The Board of Education held its first meeting of the school year on Tuesday night at Heritage Middle School to discuss new developments within the school system to the public. The Board also passed two new board bylaws which took effect immediately.
Superintendent of schools Matthew Block started off the meeting by thanking school secretaries, custodians, administrators, and other faculty who worked over the summer and helped open the school.
“All of their efforts were truly felt, as 6,000 students returned to school last Tuesday,” Block said.
Block welcomed 60 new educators to the school system, and also explained how teachers were given a full day of professional development classes a week before school started, to help educators learn new skills and reflect on how to educate their students.
Block further explained how this will help teachers and faculty know each child that is in their care, each day.
Back to School Nights start this week and will happen throughout the month. The last back to school night will be the first week of October.
Annexes
Dr. B lock discussed the building of annexes at Hillside Elementary and Burnet Hill Elementary Schools, explaining that the annexes at Hillside are built and ready for electric and plumbing. However, the annexes at Hillside have been complicated, and the project is a little further behind, he said; he hopes they will be ready in the next week or so.
Concerns
Block also acknowledged the concerns of Burnet Hill parents about the location of a large area of land that is dedicated to a fenced-in area for the annex.
He told them that the space is needed for the actual construction and for construction materials.
“I want to reassure you, the footprint of the annex will be much smaller than the gate’s footprint.”
The gates that have been erected on Burnet Hill’s field are not able to be moved at this point in time but Block reassured parents that the site where the annexes were, have been carefully chosen, with the understanding that the field would still continue to be used by students and the athletic programs.
The administration also considered the distance of the annexes and safety of students, while also making sure to make sure to tie in plumbing and electric to the annexes. Block also stated that for security reasons, they have limited the amount of students that will go into the annexes, so its mostly adults. The homerooms and cycle classes are still in the main buildings. The entrance is closest to the building, so it will be easier to escort students between the two facilities.
Block hopes for the annexes to be finished by the end of the month.
Board Reports
Board president Vineeta Khanna noted that dialogue between the BOE and Township Council, which was discussed during last week’s Five on Five, is still ongoing and are happy to bring the conversations to the public.
Discusses Hate Messages
Khanna furthermore spoke about hateful messages that she and her colleagues had been receiving via email and telephone.
“Consequent to our last meeting onAugust 8, some of us on the Board along with some staff members at the office have been the target of hateful phone calls and messages from people who are not part of Livingston and have no understanding of the culture or climate of town, nor are they invested in anything Livingston related. These messages contained extremely disturbing verbiage. I, on behalf of my Board colleagues, and district staff who work here, would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for checking in on us, on our physical safety, and above all, mental well-being,” she said.
Board Policies
Board attorney Matthew Giacobbe discussed updating board policies, focused on public participation in meetings and recording board meetings. He reiterated that public dialogue does not include question and answer segments or deposition, but is rather more about the public having their comments heard.
“This is the Board’s meeting; the public comes and observes the Board doing their business, and the business for the citizens of Livingston, staff and students,” Giacobbe said.
The updating and adoption of the new policies is to make sure that respect is given to both parties and that rules are in place, he said.
“We expect our students to not engage in harassment and bullying, and I don’t think its too much for the Board or public to expect the same from any public speaker, whether they are from Livingston or not. At the end of the day, it’s to make sure everyone is being respectful,” he said.
Bylaw 0168, Recording Board Meetings, as explained by Giacobbe, has been updated to state that it is a person’s right to record the meeting; however, they cannot interfere, come to the front of the room to record, and they cannot record the speakers. The person recording is allowed to stand in the back to do so.
Giacobbe also stated that the person who wishes to record the meeting must notify the Board secretary before proceeding. He added that the Board is allowed to obtain a copy of that recording at its own expense.
The next meeting will reaffirm the new laws that were put into place beforehand.
Student Representative Speaks Livingston High School senior and student Board representative Jake Ferrans described for the Board how seniors, to celebrate their “first-last” day of school, decorated their cars to drive to McDonald’s and have bagels provided by the Home and School Association (HSA).
He also stated that juniors were happy with their open campus privileges and that the Student Government Association announced its first homecoming dance in several years. The theme will be “Mamma Mia.”
Ferrans also praised the girls’ tennis team for reaching the top 15 in the state, and how it won its invitational tournament on home turf. He also commended the boys’ cross country team for winning its Lancer invitational, and the men’s soccer team for winning at Newark academy in the rain.
“It’s been a really successful two weeks of school at LHS, and I am only certain that it will continue forward in this direction,” Ferrans concluded.
Public Comment
Numerous parents, both in person and through Zoom, voiced their concerns about the annex locations, overcrowding in Burnet Hill Elementary, the need for more space for Pride School students, turnover of special education members at Burnet Hill, safety concerns, and other issues.
One parent spoke about having law enforcement officers in the schools full-time. He suggested that the presence of officers in school could help children speak out if they do not want to talk to their guidance counselors about an issue.
Block assured the speakers that the issues raised would be addressed.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Block announced that there would be a welcoming event for new families and residents in the neighborhood. It will take place on Tuesday, September 19, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the LivingstonSenior/Community Center.
The Beach House on Beaufort Avenue was built in 1730. It still stands today, and is the oldest house in Livingston.
