Student Government Day Celebrated By Woodbine Elementary School Eighth Graders

WOODBINE – Woodbine’s annual “Student Government Day” was held on May 20 at the Woodbine Municipal Complex, continuing the interactive approach initiated last year.
Members of the eighth grade class from Woodbine Elementary School, accompanied by teachers Steven Schleckser and Stacey Egan, spent the morning at Borough Hall in an interactive session on the process of locating a business within the Borough, followed by a tour of the Municipal Offices.
Each group of students proposed a business and researched costs and location.
Projects and group members:
AKA Recording Studio: Alexa Craver, Karilyn Newkirk, Ariel Cecilia, Eddyanna Rodriguez and KayLee Murphy
Kids Cooking Club: Alysa Jones, Alex Gorman, Dianna Reed, Jenessa Newman-Rivera
Game Center: Carlos Camacho IV, Andre Cruz, Alberto Gayton
Multiplex: Orlando Torres, Sam Price, Daesha Beachaump, Gianna Young
Jersey Water Falls: Sean Figueroa, Gilberto Rivera, Rashon Harris, Douglas Watkins
The proposals were then presented to Borough employees who took the students through the process that would be needed to actually establish such a business in the locations chosen throughout the Borough.
Lisa Garrison, Municipal Tax Collector/ Municipal Clerk (and Municipal Registrar) spoke about issues concerned in establishing a business, such as business registration. During the tour she discussed taxes and vital statistics as well as other Borough records, and explained the certifications and continuing education Borough employees need for their positions.
Monserrate Gallardo, who serves as Woodbine’s Planning and Zoning Board Secretary (as well as Secretary/Treasurer of the Woodbine Municipal Utilities Authority) explained procedures including Pinelands, County, and local requirements. The different zones within the Borough, permits, use variances construction issues & ADA compliancy, and the availability of business loans and grants were only some of the topics raised. Having served as Deputy Court Administrator for Woodbine (and still holding a Court Administrator certification), she also spoke about the deep importance of staying on a straight path into their futures.
Assessor (and CFO) Jack Miller explained how assessments are done and how tax rates are calculated based on them and emphasized the importance of budgeting both to a municipality and to the students.
The students then gave a summary of their projects to Mayor Pikolycky who discussed their proposals and their plans for the future. Each student was presented with a certificate of attendance.
“I was impressed by the enthusiasm of these students and their clearly indicated interest in the future of our municipality,” commented Mayor Pikolycky. “I would also extend an invitation to our home-schooled and private school eighth graders to call my office to set up their own visits to Borough Hall, and have also invited today’s participants to call me for follow-up visits.”