School Districts See Changes In State Aid Barnegat School Board Embroiled In Con ict

By Stephanie Faughnan

(Conflict - See Page 5)

State Aid: Continued From Page 1

Lacey Township, the area’s only other K-12 district, suffered the highest loss with nearly $4 million in dropped state aid. The cuts amount to 27.49 percent, diminishing the district’s total anticipated funding down to $10,470,890.

One of the two districts located within Stafford Township experienced the highest percentages of state aid reduction. Stafford’s school funding was cut by 30.79 percent and represents a difference of $2,357,904 for the K-6 district. The state will continue to fund the district’s Pre-K program with an allotment of $4,880,263.

Stafford Superintendent George J. Chi- diac said that the news of the cuts was shocking despite knowledge that Stafford was already suffering from the S-2 school formula that went into effect into 2019.

“We were in the fi fth year of six and our estimated projections for the decrease in school funding was about $360,000,” shared Chidiac. “The more than $2.3 million decrease is crazy and absurd. They didn’t even do it gradually, but all in one year. We’re in shock.”

Stafford has approximately $1.4 million in bank cap that can be utilized in the 2023-2024 year. The problem is that more shortfalls are also in store, with another $800,000 projected state aid deficits to hit next year. The loss of funds and depletion of bank cap could call for a special refer- endum next year asking Stafford taxpayers to contribute additional money to help face the district’s fi nancial challenges.

“One of the things the state supposedly looks at is enrollment,” Chidiac said. “We went up 60 students so that’s a good thing. The more students you have, the more money you’re going to get. Our special ed numbers and ESL have all gone up.”

The loss in state aid could start with cuts in both the performing arts area and social emotional learning programs.

Ocean Township (Waretown) lost $367,264 in school funding, representing a 10.38 percent decrease from the prior year.

Changes to the school funding formula resulted in a seven year phasing plan that provided some districts with advance notice they would lose state aid. In 2019, Waretown learned they would be losing $5.7 million overall, what was then one third of their budget.

Despite the forewarning, the year-toyear declines have not been predictable. Waretown district leaders were taken by surprise last year when they lost nearly 34 percent of state aid for the 2022-2023 school year. In anticipation of this year’s state funding losses, voters passed a referendum last November raising $840,000. The school district’s 26.64 percent decrease from last year to this amounted to $635,051 from $2,384,000 they currently had in place.

The district will continue to maintain a totally state-funded preschool with an allotment of $1,597,456.

“We anticipated the state aid cuts that were just announced,” said Dr. Shawn Denning, President of the Township of Ocean Board of Education. “We fully planned for them when we asked for the referendum that was passed in November 2022. It was part of the multi-year strategical plan to maintain the district’s solvency.”

Denning confirmed that the district does not intend to introduce another referendum this year seeking additional tax dollars from local taxpayers.

Ocean County as a whole experienced the most significant cuts as the only county to receive double digit losses of 11.07 percent. The other school districts in Southern Ocean County experienced the following wins/losses in state aid: Beach Haven, $62,047, 22.15% Eagleswood, -$12,204 , -2.12% Little Egg Harbor, -$429,456, -4.64% Long Beach Island, $80,313, 10.59% Pinelands Regional, $10,664, 0.09% Tuckerton, -$74,087, -3.42%

“It appears in looking at the school districts that Monmouth and Ocean County school districts got hit with mass state aid reductions,” pointed out Chidiac. “Could it be that because these are Republican counties this was done with malicious intent and politics?

“Politics have no place when you are dealing with the education of children,” the Stafford Superintendent continued. “Would Governor Murphy and the Department of Education go to their own children’s schools and wipe them out with such a massive cut all at once?”

Conflict:

Continued From Page 1 too well on the adults in the room.

“There seemed to be a lot of confl ict,” summed up the young Gifted and Talented student. “I didn’t really understand it all.”

The Barnegat Board of Education’s most recent meeting on February 28, 2023 was packed with an assortment of students, parents and other interested parties. Many of the children came to receive special recognition. At least one local scout troop attended the meeting to fulfill merit badge requirements associated with citizenship.

The troop left before the conclusion of the meeting that lasted over four hours. Multiple parents said they were “embarrassed” by the conduct displayed by the board members.

“It was a disgrace to watch and left me questioning if that’s how they communicate in public, what is it like in private,” said Colleen Shive, whose son was honored at the meeting. “How will anything ever get accomplished for our children?”

District leaders had the foresight to move up some of student achievement awards from their usual place in the meeting’s agenda. However, some high school students waited more than two hours for their moment in the spotlight. Even the board’s student representative left before it was her time to give her report.

Policy Disputes

Several policy disputes arose during the meeting with Robert’s Rules of Order cited as backup on numerous occasions.

Board member Sandra Churney expressed her frustration with subcommittee meeting minutes, saying she felt they were incomplete and asked if they were recorded.

“Minutes are taken at every committee meeting,” said Board of Education President Sean O’Brien. “Minutes are concise and official record. Per Robert’s Rules, they are supposed to include what was done at the meeting, not what was said.”

Votes within subcommittees also became controversial as Board Member Scott Sarno disputed the legal opinions offered by the Board’s Attorney, Martin Buckley.

Board member Regina Tarnowski spoke on behalf of the board’s Governance Committee and referenced discussions about the inclusion of board members’ biographical information on the district’s website.

“As a district we strive to be professional,” said Tarnowski. “We consulted with the New Jersey School Board Association’s field rep Mary Ann Freedman, and she evaluated 100 districts and their bios, and created a template for our district.”

The information didn’t sit well with a couple of board members who argued they should have more fl exibility with their bios. Churney said she assumed they were all just parents and taxpayers, and not polished politicians.

“The point of the bios is to be consistent, succinct, and provide a professional…” O’Brien began.

Board member Scott Sarno interrupted to ask whether a template had been used over the last few years. Sarno continued to spar with O’Brien on other issues as well.

A proposed policy would make it requisite for board members to copy the board president on communications with the district’s superintendent or business administrator, a practice O’Brien said is common in other districts. Sarno, who previously objected to the directive, continued with his protests.

Tarnowski said she felt keeping the board president apprised made sense so that the superintendent didn’t have to take extra steps and could focus on other tasks.

“The superintendent gets paid, and he gets paid well to do his job,” said Sarno. “I don’t get paid for the hours I put in here.” Sarno neglected to say how copying the board president on emails would represent additional time.

Considerable time was devoted to social media posts and requests for comment from local news outlets. Some commented on board member Lauren Washburn’s decision to speak to a radio station that seemingly shed a poor light on the district.

Board Vice President Bonnie Levy expressed her dissatisfaction that Washburn did not correct the radio host when he said a high school bistro project was a waste of money and should be used to give money to teachers and add to their pension funds. The food services account cannot be used for either purpose.

“I did say that it could only be used for food services,” defended Washburn. “He never mentioned school supplies or teachers pensions funds on our phone call during the conversation.”

Bill Spadea of 101.5 made the reference directly after Washburn’s segment and also included it in his opinion piece. Washburn said she followed up with him to correct him after the fact, however the article was not changed on the station’s website as of press time.

One of the parents who stayed until the end of the meeting had questions about Washburn’s call in to the radio station.

“Were you aware of the what the topic of the article before was going to be when it was published,” asked Johnelle Delaney. “I was wondering what you were hoping to accomplish by essentially airing dirty laundry and presenting this board in a negative light.”

Washburn reiterated that it was not her intention to bash the school district. She said that she felt certain that if a poll was taken, others would agree all of the schools’ kitchens and eating areas could be refurbished. Again, she just wanted to make sure her voice was heard fi rsthand.

Bistro Controversy

Some of the board members who were questioned about their votes against the bistro planned for the high school said they were taken by surprise when they learned it had a special education component attached to it.

“My notes tell me that this was supposed (Conflict - See Page 12)