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STATE MUST TAKE THE REINS OF TROUBLED ASBURY PARK SCHOOLS
Next week
New Jersey tax payers will be paying their first quarter real estate taxes. Many
taxpayers are losing a battle to increasing property taxes. Property taxes are
the product of real estate value and the taxes levied by the municipality,
schools and the county. Reevaluation in some towns has created a new
battlefront – one’s ability to pay real estate taxes for a home that has
appreciated beyond the homeowner’s income. The most vulnerable taxpayers are
seniors, the disabled living on fixed income and the unemployed.
Since school taxes account for more than 50 per
cent of the property tax bills, tax payers have recently defeated school bond
referendums and have become conscious of school board spending practices. What
is particularly irksome to taxpayers is wasteful spending.
The Asbury Park school board recently fired
Superintendent Antonio Lewis. Mr. Lewis was fired for reasons that the school
board will not release. Yet Mr. Lewis will continue to receive $150,000 per year
plus perks for the three years remaining on his 5 year contract. Of greater
interest, on January 21, 2004, the school board hired the Rev. Donald D. Warner
as interim Superintendent. The Rev. Warner will be paid $600 per day. At that
rate his fee could amount to $144,000 per year. Remember this is in addition to
the $150,000 being paid to Antonio Lewis.
You might be asking yourself, “What do I care
you say about Asbury Park school board affairs?” Consider this. Asbury Park
taxpayers do not pay all or even the majority of their bills. You do! Asbury
Park receives nearly $9 million in municipal aid from the State of New Jersey
and $40 million in State education aid and Abbott funding. Your tax dollars will
potentially be paying for $300,000.00 per year for two school superintendents.
As an aside how can Asbury Park attract new homeowners and investors with this
course of performance?
Compounding the problem on January 26, 2004 the
New Jersey State Supreme court ruled that the State of New Jersey must give an
additional $975,000 more in Abbott funding to the Asbury Park schools. Have you
heard enough?
While you and I might willingly pay our tax
dollars to give extra help to children that are less fortunate with regard to
educational opportunities, this recent act is only one of a long history of poor
management that ultimately deprives those same children of funding needed for
classroom instruction.
It is time that we said “enough.” The
Commissioner of Education must take the reins of this troubled school district
and that is exactly what I have asked him to do. The system is not broken and it
doesn’t have to be fixed. What must happened is that taxpayers must demand
accountability for their hard earned tax dollars and in this situation the
Commissioner of Education must do his job to protect us and the Asbury park
school children!
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