001Good evening and welcome to the April 29th, 2025 business meeting of the Walanche public school district. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nationy andice for all. Mr. Smith, sunshine announcement and roll call, please. Yes, this is the Wall Township Board of Education meeting for which adequate notice under the open public meeting that was provided by notice to the co-star, Asbury Park Press, township clerk's office, all Wall Township public schools and the board administration office on January 9th, 2025. Take a roll call. Miss Adams here. Mr. Adinesio. Miss Barbier here. Mr. Bon here. Mr. Buffa here. Miss Diovani. Mr. Smith here. Mr. Wandre here. Mr. Mau here. At this time, can I have a motion to go into executive sessions for the
002items listed on the agenda? I'll make a motion. Mr. Buffer. Mr. Adenezio. Second. All in favor? I. We will be in executive session till approximately 7 p.m. Good evening and welcome to the Waltry Board of Education business meeting for April 29th, 2025. Uh let's please rise for the pledge of allegiance and the color guard from the NNDC will provide the colors. Help me. Hey 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. Right wheel I sir. Okay, we'll be reconvening to public session. Mr. Smite, please uh roll call. Miss Adams here. Mr. Anesia here. M Barbie here. Mr. Berton here. Mr. Buffett here. Mr. Dioani here. Mr. Smith here. Mr. Wandra here. Mason
003Adams. Sorry, Megan. Copy. So, we got Sorry. Mr. Mal here. Okay. I'd like to turn over to Dr. Henryan for the student showcase. Thank you so much, Mr. Maliff. Um, we have a we have something really special to share with everyone this evening. And um we're going to start I'm going to start by inviting our athletic director, Miss Marne Henry, to uh the podium because um this is something that's very special that I believe really um everyone should know about. And I'm going to ask her to fill you in on the amazing news. Thank you so much. It is truly an honor and privilege to be here tonight to celebrate an incredible athletic achievement. We have a young man, if I can invite him to come up here, Mr. Jonathan Klene, who has done an
004amazing job this year as a member of the boys bowling team. But I also would like to invite his head coach, Mr. Martin up to tell us a little bit more. But Donovan achieved a great task here. He was crowned the NJSIA state bowling champion, individual bowling champion. So while he did an amazing job during the season with his teammates, what he was able to accomplish as an individual has brought us so much pride and he's had the help of his father who has been working with our team as well as a volunteer coach and his dad his accolades I could go on and on about and but this young man is special. I'm going to have coach Martin here fill you in on a little of the specifics and also please notice some of
005the pictures up on the board. Thank you, Marty. Um, I guess the main thing I'd like to say about Donovan is as talented as he is on in the lanes, um, his humbleness, his generosity towards his teammates, you would never know because in a state that stresses athletics a lot. Um, he is number one in the state and you would never know that by the way he carries himself, the way he comports himself, uh, the way he works with teammates and helps them get better. uh he finished number one in the short conference in scoring per game, number two in the state and um really the entire year he just built towards this state title and uh you could see it coming. You could see the determination and I think what also was so impressive
006about Donovan is he's not a one-trick pony. All right. Uh he does very very well academically. He's um basically become a very good golfer and um he's just the type of person that you should be very proud of at Wall and uh somebody that we should expect more from because he's only a sophomore. So we've got another two two years of him. So yes indeed. Yes. Thank you. I also um wanted to let everyone know it's very rare that we have a state champion. All of our state championship teams get a banner in our gym that will stay forever the year and the names. So, Donovan, I believe he's the first one to get an individual state championship banner that will be held in the gymnasium for every year. So, we're hoping he adds a
007few more, but to have one is amazing. So, we're so so so proud of him. Thanks, Donovan. Miss Donovan, don't leave. Come back. Yeah, we've got a picture. Um, I just want to say u I was a high school principal for a really long time and that is you that is the banner in the gym is the apex. The banner in the gym and um Miss Henry I think we need to order probably an extra big banner if you don't mind because I have a lot of good feeling for the next couple years. So um so we would love to take a picture and I'm going to ask our board president um Mr. Maliff because we do have a we have a little token for you. But I don't know about you, but I can't
008wait to see that banner in the gym and someday you're going to bring your family and you know all friends to see this when you're old like me. So that is how cool having a banner in the gymnasium is. So if you can all um work with us so we can have a nice photo op. Go back. Sorry. Yep. Right there. [Applause] What's up? Okay, at this time we're going to have our student uh representative report, Mason and Michael. Oh, sorry. As we are nearing the end, students are getting ready to take their AP testing starting next week. We also want to congratulate the seniors who participated in signing day last week. We want to recognize the hard work and dedication of the students and staff involved in the WHS spring musical production of the
009Adams family. This production took place on April 24th, 25th, and 26th. The community is so proud of their performers, stage crew, musicians, etc. Everyone who made this place so amazing. This week, all the ninth graders have taken the NJSLA testing and our first block every morning is extended to accommodate for the testing periods. Good luck to the freshmen the rest of this week. The yearbook staff and club just submitted the 2025 wall high school yearbook two days ahead of schedule and all of the students are so excited to see the finished product in June. The seniors will be first to get their books at the senior night in June. Congrats to the students invited to the state level of teen arts. Congratulations to Samuel Feldman who has been invited to the state level of teen
010arts for vocal solo. And congratulations to Mr. Brian's guitar ensemble, who were also invited to state teen arts for guitar. Such huge accomplishments. This Thursday, May 1st, seniors have their decision day. We look forward to celebrating all of our students on May 1st as they commit to their college, universities, military, and future career plans. Thank you, Michael and Megan. Appreciate your reports. Okay. As always, you're welcome to stay, but if you would like to leave, you may leave because I'm sure you have a lot of things to go on. Thank you. Can't wait to see your shirts. At this time, we're going to open up our first public comment for any school related issues. The board requests that those individuals speaking will be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when making comments,
011specifically 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 in New Jersey. The Waltry 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 the light of the legal rights of those affected by or by identified in their comments and recognize that they are legally responsible for and liable for their comments. And please uh keep comments to the uh three-minute limit which is part of our policy. At this time, anybody would like to make a a comment on any school related issue, we have a microphone at the top. We also have one down at the bottom. Just please provide
012us your name uh and then you can begin your comments. We have somebody up top. Please go ahead. Good evening. I just want to introduce myself. My name is Annalie Wilderman. I've been a power professional here at the intermediate school for 22 years and I am the new WTEA vice president for ESPs and I look forward to working with you. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations and good luck in your position. [Applause] Good evening all. My name is Kathy Sers. I'm a Wall Township resident, a former par professional in this district, and I hold a staff position in the WTEA. Tonight, I want to address an issue that often flies under the radar, but is crucial for the well-being of our elementary students, the absence of lunch par professionals during school lunch periods. This may seem
013like a minor detail in the grand scheme of education, but I assure you it's anything but. The WTEA is here to speak to the district's plan to eliminate the positions of 30 lunch power professionals. Central office has estimated that the district will save approximately $350,000, not accounting for the increase in the cost of replacing these roles with certified staff. If we consider that all lunch power professionals are at the top of the guide, the actual savings would only amount to 270 270,000 and they are not all at the top of the guide. There is nothing added to their salary to increase their cost to the district since none of them get health benefits. So they are the most reasonably priced employees the district has. This raises an important question. Is this reduction truly the best
014way to bridge the gap in the district's budget? We proposed an alternative. Three supervisors instead of 30 lunch power professionals could achieve similar savings without sacrificing the daily support that our students rely on. Currently, lunch power professionals provide essential and daily consistent interaction with the students. Sometimes the supervisors or certified staff who may float in and out cannot replicate. The day-to-day benefits that our elementary students receive from their lunch power professionals are invaluable. These dedicated staff members have developed relationships with the students, understanding their dietary needs and preferences and providing support for those who need help with their meals. They know which students need to eat before buying snacks, who require assistance when unwrapping their food, which is almost all of the kindergarteners. What about all those notes that teachers get each day? And while
015they can easily rely the nuances to the one power pair of professionals that take care of their students, will they have time to determine that it's Tuesday? After all, Tuesdays, her students are with Mr. Smith. And no, she won't have time because she has lunch, too. Some of these members have dedicated over 20 years to this district and felt much more than blindsided by this non-renewal. To summarize, it's much easier to find 270,000 at the top of the pyramid instead of at the bottom. Thank you for your time this [Applause] evening. Good evening. My name is Gail Maher and I am the proud president of the WTEA, a Wall Township resident and a teacher at the intermediate school. Imagine a bustling cafeteria filled with young students excited, energetic, and often overwhelmed by their surroundings. In
016this environment, the absence of lunch power professionals can lead to serious consequences. These dedicated individuals are not merely staff members. They are vital guardians of our students safety, dietary, and emotional health, both in the cafeteria and at recess. Without lunch power professionals, the district creates an environment ripe for bullying and harassment. Our youngest students, still learning the intricacies of social interactions, may find themselves in vulnerable situations without the guidance and supervision of their trusted adults. Consider the shy child sitting alone, anxious and unsure. In the absence of their supportive lunch power professional, this student may become an easy target for ridicule and exclusion. Conversely, those who are more assertive may exploit the lack of oversight, leading to potential conflicts. We must also remember that lunch power professionals play a crucial role in teaching social skills
017and conflict resolution. They model positive interactions and provide guidance on how to navigate friendships and disagreements. So, what can we do tonight to decide how this should all play out? We look to you, our board members, for the inclusion of lunch power professionals in our elementary schools in the 2526 school year. By keeping this type of position, you are investing in the emotional and social well-being of our future leaders. So, three administrators instead of 30 staff positions that interact with our littles every day. Five years ago, we only had one superintendent and no assistant superintendent. And how much better are we for that increase? Three curriculum supervisors and now we have seven. Is that the increase in the level of administration benefiting our students? Our one facility manager used to have one operation supervisor for
018seven members, but we now think we need two operation supervisors for the seven people. So each supervisor is responsible for three and one half people. In conclusion, let us work together to ensure each of our elementary students enjoy lunch in a safe and supportive environment. Please recognize the crucial role of these 30 employees and advocate for their presence in our four schools. Go back to the drawing board and think about what is best for the young students in our district. Thank you for your time with us. Good evening. My name is Matt Butler. My daughter Scarlet goes to the Old Mill School and pre and before that she went to Wall Primary. I want to express my gratitude to all the PAR professionals in the Wall School District. The paras at Wall Primary and Old
019Mill School have been instrumental in my daughter's growth and development. On an emotional level, they're like family members. They have made her experience at school wonderful and safe. All I could hope for as a parent. They are undervalued and underappreciated in my estimate. And I would advocate for a raise rather than the elimination of their position. I would like to ask the board to reconsider funding the lunch para positions for next year. The lunch pairs help supervise the most unstructured times of the day, lunch and recess. They create a safe environment. By eliminating Paris, we invite an unsafe environment. Almost every negative issue in schools can be traced to a lack of supervision, which has been the fertile ground for so many of the scandalous events we see on the news. When something happens, we
020all say, "How could something like that happen in the school? Where were the admin? Where were the teachers?" Obviously, they weren't privy to the event or the information or they would have intervened and done something about it, whatever it may be. And oftentimes, you hear people apologize, admins, saying, "We will be vigilant moving forward so something like this never happens again." By removing lunch paris, we create openings for issues that proactive supervision would eliminate. Please consider funding lunch paris and all par professionals for the safety of our children next year. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jonathan Reo. I'm a parent of three boys at Oldm Mill School. I'm here tonight because along with many other parents, I'm deeply concerned about the recent decisions to eliminate the lunch aid staffing at Oldm
021Mill School. Um, and this is a change that would directly impact the safety, the supervision, and well-being of our children. Lunch aids are not an optional support. They're essential. They help open the lunch containers for for the little ones, assist with spills and accidents, step in when kids get hurt or sick, monitor for bullying, and help students with special needs who need that extra care. I am deeply disappointed that this decision was made and that the aids were notified of their job loss before any communication was sent to the parents. As stakeholders of our children's education and care, we deserve transparency and a voice in decisions that will affect their day-to-day safety. Based on the aids that we heard directly from, the only uh backup plan was to get one teacher at Old Mill to
022supervise an entire cafeteria of 80 students, which is unacceptable and dangerous. Um, so we've respectfully urged the board to provide answers. What is the plan in place to ensure safe supervision during our lunch and recess? How will this impact teachers workload and classroom instructions? And what is being done to protect the most vulnerable children in our school? We ask that these decisions be reconsidered or at least paused until a safe and sustainable solution is in place. I also started a a petition early this morning and I already have 54 signatures of Old Mill School parents that are very concerned and want answers. and I'm glad to share that with anybody in this room. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Aaron Liller. Uh I uh have a son, kindergarten,
023uh child here at Old Middle School. Uh we've had a fantastic experience. I was alerted to this issue um earlier today via email and for me you know I anticipated people being prepared and the budget and all that in my normal job my normal forum I'm more was the facts and the details but when I saw this today I said you know what I'm going to come here and just give you a real life experience of my child who is new to the school district so as a new parent of the school old mill very excited kids going to kindergarten we got the school bus we got the cafeteria the lunch you know all these great things that we're excited about um one of the reasons I'm a real estate attorney. One of the reasons
024we moved to Wall District was because of the Wall School system. Um we've had nothing but great experiences. Love Old Mill. I'm still recovering from the you know the fun run there. All right. Um but I wanted to give a real life practical. This is this is a kindergartener who just started and that's my son. So my son's going to school and you know me and my wife are nervous about the bus, right? as most parents probably are about the kindergartenner going on the first time on the bus and also excited and the tears and all that. The other thing is the lunch time. Now I saw some of the highlights and everybody that spoke before, right? It's the hypotheticals and some of them are probably based on past experiences and they're talking about the
025bullying and enough time and for us we were just worried about our kid only eats dino nuggets at home. What is he going to eat? But we want him to try to eat, right? So we had a plan where he was going to do three days at school lunch, two days off. He's going to have he loves ham and cheese sandwich, right? So on. So for the first two months, it's great, right? He's going to the bus. He's ham and cheese, got the bagel or pizza on Friday. It's going good. And then sometime around November, I noticed that my wife is waking up a half an hour earlier every day and she's stressed, right? Mornings are stressful. we also have, you know, a younger uh toddler in daycare. And I'm like, "What do you why
026are we doing lunch every day?" I thought the school lunch thing, that's what we were we're prepared for. And she said, "Well, Erin's Aaron said to me that he doesn't have enough time at lunch to buy lunch, get to his table, and eat it." So, for me, I go, "Okay, well, that's that's strange, but you know, they've been doing this. You know, it's not my job to say how the school runs. It's I love the school. It's great. I don't, you know, daycare, we get the pictures every day. Preschool's or kindergarten is a little different. Just we put our blind faith and trust into the teachers and what's happening. So, you know, I said, you know, maybe this is my son just having this little gross spot where they're just talking too much, playing, but
027it hasn't changed. And then when I saw this today and I go, well, one of the concerns was, you know, the young kids opening the lunch or the milk box or whatever it is, right? I don't know what's happening at lunchtime. and older parents and people that are more invested are going to talk about the bullying and all that. I'm not there yet. My kid just turned six. I love his experience. You know, God bless that doesn't happen, right? For me, it's just the actual functioning of and sorry, I'm quickly the functioning of it seems like there's not enough people there already to get my son who's just learning for the first time to use his pay card or you know the account to get the bagel to get the pizza to sit down to
028also engage with his friends. And I think that the kindergarters probably need a lot more attention. So, I acknowledge that that's not a concern for, hey, we can't budget our entire thing based upon the 5-year-olds at the lunch table, but I also think that, hey, that's very impactful. This is their first experience. The lunch time should be a positive time. So, my kid is bringing his lunch every day because he doesn't have enough time. Maybe, you know, some of that is gardening. They need more people. So, when I saw this email of, hey, they're cutting the lunch staff, you know. Okay. Okay. I wanted to bring a real life experience. Go ahead. If you can conclude, I want to bring a real life experience of, hey, this is my 5-year-old kid and in November, he
029stopped eating lunch at school. He says he doesn't have enough time. I don't think that's innate in him to say that, right? He would say, hey, daddy, I don't like their pizza. I like, you know, use wall atilios, right? I like it atio pizza, daddy. I don't like their pizza. So, I wanted to bring a real life example of a 5-year-old who said, I don't have enough time at lunch to eat. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Do we have anyone else for public comment? Young lady up top. I'm not as poised and and prepared as the speakers before me, but um my name is Courtney Griffin. I have four children in the Wall Township District. I have a junior all the way down to a first grader. So, I'm actually in all three
030schools. Um we have had such a positive experience. Um love being at Old Mill. my kids are excited to go to school each day. And when I learned of the the um cuts with the Paris just today, I was shocked and upset and I started speaking to my older kids, getting their opinions. And I guess one of my first questions is the money that you're saving from cutting the Paris, where's that money going? What's that being put into? Um I always thought that the welfare of our students at Wall Township schools is the top priority. So to me, these cuts should not be made. Um, you know, there's a saying called walk a mile in someone else's shoes. A suggestion I have to the board is how you expect whether it's one person or I'm
031hearing rumors of it's going to be one teacher that goes out and supervises. My suggestion to you is perhaps the members of the board should go out and work the lunch and the playground time and yourself and see are you able to meet the need needs of Molly who has a cut on her knee and Billy who's crying because he can't get on the swing. I have a daughter who is so shy who I am beyond proud of that has made so many friends this year but I can't tell you how many times she's come home and I just walked around by myself mommy on the playground and you know who she talks to the paras. The parents know her more than her teachers can even speak to her. They know when we had a
032new baby. They know where we went on vacation. She knows that they're off to be with one of their children. And you know, I was driving and talking to my son today about this, my 17-year-old, and he was saying to me, "Mom, how can they cut the paras? I can still remember the faces and names of every par I had throughout my school time at Wall Township." And I was so taken back. Here's a 17-year-old junior in high school who's like, "How can they do that?" Um, and my other concern is it it is a rushed time. That's these kids are forced to grow up so much quicker. Standardized testing. We're throwing so much at them. They don't have time to be kids anymore. As it is, they get 20 minutes to eat their lunch
033and 20 minutes to go outside. Like the person before mentioned, I can't tell you how many times they don't even get to finish their lunch. So, I just really Wall Township's a huge district. We all pay a ton in taxes. These powers are essential to the success of our schools and I really just, you know, ask you to reconsider it. I mean, I feel like what's next? Are the teachers going to be asked to drive the kids and we're going to get rid of the bus drivers? I mean, it's really, it really isn't fair. So, I just really hope that you'll reconsider and think about what's best for the students. I'd hate for a tragedy to happen and for us to be reflecting back and wishing we would have kept the paras when we uh
034you know decided something else. So, thank you. Great. Thank you. I've never done this before, so a little inspired by the last one. Um I'm Amy Brewer. I am a Wall Township resident. I have one daughter in Central School and another one next year and I'm a volunteer at West Bulmer School. Um, I just want to say that for every person that's here, I mean, I know there's at least four off the top of my head parents who are not able to make it tonight. So, just to say that yes, there's a little bit of a crowd, but there's much more of a crowd of people who would be here if they could because this is such an important thing. Um, so I just kind of want to draw attention to that that it really
035it's something that is important to us parents to know that our kids are taken care of when they're there. Um, and three supervisors really is not that big of a deal compared to 30 lunch aids. It really isn't. And I see when I'm at West Bmer school, I see the powers there. I mean, the connection they have is unreal. I know it's the same at at Central School when I volunteered there for different events. These are important people to our kids. And I was a te I was a high school teacher for 10 years. I just feel like the supervisors are also important. I think it's considering do you care more about saving money or do you care more about the children? So thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Mary Beth Stoddard and
036I work as a par professional at Old Mill. I am both a lunch parah and the recess parah. Um, however, I've had different roles throughout my whole career. Um, I've been a teacher at Belmore Elementary School and I've also been in food services for six years in Wall Township. Um, I was told I shouldn't get up and speak, but I'm coming after these great moms came up and spoke. My number one concern is the children. I have four children. Um, they are older. My youngest is now an intermediate. Her name is Molly. Um, my son, who is 25, has type 1 diabetes. Um, we know which kids need more than just someone to open up a package. We know which children need to go to the bathroom together because they have epilepsy or walk to
037the nurse because they have asthma or that they shouldn't be in the tunnel for too long because they might have a breathing issue. We're not just here because we have to be. We're here because we want to be and we want our kids and the children in the future of all to have a safe environment. As a mom, safety is first. Health is the most important thing in the world. I also have a daughter and I'm looking at some of the West Belmont representatives and my daughter Michaela is 19 and some of her aids are here and she has autism and bipolar. Um, she had her best experience in wall and she had her best experience at West Balmar. Um it is crucial. It is underlooked, overlooked and we were kind of side blown away
038by this experience of how we found out. Um we've had great bosses. We've had great staff to work with. It's more than just a camaraderie. It's a family. And I really hope that it's reconsidered because I have four children who came through the system in ages from 13 to 25 and because of the care that has been given through wall and the experience of not just treating a child as a number but caring for them as an individual that is how they have now become successful in the community and in their in their life in their daily life and also how they've survived. My son is 25 and he's in Texas. First time he's been alone on a business trip. And I want to thank nurse Farrell who's not here at West Belmore because she
039was his second mom. The power professionals made sure he ate after he had his insulin here at Intermediate. He had Beth Lair, wonderful person, and we'll miss her tragically. I don't want tragedy to happen and I hope that you reconsider for the goodness of the children. Thank you. Thank [Applause] you. Betsy Cross. I live in Wall Township. I'm glad that that uh employee actually stood up. I give her a lot of credit. Thank you for doing that. Um, tonight I stand before you not as just a concerned parent and grandparent, but as a member of Mom's for Liberty. And as you're aware, I believe believe deeply in the fundamental rights that the Constitution guarantees. The fifth, 9th, and 14th amendments are clear. We as parents have an undeniable right to the direct upbringing, education, and
040care for our children. This is not a preference or a matter of opinion. It's our constitutional right. So, nobody fights for their kids like a mom and a dad. So, thank you to the dads that came out here today. Um, I'm here tonight speak on two things. First, on policy 5756. I am extremely against this policy. It needs to be abolished. We cannot have the boys in the girls locker rooms. We can't have them on the sports teams. We can't have them in the girls uh bathrooms. Uh, you have separate uh rooms for that. Um, I think I I did bring it up last month to be ignored. I'm sure you've seen in the news that Pton McNab, she was a 17-year-old junior in high school. She was hit in the head and suffered brain
041damage by being hit by a male playing volleyball. Uh, we don't need that to happen here in Wall Township. So, um, everybody's entitled to do what they want to do, but we've got to keep the boys out of the girls bathrooms. Um, in terms of this uh policy, I think it would have been helpful if you told us exactly why you were doing this. To me, it makes no sense. If we're going to uh you should tell us what the number is right now so we don't have to beg the number out of you. If it's 270,000, that's peanuts out of your almost hundred million dollar budget. Um, if Tracy Handerhan and Brian Smay just gave back their what they're going to cash out in sick and vacation pay, you'd have 200 grand right there.
042Um, it's outrageous the money that we pay these people. If you don't use your vacation, you lose it. If you don't use your sick pay, you lose it. We don't get to cash out boat payments to people. Mr. Smith is well over 100,000. Tracy Handerhan's been here a few years. She's at 58 grand. Um, the numbers that I had to Oprah, we're going to pay 40 over $48,000 for Tracy Handerhand's 100% health benefits. When she got here, she only paid 1.5%. If you hadn't have wasted a million dollars to have Rose Sergio sit home and three football coaches and the athletic director and all these other people, you'd have an extra million dollars right now. But you squander and waste money. Um, where is my FNF chair? Thomas Buffer, what are you doing? You're terrible.
043To come here and to take these poor people making what 12 to$15 an hour, you're going to cut their pay. And me speaking from experience, Mrs. Ali was a godsend for my son because my son was bullied in Old Mill. And those same kids made it all the way up and were the issue in the Wall football program. So I know it from experience. I said if you don't take care of these kids in the beginning in first grade, they're going to turn out to cause major problems. And they certainly did, didn't they? So you've got that lawsuit that you're worried about now. So you got one lawsuit after the next. So, you need to manage your money better and you need to find the money of $270,000 and protect these students and bring these
044women back. Thank you. Do we have anyone else for public comment at this time? Okay, seeing none, we're going to close this uh public comment session. At this time, I'm going to turn it back over to Dr. Handerhan for some special presentations. Thank you so much, Mr. Maliff. Um, at this point, I'd like to invite the board to uh take a seat in one of the in one of the lower uh seats in the auditorium section. The budget presentation is about to begin. It is uh a video that has been prepared with slides. It will be available on our website very very shortly after the presentation this evening. So I just wanted to um point out that yes it's it's available to be seen through the live stream but we will also right after its
045viewing be posting it on our website so that uh you could see it without um you know the distance of the live stream. And uh following the following the video I will be us uh making some comments and some remarks with respect to the budget after its viewing. So uh thank you for your time and um I believe u Mr. Alworth are we ready? Welcome to the Wall Township Public Schools public budget hearing for the 2025 2026 school year. This year, the budgeting process commenced in October and has been diligently pursued since then. During this time, administrators have worked closely with members of the board of education to evaluate needs and set priorities, many of which are in line with the district's strategic goals for enhancements to facilities. The district identified projects slated for the
046upcoming school year and potential costs. A public workshop session for the budget was held on February 25th. This session was designed to clarify the rationale behind budgeting decisions which was a central theme of the discussions. For more comprehensive information on next year's budget priorities, please visit our website to view the workshop presentation posted on the business office page under the budget accordion or the board of education presentation section. On March 18th, the board of education approved the submission of a tentative budget to the New Jersey Department of Education. The tentative budget was approved by the NJ DOE. Following the presentation and public hearing this evening, the board of education will vote on the proposed budget. Wall Township Public Schools has dedicated this budget season to the planning of significant curriculum projects and programming initiatives for
047the 2025 2026 school year. In the upcoming year, our budget objectives will focus on the execution of these identified curricular projects as well as the launch of new programming options. Prioritizing student wellness will remain paramount. Additionally, we will emphasize professional development for all staff members. The human resources department will ensure staffing efficiencies within the district budget and funding for capital projects will be prioritized and will continue to be funded through the capital reserve account. It is important to clarify that the capital projects mentioned this evening do not encompass those identified through the referendum. A letter detailing all ongoing referendum projects was sent to the community earlier this month and is available on the district website. [Music] The curriculum and instruction budget is strategically aligned to support the academic objectives outlined in the district's broader strategic
048plan. As highlighted in the midyear goals update, the district's academic vision is to cultivate a culture of academic innovation and excellence. This vision ensures that students have access to personalized learning experiences, a rigorous curriculum, and ample support resources, empowering them to reach their full potential. As a result, the budget prioritizes key areas: curriculum development, instructional resources, professional development, and supplemental programs. At the heart of curriculum design is the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. A well-crafted curriculum serves as a roadmap guiding educators on what content to teach along with effective instructional strategies and assessment practices. Regular curriculum revision is essential for staying aligned with best practices. This summer, teachers will engage in collaborative efforts to revise curricula in mathematics, multilingual education, world language, and elective courses at Wall Intermediate School to support
049the new schedule, high school electives, and special education courses at the high school. While a robust curriculum is foundational to quality teaching, it is equally critical to support this curriculum with research-based instructional resources. Ongoing evaluation of instructional materials ensures alignment with the New Jersey student learning standards and adherence to current best practices. This year, teachers in grades four through eight and secondary mathematics have piloted new instructional materials and have made recommendations for new resources. These new resources along with the updated advanced placement United States history textbooks are accounted for within the budget. Additionally, the budget includes provisions for consumable materials such as K5 reading and writing workbooks aligned to the science of reading protocols, novels for grades 6 through 12, as well as general instructional supplies. In our modern digital landscape, it is essential to
050integrate educational platforms that enhance classroom instruction. To facilitate individualized learning, the district utilizes assessment platforms that generate detailed reports offering insights into students strengths and areas for improvement. These platforms along with other content specific resources support both teaching and learning across various [Music] disciplines. School districts are required to provide specialized programming to support students with special needs. Ensuring that these services are delivered within the least restrictive environment is paramount as we must allow students to learn alongside their peers whenever possible. Our district offers a range of supports including differentiated learning materials, adaptive technology and professional services such as speech and occupational therapy. For some students, participation in an extended school year or ESY program is necessary to support progress towards their individualized learning goals. As part of our commitment to inclusive practices, we are pleased
051to share that the budget allows for the continued expansion of unified sports at Wall Intermediate School and Wall High School. This year, the program grew to include three sports, flag football, bowling, and kickball, thus providing meaningful experiences and opportunities for students of all abilities to compete and connect. Looking ahead, next year's budget proposal maintains all current program offerings, including the continuation of our innovative school within a school model, the RISE program at Wall High School. Our goal remains to educate all students in their local schools, fostering a sense of community and belonging. The specialized programs within the special education department allow us to serve a wide range of student needs. In addition to the educational benefits for our students, maintaining robust in district programming leads to significant cost savings. Additionally, the strength and uniqueness of
052our programs position us to potentially offset local costs by welcoming tuition students from other districts who may benefit from the specialized services offered here in Wall [Music] Township. The vision of our wellness program is a holistic approach to supporting students health and well-being by addressing the social, emotional, behavioral, and health related aspects of development. Our wellness initiatives are designed to build essential skills and prepare students for real world challenges. The proposed wellness budget includes several key initiatives to support student well-being. Examples include continued instruction with the seven mindsets curriculum, staff professional development to foster a classroom culture of connection, as well as student extension activities to promote a sense of individual belonging. Additionally, wellness principles and positive habits of mind will be integrated throughout the school's offerings with opportunities such as the nth grade reading,
053class meetings, and student staff advisory experiences. Services tailored to individual needs will focus on mental health counseling, skill development, and restorative practices through the base intervention program, which is an extension of the mindset curriculum. A new school social worker position will be added to provide direct counseling, support traumainformed classroom practices, connect students and families to community resources, and develop intervention plans for specific needs. Family wellness nights, school counseling presentations, newsletters from wellness providers, and specialized providers such as head nurse and school physician will continue to address students medical, social, emotional, and academic needs. Collaboration with community resource providers will remain essential in ensuring that students have access to wraparound services extending beyond the traditional school day. Lastly, situational spending governed by statutes such as the McKini Vento Act, homebound instruction and nursing services for individualized
054care will be prioritized to remove barriers for students experiencing exceptional situations. All of the 2025 2026 wellness initiatives are designed to meet the diverse and evolving needs of our current students while promoting their long-term health, development, well-being, and safety. [Music] The proposed technology budget prioritizes redundancy and technology availability as the district strives to provide uninterrupted educational services across the district. The technology budget allocation addresses four critical areas. Infrastructure updates including virtualization server environments, server redundancy, telecommunication services, and redundant internet connections. additional software services and licensing for essential instructional and operation tools such as content filter and Adobe Creative Cloud. We will be implementing enhanced network security measures to continue to protect our sensitive data and systems. This strategic investment not only safeguards our current technological capabilities, but also builds a more resilient foundation that can
055adapt to future educational needs while maintaining consistent service for students and staff. [Music] Maximizing efficiency in human resources remains a priority in an effort to ensure the sustainability and expansion of our district's programs and services. This includes new instructional schedules for the intermediate school and elementary schools. This year's budget also includes new staffing to support the evolving needs of our students, increased technology services, and the progression and oversight of referendum projects. This budget also reflects a 31.0 FTE decrease and a current salary savings of over $600,000. While the district values and appreciates the work of our part-time non-instructional lunch power professionals, the difficult decision was made to eliminate these 30 positions districtwide in an effort to further aid in developing a balanced budget for next year. Again, I wish to stress the district's appreciation for
056these employees dedicated service. The total budget salary increase for the 2025 2026 school year is approximately 2.29%. The majority of the savings have been captured through attrition that is through retirement, resignation or promotion. Staff transfers will also be used as a means to ensure savings and maximize personnel efficiency. I believe it is important to note that the trend of increasing health care costs for employees is again expected to continue. After consultation with employee benefits professionals, it is necessary to budget an additional 13% for health benefits this year. [Music] I would like to stress that the capital projects identified in this proposed budget are separate and apart from referendum projects. Next year's projects funded by the proposed annual school budget include repaving the parking lots at Wall High School and the board office, reconstruction of concrete
057walkways of the main and athletic entrances at Wall High School, asbestous abatement at multiple schools, and design services for a new student transportation facility. $1 million is budgeted for these projects, funded through a capital reserve account. A little over $700,000 has been budgeted for district-wide building maintenance, including refinishing the intermediate school gym [Music] floor. This slide provides a detailed view of the last three years of spending in each program category. This slide also details the percent change over the current year's budget. As I mentioned earlier, it was necessary to budget for an increase of 13% in health benefits. With this increase in total benefits, which includes health benefits, make up over 22% of next year's annual school budget. I find this pie chart to be helpful in visualizing the budget appropriations. [Music] This slide provides
058an overview of how the budget is divided by object over the past three years. This slide shows the consistency of how funds are allocated and clearly shows that we are a serviceoriented organization. [Music] This slide details the sources of funding used to develop the budget. As I am sure you are aware, most of the budget is raised through the local tax levy. This year, the budget includes allowable statutory tax levy increase of 2%. State and federal aid as well as reserve accounts also help fund the annual school budget. I would like to share with you that there's an additional source of funding in this budget titled health waiver. When the cost of state health benefits increases by more than 2%, school districts are eligible for a waiver for the amount exceeding 2% up to the
059amount of the state health benefits increase, which this year is 13%. This waiver exists to assist school districts in absorbing substantial increases in health benefits when the state's plan is experiencing substantial increases. Faced with a 13% increase in the district's health benefits cost, the district requests the use of this waiver to increase the tax levy an additional 2.2% so that student programs, services, and curricular initiatives are not eliminated or lessened. The 2025 2026 school budget as compared to the current year budget marks a total increase of 4.5% yielding a total proposed budget of [Music] 91,150,000. What does this budget mean in terms of dollars for taxpayers? To illustrate, this chart provides some different house assessment values and corresponding increases. As you can see in the highlighted column, the average assessed home in Wall Township is
060$493,600. The proposed budget calls for an annual increase of $2005 with a monthly increase of $1667. This figure includes the district's debt service obligation as a result of the referendum. Wall Township Public Schools is excited to finish out the 2024 2025 school year and is eager to begin the initiatives and projects budgeted for the 2025 2026 school year. Thank you for your time. As indicated previously, I did want to make a couple comments after that presentation. Wall Township Public Schools Board of Education is committed to providing our students with the best possible learning experience. This learning experience includes best practices for class size, brainbased curriculum, and robust counseling services. This experience also includes board of education staffed bus drivers, custodians, maintenance, and other support staff. Each member of our team contributes to our students educational
061experiences, and each member of our team is valued by this organization. Each year we have to evaluate the needs of the district. Sometimes our needs change and we need to be responsive to new priorities. One of our goals in developing next year's school budget, as in years past, is to maximize efficiency. Essentially, we ask ourselves, how can we refine our operations to cut costs without compromising the students learning experience and staff needs? Unfortunately, expenses to run this district are outpacing the monies garnered from our revenue sources. We must close the budget gap. To do so, we have to make cuts. Some of these cuts are in personnel. While some retirements afforded us the ability to use breakage, it was not enough to close the gap. With rising operation costs and changing needs and priorities, it
062saddens me that our budget could no longer support part-time lunch power professional positions. This was a difficult decision and I cannot reiterate enough that we are so grateful for our part-time lunch power professional service to the children of this district and I do thank you for your service. I did receive some questions today about elementary lunch and recess supervision. Please note the budget still supports the full-time elementary lunch power professional positions and our K5 students will continue to be supervised by board employees with adult ratios adult children ratios consistent with or more preferred than our peer districts. I would like to stress that um I I did receive some correspondences and I believe in public comment that um the thought was that there would be one certificated staff member for the cafeteria and for outside.
063Um that is not that is not the case. Um so I just wanted to share that we were able to accomplish this through maximizing our staffing efficiency which will be made possible next year by restructuring of the elementary school schedule. More details to follow, but our district-wide elementary schedule change also provides for an increase in instructional time in both language arts and in mathematics. I thank you for your time, Mr. Maliff. Thank you, Dr. Hanan. At this time, we will have uh public comment on anybody who would like to speak uh specifically on the budget or the budget presentation. If you would like to speak on the budget, uh please you can go to one of the microphone the microphone at the top or the one down at the bottom. Gail Maher, same person as
064before. I get it. I I I know that the debits and the credits have to equal at the end of the column. Um maybe we have to push something off. Maybe we push off the math programs that we're buying. Maybe we don't start that till 26 27 and then we see how it goes and maybe at the end of next year maybe we come up to the same decision. But there are things that could be pushed off to see if the year could work by manipulating the purchase of curriculum. Thank you. Okay. Any other comments specifically on the budget cross? Um I've been to this is probably my 14th budget presentation and I'm going to say this was the worst that we've ever had. Um normally what you have is you show in a column
065and you would highlight where you say budget highlights mathematics. You would put how much that extra is going to cost. So you'd say that new mathematics going to cost 50 grand. Then you'd put the m multilingual education, then the word language. We have no idea what you're doing here. It makes no sense whatsoever. So I think you'll have to go back to the drawing board. I wouldn't approve. I don't I I don't think you'll get one. You should not get one approval for this because this makes no sense at all. I don't see what you're doing with the money. What was the exact number that you're going to save just by the paraprofessionals? You threw out a number of 600,000. How much of that is for the paraprofessionals? Could you just tell me that number
066so I know it? Does anybody know the number appear before your voting? Anyone? We need a breakdown of the 600,000. So, I know you're the usual just sit there and just pretend nobody's up here. Um, but we need numbers. We need to know how much everything is costing. Uh, that seven mindset, I I don't know what we're getting out of it, but how much is it? Um, we need a breakdown of the extra 2 million you're spending because you saved 600,000. 1 million6 is for health insurance. Then you spend another 2 million. Where is the 2 million going? What percentage of that is for salaries? Is that 2 and a.5%. Because your numbers don't match up. I got a report through Oprah that salaries came in at 53 million and what you're showing me here
067is like 50 and 51. So there's 2 million here that that's not adding up right now. Um but this is not making any sense at all. It's a horrible presentation and I tell people go to Ridgewood's uh um presentation, go to Princeton's presentation. You're gonna see nothing like this. Nobody does this unless you want to just shuffle the money. Brian Smith always keeps his head down taking notes and doesn't want to answer any questions and he's up there laughing. Yeah, we know how it goes, Mr. Smith. Um, we need question. Yeah, we need questions answered at Athena Cornell. That's what we need. It's public comment. Thank you. Yeah, we need it's it you just said come up here if you have questions on the budget and that's exactly what I'm doing and you're sitting up
068there blank stairs as usual while you want us to give you an extra $200 a year for the average homeowner. So, uh the million-doll home, get your checkbook out cuz that's going to be 500. And guess what? We're not going to tell you where it's going. And municipal, same thing. They want four to 5%. So everybody's taxes, your taxes are going to go up $1,000. And do not ask us where it's going because you nine people want to control everything. So you can pay the entire increase until you let us know where the money is going. Find the money for those lunch women. This is outrageous and ridiculous based on what you just did. [Applause] Do we have any other comments on the budget presentation? Okay, seeing none at this time, I'm going to close
069a public comment on this uh portion of the meeting. Well, Mr. M. Yes, Mr. SM. Just for clarification and presentation, it was uh referenced that there was a $600,000 saving. Um if you go back to the workshop meeting that was held uh by the board of education, it was indicated that through attrition or retirement uh the breakage that's realized by new staff coming in at a lower step on the guide, there is approximately $400,000 savings and the impact on the power uh lunch power professionals uh being as a reduction of force in next year's budget is uh $200,000. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Okay, at this time, I'm going to ask for a motion from the board to adopt the 2025 2026 school budget. Can I have a motion? Uh, regrettably, I will make the motion.
070Uh, but I will make it. Mr. Buffet, do I have a second? I'll second. Mr. Mr. Bitton, a second. Okay. Uh, roll call. Mr. Smith. Roll call. Miss Adams. Yes. Mr. Anio. Yes. Miss Barbierre. Yes. Mr. Burton. Yes. Mr. Buffa. Yes. Miss DGiovani. Yes. Mr. Smith. Yes. Mr. Wandre. Yes. Mr. Mal. Yes. At this time, we're going to have the president's report. Uh, couple things I'd like to mention. First of all, I want to also uh add my further congratulations to Donovan Klein for being the overall state of bowling champion. A great uh accomplishment. very proud of him. Uh, also as was mentioned in the student report, we had a high school student Samuel Feldman who uh was recognized for his state in the state teen arts for his vocal uh performance and also Mr.
071Bryan's guitar ensemble for their uh teen arts recognition. Uh also in the past month I I had the opportunity to attend uh two productions, one here at the uh Wall Intermediate School of of Beauty and the Beast and it was a it was an absolute uh sellout. I think all of the uh the shows were uh were sellouts here. And I want to commend the uh the cast and the crew and the uh uh the uh teacher student the adviserss and also I know the parents who uh put a lot of time into that uh not only on the night of the production but also for the the practices that they had to take place uh in the time. So it's a a lot of time and you could see that that it went into
072that. And also this past weekend, the high school put on a a production of the Adams family. And I got to tell you, uh, when you see a a a high school production such as this with live music, uh, and the, uh, the sets that were, uh, uh, built for this and the the cast and the, uh, the members of the orchestra, you, you know, as a, uh, as a citizen of Ball Township, and you just have to be proud of what uh, uh, what was on display then. And I thought it was just a fantastic uh, uh, evening. enjoyed it thoroughly. Congratulations to everybody who was involved. And just uh before I turn it over to the superintendent report, just a a comment about the uh the budget. Certainly the uh preparing a budget
073is one of the most difficult and important responsibilities of the board. And I would like to point out that in the preparation of this budget, a priority is that uh no student programs uh were cut and we were able to keep all of the programs uh that we have had in the previous years going forward. And if you look at many of the other districts in the area and around the state, that cannot always be uh said to be true. And I'm hoping that we will always be able to do that. and certainly we were able to accomplish that with this budget. At this time I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Hanhan for the superintendence report. Thank you Mr. Maliff. Um I'd like to thank the Wall High School color guard and Colonel
074Jax for opening up our meeting this evening and as always u thank our student representatives uh this month we had Mason Adams and Megan Kappy. So I appreciate them coming out. Um to echo Mr. Maliff's sentiments u you know a huge congratulations to sophomore Donovan Klein on um uh becoming the NJSIA boys bowling individual champion. it's such an a big accomplishment and uh you know we look forward to um his future successes. Uh I would also like to congratulate the cast and crew and the adviserss of Wall High School's Adams family production and certainly um the the you know certainly the sellout crowd for the uh Beauty and the Beast at Intermediate. Um it's an amaz it's amazing the art programs that we do have in our schools and I I am proud that uh
075we are able to continue uh supporting the arts um in such a meaningful positive way for our our students, staff and our families. I'd also like to recognize that last week we wall intermediate school uh they were working very very hard preparing for and executing the volley for autism fundraiser. Um it is an amazing night uh for all that attend and um you know a lot of you know a great deal of funds have been raised for an outstanding organization. So um I thank you for all of their very important work and I would also like to thank Miss K I would also like to thank Miss Kelly Winer and Miss Jen Jennifer Serboets for all of their work in preparing tonight's budget video. Um there's a lot of uh moving parts to preparing that
076and I I want to thank them for their work. Um, this month's total district enrollment numbers for March 2025 are as follows. PreK 78, Kindergarten 228, First grade 226, 2nd grade 233, 3rd grade 248, fourth grade 236, fifth grade 281, sixth grade 238, 7th grade 253, eighth grade 258, 9th grade 219, 10th grade 26, 16 11th grade 252th grade 234 and that um yields a total enrollment in the district at 3,200. So um that is the updated enrollment figures for the for the month of March and I thank you and uh back to you Mr. Malip. Thank you Dr. Hanhan. I just wanted to mention I did forget to uh include the following information in my report which I will do now. Uh, students of the month for Wall High School, grade nine Jack Cartell,
077grade 10 Ellie Peterson, grade 11 Mallerie Fitzpatrick, and grade 12 Thomas Ecberg. The nights of the week for the month of March, we have 12th grader Leah Yates, 12th grader Colin Kessle, ninth grader Jaden Stevenson, 10th grader Casey Montinone, and 11th grader Ginhong Ni. uh student of the marking period three for the various departments. For art, we have 12th grader Johanna Bryan. For business, 11th grader Isabella Navis. English 10th grader Mave Donovan. Family lifeth grader Hannah Pomerance. Math 11th grader Cali Bucksbomb. Music 11th grader Karina Manol. Uh PE and health 11th grader Alexander Langenfeld. Science 10th grader Cali Woodside. Social studies 10th grader Alex Lightbody. 11th grade uh technology Thomas and world language 11th grader Jake Carich. Uh thank you. And at this time there are there any board members who uh would like to
078make any comment on any items? Mr. Buffer. Mr. Malice. Thank you. Um, I just want to um thank uh Mr. Smith, uh, Dr. Handerhan, and the administration uh for working very hard uh to produce this budget. Uh, it's absolutely not an easy thing to have any type of reduction in force. Uh but I can say as the I speak for myself as a chair of FNF, I do feel that uh the administration worked hard to find efficiencies to continue to um to continue the level of excellence that uh the community of Wall deserves uh in the educ in the education of their children. Um so while uh earlier I had said regrettably uh that was the fact that we had to reduce force um I I am very proud of the budget that went forward
079today overall. Uh and I want to thank the administration for their hard work. Thank you Mr. Buffet. Any board member wishing to comment. Okay. Uh committee reports are also uh up on the uh website and they can be uh found on the agenda for tonight's meeting. Uh at this time, I'm going to open up public comment or our or third public comment for uh any items that are appearing on tonight's agenda. So, anyone who would wish to make a comment on agenda items, Betsy Cross, I live in Wall. Um, yep. Disappointing that everybody uh voted for that budget. Uh, we really do need to see and and Dr. Hannah, I would really just like an appointment with you to go over what did you cut and where did you spend the extra $3 million. Uh
080we have no idea what just happened here. Um we know 200,000 um was to get rid of the lunch aids. But I I I can't I can't understand. We got 1.6 million for health insurance. Where did the rest of the money go? Um I do not like to see in the FNF minutes that we're going through that one um co-op. I know we've we've had major problems with co-ops in the past with Mr. SM um of not getting bids and now it says in FNF we're going with these co-ops so we don't have to get bids. Well, that's not how this works. We need to see bids in Wall Township because we've had more problems than any other school district. So, uh you need to go back to getting bids and not um getting rid
081of the bids for there. Um what else was on there? Um, I did not get a number. Could you tell me how much the seven mindsets cost? And then could you also give me the number of how much the new math program is going to cost? You must know those numbers before you voted. So, if you could uh give those numbers. Um, and then Dr. Henderson, your presentation did not put in there the 600,000. You just put you were cutting the staff, but when you were talking in your presentation, you mentioned the 600,000. I think you really need to be clearer on that. Um, and then I'll send you a sheet where your salaries are not matching up. I think what will be helpful too was all these clubs. I don't know if the clubs
082meet, if there's minutes done, but you got stipens upon stipens upon stipens upon stipens. So, you know, maybe some of those groups aren't active and you could have saved the money there. Um, but I can't believe that you couldn't find $200,000 in this budget from from this. It just it it doesn't even make any sense. Um and especially when you have no numbers and even in the past we had it before you got here, Tracy, we would have um this is what we cut and this is what we saved and this is where the money's going. Other than health insurance for a uh platinum plus health plan from the 1970s, you could have saved the money in the health insurance without a doubt. Nobody has these health plans anymore. and you need to stop them
083here. Um, people could take more pay home and we would not be spending 70% of $48,000 for Dr. Handrahan and uh Mr. Smite's plans are going to be around $40,000. Um, we can't afford it. What I'm paying for Tracy's plan as a percentage is more than my family plan, the 100% amount. You know why? because my husband's employer has common sense. These plans do not are not common sense. You cannot continue to offer plans from the 1970s. I don't care. It's in the contract. You need to scale back. Uh or or in 10 years, you're going to be spending $100,000 per person on health benefits because that's where you've gone. When I first started coming here, you spending five million. I mean, um five million on health. Please. So, Mr. Mr. Mal, I'd really like
084to set up an appointment and you can have Tracy there and you can go over these numbers with me because I would like to share them with the with the public. Okay. Thank you. Will you agree to set up an appointment? Thanks for your comments. At this time, I'm going to ask for uh a motion to approve the I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. Another uh comment. Sure. My apologies. I'm sorry. No, no, no problem. Um, Terry Vaness, uh, Colonial Drive, Wall Township. Um, I'm also a former board member and I spent 13 years on the Wall Township, uh, board of education. So, I get it. I get what it's like to sit up there. I get what it's like to do go through all the budgets, go year after year. I also went through four
085superintendent. Yeah. So I have a question though with do you have the information on the ratio of students to adult supervision? You know the paraprofessionals, the part-time paraprofessionals during lunchtime periods and during recess as it exists today with the par profofessionals that exist in the district today. And then whatever um new type of approach you're planning to take, what is the ratio of the adult supervision to the number of students in the cafeteria as well as on, you know, out on the playground during recess. I think that's really an important um figure uh to to give all of these concerned parents. I mean that's if I was sitting there as a board member and you may have discussed this all right and and I get it but maybe it would help alleviate some of the
086concern. I mean, maybe you have I I I don't quite get what the plan is and you know, maybe you're still working on that and maybe you have a goal of certain ratio of adult supervision to the number of students and you're going to achieve that in a different manner, but nobody's actually said that. So I think that's really important and that would be a question that I would be asking if I were still sitting there you know as a board member which I had for many years. So I appreciate you know if maybe you can share that information when you do have have it. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks. Any any further comments? Okay. At this time, I'm going to close public comment. And now, I'm going to
087ask for uh a motion uh to approve the uh consent agenda for items 12 through 19. Okay. Mr. Mr. Giovani. A second. Mr. Wandre. Mr. Smith. Roll call. Mr. M. Yes. Mr. Yes, Mr. Yes. Mr. M. Yes. Okay. Uh, and at this time, I'm going to ask for a uh motion to adjourn. Mr. Adnesio, a second. M. Barier. All in favor? I we are ajourned.