Reply To: School Board Monitors in Lakewood & East Ramapo

The Lakewood district’s problem is the state’s funding formula doesn’t take into consideration the yeshiva student, whose services are mandated but unfunded.

The budget is a plan On how the district plans to spend it’s money for the current year. For the school year 2015-2016 the monitor got a 7% increase far above the 2% increase cap allowed by law. This increase was voted on by the public in Mar-April 2015. It is doubtful the monitor would have got this increase if the deficit was not paid off. By June 2015 the state monitor reneged on a school busing agreement claiming he needed an additional $6.2 million and threating courtesy busing. In August an agreement was made Lakewood would give $1 million, the state would give 2 million and the yeshiva would agree to a tier system saving an additional $2 million. In Nov. the monitor threatened courtesy busing and called for a referendum for another $6.2 million. By late December the deficit was $12.4 million and courtesy busing would be canceled if the referendum wasn’t approved. It was defeated by 99% and letters went out stating courtesy busing would be canceled as of 2/23. In the last week an agreement was made between Lakewood and the monitor that for additional $1.5 million they would have courtesy busing for the rest of the school year. The school board ratified the agreement but the monitor reserved the right to veto it. The board authorized a lawsuit and then all of a sudden it is reported that the monitor agree to extend courtesy busing according to the original agreement made in August 2015.

Is there a deficit? If so how much? Or is it just a shake down by the state to get more money? Who knows?