001Heat up [Music] [Applause] [Music] here. [Music] [Applause] Heat [Music] up [Music] here. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] in the front row with the blonde. It looks just like her. Good evening everyone. Thank you guys all for coming. We're going to call the meeting to order for May 5th, 2025. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. They got it right. Good job. Yeah. Okay. Adequate notice of the meeting of the Longill Township Board of Education was given as required by the Open Public Meeting Act as follows. Notice was sent to the Echo Sentinel and daily record on October 14th, 2024. Notices were posted on the
002bulletin board in the first floor entrance 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. Dailyaly. Mr. Dejamos, here. Mr. Foster, here. Mr. Goff, here. Dr. MRA here, Mrs. Mlennon here, Miss Nyquist, and Mrs. Casease here. Thank you. We are going to start with our presentation. We're very fortunate to have special guests here, and I'm going to introduce Principal Dawson so that she can tell us all about this presentation tonight. Good evening, everyone. Um, when we talked about bringing some students to the board of ed meeting, you know, a lot of times we talk about student achievement and we look at
003just the reading, writing, and math. But I'm happy to always report that I feel like Millington School has a positive school culture. And um, a lot of work goes into that. And we were fortunate this year to have our she's completing her first year, Miss Damrott, our school counselor. And she has been such a welcome addition to Millington School. within two or 3 weeks of her starting, she was begging me to get in to do class lessons. So, um I don't want to take her thunder, but she really um ramped up a lot of our social, emotional, and charactered lessons this year, and I think the students really benefited, and they're going to share a number of uh activities they did throughout the year. So, Miss Damra, please come up to the microphone. [Applause] Hello.
004Good evening, everybody. Thank you so much for having me. All right, so we are going to get started with our presentation. Um, it is on social and emotional learning. Okay, so for our agenda today, we are going to be talking about what SEAL is and also how it is integrated into a typical school day. Okay. So, I thought it would be nice to start with a little mental health check-in. So, I want you guys to just think about your day from start to finish and just think about how you're feeling. Are you feeling great? Are you feeling okay? Are you feeling like kind of meh or are you not doing good? I just want you to take a minute to just kind of think about that. Yeah. So, this is something that I do when
005I go into classroom lessons. It just gives me a little idea to see how the students are doing. Um, for example, one student, maybe he was studying up, he was studying all night, like he was really anxious and nervous for his math quiz. Maybe a student got into an argument with one of their siblings. So we just want to be aware of that and just mindful of the children especially when they're coming into school. Okay. So, SEAL involves understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, showing empathy for others, building and maintaining healthy relationships, making responsible decisions, and SEAL supports emotional well-being, positive social interactions, success in school, work, and personal life, improved self-confidence, and self-awareness, and better conflict resolution and problem solving skills. and we really do a good job at this. I
006definitely think this year was great and also just showing the teachers a little bit about SEAL as well. Okay, so defining the five SEAL competencies, we have self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. So social emotional learning is made up into all these um categories. Okay. So we have done a lot of SEAL in Longill this year. Um once a month I teach the students a topic on SEAL whether that be bullying versus conflict or gratitude, coping skills, um mindfulness, empathy. We really do a lot of fun and engaging lessons. Um, we also have choose love that is our SEAL curriculum. So once a month I send a lesson to the teachers and they teach the lesson to their classes and they practice self-regulation strategies um and also different breathing techniques. We also
007have schoolwide assemblies and we focus on our pillars trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Um, and it's just a nice way to focus on SEAL and to just bring everyone schoolwide together. Um, I really look forward to the assemblies and I think the students do as well. This is something new that we started earlier this year um, celebration houses and I send out a choice board to all the classes and we do different lessons, we do different activities. So maybe and then they pair up with one another. Um and it's it's really nice because it just builds classroom community. The teacher gets to connect with the students. The students get to connect with the teacher. The students get to connect with each other. And it's just such a great way to kind of just
008take a step back from academics for a little bit and to reset and to focus. And then in all the classrooms, we have little calm down corners with fidgets, uh, bean bags, books, and it's just it's nice for them like if they ever feel like, wow, like I need to calm down after after recess, um, it's just a nice little space that they can go to to relax. Okay, so this was a celebration houses flyer. Um, and kind of like what I mentioned before, it's just a special kind of community that helps us learn and grow from one another. And it encourages us to make those strong connections and to build uh friendships with one another. And we also focus on our pillars as well. And so this was an example of two choice boards
009that we did this year. We had one for random acts of kindness week and we also had a choice board for um St. Patrick's Day. Um and the teacher said that the students really enjoyed um spending time with their teachers and classmates as well. Okay, so this was one of my favorite activities that we did this year. Um, in February, January, February, students at Gillette, students at Millington all created their own cup of kindness. Um, and students put straws in their mugs and marshmallows and they each talked about how they can be kind. Um, they drew a picture or they either wrote and teachers displayed them in the halls for everyone to see. And it just was a really nice way to build morale and for everyone just to see all of us coming together
010and to really spread SEAL. Okay. So now I'm going to have my lovely students come up and introduce themselves and they're going to talk about SEAL activities and everything we did this year. All right friends. So let's come up and we're going to stand in line order. Okay. All right. It's always It's always which way to It's always which way? We should take pictures for the parents. Perfect. Yeah, I'm gonna in the middle. Perfect. All right. All right. Is everyone ready? All right. So, remember, you're going to say your name, your grade, the grade you're in, and you're going to read your lines. Awesome. Hi, my name is Brayley and I'm in fifth grade. SEAL Times gives us an opportunity to spend time with our classmates and teachers. Me, Emma, and Alyssa created a kindness
011poster promoting kindness. We made this poster to inspire others to spread positivity and encouragement around the school. We were so excited to hang our post up up at our school. My name is Zma and I'm in fifth grade. After this year, I learned a lot about social emotional learning. Social emotional learning helps us understand our emotions and how to manage them in healthy ways. It also teaches us how to respect others and work well in groups. By learning these skills, we can become better friends, students, and problem solvers. My name is Alyssa and I'm in fifth grade. Social emotional learning helps us make smart and caring choices, especially when things get tough. It does a great job showing us how to talk things out and support one another. These lessons help us not just in
012school, but in life. Hi, my name is Satie and I am in third grade. I think social emotional learning is really important when we work in groups. It helps me understand how I'm feeling and how my friends are feeling, too. I've learned how to talk nicely, listen, and fix problems. When we all use what we've learned, it's easier to work together and get things done as a team. I really enjoy working with my friends in class because we help each other and have fun while we learn. Hi, my name is Cole and I'm in third grade. As a third grader, I like SEAL because it gives us a break from regular schoolwork and helps us learn in a fun way. It's nice to take time to talk about our feelings and work together with friends.
013SEAL helps us be kind and understand each other better. I enjoy the games and activities we do and it makes our classroom a happier place to learn. Hi, my name is Jazelle. I'm in third grade. During an SEAL day, I really enjoyed making a poster about our classroom. I wrote, "This is a good classroom. The and the students work hard. The teachers are the best. We all work hard. I was so proud when my teacher hung it up on our door for everyone to see. Doing activities like this is during activities like this during seal helps our school feel kind, safe, and like a place where everyone is is included and cared for. Hi, my name is Adriana. I'm in fourth grade. I really enjoy the social and emotional learning lessons that Miss Damro taught
014us this year. Some of my favorites were about gratitude, friendship, coping skills, and setting goals. In October, Miss Damro also taught us about conflicts versus bullying and how to spot differences between both. Thanks to SEAL, I've learned how to manage my emotions better. And now I feel confident and ready for fifth grade. These lessons have helped me become a better classmate and friend. Hi, my name is Michaela in fourth grade. I enjoy because it helps me understand my feelings and how to handle them. I liked learning how to be a better friend and work through problems in a positive way. SEAL makes me feel more confident and proud. I also really liked working together with my classmates on activities and posters. It was fun to share ideas, be creative, and learn how to cooperate and
015support each other. Hi, my name is Kyle and I'm in fourth grade. During an SEAL activity for St. Patrick's Day, I wrote kind notes on gold coins and gave one to each student in my class. I thought it would be a nice way to brightens everyone day and show them how much they are valued. By sharing these notes, I wanted to make sure each classmate felt appreciated and reminded them that they are important to me and to the class. Hi, my name is Kenley. I'm in fourth grade. During Miss Danro's coping strategies lesson, we learned fun and helpful ways to deal with big feelings like stress, anger, or sadness. We talked about things like deep breathing, going for a walk, listening to music, and saying kind things to ourselves. Then we got to make our
016own coping strategies toolbox filled with ideas that work best for us. I picked a few favorites that helped me feel calm and in control when I'm upset. It was cool to decorate my toolbox, and now I could use it anytime I need a little support. Hi, my name is Noah and I'm in second grade. When thinking about spirit through the year, I really like these days because they are fun and make everyone happy. During these during things like week of respect and random act of kindness week and optimism week, we dress up and do nice things for others and learn how to be kind. It feels good to make people smile and work together. Spirit days make school extra special. Hi, I'm Margley and I'm in second grade. This year I learned a lot from
017our school assemblies. Each one focused on a pillar like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. We learned how to be honest, kind, fair, and helpful to others. The assemblies are fun and taught us ways to make our school a happy place for everyone. Hi, I'm Zach and I'm in second grade. One thing I really liked about social emotional learning was learning how to show empathy. We talked about what it means to put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand how they feel. Now, when I see a classmate who looks sad or upset, I try to check on them or offer to help. SEAL taught me that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's day. Hi, my name is Jordan and I'm in second grade. During an SEO lesson, Miss
018Damra taught us about the tranquil turtle and how to stay calm when we feel worried, upset, or frustrated. We learned six ways to help us feel better, like talking, deep breaths, or counted to 10. We made our own turtle shells to remind us of the calm strategies that work best for us. It helps us feel better when things are hard. I use my coping strategies in school and at home. Hi, my name is Isa and I'm in second grade. I also enjoyed working on my Tranco Turtle project. It was a fun way to learn how to cope with big feelings. I decorated mine with calming colors and strategies that helped me feel good, like writing about my feelings, thinking positively, and stretching my body. Now, when I feel upset, too, I can use what I
019learned to manage my emotions and stay kind by using IME messages. Hi, my name is Anna Luna and I'm in second grade. One of my favorite parts of second grade was learning about SEAL. It helped me feel more confident when talking about my emotions and it taught me that it's okay to ask for help when I need it. I really enjoy the times we work together as a class to learn about being resilient and respectful. I'm excited to keep learning about these skills in third grade and keep growing as a kind, caring person. Thank you. Everyone did such a great job. Oh my gosh, I'm so proud of everybody. [Applause] Well, thank you so much. Thank you very much. Yes, that was fantastic. Maybe I could see if any board members have questions, but I
020I'll say thank you guys. You did a great job. Very good with your reading and your pronunciation. articulation and um I think we've learned a lot from you. The adults can take the information that you've given us today and I will say I have a cup of kindness on my bulletin board and I kept the tranquil turtle for me on it. I was looking at that. So let me see does anybody have any questions or comments? I just want to say that you are all a bunch of superstars. I I have grown up, myself included, that don't speak as articulately and as well as all of you did up here from second graders up to fifth graders. That was fantastic. Yeah. And you all did so well and it can be scary. So, way to
021go. And I have a tranquil turtle that my son gave to me after school because he said, "You could use this, Mom." So, trust me. Um, I think it's a wonderful thing and you guys should be really proud of yourselves and I hope uh you enjoy more at school. Anybody else? Okay, thank you guys so much. Thank you so much. I'm sorry. Round of applause for Thank you. [Applause] You guys did so great. Love it. Jazelle for mayor. Thank you. Good idea. Excellent job, guys. Thank you so much, guys. Thank you, parents. Amazing job. Really well. That was amazing. Sure. We have them take a picture up here. Yeah. Do we want to take a picture? Oh, do we want to take a picture with the kids? Oh, I think we missed that window. They
022were speaking. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. We should probably sit like in that room. We are going to continue then with our board business. Um any communications? Uh just just that one email that all of you received as a board of education about um the budget and requesting a 0% tax levy increase. Okay. Thank you. We are going to do board committee and liaison reports. I'm going to start with Crystal. Nothing for this month. It's on. Oh, I just closed. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. Uh, and acknowledged her. Okay. Um, so the um student achievement and curriculum committee met on April 23rd. Uh, all committee members were present as well as Mr. Alexis and Dr. Jones. Um if I just scroll down through the minutes underneath the goal of raising academic performance we had an update on
023the ready mathematics uh and that there was a professional learning training on April 21st. Uh so there were very positive reports about this professional development provided to the help facilitate the transition to the new math program for next year. Um and it was staggered training by grouped grade levels with the teachers um positive feedback from the teachers on the post session uh survey. They will be following up with training sessions uh that are planned and will continue next year as well as the program is being implemented and um there's a hope that uh the same trainer will be utilized because uh the teachers had a positive report with the trainer. Uh we had an update on the MTSS training um which again has been an ongoing initiative within the district. Uh we're continuing to provide
024professional development for successful and meaningful integration of basic skills support teachers into the regular classroom as push-in support. Um and just uh one of the focuses in a recent um professional development was the best use of the data that we have from in-house district assessments um to help the teachers you know um individualized instruction for student performance. Uh and also um just utilizing to the um maximum the various resources available within the individual curriculums uh to support the needs that are being identified uh through the uh in-house district assessments. Um and uh one of the changes in this is just the idea that there should be fluidity in moving students in and out of uh support programs. So that there may be some small you know there may be a skill identified that um is
025appropriately addressed in in a time period and the student moves into the support and then add support as those skills are mastered. Um and then uh we had a conversation about the administrative structure within the district. Uh we had a conversation under the goal of improving student attendance. Uh so March attendance is up um from February. It seems we're all over the flu and other sicknesses. Um there was a uh parent literacy uh information webinar and uh another parent webinar uh on recognizing feelings uh maybe particular to stress associated with testing in school situations. Uh there was a QAC visit on April 24th when which went very well. And just following back to a item that had been brought to the committee's attention previously, um we were able to look at the data uh for
026the district for uh absences on religious holidays over the past two years, the holidays that fell during the school year but were not um off for school. So school was in session but it was a religious holiday. And at the moment um it is less than 1% of the student population who is taking off for holidays there. So there's no recommendation for a change at the moment to the calendar. But there is uh I I think we all liked looking at the data and being mindful to the data to see if we have any um you know increases in student fluctuation and need for uh you know to to look at it again. Um but it was very interesting to see the the data there. That's all I've got to your point and I believe
027it was last year that the high school took a look into additional days off and they thought they've came to the same conclusion. No, no, none needed at this time and they they may have a slightly different population than us with the the multiple sending districts as well. Um yeah, it is good and and I appreciate that uh we are able to look at the attendance data. You know, it's great. Okay, any other questions? Okay, Tom. Okay. The uh community relations committee met on 428 at 4:30. In attendance was Danielle Dailyaly, uh Superintendent Alexis, um Anne Butler, Kim Casease, and myself. It was mostly a debrief on the Sterling Street Fair. It was quite windy that day, if you remember, and uh well, fortunately, we didn't have a tent to blow away because it wouldn't
028have stayed up anyhow. Uh the the best thing about it was the mascot Tiger. Okay. Everybody liked him. Okay. Uh or her. We don't we don't judge. Um we're talking about uh getting a new banner for next year that that says who we are. Long Hill Township or school district or schools, whatever. Uh, and we want to talk to the community service club involve involving them to doing possibly free uh tattoos and face paintings. Um, and also uh as a reminder to ourselves for next year, we need to contact the Chamber of Commerce to let them know that we're interested in the spot. Uh previously Dennis Sandow had uh allocated a spot for us but he's no longer involved with the Chamber of Commerce and so uh we need to do that ourselves for the
029next year. And that is about it. Any questions? No. I just thank you to those people I think um who were able to table um and be out there that day. It was slightly dangerous with the wind and I think um so thank you for braving that and you know thank you to those people who you know stopped by and spoke to us. Okay, Justin policy committee met on April 2nd. Um myself, Karen and George were in attendance. Um we talked about policies. Um what you'll see on the agenda are more updates to the bylaws. Um, I'll say the NJSBA just released an AI policy that we'll be looking at our next meeting. Nice. Okay, any questions? Okay, sounds good. Alex, no report. Okay, Katie. Um, the, uh, buildings and grounds committee. Um, I need
030to actually wear these because my printer was not working, so forgive me. Um, the, uh, buildings and grounds committee met on April 9th at 4:30 p.m. Uh, the entire committee was there. myself, Danielle Daly, Tom Groskoff, Alex joined us, which was fantastic. Um, George Alexis was there, Robin Bulmer, and Mark Vanderki. Um, a lot of the stuff that we went over was discussed at our previous meeting. So, I'm just going to keep this really high level. Um, we went over this the break, what was being planned for the break, which was um screens, painting, work orders from school dude that could not be completed while staff and students were occupying the building. Custodians conducted deep deep cleanings in the buildings. They changed unit ventilator fillers, filters, excuse me, which is done quarterly, and they buffed
031floors. Um, grounds had a list of items to address other than baseball and softball field m excuse me. They had a list of things to do including uh baseball softball field maintenance, edging, weeding, attending to playground, mulch, etc. Um there was an advocate in inspection which is a which is a uh like a third party that we um we work with that kind of goes over the facilities pertaining to the services that Pritcher provides. And um there was no official at the time we did not have an official report but uh they said that everything is solid and that for the time of the year it looked like uh we just had normal wear and tear and nothing um out of the ordinary um that came out. Uh we discussed the broad grants. I don't
032think there's any update with there with the direct install. Um we received our contracts for changing the 13 um RTUs at Millington. And you included that our um incentives improved and we were paying approximately 250,000 less than we had originally allocated for. Um we looked at the final furniture. Wait, does that did I over say something? No. Oh, okay. made me nervous the way you like moved your head. I want to make sure I'm giving the right numbers. I don't want to misinform anyone. Um, we looked at the final furniture layout for the uh library at Central Middle School, which is looking really good and I I'm really looking forward to seeing it come to fruition. Um, I think students will be really excited to see it next year and um it's really an excellent
033learning space. I think will be utilized um by much of the community uh the student population community in the not the town yet. Um and then um they're looking into the drainage situation at Central. Um there's two poor drainage areas outside of Central, one near the basketball court and one on the opposite side of the building um in the small parking lot. And um they had uh Mark kind of looked over it and he kind of had his ideas and then he brought in a um landscape was it a landscaper that came in and um went over it and they pretty much agreed with him. So they're going to be doing some um grading uh to prevent just doing some like grading and other things to kind of prevent very very minimal work to uh
034prevent uh issues in the future. Um, and then, um, they were planning spring planting at Central, um, which is to tie in with the Memorial Day parade this month, um, and the annual planting of flowers for the ceremonies at Central Middle School. And I don't have our next meeting, but, um, it will be coming soon. Um, and for, uh, the Ed Foundation, uh, we have this Friday the, um, the, uh, the color run. Um, it should be a lot of fun. people can still sign up when they go. We have uh lots of color throwers and it's always exciting. We have a lot of faculty that participate and um the last time I think they were the dirtiest of all full of color. The kids love it. There's live um there's a DJ, there's uh
035food trucks. It's a really really enjoyable afternoon. I hope the weather cooperates. there is a rain. Um, but it's a really great day and it's it's it's a slight fundraiser, but it's really about the kids having a blast and uh community. So, uh hopefully we'll see people there and uh that's all I have for now. Thank you. Any questions for Katie? No. Okay, I have a couple of updates. So on behalf of Karen um the um ed services commission uh nothing to report except that they are doing the superintendent evaluation. Um the next meeting is next week and she will attend virtually. Our governance meeting was postponed but for our board you should check your email for a reminder about evaluations which will begin shortly. Um so just check your email on that. I will
036update on personnel. I left out two things from the Ed Foundation. Can I just interrupt real quick? Okay. I'm sorry. Uh there's two fundraisers going on right now. There is a uh yard sign for any of our students that are graduating or moving up from from the lower schools because the central school has one that's separate. So, if your kid is moving up from Millington, Gillette, or graduating from kindergarten, you can purchase on our website um graduation signs, which are really cute. And we we've seen a lot, especially the kindergarters, we've seen a lot of parents buying the signs, which is really sweet. And then we also have our annual back to school um you can purchase your books so you don't have to purchase them yourself at the end of summer. So, a lot
037of parents really like that. And that is open until July, the I think the first week in July, we close that. So, that's all. I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure we got that out. Okay. Uh so for personnel, personnel met this week. Myself, uh Crystal and Justin uh met with uh Mr. Alexis. Um we discussed summitative evaluations, the renewal list, departures, new hires, uh changes in assignment, uh position to be filled, leaves of absence, uh job descriptions, uh negotiation topics and committee goals, and um you see a lot of that in the agenda under personnel number 3463. Um, finance also met this week. Uh, myself and an attended. Uh, Robin, I'm going to leave that mostly to you. Um, if you have any highlights from that, um, for your report, any
038questions? Okay. Superintendent's report. Okay. Thank you very much. I'm going to focus my remarks on the budget, but first I just want to touch on three quick things. one um NJSLA testing began at Central today and uh Millington will begin on Wednesday. Our principles have already 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 accurate data will help us improve student learning. I also would like to say the middle school concert last week was impressive. Our student musicians continue to enhance their skills and grow as performers thanks to their hard work and the efforts of our faculty adviserss. I also just want to touch on the CUSAC visit that an mentioned that was on April 24th. The
039county uh representatives came to uh the central office. Uh it did go very well. We responded to all of their questions. We provided all documents that they had requested and we now just have to wait uh for the scoring to take place. Uh first the county uh does a recommendation based on the rubrics and sends it to Trenton and then Trenton accepts those recommendations or has the right to change them in some way. Um but the bottom line is we probably won't get our final scores until early July. I would say maybe the uh end of June. Okay. for the budget. I want to begin with a brief procedural note. At the March 17th board meeting, we presented the tenative budget to the board for approval and then submitted it as required to the county
040office. From there, it received county approval. Robin um also recorded a slideshow presentation and we placed that on the district budget uh the district website. Uh we also advertised in our advertised the budget in our uh designated publications. This evening we're holding the required public hearing on the final budget and once approved we will submit it to the state and place the userfriendly version of the budget on our website. As for the budget substance, we're pleased that it's aligned with the new strategic plan which we have been working on this year and with our district and board goals. Accordingly, it prioritizes student learning and professional development for our faculty. We're investing in our steam program again this year. Uh we're investing in MTSS, the multi-tered systems of support training um and our new math program
041along with the related professional development. Uh as well as our other important instructional resources including I Ready. We've added a third preschool inclusion class and staff resources to bolster our basic skills program in conjunction with our implementation of MTSS. We also are continuing the summer institute to support student learning. As part of our focus on student learning, we also are restructuring our administrative leadership team to support our efforts. Under the plan, the curriculum director position would become full-time. Dr. Jones would fill that role and Miss Backer would become the new Gillette principal. The changes are designed to create the support we need to enhance our instructional program and raise student achievement. We're also investing in facilities and we'll have several projects underway this summer. We want to highlight that funds are allocated to transform Central
042Middle School Library into a learning commons designed to engage students and become the hub of the school. The budget, as I mentioned previously, is student centered, strategically aligned, and fiscally responsible. A great deal of hard work has gone into its preparation. I want to recognize the efforts of Robin and our business office staff, our administrative leadership team, our finance committee, and our board. Um, I'm going to turn it over to Robin, but I did forget to mention one thing that I just want to highlight. uh that we um are sending good wishes to our uh faculty and staff and also all the people that support their important work because it is national teacher appreciation week and tomorrow begins national uh nurse appreciation week. Uh so we're very happy to celebrate our staff um because they
043do all the work that is closest to the kids. So I'm going to turn that over to Robin and she can give you the financial details of the budget. Thank you. I appreciate the chance to share a brief overview of the 2526 budget which is on the agenda tonight for board approval. Both the board and the public have had access to the full presentation which is posted on the district website and there have been opportunities to ask any questions along the way. Tonight I'll focus on some key highlights and how the budget supports students programs and our community. The 2526 budget was developed through a collaborative process over several months with careful attention to rising fixed cost and long-term sustainability. Approximately 94% of our budget is committed to fixed expenses such as salaries, benefits, and
044transportation and special education. To balance this year's budget, we've utilized 162,326 in healthcare adjustments and just over 114,000 in expiring bank cap. This year's tax levy will is an increase of 3.5% which remains lower than many of our neighboring districts. Although the total tax levy is increasing, property tax rates are actually going down due to higher property valuations across the township. The tax rate per 100,000 of assessed value will drop from $9841 in 2425 to $974.64 for 2526. The average Longill home, however, has increased in value from $596,350 to $622,360. And therefore, we'll see a tax increase of $1981.61 annually, or about $16.55 per month. From a facility standpoint, the district is making key investments using our reserve funds. We are drawing from our capital maintenance and emergency reserves to support summer projects including HVAC
045replacements, central middle school media center upgrades and classroom upgrades and enhanced security measures including fencing at Millington and Gillette security cameras. These projects are fully funded through reserves and will not affect the tax levy. Even at these planned uses, our reserve funds will remain healthy. This is a fiscally responsible and forward-looking budget that allows us to maintain critical operations, invest in our infrastructure, and support student achievement, all while being mindful of the long-term financial picture. I want to close this budget uh presentation by thanking the board of education, our finance committee, our superintendent, our administrative team, and our teachers all for their thoughtful input, collaboration, and ongoing support throughout the budget process. Are there any questions about the budget that I can answer now? Because then we'll go on to finance. Good. Okay. Good. Okay.
046So, now we'll go through finance portion of the agenda. Um the board is being asked to approve the final 2526 school district budget in the mount of 23.15 million with a total tax levy of 19.98 million. We are also authorizing withdrawals from our capital from our reserve accounts to support the key projects mentioned at there were also several service contracts on the budget up for renewal. Um they're annual. We're renewing the Misters contract. Misters is our lunch vendor that uh with an anticipated contract amount of $161,000. We're renewing our RNL data for payroll services, our accounting and personnel systems through CDK and Advocate, which helps us monitor our custodial and maintenance. The board is also a being asked to approve a contract with Hutchkins uh who is doing our rod grant upgrades for Millington and
047Gillette schools. These projects are being funded through the state supported rod grant with 40% covered by the state and 60% by the district. And you'll remember that this is a reimbursement program. We have to put the money up front. We are also um submitting our our yearly application for extraordinary aid for the 2425 school year. And finally, we want to thank two generous donors. First, the Mount Arlington Board of Education for donation of a brand new teachers desk and the Longill PTO for contributing $1,500 toward field trip busing costs. That's what I have. Thank you. You any questions for Okay. I mean, I think that um Mr. Alexis and Miss Bulmer said it all. I mean, I think also so importantly, this budget is student centered. Um, you know, I don't think any stone was
048left unturned in terms of examining all of the finances, revenue, and expenses and thinking about how to best invest it for next year for the best outcomes. So, thank you so much to your team, for all of you for working on this, um, the administration for working on this, and for the support that we know you're going to give kids and teachers next year. So, thank you. Any comments from the public on agenda items? Okay. Resolutions. Crystal, will you move in minutes number one? So moved. Second. Any questions? Roll call, please. Mrs. Butler? Yes. Mr. Dejamos? Yes. Mr. Foster? Yes. Mr. Groskoff? Yes. Dr. Maher? Yes. M. McClennon? Yes. And Mrs. Case? Yes. And will you move in financials numbers 2 through 25? So moved. Second. Any questions? Okay. Roll call, please. Miss Butler? Yes.
049Mr. Dailyaly? I'm sorry. Mr. Jimos, yes. Mr. Foster, yes. Mr. Groskov, yes. Dr. Maher? Yes. Mrs. McClennon? Yes. And Mrs. Casease? Yes. Um, Tom, will you move in special services numbers 26 through 33? So moved. Second. Any questions? Roll call, please. Mrs. Butler, yes. Mr. Deamos, yes. Mr. Foster, yes. Mr. Grossoff, yes. Dr. Maher, yes. Mrs. McClennon, yes. Mrs. Casease, yes. Um, Justin, will you move in personnel numbers 34 through 63? So moved. Second. Any questions? I just wanted to congratulate uh the teachers and staff that um uh were were given uh tenure. Um, uh, several of them have taught my children and, um, um, Mrs. Sen has also, uh, worked with my voice and they're fantastic and I appreciate it. So, I just wanted to salute them. Yes. Agreed. Okay. Roll call, please. Mrs.
050Butler? Yes. Mr. Dejamus? Yes. Mr. Foster? Yes. Mr. Grosoff? Yes. Dr. Maher? Yes. Mrs. McClennon? Yes. Mrs. Pace? Yes. Alex, we move in curriculum number 64. So move. Second. Any questions? Roll call, please. Mrs. Butler? Yes. Mr. Dejaos? Yes. Mr. Foster? Yes. Mr. Grossoff? Yes. Dr. Moore? Yes. Mrs. McClennon? Yes. Mrs. Casease? Yes. Okay. Policy. Policy looks a little funny. So, there's no numbers before the two first resolved. Is that what should we do? Um, why don't you just include the job descriptions along with item 65? Okay, we'll do them by name. Two job descriptions. Okay. So, we're going to amend uh 65 to include the director of curriculum, school principal, and Gillette principal and the revisions related to those. That was all part of the board information that came in our packets. So, it's
051all there. So, can I get a second to amend 65? Second. Okay. Uh, all in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. So, then, um, Katie, will you move in policy number 65 as amended through 70? So moved. Second. Any questions? Roll call, please. Mrs. Butler? Yes. Mr. Mr. Dejamos? Yes. Mr. Foster? Yes. Mr. Groskov? Yes, Dr. Maher. Yes, Mrs. McClennon. Yes, Mrs. Casease. Yes. Um, go back to Crystal. Will you move in other number 71 through 73? So moved. Second. Any questions. Exciting to see more puppies in the future. So, there's nothing better than seeing the puppies around campus. The kids love it. It's so great. It's the best. Okay, roll call, please. Mrs. Butler? Yes. Mr. Djamas? Yes. Mr. Foster? Yes. Mr. Grosoff, yes. Dr. Maher, yes. M. McClennon, yes. Mrs. Casease, yes. Always vote
052yes for puppies. Thank you guys. Okay. Any items for discussion? Unfinished business? Any new business? Okay. Any comments from the public? Okay. Can I have a motion to adjurnn, please? Some moved. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Extensions. Okay, thank you. We're still on. We're still on air. You still have like a week. Yeah, sense to me. Didn't really care. [Music] I don't think that many kids in my son's school even do it. He makes fun of his friend who vapes. He would never try it. She's in soccer. She's on the honor roll. She's just not the type. [Music] No way. No way. No way. My kid would never vape. Get your head out of the cloud. Today, nearly 8,000 kids will start vaping. Maybe even yours. Learn about the dangers at talkaboutving.org. There
053are 16 million children struggling with hunger in America. That's one in five daughters, sons, neighbors, and classmates who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Yet, billions of pounds of good food go to waste every year. It's time we do something about it. Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that helps provide meals to millions of kids and families in need. Visit feedingamea.org to help them feed even more. Together, we can solve hunger. Together, we're feeding America. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat up here. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat.
054[Music] Down. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Okay, Dad. One, 2, 3. [Music] You saved me. [Music] Dad, are you okay? I'm finder. Your hero needs you now. And AARP is here to help. Find the care guides you need at aarp.org/caregiving. The black truck. Hey, Christina from accounting. Yeah. Hi. Hey. I used to date a girl named Christina. Oh, really? Yeah. And then she dumped me for my best friend. You want to see some photos of them that I took? I don't. I thought we talked about this, buddy. Buzz and overshared again. Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to call a car. That's a smart idea. Yeah, I know. That's why I did it. Hey, you're going to get back
055to the top of the mountain. Does that mean I'm going to get back with Christina? No. Oh, no. No. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat up here. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat up here. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] What are you doing in there? What's that? [Music] I wouldn't do that. What are you doing? What are you looking for? [Music] Worried about your friend but don't know how to reach out? You can say how are you or get a fake tattoo. You can ask with a app if it works for you. You can chat with them in VR. It's all good. If you think you should check in, yeah, you should reach out to a friend about their mental health. Learn how you can help at seize the.org. [Music] Heat.
056[Music] Heat. Heat [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] up [Music] Heat up here. [Music] Heat [Music] up here. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] I don't think that many kids in my son's school even do it. He makes fun of his friend who vapes. He would never try it. She's into soccer. She's on the honor roll. She's just not the type. [Music] No way. No way. No way. My kid would never vape. Get your head out of the cloud. Today, nearly 8,000 kids will start vaping, maybe even yours. Learn about the dangers at talkaboutving.org. There are 16 million children struggling with hunger in America. That's one in five daughters, sons, neighbors, and classmates who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Yet, billions of pounds of good food go to waste every year. It's time we
057do something about it. Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that helps provide meals to millions of kids and families in need. Visit feedingamea.org to help them feed even more. Together, we can solve hunger. Together, we're feeding [Music] [Applause] America. [Music] Heat up here. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat up [Music] here. [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] How are you doing? [Music] [Applause] [Music] Yeah. Hey, hey, [Music] hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh yeah. [Music] Oh, hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. [Music] Okay, Dad. One, 2, 3. [Music] You saved me. Dad, are you okay? I'm fine, dear. Your hero needs you now. And AARP is here to help. Find the care guides you need at
058aarp.org/caregiving. The black truck. Hey, Christina from accounting. Yeah. Hi. Hey. I used to date a girl named Christina. Oh, really? Yeah. And then she dumped me for my best friend. You want to see some photos of them that I took? I don't. I thought we talked about this, buddy. Buzz and overshared again. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to call a car. That's a smart idea. Yeah, I know. That's why I did it. Hey, you're going to get back to the top of the mountain. Does that mean I'm going to get back with Christina? No. Oh, no. No. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] feel. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] What are you doing in there? What's that?
059[Music] I wouldn't do that. What are you doing? What are you looking for? [Music] Worried about your friend but don't know how to reach out? You can say how are you or get a fake tattoo. You can ask with a app if it works for you. You can chat with them in VR. It's all good. If you think you should check in, yeah, you should get reach out to a friend about their mental health. Learn how you can help at seize the.org. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] I don't think that many kids in my son's school even do it. He makes fun of his friend who vapes. He would never try it. She's into soccer. She's on the honor roll. She's just not the
060type. [Music] No way. No way. No way. My kid would never vape. Get your head out of the cloud. Today, nearly 8,000 kids will start vaping. Maybe even yours. Learn about the dangers at talkaboutving.org. There are 16 million children struggling with hunger in America. That's one in five daughters, sons, neighbors, and classmates who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Yet, billions of pounds of good food go to waste every year. It's time we do something about it. Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that helps provide meals to millions of kids and families in need. Visit feedingamea.org to help them feed even more. Together, we can solve hunger. Together, we're feeding America. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat.
061[Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music]