FIRST REPORT: U/D: The Lakewood Scoop just learnt that the NJ Department of Education informed the District minutes ago that they may continue to contract with Tiny Tots to run their current programs for this coming school year, if the District so chooses. What this means in essence is, is that the close to 100 children who’s IEP’s (Individual Education Plan) were approved, will now be able to attend Tiny Tots for the 2010-2011 school year, once approved by the Board.
The Board has previously approved the contract subject to the State’s letter, as first reported here on TLS.
TLS has also been informed, that Senator Bob Singer was instrumental in expediting this solution.
Update: A BOE member has given the following to TLS: “The State has approved TT to administer the program. However, the State is not allowing State aid funds to be used for it. This means, that the local taxpayer will have to pay $2 Million dollars, whereas if the District would do it, the State would fund it in totality. This is still under investigation, however, $2 Million dollars to come from the Tzibbur is not an option, when there is an opportunity to save that cost.”
Update: 5:50 p.m. There seems to be conflicting reports over whether local funds were to be used in the public pre-school special ed program. It now seems, that over $1 Million dollars of local funds were going to be used to for the public pre-school program in addition to the state aid.
If Tiny Tots can provide the service for the same cost as in district, they would be awarded the contract.
“Under the no circumstances would more local taxpayer money be used to award the contract to Tiny Tots”, says a BOE member.
The State, in their approval for the Tots Tots program, did list some deficiencies that must be corrected. However, that was left to the local administration to see to it that it gets corrected. TLS-CCP
Thanks for the great news. Thanks for Senator Bob Singer and the Lakewood BOE for pulling this through.
Thank you board members and thank you bob singer for giving my child a possibility of having a normal future.
Looks like he can get things done in Trenton
Tiny tots
Amazing how we only thank people when things go the way WE want it!! First you have everyone bashing away at the boe members heads and now you’re thanking them! What happened here doesn’t surprise me at all. In Lakewood anything can get done when the “right” people want to get it done.
that what we have senators for Thank You
What? With all the problems in NJ with lay-offs and pension shortages they rush aid $$$$ to Lakewood in a few days…..Now I know why people move.
Let’s give Senator Singer kudos when he deserves them.
B’H’ Now Forest Park can have a kiddush on Simchas Torah!
Instead of being hypocrites and “giving kudos” to this one and to the next one-let’s end the arm twisting that runs this state and this town! It’s very obvious that this is what was used in this case.
Let me just clarify my previous comments. We MUST commend our political leaders for EVERY effort they make on our behalf. Let us stop the hypocrisy though. It is disgusting that people were will say anything and everything about the boe members….when things don’t go THEIR way. Suddenly they’re thanking anyone in sight! Don’t be a hypocrite! I can console myself though because the comments thanking those same members are only about 10% when compared to the disparaging remarks made just a few days ago.
e-zakly
There were some great teachers with incredible experience, some with multiple teaching degrees, that will not be teaching at Lakewood so that Tiny Tots, which was stated as “not up to par” could take back the program. It seems like the state was already not happy, and yet Tiny Tots now has the program back? How do you turn away great motivated teachers and go back with a program that is already not in good standing with the State? Am I missing something or is somebody close to the situation profiting from this decision?
Thanks for giving the guys what to hock about and now were back to where we were before till they stir up something else.
who called the state on tiny tots in the first place?
Hope my new name makes your censors happy.
TO MINDY:
I think we’re all missing something-a bit of power and money.
I’ll break it (without anyone knowing) – then I’ll fix it and look great!!
Were the public schools THAT bad where you would choose to go back to a location which the state has turned down? If this were a restaurant and the state shut it down for food handling violations, would you bring your family to eat there? They say the fish stinks from the head down, and something smells fishy…
I just do not see how families, board members, or parents would fight for this…Something just does not add up. Can someone enlighten me?
why do you erase all my comments please grow up & post negative as well
An outstanding program that was funded for years by the state is suddenly rejected. A few politically connected insiders manage to save it. Was this a setup??????????????????????????????????????????
cant wait for those chalpchas!!!!
to #15
probably someone very well connected.
Sorry, but I must be missing something, I don’t see the groisa chochma if it is being funded locally.
What did the honorable Senator accomplish
Just to put this in dollars and cents allowing tt to have the program means that the average
Homeowner. In lakewood will pay an additional 125 in taxes.
Let’s get our facts straight here first we most thank michael inselbuch and our dear friend bob singer for getting the job done.
2) Even though michael didn’t agree with TT getting it he still went out of his way to make sure YOUR and mine get the best education.
3) As I saw the other day on the scoop that the boe members are cutting our taxes well this was your idea and thank g-d it failed!!
125 dollars from every family would save the two schools beis and keyed torah who says which program is worth more.
Good luck getting the taxpayers to cough up 2 Million Dollars. When do the taxpayers have to make this decision? School is starting very soon
this was a setup by some senior politicians to givve them ssomething to show the ublic how they are fighting or us
I sure hope the Orthodox Communittee can come up with the 2 million dollars. As a senior on a fixed income I can’t afford the property taxes I now must pay. As a Jew I feel sorry for the dilemma Orthodox parents find themselves in but the burden of satisfying them is not the problem of the general public. We have been bled dry.
can TT run the program at cost without a profit? it would probably be not more than 2 mill.
I am orthodox but I also dont think this should fall on the shoulders of the tax payers. Perhaps a fundraiser is in order.
There is no time left for a fundraiser. Isn’t the due date tomorrow?
To all of those B”H do not have children with any therapy needs – keep in mind that the next thing to go will be courtesy bussing. They don’t CARE to cut anything! it is frightening that everyone is so naive. the entire welfare of our community is at stake . wake up – we must save ourselves before we lose EVERYTHING
is there a way to call for early reelections??????
the board voted and didnt know where the funding was coming from?
Personally, I don’t mind if they cut bussing, if my taxes will go down! then I can choose if I’d rather drive my kids to school, or pay for the bus!
To “This is pathetic”:
I don’t know if you recall ut not very long ago a new governor was elected to the state of NJ. His name is Chris Christie. Now this governor has this little agenda and that is CLOSING THE DEFICIT in NJ. He promised to make DRASTIC changes and cuts. He also said that this would affect EVERY class of NJ residents-upper,middle and lower classes. This is the pain of going through this recession and especially in NJ which had a terrible deficit for years. We ALL must sacrifice in these times. I am ready to sacrifice my child’s courtesy bussing if this will improve local and state finances in the long term. Now it may hurt but one day we all will be happy. Noone can e immune to necessary cuts. Although I don’t know all the details in this story it is imperative that people realize that we may have to give up on certain things that were taken as a “given” until now. This is necessary for our long term better. Thank You
As a jew i must say i feel that it is the tziburs responsibililty to come to the aid of children with special needs your concern is over an extra 125 dollars you might have to pay – i give you a brocha that you should never know the pain and need of a mother with a special needs child.
Do you honestly think your taxes will go down?!
Don’t understand?! What happened to all the problems with tt … did they all just disapper
ear ? R my taxes on high street going up?
to mindy
im sorry you lost out on a good job but what are you saying??????
To #25
are you an inzelbuch and singer fan?
me too!!!
Im so confused – the politics are so great in this town that u cant even keep up – what else are they going to come up with – it is comical already – looks like they have it out for tt
To “This is pathetic”:
I don’t know if you recall but not very long ago a new governor was elected to the state of NJ. His name is Chris Christie. Now this governor has this little agenda and that is CLOSING THE DEFICIT in NJ. He promised to make DRASTIC changes and cuts. He also said that this would affect EVERY class of NJ residents-upper,middle and lower classes. This is the pain of going through this recession and especially in NJ which had a terrible deficit for years. We ALL must sacrifice in these times. I am ready to sacrifice my child’s courtesy bussing if this will improve local and state finances in the long term. Now it may hurt but one day we all will be happy. Noone can e immune to necessary cuts. Although I don’t know all the details in this story it is imperative that people realize that we may have to give up on certain things that were taken as a “given” until now. This is necessary for our long term better. Thank You
two thumbs up
TT was not funded by the state for years it was funded by the local tax payers only!We spent 1.5 million dollars of our property tax money to fund Tiny Tots al these years.This year alot of state aid came in for pre schools and we have the ability to service most of these children with state money and save the tax payer alot of mulla..This is the issue right now
To the person who wants to lose his bussing for 125 dollar tax rebate a year. Are you aware that in brooklyn parents pay 700 dollars a year for bussing PER KID out of their own pockets. Please do the math and thank those that have fought to keep our courtesy bussing all these years.
45. agree but thats not the whole issue. there is a concenses in town that if the public schools try to service these special needs kids they will fail (they cannot even educate a regular kid) and it will end up that more kids will go to schi at 100k per child so we the tax payer will be paying alot more.
So when will this be decided upon? When can the children begin learning and where? Will this new money issue delay the beginning of the school year?
speaking of tax reductions, there are several developements that have just been built. The average property tax for each unit is $6,000. 75% of these funds are being allocated to the Public School budget. Why have our taxes not gone down? This has been ongoing. New construction – increased tax revenue and no reduction.
Can someone explain?
this is not a done deal at all!! tiny tots still has no contract and let me be clear we will fight to make sure our children have a “proper education”
“Under the no circumstances would more local taxpayer money be used to award the contract to Tiny Tots”, says a BOE member
well let me tell u some facts from the parents of the children of special ed
Under no circumstances would we send our children to public schools we will spend all the money in the world to save our children from what would happen if u stick to your above quote and not award the contract to Tiny Tots”
just remember even if its not ur kid there still ur brothers and sisters please dont let money get in the way of nishamas!!!!!!
next year u can come to a real solution and make the tax payers and the parents happy
50. Finally some one is making sense. When did Klal Yisroel ever ever resort to sending children to public school in times of financial crisis?! And when did we stop caring about each other?
The reality is that it won’t make a difference if it’s public school or not. The teachers will all be the same and it may even be on a frum campus!