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Post by Marc LeVine on Mar 29, 2007 15:39:37 GMT -5
Anyone back from Trenton, yet, that can review the Budget meetings related to FB?
I started out towards Trenton, but got called back by a client needing some deadline work completed.
However, I understand that Councilwoman Shutzer was attending. Apparently, though, there was not to be any public comment portion at the hearings. That's a bummer. Marcel Marceaux could never be a great spokesperson for anything, for obvious reasons. Trenton really needed to HEAR from our residents, not see us as some comic mimes tripping over the piles of debt they created for us.
Marc
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Post by admin on Mar 29, 2007 16:24:55 GMT -5
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/NEWS/70329027New Jersey school funding policies assailed Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/29/07 BY TOM HESTER JR. ASSOCIATED PRESS Post Comment TRENTON — The state will implement a new way to fund public schools for the school year that starts in September 2008, the state's education commissioner told lawmakers Thursday who expressed frustration a new plan hasn't been unveiled. Gov. Jon S. Corzine wanted a new school funding formula in place for next school year to help control the nation's highest property taxes, but the plan remains unready. Lucille Davy, the state education commissioner, told the Assembly Budget Committee a new formula should be ready by year's end, giving local school officials enough time to prepare for it for the 2008-09 school year. "We certainly have the beginnings of a framework,'' Davy said. he state currently sends most school funding to 31 poor urban schools, which have 22 percent of the state's student population but get about 55 percent of all state school aid, sparking outcry from many suburban and rural schools that haven't seen aid increased in five years. Corzine wants to redo funding to focus aid on schools that have the most special needs students, no matter where the schools are located. Legislators who have spent much of the last year trying to cut America's highest property taxes said they were dismayed a plan hasn't been finalized, but agreed it cannot be rushed. "It has to be something that will be in fact sustainable into the future, and even though we would like to see this yesterday, it doesn't make very much sense for us to move this along and then find we are right back where we started from,'' said Assemblyman William Payne, D-Essex. The state spends more than $20 billion per year on public schools -- a third of all state spending and more than half of all property taxes collected. The New Jersey School Boards Association on Thursday noted a recent Rutgers University analysis found schools were shorted $846 million last year by the state. Corzine has proposed a 3 percent school aid increase for the fiscal year that starts July 1. "There should be no higher priority for Gov. Corzine and the Legislature than a new school funding system,'' said Michael A. Vrancik, the association's governmental relations director. The association noted the state funds 37 percent of the cost of public education, compared to a national average of 50 percent. Because of that, the schools are forced to rely heavily on property taxes that average about $6,330 per homeowner, or twice the national average. "We in New Jersey have been moving in the wrong direction,'' Vrancik said.
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Mar 29, 2007 16:58:29 GMT -5
WOW what a trip (two meanings apply).
So what did I learn today?
If I want the State of NJ to spend $1.2million on my child's education (total cost k-12), I need to move to Newark.
If I was dead, and want to collect a salary from a school district I can be interned in Camden.
If I like music, I can hang out in the teachers lounge at some high school in Newark and grove to the tunes on the NEW $2,000.00 Juke Box Paid for by the Tax Payers of NJ.
$400,000.00 missing from Newark schools is a negligible amount not worthy of accountability, with an $980,000,000.00 budget.
The State Dept of Edu has no idea how many HS drop outs there are in the State?
The NJ Budget Committee estimates that 1 of 7 NJ adults are HS Dropouts.
Abbott's spend $22,000.00 on each student.
Abbott Budget have been "Predicted" budgets! There has been no actual budget process for these district, just "Predictions"!
There will be NO line item bailout for Freehold Boro!
New Brunswick's newest HS cost $180,000,000.00
MORE to follow, I need to review my notes!
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Mar 29, 2007 19:47:44 GMT -5
www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/payne.aspThis is the Newark Assemblymen who expressed his annoyance with the DOE investigating the missing $400,000.00 from Newark Board of Ed. Assemblymen Payne claiming $400,000.00 was not worthy of accountability, with an $980,000,000.00 Newark Board of Ed budget. WHAT The F**K?!?!
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Post by Marc LeVine on Mar 30, 2007 8:25:22 GMT -5
Percy Ross, where are you? If Trenton won't bail out Freehold Borough, maybe some philanthropic benefactor, like the late Ross, will come forward and realize that it would be money well spent to bail out our schools and save our children's education.
After all, many millionaires understand that a well educated workforce is, at least, partially responsible for their own success.
If any wealthy "do-gooders" are reading this, I ask them: why build another university Hall of Science and have it named in your honor, if many of the kids in our public schools are not forming a strong elementary educational base to eventually benefit.
For those not familiar with Percy Ross:
Percy Ross (November 22, 1916 - November 14, 2001) was an American self-made multi-millionaire.
Ross was best known for his philanthropy, particularly through his "Thanks a Million" newspaper column, where he would often grant requests for readers in need. "Thanks a Million" ran in over 800 publications and ran for 17 years. It eventually became a syndicated radio show and ran on over 400 radio stations. From the column and shows, he gave away an estimated USD$20 to $30 million over a period of 17 years. This is not as uncommon as it seems as most wealthy people do donate their riches to a variety of reasons, not limited to but including tax concerns.
Ross has been criticized for using his wealth as a soap-box to air his Judeo-Christian ethics[citation needed]. He only gave money away after he judged the person worthy. If not, he gave advice, sometimes in the form of stern criticism.
Ross was born and raised in Laurium, Michigan on the Keewenaw Peninsula of Michigan's upper peninsula, about 10 miles from Michigan Technological University.
As for the criticisms Ross doled out regarding his beneficiary's "worthiness..." Hey, ANY millionaire, who is interested in helping out a school system like Freehold Borough's, deserves the right to criticize all he or she wants as long as they...show us the money!
Marc
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Post by Zeus on Mar 30, 2007 12:17:34 GMT -5
So I guess the bottom-line is that the State is doing nothing for our children... Why am I not surprised? WOW what a trip (two meanings apply). So what did I learn today? If I want the State of NJ to spend $1.2million on my child's education (total cost k-12), I need to move to Newark. If I was dead, and want to collect a salary from a school district I can be interned in Camden. If I like music, I can hang out in the teachers lounge at some high school in Newark and grove to the tunes on the NEW $2,000.00 Juke Box Paid for by the Tax Payers of NJ. $400,000.00 missing from Newark schools is a negligible amount not worthy of accountability, with an $980,000,000.00 budget. The State Dept of Edu has no idea how many HS drop outs there are in the State? The NJ Budget Committee estimates that 1 of 7 NJ adults are HS Dropouts. Abbott's spend $22,000.00 on each student. Abbott Budget have been "Predicted" budgets! There has been no actual budget process for these district, just "Predictions"! There will be NO line item bailout for Freehold Boro! New Brunswick's newest HS cost $180,000,000.00 MORE to follow, I need to review my notes! |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Mar 30, 2007 12:44:21 GMT -5
So I guess the bottom-line is that the State is doing nothing for our children... Why am I not surprised? This seems to be the two biggest complains about FB we hear form the Illegal Alliens.... Affordable Housing and the Schools! Bottom Line Answer is....if I was an Illegal Alien looking for affordable housing and a local Board of education that was well funded, to be able to provide my ESL child with a GREAT education, I would move to Perth Amboy, Paterson, Union...ect! OR...JOINT US IN TRENTON...We did reach out!!! |
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Post by Freehold Resident on Mar 30, 2007 14:24:49 GMT -5
Seems to me that if the Feds, State nor County will give Freehold Borough schools more aid, our Board of Education has no other choice, but to sue any and all governments that are preventing this town's children from getting a thorough and efficient education. What have we got to lose that we haven't already lost?
What you have now is a silly game of hot potato being played out by the entire state legislature at our kid's expense. No one wants to write the check, simply because there is no political incentive for doing so. Therefore, "this one" needs a good old fashioned knock-down and drag out lawsuit and the related media coverage that goes with it to get Freehold Borough what it must have.
Maybe a school boycott or some other eye opening measure would wake up Trenton and the County. Something coming from out of the box thinking is the only answer.
The Feds are AWOL; the state won't give us what we need; and the County is hiding behind $500,000 of our tax dollars. As in sales, the first one that talks loses. So, don't expect a hint that we are getting more aid. They want us to keep us off balance, waiting until the final deadline passes before telling us to go fund the schools, ourselves.
WHY WAIT -- JUST LITIGATE.
F R
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Mar 30, 2007 14:54:15 GMT -5
"Seems to me that if the Feds, State nor County will give Freehold Borough schools more aid,"..FR...R U forgetting someone here  ?  I'll give you a hit....they meet the first Monday of the month @ 7:30 PM!!!
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Post by admin on Mar 30, 2007 17:05:24 GMT -5
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