Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     4-16-06 Sunday NY Times Metro Section, front page
     4-13-06 'Budget cap puts NJ schools on edge'
     3-9-06 Governor speaks to S1701 at town meeting
     EMAILNET 3-9-06 to South Jersey districts
     COFFEE a coalition of families for excellent education
     EMAILNET 3-7-06 S1701 Call to Action at Gov Corzine Public Hearing
     12-8-05 GSCS and Educ community testify together for S1701 amendment bills before Assembly Educa Com
     1-17-06 Asbury Park Press "Viewpoint" letters on S1701
     Op-ed piece written by GSCS Parent Network Regional Representative Kim Newsome published in Monmouth's "Two River Times" July 2005
     LINK to the S1701 Law
     S1701 Summit Board members' report re GSCS 1-11-08 Board mtg
     1-29-06 Asbury Park Press Sunday Front Page Right
     1-24-06 Asbury Park Press 'Funding sparks heated debate'
     FYI - S1701 impacts on local districts - excerpts from NJSBA spring 2005 survey, released 9-27-05
     Posted 1-17-06 December 2005 article from the NewsTranscript of Monmouth County
     1-17-06 Asbury Park Press
     1-12-06 Asbury Park Press letter to the editor
     12-20-05 Star Ledger 'Schools lower the heat and risk a backlash'
     Recap on property tax issues and S1701 - GSCS has been requesting legislative help on school budget cost drivers for a number of years - here is one example from summer 2004
     12-16-05 Star Ledger Schools may end courtesy busing, tied to S1701 budget stressors
     12-16-05 EMAILNET
     12-12-05 EMAILNET Bills move out of Assembly Education Committee
     5-6-05 EMAILNET Important S1701 meeting in Rumson
     UPDATE on 12-8-05 Assembly Education Committee hearing
     12-2-05 Hopewell Valley letter to Senate Education Committee Chair Shirley Turner re: school budget amendment bills & S1701
     EMAILNET 12-3-05 Heads Up!
     11-15-05 EMAILNET
     Parent Letter to Senate Education Committee Chair on S1701 and request to move amendment legislation
     S1701 EMAILNET Alert 11-28-05
     Ridgewood Board of Education member letter to legislators 11-15-05; good example letter with local legislator response
     Parent letter to legislators on S1701 and 'stalled status of amendment bills S2329 and S2278'
     EMAILNET 11-10-05 UPDATE on STATUS of S1701
     10-28-05 EMAILNET S1701 resignation, Gubernatorial election information
     AMEND S1701: GRASSROOTS BUMPER MAGNETS now available at the initiation of GSCS Rumson parent and their networking
     Readington Forum on School Funding & Meet the Assembly Candidates 11-1-05
     Invitation to October 7 Rumson hosts 'Stuff S1701' Party
     October 7 Sample Letter for 'Stuff S1701' Party Rumson area. html
     Parents in Trenton 9-21-05 Press Conference
     Link to The Hub article on Rumson Parent 5-19-05 Meeting Opposing S1701, GSCS and Assemblymen Sean Kean & Steve Coredemus co-hots
     Schools will seek Extra Funding
     Parents Give Codey an Earful
     Courier Post Online
     Bill to loosen school budgets altered
     Educators urge parents to fight school spending cap
     School funding plan gets OK from panel
     Legislature Acts to Revamp School Spending Caps
     Educators to Argue for Repeal of Cap Law
     S1701 One Board Member's Perspective
     Moody's Investment Services School Bond Rating Analysis post S1701 passage (pdf)
     EMAILNET 7-8-05 GSCS Take on Assembly Passage of A3680
     Asbury Park Press-Gannet Bureau 7-2-05 Legislature Passes Aid bill for Districts Near Abbotts
     October 13 2004 School Funding and S1701 Meeting hosted by Bergen County school group 'Dollars & Sense
     Glen Ridge Schools and Garden State Coalition co-host Dec 9 Meeting 'Public Support for Public Education v. Property Tax Stress' plus a focus on new school funding law S1701
     Red Bank Regional High School, Red Bank K-8 Schools, Little Silver, Fair Haven,Rumson-Fair Haven, Rumson K-8, Shrewsbury, and the GArden State Coalition Host December 6, 2004 Forum on the new school funding legislation S1701
     Rumson PTA, Monmouth Parents sponsor S1701 meeting, co-hosted by 11th District Assemblyman Sean Kean & the GSCS May 2005
     040430EMAILNET Govs PTax Proposal - reaction (Word)
     One Board's Example: Glen Ridge Public Schools
     Princeton Public Schools education symposium to explore impact of school cap legislation
     Real Figures and Sound Facts - A Grassroots Rebuttal to Trenton on S1701
     GSCS School Funding and S1701 Power Point - February 2005
     EMAILNET 2-21-05 S1701 and A3680 Still Stalled
     School Funding Presentation December 2004
Schools will seek Extra Funding
A controversial state law that caps annual school district spending increases at 2.5 percent has forced the Board of Education to place an extra question on the April ballot seeking money to pay for teachers, supplies and middle school renovations.

From NorthJersey.com March 31, 2005

By MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITER

HACKENSACK - A controversial state law that caps annual school district spending increases at 2.5 percent has forced the Board of Education to place an extra question on the April ballot seeking money to pay for teachers, supplies and middle school renovations.

School officials asserted Wednesday that if voters reject the questions, teaching jobs could be in jeopardy.

"There's a possibility we would have to eliminate some teaching positions,'' said school board President Frank Albolino. "This law presents an unfair burden to public schools in the state of New Jersey. It's forcing us to do things we really don't want to do."

The law, which was passed in July, reduced the annual increases in district spending from 3 percent to 2.5 percent. The measure also requires districts to cut the budget surpluses they keep on hand to no more than 2 percent of their entire budgets next year. The limit had been 6 percent.

On April 19, in Hackensack, besides voting on the $73.2 million proposed 2005-06 school spending plan, voters will also decide whether to let the district spend an additional $627,500.

Schools Superintendent Joseph Montesano said the money would pay for four teaching jobs, most of which had been included in past budgets. But this year, if the district had left those jobs in the general fund, it would have exceeded the state cap limits, he said.

"The new law requires us to get our budget to a certain amount,'' Montesano said. "If we didn't have a second question, all those programs would be eliminated. We have no choice."

If passed, the second question would allow the district to spend $188,542 for two instrumental music teachers and one industrial-arts teacher. An additional $62,108 would be used to pay for a new speech teacher.

The positions were chosen because state law limits what can and cannot be placed in second questions, Montesano said.

"These things are not absolutely connected to the instructional day, so if in the tragic event we don't have them, we will still be able to provide the day-to-day education,'' he said.

The district also wants to use $35,500 for athletic equipment, $88,500 for replacement of classroom computers and $65,000 for student database software.

Montesano said the board also wants to convert office space at the middle school into classrooms. The Board of Education offices, which are housed in the building, would then relocate. The district is earmarking $188,000 for that purpose.

If the second question fails, the City Council will have to review it and make recommendations, just as when a budget is defeated, school officials said.