A recent approval by the BOE has some taxpayers furious, after State money intended for tax relief was approved for textbooks and Union wages. This past Monday evening, the Lakewood BOE held an emergency meeting scheduled early Friday morning following the last meeting where the agenda was voted down. The emergency meeting, was apparently deliberately held while Board members Chesky Seitler and Yoni Silver were unable to attend. This allowed the board president and his colleagues to push through the agenda without any strong dissenting voices.
At this meeting, not only was the Superintendent search committee rescinded and a narrow vote of confidence of support of the Superintendent and her way of running the district, but moneys intended for the taxpayers relief, was taken advantage of as well.
On display at this meeting for all to see, was the Superintendents spending habits as opposed to the previous direction the Board had undertaken before April 20, 2011.
As earlier reported, Governor Christie recently allocated additional funding fo many districts in NJ, including $1,000,000 for Lakewood. Most districts have used the extra funding to provide property tax relief.
On Monday however, with Seitler and Silver not in attendance, a motion was pushed through to allocate the $1,000,000 that Lakewood received for additional textbooks and possible union wage hikes.
Sources say, that while a push in closed session has been made for the money to be used for tax relief, it was thwarted in an effort to protect some of the special interests of outside groups that would potentially come under scrutiny if the union wage hikes weren’t approved.
“Had the public chosen its Board members wisely in April, 100% of this money would have gone directly into your pockets”, a Board member TLS. “I hope the people of Lakewood realize the folly of their mistake”.
At the next possible opportunity, the fiscally responsible Board members will move to reverse Monday night’s outcome. TLS – David E.
” was thwarted in an effort to protect some of the special interests of outside groups that would potentially come” Could you please elaborate on this for the uninformed public please? I think its time the public heard the truth about what is going in at the boe again.
“The emergency meeting, was apparently deliberately held while Board members Chesky Seitler and Yoni Silver were unable to attend.”
I highly doubt that.
There is ALWYS more than meets the eye!
Unfortunately the boe was once again hijacked by a select few (moderated) individuals.And the community of course ran to the polls “k’bnei Moroin” How foolish some can be.
What meets the eye is your tax dollars being embezzelled by a few.
I voted with the full knowledge that my taxes will rise because thats what i was told to do!!
Wow, what an objective article
this board is ridiculous. petty and backstabbing. doing a disservice to every resident and taxpayer in Lakewood. They should all resign, and just hand the keys to the county to run this district. How embarrassing to read the follies of the LBOE every week. We should all attend the next meeting wearing brown paper bags on our heads, like the old Cleveland Browns fans.
What does “descending voices ” mean ?
To #5 When It comes to money for others, think straight on your own not what your are told!
Isn’t there a verse in the bible that say’s “money blinds the eyes of even the wise”.
This town finally had an oportunity for tax relief and sanity,but once again they blew it.
“after State money intended for tax relief was approved for textbooks and Union wages.” Only 20 out of 580 districts used the money for tax relief so slow down
Why is everyone here pretending they have no clue about the root of all the problems?
Superintendent? BA? Board Members? Ha Ha!
Will TLS have the guts to cut the baloney and publish the truth?
# 8 – I think it’s meant to read “dissenting voices”
Perhaps we should all calculate how much it costs to sleep in our own beds! Personally, given my household size, I pay approximately $9 per person per night for the privilige, but a smaller household probably pays more. If we would all realize the cost of keeping quiet and allowing taxes to rise unchecked, we would make the effort to elect more fiscally prudent individuals. It would also help if the election dates would be more accomodating. Scheduling an election when most local residents are away almost guarantees an unpopular result
BOE messes up again. This people are not out there for the benefit of our town but rather trying to do what they are told by some individuals. SHAME ON THE BOE!!!
same stuff over and over again.Its time to clear house!
This was one of yesterday’s TLS headlines. I think we could recycle it for this story.”Officials Disappointed After State Cancels Application For Funds Intended For Combating Gangs In Lakewood”
the BOE meeting’s are a joke. You know who is voting for the right reasons and who is voting because they are told too. I never believed this before but after seeing the voting for myself Monday night I am requesting the state step in to take over the district. A letter is being written which will hopefully have over 1000 signatures by next week to send to the Governor
save the million dollars- lower taxes.
Your article begins the line “A recent approval by the BOE has some taxpayers furious, after State money intended for tax relief was approved for textbooks and Union wages. ”
There is not such a thnig as UNION wages- the wages or salaries are paid to the staff that works in a district and teaches the children that live in and attend the schools.
Is it possible that the members of the LBOE would function better if the members of the LBOE acutally had an interest in the public school students, staff and faclities in Lakewood!!!???
to #19- Monday night’s meeting was shameful. It was clearly for the benefit of certain people in town and to nix the preiously approved superintentent search committee. Lakewood will never have passing public schools as long as the people calling the shots have no interest in the public schools.
Let`s face it we are just as corrupt as any other Jersey town .
Interesting. Although this article is clearly a one sided presentation, I can’t help but wonder why the people I elected to insure that these scams would stop were “unable” to attend a meeting with $1,000,000 at stake.
if they scramble a meeting on short notice when you’re not around, and it flies, then anything is possible. This is why this must be stopped. It is the epitome of dysfunction for a board to operate in this way. is the State paying any attention at all???
I am a good friend of some of the “newer” Board members. I spoke with them extensively about their ideas and philosophies. They agree that what is going on is wrong however there is no alternative! If they would not approve everything that comes down, then services to SCHI and some Yeshivos will get cut!! They are stuck! How can they vote for something which will indirectly hurt some children’s services? The situation is such that whatever demands are made must be met or some services will end up getting slashed. The last election was a referendum over whether we want services at all costs or lower taxes and services won handily. Don’t cry now that you want lower taxes. You have to choose – lower taxes or keep services at all costs. The voters spoke. The Igud was very clear about them not being there to lower taxes or to be fiscally responsible. They are here to get as much as they can. The voters backed them and will back them again next year.
To #19: Although I find what the BOE did deplorable, when the schools are attened by illegals and kids who’s parents don’t care there’s no way for them to achieve.
You have to choose – lower taxes or keep services at all costs. The voters spoke. The Igud was very clear about them not being there to lower taxes or to be fiscally responsible.
The Igud was clear about this to who??
The average frum voter had no idea what the issues were. They got their letter from the vaad/igud/mosdos and went to vote. I have no doubt that if the platforms would have been spelled out with the same clarity that you wrote it, i.e., more services with an annual property tax hike vs. cutting select services in the interest of lowering the tax burden, the result would have been quite different. The smoke and mirrors way of campaigning and voting has to stop. Be proud of your platform, present it to the voters loudly and clearly and let them decide what they want. It is, after all our money that’s being spent.
to #25: The last election was not a referendum on anything, there was basically only one endorsement so most people didn’t look int it very much. Additionally there were so many candidates running which caused the whole election to be unclear. I don’t understand why they must approve whatever frivolous demands are made of them, how will that cause yeshivos to get cut. Additionally when R’ S. made his robocall he spoke about them lowering taxes so don’t say they didn’t run on lowering taxes.
To # 27- yes there are a great deal of iilegal students or the children of illegal parents attending the schools but that in and of its self does in no way meant that these children are not capable of acheiving.
While I do not agree with people from any country being here without proper documentation, I believe that many of them came to the US to provide a better life for their children and hope to see them acheive more than they have.
*and just so I am not misunderstood- I feel that anyone who wants to come to this country from any other country should be welcome with open arms as long as they
1. file the proper papers to do so.
2. learn the languageand traditions of the new country but keep the language and traditions of the old country to be passed down to genertations and shared with new firends) Particiopate with what goes on where you live!! As I would do if I had a reason to move to another country!
I am shocked and angered at what you have stated! “The Igud was very clear about them not being there to lower taxes or to be fiscally responsible.” On the endorsement letter The Lakewood Vaad clearly stated that these candidates would continue the path of fiscal responsibility! Granted, the Igud did not mention that, but it was on the same paper! Was it all a ruse to fool the town? I will personally make sure that I reduce my property tax amount from my tuition next year if this is actually the case! Do they think they can hide forever? We will catch up with them eventually!! The day of reckoning is fast approaching!
This article states that most districts used the money for property tax relief. According to figures on the App website only 20 towns out of 580 in New Jersey actually used the money for tax relief. I am no math genius but 20 out of 580 is not most. Whats wrong with using the money for textbooks?If all the money was to be used for property tax relief, that would equal a tax cut of $12.50 on a property tax bill per quarter
If the money was used for books then what is the problem? They would only ask for a bigger budget increase next year for the books and wagers. Pay today or pay tomorrow either way WE are going to pay. And if I am not mistaken weren’t the teachers complaining that there weren’t enough text books for each student? How do you expect students to learn when they have to share a book?
Sounds like a sore looser in the last election is starting his next campaign early. Where did it say what the state funds must be used for. Maybe there were things cut from the budget that were necessary and now that there are new funds they can buy the necessary books.
Maybe the people complaining about money being spent on textbooks should make an appointment and go into the school and see how old some of the books being used are. For the money being used for wages Lakewood has the lowest wages of any district. around. This is a public school, how about some help with seeing it is run like other districts.
reply to #25 r’ shenkolefsky said in his robocall that that they would lower taxes so what are you talking about. Show us one endorsement that said its not about lower taxes and fiscal responsibility.
Im happy that they used the money for good things. Who says seitler and silver should run the board and make all of the decisiions.
What good are new books when they can’t even read?
as long as non public school board members run the school board there will never be true change to the district.
At the last BOE meeting, I asked for information on 3 issues:
1. Why do BOE members not attend all public meetings? Some wonder in and out only to vote for issues that are important to them. Attendance appears to be contrived. I note that some BOE members were sending and receiving text messages during the meeting.
A. BOE members attend meetings or part of meetings as their schedule allows.
2. Achieve 3000 is a program that is being heralded by a consultant and the Superintendent, however, the teachers report that the effectiveness and usage has been less than what is being presented.
A. No answer was given.
3. If the additional funding is to purchase books, was all of the money used, or was some of the money used?
A. The books have not yet been ordered, but the Superintendent is working on the order.
The Lakewood School District is in deep trouble.
you need to understand the whole senero. The new members are nice people but have must get the ok to vote on anything. They came to the meeting just to vote on getting rid of the previoulsy approved superintentent search committee. People in town didn’t like this becasuse she does everything they tell het too. The Igud is well run by good people, they know what has to be done but once again other will not allow it to happen. Lakewood loses