Charging progress by the borough on the school regionalization issues has been “a massive failure” and telling the attorney “someone needs to have the figures,” former Mayor Mike Harmon assailed the lack of accuracy, cohesiveness, and lack of public records on student population numbers during last night’s meeting of the Borough Council.
Council’s special attorney for the regionalization issue, Matthew Giacobbe, appeared via ZOOM at the meeting, answering questions, admitting lack of knowledge, and giving no assurance the mediation session on March 30 will resolve the cost sharing and/or savings between Atlantic Highlands and Highlands.
The labor attorney, who several times both at this meeting and in the past has indicated he is not a financial attorney but rather specializes in labor, did say with the approval of the borough he has retained a financial expert to review the figures. Giacobbe said he is “not comfortable with the reports” to determine the financial aspects of regionalizing the three schools in the two boroughs as well as the three schools plus the borough of Sea Bright being a part of the regionalization.
Giacobbe also said the three boards of education in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands are pursuing their plans to put the question of regionalization on the ballot between the two boroughs as well as Sea Bright or any other borough if they want to and are able to join sometime in the future.
Harmon, a financial professional, challenged the attorney on a number of issues, specifically on the precise numbers for students in each of the schools. While Giacobbe quoted state records, he said, that showed a total of 731.5 students in the three schools as of October for the 21-22 school year, Harmon cited statistics provided that showed a different figure and quoted references that indicate Giacobbe’s figures were an estimate, “not exact.”
“I don’t know how they came up with the numbers,” Harmon told Giacobbe and the council, “someone needs to have the figures.”
Earlier, in response to another question as to whether the two boroughs were all working on the same figures, Giacobbe gave a long response of the differences between the Kean and Porzio reports done by the school boards and the boroughs, but admitted he does not yet know what figures the mediation will address, hence the reason for retaining a financial expect, Robert Beneke. Harmon expressed shock that two weeks before a planned mediation the attorney nor the councils have the figures to be discussed.
Sea Bright has not been invited to the mediation which will be attended by the attorneys for Atlantic and Highlands, each borough’s mayor and council president and, administrators. He reiterated it would be “premature” to have Sea Bright at the mediation, since that borough is being challenged by both Oceanport and Shore Regional schools. Sea Bright students would be leaving those schools to join the new regional district. The attorney did not indicate if he is aware Sea Bright has adopted a resolution they would underwrite the cost of any legal challenges they face because of the regionalization without either Highlands or Atlantic obligated to pay any portion of it.
The labor attorney did not address the question of how much money Sea Bright would bring into the new regional district, or how the mediator can address the question of Sea Bright’s inclusion without having them participate and present their figures on funds their inclusion would bring into the district. Apparently not under discussion during mediation is why bringing a third borough into the district with fewer than 60 students yet sharing the cost of the overall school budget would not mean considerably lower school taxes for both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands since three municipalities, rather than the present two, would be sharing in the educational costs for all pre-K through 12 students.
Giacobbe declined to opine, after saying he does not expect the March 30 mediation to resolve the matter without further sessions later, or whether the two boroughs’ positions on finance would be resolved in time for a vote in November. The boroughs could have a vote he said, however, the school boards have already indicated they are placing the question on the ballot and if it is approved, because of mediation, the “methodology “ for finances would be in place. He expressed his belief the Sea Bright issues would not be resolved “for several years.”
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