There was laughter, memories, appreciation, music, and a buffet dinner at the Shore Casino Saturday afternoon as more than 150 friends and family gathered as guests of the Donoghue family to celebrate the life of Peter Donoghue,. Former mayor, councilman, churchman, journalist, army veteran, board of education member and so much more.
Peter E. Donoghue died Feb. 2, 2022 at the age of 81, and his widow, Louise, wanted to share her family’s thoughts and show appreciation to her friends and neighbors about her husband of 55 years.
And what a celebration it was.
With son Steve serving as master of ceremonies and the first in a series of speakers who recalled with fondness the many different phases of his dad’s life, Steve recalled his father’s joy, especially with music, a joy that included the entire family. He left a legacy of love, Steve told the guests, noting his own son and two other grandchildren who profited from a grandfather’s love. Steve recalled humorous incidents in the lives of the Donoghue family, thanks to the senior Donoghue’s penchant to try the unusual, be a bit daring, and taking chances.
In contrast, the Rev. Guy Millard, the minister who played a major role in Peter’s life, was brief and simply reminded the gathering to give thanks for the gift of Peter in all their lives in the invocation.
Son John also spoke about his thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity to all and noted his father “cared about the world” and always wanted to be there to help everyone.
Former Councilman Peter Doyle, Commander of the American Legion Post 141, spoke on the deceased soldier’s dedication not only to the army during his years in service, but also to his work as a Legionnaire, noting that Peter has been “called to a higher command.” Doyle introduce Bill Pointon, the post’s chaplain, who led a prayer before all the legion members present at the repast went up to say a final farewell and salute to their fallen friend and comrade.
Local historian, family friend and colleague Victor Zak spoke of his years working with Peter at the Asbury Park Press, the newspaper where Peter was night editor for many years, and the last of the many newspapers for which he had been a reporter, from the Atlantic Highlands Journal and Highlands Star to the Press. Zak described the journalist as a professional you could trust to get the story correct and complete.
Former borough attorney Janice Miller-Gaudio was borough attorney in the early part of the 20th century when Peter served on the borough council and spoke of her time meeting him and working with him on municipal business. Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner expressed her own appreciation for Peter’s talent and devotion as an elected official.
Democratic Party Municipal Chairman Regina Hawley-Keelen sent regrets and love, with apologies for not being able to be present because of a sudden illness while traveling back for the celebration. But there were even more memories and a few tears as son John joined his mother in singing “Those were the Days,” a favorite song for the senior Donoghues.
The Rev. Guy Millard gave the benediction and members of the St. Agnes Choir where Louise also sang led the crowd in singing “Let there be Peace on Earth.”
The first in a series of School Regionalization Town Hall meetings will take place Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. in the Highlands Community Center, Snug Harbor Ave. The Town Hall meeting is open to everyone, regardless of residency, and will be an opportunity for all to learn facts and discuss issues with a proposed regionalization of Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright in a K through 12 school district under a single, nine member Board of Education instead of three separate nine member Boards.
A second Town Hall meeting covering the same subject will be held at Sea Bright Borough Hall, Ocean Avenue, on April 11, also at 7 p.m.
At a meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council earlier this month, Mayor Loretta Gluckstein named Tracey Abbey-White as chairwoman of the Mayor’s School Regionalization Advisory Committee. Present at the Council meeting on March 10, Abbey-White gave a comprehensive talk of the history of school regionalization, which began in the 1990s. The current committee was named last summer with the first meeting held in February, after passage of a state law on the regionalization question for school districts throughout the state. One sponsor of the new law was state Senator Declan O’Scanlon.
Atlantic Highlands indicated it is waiting for a report being completed by the Tri-District Board of Education feasibility study which includes Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson and Gluckstein indicated it should be completed by April. At the March 24 Council meeting, however, the new completion date for the BOE feasibility study was stated as being May 22.
After that, the Atlantic Highlands governing body will consider whether it will petition the state Board of Education to consider regionalization of the Tri-District schools to include Sea Bright students as well. Both Highlands and Sea Bright have already passed their DOE petition resolutions indicating to the state Board of Education they want to put the regionalization question on the November ballot.
Abby-White told the governing body the Tri-District BOE Study only includes the districts without including Sea Bright, and adding Sea Bright into the Study would mean adjusting funding numbers. If Sea Bright is brought in via regionalization, there is a possibility of additional funding to support keeping property tax costs down.
Bringing in additional students would help sustain the future of the high school. Councilman Jon Crowley disagreed with Abby-White’s opinion concerning advantages with the inclusion of Sea Bright students. Abby White stressed the high school district must be increased to guarantee sustainability. With the Henry Hudson’s last graduating class numbering 38 students, there is a question about future sustainability of the high school.
Abbey-White added that a “sweet spot” size of a k-12 district is 3,000 students. The current student population of the Tri-District is 780 students. Bringing Sea Bright students in would increase that total to about 800 students.
Sunday Brunch by the Bay will be featured at the Shore Casino beginning Sunday, April 3.
Shore Casino Manager Jay Strebb announced the newest innovation for the popular restaurant in the Municipal Yacht Harbor will feature a broad variety of specialty dishes, and will include both an omelet station and a carving station along with eggs, bacon and sausage dishes, French toast, waffles, pancakes, and potato pancakes. Also featured will be sausage and peppers, bagels and lox, fruit platter medleys, and a variety of other specials from the Casino chef.
Reservations are essential since seating is limited. There will be two seatings, one at 11:30 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m.
Prices, which include a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa, are $49.95 for adults and $24.95 for children between the ages of 4 and 12, before taxes and tip. Tickets for children under three years of age are complimentary.
“I am thrilled to see Jay is listening to the requests we have had from so many people to offer a Sunday Brunch, “ said Kathleen Sweeney, owner of the Casino.
“We have always been a family that responds to the wishes of our neighbors and friends, and offering a Sunday Brunch at the beginning of spring seems to be what many want right now and we are happy to be able to offer it.”
For reservations or further information contact the Shore Casino at 732-291-4300.
It is kind of interesting to look at the growth, ownership, education and residency similarities and differences between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, neighboring communities both set on gorgeous waterfronts, both with magnificent hills that stretch down to the water, both part of history dating to the Lenni Lenape and both about the same size and officially split from Middletown 13 years apart, with Atlantic Highlands the first to be incorporated in 1887.
It’s enough to make you wonder why Atlantic Highlands has had a growth in population every year for the past five years, while Highlands has shown no growth, but actually a decrease every year for the past 11 years. That has created a decrease of nearly 8 percent in growth overall.
It makes you wonder whether the decrease in population is due simply to people moving out and their homes being sold for other purposes, or whether the population isn’t changing in number because people are having less, or later in life children, but coupled with the statistics on the number of non-natives out outnumbering the number of natives, it means the new people moving in are simply selling their homes to other new people moving in while they’re moving on to other towns or cities.
With its 4609 residents, Highlands ranks 196th in size in the state and 5,002 in the nation, while Atlantic Highlands with its 4468 residents ranks 202 in the state and 5105 in the nation but with percentages showing more people are moving into that borough than its neighbor on the Shrewsbury River.
Highlands has shown the largest decrease in people born in the community still living there, meaning the people who settled the town and gave it its unique character are not living there anymore, with only 55 per cent of homeowners natives of Highlands today. In Atlantic Highlands, 68 per cent of the homeowners are natives of the borough.
With the change in ownership and decrease in growth over the past decade, Highlands also records that 68 per cent of its residents have had some college education, while in the neighborhood town, it’s 75 per cent who have some college education, many of them with master’s degrees.
Both towns have residents who are far above the poverty level and apparently able to handle the high taxes and cost of public school education.
Highlands residents appear to have a slightly lower median income than their neighbors, with the median annual income for a family in Highlands set at $48,559, while it is $55,538 in the next town.
However, when it comes to median household income, Highlands is figured at $148,559 per household per year and in Atlantic Highlands, it is $141,983, appearing apparently, that there are more two family incomes in Highlands than in Atlantic Highlands.
State Senator Vin Gopal will be at the Monmouth County SPCA Friday, April 1 at 5 p.m., to present a Senate Resolution honoring Musky the Ferret for her continued dedication and commitment on behalf of all animals great and small, sharing her rags to riches story on her abandonment, rescue and adoption.
At the same time, SPCA Chaplain Matty Giuliano, who adopted Musky, will present the SPCA with a $300 check from Musky’s official bank account to cover the costs of adoption of three ferrets currently at the SPCA.
Date for the Senatorial presentation makes it possible for the ferret to be honored in time to celebrate National Ferret Day April 2.
Musky was a stray ferret brought to the Monmouth County SPCA by animal control. She was subsequently adopted by Giuliano who formed a unique relationship and bond with the animal who joined the Giuliano family, including other pets in the household, at their home in Hazlet.
As a result, Giuliano wrote and published his first children’s book “My Name is Musky,,” illustrated by Morgan Spicer of Atlantic Highlands. The book has sold throughout the nation and in numerous other countries and has served to educate people on ferrets as household pets.
Since the popularity of the book, the Musky Ferret Empire has expanded to include an entire line of Musky Merchandise, with all proceeds donated to the SPCA and numerous ferret charities.
The Musky Foundation was also established at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital to help cover veterinary expenses for a ferret needing lifesaving service. Musky’s latest endeavor will also be announced at the April 1 presentation.
“It is heartbreaking to visit animal shelters and see the impact of neglect and cruelty on animals,” said Sen. Gopal. “But it is uplifting to see the great work the Monmouth County SPCA and its dedicated volunteers do to heal their pain and loneliness and find them loving homes.”
In recognizing Musky the Ferret for National Ferret Day, she is also being recognized in New Jersey for State Ferret Day. At the same time, the Monmouth County SPCA is being honored by the Senate for its 77 years of protecting and advocating for abused and neglected animals. “I am proud to stand with the SPCA against animal abuse and I urge residents to seriously consider enriching their own lives by adopting a shelter animal,” Gopal said.
“The Monmouth County SPCA looks forward to sharing in this incredible honor with Musky the Ferret, as the story of her success highlights the continued mission of the organization to protect, care and help our shared community find the joy and love that one can only receive from a companion animal,” said SPCA Executive Director Ross Licitra, who is also a Monmouth County Commissioner.
“We’re looking forward to a beautiful spring afternoon at the SPCA to honor our alumni, Musky, celebrate National Ferret Day, and see our SPCA honored by this resolution,” Licitra said. “Along with our friend and animal advocate, Senator Gopal, we’re pleased to highlight Musky and her story as a true testament to the hard work everyone here at the shelter does to combat animal abuse and give animals a second chance on life.”
Guiliano, who spearheaded the movement to give recognition to ferrets as pets, said he is thrilled with the honor and proud he played a role in bringing the importance of protecting animals to the forefront through Musky. He added that needs are greater than ever, with many people forced from their homes because of a variety of problems including evictions after Covid restrictions against such action were lifted, and thus were also forced to abandon their animals or bring them to the SPCA.
HUNT the HOOK a unique scavenger hunt for all ages, will be one of the celebrations of National Park Week at Gateway National Recreation Ara on Saturday, April 9.
The Hunt is designed to engage and inspire the public within the park in a safe, fun, and slightly competitive way.
Team entries are $15 and a grand prize which includes a Sandy Hook Summer Beach parking pass, a $100 gift certificate to the Lusty Lobster in Highlands and a swag basket from the Sandy Hook Foundation will be presented to one lucky winner.
All clues for the hunt will be posted on The Sandy Hook Foundationwebsite, or mailed/emailed to registrants upon request. Registration is required no later than Friday, April 8.
Scavengers have five days, from dawn to dusk beginning April 9 to decipher clues, find locations on Sandy Hook, and provide proof through submission of photos or sketches that depict the answer.
Awards and photos submitted by e-mail, will be held April 13 at 5 p.m. Details of the event will be provided upon registration or sponsorship.
The winner will be notified April 15, and in the event there are multiple teams with winning answers and proof, a raffle will take place to pull the winning name
The hunt includes deciphering clues, determining the location and take a photo of the location with the Hunt the Hook sign provided with registration.
When I lived in Freehold, I went to 6:30 mass every morning at St. Rose of Lima Church. I did not know anyone other than to say hello as we all entered church. Like most churchgoers, we each had our ‘assigned’ seats, so over the next few months, we all got to know each other as “the lady who sits in the third pew,” or “the man who always smiles at everybody when he walks in the door.” As more months went by, we’d often stop and talk in the parking lot after mass, and eventually we all learned each others’ names. We also learned in many cases when one of our church friend’s parent was ill, or child was facing a tough test, or some big event was coming up as each of us asked the other for prayers.
It was kind of strange, but a very nice feeling, that each of us knew that while we did not know much about each other, we knew that we came together in a special way at 6:30 in the morning. We all knew we could count on everyone of the others to prayer for whatever our special need or intention was.
After another year or so, we decided to carry the friendship further, and to include the priest who was saying mass. So Mary, one of the group, began arranging breakfast at the local restaurant once a month or so. She would make reservations, we would all show up, the restaurant would have a special table set aside for us, and somehow, the number of reservations she made always showed up, though we never let her know for sure we would be going.
Friendships grew stronger among us all as we chatted over coffee and, and we gradually got to know each other’s families, the accomplishments of children and grandchildren, the illnesses each faced or had a family member face. Father would always begin the meal with grace, and then conversation ran wild as we all shared experiences, joys and sorrows.
Then I moved away. No longer was I attending 6:30 mass at St. Rose. Then Covid hit. And the 6:30 mass was discontinued. But Mary managed to get at least some of us together to meet, masked, in a local park, not for a meal, just for conversation and ‘catch up.” When the weather turned cold, we had to discontinue the park meetings as well.
Mary knew we were a special group and missed each other’s company. So she continued to arrange the breakfasts. Only she switched them to lunch in a local restaurant since with the absence of 6:30 mass and more than me moving from Freehold, it was easier to get us all together at noon rather than early in the morning.
It was easy to tell how much we all appreciate it. I came from Atlantic Highlands to be sure to attend, which was not far, considering one of the other regulars who had moved to Pennsylvania continued to come back. We could still share all our joys and sorrows; through Facebook and e-mail we all kept up with each other, saying special prayers for Nick when he was ill, giving great thanks for the benefits Linda was receiving great success in combating her illness, congratulating one of Mary’s grandchildren…who had frequently come to our breakfasts after going to mass with their Grandma….on his great musical talent and Facebook photos of his smiling face while he played the guitar. We toasted with coffee when Judy was in Florida and unable to attend and laughed over Earl’s constant reminders of hod old he was. We were, and are, a special kind of family that warms the heart and brings a smile to a face.
And every year, we have a waiter take a photo of the group, one where we all stand tall, smile, and appreciate the fact that even though we don’t see each other at 6:30 every morning, we have created a bond that ensures we’re all praying for each other, keeping up on each other’s sadnesses and successes, and sharing a love and peace that is so hard to find in the world.
I’m fortunate to be a part of the special 6;30 crowd at St. Rose.
All Saints’ Memorial Church , also known as Stone Church, announced that their Annual Auction is scheduled this year for May 14, the first auction in two years.
The auction begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes savory appetizers and beverages for guests while bidding on a wide array of silent and auction items. Items up for auction in the silent auction include beauty, gourmet and entertaining baskets along with a numerous gift certificates to local restaurants. In addition, there is a live auction featuring getaways, tickets to sporting events, cooking demonstrations and much more
A portion of the auction proceeds benefits the church outreach commitments in the community, including the AACC Food Pantry in Atlantic Highlands, Fulfill of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Family Promise of Monmouth County, St. Mark’s Center for Community Renewal in Keansburg and Love Thy Neighbor of Monmouth County, Project Pets and our pet food pantry.
Tickets for this unique community event are $35 per person, a contribution that allows All Saints to assist the work of these important community agencies.
The Annual Auction Night also helps fund the upkeep of this National Historic Landmark campus which serves the community in many ways.
If you live in Highlands, Sea Bright, or especially Atlantic Highlands, take the time to read this summary, the result of the study of the regionalization plan for Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright, which was completed at the request of Highlands and Sea Bright, both of whom have passed resolutions asking the Department of Education Commissioner to consider a school district encompassing the three towns. Atlantic Highlands governing body hasn’t signed it yet, preferring to wait for yet another study to be completed, this by the current regional board of education.
School districts throughout New Jersey are grappling with the issue of how to maintain high quality educational programs that incorporate the demands of the New Jersey Learning Standards, including robust offerings in science and technology, and offer a breadth of enrichment and co-curricular programs that will allow their students to graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in life. Investments in teaching and learning from new labs to professional development and instructional resources are necessary in order to accomplish these goals.
However, State aid currently is being reduced to many districts, leading to additional pressures on property taxpayers, and these aid reductions likely will accelerate as the economy enters a downturn. In addition, dwindling revenues and reduced enrollments will result in financial pressures that may prevent the necessary educational investments, hurting students and the community.
The New Jersey Department of Education has long advocated that PK-12 districts are more effective and efficient than other more limited governance structures such as PK-8 elementary districts or limited purpose regional districts. The department has pointed to unified governance of educational policy and continuity of curriculum and instruction as examples of greater operational effectiveness that will flow from the PK-12 structure and to the reduced administrative and governance structures and better operational system-wide coordination as examples of reasons for greater efficiency. A PK-12 district also is best capable of accomplishing certain research-based critical education goals (e.g., technology, enrichment, new programs, etc.).
This same position favoring regionalization recently was adopted by the Legislature. In late 2021, S3488 was passed by both the Senate and Assembly, and signed into law by the Governor on January 18, 2022 (P.L.2021,c.402). The law encourages school regionalization by creating a grant program that provides for the reimbursement of eligible costs associated with conducting feasibility studies that support the creation of meaningful and implementable plans to form or expand regional school districts.
As noted by one of the bill’s sponsors, “consolidation can reduce the cost of education, deliver property tax savings, increase educational opportunities and improve overall education quality. For school districts to make informed decisions, feasibility studies are essential. The costs associated with these studies should not discourage districts from exploring options that could save taxpayer money in the future.”
In this environment, a feasibility study was done as the first step in exploring the formation of a new All-Purpose PK-12 Regional District involving Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright. Sea Bright currently is educating students in Grade PK-8 in Oceanport pursuant to a 2009 mandatory merger under the Non-operating District Law and is a current constituent member of the Shore Regional District for grades 9-12. Highlands and Atlantic Highlands currently operate their own distinct PK-6 districts but have formed the Henry Hudson Regional High School District to serve students in Grades 7-12. Shore Regional High School serves students from the constituent municipalities of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, and West Long Branch, where the school is located.
TheFeasibilityStudy – which was completed in March 2020 – studied:
1. Sea Bright will withdraw from Shore Regional High School District;
2. Sea Bright will cease to be a party to the statutory non-operating merger with the Oceanport School District;
3. Henry Hudson Regional High School District will be dissolved;
4. Atlantic Highlands and Highlands, the constituent members of Henry Hudson Regional High School District, will join Sea Bright in creating a new All-Purpose PK-12 regional district;
5. There will be a phase-out of currently enrolled Sea Bright students attending Oceanport and Shore Regional, which will receive a contribution from Sea Bright, phased out over five years, based on 100% of the Sea Bright Local Levy excluding debt service in the year prior to implementation.
The Study examined the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal. A demographic analysis is the first step in the review of the proposal in providing contextual information on the communities involved in the proposal as well as current and projected enrollments. In reviewing the demographic data, the trend lines showed declining future enrollments in Sea Bright and slight increases in Highlands. Atlantic Highlands is projected to be stable. These projections, coupled with the small number of Sea Bright students, meant that the new PK-12 regional will not have to make significant building, classroom, staffing or program changes to accommodate the new students from Sea Bright. The Study also reviewed the impact of the proposal on student demographics such as race and ethnicity and concluded that, given the similarity of the communities involved, there will be no negative impact on the racial or ethnic makeup of the schools involved.
In the education area, the Study found that Sea Bright students will have available to them a high-quality educational program at both the elementary and secondary level and that Atlantic Highlands and Highlands students will benefit from the additional resources that Sea Bright students will bring along with the inherent advantages of a seamless PK-12 governance structure, which none of the three communities currently have.
The finance section reviewed the budgetary and taxpayer impact of the proposal. The Study indicated that the proposal would have a positive net budgetary savings of approximately $165,000 annually. The estimated net savings are modest because of the commendable degree of shared services, program alignment and partnership that currently exist between Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Henry Hudson Regional High School. The additional savings depends on the participation of Sea Bright.
The Study found that State aid implications would be minimal given that none of the districts received wealth-based aid and that the categorical aid provided on a per pupil basis would track existing allocations adjusted for the movement of Sea Bright students. The Study noted that Highlands also received Preschool Expansion Aid to fund the enrollment of additional pre-school students based on a competitive application process.
The Study indicated that the new regional will assume ownership of all of the buildings of Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Henry Hudson Regional and Sea Bright and assume responsibility for all bonded debt of the constituents. This will benefit Highlands and Atlantic Highlands since Sea Bright does not have any existing debt, but will now share in the existing debt.
In order to move to a fairer and more equitable allocation of cost methodology, the Study recommended that the tax allocation in the newly formed Regional be based 95% on pupil enrollment and 5% equalized valuation, except that during the five-year transition the allocation will be 87.5% pupil enrollment and 12.5% equalized valuation to account for the transitional payments to Shore Regional and Oceanport discussed below.
The Study concluded that the impact on the taxpayers of Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright will be positive for all three communities in both the short and long term. All three districts will see substantial savings following the five-year period where Sea Bright will be making transitional payments to its former receiving districts. The reason for the savings to Atlantic Highlands and Highlands is that Sea Bright will contribute millions of dollars to educate very few children (approximately 3-4 students per grade). It is anticipated that no additional teaching staff will need to be hired to accommodate so few students. As a result, the consultants found that the proposed regionalization would provide more than $1.5 million in savings to Atlantic Highlands and Highlands, as Sea Bright’s share of the tax levy is far greater than the added cost in educating such a small number of students. In addition, the consultants recognized that Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Sea Bright discussed establishing a transitional circuit breaker fund that will provide Atlantic Highlands and Highlands additional protection against increases to their tax levy.
Thefund – financed exclusively through annual contributions by Sea Bright – is triggered if either Atlantic Highlands or Highlands experiences an increase of more than 10% in the ratio of its own local levy to the combined levies of all the constituent districts. The fund will continue for ten years.
Sea Bright also will see substantial savings from the proposed regionalization primarily due to the current inequity in the amount it pays to send its small number of students to Shore Regional. As the consultants noted, Sea Bright paid $161,391 for each student it sent to Shore Regional during the 2019-20 school year. Comparatively, the State average for 9-12 school districts was $18,923 per student. While Sea Bright will continue to pay a greater amount than its per pupil cost if a new regional is formed with Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright, the proposed allocation method is far more equitable to its community.
The fiscal impact of the loss of Sea Bright students on the remaining constituent members of Shore Regional will be significant over time, given the heavy reliance on equalized valuations to allocate costs. However, these districts will see large increases in their respective levy even under the status quo scenario given the reduction in Sea Bright students at the high school level over time.
The Study concluded that Shore Regional may be able to account for all or most of the loss of the funding without any diminution of programs and services given the teach-out transitional payments, which should give the district sufficient time to achieve budgetary savings.
Oceanport will have its contribution from Sea Bright slowly reduce over a period of years in direct relation to the phase-out of Sea Bright students, but the district also will have fewer students to educate. The Study postulated that Oceanport may be able to account for all or most of the loss of the funding without any diminution of programs and services through the budgetary savings that will be available (i.e., transportation and instructional savings) due to the loss of Sea Bright students. The transitional payments due to the phase-out will provide the district with the time necessary to make the budgetary adjustments.
The Study concluded by recommending that Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, and Sea Bright continue to pursue the creation of a new regional district and work with local legislators on passing the necessary implementing legislation.
UpdatetoFeasibilityStudyDecember2021
The consultants issued an update to the Feasibility Study due to the release of data for more current school years. Based upon the updated information, the consultants continue to recommend the formation of a new All-Purpose PK-12 Regional District involving Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright.
The consultants found that the allocation method of 95% enrollment and 5% equalized valuation provides an equitable opportunity for savings across all constituent communities involved in the new All-Purpose Regional (while having the added benefit of correcting Sea Bright’s current disproportionate share of the Shore Regional tax levy). When taking the average tax levy over the five-year implementation period (assuming a starting year of 2021-22 and going through 2025-26 school year), Atlantic Highlands would see an average annual savings of $520,000, Highlands would see an average annual savings of $1,077,000, and Sea Bright would see an average annual savings of $2,285,000.
This assumes the Sea Bright students can be accommodated with existing staff, which is highly likely given the limited number of students in each grade level.
However, if we assume the same student/teacher ratio in new regional, then Atlantic Highlands would see an average annual savings of $255,000, Highlands would see an average annual savings of $877,000, and Sea Bright would see an average annual savings of $2,246,000.
The consultants also discussed added savings resulting from the new All-Purpose Regional.
Two primarily economic principals drive cost reductions associated with unification. The first involves economies of scale in which a larger organization achieves lower prices and reduced costs by leveraging its greater buying power. It also distributes fixed costs over the larger entity, in the case of schools, thereby reducing the cost per pupil. The second financial benefit relates to efficiencies gained by reducing the functions replicated over multiple school districts. The economy and efficiency gains involved in unification will generate economic savings resulting in reduced taxes and better functional performance. The cost of operating a unified district will be lower than the sum of the constituent districts, notwithstanding the commendable level of coordination and shared services already in place in the tri-district configuration. This includes savings resulting from improved operational functionality. Based on review of the audited financials of the three districts, the consultants concluded that a new all-purpose regionalization could result in an overall cost savings of $287,000 due to reductions in administrative staffing (salaries and benefits), and other identified costs.
The consultants also found that Sea Bright’s withdrawal from its existing school districts will not have a substantial negative impact on the member communities of the schools where it presently sends its students. Assuming a phase-out of Sea Bright’s K-8 students, Oceanport will have a year-to-year reduction in tuition revenue of approximately $75,000 for each of the first four years following Sea Bright’s transition to the new regional. When compared to the projected $10.2 million tax levy or the approximately $13.0 million annual budget, the lost tuition clearly is insignificant, as $75,000 amounts to 0.7% of the total tax levy and 0.6% of the annual expenditures.
Oceanport also is a constituent member of Shore Regional for grades 9-12. Assuming a phase-out of Sea Bright’s 9-12 students, Oceanport’s share of the lost Sea Bright tax levy to Shore Regional would be $204,000 per year, which equates to 1.3% of the regional tax levy and 0.96% of its projected expenditures. Similarly, Monmouth Beach would see an increase of $258,000 per year, assuming a phase-out period, which equities to 1.6% of the Shore Regional tax levy and 1.2% of projected expenditures. Finally, West Long Branch, would experience an increase of $233,000 per year, assuming a phase-out period, which equates to 1.4% of the Shore Regional tax levy and 1.1% of projected expenditures. Based on the foregoing, the consultants concluded that there would be no substantial negative financial impact on any of these communities. The consultants further found that Shore Regional may be able to account for all or most of the funding loss without any diminution of programs and services given the phase-out and transitional payments. This transitional period will give the district additional time to achieve budgetary savings available to it due to the loss of Sea Bright students (i.e., transportation and instructional savings) to ameliorate the impact on taxpayers as well as on instruction and operations.
In sum, the consultants found that given “the financial pressures on smaller districts, the all- purpose regional offers opportunities for additional non-instructional financial savings thereby maintaining or expanding the instructional program. The proposed all-purpose regional saves about $300,000 if the new regional can accommodate the Sea Bright Students with existing staff.
It improves both economic and logistical efficiencies.” As a result, the consultants continue to recommend the formation of a new All-Purpose PK-12 Regional District involving Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright and setting the allocation at 95% enrollment and 5% equalized valuation.
Cheers, thanks, and applause for his love of country and undaunted praise in the United States to Highlands Borough Administrator Mike Muscillo. As soon as he got one report of the disgraceful appearance of the American flag at the World War I memorial at the Capt. Azzolina Bridge, it took him less than 20 minutes to find out who should be contacted and how to out up an American flag without rips, tears, and an abominable condition. Turns out it is the borough’s job to insure the flag is always at the perfection it should be, so perhaps a bit of shame for police and employees who see it on a daily basis and don’t say anything about it when it’s torn and ripped in shreds. Maybe it should be the pride and joy of the American Legion or VFW, or maybe Henry Hudson as a way of instilling student with a pride in the nation. Local residents who notice a shredded flag should contact the borough to let them know. A huge thanks to MIke Muscillo for taking immediate action. Veterans and active duty military folks appreciate your pride and dedication..as to those of us who love the country and the flag it represents!
