District should act for autistic
To the editor:
I am the parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder who is currently enrolled in the Mercer County Special Services School District. We have 39 students in East Windsor and Hightstown with ASD who are currently classified.
Gov. Corzine recognizes the escalating rates of autism, now estimated at 1 in 94 children in New Jersey. As a result, he has developed the Governors Initiative in Autism, a $15 million grant available to school districts to either develop appropriate programs for children with autism or to enhance already existing programs.
As our school district currently has no formal program for our children with autism, with the exception of a multiply handicapped half-day preschool program, many of our children are being sent out of district for appropriate services. But what exactly is appropriate?
As defined by the N.J. Center for Outreach and Services for the Autistic Community, children and adults with autism exhibit atypical, repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social and communication skills. Because this is a "spectrum disorder," the needs of each child are diverse. For some children, an out-of-district placement is the most appropriate, however, for others, being integrated into the general population with the appropriate support is considered the least restrictive environment. Unfortunately, East Windsor Regional School District does not have these supports in place.
I was saddened when I heard at a recent board meeting that $15 million in "free money" was given away to many surrounding districts but not to ours. When the board was asked why the district did not receive any funds, its response was that they did not submit an application. In the same breath, it was discussed how our district has to nickel and dime to stay afloat. Yet, the district chose not to apply for the available $15 million grant?
It costs up to $50,000 per pupil for an out-of-district placement. Multiply that by the 39 known classified students with autism. Those numbers don’t add up to nickels and dimes. This is a major crisis for a group of students with the most escalating developmental disability in the world. Our children should have an equal education as their neurotypical peers, in fact, they are entitled to it.
Gov. Corzine’s initiative would have secured financial stability for our special-needs population, if only for a short time. It is unfortunate for our children and our community that this opportunity wasn’t deem important enough to pursue.
Our school district has one more opportunity to apply for a $9 million grant for our students with autism spectrum disorder. Second chances don’t happen often Mr. Bolandi, so let’s not let this one slip through our fingers.
Laura Puchalik
East Windsor
Voter apathy not just a local issue
To the editor:
You got it right when you wrote about apparent voter apathy. But what is the reason?
This problem is seen on a state level. I ask myself, how could people keep electing the same old brand while they are incapable of correcting property tax problems, all the while enriching themselves at our expense. People in New Jersey have lost so much faith in government that we hold second place, after Arkansas, in acceptance of government corruption. One can feel as if one’s voice or vote won’t make a difference.
The same thing happens on a national level. This causes the process of government to become a partisan battleground with the members of Congress constantly pandering for votes. One really never knows a politico’s realviews.
When asking someone to run for office, the answer is commonly that they do not have the time and the meetings are so long. They are right. People are so used to instant gratification that they do get bored very easily.
Our society is much larger than the times when a town meeting was truly a town meeting. People are impressed when voter turnout is 40 percent. But40 percent is just four out of ten voters. This is not even a simple majority. Just think, 40 percent of our voters are making decisions for the majority.
As for Hightstown’s transparency in government, I applaud them. When I was on council I was very impressed with the process. But Hightstown is small town with many people who know their officials in a neighborly kind of way. I always loved the public comment part of the agenda. The people who commented always did so with vigor. Their comments were always taken seriously by mayor and council. More seriously than most people believe.
Ron Sackowitz
Hightstown
Congratulations to coach Russo
To the editor:
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Coach Mike Russo of the Hightstown High School wrestling team for being named Coach of the Year in the District 27 area.
Hightstown High School has been very fortunate. Coach Russo is a wonderful role model for our children, teaching respect and commitment to the sport. We have always witnessed good sportsmanship from both our team and coaches. He treats the members of his team with respect and concern, as if they were all part of his family.
Many of the players have had the opportunity to have wrestled for Coach Russo for four years. We, the parents and the students, are grateful for all of his hard work and care. We wish him the best of luck in the future and hope that he will continue to be a wonderful example of a coach with ethics and heart.
Mitch and Donna Ratner
Hightstown
School district ignores voters
To the editor:
I am confused as to why the people in East Windsor go to the bother and expense of having school board elections.
As I recall, the voters rejected the fiscal year 2005 school budget; they duplicated the vote for 2006. Prior to the actual defeat in 2006, Superintendent Bolandi was quoted as saying that he couldn’t imagine that a single item in that budget could be cut and realistically, if having been able to express his genuine needs, he would have asked for an additional 17 teachers. Finally, after the 2006 budget was defeated, and just prior to the board reconvening to reassess and perhaps cut some of the items therein, the board president was quoted as saying that she could find no items in the budget that could be cut and that, in essence, the voters were wrong in defeating the budget.
The April 2007 budget vote approaches and, again, we are asked to elect individuals to the Board of Education. The two remaining candidates are incumbents and were quoted last week as having said that they are eager to be re-elected and plan to push hard for the passage of the school budget. Have they already voted in favor of a budget that no one else has seen yet?
The people have said no two years running on school budgets and probably will do so again come this April. It seems the will of the people differs from the actions of the elected officials when it comes to scrutinizing the fiscal well-being of the education process.
Let’s assume that the proclamation Mr. Bolandi uttered some time back that he is the "CEO" of the school system is correct. That would make the Board of Education, in any corporate structure, the board of directors. All EWRSD employees, including Mr. Bolandi, and especially the teachers in essence are the employees of the corporation and, lo and behold, the residents/voters of EWRSD are the shareholders. Is there a corporation of any size, anywhere, of which anyone knows that structures their corporation in such a manner, runs it the way the school district runs their infrastructure and suggests that it is anything other than a failed endeavor to continue the status quo?
Rolling over for bloated budgets and lucrative, guaranteed three-year automatic pay packages based on employees merely showing up for three years (tenure), who do not necessarily have any accountability or responsibility for results; coupled with a not-of-this-planet retirement and benefit program; continuing in the midst of the ever-increasing financial crisis, based upon out-of-control property taxes, might be viewed by some in corporate America as the height of arrogance, incompetence and irresponsibility.
The shareholders in EWRSD have, for the past two years, made their desires known. Is anybody listening?
John Francis
East Windsor

