Lisa Dominick, Belle Mead
To the editor:
About a week ago, state Sen. Mike Doherty and Montgomery Superintendent Earl Kim had an exchange about Doherty’s proposed Fair School Funding plan.
This plan essentially levels the playing field among towns and equalizes the amount of state aid each student receives. This is truly a great plan for Montgomery.
As of now, Montgomery only gets $514 per student. Doherty’s plan will provide $7,481 per student. This is equality, this is our fair share.
The NJ state Constitution supports Doherty’s plan, but guess who doesn’t? That’s right, Superintendent Earl Kim. His reply, available through the district’s website, states that we only need additional aid to fulfill the current funding formula, which is based on past inequalities.
This would only give Montgomery a fraction of what Doherty is proposing.
Kim says that we don’t need more money. Well, let me say this, as a taxpayer in Montgomery, I need property tax relief and I bet most of my fellow residents do as well.
Under Doherty’s plan, our overall state aid would increase from $2.6 million to $37.5 million. Our school tax bills will be cut in half meaning thousands in property tax relief.
Kim is clearly out of touch and I question the members of the Board of Education for hiring someone so uncaring and hostile to the taxpayers of Montgomery.
Earl Kim has got to go.
Lisa Dominick
Belle Mead
