Mar 21 2016 11:01 am

With courtesy busing cut from the Lakewood School District, State Monitor Michael Azzara has now turned to the Public School system – making massive cuts to save millions of dollars.

The astonishing announcement comes as the Board of Education gets ready to introduce the 2016/17 school year budget.

Documents show the State has cut 68 teachers from the public schools, three guidance counselors, sports/athletics, and the number of students per class will go up to approximately 40.

And should the district want to reinstate any of the above, it will cost big money.

Documents show the State Monitor is proposing an approximately $8.5 million referendum to restore these items to the budget.

The following is the referendum proposal for the various items:

C. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $5,156,817 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 68 Teaching Staff (Kindergarten through 12th Grade). Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

D. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $258,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 3 Guidance Counselors. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

E. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $372,886 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for employing district staff as follows: 3 Administrative Staff. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

F. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $240,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Lakewood Middle School Sports and Clubs. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

G. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $146,592 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Lakewood High School and Lakewood Middle School Late Buses. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

H. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $200,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for Educational Supplies. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

I. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $2,000,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for a Six-Year Deficit Reduction Plan. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

J. BE IT RESOLVED, that there should be raised an additional $150,000 for General Funds in the same school year 2016-2017. These taxes will be used exclusively for District Homecare, Nursing, and Extraordinary Services. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

“We see again and again that instead of taking responsibility for their failures, the State is once again turning to the taxpayers to fit the bill. According to their own documents, they still did not fund the approximately $7 million due for Lakewood.”

“To summarize, the State’s accomplishments after being two years in Lakewood: 1) Eliminated courtesy busing 2) Raised average cost of busing per student 3) Eliminated Athletics and raised average number of students in public school classes to 40,” Board of Education member Isaac Zlatkin told TLS.

Zlatkin adds, “these cuts will have a tremendous negative impact on all of the public school system.

The board is expected to vote against the budget, but it’s also expected the State Monitor will once again overrule the Board and approve it.

(Zlatkin notes his opinion does not necessarily reflect that of the board.)

[TLS]

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