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Grassroots in Action, recent forums re school aid, property tax squeeze on communities, consolidation issues
FYI - Regional community meetings Glen Ridge Nov ‘06 Morristown Dec 6 Westfield Dec 8 Westfield Jan 9 ‘07 Tenafly+8 dists Jan 16 Colts NeckMarlboro Jan 17 Chatham Jan 22 Summit Jan 23 Cedar Grove Jan 23 Tewksbury Feb 6 Fair Haven Feb 20
Colts Neck/Marlboro Jan 17 Dear Parents, On behalf of the entire Colts Neck community of learners, allow me to extend to you our wishes for a happy and healthy 2007. As you have seen and heard from multiple media outlets, school funding and tax assessment are the two major issues currently under debate in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate. There are a number of bills that have the potential to significantly impact local funding for all schools throughout the state. Topics such as the consolidation of school districts, budget caps and tax growth caps, reduced state aide, and the application of a “WEALTH FORMULA” FOR COMMUNITIES SUCH AS COLTS NECK, are among a few of the actions that may be taken. The latter proposal, if enacted, will greatly reduce the level of state funding Colts Neck will receive for Special Education services. To help you remain informed and up to date on these and many other school funding issues, we have invited Senator Ellen Karcher, Assemblywoman Beck and the Executive Director of the Garden State Coalition, Lynne Strickland, to conduct a TOWN MEETING at the Conover Road Primary School. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm following the Wednesday, January 17 Board Meeting which begins at 6:00 pm. Please make a special effort to join us so that you will have the information you need to understand the changes that may take place. I greatly appreciate all you do to support the children of Colts Neck! I will look for each one of our parents on Wed., Jan. 17 at 7:30 in the Primary School cafeteria.... _____________________________________________________________________________ Stay Informed: There are important issues being debated right now in the New Jersey State Legislature that will affect the future of Tenafly schools Open Forum: Tuesday, January 16th, 7:30pm Tenafly Middle School Auditorium 10 Sunset Lane Tenafly, NJ 07670 New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is working to reduce property taxes. School districts across the state are concerned about how those property tax cuts will be funded: the legislation being considered in Trenton right now proposes to save the money by shaving school budgets and reorganizing school districts. These proposals, which are moving rapidly through the legislative process, have the potential to threaten the quality of the education Tenafly provides for its children as well as significantly limit the community’s ability to determine how its school tax dollars are spent. • Although we believe in responsible property tax relief, our school budgets are funded by property taxes. Therefore, we are concerned that this new plan has the real potential to jeopardize the quality of education provided to children in Tenafly. • Decisions about how best to run Tenafly’s schools have always been made at the local level in accordance with the community’s collective needs and desires. This legislation, if passed, threatens our school district’s decision-making autonomy and could significantly limit the community’s ability to determine how its school tax dollars are spent. • In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of activity in the New Jersey State Legislature to approve new legislation that offers property tax relief by capping school budgets regardless of increased enrollments, and by combining school districts and/or administrative offices to consolidate costs. • Previous bills associated with this plan have been pushed through the legislative process in a matter of weeks and days. There has been little time for the school districts or the public to digest, analyze or comment on the proposed changes and how they will impact school systems statewide. Please come to an informational discussion sponsored by the Tenafly Board of Education and Tenafly’s Home School Associations. Invited Guests: Governor Jon Corzine, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Neighboring Communities Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Englewood and New Milford Confirmed Attendees: Lynn Strickland, Executive Director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, State Senator Loretta Weinberg, State Senator Gerald Cardinale Tuesday, January 16th at 7:30p.m. Tenafly Middle School Auditorium Please submit questions in advance for the State Senators or Lynn Strickland by January 11 via e-mail to: mmondello@tenafly.k12.nj.us
FYI - Regional community meetings Glen Ridge Nov ‘06 Morristown Dec 6 Westfield Dec 8 Westfield Jan 9 ‘07 Tenafly+8 dists Jan 16 Colts NeckMarlboro Jan 17 Chatham Jan 22 Summit Jan 23 Cedar Grove Jan 23 Tewksbury Feb 6 Fair Haven Feb 20
Colts Neck/Marlboro Jan 17 Dear Parents, On behalf of the entire Colts Neck community of learners, allow me to extend to you our wishes for a happy and healthy 2007. As you have seen and heard from multiple media outlets, school funding and tax assessment are the two major issues currently under debate in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate. There are a number of bills that have the potential to significantly impact local funding for all schools throughout the state. Topics such as the consolidation of school districts, budget caps and tax growth caps, reduced state aide, and the application of a “WEALTH FORMULA” FOR COMMUNITIES SUCH AS COLTS NECK, are among a few of the actions that may be taken. The latter proposal, if enacted, will greatly reduce the level of state funding Colts Neck will receive for Special Education services. To help you remain informed and up to date on these and many other school funding issues, we have invited Senator Ellen Karcher, Assemblywoman Beck and the Executive Director of the Garden State Coalition, Lynne Strickland, to conduct a TOWN MEETING at the Conover Road Primary School. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm following the Wednesday, January 17 Board Meeting which begins at 6:00 pm. Please make a special effort to join us so that you will have the information you need to understand the changes that may take place. I greatly appreciate all you do to support the children of Colts Neck! I will look for each one of our parents on Wed., Jan. 17 at 7:30 in the Primary School cafeteria.... _____________________________________________________________________________ Stay Informed: There are important issues being debated right now in the New Jersey State Legislature that will affect the future of Tenafly schools Open Forum: Tuesday, January 16th, 7:30pm Tenafly Middle School Auditorium 10 Sunset Lane Tenafly, NJ 07670 New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is working to reduce property taxes. School districts across the state are concerned about how those property tax cuts will be funded: the legislation being considered in Trenton right now proposes to save the money by shaving school budgets and reorganizing school districts. These proposals, which are moving rapidly through the legislative process, have the potential to threaten the quality of the education Tenafly provides for its children as well as significantly limit the community’s ability to determine how its school tax dollars are spent. • Although we believe in responsible property tax relief, our school budgets are funded by property taxes. Therefore, we are concerned that this new plan has the real potential to jeopardize the quality of education provided to children in Tenafly. • Decisions about how best to run Tenafly’s schools have always been made at the local level in accordance with the community’s collective needs and desires. This legislation, if passed, threatens our school district’s decision-making autonomy and could significantly limit the community’s ability to determine how its school tax dollars are spent. • In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of activity in the New Jersey State Legislature to approve new legislation that offers property tax relief by capping school budgets regardless of increased enrollments, and by combining school districts and/or administrative offices to consolidate costs. • Previous bills associated with this plan have been pushed through the legislative process in a matter of weeks and days. There has been little time for the school districts or the public to digest, analyze or comment on the proposed changes and how they will impact school systems statewide. Please come to an informational discussion sponsored by the Tenafly Board of Education and Tenafly’s Home School Associations. Invited Guests: Governor Jon Corzine, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Neighboring Communities Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Englewood and New Milford Confirmed Attendees: Lynn Strickland, Executive Director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, State Senator Loretta Weinberg, State Senator Gerald Cardinale Tuesday, January 16th at 7:30p.m. Tenafly Middle School Auditorium Please submit questions in advance for the State Senators or Lynn Strickland by January 11 via e-mail to: mmondello@tenafly.k12.nj.us
