The JACKSON Times Vol. 20 - No. 47
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Council School Budget Planning Described Negotiates Failed As “Mission Impossible”
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Pages 7
Community News Pages 9-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Classifieds Page 19
May 18, 2024
Photo courtesy Jackson Schools Jackson Board of Education banded together in calling the S-2 State aid funding formula a failure. From left, Board members Brian McCarron, Tara Rivera, Dr. Erica Osmond, Giuseppe Palmeri, Tina Kas, Allison Barocas, and Megan Gardella. By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Dressed in black T-shirts with w r iting that proclaimed New Jersey had failed the school district and schools around the state, the Board of Education stood united during a public forum concerning its proposed
spending plan. Parents, residents, students and school district staff came out to a special Board of E ducat ion me et i ng held at the Fine Arts Center of Jackson Memorial High School that covered details about the ongoing challenges of the school
district’s loss of $22.4 million in state aid over the past seven years. The school district is facing a $25 million def icit in the 202425 school year, and according to officials, the Board is powerless to close that gap without lowering the bar
on educational quality provided to students. Officials expressed that they were looking for at least a short-term solution which could only be provided by the State Legislature and State Department of E d u c a t i o n w h o caused the problem. The answer would be for those agencies to provide the dist r ict with grants, not loans, to close the deficit and to end the S-2 state aid school f unding formula and create one that is transparent and equitable for all school districts. S-2 was the name of the bill that crafted the school funding formula many years ago. Officials said Jackson is spending about $3,50 0 per st udent while Newark is spending around $30,000 per student. Superintendent Ni(School Budget See Page 4)
Fire Budgets
Screenshot by Bob Vosseller Fire District 3 Chairman Frank Hruschka speaks before the Township Council about the needs of his fire district that along with Fire District 4, had their budgets defeated at the polls. By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Recent sessions of the Township Council served as both discussions and an opportunity to make and close financial arrangements with representatives of Township Fire Districts 3 and 4. The compromises were reached regarding how much would be cut from the districts’ budgets which both failed at the polls during the annual fire commission elections held in February.
The Council gave both districts an opportunity to discuss their budget with them and residents. The process involved the administration reviewing the budgets and then presenting them to the council for further action. “I asked cou nsel (Township Attorney Gregory McGuckin) if we could have this discussion in an executive session (away from (Fire Budget See Page 4)
Trump Rally In Wildwood Draws GOP Supporters
Photo courtesy Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Former President Donald Trump addressed thousands of supporters at a Wildwood rally.
By Bob Vosseller JERSEY SHORE – Former President Donald Trump got some good weather for his beach front rally that allowed him to catch up on some campaign time lost during his many hours in court in New York. The Wildwood rally followed a volatile week of testimony in his hush money trial in relation
to an alleged pay out to adult actress Stormy Daniels. It marked his third campaign rally since the start of that trial four weeks ago. His stop at the Jersey shore, unlike his visits to Michigan and Wisconsin the prior week, didn’t bring him to a battleground state. Trump isn’t expected to win the Garden State in Novem-
ber. He lost by about 16 points to President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump said however that New Jersey could go his way this time out as he spoke to the crowd in Wildwood, part of Cape May County, which is in a New Jersey district that is much friendlier to red voters in much the way that Ocean County is. Trump won Cape May
County in 2020 with 57.5% of the vote, and 58.4% in 2016. He won Ocean County in 2016 and 2020. There were plenty of Republicans from Ocean County present including Jackson Mayor Michael Reina and Councilman Mordechai Burnstein who also serves as president of the Jackson Republican Club.
Burnstein told Jersey Shore Online.com, “It was inspiring to see that so many Americans joined with President Trump this past Saturday even here in a blue state. I am confident that the energy that existed at this rally will continue to grow and that President Trump will be re-elected as our President.” (Trump - See Page 5)
CELEBRATING 46 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY • 2ND GENERATION FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1978
GEORGE S. HASSLER FUNERAL HOME
George S. Hassler, Owner & Director, NJ Lic. No. 3193 Brian T. Hassler, Manager, NJ Lic. No. 4054
Serving All Faiths with Personal Service • Traditional Burial & Cremation Options
Prearrangement and Prepayment Plans Available 980 Bennetts Mills Road • PO Box 1326 • Jackson, NJ 08527 Tel: 732.364.6808 | Fax: 732-364-8592 www.hasslerfuneralhome.com • contact@hasslerfuneralhome.com