Brick Schools Urge Another Phone, Email Blitz Over S2 Cuts

BRICK, NJ — While much of the world is talking about the coronavirus, members of the Brick Township schools community are being urged to remember the fight against the state's school funding cuts.

Parents, teachers and community members are being urged to call the office of New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney to speak out against the cuts under S2, the law Sweeney pushed that has led to a $4.2 million cut in aid for the 2020-2021 school year for Brick.

The cuts are forcing the Brick Township schools — which already spend more than $3,000 less than the state average per student to educate the districts children — to merge students from Herbertsville Elementary School into other schools in the district, and has sparked intense frustration among parents.

The district has cut nearly 100 positions in the last two years, cutting 31 teachers aides positions leaving an additional 18 teachers' positions unfilled in the 2018-2019 budget, and eliminating another 50-plus in the 2019-2020 school year.

The district anticipates cutting more than $5o million over the course of the cuts, and has cut more than $4 milllion so far. The cut for the 2020-2021 school year is set to be more than $4.2 million, under Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed budget.

"We need everyone’s assistance," the district wrote in a message encouraging phone calls and emails to Sweeney's office on Wednesday, the day between hearings in front of the state Senate Budget committee.

Brick's new superintendent, Thomas Farrell, along with Business Administrator James Edwards, school board President Stephanie Wohlrab and board member Jessica Clayton testified before the budget committee on Tuesday, explaining the severe cuts the district faces and urging the committee to postpone the cuts while the state takes another look at S2.

The second day of hearings is set for Thursday, March 12 at Rowan University.

"We are asking parents, teachers, and community members to email and phone blitz Senator Sweeney’s West Deptford Office to reinforce all the recent efforts pertaining to the issue of school funding," the message from Brick schools officials said.

"Please invest 10 minutes of your day (Wednesday) to send an e-mail and make a call," and people are urged to do both.

Sweeney’s office phone number is 1-856-251-9801, and email can be sent through the "contact your legislator" link on the state website; Sweeney's page is here.

Additional information about the district's efforts is on the schools' website.

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