Council, School Board Meetings, SummerFest: What's Happening In Brick This Week

BRICK, NJ — How will the Brick Township School District cut $720,000 in expenditures that were planned for the 2017-18 school year?

Residents and parents may get a first glimpse of those plans when the Brick Township Board of Education meets Thursday. The meeting, set for 7 p.m. at Brick Township High School, comes less than a month after state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced plans to redistribute school funding in the state as part of a wider school funding proposal.

That plan, announced June 15 amid state budget discussions, initially called for a cut of nearly $2.2 million in state funding for the Brick schools, but that number later was reduced to $720,507. The district's $154,421,700 budget — like school budgets across the state — had been finalized in April. Districts across the state were told to expect an unchanged level of funding for the 2017-18 school year, so Brick officials built their budget with an anticipation of receiving $36,025,328 in state funding again this year.

Under the finalized state budget, the district will receive $35,304,821 in state funding. The tax levy of $104,771,941 will remain unchanged, officials have said.

In addition to the school board meeting Thursday, the township has the following meetings and events this week:

On Tuesday morning, the Brick Garden Club is holding its annual Garden Tour and Tea. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the club's headquarters, 515 Herbertsville Road. For more information click here.

On Tuesday evening, the Township Council meets at 7 p.m. at town hall. On the agenda is an ordinance to renew the township's waiver of construction fees in relation to the renovation of small vacant commercial properties to open them as new businesses. The fee waiver, first approved last September, was aimed to encourage businesses to fill vacant store spaces rather than clear land for new construction.

On Wednesday, the Planning Board meets at 7 p.m. in the municipal building. An agenda has not been posted yet, but the June 28 meeting included initial testimony on a proposal for a White Castle on Hooper Avenue.

On Thursday, in addition to the Board of Education meeting at 7 p.m. at Brick Township High School, SummerFest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Windward Beach Park. The Amish Outlaws are scheduled to perform.

Brick Township seal, photo by Karen Wall