FIRST REPORT: School District State Monitor Turns to the Public Schools, Cuts Dozens of Teachers, Sports and More; Proposes $8.5 Million Referendum

boe meetingWith courtesy busing cut from the Lakewood School District, State Monitor Michael Azzara has now turned to the Public School system – making massive cuts to save millions of dollars.

The astonishing announcement comes as the Board of Education gets ready to introduce the 2016/17 school year budget.

Documents show the State has cut 68 teachers from the public schools, three guidance counselors, sports/athletics, and the number of students per class will go up to approximately 40.

And should the district want to reinstate any of the above, it will cost big money.

Documents show the State Monitor is proposing an approximately $8.5 million referendum to restore these items to the budget.

The following is the referendum proposal for the various items:

C. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $5,156,817 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 68 Teaching Staff (Kindergarten through 12th Grade). Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

D. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $258,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 3 Guidance Counselors. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

E. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $372,886 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 3 Administrative Staff. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

F. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $240,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Lakewood Middle School Sports and Clubs. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

G. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $146,592 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Lakewood High School and Lakewood Middle School Late Buses. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

H. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $200,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Educational Supplies. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

I. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $2,000,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for a Six-Year Deficit Reduction Plan. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

J. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $150,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for District Homecare, Nursing, and Extraordinary Services. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

“We see again and again that instead of taking responsibility for their failures, the State is once again turning to the taxpayers to fit the bill. According to their own documents, they still did not fund the approximately $7 million due for Lakewood.”

“To summarize, the State’s accomplishments after being two years in Lakewood: 1) Eliminated courtesy busing 2) Raised average cost of busing per student 3) Eliminated Athletics and raised average number of students in public school classes to 40,” Board of Education member Isaac Zlatkin told TLS.

Zlatkin adds, “these cuts will have a tremendous negative impact on all of the public school system.

The board is expected to vote against the budget, but it’s also expected the State Monitor will once again overrule the Board and approve it.

(Zlatkin notes his opinion does not necessarily reflect that of the board.)

[TLS]

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21 COMMENTS

  1. How much does he actually need since the last referendum was way off. Guess he is going to hit the public system hard. Maybe he should look where does all the money go to begin with and cut high paid individuals running this town first. It is a shame. These kids get shafted every time. Bet there will be special busing next year but nothing for the public kids. And we wonder why other towns do not want this mayhem. I can not blame them.

  2. rjs i agree then people wonder why others dont want them in there town
    this is a shame and i cant believe this is going on in the great USA
    I would have rather not have the buses and keep the teachers
    Let New Jersey take the district over its the only way now

  3. I agree with the state monitor. Cut cut cut cut and cut come more. Our taxes are too high and need to stop going up. Even if it means no more courtesy busing.

  4. This is great news! When this hits the newspapers that the state monitor is responsible for having 40 kids in a classroom and the state compensation per child in lakewood is unfare compared to the other districts in the state. Maybe the governor and the director of the state department of education when they will have egg on their face will finally be responsible to the public school children of lakewood and give them their fair share of money.

  5. As a doctor in town, I’m concerned. The town does not fund the public schools enough. The state does not fund the public schools enough. With the statistically higher need for special education then elsewhere in the state, the courtesy bussing fiasco, and the shadow of mismanagement, double dipping and possible criminal behavior, a full state takeover is now necessary to protect the school children and tax payers of Lakewood.

  6. Clearly, this solution of the monitor is not working. He (or the system) is a one-trick pony. Cut services and offer it back at the price of a local tax hike. Been there done that – is this all the state of NJ has to offer? Where are the legislators? When will the madness end? We are ALL getting priced out of Lakewood, and the pinatas in this scenario are always the kids – public and private school kids. Where is the justice?
    Shame on Christie and everyone in Trenton for this fiasco.

  7. the State department of education spokesman said no new funds were allocated to Lakewood, even though funds were allocated to other districts, because the State is not responsible for Courtesy Busing.

    What is the States excuse for under-funding Lakewood now?

    And if the State Monitor thinks he is going to accomplish anything by wasting another $400k on a referendum, when the taxpayers voted down the last once, he is seriously delusional

  8. It has become stylish for certain governors to freeze taxes at the state level, without solving the underlying economic issues. This shifts the tax burden disproportionately onto the towns.

    that way, they can create an illusion of success. Christie has done this in NJ, and Kasich has done this in Ohio where property taxes are soaring.

  9. All the senior communities should secede into Toms River. Then the Lakewood Town fathers will figure out a budget and restore the expansion into a manageable system.

  10. Its funny that everyone is calling for the state to take over………

    The State DID take over – the state monitor has veto power on everything that goes on in the school district, and these are his decisions, aka the state’s decisions.

    Looks like the state taking over has made it worse for the public school children.

  11. So to racap. incase you missed it:

    $75,835.54 – average per teacher

    $86,000 – per guidance counselor

    $124,295.33 – per administration staff member

    $240,000 – Lakewood Middle School Sports and Clubs

    $146,592 – Lakewood High School and Middle School Late Buses

    $200,000 – Educational Supplies

    $2,000,000 – Six-Year Deficit Reduction Plan

    $150,000 – District Homecare, Nursing, and Extraordinary Services

  12. @LKWD
    May I ask where you get the figure for the average teacher salary?
    I have been teaching in the district for 16 years and make $53,211 with the contract that was settled this year. In the third year of this three contract I will make $56,771. Far from the average. Yes, there are teachers that make more money but the majority of the staff in the Lakewood Public schools have less than 20 years in the district. (Year 3, 2017-2018 step 20, which would be approximately 22 years teaching, will be $64, 971)

    These figures are much lower than salaries for teachers around the state.

  13. And now for the kicker: True to form, Lakewood’s 68 teachers will be cut from the NEWER, more motivated teachers and unfortunately the tenured (moderated) that sit at their desks all day will get to stay because “last to come, first to go.”

    Shame on Mr. Azzara for being such a sneak about funding so that the state can duck out of their responsibilities and shift the burden to the taxpayers.

    And shame on the people commenting about courtesy busing eating up the budget. Compare any Jewish private school child’s level of mastery in every single subject to that of a public school child and tell me why the public kids (at $19K a pop) are so much lower than the private school kids (at $5K a pop, out of pocket no less). If your public school kids wouldn’t be (moderated) our district scores would go up, resulting in $$$ from the DOE. And for the cherry on top, look up our town’s crime statistics and demographics and then tell me why the $19K/year public kods are out stealing and stabbing people while the $5K parent-funded students have a 100% graduation rate, college degrees, and commit virtually no crime in this town.

  14. Will vote NO if this goes to polls. The rate of return in the Lakewood boe in terms of dollar spent and educational outcome is not worth it. They are spending so much and not getting proper results. They need to rethink their strategy on how to better spend their money. Maybe more hands on learning and less extra stuff. The kids can’t have extra athletics if they are flunking out. Cut out non mandated expenses and cut excess administrative salaries and spend on real education and mandated services. When the BOE proves themselves i will rethink trusting them and give them charity via a tax increase.

  15. Jose, now you know why other towns don’t want us? From the way you wrote your post and you grammar I assume you are no originally from this great USA. I assume you contribute absolutely nothing to the town tax system. I also assume that you have not been in this town too long. We (the ones other towns don’t want) pay heavily into the tax system of which education is paid with. We do not use public education, rather we choose to pay out of pocket for private schools. The only thing we ask for is bussing. Imagine if all of US (the people other towns don’t want) decide to enroll all of our children into the public system – a service we rightfully deserve since we are the majority tax payers. Imagine what would happen then. The state will be forced to pay. You know what happens then….. your subsidised rent, food stamps, Healthcare etc… will vanish. Pooof! Will you still have a problem with the way we do business? Don’t be a hater and recognize the reality. We are all suffering – maybe in different ways – but suffering we are.
    And stop the WE/THEM business, it won’t advance or fix any issues.

  16. These comments are heartbreaking. The public schools are filled with teachers who love and do all they can for these children. We all work hard no matter where we fall on the step guide. New or old we show up everyday to make a difference. We work 10-12 hour days to teacher our children on meager salaries that are not even close to the $75,000 average. Our schools are under supplied, falling apart but yet we show up. We bring in what we need. We hug the kids who had a bad night. Most of all we fight for what is right. Let’s stop attacking each other and find a solution. The children in Lakewood (public or non public students) need us to be united, strong, and smart.

  17. I am not refuting some of the commentators here. I am just trying to wrap my head around this. I was under the impression that public schools are from 9-3? Am I wrong? If I am correct how is that 10/12 hours a day? Granted there is lesson preparation and that is a challenge during the first year or two? But on average its ten hours a day?
    Secondly, aren’t public school teachers off two and half months in the summer, mid winter, spring break and all legal holidays?
    Someone mentioned an annual salary of around 53k. When I calculate the per hour pay it doesn’t seem to differ much from an accountant who works often 60 hours a week,(with no overtime billing) and 12 months a year, yet only earns 100k.
    Just trying to figure where my math went wrong

  18. For every three hours a teacher teaches, a min of 1.5 of prep and paperwork time is needed. In many cases a lot more then that. Public schools have departmental and schoolwide meetings once or twice a week. We are required to stay late once a week for extra help and must come 15-20 min before school starts . this happens in most districts, I work out of lkwd but I’m sure it’s pretty similar. Add up the hours math guy, with prep time 2+ hours at night, meetings twice a week it’s about a 10-12 hour day. For newer teachers it’s a lot more. Teachers are not well paid at all even with the vacation days. They work like dogs!

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