Lakewood Mayor Ray coles blames the state for requiring the township to pay for the courtesy busing of public school children and not private school students. Responding to a question last night at the committee meeting why the Yeshiva children of Lakewood have to pay $260 to the LSTA yet the townahip fully sponsors the public school courtesy busing. The mayor said part of the deal when LSTA was approved, there was a requirement by the state for the township to pick up the tab for the public school students. Other reasons were because of safety, including a public safety issue since alot of the public students would not go to school if they weren't bussed to school. The mayor said the $260 that the LSTA charges is well under the actual cost and under 2 dollars a day. The township gives the BOE 1.2 million a year to help the LSTA and hopefully they will become a vendor where the township could work with them directly.
The mayor did not explain why it is legal to pay for public courtesy transportation and not private school. There was no mention of
providing funding for those eligible for the lunch program which according to NJ law the LSTA can not charge those parents if they qualify.
This makes absolutely no sense and is probably Illegal. The state can't force a township and only Lakewood out of 500 other townships in New Jersey to only pay for the courtesy busing of public school students.
ReplyDeleteThe private school kids can also threaten not show up if they don't have paid courtesy busing and it will be the same public safety hazard.
This is discrimination against Lakewood private school students by the township and the excuses by the politicians are not adding up.
Why is Agudah silent about this. They screamed that private schools need funding for security just as public schools are getting why is this any different
why is Michael Inzelbuch so quiet he knows how to make noise.
If it's illegal, hire a lawyer & sue.
ReplyDeleteOnly 2 bucks a day says the mayor who voted himself a huge pay raise salary plus 10k pay raise on the MUA board that he is on and free health insurance for life
ReplyDeleteDisgusting!
The LSTA Salaries are in the 6 digit figures plus a others is about 1 million
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need double systems BOE and LSTA to run the Lakewood transportation with taxpayers paying double salaries. There should be one central system
It's Agudas job to file lawsuits they pick and choose
ReplyDeleteWhat a scam!! Please parents refuse to pay it and let us demand equality to the public school students where we know that many of them are illegal migrants too!,
ReplyDeleteSuch nerve
This is ILLEGAL there is no such law in New Jersey. Can the mayor show us where this is written.
ReplyDeleteIt is blatant discrimination against lakewood private school children mostly who are orthodox.
Shame that the askanim are keeping it hush hush while they are profiting from it.