Council passes resolution
after urging by candidate
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — After weeks of wrangling with Republicans over the issue, the all-Democrat Township Council is asking the federal government to increase special education aid for local school districts.
The council passed a resolution in support of a bill to raise federal funding for special education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The bill is co-sponsored by Congressman Rush Holt, a Democrat from New Jersey’s 12th District.
The move follows weeks of discussions between Anthony Riccobono, a former East Brunswick Republican councilman who is presently seeking another term, and the mayor and council. Riccobono had argued that the only reason the council had not passed the resolution was because the action was requested by a Republican council hopeful.
Council members and Mayor William Neary gave a variety of reasons for not wanting to pass the resolution, with one official saying they had unanswered questions on the issue and another saying the council should be concentrating on local, and not national, issues.
Neary noted at Monday’s meeting that the bill, however well intended, will likely not go very far. The mayor said he spoke with Holt’s office, and was told that the bill is unlikely to make it out of committee.
"Especially with the way the president has reduced funding for education," Neary said after the meeting. "It’s going to be a fight to get more educational funding from this administration in Washington."
The resolution asks Congress to pass the bill, which would raise federal funding to 40 percent of special education costs.
Though IDEA was established in 1975, the federal government has never come close to funding its share, leaving districts scrambling for funds to cover the often astronomical costs involved with educating those students.
"In 1975, Congress passed the [IDEA] to help states provide all children with disabilities a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment," the resolution states. "At full funding, Congress should contribute 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for each child with a disability served."
Riccobono thanked the council for the resolution. He said it not only can help students with disabilities get a good education, but could also help reduce property taxes. School districts, especially those in East Brunswick, have seen large tax increases due to the costs of educating special education students.
Council Vice President Saul Fink said that a municipal government should concentrate on handling local issues, as it has more influence there, although he supported the resolution.
Riccobono had argued that the council’s previous lack of expressed support for the bill showed an unwillingness to keep property taxes down.
Fink responded at Monday’s meeting by saying the council has purchased open space as a way to keep development from driving school taxes up even higher, and he also pointed to the township’s 6-acre zoning laws, which also limit residential development.
David Stahl, a Democratic candidate for council, said he supports the increased IDEA funding.
"To say we’re not for that legislation is absurd," he said. "Everyone is for that."
Earlier this year, the East Brunswick Board of Education passed a similar resolution asking the federal government to fund 40 percent of IDEA costs.
"While the federal government has more than doubled funding for IDEA since 1995, [it] has never provided more than 15 percent of the maximum state grant allocation for educating children with disabilities," the council’s resolution said. "By fully funding IDEA, Congress will strengthen the ability of states and localities to implement the requirements of IDEA, enhance special education programs, and stabilize local property taxes associated with funding the public education systems."

