Private school parents in Lakewood may have to pay more for transportation if the new budget cuts by Gov Murphy are passed. In the proposed budget for NJ, Aid in Lieu for transportation to non public schools will be cut down by 10% from $1,000 to $884 per student. This applies to mandated transportation for non public schools. The Legislature had previously increased the $884 to $1,000 for the 2017–2018 school year. This allowed many parents to be able to get transportation for their children as a result of this increase.
An article in this weeks Voice of Lakewood, Agudah NJ director says this will cost the LSTA a $2.5 Million dollar loss and will result in parents having to pay even more money for busing. It may also effect the LSTA ability to bus everyone to school. They brought up these concerns at the recent legislative breakfast.
An article discussing this budget cut to private schools in NJ asks these questions:
Does the governor not realize that transportation for nonpublic school students is the lifeblood of nonpublic schools?
Does the governor not realize that nonpublic schools save the taxpayers of New Jersey more than $1.6 billion every year?
The reduction from $1,000 per pupil to $884 is particularly disturbing for nonpublic school students and parents because Gov. Murphy’s budget contains more than $283 million in new money for public schools.
Does the governor not know that designating more money for already failing public school districts does nothing to improve education, but everything to do with spiraling property taxes, already among the highest in the nation?
Most nonpublic school transportation is provided by private bus companies. Many of the companies either do not bid on a route at $884 or less or have already indicated that they can only bid at a higher rate.
Without transportation, parents are often unable to get their children to school, even though the aid-in-lieu amount is paid to the parent in the amount of $884. Many of these parents work two and three jobs in order to cover the nonpublic school tuition. When a bus route is cancelled because of the bid ceiling, many nonpublic school students are forced to transfer to a public school at greater taxpayer expense. It is important to note that no public school student is ever denied transportation as a result of the cost.
When LSTA was formed the Aid in Lieu was $884 no one screamed about it not being enough. last year they raised it to $1000 so all Murphy is doing is cutting back to what it was a year ago.
ReplyDeleteIs this a case of creating hype and than to be the savior?
Thank the VAAD for their endorsement watch your property taxes shoot up as marijuana will fill the streets of Jersey.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with Marijuana?
DeleteHuh? If they lower the rebate to $884, the price will go down to $883. And so on. This scamming the government is nice while it lasts, but it was never supposed to be permanent
ReplyDeleteIf lost a is short they should charge ALL parents a fee. Even those that are mandated should be noise b'ol.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone can pick a school that is 2 miles away so they will get free bussing.
In theory you are right . But the law is that mandated is free and the law that established the lsta directrd them to provide free busrs only for the mandated. If they have extra money ,they can also bus the others .So even tnough menshlachkeit woykd dictate that everybody be equal , they can't charge the mandated .
DeleteAsk the VAAD what to do. They endorsed the guy.
ReplyDeleteAguada to the rescue first create a scare make massive PRO and than write articles how you saved the day
ReplyDeleteThe schools can build 2 miles away from their parent body and everyone gets mandated busing.
ReplyDeleteThe system makes no sense.
Is Lakewood cheder charging the non mandated parents for the $150
I'm trying to figure out what you are saying . Do you mean that an existing school should sell their building and spend millions of dollars to buy land and build a building on the outskirts of town ti fet busing ? Do you realize that parents live all over Lakewood today and unless you build in Howell or Tons,River ,you will always have some parents,within 2 miles or 2 and a half miles for high school ? 2 and a half miles is pretty far .
DeleteHeimish olam all live in one development than they can build the mosad 2 miles away.
DeleteMurphy is owned by the teachers unions. Murphy is increasing funding to public schools and teachers pensions, but is trying to cut as much as he can from non public schools including special ed and education.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Vaad backing Murphy made a difference in this election. Christie was so hated in NJ, that his Lt. Gover nervous had no shot.
Bit now the Vaad knows what it feels like to be told one thing during an election, and than back stabbed after words (that is assuming Murphy ever promised them anything, haven't seen any evidence that he did).
Maybe they can cancel all the empty routes, like the ones that pick up mesivta bochurim an hour before shachris starts.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone pays the fair share to LSTA and certain people don't make money off it, these cuts won't make a dent.
ReplyDeleteHere goes the Vaad again, they create the problem by endorsing him, then they scream and fight. It's like Route 9, create the problem by building more and more congestion, then complain about the state not fixing your problem you created, seams like a pattern over here.
ReplyDelete