Board of Education to Hold Special Meeting to Discuss Disposition of $1.3M

In a brief discussion this evening with Evan Lerner, President of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education, he indicated that he is calling a previously unscheduled meeting for Monday evening, July 18, at the Wade Administration Building in Martinsville.  The time is tentatively set for 8:00 PM.

Board members Lynne Hurley & Evan Lerner in a moment of levity, as Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Dyer addresses a retiring educator on June 14, at the High School.  (Bergeron Image)

The purpose of that meeting is for the Board and its administration to discuss how it will allocate the $1,331,545 of additional school aid funding which the New Jersey Department of Education is providing to the Bridgewater-Raritan School District. 

That amount is over and above the original school aid which was included in the budget adopted by voters on April 27^th.

Governor Urges School Districts to Lower Real Estate Tax

According to data released today by the New Jersey Department of Education on its website, the Bridgewater-Raritan School District is slated to receive an additional $1,331,545 in school aid.  This is over and above the previous increase in school aid announced in March and built into the 2011-2012 School Budget which voters approved in April.

Board Members Lynne Hurley, Jill Gladstone, & Ann Marie Mead at June 14 meeting. (Bergeron Image)

However, it may come with a catch:  Governor Chris Christie is urging suburban school boards such as the one for the Bridgewater-Raritan School District to allocate those extra funds for real estate tax relief – not a bad idea, one which is wholly consistent with Christie’s conservative fiscal approach.

It would be gratifying should the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education see it that way as well.  At the moment, it’s unclear whether or not the Governor’s office will put any teeth into its request to use the added $1.3 million for tax relief, or whether it is merely a soft request.