JUST IN: The State of New Jersey Department of Education has agreed moments ago to honor the ‘C2’ agreement, and busing will continue for now, TLS has learned.
The announcement comes after much pressure from many angles, but particularly due to the prepared filing of a lawsuit against the state – which the state received a courtesy copy of, prepared by expert attorney Michael Inelbuch – though he isn’t taking much credit for it.
“What changed? Nothing other than the will of G-d and the good efforts of Mr. Lichtenstein and the Township Committee,” Inzelbuch tells TLS. “Thank you Mr. Azzara.”
Busing will continue through June. After June, there will not be any courtesy busing.
The agreement, between the state, township, private and public schools, will require for all the other parties to stick with the original plan, which includes the staggered times, as well as the township giving their part of the deal, which is $1 million.
“I am very pleased that an agreement was reached to continue courtesy busing for the balance of the school year,” Board Of Education President Barry Iann told TLS. “I believe that the Board’s decision to pass a resolution continuing courtesy busing at last evening’s meeting as well as our threats of litigation played a role in this outcome.”
Iann added, “We must also remember that this agreement on courtesy busing is only a short-term solution to a very large problem. We must continue to press ahead with the State of New Jersey, the Legislators from the 30th District and the Department of Education to address the inequities in State aid and funding that led to this crisis in the first place. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in the same situation year after year if the problem is not solved once and for all. The Board of Education will consult with special legal counsel Matthew Boxer, who was appointed at last evening’s meeting, as well as our own Board attorney to consider our legal options in addressing Lakewood’s funding problems.”
Agudah NJ Diector Rabbi Avi Schnall was also pleased with the sudden change in plans.
“We are very relieved that the original agreement with the state will be honored and bussing will continue till the end of the year,” Agudah NJ Director Rabbi Avi Schnall told TLS. “We must appreciate the hard work that both the BOE members and the township committeemen have invested to ensure that all children of Lakewood will have a safe way to get to school.”
He added, “However, while we embrace this good news we need to remain focused on the future and continue to work on a permanent solution.”
[TLS]
b’h! Now how will this play out for next year???
Does the busing agreement include PAYING FOR ROUTES FOR THE ONES PICKED UP AFTER the so called spending freeze that the BOE refused to pay for????
Still waiting on my MANDATED bus route to get paid for.
I’m sure azzaro gets no credit
Thank you to those who were instrumental in making this happen.
Stay tuned for “round 2” starting in late August…
I guess you can get Blood from a Stone! Where is the money coming from? Are the private schools still to have home pick-up and drop off instead of “Bus Stops” at the corner?
So we gotta go through this every year now?
Boruch Hashem that we were Matzliach for now, but there has to be something fixed in the bigger picture of things!
So Inzelbuch prevails again on behalf of lakewood children but we still won’t give him the credit for his years that non of this was an issue!
A collapse is inevitable
Thanks to all those hispanic families that attended the meetings maybe the landlords should give them a free months rent
I was actually waiting for new routes. The staggered times is a disaster. My boys get picked up at 7:40 are in school at 8:15 and school only starts at 9.
Thank you Michael Inzulbuch! Amazing how quickly things fell in to place once he got involved.
See footnote #1 in Inzelbach’s letter.
Is he correct that 90% of kids in Lakewood get federal or state aid?
What aid is he referring to?
The soap opera continues. Stay tuned for season 2.
thank you mr. inzelbuch. amazing job.
This isn’t good enough the agreement is like piece paper that flow in the air. We need permanent agreements that like a rock. The state need to help support education and busing. We need bussing for my daughter and other parents daughter in school. We need BOE to help the parents feel better.
What does that mean for my daughter who lives over 2.5 miles from her school and has not had busing all year? Will she get buses now? Will we ever get paid in lieu for the six months that we have been doing transportation on our own? Where can we get answers?
yea, but what happens with the wasted funds in the transportation dept that inzelbuch found- now nobody minds? work to fix that before august round 3,000,000 at least!
Michael I.- your the best! Michael for President, governer, mayor, chairman of the BOE!
I guess this means your not going to start registering your children in the Public School system…….
We should still register it will help out bargaining
The only ones who get home pick are those routes which were not awarded by the boe and the parents recIeve a reimbursement checks.
the schoos have to make up the route with a bus com and lay out the money until they are reimbursed by the boe through the parents
Not happy that any part of my tax dollar is going to pay for courtesy bussing.
“wow what a relief ” to me this is color war with a lot bluff and fluff the urgency , panic and relief, sit back and enjoy the show, and to all the askonim , Thanks for the hard work.
Maria,
not happy that any part of my tax dollars pay for public schools that my children do not attend.
I don’t even live in Lakewood and it seems Inzelbuch got involved and got bussing back a simple thank you is necessary
Any ideas when students who are required to receive mandated bussing which have never even been assigned bussing yet for this year will get onto a bus route????
Maria I do not like my tax dollars being spent on many things. But to bad on me. I have no choice.
We all need to register our kids in public school for next year. And you will see how quickly the formula will change. This is easy.
We need to fight to change the system. This is only a band aid.
#27, you and I know that you will never enroll your children in public school and if by a slim chance that you do, they have to BE in school for 26 count them 26 days for the formula to change, which means no separate buses or class rooms, so tell me again that you are really going to enroll your children in public school.