UPDATED: Thousands of voters came out today to make a statement, and voted down the State Monitor’s proposal that attempted to temporarily cover courtesy busing, but a vote that would have left a permanent increases in taxes on Lakewood residents.
Approximately 98% of voters voted down the $6,2000,000 question on the referendum with a “NO”.
There were also 501 mail-in “NO” ballots and 20 “YES” ballots.
The Board in November unanimously rejected the resolution to create the referendum, but it was overridden by State Monitor Michael Azzara.
The shocking announcement came just months after a deal was brokered between the schools and district that restored the busing based on a tiered system – which was also partially supplemented by the Township.
The deficit will mark the end to courtesy busing, and affect thousands of public and private school students who don’t meet the state criteria for mandated busing.
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Today’s vote is a heavy rebuke by the democratic system and the voting electorate with their near unanimous referendum to the unelected State monitor and his heavy handed tactics, most notably by breaking his own words, commitment and promise when he made a deal to continue courtesy bussing.
Were is all the tax money going ????? So many more houses so much more tax $$$ tell us the truth were is it all going???
Yay!!!!
Finally, when the roads are cleared of snow, the bussing is over.
At least I know what school to choose for my children, one 2.5 miles from my home.
#2 it’s going to illegals children.
I wouldn’t be so quick to say courtesy busing over. They really don’t want no courtesy busing either. Lets wait and see.
To feter zich mich
The budget is public info. You can study it and see. There are 2 big numbers that other districts font have. About 30 million for special ed tuition to a special ed school or schools and another 15 million for mandated busing. These amounts sre a huge amount of the budget and really come from the non public community. If the state counted all 30000 kids in the formula, we would get funding towards those budget items. These 2 items are growing faster than the growth of taxes ftom new construction.
Take the cost of the election out of the state monitors salary. Maybe we could have courtesy busing for another week.
Why can’t the private schools purchase their own buses and pay drivers themselves? Add the cost into the tuition. The purchased buses would only be for students that would not have courtesy busing.
Vote for trump
Of the suposedly 6000 children in public school what percentage are children of tax payers? Legals?
The state must change the formula to include all school children, public and private, as technicaly they are responsible for all of them.
It could be that I just don’t understand and maybe I could just ask this question if it’s OK…30 million for Special Ed at the taxpayers expense? I know I know, we all have a heart for the special Ed children of this town..But maybe just maybe it should come from raising money, tuition and donations??? Do we have more special Ed than other townships? Our taxes are ridiculous based on the amount of building going on here. Ok, I opened a can of worms. Just asking.
It’s comforting to know our fellow taxpayers in Lakewood expect fiscal restraint and being conscience of the untenable prospect of piling on more taxes on the residents of Lakewood. Kudos to the voters!
The state should be giving Lakewood more money
WHY NOT CUT OUT 3 MIILLION FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES AT 6TH AND CLIFTON. [50K IS BETTER]
OR AFTER SCHOLL BASKETBALL FOR 2 MILLION
OR 12 THOUSAND FOR A CHRIS TREE ON THE LAKE…ETC
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON
STOP TALKING ABOUT THE BUSSES LEAVE OUR CHILDREN ALONE.
Vote for Trump You have the intelligence of trump supporters. If he shot someone you would still support him. If Lakewood had less public school students then the district would receive less money exasperating the problem not solving it.
Let’s not support a candidate all redirect with no substance. How did that work out with Obama?
I am voting for either Trump or Cruz. Just to make liberals crazy and see their heads spin. That would be nice to watch.
Voting for Reagan gave me the same thrill – I watched liberals’ heads explode [And the media too!]. What a pleasure.
(PS Obama didn’t work out because of his leftist policies. Not because he had no substance. In fact, Obama had alot of substance – leftist substance.)
We need to temper the celebration. Yes, we won the referendum, but, L’maaseh, how r those kids getting to school now. Its easy to say “we’ll just car pool” , and it may work for a few weeks until it starts breaking down; My son has strep. My sister in law got married last night. My husband’s chavrusa made a bris. My wife’s best friend’s daughter is a kallah. on & on. We need workable long-term solutions.
#11 That 30 million to special ed is mandated. We can’t decide how much to give. So ideologically you are correct but its just the law.
#13 NJ is broke. We have the second to lowest Sovereign debt rating in the country. There is no way Christie or any future governer will be willing to contribute a penny more then they have to under the state constitution.
Bump trump: if trump wins it won’t affect the situation. The children in the boe are legal, their parents may or may not be. The issue is really the need to change the state funding formula.
If elected will Trump give courtesy bussing to the illegal children to the other side of the wall?
im ready to enroll in public school with all my kids. And I’m ready to send them there. We all should. It won’t take more than a month and teh state will see we are serious. if I have to I will go with them, or hire someone to go with them.
Yes enroll your children in the public school system . If all the non-public school children come to the public schools, maybe the public school district can take over some of the private schools and at last have schools with normal heat and air conditioning .