BOE president questions benefits of consolidation

BOE president questions benefits of consolidation
Karavites: Tinton Falls will stop accepting Earle students
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — Board of Education President Peter Karavites isn't convinced that consolidating school districts would result in benefits to the district.

In fact, in a presentation on April 27, Karavites questioned whether cost savings, a major reason cited for consolidating local school districts, would result from combining the Tinton Falls district with neighboring school districts.

"Positives: they tell us it will reduce costs," Karavites said. "We can get rid of a superintendent or two, a business administrator or two, and save some money there."

But, he told those at the meeting, he believes that eliminating some high-end positions might not even result in cost savings for the district and could actually result in the addition of administrative positions.

School consolidation was one of the topics at the special public meeting April 27, which was attended by members of the borough school board, Tinton Falls Superintendent John Russo, members of the Borough Council, including Mayor Peter Maclearie, and members of the public.

The study is a proposal by Monmouth County Executive Superintendent of Schools Carole Knopp Morris, who is considering a school consolidation feasibility study that could result in the merger of several area school districts.

The study, which is expected to be conducted in the coming months, will focus on the possible merger of smaller school districts as well as elimination of non-K-12 and nonoperating school districts.

The move toward K-12 districts would allow school districts to come into compliance with the state's current grade structure, which calls for districts to be configured from grades kindergarten through 12.

One of the areas of focus will be the consolidation of the Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury Township, Eatontown and Monmouth Regional High School districts, Karavites said.

"We have been chosen to have a study done about regionalization," he said at the meeting. "They will come back and let us know what that study said."

Karavites told those in attendance that if the study recommends consolidation, each district would have an opportunity to vote on it.

"Just so you know, every school district has a chance to say no," Karavites said.

"Shrewsbury Township has to

say yes. Eatontown has to say yes, the high school has to say yes and Tinton Falls has to say yes."

If one says no, then under current law it doesn't happen."

Karavites also cited the higher cost per pupil of regional schools.

"Every single regional school has the highest cost per student in Monmouth County," he said.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education 2007-08 public school report card, the average cost per pupil for Monmouth Regional is $20,652, which is more than $5,000 above the state average.

Another positive of consolidation cited by the state is the integration of curriculums, Karavites said, adding that the Tinton Falls district has already accomplished this goal.

"We work with the high school and meet with Eatontown already and have integration," he said.

Some negative results of consolidation, according to Karavites, would be assuming the costs of other districts and having taxpayers lose their representation.

"Now the negatives, they don't tell you about those," Karavites said. "We will assume the costs of the high school and Eatontown and they will assume ours."

"Right now you have a great school board," Karavites said. "I'll tell you right now they're great."

The Tinton Falls Board of Education currently consists of eight members from Tinton Falls and one from Shrewsbury Township. According to Karavites, the board of the proposed school district would consist of four members from Tinton Falls, one from Shrewsbury Township and four from Eatontown.

"When you have a problem with the school, you'll be talking to four people from Eatontown, one from Shrewsbury and four from Tinton Falls," he added. "And your four members will sit there and say, 'We tried.'

"You will lose your representation."

Karavites went on to say that while he is against regionalization, if the study result is positive for the district, then he would look into it.

"We, as a responsible Board of Education, have to look at the report," he said. "If they come out with some studies that say you're going to save taxpayers $5,000 a year per person, then we have to look at that.

"Do I think that will happen?" he added. "No, and I definitely think in a year or two those costs will go up."

The feasibility study is expected to begin in the spring and is expected to be presented by 2010.

Also discussed at the meeting was the privatization of housing units at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck and the potential effect on the school district.

Karavites spoke of a pending lawsuit filed by the district against the county superintendent, state commissioner of education and Colts Neck Board of Education.

In the lawsuit, the district maintains that Tinton Falls is only responsible for educating Navy children living at Earle and has no responsibility for educating children living at the base who are not Navy dependents.

The suit results from the U.S. Navy's plans to convert 300 private military housing units on Earle to public housing in 2010. The residential units known as the Laurelwood housing are located within the borders of Colts Neck.

Privatization of the units has become an issue for Tinton Falls, which for the past 20 years has educated the children of Navy personnel stationed at Earle under an agreement with the Navy.

Karavites cited New Jersey law that states that a school district must request that children who live outside of its boundaries attend school in the district.

"The law says that the district has to request the children to the county superintendent," he said. "We requested the Navy [dependents]. If you do not request the children, they shall go to the school at which they reside. That's pretty simple, right?"

Karavites also explained that while there is a contract between the Navy and the Tinton Falls district, there is no contract between the Navy and Monmouth Regional High School.

So, he said, no matter what the disposition of the dispute between the Navy and Tinton Falls, the students who live at Earle would have to go to a different high school.

Karavites went on to say that he would fight for the Tinton Falls taxpayer.

"We will not educate hundreds of children on the backs of our taxpayers," he said. "That is not fair. That is not right. So we will be fighting back.

"If 2010 comes, we will not register those children until someone like the state police comes in and says you have to," he added. "We will fight as hard as we can."

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.


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