To the Editor:
N.J. school funding has been an issue for decades, with both political parties attempting to change the funding system to make it “fairer” for districts and taxpayers. At times those changes have favored some districts over others or taxpayers over the needs of our children; however, the Dennis Township School District has been hit hard by these changes.
As a former Dennis Township school board member, PTA president, former member of the DT Education Foundation and parent of children in the district for over 25 years, I have witnessed many of these financial hits. The Board of Education and administration have gone above and beyond to balance the needs of the district with the cost to township taxpayers. It is that very balancing act that has left the district in the position it is in today.
For over 10 years, the district has worked under the state-imposed 2% cap to avoid having to ask voters for a larger increase. The board knew voters would likely vote down any such requests. Also, board members have been mostly conservatives who believed that keeping costs down was a priority.
That was a mistake. Just as it is not possible for households to live at the same level year-to-year with only 2% increases, there is no way for a school district today to do so. Even without the state aid cuts two years ago, our schools would be in trouble. We are at the point where cuts are impacting on the ability of the school to function appropriately. Our children and our community are suffering.
During the school budget presentation, the district highlighted what has been done to reduce the budget, everything from staffing cuts to attaining over $3 million in grants. This is not new; in fact, because the board has done the right thing for many years there is no more room to reduce the budget.
Now the district is facing noncompliance with state law requiring educational aides in classrooms but also extra-large class sizes, in some cases close to 40 students. The district is unable to hire aides because they can only afford part-time positions that do not attract applicants. None of this is conducive to either educating children or maintaining staff.
I am disappointed with the DT committee’s reaction to the district’s presentation on April 8. The committee said that they wanted a “seat at the table” although the committee’s liaison to the school board has not attended meetings and repeated contacts went unanswered. The committee also went around the board to hold a meeting with the Middle Township Board of Education, which is completely inappropriate. These two elected bodies have very different agendas and purposes, and the Township Committee needs to respect the separation of powers. If the committee wants to help taxpayers, they can do so separately from the school budget.
Funding public schools is a responsibility that benefits all of society. Proper funding ensures all children, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay, have access to an education. Strong schools offer more opportunities for children, higher property values, community pride and lower crime rates.
I have every confidence that the DT Board of Education and Township Committee will do the right thing and work collaboratively to balance the needs of the children and taxpayers. This balance may not be without some costs to both groups. Hopefully the education of our children will be given the importance it deserves. There is a price for everything in our society, but making our children pay the price for lower taxes will not end well.
Renee Pettit
South Seaville
