League’s Only Co-Ed Team Reaches Chamionship

By Stephanie Faughnan MANAHAWKIN –

A local boys basketball team ended their season with yet another reason to standout as second place champions in their league.

St. Mary’s Academy Knights are the only co-ed team to participate in the Monmouth Ocean County Parochial Basketball League. Their roster includes some very talented boys and girls.

“We didn’t have enough boys to have a boys bas- ketball team,” said Coach Christopher DiFrancia. “And the girls didn’t have enough to form a team either.”

Rather than forego a season, the mixed group took to the courts. DiFrancia, whose athletic fame was on the wrestling mats, wel- comed the help of two other assistant coaches.

According to DiFrancia, Herb Soletto eats, sleeps and breathes basketball. However, his schedule didn’t allow him to exclusively coach the seventh and

(Team - See Page 7)

By Stephanie Faughnan

SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY – Almost all of the Ocean County school districts located south of Berkeley will see decreased school funding – some serious – according to recently released state aid figures.

The numbers come as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s state budget proposal that includes an increase of $832 million as part of what is commonly referred to as K-12 formula aid.

The Barnegat Township School District is one of the two Southern Ocean County districts that includes all grades from K-12. Barnegat will receive the largest dollar amount boost in school funding to local districts. The $2,766,565 added to its existing state aid allotment of $22,927,806 equates to a 12.07 percent increase.

Barnegat’s preschool, located at the Dunfee School, is entirely state-funded and has been allocated $4,236,111 for the next school year.

(State Aid - See Page 4)