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There are only 6,000 public school students compared to 30,000 private school students. There are over 130 separate religious schools in the town. The orthodox kids need to be bused separately, boys and girls on separate buses. So the town is spending all this money on busing orthodox Jewish kids all over the place, segregated by gender, while the public school budget gets voted down every year and currently has a 10 million dollar shortfall this year.
Does not seem right to me. Perhaps NJ should look at some protections against the abuses going on, like for example if the majority of students in a town do not use the public schools, no public funding of buses for private schools should be allowed.
There are only 6,000 public school students compared to 30,000 private school students. There are over 130 separate religious schools in the town. The orthodox kids need to be bused separately, boys and girls on separate buses. So the town is spending all this money on busing orthodox Jewish kids all over the place, segregated by gender, while the public school budget gets voted down every year and currently has a 10 million dollar shortfall this year.
Does not seem right to me. Perhaps NJ should look at some protections against the abuses going on, like for example if the majority of students in a town do not use the public schools, no public funding of buses for private schools should be allowed.
Wow! In California they don't bus any kids to school private or public
Towns are obligated to bus students, although it depends on the distance to the school. There is all kinds of state regulations on buses, width of the seats, lighting, etc. If is a child is classified as autistic or even asthma, they get bused, even if they are a block from the school. I'm not sure about the separation of male and female students. Probably what you need is to go to some board of education meetings and get involved. I believe if a budget is voted down then the town council sets up a budget, and busing is part of it.
Towns are obligated to bus students, although it depends on the distance to the school. There is all kinds of state regulations on buses, width of the seats, lighting, etc. If is a child is classified as autistic or even asthma, they get bused, even if they are a block from the school. I'm not sure about the separation of male and female students. Probably what you need is to go to some board of education meetings and get involved. I believe if a budget is voted down then the town council sets up a budget, and busing is part of it.
I can understand special needs kids getting bused, but these must be state laws requiring that kids are bused because in California it's optional and almost no school districts provide bus transportation for kids.
If it's a state law in New Jersey I wonder why they don't just change the law, what the OP described must be crazy expensive, and if these parents can afford private school my guess is they can also find a way to get their kids to and from school
Does not seem right to me. Perhaps NJ should look at some protections against the abuses going on, like for example if the majority of students in a town do not use the public schools, no public funding of buses for private schools should be allowed.
That could start a nose dive down a very slippery slope considering the FACT that property tax dollars fund pubic schools.
Lakewood is and has been an anomaly for decades with the high concentration of ultra-orthodox Jews pulling their scams.
How many were just arrested for fraud, In Lakewood? Including a Rabbi?
This has been going on for years and every one else knew it...it's about time their feet were held to the fire & I'm sure there are many more to be arrested (including another rabbi or 10).
They're no better than polygamists who "bleed the beast" - they are one in the same.
Towns have zero obligations to be busing private school students, and spending public money on doing so should be outright illegal.
When property taxes pay for a township's public schools?
The very least the town can do is provide a bus to the local (in town only, which is how it works) private schools or refund the cost per kid included in that property tax for "bussing".
I can understand special needs kids getting bused, but these must be state laws requiring that kids are bused because in California it's optional and almost no school districts provide bus transportation for kids.
If it's a state law in New Jersey I wonder why they don't just change the law, what the OP described must be crazy expensive, and if these parents can afford private school my guess is they can also find a way to get their kids to and from school
You obviously know nothing about Lakewood, NJ.
Look it up.
It's not your "typical" town.
No, I don't know anything about Lakewood and never claimed that I did, and before reading your post I just looked up New Jersey law on the subject of school busing and it seems that Lakewood is on the hook for transporting these kids unless someone changes state law, do you disagree?
In accordance with state law, N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1, all public elementary school students (grades K-8) who live more than two miles from their school and all public secondary school students (grades 9-12) who live more than two-and-a-half miles from their school are entitled to transportation. These students are said to live "remote from school." Whenever a school district is required to provide transportation to students attending regular public school programs, students attending nonpublic schools who meet those distance requirements may also be entitled to transportation services. In addition, any student classified with special needs who either meets these distance requirements or for whom transportation is required in the student's Individual Education Plan must be transported.School Finance: Student Transportation
It goes on to discuss other issues and states that schools don't have to provide transportation to 'for profit' schools, so I'm guessing all these schools claim non-profit status?
Have there been any efforts to change state law because if not maybe the state should be footing the bill for the school busing in Lakewood.
No, I don't know anything about Lakewood and never claimed that I did, and before reading your post I just looked up New Jersey law on the subject of school busing and it seems that Lakewood is on the hook for transporting these kids unless someone changes state law, do you disagree?
In accordance with state law, N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1, all public elementary school students (grades K-8) who live more than two miles from their school and all public secondary school students (grades 9-12) who live more than two-and-a-half miles from their school are entitled to transportation. These students are said to live "remote from school." Whenever a school district is required to provide transportation to students attending regular public school programs, students attending nonpublic schools who meet those distance requirements may also be entitled to transportation services. In addition, any student classified with special needs who either meets these distance requirements or for whom transportation is required in the student's Individual Education Plan must be transported.School Finance: Student Transportation
It goes on to discuss other issues and states that schools don't have to provide transportation to 'for profit' schools, so I'm guessing all these schools claim non-profit status?
Have there been any efforts to change state law because if not maybe the state should be footing the bill for the school busing in Lakewood.
Lakewood, NJ is not the "norm" & in more than one way. Some of Lakewood's finest were just arrested for fraud. FINALLY.
There are so many more that will be & should be.
You can't conflate Lakewood with the rest of the towns in the state of NJ if you know anything about Lakewood, NJ in any way/shape/form.
Surprised the OP is ignoring the inherent problems in Lakewood - that have spanned the years.
The residents of Lakewood need to fix "what goes on" in Lakewood and is specific to Lakewood & has been, for decades.
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