001would like to call this meeting to order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. [Applause] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Thank you. Good evening everyone. Again, fire exits are located at the sides of the room in the front and back. In the case of a fire, you you will hear fire alarm a fire alarm. At that time, please move in a common orderly fashion to the nearest exit before we proceed to public speaking. We will have a presentation. Uh Kath, I need to open up a separate meeting for this. So, okay. We're going to have a public hearing on the public safety plan. It's going to be a presentation by Mr. Tom Carton. Mr. Tom. Thank you, President Rose, uh board, cabinet, public, thank you for having me here tonight.
002Uh the district emergency plan is a living document. We're always updating it. We try to plan for every emergency possible. And as you'll see, um we're always it's updated. Um what I'm doing now is I spoke with Mr. D. Carlo over the summer, we're going to be doing additional things with our districtwide emergencies. We're going to start doing tabletop exercises with our administrators. So, in the event I'm not available, we'll have people following in different roles on what to do, what emergencies, and we're also our building level emergency plans, which you have, but they're confidential, are going to be uploaded to the state using drone technology. Since our roads are changing, the areas around the buildings are changing, we're going to start using drones to u photograph the area, live footage. So this way when
003we do our tabletop exercises, we can show people this is what the emergency is. This is where your evacuation routes are and what to do. The beauty of the emergency plan is based upon the incident command system. Our administrators are trained in the incident command and we're going having a refresher course over the summer for the incident command. So this way everybody knows what roles they have to uh fulfill. as usual is a short and brief uh uh presentation. Does anybody have any questions? The public has 30 days to comment on the plans. They can email uh Kathy Keevy, our district clerk, any questions about the plans. As soon as I get them, I'll address them and we'll have uh next month's presentation. I'll have answers to those questions. Thank you. Thanks, Tom. Thank you
004very much, Mr. Cotton. We will now I will now make a motion to open the floor for public speaking. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Vice President McIll. All in favor say I. Anyone oppose? Motion carries. Speaking number one. Got it. [Music] So important specifically. Foreons. You too. I mean, Yes. responsibility. Transport. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Speaker number two. Hello everyone. So before I start my comments, I'd like to share what my seven-year-old just said. If there's a rule in school that you're not allowed to have a phone, why is there not a rule for the board to be off their phones? Okay. From a seven-year-old. Thank you. So my comment is that I want to share an experience that I had from the last time we were at the board until
005now. My son had an opportunity to go to Spain. He qualified, his team qualified as the third in his age rank with only three goals made in there. After this trip, we were talking on the plane were how fortunate we are, but how unfortunate is for the kids in our district in the sports department, not the ones that are constantly featured. Now, I really would like for the district to also provide information how kids can go abroad. Not only in the United States, you can get an education. you can get an education abroad. Also, a lot of our kids don't have the opportunity to find it out on themselves. So, it would be great for the district, the the high schools to invite abroad colleges to brighten up other options for our kids. Now looking
006at how the budget is being faced and the things that are being brought up also another thing that my daughter little one said why are adults acting like my age if we want the best and we're here for the best why is that not provided if we're mentioning like the mom said about lunches yes of course like if you don't eat in the day you're going to be hangry angry and hungry at at the same time, right? If you don't eat correctly, you can't think of an education. And then when you have adults that are not even caring about something so simple and so basic, it's ridiculous. And for my 7-year-old to realize this also, it is scary to see that a seven-year-old is thinking better than an adult. Because if she has the sense
007of respect that she can give into an adult, why is an adult giving the same respect to a child? That is ridiculous. We are all adults. And yes, of course, you can hear parents go off and on about all the bad stuff because it's a lot of bad stuff. I want to say how positive it is, how amazing the seniors from Marample High School and Spring Valley are making their purpose to make sure they highlight their students, their peers when the when our district is not fully doing it. We need to be proud of these students. Same as we had be um two weeks ago, we had jazz night. It was an immense success. We had a full crowd in there and I would love to see those pictures in the district and shown to
008the kids. It was amazing that the that Mr. Smith was able to create an amazing event and it should be open even more in a bigger space and hopefully next time you actually go because these kids are very talented. Thank you. Speaker number three. Greetings, shalom. And hello, Superintendent Mr. D. Carlo, board members, administrators, and people of the public. My name is Raphael Lindor. I am a resident, I'm sorry. I'm a president and founder of Rockland Dynasty, a youth football nonforprofit 501c3. Today, I stand before you not only as a youth football coach, but as an alumni of East Rample Central School District, a community activist and a proud resident born and raised in Spring Valley, New York. I'd like to start off by saying, Superintendent Mr. D. Carlo, thank you for the efforts you
009and your team has poured into East Rample Central School District. from the school curriculum to the building projects and efforts to responsibly do what's right and be transparent to the public. Tonight, I want to address three key points about the importance of community collaboration, the essential role of sports in our educational framework and the challenges we face in maintaining these programs. Firstly, it is crucial crucial for our community to work together. Over the past two years, our youth organization has faced significant struggles and obstacles that has hindered in our ability to operate effectively. The field and permit process has been broken, making it difficult to secure resources for our student athletes. However, I want to acknowledge the efforts of our building facilities director who has worked diligently to correct some of these issues and enhance
010our facilities alongside with members of East Rample Central School District such as the athletic department of Rample High School, the superintendent of business. Thank you for your help and contributions. Secondly, sports serve as a foundation for their school district. They not only promote physical health, but also foster teamwork, discipline, and a sense of belonging among the students within our school district. Unfortunately, recent changes in fees place an overwhelming burden on our organizations like Rockland Dynasty, which is a nonforprofit 501c3, which rosters nearly 90% of the kids of East Rap Central School District. The increase of fees over 100% has made it nearly impossible for us to continue providing the vital services. Uh the last few years we paid on an average of $3 to $5,000, but this year those costs have skyrocketed to $25,000 just
011for the football and athletic fields. Finally, I urge the board to reconsider these fees of increases and explore solutions that can support a nonfor-profit organization like myself and others in the community. Acknowledging our contributions to the youth of East Sero and explore long-term season rates will be a significant step in ensuring that we can continue to serve the community and community effectively. Thank you for your time and attention to this pressing matter. Together, we can create a brighter future for our students and for the community of East Rampa Central School District. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. That concludes public speaking. I will now make a motion to adjourn the public hearing and then we're going to move on to the regular meeting. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Vice President McIll. All those
012in favor say I. And on oppos. We will now open up the regular scheduled board meeting. And we will turn it over to our superintendent, Mr. D. Carlo, for the superintendent report. Thank you very much, uh, President Rose. Um, I hope everybody had a great holiday um, last week and we're now into the home stretch of uh, the school year. As me as was mentioned, you know, May and and June, there are a lot of events and things going on throughout the district and you know, we are going to showcase as much as we can. Um, and we will and you'll you'll see a couple of things tonight to address some of your concerns and I'll get to that in a second. But before I get to the issue when it comes to the lunchrooms
013and it comes to food services, I just wanted to update the board and the community um that today I had a visit from um state uh commissioner Betty Rosa was here. She spent much of the day here um at East Ramapo, not only speaking with myself but speaking with my team. Um and the conversation was uh around the fact that um you know she and her team looks like you said at our board meetings and sees what's going on and uh commended myself and the team um around being transparent this year with the budget explaining the budget as thoroughly as we could letting you the public make better sense of the why we were asking for what we were asking for in the budget. Um she also in the statement that she sent to the
014board and kind of codified that with us that she feels that the budget that was presented um to the community and to the board and then was also um approved by our our monitors um Mr. Sha Far and Dr. Shelley Jallow um you know she states that a lot of work and effort went into it. She does agree that the the uh the budget is responsible, fiscally responsible, that it goes back and it allows for priorities and things that should have been addressed in the past when it comes to academic needs as in regards to what our students need across our K12 continuum as well as the fact that it is fiscally responsible. So, it was a really good conversation um that we had had with the commissioner um as we move forward um with
015regards to um the budget being presented for a vote come May 20th. So, I just wanted to make sure that I I share that with the board of education that she was here and spent some time with us today. Um so, I want to thank her for her words of encouragement and I just wanted to share that with the board of education and the community. So now we'll go to now we'll go to lunch. So there's a couple of things that in the course of this year as you know I've been I was charged with coming in and being the interim superintendent of schools and trying to look into things and there are some times where the board of education has not been made aware of things that should have taken place and didn't. This
016is an example that this that this district has monies under um our cafeteria and food service funds that we have not tapped into. Okay. They didn't know that. They wouldn't know that because they weren't told by previous people that sat here and not just in my seat but other executive directors. By the way, did you know and the board has charged me and said, Mr. D. Carlo, you know, we keep hearing about these issues. What if anything can you do about it? and we continue to have these conversations. I want to thank, you know, Mr. Tindle. I want to thank Mr. Stark um because we do have monies available to be able to do some of the things that you'd like to see done. So, in front of you tonight, you can see the way
017we're going to repurpose our cafeterias in our middle schools and our high schools. If you've been in if you've been in any of these cafeterias, they are places where the lighting is dim, the furniture, in some cases at Spring Valley High School, they're literally eating on old, old folding tables and chairs that are 30 years old. It saddens me that we're even having this conversation. This is stuff that should have been just years and years ago. So you'll see some of the renditions of some of the work that's going to be done over the course of this summer. Now here's really what's important and I've heard you, the board has heard you when we talk about food and quality of service. So we are in the process of going out. We hired a consultant and
018you can see what this consultant will be doing over a period of five months speaking with students, speaking with staff, talking about the current menu, what it looks like, what isn't appetizing, what is appetizing, what we should have, what we could have, how we can get it. Okay? So, I I want you to clearly understand we are listening and we are looking to make these changes because it is important when we talk about health and safety and and well-being of our students. And I wanted to take some time tonight to share this with you that it's in process. We're working on it. This is not where Mr. D. Carlo was just saying this because just to say it and it's not going to come to fruition. It is. It's going to happen. And you're going
019to be looking at surveys. We're going to be sitting down with students. We're going to be having panels. We're going to be doing taste testings. We're going to be doing all this stuff. So, if you think about it, these two things, recalibrating, repurposing our our ours in which our kids eat and then giving them better quality choices, we're going to get where we need to go. Okay? And I I can understand your frustration, but it's also a frustration on the board's part because they've heard this, but nobody did a deep dive and to say, "What are some of the things we can do? These are some of the things that we can do." So, I I just wanted to share that because that was really really an important piece to to answering some of these
020um questions over the last couple of months. So, um with that being said, um I'm going to now turn it over to uh Mr. Mr. Stark talked to you a little bit about where we are with some of our budget presentations and what's going to happen between now and um Tuesday um May 20th. Mr. Stark, thank you. Uh is that better? There we go. So, thank you. Um as you know, the board uh did adopt um the budget at the last meeting. So, that is now done. We are working on um a number of um both uh pieces online and also um that will be mailed out to the residents of the school district. Um and what you see in front of you is a list of um community meeting dates. We've done uh two
021of these. There's another one um uh Wednesday of next week uh that will be um at uh one of the uh yeshiva schools. Um and uh we continue uh there'll be other meetings uh far you know more than what's just on the sheet that we are also working on with some other community groups that have an interest in um getting more information about the budget and the and the budget vote. Who has the um Oh, thank you. Um and and really uh again it's a brief presentation uh today in that the the budget um was adopted. The budget vote uh we will have a we will have a hearing uh on May 6th which is the next board meeting. That will be the official public hearing. Um it is somewhat unusual. This is actually um
022been the law in New York State for a hundred years. Um, I may be off on that that number of years, but um, school districts are required to have a budget hearing after the budget has been adopted, which seems like maybe uh something that that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is uh that is the process. So, the after the budget is adopted, um, school districts are required to have a budget hearing. Um, and it must happen at least 14 days before the budget vote, which um will be on May 20th. So, we encourage everybody to go out and vote. It actually is a civic duty for everyone to do so. Um, we would love to see um great participation. We can't tell you how we
023would like you to vote. Um, but it is very important that uh everybody go out and exercise their right to do so. Um, and that's all we have on the budget today. Back to you, President Rose. Thank you very much, Mr. Zalo. Mr. Stark as always. Um, okay. We will now move on to consent and agenda items. Do I have a motion for consent and agenda items one through five? Let's do that. We always have to. Sorry. Moved by Mr. Weiss Mandel. Do I have a second? Second by Mr. Federer. Any discussion on these matters one through five? Hearing no further discussion. And all those in favor say I. I. And on opposed same. Motion carries. We will now move on to action items 1 through 14. Do I I have a motion for action
024items 1 through 14. Moved by Mruber. I will second and we'll open it up for discussion. hearing. No further discussion. All those in favor say I. I. Anyone oppose the same? Motions carry. Um, we will now move on to item G, adopt the 2024 property tax report, administrative compensation report. Uh, I will make a motion for this item. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Feder. Do we have any comments or questions on this? Hearing no further questions or discussion. All those in favor say I. Anyone oppose abstain? Motion carries. Excuse me. Excuse me. We should do a roll call vote. Okay, we'll do a roll call. I apologize. Sorry I missed. Okay, Kathy, go ahead. Oh, I see it here written down. My apologies. M uh Mr. Federer, Mr. Federer. Yes. Uh
025how do you vote? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Gruber. Yes. Uh, Mr. Moses Cod. Yes. Mrs. Miguel. Yes. Mr. Weiss Mandle. Yes. Mr. Rose. Yes. The motion passes. Thank you, Kathy. Um, I have a I have a question. Sorry. Go ahead, Mr. letter. We are aware that the um monitors um has sent a um letter to the commissioner and the report and the commissioner's letter both acknowledge major unresolved academic concerns. What specific steps will the district be taking to ensure that this year's budget result in measurable and verifiable academic improvements for our students including choric absentes? So Trusty Feder, very good question. Um as you are aware and we we've placed a number of times over the last month um the department chairs especially um Dr. Gonzalez shows you and Miss Morales and Miss Maronei some
026of the data on how our schools are performing. As you are aware we have a number of schools that are on the state list SEP list. Um actually tomorrow there's a meeting Mr. Gonzalez will be having with all of those schools and addressing some of those specific issues and concerns. So, here's what should happen, although you know, um I'm not going to be here, but here's what should happen um as you move forward once we get the results back from the state of New York, right? That's the grades 3 to 8 testing. But let me also just be let's put a caveat before we even get to next year. There were problems before the break on testing. As you know, East Ramapo has gone to computer-based testing and there were a lot of glitches the
027first couple of weeks with the testing and it's been straightened out. But, you know, we talk about social and emotional well-being of students and our poor third graders, our little third graders are there getting ready to take a test and then they can't take it two days in a row. Thank God the state was able to work with the company and it's so far been rectified. But I'll continue to go on. So what will happen is more or less trusty Federer in August or September um we'll get the results back from the 3 to8 tests and we'll also get back our our regent's results at which point in time um Mr. Gonzalez and the superintendent will present the school district's report card to the board of education. Now you need to understand a couple of
028things. This team this year is a new team. So there's a lot of different things that we've uncovered from a curriculum point of view. And if you do remember the last meeting and I did share this with the entire board, I go back to what I said 15 20 minutes ago. This district was not in position to meet the needs of all of these L students that came in over the last 5 years. They were not. second and then they never pivoted to do the kind of curriculum work that needed to be done for the students. So part of the results of what you're seeing in front of you is because of that and again I know you weren't made aware of some of those issues and things that went on but I can tell
029you that the work that Dr. Jallow has done both this year but last year but most importantly this year um in addressing what we need to do for example as a part of this budget and you know the board adopted you know we are putting we're putting tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars into a curriculum that really address addresses our Larners because for the most part everybody we're an L district we have 60ome% of our students who are larners so we are actually looking at a program that has been researchbased that is being done in white plains that's being done in peak skill that's being done in Austin which are similar districts to us that should have been done masquertos pasados that should have been done four years ago right we're here now so
030next year really trusty feder is a baseline year I am confident that you'll even see this coming year with some of the changes that we've made in in really codifying where students should be when it comes to coding them. The cleanup that we've done in where kids should be placed in what what's happening on how kids are measured by um our our our team here. So, I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to see some even progress come this school year, meaning when we get the results back from 2425. But what should happen every year to your point is you're right any school district whether it's East Ramapo or any district you want to see whatever the strategic plan is that is in place and whatever the priorities are that are in that budget how is
031it impacting student performance and then that needs to be something that's measured by the board and the community to say okay listen we put these things in place let's see how they go now mind you next year is going to be the first year that we're we're adopting this ARC program. So, it's really not to the following year you're going to really hopefully see those kind of results. But you're right, and then we're measured on that. Um because you want to make sure the monies that we're spending, not just from a curriculum point of view, but a professional development point of view, from staffing and support services, and you're going to see next year as a board that Miss Maronei is going to bring in um working with um Mr. Gonzalez. Dr. Gonzalez will show
032you about the support plan that we have in place. We'll tell you about the things that are happening in our classrooms and then you'll see that journey along the way and then you'll see those results. So, at the end of the day, the commissioner is keenly aware that um we need to do better here academically. Um the monitors are keenly aware of that. I'm keenly aware of it. The the team is keenly aware of it. But I don't want to lose sight that, you know, we're really starting from ground zero. And and I know it's frustrating. I know it's very frustrating because we have community members out there whose kids have been here for three, four, five years who haven't had what they truly should have gotten. But this budget will allow us to begin
033to do some of that work. So that's an important piece. I don't know, Mr. Gonzalez, if you wanted to Dr. Gonzalez, I'm sorry. Um, if you wanted to piggyback on any of that, the work that you're doing with your teams. Yeah, sure. And thank you, Superintendent D. Carlo. And to just to further the point, if you recall back in February when we began to share um the instructional side of the budget, we did mention that there was about $16.5 million as part of the prospected 2526 budget that was specifically dedicated to the instructional program both on the content specific side as well as on the staffing side. um that staffing and the amount of uh uh the amount of dollars that have been put set aside on the instructional side are really just to get
034us back level set. That's that we're not asking the district to go above and beyond. We're we're trying to get back to a place where we have content specific directors at the secondary level who will be providing some um support to both classroom teachers and to building leaders 7 through 12. We're looking to hire instructional coordinators for the kindergarten through sixth grade level. Um, and those coordinators would would basically be housed in schools working with teachers. We're looking at putting clusters of three different instructional coordinators in each building to help with the uh literacy, math, and um MLE student. As uh Superintendent D. Carlo continues to mention the high number of students that are English language learners and students with disabilities that we serve. Um there has been funding set aside for professional development for
035our building leaders. Um we are in the process of uh solidifying an RFP that will be put out for professional services that we will be seeking for professional development not just for our building leaders but for also our executive team so that we can continue our learning. Um for the first time perhaps ever in the district we will have a phonics program that will be K through two in every building. Um that is part of the instructional design. So, um I believe that when um Commissioner Rosa is informed by our monitors, she's informed based on what we have found, discovered, and the steps that we're taking to mitigate and bring us back to a place where our students can be competitive with our neighboring districts. Also, about the buildings, one of the items on the
036report was about the future that our buildings are in dire need of repairs. Um, as far as my understanding, we had put in close to $200 million in the building the last three, four years. So, if we could get some sort of a report how the buildings are now after all these repairs are done. Because I believe the audit that we had was before we did any work that mentioned those the building condition survey. Yes. Uh, yes. So, I I kind of drafted it out and I I'm still working on it as what was addressed through ARPA, what was addressed through uh the tax increase, what was addressed through this. And it breaks it out in the health and safety categories, but I I did promise you, Mr. Gruber, two board meetings ago that I'd
037have that. I I'll I'll get that to you. And also what still needs to be done. I understand this is what was done and how how the buildings are now. What needs to be done? It's it's highlighted by what we addressed. And then so what we didn't address is obviously still the need. So it'll show all the health and safety items that we still have there. And obviously I'll share that with the monitors. I'll share that with the board. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Tindle. Um, okay. We will now move on to information and reports from the board. I will give it over to our vice president, Miss Miguel, for her report. Go ahead. Thank you, President Rose. Um, I just want to mention that um, we did the audit committee, we had an audit committee
038meeting uh, yesterday which was very informative. I'm glad that that is off and and has started. Um, present was our treasurer, Mr. Starks Gruber, uh, myself, Miss uh, Sabrina Charles Pierre, Mr. Anthony Smith, and Mr. Mario Mahia and kind of basically explained um the responsibilities or the purpose for an audit committee which basically was explained to oversee and carry out the board's audit policies and the performance of related duties and responsibilities and this audit committee I think was very beneficial and one of our responsibilities as we were told was we would be looking at um audits and then of course report back uh to our board. So, I just wanted to share that with um the president and the board as well. Um and not only that, I know that um Miss Anna, you did
039state how our our students are very talented and and for they really are um for years and years and years. And I I have been to one of the jazz performances. It's awesome. But I also today want to say how I had the privilege of um being at Spring Valley High School this uh Saturday and it was nice to see how our district was able to host. This is not the first time though was able to host the Red Raider Relays at Spring Valley Senior High School. If you'd have seen all the athletes there, it was it was great. It was just a great view and to see our students um participating in track and field and an event on a Saturday, you know, was was awesome. And I do want to say that I
040was able to see one of our student athletes by the name of Taniah Joseph, a student from Spring Valley Senior High School. This young lady kind of remind me of myself. Um, she was a sprinter and she I mean she was running the hundred and the 200 like like there was the wind like she was just her hair was in the wind but she did a phenomenal job. She was a champion for the 100 and the 200. So I just want to applaud her and say hats off to her because a job well done. Um and and believe me there was many more because we had students from Ramipo you know as well as Spring Valley participating. So it was a great thing to see and I I just want us to continue to participate
041in any athletic program or whether it even even even any club there's clubs too that we we have you know so whatever it may be the bands just continue to participate but you know what our kids are somebody they're very talented and I'm so proud of all of them thank you thank you very much vice president it's always great to hear Okay, we will now move on to future meeting dates. Just reminder, a special meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23rd, beginning right here in the PLC room. This will be most of the meeting in executive session. There won't be any public comment. There won't be any motions on the agenda. We're just going to open the meeting, go straight into exec, come out and enjoy the meeting. personnel. Um, the regular scheduled meeting
042is scheduled for May 6th, 2025 right here, beginning at 7:30 p.m. right here in the PLC room in the administration building 105 South M South Madison Avenue, Spring Valley, New York. written communication. Since the last board meeting, the board received an email from monitor far with monitor monitor analysis of the ERCSD proposed budget for the 2025 and 26 school year and a letter from Commissioner Rosa regarding the budget. I will now make a motion to enter executive session. Kathy, what are we discussing? To discuss matters on the possible appointment or termination of particular persons and the possible discipline of persons. Thank you, Kathy. Do we have a second? We do. We do not expect action following. Thank you. Second by Mr. Feder. All those in favor say I. I. And on oppose abstain. Motion carries.
043Thank you everyone. Have a good night. I'd like to call the meeting back to order. Is there a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting? Yes. And who might who might that be? Okay. So, I'm sorry, Effie. Okay. So, motion made by Effie. Second, Mr. Gruber.