SCOTCH PLAINS — The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education meeting last Thursday began with a report from Superintendent Joan Mast, Ed.D., in which she acknowledged the comments made by residents at last month’s meeting regarding the current conflict in Israel and Gaza. She announced a workshop for parents that would address the issue and said a link for registration was emailed to parents.

“We have partnered with Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss,” Dr. Mast said. “This is a workshop for parents that will prepare them to talk to their children about the grief in the world.”

This month, the board of education and residents alike were treated to a performance by Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School students of a song from the show Once Upon a Mattress. Dr. Mast was praised for her continuous support for and appreciation of the performing arts and her ability to make sure that it remains part of students’ lives.

At next month’s meeting, the board plans to discuss the next budget.

“Our budget has always been a major challenge for us,” Board Secretary Christopher Jones said.

As a precursor, an audit report was provided to the board. Discussion centered around the district’s fund balance, capital reserves and the district’s difficulties in staying within the state required 2 percent cap.

In terms of the upcoming referendum, the board is looking to seek public approval to address overcrowding at schools, ensure that all buildings have air conditioning, and to keep class size consistent. It was reported that the state will fund a percentage of the costs.

The board approved two grants on the agenda, including a competitive grant application for establishing Advanced Placement African American Studies and an affiliation agreement between the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools district and Kean University that would offer a three-credit undergraduate college course to high-school students in grades 10, 11 and 12 in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Scotch Plains-Fanwood instructors will be trained in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program by the Kean Diversity Council and Holocaust Research Center. The name of the course will be “Racism, Genocide, and the Holocaust.”

In separate business, the board passed a resolution recognizing March as Youth Art Month and is dedicated to developing students’ creative problem-solving abilities and critical-thinking skills as well as their aesthetics and interrelated learning in art production, art history and art criticism.