Workshop Meeting May 17th 2010

[BrianSullivan]

The workshop is tonight. I believe that that the defeated school budgets are on the agenda tonight. It should be an interesting one. Of course, there will be a full report tomorrow.

[BrianSullivan]

Last night was certainly one of many interesting meetings from this past year. With the defeated school budgets on the agenda, there was many people from the schools in the room.

Both resolutions passed.

The local K-8 budget passed with an unanimous vote from council. It was noted that the budget had been defeated by 55 percent of voters. With that in mind, the schools are still underfunded by about 4 million dollars. The council cut an additional 68,000 dollars from the budget for a 0 percent tax increase. That money was to have gone to salaries.

The vote on the high school regional budget was a bit more interesting. First, the Mayor read a passionate letter from the regional BOE member, Heshy Moses. Moses was making a plea against cuts out of concern for saving athletics and other programs.

This vote passes by a two to one vote. Dibenedetto, Schnurr, and Sims all abstained due conflict of interest. Shutzer and Kane votes yes. The lone no vote was from Newman. The other governing bodies in the regional have to vote on this as well.

Several council members made clear that it was bad that the administrators did not get wage freezes as the local k-8 union did. The contracts for the regional schools are still open.

Public comments were heated. Besides the school issues, some people also continued expressing disagreement about the fire dispatch issues. The agreement with the county of Monmouth was passed last night and the fire dispatch will be expected to go to the county on or about 7/1.

One teacher got up and spoke about why they did not want to reopen the contract.

One parent got up and expressed concerns about an extreme bullying problem that her child is experiencing in the schools.

[lisas84]

Bullying? It's worse now than ever thanks to the internet. For a large part, I blame parents for cultivating spoiled bullies who like to falsely believe they are superior. Bully parents seem to refuse to teach their idiot offspring about consequences and are totally over-indulgent.

I was picked on waaaaaaaaaaaaaayy back in the ancient times of the 1970s for having a speech impediment, and earlier, for being a Jew. My parents taught me how to have self-esteem and understand that these kids who picked on me had their own deficiencies and not to take it personally.

But, all that said, there are programs and resources for both schools and parents about how to deal with idiots (bullies) and how to stop raising said idiots (bullies).

[BrianSullivan]

May 18, 2010 17:19:20 GMT -5 lisas84 said:

Bullying? It's worse now than ever thanks to the internet. For a large part, I blame parents for cultivating spoiled bullies who like to falsely believe they are superior. Bully parents seem to refuse to teach their idiot offspring about consequences and are totally over-indulgent.

I was picked on waaaaaaaaaaaaaayy back in the ancient times of the 1970s for having a speech impediment, and earlier, for being a Jew. My parents taught me how to have self-esteem and understand that these kids who picked on me had their own deficiencies and not to take it personally.

But, all that said, there are programs and resources for both schools and parents about how to deal with idiots (bullies) and how to stop raising said idiots (bullies).

It is unfortunate, but bullying has been around forever. IMO, there is only one way to deal with a bully and that is to fight them. The schools may try to intervene, but they cannot solve the problems. Chances are that a child dealing with a bully will have to deal with it off of school grounds.

Of course, a child that stands up to a bully on school grounds will probably face discipline, which I believe sends the wrong message.

[lisas84]

I agree with you, Brian. But I also believe that there should be an assertive no tolerance policy by and in schools -- and at home, too. Kids should be taught to celebrate their own uniqueness as well as the characteristics they have in common - and to respect the differences and the commonalities together.

[Mike Rosseel]

"This vote passes by a two to one vote. Dibenedetto, Schnurr, and Sims all abstained due conflict of interest. Shutzer and Kane votes yes. The lone no vote was from Newman. The other governing bodies in the regional have to vote on this as well."

Does anyone know what there conflicts are?

[richardkelsey]

I would have a hard time voting for a budget rejected by the voters. Any school budget that does not address the salaries of administration, and does not reduce the size and scope of school administrations, should be considered a no vote -- in my opinion.

[Mike Rosseel]

May 19, 2010 8:04:17 GMT -5 richardkelsey said:

I would have a hard time voting for a budget rejected by the voters. Any school budget that does not address the salaries of administration, and does not reduce the size and scope of school administrations, should be considered a no vote -- in my opinion.

Well said and agreed! This is sad!

[BrianSullivan]

May 19, 2010 6:42:27 GMT -5 lisas84 said:

I agree with you, Brian. But I also believe that there should be an assertive no tolerance policy by and in schools -- and at home, too. Kids should be taught to celebrate their own uniqueness as well as the characteristics they have in common - and to respect the differences and the commonalities together.

Lisa, I believe the schools do have an anti-bullying policy, but I have no idea what it entails. IMO, the best thing for the schools is to identify the bullies and expel them. Something tels me it is probably not that easy.

[BrianSullivan]

May 19, 2010 7:15:44 GMT -5 Mike Rosseel said:

"This vote passes by a two to one vote. Dibenedetto, Schnurr, and Sims all abstained due conflict of interest. Shutzer and Kane votes yes. The lone no vote was from Newman. The other governing bodies in the regional have to vote on this as well."

Does anyone know what there conflicts are?

The reasons were mentioned at the meeting. John emailed me and Jaye called me to day, both happy to enlighten, reminding me of what was said.

Councilman Mike and Jaye both have very close relatives working in the regional schools. George does contract work for the regional.

Jaye also mentioned to me that there will be special meetings between the BOE and council in the very near future to deal with more concerns. I will keep an ear to the ground as anything develops.

[BrianSullivan]

www.app.com/article/20100519/NEWS/5190330/1285/LOCAL09/Freehold-council-recommends-board-cut-68G-from-levy

FREEHOLD — After voting to recommend a $68,648 cut to the local school district's defeated 2010-11 tax levy, Borough Council members Monday took the district's administrators to task for not freezing their pay.




"This should have been a shared sacrifice by all . . . and it wasn't," Councilman George Schnurr said.

The Freehold Borough Education Association, which represents teachers, teaching assistants, custodial staff and secretaries in the K-8 district, last week agreed to a two-year contract that calls for a wage freeze during the 2010-11 school year.

A special school board meeting has been set for Thursday, in which the board expects to ratify an agreement allowing employees in the administrators association to take a wage freeze for the 2011-12 school year. In return, through 2011-12 they will not have to make the 1.5 percent salary contribution toward their health insurance costs, district Business Administrator Patrick DeGeorge said.

Administrators association members, which include principals, supervisors and directors, are to receive 3.25 percent raises in the 2010-11 school year, DeGeorge said.

Nonunion district employees include central office, technology and transportation staff, who are in contract negotiations, DeGeorge said.

DeGeorge and Schools Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell also are not part of a union.

O'Connell's contract calls for an approximately 3.5 percent raise in 2010-11. O'Connell said she could not discuss accepting a pay freeze because of pending state pension reform bills.

DeGeorge's contract for the upcoming school year is still being negotiated, but he expects a raise. He would be willing to forgo a raise in 2011-12, he said.

The borough district had proposed a combined general fund and debt service levy of about $8.8 million.

Monday's recommended cut to that levy will have no impact on programs and instruction, thanks to savings from the education association's wage freeze. The cut means there will be no net increase in the local school tax rate, DeGeorge said.

The school board will likely accept the reduction, said board President Annette Jordan, who called the council's decision fair.

The council also voted 2 to 1 in favor of a $2.65 million reduction of the Freehold Regional High School District's $122.3 million levy.

Four other towns in the regional district have voted in favor of a $4.5 million decrease to the levy.

If the eight towns in the district cannot agree on a plan for the regional levy by May 19, it goes to the state Department of Education for review.