LSTA notifies The Lakewood community of an important change to student transportation eligibility that will take effect beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.
According to a notice distributed to parents, the Lakewood Board of Education has updated its transportation eligibility guidelines in order to "align with policies followed by neighboring townships." Under the revised policy, students must be 5 years old by September 30 in order to qualify for Board-funded transportation services.
The new guideline will impact children born between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 who are entering school during the 2026–2027 academic year. Families with children in this category may no longer qualify for transportation coverage previously available under earlier criteria.
Parents can opt in at a cost of $1,272.00 ($1,177.00 cost + $95.00 processing fee)
Officials stated that notifications have already been emailed directly to affected families with additional details regarding the change and available options.
Parents are encouraged to log in to the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority website to review transportation alternatives and plan accordingly for the upcoming school year.
The policy change has also sparks renewed discussion among parents regarding courtesy busing fees. Existing Board of Education guidelines stating that parents who qualify for the school lunch program should not be charged for courtesy transportation if they are unable to afford it. The question is why the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority appears to selectively follow certain BOE policies such as adopting the new age cutoff for transportation eligibility while continuing to charge fees for courtesy busing despite the financial hardship provisions outlined in BOE guidelines.
this is not right !!!!
ReplyDeleteThe LSTA should be abolished they are doing more harm than good. The transportation was hijacked without a formal vote by the community and are now suffering the consequences with poor service
ReplyDeleteThis smells of corruption! I live within the 2 mile radius for the elementary school. The charge was the significant fee of $385 for courtesy bussing - as that is the cost for the bussing as it's not funded by the BOE. But now that these children are not eligible - why does the cost go up if they were not funded previously????
ReplyDeleteCost: $1,272.00 ($1,177.00 cost + $95.00 processing fee)
NAME does not meet the age deadline of 09/30/2021 for funded transportation. You can still opt in and pay the cost of a seat on the bus (currently $1,177.00)) plus the $95.00 processing fee.
Good question. Until now your kids were only being charged $385 and the rest was being subsidized by the AIL funds of mandated students, as allowed in the LSTA legislation. But those funds are only allowed to be used for school students. Now that kids under 5 are not being recognized as students none of the transportation costs may be spent on them and they must be paid for in full by their parents.
DeleteCHUTZPAH
ReplyDeleteI really just dont have the money for this. im not sure what to do.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Lakewood BOE (who is that? does it have a name?) is now setting policy based on neighboring townships. Why? Simply because some unnamed individual decided arbitrarily to add hundreds of vehicles to the roads to reduce transportation costs. Without any public input.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the township is paying over one million dollars of OUR tax money to sponsor courtesy busing for the public school children while the LSTA is changing parents $400 per child.
ReplyDeleteThis is discrimination and abuse chutzpah .
Shame on all those who were behind this takeover as parents struggling with tuition are forced to pay more.
Nice. Great time to instigate antisemitism.
DeleteWhy is Avi Schnall silent about this
ReplyDeleteDid you call his office to ask them?
DeleteHe knows how to make noise without being called
DeleteCut the nonsense
Schnall has been silent about all issues with LSTA since he was elected.
DeleteHe hasn't set a word!!!
He was involved in its implementation and won't say anything or admit it's failures
Vote all incumbents out!! They have done nothing for us the taxpayers! Except rob us blind..Ave of Americas (minimum taxes paid) Land given for free. LSTA is costing us taxpayers, RE Taxes are through the roof. Traffic is getting worse and worse.
ReplyDeletePure רשעות
ReplyDeleteWhy are private school students paying and not public school students? According to the NJ State law they are equal in terms of bussing.
ReplyDeleteWhy do private school students need to now provide birth certificates on file with the BOW and not public school students.. huh?
ReplyDeletePretty sure public school students always had to. Whether or not it's enforced is another question.
DeleteThe problem with public school students is not birth certificates, it's proof and verification of address. That is, do they really live the district? Are they entitled to Lakewood education. Is the Lakewood BOE offering a better program than their real districts? If so, why are they spending so much money?
DeleteUmmm.... so you want illegals eating up your taxes? Birth Certificates show that you're American.
DeleteLSTA had no business expanding into Jackson and Howell before Lakewood was fully serviced. It caused people to pay much more now for transportation in Jacjaon while Lakewood children are not provided with normal busing such as getting up 6am for an empty shachris bus or getting home from school over an hour late while buses not showing up or coming late daily to school. There's no accountability while people are taken advantage of.
ReplyDeleteJust don't get it, why such crazy fees ? My school didn't have bussing this year, and I get aid in lieu reimbursement $400 for the year? Accordingly I should receive approx $1,700 per child , welcome to the corruption, reference as unter de tish !!
ReplyDeletePeople are mostly keeping back their November and December children these days… so it’s not really a huge issue only for October birthdays because otherwise they are mostly going into primary the next year… with this policy it should extent 12th grade for students turning 18 - September to December at the end so they still get all 13 years
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are keeping back your child, but there are many going to school next year, including mine. We are being forced to pay $$ that we dont have!!!!!
DeleteBigger chutzpah that LSTA is charging poor parents a processing fee of $100 that is not what it cost them in labor.
ReplyDeleteAll this while their top officials are taking over 400k salary
Disgusting
Ironically when the BOE ran the private school mandated busing every little issue was blasted by askanim and township ppl with breaking stories on the scoop. Ever since they took control with the LSTA there hasn't been a peep of criticism despite the many ongoing failures issues with bad service
ReplyDeleteCherry on the cake is how the lsta gets the schools to be the enforcers, unless every parent pays up the school does not get the funds so instead of dealing with the lsta you are dealing with your school which you don't necessarily want to have a bad relationship with. Great tactic.
ReplyDeleteLakewood needs real change.
ReplyDelete1. Move to the Faulkner Act and create districts so every part of town has a voice.
2. Make sure everyone serving on boards actually lives in Lakewood.
3. Put term limits in place.
4. Cut down on inside deals, favors, and backroom politics.
Lakewood is too big already to keep running the same old way.
LSTA needs to be shut down. Pure geneiva going on in this holy town of Lakewood!!! Unbelievable these guys have no busha. Taking my taxes and not giving the Lakewood residents what we need is stealing!!! Making Lakewood people pay but giving Howell and Jackson residents bussing??? I smell a rat...
ReplyDelete