[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6469253,"mediaKeyId","5781024-8070a0ac628884cb7c02059ebf68b270","parentId",5781024,"title","Parents complain about buses, staffing and district spending; board approves consent agenda","audioSeconds",831,"startMs",3521000,"endMs",4352000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781024-8070a0ac628884cb7c02059ebf68b270&start=3521&end=4352","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781024-8070a0ac628884cb7c02059ebf68b270/thumbnail_3521000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6469253/New-Jersey/Parents-complain-about-buses-staffing-and-district-spending-board-approves-consent-agenda","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469253-3ead65d75f09de4d15f07a78a9669bbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114814&Signature=AIdqm4WD8vyVGyqizq9oB8xye7ExjXfQNXx2I9MCkoG-ruI9eeqxKHpSvovotAK4o9fXXFwWpzb1X5R5f~JIeQCDJaFO4eEVvoDaW2l3seUugVajCVZ8QFVdq0~jfhaL9kMY3o7RIoSwCYE7-S~K7FEg2SjNrf4wAXcI~hh~uy8PMM54Ypg1Axb9hKT1OijUABDjbIMoRBxKYhtol2JdY2Vkn4ZXuZ9URratDYszmJPoaAXvBO7Fyz7kcomJ6QP2-21EowGsFdIzUeayjNn9cZmzIEkVmN4rjQKcWb3D3eANsvRYs2IxmE3s2N~0T-lBGjRgumhBZjOkHyZ48WwU6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wall Township Public School District","date","2025-09-17T00:15:11.027Z","article","Parents told the Wall Township Board of Education on Sept. 16 that changes to bus stops and driver behavior are creating safety and transparency problems, and several speakers raised concerns about staff resignations and district budgeting for a recent referendum.

Mike Zadlock, a parent, said he had followed the district's chain of communication after his children began being dropped off at new locations. He said he left messages for the superintendent and the supervisor of transportation and received no substantive follow-up. \"The bus driver is absolutely refusing to accommodate us after he drives past our house and goes down our side street,\" Zadlock said, and he described inconsistent responses from the transportation office and a lack of parent notification after a bus accident.

Betsy Cross, a resident and frequent commenter, criticized the district's handling of personnel and budget matters and questioned increases to some referendum line items. She told the board she saw a jump in a high-school athletic-fields line item from about $6,000,003 to $9,000,004 and asked for an explanation. Cross also raised a string of personnel concerns, including resignations among district staff.

Board member Mr. Smythe (identified in the transcript as \"Mister Smythe\") responded to public comments about the referendum and project bids. He said the referendum's total ($66,599,000) \"cannot be exceeded by law and is not being exceeded.\" Smythe said some alternates and categories realized savings while heating, ventilation and air-conditioning bids came in higher than expected; he said contracts were publicly bid and awarded at public meetings.

The board voted to approve the meeting's consent agenda by roll call. The motion was made by \"Mister Buffler\" and seconded by \"Misty Giavani\" (as recorded in the transcript). The roll-call vote recorded a majority of \"yes\" votes and one abstention on agenda item 16 d; the transcript does not record the item subject in the public-comment portion.

Why it matters: Transportation and personnel issues affect daily safety and operations for families, and changes in construction bids and allocations can affect referendum implementation and public trust. The board's public confirmation that the referendum total will not be exceeded addresses one specific budget concern raised by commenters.

Speakers

- Mike Zadlock, parent (public commenter)
- Betsy Cross, resident (public commenter)
- Brian Smythe, board member (speaker who addressed referendum and bids)
- Linda Marie Osborne, former student / college student (public commenter)

Authorities

- {\"type\":\"other\",\"name\":\"District referendum (authorized projects)\",\"citation\":\"referendum $66,599,000\",\"referenced_by\":[\"Betsy Cross\",\"Mister Smythe\"]}

Actions

- Kind: motion (consent agenda approval)
- motion: \"Approve tonight's consent agenda\" (as recorded)
- mover: \"Mister Buffler\" (as recorded)
- second: \"Misty Giavani\" (as recorded)
- vote_record: list of members recorded on roll call with majority \"yes\" and one abstention on item 16 d (transcript names used as provided)
- tally: {\"yes\":9,\"abstain\":1}
- outcome: \"approved\"
- notes: \"One board member recorded an abstention on agenda item 16 d; transcript does not specify public details of that item during public comment.\"

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion points: Parents described bus-stop changes, alleged poor communication from transportation staff, and local concerns about increased bid costs for referendum projects.
- Directions: Board member Smythe explained bidding timeline and legal limit for the referendum total and said the district will rebid categories if necessary to realize savings.
- Decisions: The board approved the consent agenda by roll call; the consent agenda encompassed routine items listed on the night's agenda.

Clarifying details

- Referendum total stated in transcript: $66,599,000 (Mister Smythe).
- Speaker claim of athletic-fields line-item increase from about $6,000,003 to $9,000,004 (Betsy Cross); Smythe explained bids were prepared in 2021\u00002022 and bids received in 2024 rose due to market conditions.
- Motion to approve consent agenda recorded as made by \"Mister Buffler\" and seconded by \"Misty Giavani.\" Roll-call sequence recorded multiple \"yes\" votes and one abstention on item 16 d.
- Parent complaint: lack of follow-up from superintendent and supervisor of transportation after reports of bus-driver behavior and a bus accident (Mike Zadlock).

Proper names

- {\"name\":\"Wall Township Public School District\",\"type\":\"organization\"}
- {\"name\":\"Manasquan\",\"type\":\"location\"}
- {\"name\":\"Madison High School\",\"type\":\"school\"}

Community relevance

- Geographies: Wall Township
- Funding sources: local referendum funds (cited total $66,599,000)
- Impact groups: bus riders and families, district staff, taxpayers

Meeting context

- Engagement: Several public commenters raised personnel, transportation and referendum concerns; the board held an extended executive session earlier in the evening and then reconvened for public session.
- Implementation risk: low to medium (referendum totals legally capped; operational issues may require policy/practice changes).
- History: Parents and commenters said they had raised issues previously; Smythe traced bid timing to 2021\u00002024 activity.

Searchable tags

[\"transportation\",\"busing\",\"referendum\",\"consent agenda\",\"Wall Township\",\"staffing\"]

Provenance

- {\"block_id\":\"5\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":600,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Good evening. I'm Mike Zadlock. I do see that you have a policy about speaking about personnel. However, I know like many other parents, we probably have a busing issue, in bridal in in Wall Township that is, not a crisis. However, I have gone through the chain of communication.\\n\\nI have reached out to the superintendent, office. I did not get a callback. I also reached out to the supervisor of transportation, and nothing is being done. In the years past, we've had our children being dropped off at our house. They have since changed that.\\n\\nSo I don't know if there was some census done where they had to reconfigure bus stops, but new ones were added. And we spoke to the bus driver, and he is absolutely refusing to accommodate us after he drives past our house and goes down our side street. He was has a very poor demeanor. That's why I contacted the superintendent and the supervisor of transportation and so I wanted to come to you guys as a proper chain of command to make you aware of this because it's becoming just terrible. And, again, the board of education members are are they consider the need of the, community and the set policies.\" ,\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"}

- {\"block_id\":\"2\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":916,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Mister Smythe, second. We anticipate that we will be returning from executive session at 7PM. Thank you.\\n\\n...\\n\\nWith regard to the referendum and the, initial original budget that was approved, those estimates were prepared in 2021 and 2022. The referendum was approved in December '22. The projects were put out to bid over the, subsequent 2 years with bids coming in in 2024. And market conditions do change the cost of construction especially in the public sector and especially over the past few years, following, the pandemic. Referendum of $66,599,000 cannot be exceeded by law and is not being exceeded.\\n\\nThere were alternates taken on a number of projects. We, realized savings on some of the categories of projects such as our built up roofing. Those funds reallocated to the other, category of projects including and it's not AC or air conditioning. It is heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Those bids did come in higher than initially estimated.\\n\\nBut, again, all the contracts awarded were put out to public bid. They were opened at a public bid opening and awarded at a public Board of Education meeting. If the bids came in over the initial estimates of the project, they will rebid to attempt to realize some savings by making, revisions within the project. But, again, the overall referendum amount of $66,000,000 cannot be exceeded and will not be exceeded, when these projects are, in fact, completed.\" ,\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}]},","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wall Township Board of Education Meeting 9-16-2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment at the Sept. 16 Wall Township Board of Education meeting, parents raised concerns about bus stop changes, driver behavior and staff resignations; board President clarified referendum bid results and the board approved the night\u0000's consent agenda by roll call with one abstention.","taxTitle","Wall Township Public School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",72508,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6469258,"Parents and staff say Wall Township schedule reduces PE, may violate New Jersey requirements",3081,3441000,6522000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781024-8070a0ac628884cb7c02059ebf68b270&start=3441&end=6522","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781024-8070a0ac628884cb7c02059ebf68b270/thumbnail_3441000.jpg","/articles/6469258/New-Jersey/Parents-and-staff-say-Wall-Township-schedule-reduces-PE-may-violate-New-Jersey-requirements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469258-d7aef0db83a1966f762b866b2b7d7f8b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114814&Signature=FzeNNVcAXqbFBt3FtWjcWQG9qzBNhbEkmVtGDl8wLm4Y3tW~dMNkxyt1PS8LTdBgSSGTjkIpuS50vtdTSLxphLs5Wby9EOkH7idNVRW9KDoGp-7ZUPO~Vrurm5GSMn8E0J7w4RxuFBweK9ZvttO7zt~oKN-PrAcx5kRDyRiu~m~~SzMx0toC29kq0tjHXz8XWlgg~tA~O8F34G1u-i1OQUrEycTk6F1Gem8eBOO3R7XusSScpm0gRyCoC3zwFmhyXUnvV4kV-l4PNtV0qZYoOUUlDPEnKRKyD3b9EDAJ7dqPdNJM3CfyVGTCXRfT4JFdcyIDYmofxP5RB~MEiS58KA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, staff and board candidates pressed the Wall Township Board of Education on Sept. 16, 2025, saying a newly implemented schedule reduces physical-education and recess time and may not meet New Jersey\u0000requirements for weekly PE and health instruction.

Angelique Pinto, a parent who spoke during public comment, said the district is providing only 76 minutes per week of elementary physical education and is counting other morning activities as health instruction. \"New Jersey law requires 150 minutes per week of physical education and health,\" Pinto said, and added that the district\u0000is relying on homeroom \"morning meetings\" from 9:05 to 9:20 to cover health instruction while teachers must also take attendance and handle other routine tasks. \"It's nearly impossible to dedicate that entire block to meaningful health instruction,\" she said.

Other public commenters described classroom and scheduling problems they say stem from the change. A parent who identified herself as Colleen said long academic blocks are difficult for younger children, saying her fourth grader had \"a 2 hour block of math followed immediately by 40 minutes of social studies,\" and warned the schedule could worsen attendance. Leah Bibby, a candidate for the board, described the rollout as \"trial and error\" that is harming students and staff and urged a faster fix.

Speakers also questioned how the Wall Intermediate School's AB schedule satisfies the 150-minute requirement. Pinto said the intermediate schedule provides \"102 minutes of PE every other week,\" and that district presentations claiming daily PE for grades 6-8 are inconsistent with what parents report in practice. Several parents said recess was reduced and sometimes supervised by only one adult.

Parents raised concerns about curriculum choices that reduce instructional minutes for certified specialists. One commenter alleged the district adopted a \"7 Mindsets\" program that was not fully vetted and questioned its cost; the speaker said she had asked for cost information that was not provided.

Board and district officials did not announce a formal policy change at the meeting. Assistant Superintendent Kelly Bond, who presented graduation data during the meeting, did not address the PE minutes or schedule compliance in her report. No formal motion or board action on schedule changes was recorded during the public comment portion.

Why it matters: New Jersey mandates set minimum instructional minutes and certification expectations that can affect course staffing and student health instruction. Parents and staff said the current schedule changes reduce daily activity and that the district should clarify how it meets statutory requirements and how curriculum choices affect mandated minutes.

Speakers

- Angelique Pinto, parent (public commenter)
- Colleen, resident (public commenter; last name not specified in transcript)
- Leah Bibby, board candidate (public commenter)
- Erica Sprague, parent (public commenter)
- Linda Marie Osborne, former student / college student (public commenter)
- Sofia Keping, student representative, Wall High School
- Kelly Bond, assistant superintendent (district staff)

Authorities

- {\"type\":\"statute\",\"name\":\"S 858 (2019)\",\"citation\":\"S 858 (2019)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"Angelique Pinto\"]}

Actions

- No formal board action on schedule or PE minutes was recorded during the meeting. Public comment raised requests for clarification and possible review but did not result in a recorded motion, direction, or vote.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion points: Parents and candidates described reduced PE/recess minutes, longer academic blocks in elementary grades, unclear implementation at the intermediate school, and concerns about an unvetted curriculum affecting instructional time.
- Directions: None recorded in the transcript related to schedule or curriculum review.
- Decisions: None recorded.

Clarifying details

- \"150 minutes per week\" requirement referenced as a legal standard by a public commenter (Angelique Pinto).
- Commenter claim: elementary students \"only have gym twice a week now for a total of 76 minutes.\" (Angelique Pinto)
- Commenter claim: Wall Intermediate AB schedule gives \"102 minutes of PE every other week.\" (Angelique Pinto)
- Morning meeting window cited by commenters as 09:05\u0000to\u000009:20 and described as used to count health minutes while also used for administrative tasks. (Angelique Pinto)
- Parent described an elementary student's schedule containing \"a 2 hour block of math followed immediately by 40 minutes of social studies.\" (Colleen)
- Parent raised unanswered request about the cost of the \"7 Mindsets\" curriculum (speaker did not provide a district response).

Proper names

- {\"name\":\"Wall Township Public School District\",\"type\":\"organization\"}
- {\"name\":\"Wall High School\",\"type\":\"school\"}
- {\"name\":\"Wall Intermediate\",\"type\":\"school\"}
- {\"name\":\"7 Mindsets\",\"type\":\"program\"}

Community relevance

- Geographies: Wall Township
- Impact groups: elementary students, intermediate students, parents, teachers
- Funding sources: not specified in public comments for curriculum purchase

Meeting context

- Engagement: Multiple public commenters spoke on the schedule; the subject dominated the public-comment portion of the meeting.
- Implementation risk: medium (if legal noncompliance is confirmed, the district may need schedule/curriculum changes).
- History: Speakers said parents raised concerns earlier in the summer and at May meetings; transcript indicates this is an ongoing issue.

Searchable tags

[\"physical education\",\"schedule\",\"recess\",\"Wall Township\",\"S858\",\"7 Mindsets\",\"parent concerns\"]

Provenance

- {\"block_id\":\"3\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":664,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Hi, Angelique Pinto. Good evening. I am reading this on behalf of, another parent, but I do share these sentiments. I wanna make sure parents and stakeholders are fully aware of the district's current curriculum plan and how it conflicts with New Jersey law. Here are the facts.\\n\\nNew Jersey law requires 150 minutes per week of physical education and health In the elementary schools, students are only have gym twice a week now for a total of 76 minutes. The district is counting the remaining time as health taught during morning meetings by homeroom teachers. This is a direct violation of legislative law, S 8 5 8 passed in 2019 which requires K. Through 6 teachers to be certified in PE and health to teach these subjects. Morning minutes run from 09:05 to 09:20 but teachers are also responsible for taking attendance, leading the pledge, collecting lunch orders, and handling other routine tasks.\\n\\nIt's nearly impossible to dedicate that entire block to meaningful health instruction. On top of that, there's no curriculum plan or grading system to measure student performance, unlike every other subject. At Wall Intermediate, the new AB schedule gives students only a hundred and 2 minutes of PE every other week, with no clear plan for how the hundred and 50 minute mandate will be met. Parents raised concerns months ago. Educators, including PE teachers from nearby districts, stood here warning this administration that the plan violated the law.\\n\\nYet the administration moved forward away. Anyway, ignoring parents' experts and common sense. This is not about politics. It's about compliance with the law. It's about transparency and most importantly about what's best for our kids.\\n\\nOur children need to be to need need to have an experience real physical education taught by certified professionals not shortcuts. Our kids deserve better, and our community deserves better. Thank you.\" ,\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"}

- {\"block_id\":\"11\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":864,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Good evening. My name is Leah Bibby. I live in Wall, and I am running for, Board of Ed as well. I am just here to reiterate what you've already heard tonight, regarding the schedule changes and those issues with the transition of, our staff and our students being able to handle the new schedule. I understand that, you know, it's it's new and, you know, things take time, but I think a better job should have been done over the summer to help with the schedule actually working.\\n\\nI feel like this is a trial and error situation here. And who's the 1 at, risk here? It's our children. They're the ones that have to deal with the decisions that were made and them not being basically, they're not working. Many issues.\\n\\nI've heard lots of issues with recess. I've heard lots of issues with, shortage of substitute teachers, shortage of teachers in general. These are just tacking on to all the other things that are happening, and, it's just excessive. And at the end of the day, again, who's the 1 suffering for our mismanagement of a schedule implement inflammation? It's our kids.\\n\\nSo buses are being you know, we've got bus problems. We've got attendance issues. I mean, the list just keeps continuing to grow. We need to find a way to stop the bleeding, and, you know, a band aid is not gonna do it. So I would love to hear more ideas on how we're going to fix the issues with the new schedule, the issues that have arise, and and and how they're gonna be, rectified to, you know, make these next few weeks smooth.\\n\\nWe're in week 2, and, it just just seems a little chaotic at this point. I have an entering kindergartner. I will say that both my kids are very happy to go to school. They are very happy to be at school. That speaks to the staff and the environment of the school.\\n\\nBut, they definitely are struggling with consistency and regulation. And that's all I have to say. Thank you.\" ,\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}

","Parents, staff and candidates at the Sept. 16 Wall Township Board of Education meeting criticized a new schedule that reduces physical-education and recess time, saying the district is not meeting New Jersey\u0000law requiring 150 minutes per week of PE/health instruction and raising concerns about student well-being and implementation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents complain about buses, staffing and district spending; board approves consent agenda

Parents and staff say Wall Township schedule reduces PE, may violate New Jersey requirements