Tinton Falls BOE President Hopes to See Legislation on Earle Issue

Tinton Falls Board of Education President Peter Karavites hopes to see legislation written limiting the district’s requirement to provide .

During the Dec. 12 Board of Education meeting at , Karavites said he had met with state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) to discuss getting legislation written to allow the district to only be responsible for children of active duty personnel at the base.

“We are hoping [our legislators] will follow through on their promises to help the town of Tinton Falls to make sure the legislation says children of active military,” Karavites said.

The language of a 1988 agreement signed by the district requires they educate all children who reside on NWS Earle, which is located in parts of Colts Neck, Howell, Wall and Tinton Falls.  A shift in housing criteria on the base led to the attempted enrollment this summer of three non-military students. The district has pursued legal channels to prevent having to provide free education to the civilian population at NWS Earle. However, on Nov. 17, by an administrative law judge earlier this year that Tinton falls "provide a free public education to all children residing in the housing located at NWS Earle."

Karavites said the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, which writes legislation proposed by state legislators, has not produced the bill he discussed with Beck limiting the district’s free education requirement yet.

“There are a huge amount of bills being passed in the lame duck session and they still haven’t gotten to ours,” he said.

Karavites noted if a bill is not introduced and voted on during the current legislative session, the district will have to wait until the spring session to see action by the state Assembly and Senate.

Earlier reports by Eatontown-Tinton Falls Local Editor Amy Byrnes contributed to this article.