Out of District Students

[fiberisgoodforyou]

geo said:

Here we go. I have been on this site since its inception, but have not chosen, until now, to sign up to post a message. My belief is...that it is not what we say that is as important as what we do - regardless of the issue.

So you may ask...what stirred me to write?

Question - "Does any reader know if there is a problem with out of district students attending our schools?"

The answer is - YES AND I HAVE PROOF!!

1. On May 24, 2006 I was scheduled to umpire a Freshman girl's softball game at Colts Neck High School (vs. Wall Twp.) The partner I was assigned to work the game with lives in Freehold Twp. on Derby Drive - a few blocks away from Stonehurst Blvd. I live near the Park Avenue School. As I was preparing to leave my house to go and pick up my partner, I had to wait a few minutes, with my engine running, as the Park Avenue School was letting out and there was a minivan blocking my driveway on Kiawah. I remember that there were a number of children that piled into the minivan. The minivan left and proceeded to the intersection of Route 79 and Route 9. I was behind the minivan the whole time as I was going to my partner's house. The minivan made a left on to Stonehurst Blvd. It was then...that the light bulb went off. What are these folks doing going to a Boro school. Instead of making my left onto Dover Place on my way to Derby Drive...I followed the minivan to the Stonehurst Apartments. Guess where they live?

2. On January 11, 2007 I drove my wife to work as her car was going in for repairs. She works in one on the industrial parks off of Route 34. As I was coming back (west on Route 33) there was a minivan pulling out of the mobile home/trailer park opposite Taylor Fence in Farmingdale. It was loaded with little kids. I had to put on my brakes as the driver didn't realize how fast the traffic was or didn't see me. I was a little closer than I would normally be to the vehicle in front of me, so I got a real good look at the vehicle and the occupants inside. We proceeded toward the Boro. The minivan made a right on Kiawah and dropped off the little ones and all 5 kids went to the Park Avenue School. I also made a right at Kiawah and parked in my driveway. I know what you are thinking. She could just be dropping something off at a friend's house before taking the children to school. See...I have an open mind too. So when it was time for school to be dismissed, I wanted to satisfy my curiosity as to where these folks lived. I followed the same minivan that picked up the children, with the same 5 kids. Bet you can't guess where they went. Suspense is killing you!! Well it shouldn't because we all know how the story ends.

Was this a White Ford Van, Woman Driver?

I suggest you copy the plate number, take a few Digital pics and submit to the police and school board, and follow up, go to a school board meeting with this information!

1 - This person may not have the appropriate child restraints,
2- This diver may be operating ing an illegal school bus service,
3 - This driver is willfully and knowingly acting as an accomplice to criminally activity by Illegally trafficking children, contributing to theft of service from our schools.

Stay vigilant...every 20 students like this can free up a teacher!!!

[fiberisgoodforyou]

First, you make a valid point about LITTLE LEAGUE taking enrollment and residency more than seriously then our schools.

Why are the residency requirements to enroll your child in Little League harder than enrolling your child at a Freehold Boro school? ANSWER....TRENTON!!!

Unfortunately, Williamsport does not have to follow Trenton's BS CIRCLE JERK, Enrollment code!

You claim you have proof about out of district theft of service. and you are very specific about dates (back to May last year)! Do what I do, copy plate numbers and call it in!!! If no one is reporting this, then it is not apparent there is a problem.

Thats 5 Children @ $8,500.00 in tuition, so thats $42,500.00 stolen from our district that you are good enough to point out here, Thank You.

"The Farmingdale mobile home/trailer park van had some kids in the back that didn't have seat belts on because they were bouncing all over the place." You followed the vehicle with kids bouncing around from Farmingdale to the boro, and didn't call the police, I would, in fact I have called the police a number of times, and reported the plate number to boot! Its just DANGEROUS, We have lost too many little ones early in
to the new year

"Probably just van pooling or maybe chore sharing" Don't bet on it, there are people with restaurants in living rooms, so a gypsy school bus-car service is not far fetched!

About enrollment eligibility...State Dept of Ed Code is a big circle jerk, the BOE of need to hear MORE Boro residence demand they spend money on investigation to reduce over crowding and less on "MARKETING" surveys!

"Not willing to do a lot of undercover dirty work for the BOE." who said to go undercover or dirty work, you see something thats wrong, call 911 and report it.

BOE meetings are alternating Mondays, @ 7 PM, they spend your money regardless, if you have kids in boro schools or not, go tell them how you would like your money spent, like a $42,500.00 a year truant officer to validate enrollment.

[guest]

About two years ago, I stumbled on a vehicle full of kids riding through the borough. I was actually on my way home after dropping my child off at school, but didn't like what I saw. There were too many small children in the back, and the situation just jumped out at me.

Rather than go home, I turned around and actually followed this vehicle. It was a silver Astro. Sure enough, it went to Kiawah Avenue, where it dropped off a large number of students (I don't recall the exact number, but it was too many). They were all different sizes and apparently different ages. The children then walked down the block to the school.

Naturally I called the police and shared this information. The next morning, at the corner of Park Avenue and Route 33, I was driving my child to school, and they had this vehicle pulled over. She was transporting too many children unsafely in this vehicle. It was impressive how quickly they were on the situation.

I did not go to the BOE because I had actually followed her a step further after dropping the kids off to see if she would return to a home outside of the borough. She went to Sams Club and parked in the back, and this was still early in the morning, so I presumed she was going there to work. There was no way to tell where she lived. And there apparently were other pickup arrangements at 3 pm, since I never saw that vehicle in the afternoons. But you can believe that I had my eye out, and would have been at the ready with the cellphone if I had seen anything out of the ordinary.

Geo, if you won't even make a phone call regarding the information you already have, then you have no standing to complain about the situation. This is not a matter of doing dirty work for anyone else or doing anything additional. It is your money that is being robbed, and so far all you've done is post on a message board.

An oft-heard theme throughout Freehold Borough is how "we're a small town, everyone watches out for one another, everyone pulls together." You obviously are someone who devotes time to extracurricular activities. However, too often, people do that where it directly affects them and their families, such as sports, Little League, etc., but do nothing when it comes to the larger picture. I don't understand how you can just sit on this information. Perhaps you are hoping that someone else will read it here and pick it up and run with it.

It would be nice if more people would walk the walk rather than merely talk the talk.

[guest]

My point exactly.

Still not understanding the stance on the lack of a simple phone call.

[guest]

Sounds like a call that will save the Boro $42K

[Marc LeVine]

However, too often, people do that where it directly affects them and their families, such as sports, Little League, etc., but do nothing when it comes to the larger picture. I don't understand how you can just sit on this information. Perhaps you are hoping that someone else will read it here and pick it up and run with it.

I might agree with your rationale, but NOT with regards to George Schnurr. In addition to his Freehold Little League leadership involvement, he currently serves on the FB Planning Board and is also one of the volunteers taking the trip up to Maplewood on the 26th. George is among the most active of resident/volunteers in Freehold Borough.

George seems to be reminding us that it shouldn't require covert operations, on the part of residents, to uncover a practice he and others believe may be more than just spotty in our schools. He believes that more thorough registration measures instituted by the Freehold BOE would smoke the frauds much more easily, before it has to come down to town residents following vans around the area.

Problem is that Trenton "won't play ball" with us on this topic.

Marc