Millions of dollars that the Lakewood School District failed to use, are being returned to the State as non-public school kids beg for services.
TLS has learned from several sources that the district reportedly failed to utilize and/or returned the following monies – which were initially allocated by the State for Lakewood children:
1. Chapter 192 -(“Compensatory Education “–for both regular education and classified students such as additional help in Math and Language Arts and ESL )
2. Chapter 193 – (Evaluations of Classified Students and Supplemental Instruction)
2014-15 – $3.9 million
2015-16 — $6.2 million
2016-17 — $ 5.9 million
3. IDEA — ( Special Education for Non Public Children such as Resource Rooms in Yeshivas, Occupational Therapy , Physical Therapy )
2015-16 -$59,130
2016-17 -$122,856
When contacted, former Lakewood Board attorney and special education consultant & statewide expert Michael Inzelbuch, stated, “Unfortunately, this appears to be the sad and dismal state of affairs in district. Who to blame is irrelevant. The District requires individuals, staff, and professionals who have a long term and investment in making the Board operate as a lean, yet efficient business for the children who need help – all children – public or nonpublic regardless of where they attend.”
As to the state monitor, Inzelbuch stated, “It looks like they are really trying, but, it almost appears that either he does not have the relevant background information and documentation despite efforts, and can’t seem to get hold of it due, in part, to the complexities and mosaic of Lakewood.”
This is a developing story. Further information is expected to be released in the coming days.
Simply dispicable.
Getting a whiff of a class action lawsuit.
we must sue for 10x the money
Yes, because suing really helps the big picture. Don’t waste money on being litigious.
it takes money to make money!!
Great idea, sue the school district. Where do you think the money will come from. Any money awarded will come from the school budget, the school budget comes from the Tax Payers. The School Budget will increase to pay for the awarded monies. Do you still think its a good idea?
This is really pathetic. I hope Mr. Inzelbuch is asked to help out in trying to resolve this mess. I have 2 children that need help, but have given up on the BOE helping out, so I have to choose where to spend the money I don’t have. To hear that they are returning millions to the state is frustrating, to say the least. It’s not a matter of blaming, but getting the right people to get the job done.
Why do you only care that non-public school kids are not getting services they need? Isn’t Lakewood a community that cares for ALL kids? The public schools are a disaster and those children need help and support more than any private school kids in Lakewood do!
Exactly
Does the extra money have anything to do with the fact that Lakewood is no longer served by only one provider possibly causing the services to be more transparent and efficient….?
All the sudden they care about public school students.
We want the same education everybody else gets
Lemonade, money does not solve the problems of Lakewood public schools. This has been proven many times over in other districts.
The public schools spend far more per child then the private schools do.
The responsibility of educating ones child begins and ends at home.
Are their any public school children who’s parents spend an hour a day doing homework with them that are failing? I highly doubt it.
Just wondering: I feel you are assuming. There are parents in public & private school who are not attentive to education. I agree . The home is the foundation.
Please realize : There are numerous factors that state the cost to educate a child . The $15,000 is more than teachers’ salaries & books.
Does Lakewood Highschool provide the numerous AP classes?
Lakewood cannot be compared to other districts, it is unique due to the overwhelming number of private schools. Private schools do not have to meet the same requirements as public schools in terms of educating special needs students (ESL, for example), they cannot be located in homes or industrial parks, and they do not have to hire certified teachers, so of course their costs per pupil are less. You have no idea how much time public school parents spend doing homework with their children, however, you are clearly making some kind of assumption that they don’t. ALL students deserve an excellent education, every single one of them. Lakewood is suffering as a town, the pathetic condition of its public schools just makes it worse.