Special Board Meeting - Dr. Fergus Implementation Committee - October 30, 2023

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Dates: 
Monday, October 30, 2023 - 6:30pm
BOARD OF EDUCATION
School District of South Orange Maplewood
525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ 07040
SPECIAL PUBLIC BOARD MEETING
Monday, October 30, 2023, 6:30 pm
In-Person and Using online video conference platform
(The instructions are placed at the end of the agenda)
 
 
SPECIAL MEETING (6:30 PM)
I. ROLL CALL OF THE MEMBERS
II.  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III. NOTICE OF THE MEETING:  Please take notice that adequate notice of this meeting has been provided in the following manner:
A.  That written notice was sent from the Office of the Secretary of the Board at 9:30 a. m. on October 16, 2023.
B.  That said notice was sent via email to Maplewood and South Orange Township Clerks and the Editors of the News Record, Star Ledger, and the Village Green.
 
BOARD PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT
The school board meeting is a business meeting in public and not a meeting with the public.  Oftentimes it may appear to members of our audience that the Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote.  Before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the Administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator (CSA).  If the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education, it is then referred to the appropriate Board Committee.  The Members of the Board Committee work with Administration and the Superintendent to assure that the members fully understand the matter.  After the committee discusses the matter, it is then shared with the other Board members for consideration.  Only then is it placed on the agenda for Board discussion and action at a public meeting.
 
DISCUSSION
 
  • Presentation on the District's three year vision of implementation of Dr. Fergus’ Recommendations
  • Provide the Board the timeline to include the sequencing of priorities of Dr. Fergus' recommendations
  • Present the funding commitments tied to each of the recommendations and what the budget implications would look like over the next school three years, 2024-2025, 2025-26 and 2026-27 (based on the timeline for implementation)
  • Provide the list of responsible parties within the District for ensuring that the 23 recommendations are being implemented within the designated timelines.
 
HEARING OF INDIVIDUALS AND DELEGATIONS
 
Thank you for coming in-person and dialing-in by phone this evening. The South Orange - Maplewood Board of Education certainly respects that you’ve taken the time out of your busy day to address the Board at tonight's meeting. We value public involvement in our school district, and we are eager to hear what you have to say. The board does have time limits by policy, and it will be enforcing those to enable as many people to speak as possible this evening. Each individual will be given three minutes to speak, please do your best to stay within the time afforded to you. The first public comment period is usually limited to one hour and the second public comment period may be limited to thirty minutes. All input shared with the Board of Education is taken very seriously, and will inform future deliberations and work by the Board of Education and its committees.
 
HEARING OF INDIVIDUALS AND DELEGATIONS
 
Join By Computer / Smartphone
Choose one of three options:
 
Hearings of Individuals and Delegations / Public Speaks - Audio Comment
 

Connect To BOE Meetings Using Cisco Webex

In addition to live streaming the meeting using the Youtube or SomaTV links above, community members can view/participate in district BOE meetings by using Webex. Please use the information below to connect via Webex.
 
Step 1 - Install Webex on your device.
 
Step 2 - Submit a Request To Speak
Submit a request to speak during the public comment section of BOE meeting by completing the following form: 
 Step 3 - Connect To The BOE Meeting
 
Connect to the BOE Meeting using the information below:
 
Event: Board of Education Meeting  - Public Session
Date / Time: October 30, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
Webex Link: Click Here
Event Number: 2355 036 9115
Event Password: Orange20Maple (67264320 from phones)
Telephone Number: 408-418-9388
 
Please check your audio connections are set correctly. Failure to do so will prevent you from being heard during the public speaks portion of the meeting.
 
Step 4 - Provide your audio comment
During your turn to speak, your microphone will be unmuted. Please speak clearly into the microphone/headset. After your time for public speaks has passed, your microphone will be muted.
 
NEW BUSINESS -
 
A meeting of the Board of School Estimate will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 6:00 pm at the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education Administration Building, 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, New Jersey; for the purpose of discussing funding for the remaining projects in the District’s Long Range Facility Plan.  Action may be taken.
 
The Board of Education will meet in Public Session on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the District Meeting Room, 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ.  Immediately following the opening of Public Session, the board will move to go into a Closed Session in the Superintendent’s Office, 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ, as well as using an online video conference platform to discuss personnel, matters within the attorney-client privilege, legal, negotiations, and other matters that may arise and require discussion, to be announced at a later date.  Immediately following the Closed Session, the Board of Education will meet in Public Session (estimated to be 7:30 pm) in the District Meeting Room, 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ in person, utilizing an online video conference platform which will include Hearing of Individuals.  The community can view the meeting by following the steps which will be listed on the agenda. If there are members of the community who would like to attend the meeting in person, please note that masks and social distancing are optional in accordance with the guidance received from the local DOH and the CDC. Action will be taken.
 
Adjourn to Executive Session 
 
  1. SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD BOARD OF EDUCATION RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTIVE SESSION
 
WHEREAS, while the “Sen. Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act”(N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq.) requires all meetings of the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education to be held in public, N.J.S.A. 10:4-12(b) sets forth nine (9) types of matters that may lawfully be discussed in “Executive Session,” without the public being permitted to attend, and
 
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that one (1) issue is permitted by N.J.S.A 10:4 - 12 (b) to be discussed without the public in attendance and shall be discussed during an Executive Session to be held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 6:30 PM, and
 
WHEREAS, the nine (9) exceptions to open the public meetings set forth in N.J.S.A 10:2-4(b) are listed below, and next to each exception is a box which will be marked when the issues to be privately discussed fall within that exception, and after each exception is a space where additional information that will disclose as much information about the discussion as possible without undermining the purpose of the exception shall be written:
 
  1. Any matter which, by express provision of Federal law, State statute or rule of court shall be rendered confidential or excluded from public discussion.”  The nature of the matter, described as specifically as possible without undermining the need for confidentiality is attorney/client privilege, Board Liaisons.
  2. Any matter involving the employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of employment, evaluation of the performance, promotion or disciplining of any specific prospective public officer or employee or current public officer or employee employed or appointed by the public body, unless all individual employees or appointees whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that such matter or matters be discussed at a public meeting." Subject to the balancing of the public's interest and the employee's privacy rights under South Jersey Publishing Co. v. New Jersey Expressway Authority, 124 N.J. 478 (1991), the employee(s) and nature of the discussion, described as specifically as possible without undermining the need for confidentiality are: Chief School Administrator
Groups audience: