Your Turn
Ernest J. Cannava
Guest Column
Lakewood schools deserve voters’ support

The Lakewood Board of Education’s 2004-05 budget goes before the voters on April 20. Although the vast majority of the budget is already locked in due to negotiated contracts and other fixed costs, the board has spent months developing a cost-conscious budget for voter consideration.

We believe the budget is fiscally responsible and will enable the district to continue providing quality education for students despite increased costs. For example, the 2004-05 budget provides for enough teachers to maintain reasonable class sizes. It also supports the numerous funding mandates that are part of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards and the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. While there are numerous instructional procedures and standards required under both laws, neither provides adequate money for implementation.

Our budget also provides for a strong bilingual program including a much-needed after-school homework club for students who do not speak English at home. Funds are also allotted to our award-winning Piner marching band, a successful gifted and talented program and our comprehensive staff development programs which ensure that teachers continue to strengthen their skills and meet the mandates of a Highly Qualified Teacher required by NCLB.

The health and safety of students, staff and volunteers is also maintained in the 2004-05 budget which includes funding for a middle school boiler conversion, a Princeton Avenue boiler replacement and a district-wide electrical upgrade.

Additionally, there are significant challenges within the budget that are well beyond the board’s control including:

• 17 percent increase — transportation and special education needs of approximately 10,000 students who are not in our system but live in Lakewood.

• 14 percent increase — rising medical benefit costs for staff.

• 12.5 percent increase — state and federal mandated testing programs.

• 6 percent increase — increased enrollment with a minimal state aid increase (3 percent), after two consecutive years of flat funding.

Adding to our fiscal challenges is the fact that the amount of state aid that we have received as a percentage of our budget has dropped significantly over the past decade. For example, in 1993-94 the percentage of state aid we received was 44 percent. For the 2003-04 school year, state aid funding represented 22 percent of our budget. The decrease in state aid has been a key factor in rising taxes for homeowners.

Perhaps more than any other public entity, school districts are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to funding student needs, whatever those needs may include.

Take special education for example. Lakewood tries to meet the needs of as many students as possible within our district. However, some students, due to the nature of their severe disabilities, are entitled by law to attend private special education facilities with Lakewood taxpayers paying for the greatly increasing costs. Over the last five years, our special education tuition costs have grown from $3.1 million (1998-99) to $4.5 million (2003-04).

Despite these financial challenges, the Lakewood schools continue to excel. Lakewood High School graduates have been accepted to a wide range of universities and colleges over the years including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Rutgers, Penn State, Cornell, Duke and many others.

Each year, numerous LHS students are named in the Garden State Scholarship Program which recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of New Jersey’s secondary school students. Our graduates regularly earn prestigious Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar scholarships as well.

To maintain a strong academic program, as well as the many social and family services the district provides, and necessary building improvements, the tax increase for homeowners is about $1 per day or less. I trust Lake-wood voters will make an informed decision when voting on our school budget on April 20. For further information, please contact us at (732) 905-3630.

Ernest J. Cannava is the superintendent of schools in Lakewood.