Abbott Districts (Long Branch: houses, schools, beach)

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by ira

And that's the only one. The rest of Abbott towns are truly poor. Hoboken is very unique is that sense.

what's your take on Long Branch? mine is that there are some poor parts of town but there are also some very affluent areas, why is Long Branch an Abbot district?

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by apvbguy

do you have any clue about Abbot districts? most of them are large urban towns, and smaller very dense poor towns

Most of the Abbott districts could never self-fund their educational systems through property taxes. I just finally sold my house in Paterson a few weeks back (Thank God!) and the displeasure of the suburbs, with Abbott districts in the last few years, always had me concerned. I don't blame them for being pissed about the Abbott districts, but they've be barking up the wrong tree in regards to their property taxes being so high. It is the state income tax that foots the bill for the Abbott districts. I read that if a city like Paterson had to fund it's own school system, the tax portion just to pay for the schools would amount to a $27,000 a year assessment for each homeowner. I think that the average Paterson taxpayer would say too bad so sad, let the school system go down the tubes. Leave that child behind!

If the Abbott districts mysteriously disappeared tomorrow, the state income tax rate could be dropped in proportion to the cost of the Abbott districts, or if the state income tax rate stayed the same, the remaining school districts might see a school tax reduction of maybe 15 or 25%, but it wouldn't seem quite the miracle NJ taxpayers might have hoped for.

The fundamental factors that will keep taxes high will never be adequately addressed in New Jersey's flawed and corrupt political system coupled with the "set in concrete" mentality of home rule. Until those factors change, expect property taxes to keep increasing at 7% or so a year for the forseeable future!

I'm soo..... glad I moved to NC!

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by ira

And that's the only one. The rest of Abbott towns are truly poor. Hoboken is very unique is that sense.

Paterson has a few middle class neighborhoods and one wealthy neighborhood (Eastside Park/Manor Section). Paterson is one of the few urban cities in NJ where you can find homes at $700,000 and beyond (With JC and Hoboken being the other two). But most of the kids, if not all, from these neighborhoods go to private schools.

Garfield is a lower-middle to middle class town and it's an Abbott district.

I think Phillipsburg is another interesting Abbott district. It doesn't seem that poor.

[CuCullin]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

I think Phillipsburg is another interesting Abbott district. It doesn't seem that poor.

Average income is $20k less than NJ average, home value is half the state average, and the population is decreasing.

Its definitely not a wealthy area....

[ccnj]

In order to be eligible for an Abbott designation a school district must have low student achievement and concentrated poverty. The poverty level is determined by students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Therefore, you can have cities that have good/bad sections that are still eligible under the Abbott rules. In areas where there are "wealthier" sections, those people are most likely either childless or not sending their children to the public schools. Therefore, they are not counted in the official numbers that determine Abbott status.

[doc1]

Just another "feel good" attempt that has accomplished little, if anything, other than pocket lining.

I once saw the amount of $ per student that was expended in Newark and it was mind boggling (and infuriating) compared to my district.

Newark should have been pouring out Rhodes Scholars at that rate.

[SilkCity0416]

A school district's proformance is the number one factor in deciding an Abbott district. This and the combination of being on the lowest end of the socio-economic scale is what propelled the state to form these districts. Hoboken is interesting because even though a lot of well to do people live there, the public school system there still isn't up to the state's standard.

[NJ Chutzpah]

^^^

What are the property taxes in hoboken

i am sure those landlords ought to be forking over more money to the town

[JERSEY MAN]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

^^^

What are the property taxes in hoboken

i am sure those landlords ought to be forking over more money to the town

The school portion of property taxes for cities or towns is less then 10 percent of the actual cost to educate the students in an abbott district. Jersey City has Trump Towers on the waterfront and the millionaires that live in these towers get subsidized from the rest of the state. Don't u think the Donald would be willing to pay his fair shair.

[NJ Chutzpah]

why is it less than ten percent

if the property is assessed like it should be, then why is it not enough?

most towns fund their own schools through taxes right