001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We'd like to open the meeting. Welcome everyone here this evening. You're Oh, you left it in the other room? Okay. Bear with us. In accordance with the provision of the Open Public Meetings Act, the Board Secretary has forwarded notice of this meeting for advertising by having the date, time, and place thereof posted in the Secaucus Town Hall on the bulletin board located in the hallway of the Board of Education administrative building, as well as the district website. I pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Roll call. Mr. Bartletta. Here. Ms. Deodata. Here. Mr. Barry. Here. Mr. Deombre. >> Here. Ms. Echols.
002>> Here. Ms. Galler. >> Here. Ms. Howard. >> Here. Mr. Lewis. Present. Okay. This evening, my message my president's message, is to address the superintendent search. So, the proposal process for the superintendent search firm has concluded. We received four bids, which the board will review, and we will be interviewing the applicants at our upcoming meetings. At this time, our primary focus is the budget for the coming months. This is a critical responsibility as we work toward delivering a balanced budget. Like many districts across the state, we are facing significant increases in health care costs, making this a complex and demanding process that requires our full attention. That's all for this month. Approval of regular meeting minutes of February 26th, 2026. Second. We're voting on that? Discussion? Call the roll. Mr. Boatletter? Yes. Ms. Deardorff? Yes.
003Mr. Barry? Yes. Mr. DeOmber? Yes. Ms. Eckols? Yes. Ms. Geller? Yes. Ms. Howard? Abstain. I was not here. Mr. Lewis? Yes. Student representatives? transformed into a grand kingdom kingdom as the kindergarteners celebrated the conclusion of their amplify CKLA Kings and Queens unit. To bring their lessons to life, the youngest scholars traded their backpacks for crowns and hosted a delightful royalty party. Dressed in their finest royal attire, the students practiced their most elegant manners while reflecting on everything they learned about magic, majestic castles, vast kingdoms, and the important responsibilities held by monarchs. This royal event was more than just a party. It was a wonderful way to wrap up the reading curriculum by turning classroom facts into a hands-on experience. From discussing the history of royal duties to showing off their handmade crowns, it was a
004day filled with pride and plenty of smiles. Huber Street is incredibly proud of its little lords and ladies for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout this unit. Additionally, the first graders celebrated the conclusion of their Amplify unit on a new nation. After learning about the history and importance of the Declaration of Independence, students created and signed their own declaration while focusing on being kind, working hard, and being responsible members of their classroom community. I am pleased to share some highlights from Clarendon School and Secaucus Middle School. Clarendon had a great week celebrating Read Across America. Students participated in engaging literacy activities. Clarendon was also excited to welcome parents and community members into classrooms to read with students. This was a meaningful way to build excitement around reading and continue strengthening literacy skills. Excitement is building
005up for the upcoming Booster-thon events. Thanks to the generosity of our families, community, and our hardworking PTA members, Clarendon School is already halfway to reaching its school-wide fundraising goal. Spring Scholastic Book Fair will take place on Tuesday, March 31st through Thursday, April 2nd. Students will have the opportunity to explore a wide selection of affordable books for all reading levels and interests. If you're interested in volunteering, you are encouraged to contact Clarendon School [email protected]. One final, but important, announcement for both Clarendon and Huber Street School, this year's fifth grade promotion ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 16th at 2:00 p.m. at the Arthur F. Couch Performing Arts Center. Over the past several weeks, Secaucus Middle School has been supporting the eighth grade students as they begin the transition to high school. Students are currently meeting
006with high school counselors to select courses for the 2026-2027 school year. This is an important step in the process as it encourages students to think more intentionally about their interests, strengths, and future goals. It also gives them a better understanding of the opportunities that will be available to them at the high school level. At the same time, Secaucus Middle School has continued working to create a positive and welcoming environment for all students. The The Madness themed dress-up days have been a fun way to bring students and staff together. These small moments go a long way in building a sense of connection across the building. SMS is also looking forward to an upcoming event on March 31st where the student government organization and gaming club will host an afternoon of games, sports, activities in the red
007gym. Events like this give students an opportunity to spend time with their peers outside of the classroom. Lastly, we would like to share some highlights from Secaucus High School. We would like to congratulate the cast and crew of Into the Woods. Director Ms. Dela Cruz, along with her staff and students, presented a truly outstanding production this past weekend. We are incredibly proud of our students and so impressed by their talent. Their hard work, long hours of rehearsal, and dedication were evident on stage and resulted in a remarkable performance. On March 3rd, members of the National English Honor Society participated in the yearly tradition of reading to the elementary school students for Read Across America Day. NEHS members grabbed some of their favorite childhood books and headed off to Clarendon School to read positive stories and
008share smiles and laughs with the elementary students. In early March, students in science courses and the science club attended a virtual live from program with the Liberty Science Center where they observed a live kidney transplant and asked questions in real time. The club also welcomed alum Maylin Martinez who shared insights on her college experience and career path. The Secaucus High School Art Club shared their creativity in a special way by partnering with the organization Art Art to Hearts. Their paintings are being donated to pediatric hospital units across the country. The organization used their art to bring comfort and joy to young patients and their families. We're proud of our artists for using their talents to spread hope and bright brighten their spaces. Secaucus High School concert band will be holding its annual play-a-thon raffle on
009March 30th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. where all proceeds go directly to the SHS concert band activities. This fundraiser features students performing a wide variety of music and all proceeds go directly to the SHS concert band activities. Prizes include gift cards to Grace Creative Charcuterie, Audrey Restaurant, K-Pot, Salad House, White Castle, and Fiores, as well as two tickets to Nickelodeon Park at American Dream. Raffle tickets are available for one for $2, three for $5, or 10 for $10. The class of 2028 will be hosting their breakfast with the Easter Bunny this Saturday, March 28th. Junior Prom will take place Thursday, March 26th, and senior prom paperwork and permission slips will be due April 20th. The student government organization spring pep pep rally will take place on April 2nd, bringing students together to celebrate school spirit
010and kick off spring break. Lastly, we would like to congratulate our student athletes and their teams on a successful and rewarding season. Boys swimming, Glenn Miranda, second team all conference 500 yd freestyle. Girls swimming, Lozang Sherpa, honorable mention all conference 100 yd breaststroke. Wrestling, Alexia Gonzalez, first team all division. Jerson Martinez, first team all division. Andrew De Los Santos, second team all division. Aiden Moreno, second team all division. Rajveer Singh, second team all division. David Polakowski, honorable mention all division. Girls basketball, NJAC Meadowlands Division Champions. Ava Luzi, first team all division. Ava Luzi, third team all North Jersey all groups. Ava Luzi, first team Hudson County. Ava Luzi, first team all North Jersey Group 1. Ava Di Adamo, first team all division. Julia Pozo, second team all division. Gianna Torlo, second team all division. Brenda
011Nokendo, honorable mention all division. Boys basketball, NJAC National Division Champions. Tom Grey, coach of the year. Darius Harris, first team all division. Blake Callevi, first team all division. Bryce Sockman done, second team all division. Carmelo Camas, honorable mention all division. Indoor track, Byron Mills, third team all county. Elizabeth Aquino, honorable mention all county. Bowling, Joseph Apello, honorable mention all division. Girls ice hockey, won the Anice Cup Championship. Penelope Campos, first team all conference, first team all state, 31 goals, 29 assists. Competition cheer, Impact Cheer and Dance Last Team Standing, first place in all music non-tumble co-ed division and grand champions. Hackensack Cheer Challenge, first place and grand champions. Saddle Brook High School Competition, first place. Battle on the Mat, East Jersey championship, two at-large bids awards earned. And J S C mini meet South division
012finalist, state championship, second place. Thank you. That is all we have to update for this month's meeting. Thank you, ladies. I don't know if you want to head out or you're welcome to stay. It's up to you. Correspondence? No correspondence. Interim superintendent report? So, our students did such a wonderful job representing all the different and wonderful things that are going on across the district. So, I want to thank them for a great report. Um I'm going to keep my report brief. So, good evening, members of the Board of Education and the Secaucus community. I'm pleased to provide a monthly update on the district's work. For the past several weeks, the administration's primary focus has been on developing the 2026-2027 school budget. This work is both detailed and very demanding, requiring tremendous amount of review of
013all instructional, operational, and personnel needs across the district as we continue to navigate a challenge challenging financial landscape impacted by ongoing constraints like the 2% tax levy cap. Um our goal remains clear to develop a responsible budget that supports student achievement while maintaining fiscal stability. This process has involved collaboration across all of our departments, a review of expenditures, and thoughtful consideration of priorities to ensure that our resources are aligned with the needs of our students and staff. We, this time for the first time in some time, used a zero-based budget to make sure that all of our spending is aligned with needs in each building. I also like to recognize the significant effort of our administrative team um and all of our staff in the business office in advancing this work. Business administrator Grace Yio
014will provide additional information about the preliminary budget during her report. In addition to budget development, the Board of Education agenda this evening includes routine business items necessary for the continued operation of the district. These items reflect ongoing work that ensures our schools run efficiently and effectively. I'm also pleased to report that there are no HIB cases to report this month. Thank you for your continued support of the school system. Thank you, Dr. Toback. Harassment, intimidation, bullying report for the period January 23rd, 2026 through February 26, 2026. Second. Discussion? Call the roll. Mr. Botta. Yes. Ms. Deidda. Yes. Mr. Barry. Yes. Mr. DeAndre. Yes. Ms. Echoes. Yes. Ms. Galler. >> Yes. Ms. Howard. Yes. Mr. Lewis. Yes. Business Administrator Board Secretary report. Yes, good evening. Tonight on our agenda, we are requesting approval to submit the
015tentative budget to the interim executive county superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year. Following the statutory budget calendar, the interim executive will review the tentative budget by April 20th. Following the approval, a public presentation will be made for adoption by Thursday, May 7th. In addition, tonight we will be adding under governance two resolutions for approval. We will be adding resolution R 1.11, which reads as follows. Whereas the Secaucus Board of Education, herein after referred to as the board, and the Secaucus Directors Association, herein referred to as the association, have negotiated a successor collective negotiations agreement, herein referred to as the CNA, for the 2025-2026 school year through 2028-2029 school year school years. And whereas the association has by a majority vote of its membership ratified the CNA. Now therefore, be it resolved that the board hereby
016ratifies and approve the terms of the CNA for the 2025-2026 school year through 2028-2029 school years, which is ratified on this res- resolution and made a part hereof. And be it further resolved that the board authorizes the board president and the business administrative board secretary to execute on behalf of the board the CNA and between the board and the association. The next resolution we will be adding under governance is resolution R 1.2 to approve the settlement agreement between the board and a parent whose name and address is on file at the board office and the contract and it's contingent upon parent providing an executed copy. Thank you, Grace. Public forum agenda items? This meeting is open to the public for the purpose of addressing items listed for approval on this agenda only. Residents wishing to
017speak on such items must sign the register provided for this purpose and are required to state their names, addresses, and subject matter. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per person. The board may or may not respond to issues raised by members of the public at the time they are raised, but will provide a response if and when appropriate. The board asks that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Please note that the board will not respond to comments regarding students or board employees in light of the privacy rights held by those individuals. Moreover, the board discourages comments about such individuals and will not be responsible for such comments. Members of the public who choose to speak during the public session should carefully consider their comments since
018they could be held personally liable for the statements they make. Finally, please note that in accordance with district policy number 1100, the board will not officially comment or respond to any matter mentioned unless it can confirm that the matter has first been brought to the attention of the appropriate school personnel in an attempt to resolve the issue. Thank you, Robert. Public Forum general? No comment. Moving on, Governance Committee? Personnel? Good evening, everyone. We had our Governance meeting on March 5th. Uh several items that were reviewed. Uh we followed up on the facilities policy uh for second reading. Uh new business, we discussed approval to amend the start date of IT employee. Uh discussed approval per diem employees. And uh the job description for one of the assistant uh transportation directors. We discussed the uh return
019date being amended for an employee on medical leave. Uh we discussed several uh resigna- uh discussed resignation uh as well as terminations. We also discussed uh the amending of the organizational chart. And lastly we discussed No, I'm sorry, that was it. Thank you. That's policy, too, right? We talked about That was personnel. Yeah, anything to policy? Nothing. Okay. All right, thanks, Alex. Education, curriculum? Met on March 5th. The district is in full preparation for the state testing that we'll take in April-May. Uh all of the information has been shared with the parents and guardians to educate and to help the families to navigate through all the changes in testing. Uh the committee started a discussion on bringing back libraries to our schools. At this point, we don't have any functional libraries in our buildings. Uh
020the district will consider looking into alternative versions versions of providing library services to our students. Um the Patriot Perk Cafe book area that we see right here, could be reinvented into a modern reading lounge area. Uh the discussions on these topics will continue. Uh also, the district is very proud to report that 41 students attained the seal of biliteracy in one language and two students attained the seal of biliteracy in two languages. Congratulations to the students, teachers, and their proud families. We also have two resolutions to vote on today. The district is looking for approval to dispose of outdated technology and also um to approve a number of field trips. Thank you, Tatiana. Operations, finance. At our meeting this month, we were updated on uh several items. Uh we are continuing to interview for per
021diem custodians. Um as for school do school duties concerned, 220 uh tickets were closed, 65 are still open. At Huber Street School, the burner replacement for boiler two has been completed. We were updated on the generator. Uh our architect is is reviewing the specs of the job and current uh because the current generator is outdated. Uh at Clarendon School, the ePod pump has been replaced. The roof leaks are going to continue once all the snow uh I'm sorry, the roof leaks are going to be um are going to be looked at uh once the snow fully uh fully melts uh so they can identify the source. Uh at the middle school high school, the stage heat in the pack has been replaced. The water heater replacement has been completed. Roof leaks were addressed in the
022wrestling room uh and the pack. Uh and then we were also updated on uh the finances for the month and we were updated on on That's all I got. Thank you, Joe. I need a motion to move the agenda. Motion. Second. Second. Discussion? Call the roll. Mr. Bottleta? Yes, I got to recuse myself from R1.11. Ms. DeDad? Yes. Mr. Barry? Yes. Mr. DeOmbre? Yes. Ms. Eckles? Yes. Ms. Geller? Yes. Excuse me. Ms. Howard? Yes, I have to recuse myself from the directors um contract, but I don't remember what the resolution number was. 1.11. 1.11. Mr. Lewis? Yes. Okay. Ad hoc shared services. We did have a shared service meeting on March 2nd. Um a couple of the topics that we discussed with the mayor and a few members of the town council along with Mr.
023Mr. Gary Jeffers um were the Hudson County Schools of Technology tuition uh situation. Um The High Tech High School uh requested that certain students that live within Secaucus that go to that school pay a tuition. Um we discussed this with the mayor and it looks like that this is not going to happen this year, so something that we could uh discuss at potential meetings in future. Uh another topic we discussed was project graduation. Um we we discussed some alternatives to um the usual project graduation and American Dream. Um this is an ongoing situation and we will keep an eye on it. Um we discussed the um pre-K the new the new early uh the new pre-K's uh um school in the new pre-K building. So, we do we discussed that with them. Um, the Jeff
024Biddulph plaque is done and and when the and at some point in time the town is going to help us build a memorabilia wall over by the football field. Um, and we purchased a the our we purchased here a portable snow remover for our buses. Um, we asked the town if they could provide us some space to put this machine so it could clear all the snow off the buses. Um, oh, and one of the final thing is the everybody everybody gets the town newsletter, so uh coming in the future there will be a section in the back of it for um the Secaucus school system. So, we'll be putting some information on the town newsletters. Okay. Thanks, Lance. No meeting for legislation, athletics, no meeting for technology. The Visions Committee did meet. Um, it
025met in sections and groups and it was um a lot of information. So, the um the report is coming. I know as I mentioned earlier the board has really been focused on the budget. So, um the chair will be reading the report probably at the next meeting um and updating everyone on that. Negotiations, we had a negotiations meeting with the directors held on March 18th. Um, voting on that contract this evening and we are scheduled to meet with the SEA um to go into negotiations with them on April 29th. Okay. Policy um special committee no meeting and board member comments. I have one. I just want to congratulate the uh cast and crew of uh Into the Woods. It was an amazing production. A 3-hour production which is pretty impressive the way these kids uh
026held it together through the entire show. Uh very impressive by Ms. Stella Cruz and her uh her staff. Thank you. Yep. I agree. On the tails of that. I want to congratulate the drama club and Ms. De La Cruz on another amazing performance. Um you would honestly the performances that they put on you would think that you were on Broadway. And I know Gianna left, but she Gianna is um was Cinderella and um part of that performance. This is her last performance, I believe. Um she's been part of the drama club for many years. So, congratulations to her and also congratulations to all of the athletes and their accolades. No one else? Um motion's closed. Motion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Good night, everyone.