Gianforcaro Architects. They work with many other school districts and uh we are just starting a new relationship with them. So, we're waiting for them to put together um a plan for us to review at committee. Um which they're going to be presenting to the board buildings and grounds committee in a
025future meeting. But a walk-through was performed at the three buildings and they were identifying projects with the administration. >> [clears throat] >> Which would be financed ideally through our capital reserve on a year-to-year basis. So we expect that report to come out soon and we look forward to it. The grant awarded by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs will fund improvements at the Gillette playground which we spoke about at a prior meeting and the total award was $67,700. So there are print plans that as as part of the next step of I believe that project that we're waiting on. Um So those are going to be renovations to the field at Gillette but also some additional playground equipment. Um There was a meeting held with teachers from Millington Gillette and as well as the
026principal Dawson and Becker at Millington and Gillette respectively regarding the renovations of certain instructional spaces. Specifically, there's going to be some renovation to classroom storage and closet areas. Um That's going to be done as summer work. Um there's some other summer work that's planned including painting and installing fire-rated doors. Um >> [clears throat] >> There was a honorable mention to Mr. Frank um for including some pictures of comparing some of the work that he had been doing during the spring. Um that had been done to the school during the spring break. My apologies. Um including replacing the carpeting at certain doorways. Um We had a discussion related to some field repair that's needed at Central Middle School because of water runoff is kind of pulling off some of the dirt from the field. So, it's
027something that we're taking a look at in collaboration with someone from Watchung Hills that's helping us out on on that issue. Um Uh some of the other work that was done over the spring was redoing and I I can't remember which school it was, but it was redoing the storage area underneath one of the stages. I think it was Gillette School. Uh but, you know, we were impressed by the fact that he was able to reuse certain wood and other cabinetry from other areas in the school. Um >> [clears throat] >> we're doing some work landscaping work outside of the board office to kind of clean up and make that area more inviting. Um and also, you know, improve the landscaping. Um there were some donations from local architectural firm that is being added to
028the board office to help organize some of the files there. Uh and district-wide, we continue to do um uh preventative maintenance work, air filter changes for the classroom. Uh we're looking at purchasing a dump truck and still kind of pricing that out, uh which would make some of the work that we do here more efficient. Um adding some safety signs, especially with respect to e-bikes and on school property. Um and the playgrounds are going to be inspected by our insurance company, which is a free service that they do I think annually or something. Uh there's some exit light upgrades that are being done to the emergency exits. And uh we have ongoing window screening, window screen replacement or repair. Um So, that was uh the discussion that we had, and our next meeting is May
02920th. >> Very nice. Any questions? [clears throat] I have a question Alex, you might not be able to answer it, but I know that we normally do some maybe flowers for Memorial Day cuz the parade is coming. Okay. I know they I know people appreciate that. Okay. Okay, Katie. Um the Long Hill Ed Foundation had our annual color run on Friday. I was unable to attend, but I heard it was a quite the day. It was very successful both as a fundraiser and just as a fun night out for the families. Um and we appreciated um the volunteers. I know Karen went and and and helped out, which we always appreciate when the board comes. And uh it was just a really fun event. The kids got really messy and the pictures are awesome and
030I think some of them shared online um by the foundation. Um So that that occurred. Uh they're currently doing um a sign for um kindergarten move up moving from first grade to Millington and also um Millington to Central. Those signs for your lawn. That's on um the Long Hill Ed Foundation website. Um and they also have signs if you just want to represent the school district um saying um you know, a Long Hill student uh lives here. Um and you can actually these signs can be personalized or, you know, just generic as well. Um there's also the school days um parents want to pre-order um school books uh excuse me, school supplies for next year, they can do it by grade. It's for K through um fifth grade only because there's too much um variation
031in once you get to the middle school. Um it's much better to kind of do that separately um because the variation is is different based on what which classes you're taking and which teacher whatever. It's more complicated. Anyway, um so those are the three major things going on and also that we are in the process of looking for annual sponsors um and that information also you can reach out to Long Hill Ed Foundation for that and we've been really lucky that the community has been so generous but if you know anyone who owns business or you own a business we're happy to give you the information and hopefully work something out. So, thank you. Oh, and the one final thing is that we will be reaching out to the district regarding grants for the next
032year. So hopefully teachers, administrators will come back to us with you know some ideas. So, that is all. Thank you. Any questions for Katie? No? Okay. I'll just do for negotiations. So, we met on April 15th. That was our fourth session with the LHEA. We had a committee meeting on April 22nd. We had our fifth session with the LHEA on April 27th. Our sixth session with the LHEA will be on May 11th. We have a seventh session teed up for May 21st. I want to thank Justin, Crystal, Alex, George, and Robin for all of their work on this and also the LHEA for their time. And that's it. No questions? Okay. Superintendent's report. >> Okay, thank you. Before we get to the public hearing on the budget, I just want to share a few comments.
033First of all, it's early May so that means NJSL A testing begins. It begins this week at Millington and Central. Our principals have conveyed the importance of taking the assessments seriously and we ask families to reinforce that message at home. Healthy rested students provide the most accurate results and those results help us improve student learning. District attendance rose to 95.65% in April. That's almost a 2% jump. That's great news as we head into testing season. I also would like to say the middle school concert last week was impressive. Our student musicians continue to grow as performers, thanks to their commitment, that of their families, and the hard work of our faculty advisers. Tomorrow evening, Principal Vitarello and I will have the good fortune of attending the Morris County Leadership Awards Dinner dinner, which is sponsored
034by the Morris County Association of School Administrators. I'm pleased to report that our middle school faculty selected Caterina Ferreira as the Long Hill recipient this year. National Teacher Appreciation Week began today, and I want to send good wishes and gratitude to our teachers and all of our staff that support the important work of teaching and learning in our schools. I also want to note that National Nurse Appreciation Week begins on Wednesday. We're very grateful for our school nurses. For the budget, I want to begin with a brief procedural note. At the March 16th Board meeting, we presented the tentative budget to the board for approval and then submitted it, as required, to the county office. It received county approval and was advertised in our designated legal notices section of our website pursuant to state law.
035Robin also recorded a slideshow presentation, and we placed that on the district website. It has 84 views already. This evening, we are holding the required public hearing on the final budget. Once approved, we will submit it to the state and place the user-friendly version of the budget on our website. As for the budget substance, we're pleased to report that it's aligned with our strategic plan and district-wide efforts to engage and inspire learners to explore, inquire, and contribute. We remain focused on high academic expectations, data-driven decision-making, and attention to our students' individual needs. Despite a serious spike in health insurance costs, we've prioritized current staffing levels and class sizes and continue to invest in instructional resources that promote student learning and in professional development that supports our dedicated faculty and staff. In all, the budget is
036a student-focused, learning-centered, strategically aligned, and fiscally responsible plan. A great deal of hard work has gone into it, and I want to thank Mrs. Bulmer and the business office staff. John is here this evening. Our administrative leadership team, the finance committee, and the entire board. This important work was done under very challenging economic conditions this year. I'll turn it over to Mrs. Bulmer to provide more detail. >> Thank you. So, thank you for the opportunity to provide a brief overview of the 2026-27 final budget, which is on the agenda tonight for your approval. The full presentation has been available to both the board and the public, and we have worked through the process collaboratively over the past several months with opportunities for questions and discussion along the way. As in prior years, the budget reflects
037a careful balance between maintaining strong educational programming and managing significant financial pressures. The budget continues to be largely driven by fixed costs with the majority of expenditures tied to salaries, benefits, transportation, and special education services. One of the most significant challenges this year is the continued rise in health care costs, which are increasing by approximately 23.5%. This, along with other cost drivers such as transportation, insurance, special education services, is growing well above our 2% tax cap levy. This increase is This increases continue to put pressure on the district's ability to maintain programs while remaining fiscally responsible. On the revenue side, state aid increased modestly by approximately 3.45% or about $47,000. While we welcome any additional support, this continues to represent a relatively small portion of our budget. As a result, the district remains heavily reliant
038on local tax levy, which makes up approximately 88% of the general fund revenue. To support the budget, the district utilized allowable adjustments under the tax levy cap, including the 2% increase, an enrollment adjustment, and a health care cost adjustment, all totaling over $1 million. These adjustments are critical in allowing us to fund rising costs while remaining within statutory limits. The tax impact this year is influenced by two factors: the increase in the total tax levy and the rise in local property values. It is important to note that while the tax rate itself has actually decreased, this is because overall town assessments have risen significantly. Therefore, because property values are higher, the average homeowner will see a net increase of approximately $359 annually, or about $30 per month. From a program standpoint, this budget continues to
039support key district priorities while remaining responsive to actual needs. We have prioritized maintaining our multi-tiered system of supports and I-Ready Math, expanding behavioral supports, and adding an LLD classroom at Millington to support student needs. We also continue to look to ways to be fiscally efficient. For example, while we were excited about the prospect of a summer institute, we monitored enrollment closely and made the decision this April not to move forward with the program due to a lack of sufficient registration. This ensures our resources remain focused on programs that have the highest direct impact on our student body. Additionally, we are continuing to invest in technology upgrades and absorbing certain fees to reduce the burden on our families. In addition, the district continues to strategically utilize reserve funds to support facilities and security improvements that have
040no impact on the tax levy. Planned projects include HVAC work, door replacements, classroom upgrades, casework replacement, and security enhancements for all three schools. Even with these investments, our reserve balance remains stable and continues to provide an important financial safety net. Overall, I believe this to be a forward-thinking budget that addresses rising costs, maintains critical port programs, invests in our facilities, and continues to support student achievement while remaining mindful of the long-term financial outlook and the impact on our community. I also would like to thank the Board of Education, the Finance Committee, our superintendent, our administrators and staff for their collaboration and thoughtful input to this process. Thank you. Any questions? >> Any questions? Okay. All right, thank you, Robin. >> Thank thank you, Robin. Thank you to the staff and also the Finance Committee. Um,
041appreciate everybody's work on that. >> Oh, can I add one thing just as board secretary? The one thing we forgot to mention about finance committee, um, we did have the National School Lunch Program audit that, um, they were here all day. They looked at every single record. They visited the cafeteria. They asked She asked questions, um, and we came out We got a gold star. No no cap, nothing. Everything is good, and she won't be here again for 3 more years. >> [laughter] >> God bless you. God bless you. >> God bless. >> Okay. Um, All right, any comments from the public on agenda items? Okay, we're going to move to resolutions. Um, so our first resolution is for Teacher Appreciation Week, so I thought we could go through some of the the clauses out
042loud. So, Karen, will you start with the first whereas? >> Whereas, what is now Teacher Appreciation Week began as an unofficial National Teacher Day in 1953 due to the advocacy of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as a day to recognize the work of educators, and >> Whereas, following the efforts of the National Education Association and its affiliates, National Teacher Day became a congressionally recognized celebration in 1980, and >> Whereas, since 1984, the National PTA has designated designated 1 week in May as Teacher Appreciation Week, a special time to honor those who lend their passion and skill to educating our children, which NEA shortly thereafter voted to move National Teacher Day to the Tuesday of the same week, and >> Whereas, Teacher Appreciation Week is a moment to ensure educators in our lives know how much they
043mean to us and our communities, and >> Whereas, events across the country at the local, state, and national levels celebrate the outstanding contributions teachers make, and >> Whereas, the Long Hill Township Board of Education pledges to transform its its appreciation into action that protects students, strengthens public schools, and ensures educators are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. >> Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Long Hill Township Board of Education hereby proclaims the week of May 4th through 8th, 2026, as Teacher Appreciation Week with all of the celebrations and recognitions thereby incorporated. Thank you. So, Karen, will you move? >> So moved. >> Second. Any questions? Roll call, please. Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mr. James? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groskopf? >> Yes. >> Dr. Marr? >>
044Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> It's a little out of order, but I thought everybody could say I asked everybody if they could speak to maybe one teacher and maybe acknowledge, have a a moment about a teacher that they had growing up or something. So, I don't know, Karen, if you want to start. >> Teacher growing up. Oh, god. >> [laughter] >> It it's uh I was in I was only in public school from uh K through fifth uh sixth grade, excuse me. And while I was in school, uh the public school, I had a gentleman teacher, Mr. Newman. And those were the days when um teachers wore suits and ties, you know, and they came to school. And one thing that I really
045remember about him is that uh even at at that level, he was always saying, "Miss Karen, Mr. Robert." He was manners, it was uh properness. I mean, he he took the whole child, you know, I mean, he just really thought about everything and and worked with us on everything. And I can I can picture him in my face, the beard, the whole the mustache, rather. I could picture the whole thing. I just picture. He was great. He was really great. >> Love it. >> Okay, Crystal. >> So, I had a teacher in middle school. I was a really quiet student, like very easy to be overlooked in a classroom. And Miss Garcia, who I had for seventh grade and eighth grade, was my English teacher. And one of the things that she did is she
046had us write poetry. And then that became a way to really feel seen as a kid. Which I didn't often times feel in classrooms. Then I went on to be in the literary magazine and obviously an English major. And that's part of what got me into education. So, I'm very thankful to all of our teachers who really take the time to see the students that are sitting in front of them and find out who they are. And and draw them in. It's important. Thank you. >> Um maybe I'll mention Madame Camarda, who was my French teacher for ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade. And I am not a gifted language student. I'm quite the opposite. I found school quite easy when we were speaking English and quite difficult when we were not. Um but what
047stands out to her maybe was just how kind and caring she was. I think when you get to cycle in high school with a teacher, you you know them at a little bit of a deeper level than sometimes your teachers you only know for one year. And she certainly was a very positive influence on my high school years. >> Very nice. Tom. >> Thank you. Um I [clears throat] went to Catholic school and had a different uh probably education than a lot of people, not all. But uh I want to thank also the administrative staff and the principals because many teachers were great to me. But I found that the administrator, the principal, always the bad guy, right? You're always afraid. Actually more receptive, come on and sit and talk and that's where any issues
048I had were resolved. It was actually in the principal's office. And yes, my records have been expunged. >> [laughter] >> And he was a teacher first, so that's where we're got it. Okay, Justin. >> Yeah, mine I have two cuz I break the rules. One was my my kindergarten my pre-K teacher Mrs. Forest and what stands out is not any specific moment but that she was there when I started my my K-12 experience and then she also attended my graduation and that was when she had moved on to be a superintendent in a neighboring district, so she just showed up and she showed me that my experience was worth investing in and I really appreciated that. And then Mrs. Demko was my AP comp teacher who showed me how to debate, so that's who you
049have to blame. >> [laughter] >> Very nice. Alex? >> Well, Tom and I have a very similar educational upbringing. Most of my educational experience was in Catholic school and I had a series of remarkable brothers >> [clears throat] >> but I will speak to one of the later ones >> [cough] >> I had the opportunity to at an open house to run into more recently, probably within the last like 7 years. I ran into Ed Powers who was my AP like history and and government law teacher. And even though street math was probably one of my strongest subjects and to Mike Fisher my AP math and calculus teacher's chagrin I after taking Mr. Powers class kind of pivoted and had took more of an interest in in law and government and I I credited him
050and he never knew this of course when I saw him like 7 years ago and I told him how impactful his class was and how much I still remember it fondly. Um and it was a great moment where I got to introduce my son Zach to him and it was it was deeply meaningful to him and to me but just a great teacher um in that AP course treated it more as like a college professor than mean, a high school teacher and I think that's part of the reason. >> Much like Justin, you you kind of get entranced by these teachers. They're awesome. Uh so, I credit many of the teachers uh in my family. Also, my sister's a teacher, my you know, my in-laws are both you know, administrators and teachers. Uh there's a
051long tradition there, so they work super hard. It's a thankless job many times, and when you have the opportunity to connect with either a former teacher or former student, it's a kind of magical moment. So, thank you all. >> Thank you. So, I am the product of the proud product of Smithtown public schools on Long Island. My parents still live in the school district and vote on their budget every year. Um and I had a hard time um deciding because I had amazing teachers growing up. And there's no secret that two of my brothers are teachers, and I think it had a lot to do with the amazing teachers we had in our district. Um and I will say um the teacher I came up with was Mr. Balakar. He was my 10th grade English
052teacher. And uh he was like the first teacher who really got me because I was a bit of a quirky kid. And um I always wanted to be the good student, so I would whenever we had outside reading, I would choose, you know, a very impressive book, a long book, or something from the great works, or things like that. And he kind of looked at me and he's like, "What do you really want to read?" And I was like, "I'm going to read Pride and Prejudice." And he's like, "No." He's like, "You're reading this book or nothing." And so, he made me read Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. And it kind of blew my 10th grade mind. And because of that, I became really interested in um kind of uh literature in terms of history because
053that book takes place during World War World War II. Um and it kind of informed classes I took in the future. It informed my major in college. And I had the awesome opportunity my freshman year at Boston College to actually see Kurt Vonnegut speak in person. And funny enough, no freshman in college just wanted to go see an author speak on a Friday night, but I went all by myself to a church in Back Bay and saw him speak, and it was one of the coolest nights of my life. So, I have Mr. Baliker to thank for that. >> Very nice. >> Thank you. I'm going to put Robin on the spot, but Robin, what about you? >> Okay, so I think the teacher I remember or would have wanted to you all to know
054about was Mr. Ma, and he was my 11th grade It was back in the time cuz I'm older than all of you, where AP classes were just coming in. So, he was the AP history teacher in the in 11th grade. And he was the coolest thing. He looked like, if you can imagine, like a young Ben Franklin, but like really cool with the little glasses and the hair [laughter] and that just like really that. And he made you read everything. Um his his quizzes always had a map on it, which I loved. You always had to fill out some kind of map and where things were, which made you really understand what you're reading. And the quiz always had footnotes. Something about what was in the footnotes. So, to this day I have this guilt
055complex if I don't read footnotes and things because I'm like there's got to be something in there that's worthwhile, but there's always something about a footnote in there. [clears throat] But he was really cool, and it was a great class. >> Nice. >> Mr. Alexa? >> Oh, okay. Uh so many to choose from. A lot of wonderful teachers I've had in my past. Um one that I would like to mention and thank publicly is Mrs. Andrick. And Mrs. Andrick actually raised her family here in Long Hill. She was my sixth grade teacher at Valley View Middle School. And I was a bit of a pain in the neck in middle school, and this was sixth grade, so I was just starting to become that pain in the neck. But she was uh just wonderfully patient
056and kind. Um and it was her empathy and that confidence she instilled in me that I think really kind of shaped how I viewed school and um moved through school after that. But I'd also like to mention Tom DeGangi. We just had a celebration of Tom's life at the high school when they dedicated the atrium to him, you know, in in his name uh last Thursday on April 23rd, actually Shakespeare's birthday, Katie and Crystal. And so it was really nice of it. Tom was just this w- uh like as Terry McConnell said at the dedication ceremony, probably the nicest man in the history of the world. And as a teacher, he just embraced everyone and made you feel as if you were his favorite student um and just really wanted to get to know kids
057and and help them help them grow. So, thank you to both of them. >> Can I just say something about he served uh Mr. DeGangi served as a interim principal for us for a while in Gillette. And you're right. The kids loved him. And he would play his guitar every morning. There would be a song that they would Oh, it was it was really nice. It was really really nice. >> He told me about how he used to help the kids put the straws in the milk cartons. >> He was he was he was he just they loved it and he loved them. I got to he really he really slid right into Gillette. I mean, you know. >> W- when we were in 10th grade, he would play the Moody Blues on a record
058player every during every passing time. So, when you walked into the class, he was playing the Moody Blues. When we left class, he was playing the Moody Blues on a on a record player, playing the vinyls, as they say. >> Thank you. I was going to I'll mention my teacher was my um 6th through 12th grade orchestra teacher. Uh her name was Janet Lemansky. Um she was incredible. I I tell people about her all the time. Um you know, popular song came out, it was like on number one on the charts and like 3 days later it was like on our stands and we were playing like Mary J. Blige, we were playing Bon Jovi, and we were in orchestra. So, she was incredible and uh she is incredible and um she still texts me.
059So, I was looking at her last text messages. So, she This is a 6th through 12th grade uh teacher. So, she wanted me to go play uh at a friend's house and I was like, I can't do it cuz I'm doing something else. She goes, "Oh, okay. Have a great weekend. So happy for you." Yes, we'll see how we sound. It'll be a hoot. Dust off your bow. We need you. Heart emoji. So, >> [laughter] >> Ms. Mansky's very incredible and um I I need to see her again soon. But, thank you all and just want to say like happy Teacher Appreciation Week. I know that there are a lot of things planned to show our teachers appreciation and so thank you to uh the PTO for working on that as well. Okay. So, we're
060going to move just to the next uh item, which is minutes. Crystal, will you move those? So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Uh Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groskopf? >> Yes. >> Dr. Mar? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Um Anne, will you move in financials, numbers 3 through 38? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groskopf? >> No on number three, yes on the rest. >> Dr. Mar? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Um Tom,
061will you move in special services, numbers 39 through 41? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groskopf? >> Yes. >> Dr. Mar? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Justin, will you move in personnel, numbers 42 to 64? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> 42 to 64. >> Is that the one with No. >> Okay. Roll call, please. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groscost? >> Yes. >> Dr. Moore? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Okay. Alex, will you move
062in curriculum number 65? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? Roll call please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Dr. Mr. Groscost? >> Yes. >> Dr. Moore? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Katie, will you move in policies number policy number 66 to 67? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any call please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groscost? >> Yes. >> Dr. Moore? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McLennan? >> Yes. >> Ms. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Go back to you, Karen. Will you move in other number eight, 68? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions?
063How many puppies and where are they going? >> Oh, yes. >> Oh, this is actually just This yeah, this is just a general authorization. >> It's a puppy hold. >> Yeah, the the [laughter] current puppies may be graduating, moving on, but just in case new ones come in, we wanted to be prepared. >> Okay. >> What do we have two now? >> It's been so successful. >> We have two now? Or >> Well, it's also a lie. >> Two two and the >> sort of therapy dogs. >> Oh, nice. >> Right. >> [laughter] >> That's great. >> Okay. >> I just think I'm so proud of our school district for doing this. I think it's a really great cause and I do love the fact that our our failed puppy became um an emotional support
064dog for our district and I think that is just amazing and I'm I'm proud of our district for being for doing that. So, and our teachers for and our staff for for >> you know, taking it on. >> Precisely. That that's a big commitment and I really appreciate it personally. >> Okay, roll call please. >> Mrs. Butler? >> Yes. >> Mr. DeJames? >> Yes. >> Mr. Foster? >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Dr. Marr? >> Yes. >> Mrs. McClennon? >> Yes. >> Mr. Nyquist? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Case? >> Yes. >> Okay. Any items for discussion? Okay. Unfinished business, new business. Okay. Any comments from the public? Okay. Can I have a motion to adjourn? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Any opposed? Stentions? >> That one clicked
065in. >> Thank you.