# Board of Education Meeting

The Clifton Board of Education meeting on October 9, 2026, included a presentation on the district’s Team Chewy therapy-dog initiative. Administrators reported approximately $47,300 in cumulative program costs—less than $12,000 per year over its first four years—for acquiring and training dogs, and described expansion toward placing a therapy dog in every school. Staff handlers receive no additional compensation and cover the dogs’ ongoing care. The presentation cited more than 1,000 recorded visits and potential savings from interventions that may help students remain in district rather than attend costly out-of-district placements. Two new dog-handler teams were introduced; no new contract award or spending authorization for the program was identified.

The facilities committee reported that the district’s electric buses are awaiting utility work at the transportation depot; staff will investigate installing chargers at another school site and review a newly available grant. The committee also found that promoting facility rentals was unnecessary given regular use, district-led advertising could divert funds from booster clubs, and a proposed student-run public café was unlikely to be viable given its costs. These were committee discussions, not recorded procurement approvals. The board approved finance and facilities items D1–D20; Commissioner Ciano abstained on check No. 109935 to Tomahawk Promotions. No specific contract award or bid approval was described in the transcript.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education, Construction & Infrastructure, Transportation
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 09, 2026

### Sources
- [Board of Education Meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxTShRFYQTc) - CPS TV