Sea Bright and Other SHOCKED
“Tri-Town Regionalization bringing benefit to our students and taxpayers is finally within our grasp. Let’s work together to take control of our own destiny and get it over the goal,” Sea Bright Mayor Brian P. Kelly wrote to the transitional Henry Hudson Regional PreK-12 Board of Education.”
Yet while the Atlantic Highlands Council indicates they do not know anything new on whether regionalization will be on the ballot in November, and the Highlands Council sitting at a meeting of the new transitional Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education was shocked to hear the board attorney say he doesn’t believe it will be ready for a November vote by the residents, Mayor Kelly keeps plugging away, politely, trying to get action so voters can decide if they want Sea Bright and its $2 million as part of the regional school system.
Olszewski was one of a half dozen residents at last week’s meeting of the transitional board who was shocked to hear Board attorney Jonathan Busch give his reasons why he doesn’t believe residents will be able to vote in November whether to accept Sea Bright as a third municipality in the new district.
Busch did not say how he arrived at his conclusions, nor did he say whether the school board has had any executive sessions or even knew his reasons for thinking a November vote would not be possible. The shocked councilwoman did point out during the public portion that the proposed budget, scheduled for a public hearing May 6 at 6 p.m. at Henry Hudson, is more than $1 million higher than the current budget, exceeding current figures by more than two percent.
Sea Bright Councilman Irwin Bieber was one of the half dozen people present at that meeting and asked board president Cory Wingerter if he had received a letter from the Sea Bright Mayor. Wingerter acknowledged he had received the letter but noted it would be discussed at an executive session meeting at the end of this meeting.
Bieber, however, then noted his Mayor had given him a copy of the letter and proceeded to read it into the record.
The letter began with thanks and appreciation to the new board for its hard work and advised the board that the updated Feasibility Study Supplement requested to ensure most updated information has been completed. He pointed out the study validates “the favorable findings of the prior Kean and Porzio studies as well as answering the remaining questions of the State Education Committee. The Kean and Porzio studies were completed two years ago by both the school district and the boroughs.
Kelly then notified the board that Sea Bright is developing an updated Petition to send to the Education Commissioner so it could be included in the PreK-12 school district and expressed the hope the school board would join in that Petition submission in the coming weeks. He added the facts that the Oceanport and Shore Regional petition appealing to the State Supreme Court Appellate division concerning Sea Bright leaving their districts to join Henry Hudson has been denied, clearing the legal path for Sea Bright to join Henry Hudson, and cited the state law approved by a bipartisan vote.
“Approval of a joint petition for Sea Bright inclusion into the Henry Hudson School district is simply allowing the decision to be made by the voters of Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Sea Bright in an election this November,” Bieber read from Mayor Kelly’s letter.
Wingerter said the letter was being discussed that evening at the executive session meeting. However, the board indicated it would take no action after the executive session.
Sea Bright inclusion in the Henry Hudson School district will bring over $2 million in funding and only 48 students to allow expanded education offerings at reduced cost to our tax paying residents, according to Mayor Kelly’s information.
