Aaron Hirsch says he has filed a petition with New Jersey’s Commissioner of Education challenging the denial of hazardous-route busing for Lakewood nonpublic-school children and demanding answers about the district’s mounting debt under State oversight.

In a release sent to TLS, Hirsch said the November 12 appeal names the Lakewood Board of Education and State Fiscal Monitor Louise B. Davis. He is seeking to overturn two busing denials, provide public- and nonpublic-school students transportation on equal terms, reimburse his busing fees, and require a fiscal plan and quarterly Board training.

Hirsch alleges the district buses approximately 1,173 non-mandated public-school students along police-designated hazardous roads, at a cost of roughly $211,500 annually, while nonpublic families pay $675 per child. He says Davis denied the same transportation for nonpublic children on September 23 and October 27, citing insufficient funding.

TLS previously covered the monitor’s rejection of the hazardous-route busing plan. Davis cited budget constraints and an existing State Board precedent distinguishing mandatory transportation from courtesy busing.

Hirsch also says annual State borrowing rose from $4.5 million in 2014-15 to a projected $132.8 million in 2026-27. He puts cumulative borrowing at approximately $360 million and annual repayments at $35.4 million, alleging the district has no record of the required fiscal plans.

He further alleges quarterly public education and training required under monitor contracts since 2014 was not provided. His release attributes to the monitor the statement that it has “never been implemented in Lakewood.”

These are Hirsch’s allegations and figures, not findings by the Commissioner. The release did not include the petition or exhibits.

The challenge comes amid the district’s separate fight against a proposed State takeover.