VIDEO: About 200 gathered in Town Square yesterday to protest the rumored cuts to the pubic school system, despite officials stating that nothing was officially proposed.
Demonstrators made their voices clear – yelling at times – while holding up signs downtown protesting rumored cuts which they claim would be used to save money for Orthodox busing.
But despite the Board of Education saying they may present a referendum to the public to continue the courtesy busing, nothing was officially announced or proposed which would indicate they intend to cut funding for public school programs, officials confirm to TLS.
The event, with police on hand, was peaceful for the most part, but at least three Frum photographers covering the event tell TLS they were yelled at by some of the protestors.
“One man attempted to intimidate me while yelling in my face,” says one of the photographers. “The anti-Semitism was tangible. It was clearly them versus us for many of the protestors – which was also quite evident from some of the signs they were holding,” the photographer said.
But the busing issue, says a Board official, is a serious one, and they are working on all angles to try and avoid the courtesy busing cuts.
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Halachah Esav sonei es Yaakov. We are still in Golus. We’ve been through this before. Don’t be surprised. Do be wary.
I dont know how much more they can cut the public school system in Lakewood.
Seems like the crowd that was there are not the ones that are paying any taxes into the system?
Did you notice how many PA License plates where parked there?
Besides now before Yom Tov is not the time when they should be taking off time!
#2/ agree- the schools shouldn’t be the ones to suffer due to poor planning, our growth [town] is out of control
to # 3- I was there as were many of my friends, we all pay taxes ! It was evening, who was taking time off. I would think at 7 PM this was on our own private time! I don’t see what this rally has to do with Yom Tov.
The bussing is out of control. Sidewalks and crossing guards should be able to help the situation. The idea of shutting down a school, cutting out Kindergarten, cutting programs in the school is disgraceful. We all know that the rumors are more than that, these ideas were probably being tossed around by the board and it got out to the public!
I can only hope that the entire community comes together to stop this before it happens
I pay an AWFUL lot of taxes into this locality. All I take from the system is busing for my children. Would you like me to register my children in public school? Do you think it will be cheaper then??? The funny thing is the vast majority of people in the photos do not pay a dime in taxes!
I don’t think you should be writing about who pays taxes and who doesn’t considering the amount of worship houses in lakewood yes we all know you don’t pay taxes if you have one of those.
Carolina are you serious? Those who live in $500,000+ houses in this town are the ones paying the most into the public school budges via their property taxes all the while most of them are not sending their children to public school. If a school is not being used or the children could be consolidated into another school there is no reason to keep open an extra public school that is not full. Please be reasonable when it comes to all of the extras that you enjoy in the public school system and realize the money is coming from parents of private school students!
Sending your child to private school is your choice! I send both my children to private schools. I pay taxes and I also refuse courtesy busing. I drive them there before i go to work and we have a carpool to bring them home. I don’t take the stipend either! I made this choice for my children and don’t complain that my taxes go to the public school. This is what happens when you make a decision like that!
#7 what school is not being used? What school is not filled? I don’t know where this information comes from but it is not true. Extras? What extras? Going to private school is a choice. Anyone can come to the public school. Comments like these are just not true. Many of our students sit in classes overcrowded.
@Carolina
What do I, as a homeowner, have to do with all the “worship houses” you talk about? Each and every one happens to LEGALLY be tax exempt but what has that got to do with me? I pay taxes on my home. Do you?
@ #8 and #9
No one is complaining. Of course private school is a choice. We are just pointing out that by sending to private school and getting courtesy busing, we are costing the twp a lot less than if we sent our children to public school, while still paying our share in taxes. Therefore, what is the complaint of the public school parents?
I realize sending to private school is a choice. I am not arguing with that. What I disagree with is the concept of all this complaining about courtesy busing. Courtesy busing is given to private school students…students who’s parents give much more to the public school system than they receive. They do this without complaining. The public school parents, who take much more from the system than they give (there are few children living in expensive homes in Lakewood who attend public school), are up in arms about supposed “overcrowding”. There are regulations that are in place which do not allow the student teacher ratio to be more than 15 students per teacher. I personally do not agree that a classroom with a primary and secondary teacher and 30 students is unreasonable. The extras I am referring to are the art, music, sports, and other extra curricular activities that private school parents pay extra for their children to attend while in the public schools they are free. The expansive preschool programs offered to public school children is a nice extra that wasn’t offered by the public school system when I was growing up. I think it is time to show some appreciation to the public school system and the private school parents who pay for it.
Do you people realize how much Lakewood spends per public school child??
It’s absurd- each kid in public school is budged more than twice the tuition paid in local private schools (and that’s a very conservative number).
Funds are not the problem (I for one pay $10K in property taxes and I don’t even have kids in ANY school!). Is mismanagement.
to #12- where do you get your information from? There are no regulations about having 15 students to 1 teacher!!!! Our students have 28-32 students on average in a class. The preschool programs are offered to anyone in the community, the lunch program there is Kosher so obviously the program is attended by all parts of our community. Art and music are part of the school day, part of the school curriculum.
Courtesy bussing is just that a courtesy. If students aren’t within the legal distance for a bus they should be the parents responsibility. This town can’t afford this transportation nightmare anymore.
@14
Please respond to the question we have been asking constantly, but no one wants to answer. What is your complaint against courtesy busing if it costs a lot less than sending a child to public school? You say the town can’t afford the busing – what would the town do if we all decided to send our children to public school? That would be the true nightmare. How can public school parents complain about the cost of courtesy busing? Someone, please think a little, be reasonable, and respond articulately and without venom.
the bussing is state mandated. it is not “courtesy bussing” as the article misstakenly says twice.
to # 15- I haven’t responded with any venom. I am merely stating a fact, our courtesy bussing costs have grown out of control and they are not going to go down. Our town is expanding at a rapid rate and the infrastructure can’t handle it. We continue to build and grow. Mandated bussing is for students PreK-8 2 miles , high school 2 1/2 miles. If the township had followed the recommendations of the state made years ago there would have been crossing guards and sidewalks for the more dangerous areas. I am not suggesting that students walk down the middle of County Line Road. Some roads are designated as a safety issue. The state also states in it’s regulations that students may be bussed on a single bus to multiple schools.{that would be a nightmare} but it is the law. I don’t see how this will be taken care of without some change in the courtesy busses. Anyone is welcome in the public schools, the state aid dollars are based on enrollment.
No venon and I think reasonably stated