001Good evening and welcome to the Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 business meeting of the Wall Township Public School District Board of Education. Please stand for the flag salute. 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. >> Mr. Smith, sunshine announcement and roll call, please. This is the Wall Township Board of Education meeting for which adequate notice under the open public meeting act was provided by a notice to the co-star Asbury Park Press, written notice to the township clerk's office, all Wall Township public schools, and the posting in the board administration office on January 8th, 2026. Take a roll call. Miss Adams >> here. >> Miss Barbieier >> here. >> Miss Bby >> here.
002>> Mr. Buffa >> here. >> Miss DJ Yvani >> here. >> Miss Lawler >> here. >> Mr. Smith >> here. Mr. Wandra, >> Mr. Mau >> here. At this time, I'm going to ask for a motion to go into executive session for those items indicated on the agenda. >> I'll make the motion. >> Okay, Miss Adams, a second. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Uh, Miss Bby. Uh, all in favor? >> I We will be in executive session. We uh anticipate returning to public session at 7 p.m. Okay. Good evening and welcome to the Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 business meeting of the Wall Township Public School District Board of Education. I ask Colonel Jack to come forward to lead us in the pledge. >> Please allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to
003the for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, Colonel. >> And who's Mr. Smith? Roll call, please. our student rep. Thank you. Uh, roll call. Miss Adams >> here. >> Miss Barbieier >> here. >> Miss Bby >> here. >> Mr. Buff >> here. >> Miss DGiovani >> here. >> Miss Lawler >> here. >> Mr. Smith >> here. >> Mr. Wandra >> here. >> Uh, Miss Garat >> here. >> Thank you. And Mr. Mouth >> here. Thank you, Mr. Smite. At this time, I'm going to ask for Miss Kelly Winer and Mr. Scarano. We have some student uh presentations to make here. All righty. So, congratulations to Mave Donovan, Erin McBaron, and Ava Walling, all grade 11 students in Miss Barlay's AP language and composition class. Each
004was recognized in the Mammoth County Law Day contest for their outstanding work on this year's theme, the rule of law and the American dream. Each year, students can submit an essay or a poem to the annual Law Day contest. In July 2026, the United States will mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A moment to reflect not only on the founding of our nation, but on the ideals that we have guided it for over two centuries. Two of these ideals, the rule of law and the American dream, have shaped American society in powerful ra uh ways. The rule of law is the principle that all individuals and institutions are accountable to the laws that are fairly applied and enforced. The American dream is the belief that through hard work and equal
005opportunity, anyone can achieve success. Students were asked to use historical examples, current events, or personal insight to write an essay or poem that addresses the Law Day theme by reflecting on what the rule of law means in a democratic society and how the rule of law has supported or challenged the pursuit of the American dream. Ava, who cannot be with us tonight, earned first place in the essay contest. Mave earned second place in the essay contest and Erin earned second place in the poetry contest. Their work thoughtfully explored how the rule of law can both support and challenge the pursuit of the American dream. So, Mave and Erin, if you want to come up Now we're going to have our student uh representative report. Hazel, this is your Are you going to be here next
006month, too? You >> Yes. >> Okay. So, this is your next to last. >> Yes. >> All right. So, you're getting close to the end, but we're always happy to have your report. So, please, you're on. >> Thank you. Good evening. As the academic year comes to a close, the student body has experienced several exciting milestones and events that celebrate both achievement and community. The class of 2026 celebrated decision day on May 1st, recognizing recognizing students post-graduation plans. One of the most anticipated events this season, the day brought school spirit to the courtyard as senior seniors proudly wore apparel representing their future colleges careers and commitments. With music, games, and refreshments, the event fostered in a sense of unity and accomplishment while celebrating the hard work that students brought to this milestone. A special thank
007you goes to Mrs. Fagan and Mrs. Maliki for taking pictures and sharing with them with the class to help commemorate the day. This year, the class of 2026 submitted approximately 1,500 applications to colleges and actually to approximately 265 different universities, reflecting the hard work and ambition of our students. In addition, Mr. Nash and Mr. Jinx recently took students on a college tour to Stockton University, where students had the opportunity to meet with admissions representatives and tour the campus. These experiences continue to provide vulnerable opportunities as students prepare for their futures. In addition to decision day, seniors had the opportunity to attend a class trip to Yankee Stadium. This memorable outing provided a chance to unwind and connect outside the classroom while enjoying America's pastime. It served not only as a celebration of their final year,
008but also an opportunity to create lasting memories with classmates before graduation. Looking ahead, the coming weeks promise an exciting lineup of events including senior awards nights, a class trip to Six Flags Adventure, the Wall Business and Finance Academy graduation, the engineering academy graduation, the AP literature trip to Princeton, and of course, senior prom. We enga we eagerly anticipate a vibrant and memorable conclusion to the school year as we countdown to graduation on June 18th. Academically, students across multiple grade levels have been focused on advanced placement testing, which recently concluded, as well as freshmen who have completed their NJSO testing and junior science testing taking place this week. Weeks of preparation culminated in these exams, and students demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and commitment to their studies. With AP testing now behind them, many students are looking forward
009to finishing the year strong and enjoying upcoming end of the year activities. Overall, the past month has been a meaningful blend of celebration and achievement. From academic accomplishments to memorable events, students have continued to demonstrate resilience, school spirit, and pride in their community as the school year comes to a close. Sophia and I are truly honored to have been here and have this opportunity to present for these reports throughout the year. We look forward to delivering our final presentation next month. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you, Hazel. I know I'm sure you and your classmates are very excited about the last month of school. I know there's a lot of activities. We certainly hope that you enjoy them and you enjoy them with your friends and family very safely. Okay. Thank you. And as always,
010you're welcome to stay, but if you have pressing engagements. >> Thank you. >> At this time, we're going to have our first public comment session. Uh the board requests that individuals speaking will be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when making comments. Specifically, comments regarding individual students and school personnel are discouraged and will not be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The Wall Township or Board of Education bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. speakers should consider their comments in light of the legal rights of those affected or uh by or identified in their comments and recognize that they are legally responsible for uh and liable for their comments.
011And we do ask uh the speakers to please abide by our threeminut rule. So anyone who wishes to make public comment there are microphones on either side. Good evening. My name is There is John John Reo and I'm a Wall Township parent with three amazing boys at Old Mill. Tonight, I wanted to once again raise the concerns regarding school bus safety and ask for the board's um support as well as the community and help and help uh move meaningful solutions forward. Over the past several months, multiple Wall Township parents, including myself, have consistently witnessed drivers illegally passing stop school buses while children are boarding and exiting. These are not isolated incidences. At my own bus stop, I've witnessed violations roughly once a week. Other parents are experiencing them even more frequently. We have observed drivers
012going around buses into the opposite lane, ignoring flashing and red lights at the stop arms and continuing through the opposite direction while elementary age school um children are boarding and exiting the buses. Several parents, including myself, have been working directly with the Wall Township Police Department regarding these concerns. I want to publicly thank police chief O. Howerin and his officers for taking this issue seriously and for the willingness co to collaborate with parents. However, police officers simply cannot be everywhere at all times. This is why I'm urging both the board and the community to support two important state bills currently moving through New Jersey state legislative. Assembly bill A-3887, Senate Bill S-1469. These bills will allow law enforcements to issue summons based on recorded school bus stopped arm violations. A pilot program ran in Woodbridge,
013equipped buses with AI cameras, and documented over 2,800 illegal passings in just three months. That is nine violations per day, demonstrating how widespread this problem truly is, which led to the two legislative bills to be drafted. At the moment, the Assembly Bill A-3887 is currently sitting with the Assembly Appropriations Committee. If the members of the public would like to contribute to better safety uh school transportation, I encourage you to contact Assemblyman, I mean, sorry, Assemblywoman Lisa Swan, S WIN. She's the chair of the Assembly Appropriation Committee and ask her to support this bill to move it forward through the legislation process. I also want to briefly circle back to the concerns I raised several months ago regarding Life Touch. My request was to uh for the district to conduct a standard review of student data
014privacy policies, vendor governance, and cyber security protections associated with school photography services. I have not heard um whether the board plans to review that request, and I uh would appreciate a follow-up or an update when possible. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Raina. Anyone else for public comment? Okay, seeing no one else for public comment, we're going to close public comment at this time. And uh there are no special presentations tonight, we're going to go right to Mr. Scarano for the superintendent's update. >> Thank you, Mr. Maliff. Good evening. I'd like to thank Colonel Jax for opening our meeting. And I would also like to thank our student representative, Hazel Gro, for joining us this evening. We look forward to their final report in June. and you have both done a wonderful job representing your
015school and classmates this year and thank you for sharing this service with us. Our schools have been very busy with events and activities over the past few weeks which also means the end of the school year is fast approaching and many more events are scheduled between now and the rest of the school year. First and foremost, May is recognized as mental health awareness month during which our schools have embraced the theme of more good days together while continuing to raise awareness through age appropriate wellness activities designed to ensure that all students and staff feel supported. All schools participated in teacher and staff appreciation week by recognizing their many efforts and contributions during the week of May 4th. I want to again extend my sincerest appreciation to all of our staff members who continually go above
016and beyond to show up every day for our greatest resource, their students. Your commitment and influence are truly valued. We also celebrate n celebrated national school nurses day on May 6th, honoring these everyday heroes who care for our students and staff throughout the year. Thank you for your consistent unwavering dedication, leadership, and compassion. Annual NJSLA testing which began on May 4th in the elementary schools has concluded today. Wall intermediate school testing was completed last week and Wall High School concludes this Friday, May 22nd. Makeups will continue through the testing window and thank you to the curriculum office and the schools for their work in scheduling preparing for this annual administration which is certainly no small task. We are excited to announce that on this board of education agenda, we have a memorandum of agreement with
017the department of the United States Navy to establish and operate a Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps unit, also known as NJOTC, which has long been the goal of the current NNDC program. In addition to enhanced military funding, enhanced funding from the Navy, it will also allow the district to move forward with the second military instructor partially funded by the United States military. This is an exciting and proud moment for our district and a special congratulations and thanks to Dr. Hannerhan, Miss McCann, the board of education, and the high school for their years of effort to bring this program back to Wall Township public schools. Each year, schools are charged with reviewing harassment, intimidation, and bullying, or HIV data and programming. Using the categories and metrics provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, schools
018can receive up to 78 total raw points, with 78 being the highest score that can be achieved. The full breakdown for each category for each school is available on the district website as well as in this meeting's agenda packet. The overall score for each of the district schools for the 2024 2025 school year is as follows. District grade 77 out of 78. Wall high school 77. Wall intermediate school 77. Allenwood school 77. Central school 77. Old Mill School 78. West Belmar School 77. and Wall Primary School grade 77. As a reminder, we invite you to our Passport to the World, a multicultural celebration night, which is a special evening event that celebrates cultures from around the world. This fun and educational evening will take place tomorrow, May 20th, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym at
019West Belmar Elementary School. Please join us for an exciting and educational evening of culture. As mentioned earlier, the end of the school year brings a number of student focused events and activities. This week at Wall High School will feature our National Music Honor Society induction as these students last night joined their art NHS peers who were inducted on April 30th. Our annual senior awards night will also be held this week as well as the spring vocal and orchestra concert. The Wall Business and Finance Academy and the Pre-Engineering Academy will be holding their respective graduations next week along with both the high school's guitar concert and elementary orchestra spring concert. Senior prom for our high school students will be next Friday, May 29th. Congratulations to these students for their great accomplishments, milestones, and best of luck
020in their upcoming performances. And this weekend marks the unofficial start to summer with Memorial Day on Monday, May 25th. While the district will be closed on Monday and it is a day off for students and staff, it is more importantly a solemn day to remember, honor, and mourn the military personnel who have died serving in the armed forces. Please take a moment over the weekend for the remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and serve our great nation. Thank you, Mr. Maliff. >> Thank you, Mr. Scarano. Thank you especially for your reminders about uh Memorial Day. Uh just a couple of things, a very brief uh uh report uh tonight. Uh we are uh in our final stages of the athletic uh field upgrades. Uh this week most of the uh uh
021turf has been laid on both the uh the fields. The lights are up. Uh the track area is being prepared. It will not be laid down for more than a month from now, but uh we certainly are on schedule to uh to hold our graduation on the lower uh athletic field where it has always been in in the past, but now with a with a new turf field uh to enjoy as well. Uh perhaps uh we'll get some pictures up on the website. That might be a good thing if we could do that within the next couple of days so that the community can see the uh the progress that is being made. And uh again uh as always I not only for for that for this room and all of the other uh improvements
022that have been made throughout the district uh the board is uh eternally grateful to the community for supporting the referendum that allowed for this important work to be done. All right. Uh mentioning some of our students of the month in grade 11, I'm sorry, in grade nine we have Tristan San Philippo. Grade 10, Amanda Regan. Grade 11, Sophia Hone. Grade 12, Clarissa Herrera. Nights of the week, grade nine, Jackson Wowski for the week of April 6th. Sean Ayes for the week of 413, 9th grader, 12th grader, Stephanie Sarmiento for the week of 42026, and William Hey uh for the week of 42726. As uh Mr. Scorano mentioned there's lots of activities that uh will be taking place and there are activities that that have been taking place in recent some of the pictures that you
023saw if you were here uh as the in the uh the minutes before the meeting we saw our unified team uh and some of their competitions that they were uh presenting. You also saw the photograph of the cast uh and crew of uh Into the Woods. And uh we have some other things coming up uh over the next couple of weeks that uh certainly uh bear attending to if we can. I hope to get to uh to many of those as well. Uh at this time I'm also going to ask for any other board members. I know Mr. Buffett in particular has a couple words that you want to uh share with the community. >> Thank you, Mr. Malf. Um, I just want to uh start by just kind of adding on to your um
024comments of the stadium field upgrades. Um, I I wanted to thank Mr. Smith. Uh, as is noted in the FNF committee report, um, with the loss of our facilities manager um, not long ago, Mr. Smith really had to step up and kind of add another role to his day-to-day responsibilities. um and he's really handling those responsibilities phenomenally. And uh I think when the public can see um the end results of um the stadium project and and again all the other things that we've done through this referendum, um they're really going to be proud to call Wall home. Um additionally, I want to um comment on Mr. uh something noted in Mr. Grano's superintendence report and that is the um uh NNDCC um and I don't know if the word is promoted but be upgrading to
025ROC. Um this is a huge accomplishment by the district. Um one that was um not an easy it wasn't an easy trip. Um, for those of you who on the board who were not on the board at the time, um, we were, uh, we had decisions to make, uh, and we were presented with ideas to move this program along because the NNDCC program was on probation with the Navy. uh meaning that if changes weren't made and we didn't we didn't do things to advance the program that the program probably wouldn't exist today. So um at the time Dr. Handerhan um and Miss McCann made some really hard choices uh did some things that a lot of the a lot of people did not agree with. Um and some concerns were raised. Uh but all along
026we were we were reassured that it was for the the best interest of the students, the best interest of the of of the program. Um and lo and behold, I guess it's two years a year and a half, two years later. Um here we are. We have a thriving program. Uh one that is um being represented well. One that is now going to be the Wall Township uh Wall High School ROC. We have uh phenomenal guidance under the colonel. Um a tremendous amount of support from the administration, from the community, from the high school administration. Um and I I really just felt it was important that we expanded on that a little bit more to put into context uh where we were and where we are now. Um and again to in particular thank Miss
027McCann and Dr. hand or hand because they really uh took the brunt of the changes that were so um that were really needed when those changes were made a few years back. So, um thank you and uh really appreciate your hard work on that. >> Great. Thank you, Mr. Buff. I'll add I'll just add uh Mr. Kevin Davis, high school principal, to that list of people to thank for helping us to uh to to get that program. Thanks to to everybody. It's a great accomplishment and a wonderful opportunity for our students. At this time, if there are any other uh board members that would like to comment about uh anything that they've seen in the district, any events that you've been to or anything that you would like to uh bring up at this time.
028>> Yes, >> Mr. Wandre. There are several uh high school students and intermediate students who have won positions in the Patriots pen which is hosted by the VFW. The awards were given out at the Belmar Fisherman's Club and Wall was well represented there. Secondly, 10:00 a.m. at the monument on Memorial Day. There's a big ceremony there and the Girl Scout troops lead it off. So, I think you'll enjoy. It's a family event. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Warjack. Miss Diovani. >> Yes. Thank you. Again, I we've talked about this a lot, but I just can't be more proud of what we have accomplished here in elevating the NNDCC to a Navy ROC program. And I think we need to really Colonel Jax for his efforts in really bringing forward this program in invigorating the
029students in showing them what this program can be. And I just want to say thank you, Colonel. Okay, thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Uh committee reports are available uh online. The the uh reports are available for you to read uh on the uh the website. And at this time, we're going to open up for our second public comment. And this is a comment that is dedicated to items that are on our agenda tonight. So, if anyone wishes to make any comments on uh things that specifically are on the agenda, please come up. >> Don Herbert, I'm glad to see the RJCT coming back in the system again. We had it years ago. We lost it. I'm glad to see it back. How many do we have to have in the program to keep it? Do
030you have any idea? We'll get two teachers. They say 15,000. I say that includes my salary. The other teacher will be somewhere around $30,000. >> No, that's not what I'm asking. How many students do we need in the program to keep it? >> 50. Well, they really lowered the number then because we were way higher than that the when we lost it the last time. We're hoping we go well beyond 50 >> because we were up in over 100 when we had it before and we kept losing it. We were put on probation and they and they finally took it. The Navy finally took it away from us. >> Well, we're hoping to build it back up again. >> Thank you. Anyone else for public comment? Okay. At this time, I'm going to ask for
031a motion for the approval of tonight's consent agenda. Miss D. Giovani. A second. I'll >> second. >> Mr. Buffer. Mr. Smith. Roll call, please. >> Miss Adams. >> Yes. >> Miss Pavier. >> Yes. >> Miss Bby. >> Yes. >> Mr. Buffett. >> Yes. >> Mr. Diovani. >> Yes. >> M. Lawler. >> Yes. >> Mr. Smith. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wander. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mal. >> Yes. >> Okay. And at now at this time I'm going to ask for an another motion to adjurnn. Do I have a motion? >> Mr. Wandra, >> Miss D. Giovani. All in favor? >> We are adjourned. Have a great evening.