BOE President Carl Fink Pens Letter To Senator Singer And Congressman Smith

To the Honorable Congressman Smith and Senator Singer. As you are aware, the Lakewood School District has been the target of quite a bit of negative press recently. While the Board of Education takes issue with some of the misrepresentations and baseless accusations contained therein, we are all in agreement that Lakewood Schools are in need of tremendous help. As the newly appointed President of the Board, I would like to take the liberty of addressing some issues as they pertain to the current situation in the Lakewood School District.

The issues that are facing Lakewood are complicated and numerous. We have 6 failing schools that have been that way for almost 5 years. We have a dismal graduation rate, poor morale amongst our staff, scarce funding for bold and expansive initiatives, and a poor immigrant population with low parental involvement. These are just some of the obvious issues we face on a daily basis amongst countless others. While it may seem that these problems have just been discovered, the facts show that the problems have been growing and festering for almost 12 years.

Over the last decade there has been explosive growth inLakewood’s population. We are now the fastest growing town in NJ and the seventh largest municipality in the State. By some estimates, the population can possibly double over the next ten years, puttingLakewoodin the same league asNewarkandCamden. As with any growing community, the challenges of such exponential growth are enormous. However, Lakewood has an additional handicap. No other District in NJ has as many Non Public Schoolchildren as the 24,000 currently in Lakewood. No other District in the United States has such a disproportionate ratio of NPS Students as Lakewood’s 4 NPS students for each one PS Student. No other Municipality in the USA has an electorate that is overwhelmingly Non Public School families. Lakewood is unique and cannot be compared to nor understood in the same way as any other District. The problems we face today have been 12 years in the making. Growing worse each year as each community struggles to make their voices heard and their needs addressed.

Over the last 12 years calls have been made for State help. Problems were identified and solutions sought. Yet at the highest echelons of Government there was indifference. Over the last 2 years since I joined the Board with my colleagues we attempted to correct some of the issues and address our failing school system. We were met with limited success due in large part to a handful of self serving individuals and groups who wield disproportionate political influence in Lakewood. The interest of BOTH the Public School children AND the Non Public Schoolchildren were ignored. Our pleas for help went unanswered.

Realizing that help from without was not forthcoming, a coalition of all communities inLakewoodwas formed under the ticket of the 3 newly elected Board members. The communities realized that we were all losing out on our children’s bright future due to special interests. A strong campaign and discussion of the real issues resulted in the landmark win of our 3 candidates. In a historic shift, Lakewood voters voted to oust special interests in favor of our children in a landslide election. Yes, the voters of Lakewood understood the issues before the media and Government officials joined the fray. They understood what the solution was and acted upon it.

In fact, in the mere 3 weeks since the new board took office, tremendous change has already taken place.

1. The Board attorney was replaced. The overreaching and invasive arm of special interests was cut off.

2. All prior contracts have both been reviewed and revamped or are in the process of such. A new auditor has replaced our old auditors and will review all of the financial records for accuracy and legality.

3. We will make those changes which are permissible in order to create a District that is transparent and fair.

4. Vocational classes have been reintroduced to our High School for September. A twilight program for HS students will be opened in September. Our search for a new Superintendent has been put on the fast track after getting stalled by the previous Board president.

5. The Board has set up committees that meet at least once and many times twice a month and report to the public on their progress. Our Ad-hoc committee has met with our teachers to hear their concerns and is scheduled to meet with our parents over the next few weeks. These meetings are a first in at least 12 years.

6. For the first time since anyone can remember our staff is upbeat and morale is on the rise. Our Board meetings are courteous and professional in contrast to years past.

7. We have finally begun the process to bring fairness and equality to our non public services. We have set up the first consultation for June and issued RFQ’s to solicit additional vendors and to find new programs to help our children who need it most. We have initiated preliminary discussions to create new and cutting edge programs for our special needs children for this coming September.

8. Most of all, we have opened a direct and open line of communication with all the communities of Lakewood

In short, a new dawn has risen in the Lakewood School District.

In truth, I am both heartened and disheartened by the recent interest and comments made by both the Congressman and Senator. I am heartened that our District has finally caught the attention and concern of our elected officials. However I am disheartened that it took so long and that the overwhelming majority of voters were able to discern the problems before our government officials took notice.

As you now know,Lakewood is unique and the challenges are great. Our new team is up to the challenge and will continue our great strides forward to a brighter future. However I would be remiss if I did not point out a glaring inconsistency. WhileLakewood’s challenges are by far greater and more severe than any Abbott District, we receive a paltry fraction of the funding that they receive. Our taxpayers are stretched to the limit, and most of them pay private tuition as well. The vast majority have large families and due to religious reasons must find the funds to pay private school tuitions for all their children. The others are senior citizens on fixed incomes who do not use educational services at all. The tax burden cannot be raised much higher. Yet we sorely need additional funds and in my capacity as Board president, I beseech you to do whatever is in your power to do to help bring additional funding to the Lakewood School District.

Respectfully,

Carl Fink

President, Lakewood Board of Education

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31 COMMENTS

  1. Many of the private school parents do not as well. Plus the public school students rent from investors who surely include taxes with rent

  2. Carl, the people are behind you and Chezky and the rest of the team. Keep up these updates. Continue to inform us at regular intervals of the progress that is being made, so that people know what is going on.

    I’m saying this to you as a friend: Until now, there was no communication with the voters. Nobody had a clue what was going on. You need to constantly update us on every important issue, so that the people of Lakewood realize who is truly on our side, and who the special interest are.

    Thanks you Carl and Chezky and Yoni and your team.

  3. now it’s coming to light that more than half the high school seniors will not graduate on time? unthinkable.

    I hope what they say is true- It’s always darkest before the dawn.

  4. To #3 When someone rents a house, The rent you charge should cover all of your outgoing expenses on the property, including taxes! What are you talking about “most of the public school parents do not pay any taxes”?
    If the “public school parents” don’t pay taxes it’s because their landlord takes the rent money and doesn’t pay the property tax like they are supposed to. It’s not the renters fault.  

  5. Transportation is a big cause for the board being so far in money woes. Cut a lot of runs or double up on them. I see busses going by my house with very few children on them, use smaller buses or combine the runs with schools close to each other.

  6. TO NUMBER 7. WHAT NUMBER THREE MEANT WAS THAT WHILE THE LANDLORD PAYS TAXES FOR ONE FAMILY THERE ARE USUALLY MUCH MORE THAN ONE FAMILY LIVING IN A HOUSE

  7. To 7&4. You are right the landlord pays property taxes but not enough for the three or four families that end up moving in without his knowledge.
    As far as I know everyone pays property taxes, including those who send their children to private schools.
    Get your facts straight.

  8. Now is the time to fight back. The doors are open now, let us bring Lakewood back to what it was. All walks of life need to help,! We can do it!

  9. Number 8. Do you understand that it cost Lakewood 13 million dollars annually to bus these private children. That is a fact, 13 million.

  10. Your comments about the former board attorney contradict your comments to the APP.
    Mr Fink you go so far to criticize the former BOE president and the former attorney, if I recall last meeting which I was present you kept saying to the public “please not negative about the past, were moving fwd” these were YOUR comments. Its funny how you can publicly state something then publicly contradict it. Mr Fink I wish you luck but realize before its to late you are a public figure and all eyes are on you we voted you in to move forward not move backwards.

  11. Lakewood had problems before but not as big as the last 10 or so years. Could there be a reason for this? Hope there is more checking to things.

  12. Carl,

    Very well said. State aid formula, and the 2002 Bacon Court, have deprived all Lakewood school children of their fair share funding. You and your team must keep the pressure on our State officials. I hope it doesn’t take another lawsuit to wake them up to Lakewood’s overwhelming challenges and enormous needs.

    Meanwhile, please move forward with your agenda boldly and decisively. We have waited too long for this new dawn. Let the sun shine-in. Good Morning Lakewood.

  13. To the one asking, why only Clarke School. Of course the other schools matter! Please understand, the new BOE is hardly a month old, yet they’ve already been through many countless hours of meetings between the BOE and Its sub-committees working tirelessly to bring back quality education to the children of Lakewood. The ad/hoc committee needed to start somewhere, and if that somewhere was the Clarke School, then so be it.
    If you are an educator or a parent of the district and there is a specific concern that you would like the ad/hoc committee to address, feel free to email them at [email protected]
    Thank You!

  14. It’s wonderful that vocational training will return to Lakewood High School. Is there a way to give this opportunity to interested, otherwise non-public students? Not every “non-public” high school boy is cut out for the academic life. Please find a way to make this as inclusive a track as possible.

  15. Love to know why another highschool can not be built? I would think that if there are 150 plus of one and 6 of another, we have alot of catching up to do!

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