001Call to order. Please rise for the pledge to the flag. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Part time archers left face present arms to the flag of the United States of America. America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Order arms. Right. Pierce forward. Arch. >> [applause] >> Mr. General, roll call, please. Here >> here. >> Mr. General, can you please uh summarize executive session? Any correspondence of note? Okay. Uh we now need approval of the minutes from previous meeting. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Yes. Yes. >> Thank you. Sorry. >> Uh, Mr. Fernandez. >> Yes. >> Mrs.
002Hernandez. >> Yes. >> Mr. Maldonado. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Pabone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Smith. >> Yes. >> And Mrs. Bloom. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> The motion carries. >> Okay. Thank you. And now [clears throat] to our favorite part of the meeting, our student council representative from SEO Memorial High School, Morgan Couns. Good evening, board of education members and administrators. My name is Morgan Coun, SWMHs student council board of education representative. I would like to begin with clubs and activities. Earlier in October, staff and students recognized all fall sports teams during the fall pep rally. The pep rally events included a musical performance by the marching band, tugofwar, a relay race, steal the bacon, musical chairs, field goal kick, and a performance by the bombers cheer team. Later that evening was the homecoming football
003game. Congratulations to Carson Martin and Gabby Collazo for being crowned homecoming king and queen. Congratulations to the class of 2026 for defeating the class of 2027 during the powderpuff game. The high school counselors took 35 collegebound seniors to the Woodbridge College Fair at Woodbridge High School. The fair hosted 40 colleges and trade programs from all over the country. Students were able to go from table to table collecting information on schools and meeting college representatives. On October 22nd, the high school counselors also ran a college planning workshop for seniors and their parents and guardians. Over 40 families attended. While the students worked with the counselors on their college essays, Naviance inputs, their common application, college searches, and many other planning activities, their parents and guardians worked with Miss AOLA on their FASA applications and learned about
004the financial aid process. This year's peer leaders were able to connect with other peer leaders from across the state during the fall team communication leadership retreat at Camp Bernie in Port Marray. Students in the future business leaders of America club attended the state fall leadership conference at Kain University. Furthermore, the president of the SWMHs FBLA made a crime and detective packed presentation. Students in the theater society have been working hard these last couple weeks to construct the sets for Puff, the fall drama, which will open on November 21st. The senior football players and managers recognized and thanked the staff members that had a profound impact on them during impact day. Moving on to sports. Congratulations to senior Shawn Jackson from the football team for being selected as the player of the week for his performance
005at their game against Franklin High School. Additionally, the football team advanced in the playoffs after a win over Trenton High School. Even though the team lost to Obridgeidge High School in a hard-fought game, we congratulate them for the hard work they put in day in and day out that brought them this far. Furthermore, we congratulate them for winning the BCC National Silver Division Championship after defeating St. Thomas Aquinus High School. Congratulations to the cheer team for winning the 2025 overall and red division game day championship. The girls and boys cross country teams ran extremely well during the Greater Middle Sex Conference Championships. Angelia and Damen Oliver placed fourth, Morgan Coun placed 11th, Sophia Stanley placed 18th, and Bryce White placed 19th. The girls team also win the GMC Gold Division Championship. Congratulations to the field
006hockey team for winning the GMC White Division Championship. The girls tennis team earned their sixth match win of the season after defeating Colonia High School. The boys soccer team tied Wardlaw Hartridge and the Piscataway Magnet high schools to improve their season record to 88-2. The girls soccer team defeated Monroe Township High School to improve their season record to 128. The girls volleyball team The girls volleyball team ended off with an outstanding 15 wins this season. Thank you for your time and support. [applause] >> I have questions. Um, first and foremost, congratulations on a gold division championship and your 11th place finish. That's fantastic. We're so very proud of you. [applause] >> Um, when is swim uh season start? >> This week? >> It started today actually, but I couldn't make it, so I'll be there
007tomorrow. >> Any predictions on the season? Um, no idea, but I know we have a lot of fast swimmers coming up, >> including yourself. >> Yes. >> Excellent. Excellent. Um, any What are the plans for Thanksgiving? >> I'm think I'm going to my uncle's house. We haven't been there in a while. Ever since CO, I think, haven't we? We stopped going there, but now we're going this year. So, I'm excited. >> That's wonderful. You're going to make his day. That is so awesome. And lastly, how is your sister doing in college? >> Oh, she's doing good. She got an internship already in her freshman year. That does not surprise me. >> Wow, that's fantastic, honey. Well, we wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving and great job as always. >> Thank you, Morgan.
008Unfortunately, Samantha Callahan is not well, so she can't be with us tonight, so we'll not get her. >> Well, we hope she feels better >> her comments this evening, but thank you. >> Happy late birthday to her. Yesterday was her birthday, right? >> Oh, we have to wish her happy birthday >> to Samantha. >> Can we sing? Thanks, Morgan. >> She's at Is she watching, Chris? >> Okay. Do we want to sing happy birthday to? >> Why not? >> Oh, Dr. Lavy. >> Happy birthday to you, Samantha Kelly. Happy birthday. Come on, Mrs. Babone. You know the words to you. >> Happy birthday, Samantha. [singing] >> Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Samantha. >> Happy birthday to you. That's right. We do everything here. >> So, now Sam knows how much we love her
009because we totally embarrassed ourselves. >> Yay. >> Okay. Um, at this time, I have no comments. Mr. Smith, your highlights, please. >> Oh, thank you, Miss Bloom. commendations and thank you to Charlie Richie from the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 96, for building a brand new Gaga pit and assembling the picnic tables over at Truman School. Great work by Troop 96. Congratulations to the Sarville War Memorial High School field hockey team for winning the GMC White Division. Congratulations to the War Memorial High School cheer team for winning the 2025 overall and red division game day championships. also for advancing to the Universal Cheer Association National Championship in Disney. Congratulations to the Seville War Memorial High School football team for winning the BCC National Silver Division. Congratulations to the Sarville War Memorial High School girls cross
010country team for winning the GMC Gold Division. Congratulations to Sarville War Memorial High School cross country team runner Angelie L Prey for breaking the girls 5K school record with a speedy time of 18 minutes 53 seconds and having run some 5Ks. That girl would have smoked me. >> That's really fast. [laughter] >> Congratulations to Joseph Pasta, Sarville World Memorial High School girls cross country coach for being named the GMC Gold Division Coach of the Year. And congratulations to Nick Saflli, Zarville War Memorial High School boys soccer coach for being named the white division coach of the year as well as the GMC conference coach of the year. >> And we'll be recognizing and celebrating those four teams for their division championships during our December 16th meeting. >> Y >> thank you. Uh are we doing
011the ROC presentation now? >> Yes, we are. Would you like me to do the >> right now? the state of the air force ROC program at Sum Memorial High School. >> And we have with us here Alyssa Shrivever who is um our the leader of our cadetses [applause] of course under the supervision of our wonderful Colonel Tamasi and our master Sergeant Sang who do a magnificent job. [applause] >> Okay. Hi everyone. I'm Melissa Shrivever. I am currently the core commander of our unit NJ20173 and the group commander. Um, a little bit about me is that I'm currently a fifth year cadet. I had the opportunity to be to do 8th grade ROC, which was only a one-year thing, but honestly was really fun. It was right after school, so I spent all year going after
012school learning the same thing as the high schoolers. Obviously, I'm the unicore commander. Um, I participate in two sports. I'm a varsity athlete in lacrosse and I also do competitive dancing on top of it. I have been dancing basically my entire life and I have been competitive dancing since 2019. Um, another a few more things I'm involved in is I'm involved in FBLA and I'm in pure leadership. I was able to take that course. My future plans are to become a nurse. So, college applications are very stressful, but I got into every um nursing school so far, so it's looking up for me. But I also uh want to join the Air Force. So um I'm planning on taking my first semester off to take my training in boot camp and then continue on with
013the spring semester. The reason why is because my brother's currently in the Air Force. He uh joined in 2023 February and he's currently in Guam. So it's a big toll on our family, but honestly I want to do the same thing that he's doing. He was also in ROC. So that's why I joined it to begin with. He was a senior my eighth grade year. So, I was able to be in the program with him, which was like a big wholesome moment for me. What is JRTC? JRTC is a cadet leadership program. Um, it is we establish character development, discipline, and professionalism. Um, we also give all of our cadets an opportunity to become a leader. So this year we have a lot of new incoming cadetses and most of them are probably going to
014have a leadership role. So my freshman my eighth grade year I was able to be a flight commander and honestly that is made me the person who I am today. And also our core values are integrity first service before self and excellence all we do and they're straight from the air force and we make sure to establish them in each classroom. The benefits of JRTC is that is a five credit course. So, you're not dipping out of any credits in the high school. Um, there's no military commitment whatsoever. People get that confused. You don't have to sign any papers. It's just a fun course. Um, but if you do want to enlist or you do want to have a career in the military, you are able to get a higher pay grade of an E3,
015which is the enlisted rank. So, if you go in with no ROC background, you would get an E1 pay grade. But if you do ROC for more than three years, then you get a pay grade of E3. Um, also you're able to meet a lot of different people because in my flight, I am Charlie flight. I am meeting a bunch of new freshmen even though I'm a senior because of how diverse ROC is. So this is our cadet core by grade level right now. So we have 55 incoming freshmen. So 55 9th graders, 38 10th graders, 17 11th graders, and 12 12th graders. And that equals to 119 cadetses. This is honestly the largest our core has ever been. It's honestly amazing. So this is by um how many returning cadets we have? We have
01640. So we lost a lot of cadetses last year from graduating. And um we have 69 new cadets. So not just freshmen, just new cadets in general. uh 30 second years, three fifth years, four fourth years, and I'm the only fifth year cadet. So, as you can see here, this is the rise of our program. And I am so happy because as you can see, we have a big dip and I'm proud to say that I've been here since the beginning. So, I was there for the 104 cadetses and sadly there for the downfall, but now we're back for a rise and I am so excited. So inside the classroom we have six flights. Um Alpha Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Foxhot. Um Mondays and Tuesdays are academic days. So we do aerospace science aerospace science and
017leadership 101 courses. On Wednesdays we do our uniform inspection, which is a little tricky. So we have two uniforms or three if you want to count OCPS. Um our blue uniforms is our dress wear. um you have the opportunity to wear these or the OCPS which is the green camouflage uniform. And we also have another form of uniform which is outdated but cadets still wear them. They're called ABUS. Um for the the uniform inspection is a grade. So we don't really take many quizzes or tests. It's mainly uniform grades. So you get um graded based off of your hair being in red. No flyaways all slick back. No nail polish. No jewelry. Excessive jewelry. no excessive makeup, wearing black socks. Same thing for the camo uniform as well. So, we really want to we really
018like to take pride in what we wear because this is the same uniform as um people in the military wear. So, you want to make sure we're wearing it proud. Um on Thursday, we do drill and movement, which is what you've seen before. That's more of a color guard movement, but we still try to implement basic drill. Um I had a video, it's sadly not going to work. Um but on Fridays we do physical training and we have two physical PT reps in each flight. In my flight we have a second year cadet and a first year cadet who stepped up into the position. So that's another example of having leaders as incoming freshmen. Um basically we have a stretching circle and then our PT reps have a either a workout plan or like a
019free day. We go to the weight room. We have sections and stations or we could just simply play kickball in the gym or we're playing basketball. So that's our like relax, cool, fun day. And this is the video sadly. This is my flight. They're doing pretty good. Most of them are first years and I'm I'm so proud of them. So some events in ROC this year I'm very excited about. So we had the trunk retreat which was a um community service event. We had 20 cadets. I sadly cannot make it to this one because it was our homecoming dance and I didn't want to miss that. [gasps] Um, we had the Festival of Lights which we had 13 cadetses. Uh, we had the Veterans Day color guard at South Boy. So, we helped out neighboring
020schools. Uh, we had the Veterans Day ruck march which was really fun. We had a um [music] someone from the American Legions helped us do the ruck. We had the the backpacks with weights on them and we walked around to the up to the middle school and back around and onto the fields. So, it was actually really cool. Um, we also do we did most of the color guard for our football games which was really cool to show up. And we do flag detail every day. We lower and we raise and lower the flag every morning with our alpha freight alpha flight and foxhaw flight which is really important because that's our duty for the school. Our fundraisers that we've had so far is a popcorn fundraiser which was really cool because half of the
021profits went to us. So we had three days to do complete that. We also had a volleyball tournament which was Thank you guys for approving that by the way. I know it was last minute but we very much appreciate it. Um it was for our costume contest. We had a lot of people show up for that too. And we also had the dine to donate which was for um Texas Roadhouse. Some trips that we do is to the middle school. We do our awareness presentation team which we present a slideshow about drug and alcohol awareness, uh, bullying, peer pressure, anything that a person in middle school could be struggling with. Um, I was the commander of this for the past three years and I have handed it off to someone in my top five which
022I'm pretty excited about as well. We also go to Maguire Air Force Base. We went there two times last year I believe. Uh, we did a fuel exchange. So, they were flying and they got the fuel in. I wasn't there for that, but it was pretty cool from videos. Um, we went to Princeton Private Airport. That was my favorite field trip by far because I had the opportunity to fly a plane. I will never forget about that. Um, we went to Fleet Week two years ago, which is basically uh Pier 99, I believe, in New York City, and you see all the Navy ships dock. Extremely cool. And those are some photos from Fleet Week. We also did shadow day at Ruckers last year, which is when we went to Rucker's campus and we were
023just hanging out with the ROC cadetses in their unit. So, we see what a college day is in ROC, which was really cool because you get to meet a lot of people from different schools as well. Some other events that we're doing is this Saturday we have our very first Joel competition in five years, which is really exciting. And we're competing in 11 events and against 16 other schools. So, this is really exciting for us. We have military ball, the awards ceremony, CLC, which is a cadet leadership camp, and that's basically you go away for a week at a um at a college campus. I'm not sure which one I was not able to attend. And you basically get a taste of what college RTC is like and like boot camp in a sense. Um
024we do the marching in the Memorial Day parade every year. That's really fun. you walk from Elizabeth Street all the way down to Burough Hall and then we also help out with the veterans in the VFW down the street. Um we also host the shadow day for the career club at the middle school. We did that last year and I think that's how we got a lot of our cadetses alongside the AP trip which is awareness presentation. We got a lot of cadets from there as well. Um and we also did wreath wreaths across America about three years ago and we also have Deanna in there. I don't know if you saw. Yeah. Um that was a while ago, but that was really cool. Um that was a huge event. We had a lot of
025veterans show up for that one. Last year, our goals were to have 95% of cadetses have an average of 88 or higher in ROC. We surpassed that by a lot last year. We also wanted to have at least 35 uh returning cadet, 35 first years. That was also another goal of ours. We surpassed that by a ton. We also wanted to have a minimum of 800 community service hours. We did amazing last year. So this year our goals are to have 80% of cadets will have an A or better in ROC. Also 75% of cadets will increase their push-ups in the amount of a minute. We also do a test or we try to in the beginning of the year see how many push-ups you could do just to track how you're getting better throughout
026the year. I think we could also do a good job on that one. um at least two AP trips to the middle school and conduct one community service event on grounds. So maybe that's simply just helping with litter on school grounds or cleaning up the football field. Um and have at least five fundraisers. I changed this one. It was originally two, but we already have done so many so I just decided to boost it up a little bit. Our future plans is to have a commander call, which is tomorrow. That's really exciting because since we have so many new cadets, they're not really sure what a commander call is. So, a commander call is when we have our entire unit down in the gym and we're just going to do basic movements of how do
027I explain this? Um, so we have each flight line up and we're going to do open ranks, which is all of them are opening up to see their uniform, which is the expect the inspection. And um this is getting us ready for our inspection, which is no uh February 5th. And that's basically seeing our grade on how we're doing compared to other schools. Um we're doing a color we do color guard for the unified foot um basketball. Um we have the military the military ball March 27th the award ceremony May 5th alongside the chain of commands. So once May 5th hit May 1st hits I will be stepping down for my position and Sofa will be taking my position. Um, we have the flight competition at the very end of the school year, which all
028the flights do drill and they compete against each other. And we're going to go to a few more drill competitions hopefully and at least two field trips. And what I have achieved in ROC is that I won best flight in eighth grade. And this is so special to me because we're the only middle school class. And um, my brother was commanding too and he was a flight commander and I won against him. So that was probably like the best moment in my life. Um, I became a leader. Actually, I was really scared in eighth grade. I hated talking in public. I was just a very scared little girl. And I also overcame my fear of public speaking. Um, made lifetime friends because of the diversity in ROTC. I met people from different grades. They've graduated
029like three or four years ago and I still text them all the time and I'm still in contact with them. And also, I had the opportunity to fly a plane, which is also something that I never thought I was gonna be able to do. With that being said, thank you guys so much for approving everything. And I any questions? [applause] >> I'm sure Dr. Labby has some questions. >> Oh, I'm sure. >> No questions, but I just I have comments. Um, >> okay. >> First and foremost, great presentation. >> Thank you. >> And had you not said that you had the sphere of public speaking, I would have never recognized that. You did a marvelous job. Very impressed. Most importantly, very proud. >> Thank you. Um, with regards to the entire program, um, under your
030leadership as well as the leadership of Colonel Tamasi and Master Sergeant Sank, I I I can't say how proud and how inspired I am by the development of the program, not only the size of the program, number of cadets, but the the amount of things that you are now doing um in the community with drills outside um going to the cadet leadership camp which I believe is in June. I've actually attended one of those. It's pretty cool stuff. Um just the caliber of the work that you and your cadets are doing is has just been so inspiring to me since I, you know, watched the beginning when we first brought the, you know, Air Force Junior ROC in. to see it now and to see it also at a point where it was most vulnerable
031after um the pandemic and after we lost Colonel Spare but then once we got Colonel Tamasi and he injected that infectious energy that Colonel Tamasi has um he's just incredible and then you know Master Sergeant Sang you are you compliment him so well so the leadership um by our instructors but most importantly by our cadets has just been nothing less than extraordinary so I can't thank you enough for the way the impeccable way you have represented this school district and this greater Sville community. So, thank you guys. >> Thank you so much. [applause] >> Thank you very much, Alyssa. We're proud of you. >> We're proud of all of you. >> Awesome job. [applause] you want to comment that she works with me. So she does that and then she go to work too. >>
032So that's where she gets it from. [laughter] >> Okay, we'll give them a minute to exit. Okay, moving on. Um board discussion finance and infrastructure. Miss Babon I get prepared. If you could move to someone else and then I'll have that right for you. >> Uh personnel. Mr. Callahan. >> Not a problem. Personnel committee met a little earlier tonight. We reviewed the current open positions including both cert certificated and non-ertificated staff along with the very low number of leaves of absence in each group. Dr. Aguileles also shared the very positive feedback from the November 4th professional development day. Uh he also discussed the plans for the midyear job fair on January 15th that will focus on the leaves of absence and the openings across uh different departments such as transportation, cafeteria, and maintenance. He also
033informed that uh the board would receive all the governor educator of the year recipients by each for each school by December 7th. And lastly, we reviewed the updated payroll processor job description that we're supposed to approve later on tonight. And the next meeting will be on December 16th. >> Thank you, Mr. Callahan. Are you ready, Dr. >> Okay. Um, so we had our finance and infrastructure committee meeting. During the meeting, as he always does, Mr. Colemanburgger gave us a report on the referendum projects. At this point, with the exception of the locker rooms at the middle school and the inst and the electrical infrastructure at Sllover, which I'll explain in a moment, we're in the punch list phase now of all of our projects. The one problem that we're still having is with the build
034building management system. It's a software system for climate control. Um so, um Mr. Coleman'sburger is working together with each particular vendor to make sure that you know we we get a hold of um how that system works and we can regulate the heat or the air conditioning in each of our classrooms in each of our schools. Um so that's still a little bit of a work in progress, but it's normal with a a high-tech system, you know, like the one we had installed. And speaking again of the locker rooms, we're progressing as scheduled with those locker rooms at the middle school. um we're we're we're we're moving along quite well. And then I'm happy to report that JCPNL did go ahead and install the um transformer, the new transformer that we need at the Solover
035School so that again we can connect that new transformer to the new switch gear and provide the electrical infrastructure that Slover needs in order to run all of our technology as well as our heating and air conditioning systems. With that being said, when you go ahead and connect a transformer to the switch gear, we're going to have to take Sillover off the grid for several days. So, we won't have power there. So, naturally, we won't be able to do that probably until spring break because once we do that, you're going to lose heat and so forth. So, we can't afford to lose heat at this time in the year. So, um, sometime during spring break, JCPNL will come in and help us and we'll connect the switch, our new switch gear that we installed to
036the transformer so that when the spring rolls around, we'll have air conditioning in the entire facility, including the all-purpose room. They've had air conditioning in the building, just not in the all-purpose room. Um so with the connection and the new infrastructure um the whole building will will be up to snuff when it comes to the power it needs for um the the entire system. Okay. We also talked about projects outside of the referendum and we talked about um the solar canopy completion project which you'll see is on the agenda today. We're asking you to award a contract to a company called Shoreland so that we can complete that solar canopy project at the high school. We also talked about the progress that we're making with the transportation complex. We talked about the Eisenhower bathroom renovations
037which will begin uh in fact if they have not already begun, they'll be beginning very soon. We're going to tackle the main bathrooms first and then after that the smaller bathrooms. However, some good news that we reported later in the meeting. You can see that we receive funding from the school development authority which is going to pay for half of the Eisenhower renovation. So we save about $160,000 um because of the funding that we received and applied for from the school development authority. So we're we're beyond thrilled about that. We also talked about the progress that we're making with the installation of the new esports lab at the high school. Um, all the furniture is in. Um, I believe all the electrical or technology is in. We're still waiting on the connection of air conditioning
038into the into the actual room. We don't need that right now because it's not that time of the year. We that's something that we have to continue to do. So, we're real close. Um, they had a deadline at the end of this month. So, uh, where are where do you think we are with that, Mr. Glock Malloy? >> Uh, the only thing left is the fiber connection from the nearest IDF to the room itself. Um, that purchase order is out. I I know that Dr. Rowanoitz is scheduling that end of the month. I'm not so sure. Definitely before uh winter break, I would say. >> Okay, great. And as you know, we already purchased these signs for the the four schools that are going to get electronic signs. They would be Arlith, Eisenhower, Samell, and
039the middle school. In fact, Mr. Colemanburgger had a meeting today with JCPNL to see if we could run the wire from a poll for the sign in front of the middle school. So, we're real close to beginning the installation of those signs and hopefully we'll get those signs up within the next two months. Uh that would be great. Similarly, we talked about the backlit lettering for the high school. So, for the first time, we'll have backlit lettering at the front of the high school. So, you can see it. Severville War Memorial High School proudly displayed at all times of the day, particularly at night. An idea of Mrs. Blooms and that's going to finally come to fruition really soon, too. So, we're close to that. We're still waiting for numbers from our our the engineer
040that our architect is working with to provide us with the data that we need to go ahead and purchase the appropriate amount of generators for the three schools that we budgeted for this school year. That would be the high school, the middle school, and for SAM cell. Obviously, we're looking to purchase the right amount of generators so that heaven forbid power went out at either one of those schools like it did earlier in the month. Um, we'd still be able to have school because they would power the entire school. We selected those schools because those schools right now have the greatest amount of uh technology infrastructure in them. So, it's important that they stay up and running. So hopefully we'll have that data so that we can purchase those generators and install those generators within
041the next several months too. And then finally, we're still up in the air with regard to the greenhouse at the high school. Um we're getting real close to canceling that purchase order. Um >> is it supposed to be December 15th? >> December 15th now. Um the the place is out of Colorado. Um I I think that the person there might be using controlled substances. Not sure. Um he seems to have memory issues in terms of whether things have been delivered or not. So um hopefully if it doesn't if it isn't delivered to us by December 15th, uh we're going to have to cancel that purchase order and go with another vendor because we have the infrastructure set. We have the foundation set for it. We just need the greenhouse uh to be installed. So hopefully
042this person who has been putting us off since August um delivers on December 15th literally and the audit is close to being done. We'll be presenting it to you for approval during the December 16th meeting. And also on the agenda we talked about the fact that um Mr. Glock Malloy spoke about the new artificial intelligence secondary weapons detection system that I'm proud to say is on the agenda also for you to go ahead and hopefully approve um later on during the meeting. What makes this system different than other systems out there? Not only will this detect if someone um pulls out a weapon in the school um through artificial intelligence, but there is a actual person that is monitoring those streams so that that person can actually override any false alarms, which has been the
043case. If you look nationally, some of these systems that school districts are purchasing, um they're sending out false alarms because something might look like a weapon, might not. But in this particular case, that is vetted to an actual human being that says, "No, no, no. That's a false alarm. Yes, this is and helps direct law enforcement to the appropriate location." And that's it. >> Thank you, Dr. Lambie. Uh, next is governance. Mr. Fernandez, >> the community the the committee met. We reviewed the new payroll processor job description. This is not a new position. and rather it's an update to replace the existing payroll clerk job description currently held by an employee who will be retiring in January. The update better reflects the current responsibilities and operational needs of the district. Next, we discussed the memorandum
044agreement with St. Peters University. This partnership will offer both certificated and non-certificated staff, particularly our power professionals, an opportunity to pursue advanced degrees at a significantly discounted rate. This is a meaningful step forward expanding professional growth and strengthening our workforce pipeline. Both of these items will be on tonight's meeting agenda for approval. That's it. >> Thank you, Mr. Fernandez. Uh now to the Middle Sex County School Board Association update. Our next meeting is December 3rd. That will be held at Colonia High School. Uh if any board members are interested in the training program of the three Rs, that will start at 5. Otherwise, the regular meeting will start at 6. Don't forget to register online. And every time I try to register, I've been having trouble. So, if you have trouble, just call the call
045center and they'll take care of you. Okay, that's it for Middle Sex County. Um, okay. Uh, we will now open to public participation for agenda items only. Okay. Seeing none, we will close public. Dr. Labby. >> Okay, if I can bring your attention to finance and infrastructure first. As I referenced earlier in the report regarding our committee meeting number 15, which you can find on page three, we're asking you to accept the capital maintenance and emerging project grant funding by the state of New Jersey School Development Authority in the amount of $154,739. And that goes toward the Eisenhower School staff bathroom renovation project. [snorts] Number 18, which you can find on pages four and five. We're asking you to approve the submission of a dual certification pathway grant application. Dr. Aguile spoke about that during
046our personnel committee meeting. Um, and that's from a grant that the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey received. We're partnering with them and it'll provide reimbursement uh for tuition costs for teachers and obtaining additional certifications to enhance their skills and to further meet the needs of our students. numbers 19 through 21, which you can page uh find on page five, we have a number of different organizations that donated monies to us. Beginning with the New York Giants and the New Jersey Educators Association in recognition of Elizabeth Gorka, who is one of our um transportation bus aids as the educator of the week, and that was in the amount of $1,000. Also, First Choice Electrical and Security Services, they went ahead and donated $1,000 to the Bombers Beyond Cafe. And finally, um, Mr. Fernandez and the
047South Amboy Serville Rotary Club. We can't thank them enough for the donation of, um, individualized name tags for all of our student staff members at the Bombers Beyond Cafe. And that was the amount of $150. But uh I think you can't put a money value on the smiles uh of all of our students when they receive those name tags. I mean, Mr. Nasser, you were there. It was a pretty special moment. >> Mr. Fernandez and his colleagues um they gave us the badges in person. They had a little ceremony for our kids and young adults, I should say. And um there were tears. They were really tears. And that was Mr. Fernandez, by the way, who had the tears. >> But it was very special moment. So we thank the definely crying. >> We thank
048Mr. Fernandez and the entire South Ambrose Savville Rotary Club for that. Um they take very good care of our our our staff members including our most especially our students over at the Bombers Beyond Cafe. And if you didn't know, we had a special visitor to the cafe uh last week too. So um there was an impromptu visit, so I couldn't, you know, wasn't able to tell anybody. I'm so sorry about that. But uh uh it was uh well received by everyone as well. Uh John Bonjovi. Yeah. Um numbers 25 through 32 which you can find on page 5 through7. We're asking you to approve Arlene Bashada to replace Mammoth Ocean Educational Services Commission as the interim business administrator public agency compliance officer qualified purchasing agent and the custodian of public records from November 19th which
049is tomorrow through May 5th 2026. And with that being said, I can't thank Ken enough for the time that he has given us. Um, you may or may not know that Ken right now is the acting full-time business administrator for the Mammoth Ocean Education Services Commission. And the amount of work that that entails is mindboggling. So, for him to be able to dedicate the time he has dedicated to us over the past two months, uh, we are forever grateful and in your debt, Ken. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. And I'm sorry it didn't as last as long as I intended, but there were some unforeseen circumstances that I'm needed at the educational services commission uh with my other job. So, but I want to thank the board and the administration, especially the
050business office staff has been very very they've been great. Uh and they're they're they're good. I've been to in my last 33 years of uh business administrator and being in business offices, they're top-notch. So, just wanted to let you know that. >> Thank you, my friend. >> Thank Thank you, Ken, [applause] for stepping >> and on behalf of the board, I thank you for stepping in and helping us out. Otherwise, Dr. Labby would be pulling his hair out. So, thank you. >> I know. And I don't have a lot left. I'm sure >> you and me both, honey. You got to maneuver it. >> Okay. Number 33, which can find on pages seven and eight. We're asking to award the contract, and I mentioned this earlier, for the solar canopy completion project at Saberville War
051Memorial High School to a company called Shorelands Construction. Um they're out of Long Branch in the amount of 2,353,000. And that will be paid for out of the energy savings improvement program as well as capital reserve funds. And that is a long time coming. um the previous vendor walked off the job I think in 2021. So numbers 37 and 38 which you can find on page nine. We're asking you to approve um as I just mentioned earlier uh security technology services and licensing uh for a term of December 1 through um 2025 through November 30, um from CD government incorporated for the Zero Eyes camera streams um in an amount of $160 per stream as well as licensing for a term of December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 from the same company for the
052zero eyes camera streams at an amount knock to exceed $128,000 per year I believe Mr. clock and again this is that artificial intelligence secondary and I call it secondary because if you know our security system the primary system is the metal detection when people enter our buildings that's the primary detection to stop anybody from coming in with any kind of weapon. However, heaven forbid if somebody does and somebody brandishes that weapon, now this secondary detection system will detect it through artificial intelligence, but also through the supervision and monitoring of an of a human being. Okay, those are the most important ones according to me from finance and infrastructure. Um, but do you have any questions on those or any other items I might not have mentioned from that section? >> Dr. Labby, I do have
053a question regarding um 25. I think it's 26 and maybe 27, but the name here listed is Christopher Mullins is not Ken. So, that threw me off. >> So, Christopher Mullins is the person that we appointed. Um he's the person that Mr. General mentioned earlier that unfortunately has had some unforeseen health circumstances. He is the act he is the business administrator for Moesc and he was supposed to be the person representing us from but when he had his unfortunate circumstances Mr. Jennerone took over but he is still representing. >> Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. >> Anything else? the new security system that we're doing the second eye it's how many c are we doing all our cameras most of our cameras >> Mr. Mr. Lu. >> Um, in our initial year, uh, we are going to
054be targeting all of our primary camera views. Um, there will probably be some in some areas that are are not needed um, for 247 coverage um, that we'll be budgeting for to include next year. But the vast majority of our cameras are going to be covered in this cycle. >> This will be from preK through high school cameras. >> Correct. >> So, all district cameras. >> Yes. the technology overlays on our existing cameras. So anywhere we have a camera, this technology is capable of being added in. >> Thank you. >> Um I have a question about the monies that we are removing from the capital reserve funds. What is the plan to replace those monies into the capital reserve? >> There there is no plan to replace those monies. Um, initially we had monies in
055the energy savings improvement program, but I don't feel we're going to have enough to cover the total cost that's in there for shorelands. So, yes, some monies from capital reserve will be needed to supplement the money that we exhaust from the energy savings improvement program, but and that won't be replaced. Um that's what capital reserve is for for capital projects. >> So is there um if I may is there a number that we each year we endeavor to have x amount in the capital reserve account. So if we use some of it we do want to you maybe there's excess funds and other projects that we didn't need all the funding. So is that situation where that >> yes we have an ample amount of money in capital reserve right now. There are certain projects
056that are are um highlighted that we're going to be using those funds for. Most importantly, the transportation complex. Um as you guys know, um every year after a school year, we take excess surplus and we ask you to move it into um our reserve accounts. We do that preliminarily and then after the audit >> next next month, >> next month, we'll formally move that those monies. So, we're going to move close to $3 million into Capital Reserve. That is going to give us plenty of money to not only construct the transportation complex, but also to do um the stadium refurbishment at the high school, potentially um other projects like the parking lot expansion at the middle school. But we'll definitely have enough money also for what's going to be needed for the completion of the
057canopies. And we're looking at probably probably about a million dollars from capital reserve. Okay. >> Just $1 million and we have we'll have close to $17 million in capital reserve. >> Thank you for clarifying that. >> Any other questions? I stayed at a holiday in last night in case you're wondering. Just joking. It's been it's been it's been hard without Erin. I got to tell you. Normally, you know, Mrs. Chuckowski, I just go Aaron. But um you guys are, you know, you're it's it's it's forcing me to to go ahead and make sure that I have the answers to some of these questions. So that's why I have to stay at a holiday in. [snorts] >> You're correct, though, because every I mean, Erin constantly tells us every time she does it how much money
058she's, where it came from. >> So, um you followed it exactly, right? >> I'm doing okay. All right. When's May 6 coming? That's can't come soon enough. Anyway, um let's move on to student achievement. There's only one item and unfortunately uh we're asking you to approve the long-term suspension of two students. On governance, we have several items. So, um I'm going to first and foremost, we cannot thank Lori and uh um Doberinski from the Seville Middle School. She's our media specialist there, but for the past five or six years, she's also served as our trustee for the Seville Public Library. And it's not an easy job, but it's one that that she performs extremely well and um she loves to do it and again we can't thank her enough. She's an amazing media specialist, but
059also to take the time to do this. Um we are forever grateful to her for that. So we're asking you to once again approve her to be our trustee for um 2026. We're also asking you to approve a memorandum of understanding with St. Peters University. This is something that Dr. Aguilles worked hard with with St. Peters University to um go ahead and leverage an agreement with them that for an extremely discounted rate will give our employees an opportunity to get a degree in certification um in education, particularly our paraprofessionals who might want to become teachers. they'll at a very discounted rate be able to go ahead and go back to school and get um the coursework that they need as well as the credentials that are required to become a teacher. So, we can't thank
060m uh Dr. Aguil enough for working with St. Peters University to give our staff members this incredible opportunity. That was number three and you can find that on page 23. Number five, which you can find also on page 23, we're asking you to approve and this is a standard thing we do every year, our nursing plan. It looks a little different than the previous plan. Um, number six, we're asking to approve the payroll process or job description, and that's on page 23. That was discussed by Mr. Fernandez during his governance committee meeting uh review. And then uh numbers 7 through nine, we're asking you to approve the denial of SEA grievances 2025 2026 colon 1 through 3. Any questions on student achievement or or governance? Okay. And then lastly, personnel. Um, we do have one
061of those bittersweet moments. So, I'm going to skip number one so that I can go back to it, but numbers 9 and 11 as well as number 42, which can be found on pages 27 and 30 in the addendum, we're asking you to hire new certificated non-ertificated staff for this school year. Likewise, numbers 12 and 13, which you can find on page 30, we're asking you to prove the transfer of certificated non-distated staff for this school year. And then finally, 16 and 17, we're asking you to approve adviserss and coaches with their stipens for this school year. And you can find that on page 32. So, going back to number one, um it's always bittersweet to say goodbye and we're saying goodbye to four beloved staff members. Um beginning with Richard Bates, who is um
062our automotive technology teacher at the high school. and that's effective January 1st, 2026. Betsy Casman, who is a teacher here at the SAMA Upper Elementary School and that's effective May 1st, 2026. Don Kosabaki, who is a beloved parrofessional at the high school and that's effective July 20, July 1, 2026. And most recently on the addendum would be Janine Morasco and helping Dr. Agile that is effective December 1st and she is a special education teacher here at the Samsonville Upper Elementary School. So if you don't mind um I'd like to read a little bit about each one of them so that we can properly thank them and congratulate them on their retirements. So Richard Bates on behalf of the Seville public schools we would like to extend our deepest congratulations on the retirement of longtime auto
063shop teacher Richard Bates. You can imagine how difficult it is to find autoshop teachers, especially one as gifted and as talented as uh Mr. Bates. We express our sincere gratitude to him for his many years of dedicated service. Throughout his tenure, he's been more than just an autoshop teacher, though. He's been a mentor, a guide, and a source of unwavering support to countless students. His passion for the automotive industry have not only equipped our students with valuable technical skills but have also inspired them to pursue careers in the field with confidence and purpose. His caring nature and commitment to his students success has left a lasting impact on the entire school community. Whether it was offering guidance during a challenging repair, encouraging a student to believe in their abilities, or simply just being a steady
064presence in the shop and in their lives, his influence has had a profound and deeply appreciated impact on all of the students he has served so impeccably. As he moves forward into this next chapter, we need Mr. debates to know that his legacy will continue to live on in the lives of all the students that he's touched and supported as well as the colleagues he's had the privilege of working alongside of. We wish him all the best in his retirement. May it be filled with joy, relaxation, and new adventures. So, we can't thank Mr. Bates enough. And again, on a personal level, I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Bates when I served as the interimm principal at the high school back in 2019. And again, I just was so impressed with his professionalism
065and the the, you know, proficiency that he had with the content, but most importantly, the way he interacted with our students. Betsy Casman. Mrs. Casman is a conscientious, caring, and dedicated educator who will be retiring, as I said earlier, on May 1st. Mrs. Casman began her teaching career in the Saveville public schools in September of 1999. She began working with the primary grade students in a special education self-contained setting at the Arthle School. Later she continued taking great interest in her students by working in a resource center pullout replacement uh program and an inclusion setting at the Sam upper elementary school when the building first opened. When what year was that, Dr. Agules? >> This building opened 2004. >> Several years later, Mrs. Gasman took on a role as a general education language arts teacher.
066Due to the needs of the Samsaw Upper Elementary School, Mrs. Ca Casman looped with her students from fourth to fifth grade. She continued to foster teacher parent communication and involve parents in the learning process. Through the years, Mrs. Casman has hosted families for poetry events, read across America, and the Wax Museum. Mrs. Casman has served on the character education committee and the Samsil Upper elementary school advisory committee for many years. Her honesty and professionalism have always been appreciated. Over the years, she has developed good rapport with her students, celebrating their work and success. Mrs. Casman has supported her students by attending Let the Children Lead. That's my very favorite special board of education meeting that you all know of and I hope that you agree with. Um, and she also volunteers for the character education
067movie nights as well as the family reading nights. With Mrs. Casman's retirement, Sarville Saraveville will be losing a true professional and a team player. She is a friend and mentor to many. Mrs. Casman took on challenges with grace and determination and implemented new initiatives with confidence. Her diligence is evident in her daily tasks as she arrives at school and is the first one to hand in paperwork. Mrs. Casman, we thank you for your incredible 27 years of service to the students and families of the Saveville public schools. Samell is going to miss you dearly. May you enjoy this next chapter in your life. And uh Dr. Lavyby, she's sitting right there. >> All right. [applause] >> Dr. Lavy. Dr. >> Congratulations, Mrs. Caspen. >> Dr. Lavy, can may I say something? >> Sure. Absolutely. >>
068This hit, you know, it's hit hard on my heart. We have my family was a very difficult times 2017 and 2017 18. She was my daughter teacher. It was one less thing for me to worry about it. They had a grinting with um Mrs. Briha. It never had to go to any parent teacher conference. They they called me. They let me, you know, let me know how my daughter was doing. But most important, I'm I'm always going to have that in my heart. Thank you so much for everything that you did in that time. But especially because we were living something so hard in my family. My my daughter was so happy when she was in your class. She always said that for her those two years because she was lucky to have her two
069years, fourth and fifth grade. She said they felt like family. >> That's awesome. >> So, thank you so much for everything you did for her and for us. Thank you. And we're going to miss you. >> Yay. [applause] and and I just want to say thank you as well and he he makes me cry too so it's okay. >> Okay. Um Janine Morasco after almost 25 years of service in the Sville public schools working in the Eisenhower School, the middle school and of course the Samsa Upper Elementary School. Janine Morasco would retire on December 1st. Miss Morasco has been an active member of the Seville community where she has been a helpful colleague advocate for her students and has formed positive working relationships with her students, parents, and families. As a special education teacher, both
070inclusion and pullout resource center, Miss Ros Morasco's students knew that she cared for them dearly. She was aware of their strengths and weaknesses and was supportive of their social and emotional needs as well as, of course, their academic needs. She established great rapport with her students, was compassionate and helpful, and always supported them in any way possible. Miss Morasco has demonstrated leadership skills in many roles in programs such as the Holocaust program, which I got to tell you is amazing and um you know, going to miss dearly. Um if you've never seen it, it's incredible. character education events, um always there when uh we're at the character cafe uh celebrating the kids, staff treat days, math mania events, um which featured the NJA television program, classroom closeup, you name it. Miss Marasco was instrumental in
071in all these things, including also the pennies for patients initiative, Operation Smile, Pediatric Cancer Awareness, Willow Tree, Family Reading and Science Nights, Social Emotional Committee, and the Samill Student Ambassadors. Again, she represented the Samson Upper Elementary School as well as the Saveville Public Schools um impeccably. Um she was also on the district safety health uh health and safety uh as well as facilities committee and she served as a member as a representative of the savable education association I think focusing on actual safety in the facilities. She contributed to the profession by being a mentor hosting student teacher observers and was always one of the first staff members to greet a new staff member and provide guidance whenever necessary. Miss Morasco took part in and offered her assistance in summer programs such as Camp Excel, our
072ESY program, the Enrichment Program. Miss Morasco will begin a new chapter of her life as she continues to share her compassion for working with children and supporting them in all their endeavors. We wish her much happiness and success. Congratulations on your retirement, Miss Morasco. And on a personal level, I've I've had the privilege of of knowing Janine for for many years since I began. And um we're going to miss her dearly. Um just a very dedicated teacher, especially for our students with disabilities and a great colleague and mentor to our staff. And with that being said, I can't thank her enough. Um, you guys know that, um, last year my son had the opportunity to student teach here at SAMIL. And just as I read here, um, Miss Morasco took him under her wing and
073she helped him um, get assimilated to the school. And to this day, every time I come home from work, my son Skylar says, "How's Miss Morasco doing?" And I I said I've told him that um, you know, she's going to be retiring. Um, and told him all about what she's doing. And you know, again, he couldn't be happier for her as we are and couldn't be more appreciative for what she's done for him and for all of our colleagues and students over the many years she served us. So, we can't thank her enough for that. Okay. And then Don Kosabaki. Don Kosabaki um has dedicated the past 25 years to the Saraveville public schools as well as the Saveville community. During this time, she has provided the highest quality service as an individual student and
074program paraprofessional as well as a colleague and friend to many including me. As a program par profofessional, Mrs. Kosabaki is to put it bluntly in demand. Her knowledge of students needs and knowledge of district and school procedures has made her a tremendous resource for our special education teachers, our and our child study team members. She um has been someone that they've gone to for many reasons for many years. As a one-to-one paraprofessional, no one can dispute her wellestablished reputation as a loving caretaker for those who need assistance. In fact, Mrs. Kosabuki has often matched um has been matched with students who need the most complex level of care and support. And there is no doubt that she has been the emotional catalyst for many students as they adjust to the high school, which we all
075know cannot be that easy. To illustrate this point, a student recently told his parent on the first day of school that he had the best day ever, which is a testament to Mrs. Kosabaki's positive and welcoming disposition. As a colleague, Mrs. Kosabaki goes well beyond the consmate professional. She is collegial, supportive, helpful, and truly caring. So much so, in fact, that Mr. Ner and Mr. and Dr. Deafina has specifically selected and relied upon her as utilizing as a stabilizing presence for both new teachers and new students alike. As a community leader, no one, and I mean no one, puts more heart and soul into charitable acts of kindness like Mrs. Kosabaki. Having held and served the highest office within the Lions Club International, Mrs. Kosabaki coordinates vision care, toy drives, and meal trains. In fact,
076Mrs. Kosabbuckucky does not hesitate to leverage her wellestablished connections throughout the community and beyond to secure essential resources sources such as wheelchairs, food, and clothing for those in need. Overall, Mrs. Kosabaki is a leader who serves with purpose and unity, one act of kindness at a time. It goes without saying that Mrs. Kosabaki has offered the highest level of care through her patience, compassion, and commitment. These outstanding qualities have surely left a lasting impression on the students she has served and the colleagues she has worked with so well. When you think of someone that is going to be hard to replace, you think of someone like Mrs. Kosabaki. When you think of someone that is selfless, you think of Mrs. Kosabaki. When you think of someone that deserves our heartfelt gratitude, think again of Mrs.
077Kosabuki. We wish Mrs. Kosabaki a long and happy retirement. and we cannot thank her enough for all that she's done for all of our students, all of our staff, and the Saraveville community. And on a personal level too, um I've had the ple pleasure of working with Don. Um you know that not only is she the highest ranking officer or a high a high ranking officer in the Lions Club, she's also been the um adviser for our Leo's club at the high school for many many years. She created the club and the work that that club does is amazing and again it epitomizes all the work that she's done as a professional but more so as a volunteer doing greater good for the entire community. And Mrs. Bloom that concludes my report. >> Thank you
078Dr. Lavyby. I would also like to thank Dawn for all of her service. She has worked very closely with um the American Legion and I and the Rotary too. I'm sure. Um, with the Leos, uh, my husband said if it wasn't for the Leos, they wouldn't be able to do the pancake breakfast because those kids help out and they're wonderful. So, Dorne has been instrumental in that and I know she'll be very hard to replace. So, we wish her well and a happy and restful retirement. >> And that's it. You're done. Oh, good. Okay. Um, any questions or comments on agenda items only from board members? Yes. No. You'll have to excuse me. I had a dizzy day. We won't we won't go there. >> Um, okay. We need approval of the agenda, please. >>
079So, move. >> Okay. Mr. Callahan. >> Yes, except I have to >> governance and yes to all others. >> Under governance. Governance. >> Governance. Thank you. Okay. Mr. Chuiski. Yes, >> I'm sorry, Shakowski. I got it. >> There you go. >> And that was yes to all. I apologize. I really >> It's I know somebody else. It's in [laughter] my It gets in my head. >> And I'm sorry that was yes to all. >> Uh Mr. Fernandez. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Hernandez. >> Yes. >> Maldonado. >> Yes. >> Mobone. Yes, >> Mr. Smith. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Bloom. >> I need to also abstain on governance 78 and nine, but yes to everything else. >> Okay. The motions carry. >> Okay. And now Okay. Now we will open to public participation. Uh, I remind
080the public that our time is 30 minutes total. Each speaker gets three minutes. We please ask several residents to speak first. And if you wish to speak, please line up. Okay. Good evening. My name is Terresa Focarelli and I am a Seerville resident. As you know, many school boards have adopted the NJ DOE 2018 transgender guidance as policy within their school districts. However, the NJ DOE transgender student guidance of 2018 is nonbinding and explicitly states that it is not a regulation. Districts are not legally required to adopt it as written. Local boards of education have the discretion to write their own gender identity policies as they weigh its parental rights, liability concerns, and local values when deciding whether to adopt, amend, or reject policy 5756. The parental notification and duty of care or NJ policy
0815350 mandates that schools must immediately notify parents if a student shows warning signs of self harm. Failing to inform parents even with good intention exposes the district of to liability for negligence if the student is harmed. Ignoring any warning signs or withholding gender identity changes from parents violates the New Jersey policy 5350 and undermines parental constitutional rights as protected by the 14th amendment. And it opens the district to lawsuits regarding the breach of duty. This policy 5350 is just one policy that affirms the rightful position of parents in their children's education and shows responsibility to all their livelihood. Instead of pursuing 5756 asis, we should be weighing in all parental rights, all potential liability to the ed department and supporting all the family values of our town. We need to amend and revise policy 5756.
082Parents should have access to all curriculum and instructional materials. Parents should have access to review all and any of their child's school records. Parents should continue to be able to opt out of any surveys, lessons, or activities that conflict with their beliefs. Parents should be able to be notified of any health or related changes affecting their child. These are just some of the basic rights to restoring transparency, trust, and partnership between school and families. Engaging all parents into their child's education should always be our number one neverending goal. I sincerely urge you to reassess and negotiate a new 5756 policy that reflects all families in our town. Thank you so much for your kind attention. >> [applause] >> Hello, Jessica Vant Scarlet Drive. Congratulations, Lucy, Jeff, and Chris on your re-election to the board. Tonight,
083I am here as mother of a third grader to address two core concerns that motivated me to run for the board. Number one, the lack of decorum among some board members and the quality of representative representation that parents are receiving from this board. I believe the following quotes from a sitting board member demonstrate a serious lack of professional decorum and trust when engaging with members of this community. In reference to a question I had online about busing, yes, there was a vote. It's called a referendum. Read up on it. in reference to me when I was campaigning on election day. I'm heading over to Solover and God bless the who has the balls to say one single word to me. She also encouraged them online to call the cops in response to me thanking voters
084online who voted for us. I'm glad that 6,978 people did not vote for you. Well, might I remind you that win or lose, you still represent me as a parent in this district. I expect that to reflect in your behavior on and off social media. The most alarming statement and primary reason I decided to run for the board of ed directly concerns the rights of parents. The guy who was talking about the Bible and how there's two sexes, you're sending that kid home to him, that's exactly my point. What would he do to that child? I view this statement as a gross violation of parental rights and blatant discrimination based on religious belief. The board has cited transgender students as a protected class under NJ lad while religion is also a protected class under NJ
085lad. I respectfully ask Dr. Lavyby and each board member if you denounce this board member statement. Furthermore, I request that Mr. Bush weigh in on whether this reasoning, if used in decision-making, would constitute a violation of NJAD, specifically in the context of policy 5756. As a parent who shares those beliefs, I find it deeply disturbing that a board member would leverage my faith against me when considering the notification of pertinent information about my child. Our campaign was fundamentally about protecting parental rights and it was never about marginalizing transgender students. I want to assure the board that the community is not apathetic to the issue. Over 4,700 people intentionally voted for this [music] platform emphasizing parental. [music] >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Scared me. >> I know. I wasn't ready for that.
086>> Me either. That was very loud. >> Good evening members of the board, parents and community members. My name is Atv Gali and maybe some of you know that I recently ran for several board of education. I did not win this time but I am grateful for the opportunity because campaigning gave me some something invaluable. the chance to speak to hundreds of parents across our district. What I learned shocked me. Almost no one I spoke to had ever heard of policy 5756 or understood that it allows the school to change a child gender identity information without notifying parents. Most parents simply had no idea. They were surprised, confused, and many cases deeply concerned whether someone agrees with the policy or not. The lack of awareness alone tells us something important. Parents are being left out
087of decisions that directly affect their children. Policy 5756 is not a law but it's non-mandatory guidelines from department of education and more than 70 school district have already dis resended few people believe and some teacher that re reversing this policy would somehow cause the district to lose state funding. That is simply not true. district that rescended face no financial penalty. This is not about politics. This is about parental rights, transparency and relationship between families and schools. But I want to address something even bigger tonight. Across country, no matter the state or city, we see dark forces, social, politics, political, cultural, and that try to divide parents from their children, weaken families and silos community. And maybe some of you notice that on Dearbornne, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and recently in New York City. Not because they
088care about the children, but because then when families are disconnected, when parents are uninformed, when communities are no longer united, people become easier to influence and control. If we want to protect the children, our families and the future of this country, then we must stay alert, involved, and united. We cannot allow politics or policies or systems to come between parents and their children. I may not have one seat. Give me 10 second more. >> I may not have one seat. >> Thank you. >> We have [music] to do this only for our kids, for our children. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Thanks for helping me reach my target heart rate with that alarm. [laughter] Um, my name is Mickey Fiser. I'm a former teacher here and a serville resident. I want to say first of
089all, congratulations to Lucy and Jeff and Chris for your victories. And I want to thank all of you for your service and the long hours that you put into this uh thankless task. Thank you. And um as a parent, I want to beg you to resend all the board members please to consider rescending 5756. It undermines parental rights and ties parents' hands. And lastly, um I wanted to make a comment. Dr. Labby has said in the past at a past meeting um that he doesn't know of any transgender students in our school system and but according to 5756 secret files can be kept and so Dr. Labby can't answer that question honestly according to policy 5756. So with that said, it leads to the question I was wondering if the teachers are trained. For instance,
090a gym teacher, if a um trans student comes into the locker room, are those teachers trained? Like what are they supposed to do? How do they deal with that? There is there's policy in place um for for that situation if and when a trans student goes into a a boy goes into a girl's locker room. I was wondering if there are um policies in place for that for the um teachers. That's very important if you're going to continue to have this policy. And um I would again I would ask you to please resend it. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] Seeing none, we will close public. Uh at this time, uh any closing remarks from board members? >> Um Lucy, I do. Um so I wrote this um so bear with me. So good evening.
091Many of you know that I recently lost my younger brother unexpectedly. This experience has caused me to reflect deeply on purpose, impact, and how we choose to show up in our community. We do not know the day or the hour, and that truth has reminded me of the importance of living intentionally. I invite all of us to think about the influence we have and how we are using it to serve our students and this community. I would like to share several items that have been on my heart and mind. Starting with board discussion. We have a designated space on our agenda for board discussion, yet we rarely make full use of it. I believe we can and should engage more actively and collaboratively. Let's take this time to engage in meaningful questions, share concerns, reflect
092on our board goals and progress, and contribute ideas shaped by our experiences, community conversations, and the NJSBA trainings among other things. In [snorts] that spirit, I would like to kick off with this with a potential initiative I'm personally excited about. In August, in August, Franklin High School in Franklin Township launched the Warrior Wellness Pantry, a program providing students with essential items to support their overall well-being. Their pantry offers hygiene products, snacks, and other necessities at no cost, supported entirely by the community donations. I shared this idea with Dr. Labby, who received it enthusiastically, and immediately connected with Dr. Aglas. Dr. Dr. Agulas has since met with the Franklin High School principal to gather more insight. He has developed an action plan to explore a similar initiative for our district and will provide updates as the
093work progresses. In the spirit of transparency, I wanted to share this with the board and the community. Even though it is still in the exploratory stage, it is important that our students, families, and community have awareness of and a voice in any initiative that may ultimately serve them. Switching gears to parental concerns in the social media, [clears throat] I want to address a trend that has been increasingly visible on social media platforms. The number of parent concerns raised online instead of through the appropriate channels. It concerns me how often the established processes for addressing questions or issues are not being used. This presents, I think, an opportunity for us to educate and remind families, perhaps through PTO meetings or clearer website guidance about how to seek support effectively within this district. I have also noticed
094a frequency of anonymous post. I have often wondered why parents feel the need to hide their identity. Unfortunately, the answer has become clearer. Many online discussions include hostility, mockery, intolerance, and name calling. It is understandable that some parents may not feel comfortable speaking publicly or attending board meetings when this is the environment they observe. Even more troubling is the number of likes or positive reactions to such negative behavior. This signals complicity and reinforces disrespectful conduct within our community. It [snorts] really grieves me to see this happening in a community as beautiful as ours and to know that our children witness these behaviors. We ask them not to bully, not to ridicule, not to react impulsively. Yet adults often model these very actions. We must ask ourselves what example are we setting as parents, guardians, neighbors,
095and community members. If our students behave this way, their actions would constitute a hip. They would be held accountable. So the same standard of accountability should apply to us as adults. I speak today as a mother, an aunt, a friend, a neighbor, and a board member. Our schools strive to model kindness, empathy, and respect. And it is on us to be lead by example. This is a call to action and a call for accountability for all of us as parents, guardians, families, friends, neighbors, board members, and community members. Together, we can and must do better for Sarville because our students and our community deserves nothing less. And lastly, I'd like to end with an uplifting note as I have the honor of participating alongside Dr. Aglas and Miss Gman um and a dedicated group of
096district administrators, teachers, staff, and parents in our multilingual parent advisory committee, led by the incredible Suzanne Caparo. This morning marked our kickoff meeting where we received an engaging overview of the district's MLL program. The committee's goal is to support our multilingual learners by improving communication, strengthening family, school, community partnerships, and encouraging meaningful input. The energy and momentum in that forum was inspiring, and I'm genuinely excited for our next meeting, which we anticipate will take place at the beginning of the of the new year. On that note, and with that same spirit of collaboration, I would like to also recommend that we explore forming a similar committee dedicated to our special education program. While I understand the CPAG plays an important role, a committee led by a district administrator could open the door to even stronger
097coordination, deeper conversations, and communitydriven improvements. Together, we can continue strengthening the support of our students truly deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you, lady. Uh at this point I just would also like to say uh as the board knows and if parents have attended PTO meetings we have reinstituted the board liaison to PTO meetings. So if I can't make it uh and I usually try to make at least one every year there will be a board member who has a designated school that they will be attending the PTO meetings. And uh the board can attest that at every meeting I do say please please please do not ask your questions on Facebook. Follow the chain of command. Go to your child's student. Uh I'm sorry. Go to your ch your student's teacher. Go to your child's
098teacher. If you're not happy, go to the building principal. If that doesn't satisfy you, then reach out to Dr. Labby. Reach out to a board member. But please don't go on Facebook because it only stirs the pot and as lady said some of the things that are said on Facebook are frankly disturbing. So that's where we stand right now. Anybody else who would like to make a comment at this time? >> If I may. Bar have a few words. Um so over the past year our board has worked through many important conversations, commitments and challenges. And as we work as we look forward to the year ahead, I'd like to offer a reflection not merely on the issues before us, but on the spirit in which I hope we continue to work together with professionalism,
099respect, and a shared commitment to the academic success and the well-being of every child in the Seville district. One of the most significant conversations before us has been policy 5756. This topic has stirred strong feelings and differing opinions and I want to acknowledge that openly and with appreciation. The strength of those feelings comes from the fact that every one of us cares deeply about students, families and the climate of our schools. That is something that we all share. So as we take next steps, let us begin not with our differences but with our common ground. Because there is common ground and there's quite a lot of it. We all agree that every student must be protected. We all agree that parents deserve to be partners in their children's lives, especially on matters that are deeply
100personal and significant. I also want to highlight something important, just a note that emerged during public comment over the past number of months. Almost every parent of a transgender student who came to the microphone shared that their child did speak with them, that their child was open with them, and that that parent child relationship was preserved, respected, and essential in helping their child through a difficult time in their life. Those parents spoke passionately against removing policy 5756. Yet the very stories they shared affirmed a key truth that we all stand behind that the relationship between parents and children matters profoundly and that communication between them is foundational. This is an area of agreement and it's where we can build. We agree that parents should not be kept out of their children's lives. We agree that
101information should not be withheld without a codified pathway towards bringing families together. This has been shared by uh board members um who uh have expressed that they're not necessarily for removing this policy, but they did express that the ultimate goal if a situation arises with a student who is confused about their gender, the ultimate goal is to bring the parents and the student together in conversation. We all agree on this. We agree that student well-being is best supported when parents and schools work collaboratively. We also agree that access to protected spaces for girls must be handled with care and responsibility. Several on this board have stated clearly that if a student is uncomfortable using a restroom or locker room that aligns uh with their biological sex um or rather their chosen identity, the district will
102work with that student to find an appropriate and respectful solution. We agree on this. We agree with that approach and we agree that it's not sound policy to simply open doors of girls protected spaces without safeguards and thoughtful consideration. We agree on this. But my point is this. Let us acknowledge what we agree on and write a policy that reflects those shared values and goals. It is time for us as policymakers to ensure that the language on our books very accurately reflects the objectives expressed by this board. Thank you. I I >> thank you >> Lucy. [applause] I just want to say that >> I agree with um Carrie when it says that we all share common grounds because I know that as a board members we all agree that every student including transgender student
103deserve to feel protected, value and respected. We all want what is best for every child in this in this district. At the same time, we also understand that parents play a vital role in a child's life, education, and emotional well-being. Parents are not upon us in this process. They are partners. When parents are actively and respectfully involved, a students are more likely to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. We are asking you to my fellow board members to if we can work together to create a new policy that focuses on protection, communication and family partnership. Instead of saying that parental rights are not necessary, our policy should make it clear that our goal is to help students and parents communicate in a supportive and respectfully way with guidance when needed. We do not need to choose
104between protecting students and involving parents. We can do both. A thoughtful policy can protect a student's safety while also recognizing parents as important partners in their child's life. So I respectfully ask my fellow board members to consider working together to create this new policy that upholds student protection, encourage healthy communication and strength family partnerships. >> Thank you very. [applause] Yes. So, lady, I just want to congratulate I think that's an excellent idea you have about the pantry. Um, outstanding. Um, and great and great job by our administration for for taking that on as well. I just want to tell you that the Rotary and our network of organizations has always been on the forefront of fighting food insecurity and we'll be more than happy to join in whatever way we can to uh help help
105fund that. >> Thank you for your partnership. We definitely look forward to Dr. Agalas. I mean, when you give me the updates, feel free to incorporate Eli as well. >> And I and I know we're in good hands with Dr. Agley's handling this. He's uh you done an amazing job with the St. Peters thing and everything you've done. So, I just want to thank you for that and thank you for taking this on as well. >> Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? >> Sorry, Lucy. So, um just circling back to what Katya and and Carrie had mentioned. Um, so in the spirit of what you know, Katya mentioned as far as um the policy and and taking it to committee I guess to to kind of assess whether or not um we can arrive at a
106replacement policy. Um I I really would um like to make a motion um to submit that to governance um to begin developing a new policy to replace uh 5756. Um I do have and I have previously provided you guys with um not only policies but the NJ Law, Furpa laws and everything around that. I understand there's you know some hesitance around that but I did bring a copy and I will circulate it to to each of you. Um with that um just gives you a brief synopsis of each of those polic um for you to continue to do your own due diligence. Um but I would like to formally make a motion to send it to governance um for review and and discussion if someone can I guess second >> second that we need a
107second. >> Okay. Roll call vote. Any other discussion or ready for roll call? Okay Mr. Callahan and this is for to clarify policy 5756. No. >> To go back to committ >> to bring it to governance committee. Yes. >> Governance committee. >> No. >> Correct. >> Hey, Mr. Callahan. >> No. >> Hey. Um, Mr. Shakowski. >> Yes. >> Fernandez. >> No. >> Hernandez. >> Yes. >> Maldonado. Yes, >> Mr. >> Napatano. >> No, >> Mr. Smith. >> No, >> Mrs. Bloom. >> No. >> Motion does not carry. >> No. >> Okay. Anything else? >> No. I would just like to thank Sarville for reelecting the three of us to another three years on the board and I would like to thank our competitors for bringing a lot of issues to the floor and to continuing
108to stay involved. I appreciate that. It shows that your heart was in this and if you're going to stay involved, I'm happy to see you here staying involved. Thanks. >> Anyone else? >> Thank you. Okay. Motion to adjurnn.