MORE FALLOUT@ Boro BOE

[fiberisgoodforyou]

MORE FALLOUT,

It was announced today that the Boro BOE has fired a tenured teacher and is now cutting back music and art programs!!!

However ESL and "WORLD LANGUAGE" funding is being pushed....

Oh, and there will be a BOE meeting tonight...LAST MINUTE, to talk about funding...

Nice so the result, the lesson, from to the School Board Survey is, deny services to the children of VOTERS and TAX Payers in order to sway their vote...

[Freehold Resident]

IMPORTANT!!!!

Watch this and consider what may be happening to our youth with school cutbacks to the arts:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sACA-xedcmA

F R

[LS]

zzzz....

uh, sorry, dozed off. Let me guess, if they cut back on arts, Mr. Holland does not run off with a school girl???

Unfortunate as it may be, finger-painting and folk songs have to be the first thing to go.

It could have been a brillian career, painting lines in a school... but something has to give. We all knew that. There is a budget problem here.

As to ESL and world languages, I would still weigh them more important than the arts, especially given our judicial obligation to educate all children and our open borders policy.

Parents hopefully supplement their children's education, and will now have something else to focus on.

[Freehold Resident]

I don't agree.

To me, music and art ARE world language.

A lot of my self-expression and love of music have come from taking music and art classes throughout grade school and high school.

I can't imagine NOT having them. It's not even about learning how to play music or draw or paint. It's about self-expression and self-identity. Such important things.

FR

[LS]

well, assuming some program has to be cut, what would you cut?

Assumptions: no firing or hiring anyone else, no cuts in administration, and the number of children remains the same.

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Hate to bust you bubble LS....BUT

Music and Art are essential for developing fine motor skills, developing math skill (yes, children exposed to music gain a propensity to having high math scores), as well as challenges a child's abstract thinking ability and/or understanding of the world around them.

It also requires the child to use more functional, and high functional parts of the brain so sorry, Music and Arts are an ESSENTIAL part to early childhood development and the Elementary School education.

If this is left out, your shortchange the education of a child, and whats most sad is what the ABBOTT Districts get funding for!

Cutting Arts and Music WHIILHAVE A serious impact and is making alot of folks resentful toward the ESL funding!

This is a dangerous button to have pushed!

[Freehold Resident]

LS--

I'm not necessarily laying the blame on the BOE. I mean, they can only do what they can do.

However, I'm really laying the blame on the people who have caused this to happen, and we all know who that is.

FR

[Freehold Resident]

LS -

You are right about Mr. Holland. Look at the damage that HAVING a school music program in the 1930's has caused this nation...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCdfv6qAXAU

F R

[tonedeaf]

www.mhopus.org/

[tonedeaf]

Freehold Resident hit on a super example and I found this interesting retrospective on the screenplay written to red flag school board attempts to defund the arts.

Mr. Holland’s Opus. 10 Years Later - What Did We Learn?

On January 9th 1996 something of a defining and unifying moment occurred for music education and music education advocacy. It was on this evening that more than 25,000 concerned citizens, music teachers, principals, superintendents, celebrities, politicians, students, advocates and other gathered in 49 locations across the nation for the premiere of the now legendary film, Mr. Holland’s Opus.

These “by invitation only” premieres were sponsored by the National Coalition for Music Education (NAMM, NARAS, MENC), The NARAS Foundation, Inc., American Music Conference, and Hollywood Pictures and sparked grassroots efforts by communities around the country to rally around the cause of music and arts education.

Catalyst for Change

The film served as a platform to discuss the status of music education in our nation’s schools. The film’s star, Richard Dryfuss and musical composer Michael Kamen were willing accomplices in our efforts to use the film to make a bigger point: While the character in the film may have been fictional – the issue of cutbacks to music education programs was very real. For the first time ever a major motion picture was telling our story about the reality that many schools were reducing or eliminating music programs.

In Mr. Holland’s Opus, Dreyfuss’ character, Glenn Holland, is a musician and composer who reluctantly accepts a job as a music teacher. Holland’s true goal is to write one memorable musical composition to leave his mark on the world. But instead he finds his calling in the most unlikely place, sharing his love of music with his students, and dedicating himself to the cause of music education — so much so that he goes to great lengths challenging anyone or anything threatening the school’s music program.

“The performing arts, unfortunately, in this country are in danger of becoming the un-performing arts in many of our schools,” said Dreyfuss, “But music and dance and drama are, as a statesman once said, ‘The yardstick by which a culture and a society is measured.’ ”

The timing of the release of this film could not have been better. The federal education law at the time, Goals 2000 Educate America Act embraced music and the arts as a core subjects as part of our National Education Goals. 18 month earlier the National Standards for Arts Education had been released putting the arts on par with the other core subjects. The research community was building a strong case for the benefits of music in the lives of children through rigorous scientific methods. The economy was going strong.

The partnership worked extraordinarily well. Hollywood Pictures integrated the Coalition’s messages into their marketing campaign. MENC sent movie posters to schools across the country. NARAS managed some of the high-profile locations and called on their members to participate. NAMM and MENC members collaborated in various markets to make the local premieres a local success. AMC put Dryfuss and Kamen on a 25-city media tour and help launch this as a story much bigger than the movie. Towns proclaimed “Mr. Holland’s Opus Day.” Several communities paid tribute to real life music teachers by selecting winners of the first “Mr. Holland’s Opus” Award.

Mr. Holland’s Opus was a critical and box office success: The film opened at #1 and netted Richard Dreyfuss an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor.

It was also an advocacy success. Following the release of the film we began to see more and more media coverage of communities restoring music programs. Advocates were successful in making fact-based cases to keep or expand programs. For the first time in more than a decade there was a real sense of progress. It is as if the movie came along to help focus the nation on the work the music and arts education community had accomplished during the previous five years.

Enduring Impact?

Unfortunately, these gains would be short lived. During the later half of the 1990’s these successes led to apathy. Many individuals and organizations began to feel as if the battle was over and the war had been won and there was no longer a need to be proactive in our efforts to protect our music programs. The booming economy only served to fuel this foolish notion.

In 2000 the economy tanked with the burst of the dot.com bubble. State budgets began to run in the red and cutbacks to education ensued. This was followed by the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, a document that has been used by many districts as the reason to cut back on non-tested programs.

Lessons Learned

So what have we learned in the 10 years since the premiere of this film? What are the real lessons we need to learn?

The battle for the place of music in our schools will NEVER be over. No movie (as good as it may be), law, policy, or research discovery will bring to an end the need to advocate for our music programs. Advocacy for music education in our schools has been going on for more than 50 years. The reason for this has nothing to do with the effectiveness of our efforts (although we should strive to be as effective as possible) The reason it will never be over is the fact that as soon as we educate one generation of school board members, administrators, parents, government officials – they move on and a new generation moves in. It is a constant education process that we are engaged in. One that, like it or not, has no end.

Advocacy is not someone else’s job – It is everyone’s job. Far too often individuals believe that advocacy is someone else’s job. An individual or organization. The fact is – the most effective advocacy occurs when everyone within a community embraces their role as advocate for their cause and integrates advocacy into everything they do. This does not mean you have to institute bull horn techniques and protests. Subtle advocacy works best when trying to reinforce the value of your program. Programs notes, comments from the stage during your concerts about the benefits of the music programs, booster meetings, having students perform at the start of every school board meeting, notes to the parents, “good news” articles to the local papers to highlight the programs success… these are all things we all can do… everyday to promote the importance of music in our schools. It does not belong to someone else… it resides within us all.

To be effective you have to be informed. Information is your friend. The power of your message when making the case for music education is only as strong as the data and information you use to make. Making wild claims and false statements will only undermine your efforts. Be sure you are armed with the facts - the most compelling and locally relevant arguments – when making your own case. Where can you easily find the best information? Go to:

Final Thoughts

In closing, I leave you with one final comment from Richard Dreyfuss. Even though it was from late 1995 it almost sounds like he is talking about the present day:

“We wanted to make people aware of the loss that you can’t teach people English and math and give them anything to write about if you don’t teach them music and the other arts. Right now this country is reeling from a kind of self-cannibalizing instinct that allows us to slaughter what is most valuable in us at the alter of some kind of short-(sighted) self-sufficiency. And it isn’t going to work.”

At least it shouldn’t … so long as we stand up and fight for our programs. This is one New Years resolution we should all try to keep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
music-for-all.org for the latest music education news and information to help you efforts. Sign up for the Music for All News Serves or the WhyMusicEd listserv to stay current on the latest news to help the cause.

Supportmusic.com – Supportmusic.com is a public service of the Music Education Coalition (which has followed in the footsteps of the National Coalition for Music Education). This site has tools and materials to help you when your program is in trouble… and even when it is not. The automated “Build Your Case” tool will help even the most novice advocate come up with effective strategies.

[admin]

Don;t knock the music classes. Music was one of the few things that helped me keep my sanity and stay out of trouble when I was a youth.

Maybe I will have to volunteer some music lessons and teach the little rug rats how to play some Metallica

[Freehold Resident]

ENTER SANDMANNNN ;D

FR

[Mr Wackford Squeers]

There is nothing amusing in this news at all. Eliminating the "extras" of art & music instruction will make it even more difficult to market the Borough's housing stock to the type of young families you were presumably hoping to attract... which coincidentally is exactly the way the advocates and slumlords like it. (And isn't it curious and more curious still that the BOE chose to take this action on a day when the eyes and concerns of most of the town were elsewhere.... but surely that is just one of those coincidences as well.)

[Guest]

Hey wackford

Check out the transcript tomorrow and you will find all the details. The school called the special meeting well before the Freye thing, and alerted the press. According the Transcript this will get front page. The BOE and school administration is sick over the cuts. Their were well over 100 people at that meeting too.

The BOE wants you to scream from the roof tops to Trenton!!!

[fiberisgoodforyou]

admin said:

Don;t know the music classes. Music was one of the few things that helped me keep my sanity and stay out of trouble when I was a youth.

Maybe I will have to volunteer some music lessons and teach the little rug rats how to play some Metallica

I have my AX ready, nothing like the AM Pledge of Allegiance and a few power cords to rock your morning!!! [shadow=red,left,300][glow=red,2,300] SCHWING[/glow][/shadow]!

[fiberisgoodforyou]

This is a LONG ONE....

www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/AbbottvBurke/Resources/History_Bacon_vs_NJDOE.pdf

Prior to bringing this matter to conclusion, the Commissioner must address one final allegation, first raised by petitioners in their post-hearing brief and then renewed on exception: that CEIFA violates petitioners’ right of equal protection. The ALJ concluded that petitioners had likely raised this matter to preserve it, since it is more appropriately addressed by the courts, and he declined to issue a ruling on it. (Initial Decision at 27) Petitioners argue on exception that, in any instance where they do not prevail in their T&E claims, the Commissioner is obliged to consider their equal protection claim in the alternative. In that claim, petitioners collectively challenge “a burden placed by the State upon a student’s [constitutionally] protected right to have an opportunity to receive a quality education equal to that of the student in a rich district,” arguing that children in their districts
do not receive an equal education to their counterparts in Princeton or Cherry Hill***. Why should a child in Avalon have eight times as much property value supporting his or her education as a child in Salem or Woodbine? Using the property tax as the basis for funding schools is scandalously unequal, because the market values in the districts are scandalously unequal. This system cannot be constitutional.

[fiberisgoodforyou]

[glow=red,2,300]

FREE CHILD CARE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THIS INFORMATIVE EVENT !

[/glow]

Open Public Forum Meeting With
Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck
Assemblyman Michael Panter
State Senator Ellen Karcher
OUR LOCAL STATE LEGISLATORS FROM THE 12TH DISTRICT WILL HOST A PUBLIC MEETING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON LOCAL SCHOOL FUNDING, THE STATE BUDGET, AND THE SPECIAL SESSION ON PROPERTY TAXES.

Make Plans To Attend On
Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 7:00 pm
Park Avenue School Cafetorium
280 Park Avenue—Freehold, NJ

[LS]

so what would you propose to get cut then? That is the question.

[Freehold Resident]

How about gym or recess?

Surely, kids get enough exercise outside of class anyway, that it's not as needed. Art and music or one of the other at least is very essential to the development of a person's creativity and sense of self.

FR

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Yes.. recess will be cut, it is an unnessasary expense, kids can stay home for resess!

[Zeus]

You're joking right?

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.

aacap.org/page.ww?name=Obesity+in+Children+and+Teens§ion=Facts+for+Families

Freehold said:

How about gym or recess?

Surely, kids get enough exercise outside of class anyway , that it's not as needed. Art and music or one of the other at least is very essential to the development of a person's creativity and sense of self.

FR

[Freehold Resident]

Zeus,

That problem is due to the fact that most schools serve food that is lacking in nutrition and high in fat, colories, sodium, etc.

If the school decided to serve healthy food, it would drastically cut down on childhood obesity, because it would change the eating habits of the children.

I agree that gym/fitness is very important. Don't get me wrong. But art and music are so important for establishing a child's self-identiy, creativity, and so forth. And it helps to improve other skills that they need for the hearty classes.

The fact of the matter is, none of these classes SHOULD be cut. And I don't really lay the blame on the Board of Ed. They really have no choice. This is a symptom of a bigger problem, and we all know what that is. And THAT is what needs to be fixed or remediated.

FR

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Zeus said:

You're joking right?

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.

aacap.org/page.ww?name=Obesity+in+Children+and+Teens§ion=Facts+for+Families

Freehold said:

How about gym or recess?

Surely, kids get enough exercise outside of class anyway , that it's not as needed. Art and music or one of the other at least is very essential to the development of a person's creativity and sense of self.

FR

Funding will be cut on Trans fat 101 class, and Micky D's will be serving all school breakfasts and lunches, as a cost savings measure (Kidding of course)!

Zeus, habits of good diet and exercises start at home, I teach my kids that the are what they eat. If they HAVE to go to Micky D's (Yhuck), I make sure they get Carrots or Apples instead of FF's (thats French Fries for this post), and Juice not Soda!

Kids don't walk around any more, mom and dad run them around in their sporty little SUV's, lots of kids are being brought up LAZY! Maybe these fat kids can go out a mow a lawn too

I also have my kids get involved with T-Ball, Swimming, we take family hikes and walks, Biking, etc...and we have NO PLAY STATIONS or XBox in the house!

These are LIFE STYLE lessons from the home, when I see a FAT kid, it sickens me, and wonder if there is a Medical Problem that needs to be addressed, of if the parent is abusing the child with poor diet and exercise.

Just like Reading and Writing and Studying and Homework...you need to start at home to reinforce whats going on in school, or maybe its the other way around.....Start at school to reinforce whats being taught at home...either way, so...

BTW, SO that I am Not accused to be a hypocrite, I am over weight, and I tell my kids that I am an example of lack of exercise (I do try to maintain a healthy diet)

FAT KIDS HAPPEN BECAUSE
A) there is a Medical Conditions
B) Its is a form of CHILD Abuse

Another thing about PE (GYM Class) and Sports, Kids learn teamwork, sportsmanship, burn off stored up energies, Develop Physical-motor Skills, and just a whole bunch of other things!

I loved PE and taking swimming in HS, I was given the dubious honor of making sure the Girls Locker Room had enough towels before Girls Swim class, THANK GOD FOR PE!!! (AHhh to be 17 again)

[richardkelsey]

Zeus said:

You're joking right?

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.

aacap.org/page.ww?name=Obesity+in+Children+and+Teens§ion=Facts+for+Families

Freehold said:

How about gym or recess?

Surely, kids get enough exercise outside of class anyway , that it's not as needed. Art and music or one of the other at least is very essential to the development of a person's creativity and sense of self.

FR

We have had Gym since we have had public schools operating in the post-Teddy Roosevelt period. Kids are fat now as opposed to 30 years ago for numerous reasons. (e.g. Lazy, poor diet, lack of physical work, additional calories, sedentary lifestyle, growing wealth, etc.)

Recess and gym is not going to cure obesity.

These school expenses are hold-overs from a long ago period when there was no public information or education about health and fitness. We now know more about health, fitness, working out, dieting, than ever before. Some people, don't do it for themselves or their kids.

There is no educational justification, in my opinion, for gym or recess. (The value of recess is to give kids a break to burn off child energy -- it has no other value. ) Gym has to go. This can be replaced by school sports or pay-as-you go recreational school sports -- which do have the value of teaching team work and some discipline.

My kids are not fit and athletic because of what they do in school -- but because of what they do out of school.

Enough on this -- I am skipping lunch to hit the gym!

[admin]

and here is the transcript article

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0307/Front_Page/001.html

[fiberisgoodforyou]

1. You have 3 schools with 3 principals and support staff for 1400 children. There used to be 2 principals, one for Park Ave and one for the Learning Center. There are High Schools in NY that have over 4000 students with one principal. Why do we need 3? The Ardena School in Howell had 59 teachers and 1 principal. It can be done without sacrificing anything. "OK One Principal and 2 Vice Principals"

3. Outsource the Information Technology function saving $91K per year. There are companies out there that will support your PC for a fixed dollar amount. You don't need a guy with a PhD to do support for your systems (which is what they have.) You can get a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer for $45K. "Again Standardise and Regionalise ALL IT throughtout the County"

4. Do a Telecommunications Audit. I did one at the company I worked for and saved $4K per month. "Why not VOiP County Wide? EVERY Dsitrict in the County integrated Data and Communication. I suggested this MONTHS ago"quote]

[andrewd]

There are a few things that have been brought up on this particular thread that I have wanted to address for some time now, but unfortunately have not been able to find the time...let me address them now...

First of all, there seems to be this belief that there is a link between the World Language program and ESL/Bi-Lingual programs...they are two completely different things. World Language is a curriculum that teaches Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German, etc to all students in the schools. Yes, the program we are currently implementing is Spanish. Having this program in place will eventually open the doors to other languages being offered.

ESL/Bi-Lingual programs are required by the state under NJSA 18A 35:15. www.nj.gov/njded/code/current/title6a/chap15.pdf
That link gets into the administrative end and specifics as to what we are required to have in place in our schools.

I will say this...the state does not only mandate ESL/Bi-Lingual programs in the schools, in fact it was brought up at our last meeting (on the 5th) that the state requires 150 minutes per week of physical education/health/safety classes as well...which there is some question as to whether we will be meeting these mandates without having a sports program in the schools, we are still looking into that.

The next thing I wanted to mention was that we are not cutting the music and arts programs entirely out of our schools. We are eliminating one music teacher and one art teacher right now, but the programs will still be in place, it's just going to be stretched a lot thinner. As a former band geek myself, I am sick to my stomach over the idea of not being able to offer a better music program...but when Liz and Roni went to the County Superintendent and told them that in order to put the World Language program into the schools (which we have been pressured to implement for some time now) we would have to make cuts in other areas, their response was that we can make those cuts in the arts and music areas. Again...I don't like this at all, and it has got me looking even more into areas where we can get grant funding to help keep the music program afloat, but I can make no promises.

The next topic I have to address is school nutrition. The idea that the food served in the schools is "lacking in nutrition and high in fat, calories, sodium, etc" as 'Freehold Resident' suggested, is not entirely accurate. www.state.nj.us/agriculture/modelnutritionpolicy.htm
That link will bring you information on the new school nutrition policies that all schools in the state have had to implement. As a result of this policy initiative, most parents were upset with us because they were afraid that their children would no longer be able to bring in cookies, cupcakes, etc for birthdays or holiday celebrations. As for myself, I know that, thinking back to my days at the Learning Center, there were a couple of kids who's birthdays you always looked forward to because their moms were fantastic bakers...and I have to admit, my mother was (and still is) one of them. What kept us in decent shape was the fact that when we got home, our parents kicked us out of the house and made us play outside. There was no sitting around playing Playstation, or texting friends on the computer. We led active lifestyles because our parents instilled it in us to be active...that's what I think is missing today, and is a much bigger cause of childhood obesity than the school lunch's nutritional value.

Basically that's it for now. I really appreciate the fact that so many people are interested in the schools, but I have to ask that if you have a question about something, call the schools, call the superintendent, call a board member, or look it up online if you are able...but please don't just assume something because you heard a rumor, or you think "that's the way it is". We need active voices in the community, and we need people to call the school administrators and the BOE to task when you feel we're doing something wrong, but we can achieve more if we all know the truth rather than basing our arguments on rumors and hearsay.

If anyone ever has any questions for me, my email address is [e-mail]. You can find me at the BOE meetings, and from now on, the occasional PTO meetings. Even if you see me just somewhere around town...approach me if you have a question. If I don't have the answer right then and there, I will find it for you...I promise.

[leelye]

Parents struggle to deal with impact of budget
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD - Sometimes people simply do not hear you unless you scream.

Such is the case with members of the Freehold Borough Board of Education and school district administrators who are pleading with anyone who will listen to help the district get the funding it needs to keep its 1,400 students in the loop and on top of their studies.

Parents are dealing with the news that the board's proposed $16.7 million budget for 2007-08 will cost them more and give students less. The budget as introduced at a March 12 meeting proposes a local tax levy of $7.4 million and an increase in the K-8 tax rate from 66.7 to 74 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Residents will vote on the budget in the April 17 school election.

The proposed budget will cut personnel, including a guidance counselor, a librarian, an art teacher, a music teacher, a math supervisor, one fourth grade teacher, one fifth grade teacher, three school office assistants and two custodians. The budget will eliminate school-sponsored sports and all extracurricular activities.

"Don't think we are happy about any of this," board President Jim Keelan said. "This budget is not sitting well with any of us at all."

Administrators said the impact of a new law which limits the amount of money that may be raised in local taxes is having an impact on the district.

The budget will have to add a full-time and a part-time World Language teacher by state mandate and will also need to add two first grade teachers in order to reduce the size of incoming classes to 21 students, according to Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth O'Connell.

O'Connell said she also needed two more kindergarten teachers but could not add them into the upcoming budget.

Keelan said board members and district administrators have had many discussions with state legislators and county officials over the last two years, with some of those discussions as recent as this month.

"We have pleaded our case to all of them and have been told, 'I hear you, but there are no discretionary funds. I cannot help you,' " Keelan said.

Keelan said state legislators are trying to enlist Monmouth County to help with funding for Freehold's public schools. He said the county has $53 million worth of tax exempt property in the borough.


He said the tax exempt status of the county property puts more of a burden on taxpayers.

Keelan said the board may consider putting a second question on the April 17 ballot which would raise an additional $62,000 in property taxes and restore the school-sponsored sports and arts programs. He said the board is considering hiring a private investigator to make certain that all children who attend school in the borough live in town.

The board will be asked to decide about the second question before the March 26 public hearing on the budget takes place. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Park Avenue school complex.

During a recent meeting, parents expressed their concerns and fears about a budget which will cut programs and staff members. They said the changes will hamper their children's ability to compete in their own area, the state, the country and the world.

Ed Blocker asked if the school district was in jeopardy of becoming an Abbott district.

New Jersey's Abbott districts are 31 school districts that have been deemed to be the state's poorest school districts. Those districts receive the bulk of their funding directly from the state, as opposed to non-Abbott districts which

are largely supported through local property taxes.

In Monmouth County, Neptune, Long Branch, Asbury Park and Keansburg are Abbott districts.

O'Connell said that was a political question and one she could not answer. She said that to her knowledge, the state is not designating any new Abbott districts and will soon be taking a comprehensive look at the existing ones.

O'Connell said the Abbott districts should all be looked at and that the ones that no longer qualify should be removed from that status. She said some of those 31 schools districts now have condominiums selling for $3 million and should no longer qualify as an Abbott district.

Maria Chaffer, who has children in the Park Avenue Elementary School, referred to the English as a Second Language program and asked if the district could "switch gears and move to full immersion."

"We've tried teaching Spanish-speaking children in bilingual classes, separately. We have also taken a lot of roads with this problem and I have not seen a tremendous change over the last 12 years," Chaffer said. "I am tired of hearing Spanish spoken in the parking lots, in the hallways, in the offices. I am not talking about the parents talking to their children. I am talking about staff members speaking to the students in Spanish.

"We are sinking thousands of dollars into these programs. They are supposed to be learning English here. It is not me and my child who should have to adjust. If, however, we choose this route, then I think that kindergarten students should be learning Spanish. They should have the same opportunities as the bilingual children. We need to figure out how to get equitable distribution of funds and not just provide these funds to just a certain percentage of our children," Chaffer said.

O'Connell agreed that World Language should be offered to all English-speaking students.

Some parents asked what would happen if the budget is defeated by voters on April 17.

O'Connell said the budget would go to the Borough Council, which would review the spending plan. The council could recommend cuts in the budget, leave it as the board proposed it or take no action and send it to the Monmouth County superintendent of schools for review.

Diane Galatro said she believes the district has a 50 percent Spanish speaking student population, yet, "I don't see anyone here representing the Hispanic population. They are not represented here tonight at this very important meeting. I encourage their advocates to reach out to their community members and have them represented at these meetings as well."

O'Connell said the board members "think like parents."

"Therefore," she said, "the day we needed to make these cuts it was heartbreaking to us, but we must provide students with items [the state says are required for a] thorough and efficient education, therefore, we can only cut non-T&E items. I don't disagree that World Language needs to be a part of our program and I didn't want to do it by decreasing art and music."

The superintendent, who is a school board member in Howell, said she had no choice.

Board member Ron Reich said he voted to approve the introduction of the budget but "with explanation."

"I am not happy about this," Reich said. "No one here is."

Reich said he was aggravated by many things that had dictated the course of the 2007-08 school budget. He cited unfunded state mandates and an inspection by state education representatives that forced administrators to add another $1 million into the budget.

"And they did not in any way offer to help us get that (extra) money," he said. "We have tried to get grants, we have shifted things around and we were able to accomplish that last year and now it has all been for naught."

Reich commended teachers for the "marvelous" job they do even though "each year we take more and more away and they must do with less." He said the board members are paying the same taxes as other borough residents and he wants those residents to know they do not make these decisions lightly.






Don't the Borough Schools have truant officers ?? I think the BOE would have a better chance getting an Private Investigator hired than passing a school budget !!