Educators, parents fight funding law
S-1701 places caps on school spending, surplus amounts
BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Mary Anne Kligman shows her opinion about S-1701, with a sticker on her car.

As promised, Middletown parents delivered more than 1,000 letters to the New Jersey School Boards Association office on Thursday in an effort to contest a new law that would limit school spending and place restrictions on budgets.

The law, passed this summer and commonly known as S-1701, limits school district spending throughout the state by capping increases to 2.5 percent annually or the inflation rate, whichever is higher. The law also reduced the surplus amounts districts are allowed to carry from 6 percent to 3 percent in 2004-05 and 2 percent in 2005-06.

The law’s opponents contend that under the law, the ability of districts to provide services like courtesy busing will be compromised.

“The transportation issue is a big one, and we’ll lose funds for that,” Middletown Superintendent of Schools David Witmer said. “We’ll need to start looking at ways to combat this problem because it will have a huge impact on us.”

Besides busing and budgetary constraints, there is another issue that has Middletown parents concerned.

“The average class size at Leonardo grade school was 27 and now it’s down to 22, which is great. But [if this law stands], the district would have to cut positions, and so it could potentially go back to 27 and maybe even higher,” parent Melissa Giegrich said. “Something has to be done or else we’re going to have a huge problem, not just in Middletown, but all over the place.”

Members of the Legislature who are in support of the law, including Joseph Cryan (D-Union), its original sponsor in the Assembly, are thought to be backpedaling now from their original stance.

“They did not know the consequences of this bill, especially in the long run,” NJSBA Director of Public Information Frank Belluscio said. “We’ve been making progress in our stance, which is that it would be a bad thing for this bill to go through. I think it’s important that parents and educators urge others to get out and support the cause [to have the law amended or repealed].”

Some parents feel that, in spite of their hard work to help the district thrive, a bill like S-1701 could cramp their efforts.

“We’re taking this personally because we, as parents and educators, have done all that we can. It’s like we’re being penalized for doing our homework and doing the right thing,” said Jeanine Horowitz, a Middletown parent.

Cheryl Ringer, president of the Parent Information Committee, and a parent of three Middletown students, chimed in with her opinion on the matter.

“It’s going to be difficult for us to predict what will happen in the future because of all of this,” she said. “We’ve had so many letters begging and pleading for the lawmakers to not do this to our kids.”

According to Laura Agin, a Middletown parent, part of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the man ultimately in charge of what goes on in the Garden State.

“It’s obvious that Governor [Richard] Codey has an agenda, but it has nothing to do with education,” she said. “I understand he is in a new position, but he does not have time to get his feet wet. He needs to be proactive now before it’s too late.”

At least one Republican gubernatorial candidate agrees with Agin.

“Governor Codey needs to realize that S-1701 could pose a huge problem for children in New Jersey,” said former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, in Hazlet this weekend for a meeting with local Republicans. “Teachers will be let go and there will be overcrowded classrooms. This bill is basically mortgaging our kids’ futures.”

Conversely, there are some lawmakers who think that the bill is a good idea to help provide property tax relief.

“Requiring schools and local governments and school districts to keep spending increases at the cost of living is the right formula for applying downward pressure on property taxes,” Sen. Wayne R. Bryant, chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, said in a released statement at the time of the bill’s passage. “Without controls on local and school spending, there can be no property tax relief.”

While the parents hope that a bill to amend or repeal S-1701 will pass through successfully, they do realize that they have a tough road ahead.

“We realize what we’re up against. It won’t be easy to get things to go our way, but hopefully people will start to realize that this bill will not be good for the kids and their futures,” Middletown Board of Education member Pat Walsh said.

“Cryan does not want to amend his bill at all, and he is being firm on this,” NJSBA Director of Governmental Relations Christopher D. Kniesler said. “It’s unfortunate because the districts that have done their homework are being penalized. This will be a tough sell in the Senate as far as stating our case.”

Ringer also noted that she anticipates many more letters to be written by concerned parents in the near future.

“We’re an efficient school district that could be penalized because of this bill. We need all of the support that we can get at this point,” Ringer said.