In spite of governing officials and paid attorneys working out a funding formula agreement agreeable to all three boroughs, the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council once again unanimously thwarted action to have the question put on the November ballot by declining to approve the necessary resolution at last night’s council meeting.
In a meeting that started with well-earned praise, thanks, and admiration for the police department, borough employees, and numerous volunteers in both the fire department and first aid squad, council members then individually admitted they simply approved minutes without checking them for accuracy on the cannabis ordinance issue and pulled three of eight resolutions from their consent agenda for further discussion, including the one which would have insured the regionalization question would be on the November ballot.
Administrator Robert Ferragina indicated there was a request from the attorney for the school board to review the funding formula agreement in the proposed ballot question. Council members complained they had only received the information at 10:30 that morning and agreed to hold it and set a special meeting for next week to take the action necessary to have the question on the November ballot. However, no date was set for that meeting.
Council members and Mayor Loretta Gluckstein all indicated they feel there is still time to have the question on the November ballot, however, the resolution asks the Commissioner of Education to approve the question on that ballot “or as soon thereafter as may be authorized….”
After failing to act on the resolution in order to give the Henry Hudson Regional attorney an opportunity to review the formula agreed upon by the joint committee set up by the three boroughs, Tracey Abby-White, who headed the regionalization study committee appointed by Mayor Gluckstein, questioned why the agreement which sets the allocation terms for providing funds for education from each involved borough, which is a municipal function as opposed to a board of education function, should delay the council action. Abby-White indicated that once she heard the committee had come to an equitable agreement in all three boroughs as to the funding agreement, the only question to be finalized, she fully expected action be taken at the meeting.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon appeared via ZOOM at the Atlantic Highlands meeting and chided the elected officials for failing to take action and assuring them that at their meetings next week both Highlands and Sea Bright are approving the similar resolution unanimously that each town has to pass to get the question on the ballot.
The ballot question for Atlantic Highlands, as designed and approved by the financial team set up by the mayors of both towns specifically for that purpose, asks
“Shall the Boards of Education of the Highlands School District, Atlantic Highlands School District and Henry Hudson Regional School District join together to convert Henry Hudson Regional into an all-purpose PK-12 regional school district which the annual and special appropriations for such a two-constituent PK-12 regional school district to be apportioned upon he following basis: 80% on each municipality’s equalized valuation allocated to the regional district as provided by state law and 20 percent on the proportional number of pupils enrolled from each municipality on the 15th day of October of the prebudget year, and
Upon conversion of Henry Hudson int a PK-12 regional district, shall the PK-12 regional school district include the Borough of Sea Bright as a constituent member, upon approval by the Commissioner of Education of its withdrawal from Oceanport and Shore Regional School districts, and approval by the voters of Sea Bright to join the Henry Hudson PK-12 Reginal School with the annual and special appropriations for the newly expanded three-constitution PK-12 regional school district to be apportioned upon the following basis: 12 per cent on each municipality’s equalized valuations allocated to the regional district as provided by state law, and 88 percent on the proportional number of pupils enrolled from each municipality on the 15th day of October of the prebudget year.”
Although the question on the ballot is strictly a council, not a board of education decision, the Atlantic Highlands Council nonetheless agreed to hold up action on the resolution, with some indicating since they only received at 10:30 yesterday morning they wanted time to review it..
Mayor Broullon confirmed both towns received the agreement on the funding formula late Wednesday afternoon, and she immediately sent it to her council members, so they could read and review by 5 p.m. Wednesday evening.
