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Board Looks To April Referendum To Help Fund Pre-School Program
By Jo ann la Russo
As early as April, the Berkeley Board of Education may be asking voters to approve a $10 million to $15 million referendum to construct an addition to its schools for the state-mandated full-day pre-school program. Proposed costs to install solar energy panels on some of the district's four schools would also be included in the referendum.
More than 50 parents and residents of Berkeley Township recently packed the board's meeting to listen to a presentation hosted by Mary Guinan, the district supervisor of planning for the pre-school expansion program.
Funding in the referendum would go towards primary costs, such as teacher salaries and classroom materials, as well as other areas, such as transportation, health and other unfunded services mandated in the program. The price of constructing a new building and transporting the preschoolers is not included in the per-pupil cost that the state will pay.
The pre-school program is now held at Bayville Elementary School, where there is one integrated classroom with general education and disabled pupils, and a selfcontained classroom for children with more severe disabilities.
Next year, there would be three integrated classrooms and one self-contained classroom at Bayville School, two integrated classrooms at Clara B. Worth Elementary School and two integrated classrooms at H&M Potter Elementary School, Guinan said.
In July, Governor Jon Corzine signed the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 which mandates full-day pre-school for New Jersey children. In Ocean County, the state will provide $11,205 per pupil for in-district programs, $12,596 per pupil for children in private day care programs and $6,960 for pupils in the federally-funded Head Start programs.
Residents at the meeting questioned the $11,506 figure the state expects to fund for each student, asking what happens down the line "if a different administration doesn't continue this plan, and we are in construction of a $21 million building, and left holding the bag."
They reiterated complaints that the state funding does not include costs, such as transportation or driver's salary, and many called the plan "unfair." They also noted that with the cost of inflation, the $11,506 stipend per child, won't be the same down the line.
Parents asked several questions of Guinan and the board, such as, "can this plan be put off?" and "Can we receive more help?" to which most were met with a resounding "no."
"We must proceed with caution," Guinan repeatedly told the audience. Although she said she understood their concerns, Guinan assured the crowd that the state has no intentions of putting the project off, or changing the funding formula.
Guinan showed statistics demonstrating the long-term positive results of pre-school education for children, such as increased achievement test scores, enhanced financial futures and less crime and delinquency.
Some parents left the presentation on a positive note, such as those with young children who might utilize the program. However, seniors at the session were not as optimistic, with several expressing their hope that the state would be willing to listen to alternatives.
Silver Ridge Park East Coalition President Judith Noonan asked the school board to consider drafting a resolution requesting that New Jersey 9th District legislator, Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblyman Daniel M. Van Pelt draft a bill that could allow the school board to put the project on hold for at least two years.
Under pressure from the seniors who have regularly voted the annual school budget down, Board Attorney Guy Ryan said that a resolution could be drawn up for adoption at the next school board meeting in favor of asking the legislators to put the state mandated project on hold. However, Noonan said this week that the association does not put much stock that that will happen.
"I'm disappointed that the board of education isn't more forceful trying to get this delayed or anything," said Doris Cauda, an association member. "We want to encourage the parents and taxpayers in Berkeley to write or call with their opposition to this extravagant spending of our hard-earned tax dollars to our legislators."
Noonan agreed, saying, "The PowerPoint presentation (at the board meeting) was okay, however, I have read the other side of this issue where other educators and child learning specialists felt that the children really do not benefit going to school that young, and all day," she said. "They're only 3 and 4."
The board recently appointed Spiezle Architectural Group, of Trenton, to submit documents to the state Department of Education to secure grant funding for the 33 classroom additions, said Superintendent Schools Joseph Vicari.
As the lowest bidder, Spiezle prepared documents at a cost of $9,800, which were then submitted to the state for the November 15 deadline.
The architectural firm also held a presentation on solar energy panels for the school district.
About 100, or 20 percent, of the 3- and 4-year-olds living in Berkeley would attend the free all day pre-school program in September 2009, which is expected to be held in existing classrooms.
By 2013, however, the program must be fully implemented and an estimated 500 pre-schoolers would be eligible to attend.
For the pre-school, children will be selected for admission to the program by lottery in the first week of July, said Guinan.
"Next year, in 2009, 67 general education pre-schoolers, or 14 percent, will be enrolled," Guinan said.
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