With all the positive progress that has been made to allow residents of the three towns involved in the school regionalization question to have their say in deciding how to educate their students…and pay for it…., you would think everyone voting in November would have all the information they need to cast ballots to ensure that elected officials on both municipal councils and boards of education will finally quit talking and take action to let the people have their say. Referendums
But then, you would also think the taxpayers of both Oceanport and the three towns involved in the Shore Regional where Sea Bright high school students now go, would take a look into how many thousands of dollars in their tax funds their attorneys are spending to fight what has been proven to be the most economical and best deal for education and tax dollars both.
In the beginning, it took the necessary steps to pass State Legislation that would permit regionalization in cases like this. That happened with bipartisan support. Then both the Governor and Education Commissioner show their supported of it because it made sense and promoted better educational opportunities. Since then legal ruling after legal ruling have approved such a regionalization to proceed.
Yet this week, the State Appellate Court heard yet another appeal from Shore Regional and Oceanport trying to block Sea Bright from allowing voters to decide if they can join the Henry Hudson Regional District.
They spent tax dollars to fight a state ruling in order to maintain the exorbitant tax they now collect for fewer than 50 Sea Bright students. It might take a few months for that ruling to be rendered, but it is expected the Appellate court, like courts before it reached this level, will once again support the Education Commissioner’s prior determination.
It seems simple, Sea Bright has no elected Board of Education, therefore the Sea Bright Borough Council has legal standing to request a voter referendum to join Henry Hudson.
Even in this high court of the state, the attorney for the Oceanport school board seemed to take the matter a bit too frivolously for all she is paid to be the professional spokesman in a very important legal matter. When one on the panel of Judges invited her to have the last word after an argument by Sea Bright’s attorney, it was a giggle or laugh and the joking rejoinder, “oh that’s what my husband says, too.”
Really?
Is all this just a very expensive game others are paying for her expertise in the second highest court in the state?
If for this frivolity alone, if nothing else, residents who are part of the Shore Regional and Oceanport school systems should be outraged at the amount of the excessive legal expenditures their school boards are wasting trying to fight New Jersey state law.
They should feel ashamed that in addition to that, the continued appeals are forcing other boroughs to underwrite legal expenses in order to defend their, and the state’s, position.
State law is so clear it is difficult to see why lawyers can’t see it…or at least choose to fight against it. State Law says under Regionalization Legislation:
Section 18A:13-47.11 says:
“Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a board of education or governing body of a non-operating school district, or the governing body of a municipality constituting a constituent district of a limited purpose regional district …. may, by resolution, withdraw from a limited purpose or all-purpose regional district or consolidated school district in order to form or enlarge a limited purpose or all-purpose regional district provided that the withdrawal…”
Over the last two months, Highlands and Sea Bright have submitted an updated petition request to Education Commissioner Dehmer to allow residents to decide in an election if they want Sea Bright to join the newly formed Henry Hudson PreK-12 District.
It is expected that that request will be approved shortly. Then remember, the Court ruling that also said Highlands and Sea Bright have the right to include a “Non-Binding” question on this November’s General Election ballot to determine voter interest in pursuing a Tri-Town regionalization.
So that poses another question. Where is Atlantic Highlands in all of this?
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner has claimed she and the Atlantic Highlands Council support the idea of their residents having the right to vote on potential regionalization.
However
Every opportunity and action they have taken implies just the opposite.
The most recent was their flat-out refusal to join in the recently updated Petition submitted to the Commissioner. Couple that with refusing to join Highlands and Sea Bright in including the Non-Binding question of resident interest in Regionalization on this November’s ballot, with the Mayor going so far as to say such a non-binding question would be “frivolous.”
Frivolous for education and tax dollars but not for another non-binding question that IS on the Atlantic Highlands ballot?
If the Mayor and Council truly favored their residents having the ultimate voice in this very important matter, why would they take such actions?
It bears repeating. Study after study has consistently concluded that a Tri-Town regionalization offers the best educational opportunities for all students and the lowest cost of education for the taxpayers.
So now let’s look at it for yet another point of view.
Enter Henry Hudson School Superintendent Tara Beams. While Beams has also claimed she supports the inclusion of Sea Bright in the Henry Hudson district, she has been even more aggressive both publicly and privately in blocking “STEP 2” a referendum being put on the ballot.
Residents have been consistently frustrated at School Board meetings when she refuses to answer questions about potential regionalization and refuses to let the Board members respond to repeated inquiries.
Instead, she and the Board attorney, Jonathan Busch, simply shut the discussion down.
Beams has repeatedly thrown roadblock after roadblock in the process.
Two concerning points that are not lost on residents: the fact that Beams is conflicted on this regionalization matter as she and her home town of Oceanport would see property tax increases if Sea Bright withdraws from Oceanport and Shore Regional schools
Secondly, if one didn’t know better, one would conclude that Hohenleitner, Beams and Busch are synchronized toward the same goal; keep throwing more and more roadblocks in the way of regionalizing with Sea Bright.
The residents of Atlantic Highlands deserve to have their voices heard with a referendum question as well.
The irony in all of this is that the two key people who should be protecting the interests of the Atlantic Highlands students and residents appear to be working hard to make sure the residents never get the chance to have their voices heard on this very important.
"Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters." - Abraham Lincoln "A man without a vote is a man without protection." - Lyndon B. Johnson "Every citizen of this country should be guaranteed that their vote matters, that their vote is counted, and that in the voting booth, their vote has as much weight as that of any CEO, any member of Congress or any President." - Barbara Boxer "We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate." - Thomas Jefferson
