BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD – Although the chance of additional school funding being miraculously heaped on the Freehold Borough School District is slight at best, school board officials are not giving up the fight.
Board of Education President Jim Keelan said that he, along with Superin-tendent of Schools Elizabeth O’Connell, Business Administrator Veronica Wolf, members of the school board, Borough Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer and a group of parents went to Trenton on March 29 and attended a state Assembly budget hearing to “show support and a presence.”
“We went to state our case. We made our presence known,” he said, adding, “We need more money for borough students and we need it now.”
The board has proposed a $16.7 million budget for the 2007-08 school year that residents will vote on in the April 17 school election.
The budget proposes an increase in the K-8 school tax rate from 66.7 cents to 74.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $257,000 will pay $1,904 in local school taxes in 2007-08, up from $1,714 in the 2006-07 school year.
The budget cuts 12 positions, including a math supervisor, a fourth-grade teacher, a fifth-grade teacher, a guidance counselor and a librarian. The budget eliminates school-sponsored sports and extracurricular activities. It includes the addition of two first-grade teachers and a full-time and a part-time World Language teacher.
A second ballot question on April 17 will ask for $75,275 in wages and stipends to be used for school-sponsored athletics and extracurricular activities. This question also asks for the hiring of a residency officer to investigate residency issues, as needed, at a cost not to exceed $15,000 annually.
According to information provided by district officials, approval of the second question will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the state’s Core Curriculum Content Standards.
School administrators have said the district is spending below what the state says is necessary to provide pupils with a thorough and efficient education. Admin-istrators are asking for aid that will bring the district up to that level – about $9,000 per pupil. At present, the district is spending about $8,100 per pupil.
Shutzer said she made the decision to go to Trenton after several parents of toddlers asked her if she thought they should sell their homes before their children reach school age. She said there was quite a turnout for the trip to the Statehouse and added that the Freehold Borough contingent’s presence was noted by members of the Legislature.
“They did listen to us and we let them know that they have to be accountable for their actions.” Shutzer said.
Shutzer praised Keelan for his efforts and dedication to the school district.
The Freehold representatives wore yellow T-shirts that proclaimed “Freehold Borough Needs T&E” on the front and “S.O.S. – Save Our Schools” on the back.
Keelan said he spoke with Education Commissioner Lucille Davy, who told him she did not have a pot of money to give to Freehold Borough schools. He said she repeated that statement when questioned by Assemblyman Joseph Malone during the budget hearing.
“That is the fourth time I have heard her say she has no money for us,” Keelan said.
He said Budget Chairman Assembly-man Lou Greenwald opened the hearing by saying that everyone is “competing for limited state dollars.”
Keelan said O’Connell, Wolf, state Sen. Ellen Karcher, Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, Shutzer and several parents met with Greenwald and Assemblyman Gary Schaer during the hearings. Keelan also met with Malone and Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole.
“They all heard our pleas, but no promises or commitments were made to get additional funds for the school district,” he said.
Keelan said Karcher and Beck are still working on legislation to get the school district needed funds.
Jean Holtz, who chairs the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation, also went to Trenton. She said the state’s school funding formula is flawed where Freehold Borough is concerned.
“We’re operating extremely efficiently, so much so that we’re well under the recommended per-pupil spending guidelines for a court-ordered and constitutionally mandated thorough and efficient education. The irony is we can’t raise more revenue for education because of state-mandated caps. And obviously, we can’t spend any more because the cabinet is bare. My daughter is in prekindergarten. She deserves a thorough and efficient education as she advances through elementary school. Just because she lives in Freehold Borough means it’s possible she won’t receive it. Why? Because education is funded by property taxes. Education by geography is terribly unfair. It’s inherently wrong and it needs to be fixed,” Holtz said.
Holtz said this is an issue that all borough residents need to be concerned about and that it will affect all residents in different ways.
“As chair of the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation, I have reached out to the New Jersey Education Law Center, the pre-eminent advocacy group for fair educational funding for all of the state’s children. The executive director, David Sciarra, has offered to meet with us and the superintendent to help us strategize ways to help get the full funding we deserve.”
Ted Miller is the parent of three children in the Freehold Learning Center elementary school. He, too, went to Trenton.
“There are 600 school districts and I know everyone is competing for the same funds. It’s almost like sibling rivalry,” Miller said. “But we are unique here. We wanted them to get the message that we are the county seat, and the smallest county seat. We have, by comparison, the largest ratio of [tax-exempt] county buildings compared to other towns. On top of that, we are completely built out with no room for new ratables. All of this plus flat funding for five years makes us stand out here.”