Red Bank and Freehold borough schools facing serious challenges Bayshore Courier News Posted:06/02/10
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Monmouth County, NJ - Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande welcomed Department of Education Commissioner Bret Schundler to the Red Bank Borough School District and the Freehold Borough School District this morning.
While the presentation at the Red Bank Primary School focused on the importance of the district's Pre-K program and the improvements the district has made over recent years, the presentation at the Freehold Borough Elementary School centered on the lack of classroom space and significant underfunding the district has been facing for several years.
"Both of these districts are facing serious challenges," said Beck. "Both districts have about 70 percent of their student body that is economically disadvantaged, and both are funded under adequacy. However, Freehold is underfunded by over 20 percent, is needier than 23 of the existing Abbott districts, and is spending 20 percent less. Red Bank is struggling to maintain the progress it has made in the face of significant budget cuts and dealing with the challenges of being a small school district with many of the same issues as larger, more urban districts."
"Freehold Borough Elementary School," said Casagrande, "has only one-quarter of a library because three-quarters of it must be used for classroom space. There are classes taking place on the stage in the auditorium, which is not heated, and anywhere else they can find space. Dividers are used as substitute walls in these makeshift classrooms, but you can easily hear through them, creating a very distracting environment. We have to forget about the definitions of a ‘school in need' that were used 20 years ago to define Abbott districts. Freehold Borough has never been an Abbott district, but it faces many of the same challenges without the benefit of additional State funding. It's important that Commissioner Schundler had an opportunity to see one of these districts that has fallen between the cracks."
"Red Bank has made significant strides over the past four or five years," said O'Scanlon, "in terms of, not only their test scores, but in the reduction of the number of students referred to and accepted into the Child Study Team program. It is important to the future of this school district that they get the support they need to maintain this level of momentum. I think the Commissioner's visit today was very successful in that he has once again shown the same level of passion for the education of the children of this State as the educators with whom he spoke. In the end, we all have the same goal, which is the best future we can provide for these children."
