That is right out of the Chicken Hawk playbook. Google Beth Mason to see the modus operandi.

Passkey you are right. I forgot about the additional $1.2 million that we had to give the charter schools due to a funding change in the formula. Charter's like your HOLA are financed 95% by the taxpayers. Public schools on the other hand are 60% funded by taxpayers. Adding the $1.2 million gives you the updated figure. As charter enrollment continues to grow so will the tax bill and the cost per pupil.

My bad, it is 40%, which is 8X lower than charter's like your HOLA.

As I stated in my blog the $165,000 would represent a $20 tax break for a taxpayer with a $10,000 municipal tax bill. That trivial sum is not worth a no vote under any circumstances.

I didn't like the raises either. I believed it should have been limited to the 2% tax cap. When I said this to a minority member, the person agreed with me but said unfortunately there was no way the teachers would accept it.

See Hoboken Revolt. I am posting stories on towns and school boards that are raising taxes unlike Hoboken.
http://www.hobokenrevolt.com/

Explain how $5 every quarter will transform your life MM?

So now Passkey wants to reject state and federal aid. The result: cutting programs or raising the local taxes. Explain how that makes sense?

So MM like Passkey wants a whopping tax rise in Hoboken. I respectfully disagree.

Throughout the country large states like NJ receive far less in federal funding then they pay. Small states like North South Dakota on the other hand receive far more than they pay. I am not going to apologize for any town in NJ who accepts aid. We pay out far more than what we get.

I called for the money to be returned but only a dolt thinks that a penny every 2 days makes any meaningful difference. How is that going to help you survive?

Once again Frank Sinatra is ill informed. If you would attend the meetings (or if you do can you please pay attention next time?) you would know the true economics. A charter school will pull 2-3 kids out of a class at most. That means you can't cut a teacher, administrator, janitor, etc. Accordingly the public school cost stays flat. However the charter is a brand new expense, one that taxpayers must pay 95% of vs. 60% in the public forum. If 1-2 new charters pop up in Hoboken the tax levy will have to be increased, or programs will have to be dropped. The new law working its way through the NJ legislature will for a cap of 25% of student population. Hoboken currently has around a 30% number. I have no idea if grandfathering will occur.

We all know about the QSAC problem. It has existed for years. The only way it worked is when the numbers were fudged when Frank and Razlowski played the illegal 10r card. Explain to me how you can magically turn the numbers around when for decades the BOE's main function was to exist as a patronage mill? We used to be competent in only 2 out of 5 categories. We are now proficient in 4. Under KF we now have Smart Boards, tutors and mentors. Let's all hope that these efforts will work. If it doesn't it will be a shame, but as I always say you can't turn around the BOE Titanic in 1 or 2 years. I have always believed it would take 5 years to correct the errors of the past.

Red let me know which ones, were deleted I save them all. The "tax cut" is a penny every other day. I have said repeatedly it should be returned, but I don't get worked up over pennies and crumbs like MM does. You are playing the Beth Mason card. Tell me what exactly you would cut and I'll consider it. Otherwise you are just hot air.

MM unless you name specific cuts you are a joke. For the record I support Romney and have signed his petition so he can be placed on the June primary ballot. Journey is spot on, NAME THE CUTS or forever hold your peace.

MadisonMonroe commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Mr. Siegel, even the most RINO of RINOs understands Milton Friedman's argument that I will spend my money better than any government entity will spend my money. So Redrider, I looked into your NJEA-approved assertion that it was worth giving the teachers nearly 4% raises because they will be working 20 minutes longer each day. Oddly enough, that still won't bring the district up to the state average. The high school currently has a 6 hour, 20 minute day while the state average is 6 hours, 53 minutes. At the elementary schools, the day is 6 hours and 5 minutes and the state average is 6 hours 30 minutes."

Passkey commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Jay- here is a helpful url that explains your questions in some detail, see specifically Calculating the District’s Fair Share: http://www.njslom.org/magart_0308_pg4.html The "Abbott" levy could theoretically be challenged if a district experienced either drastic enrollment changes or drastic demographic changes or both.While the Hoboken School District has experienced changes (drop in enrollment, slight change in demographics), I'm not sure if these changes would qualify as drastic and warrant a recalculation. As to a scenario whereby enrollment in the traditional district public schools (Connors, Calabro, Brandt, Demarest, Wallace, HHS) would increase or become stable, or at least stop the rate of population decline? Yes-- I have heard of possible scenarios that seem plausible. I am unaware however if anyone on the current Board or district leadership is currently considering such scenarios."

franksinatra commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"RR, Scott, Journey-you're so full of hate of the one reformer on the board that you've thrown away everything you believe in. You're obsessed with spending more and more of the taxpayer's money. RR-your argument refutes itself. If the $165,000 is just a couple of cases of beer, then why not cut it? If it's so little money, the schools will never miss it. As Davis, the old BA said, the budget is full of fat and if you wanted him to, he could cut $5 million in five minutes. This budget breaks the principle that the levy would be the minimum allowed by state law, so now that money will be built into the base for ever higher budgets in the years ahead. We know why Toback, sitting there like a turnip all night as Sullivan demolished his arguments and made him look like blithering idiot, won't cut 0.26%--he's part of the education blob that believes the bigger the budget the better, no matter how wasteful. It isn't his money--he lives out in some distant suburb where the board spends just over half as much as Hoboken's $23,058 per pupil (the state's second-highest amount) and yet the test scores are much higher. But what explains Theresa Minutillo's actions? With this vote she completely abandons her last pretense of being a reformer and sides with the machine once again. Except for firing Paula and a couple of process votes, she votes with the machine every time. Why should we vote for Kids First in Nov when they disagree with the machine on virtually nothing? KF=machine light."

Passkey commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"So according to Redrider765-- district enrollment is "no longer falling" because parents are taking their children out of the traditional public schools in Hoboken (or bypassing them completely) and sending their children to charters. What a success story for parental confidence in Kids First leadership."

franksinatra commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"RR--kids moving to charter schools should save money because we spend $23,000 on Hoboken public school kids but give the charter schools only $11,000 or $12,000 a kid. The trick is, you have to cut spending as the students leave. But Theresa, Ruthie and their machine comrades refuse to cut one penny of spending even as the enrollment continues to drop. So the budget is more bloated than ever. It came out a couple of meetings ago that the board has actually increased the size of the staff by 8% since KF took over. So, to sum up KF's three years: lower enrollment, higher spending, higher taxes (up almost 4% since '09 and bound to go higher again this year), and sharply lower test scores. Good job, Theresa and Ruthie!"

Passkey commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Redrider765, last night it was revealed that Kids First does not list contracted administrators as administrators in the budget. When these contracted employees serving in every way as administrators are factored in--- the number of administrators in the district skyrockets. Thanks to Ms. Sullivan for identifying this "anomaly""

MadisonMonroe commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Redrider, as the shill for the teachers union, perhaps you can explain why it's a grand idea to give them raises because they are contributing to their health care costs but not okay to decrease their pay when they perform miserably. For instance, on that same Dept of Education website that details how - even with a 20 minute increase our teachers are still well behind the state average - there are test scores for all the schools. I looked up Connors School (on Monroe, near Madison) and saw that in 2009-10 (last year available) about 65% of the 3rd and 4th graders could NOT pass the reading/writing test and 84% of the 5th graders could NOT pass. That's despicable. They should hang their heads in shame. Not the children. The teachers and administrators who failed our children so badly. Perhaps if the staff had been working a full day? Perhaps if we had spent more than $22,000 per pupil that year? That, Mr. Siegel, is why I don't want this board of education to have an extra dime of my money. They have proven themselves incompetent at what they were elected to do: educate children."

franksinatra commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Answer--i think you miss the point, or are just not paying attention. it's obvious to anyone watching the tapes of the meetings that just about every vote for the past two years on anything dealing with reform was 8-1, with KF teaming up with the machine against reform and Sullivan casting the lone vote for reform. (The only exception was when the machine came to their senses and voted with Sullivan against KF's move to fire two of the district's best teachers, Paul Ohaus and Mrs. Hillenbrand).

So what makes you think Sullivan would ever get a second if she proposed $5 million worth of cuts? Theresa and Rose have never allowed any discussion of cutting the waste, or of any reform. I have never heard Theresa ever talk of budget cuts or reform in the last two years of meetings. Your criticism is aimed at the wrong person. Why not call on Theresa to open the floor to suggestions for cuts, or agree to second a list proposed by Sullivan? You know very well that Sullivan has a long list of very sensible ways to save money, but KF wouldn't dare let her bring them up. KF doesn't want to look any worse than they do now. Also, it's funny how the critics here say Sullivan doesn't care about education or the kids. But it was Sullivan who voted to save two of our best teachers and KF who voted to fire them. And it's KF that got rid of IB and decimated the Hopkins program and keeps doing nothing as the test scores get worse and worse and more students flee."

How come these guys can post more words than I can?

MadisonMonroe commented on the article Hoboken School Board Approves $63 Million Budget; Keeping Taxes Flat

"Below is the steering committee of Revolt, the "Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition," which has as its first mission "fighting to ensure fiscal responsibility in Hoboken government." And one of its objectives is to"act as a fiscal watchdog / public advocate for the taxpayers of Hoboken." It looks fairly dormant these days; the only person posting is Mr. Siegel. Is this really what Revolt has become: Mr. Siegel arguing that $165,000 of taxpayer money is chump change better put in the hands of know-nothings who voted to take away the right of the citizens to the vote on the budget. Can any of these Revolt committee members tell us if Revolt - as a tax watchdog - still exists or is it just a blogging spot for Mr. Siegel, who calls tax cutters "dolts"? Bo Dziman Jackie Burton Adrienne Choma Donna Antonucci Toni Tomarazzo Tina Hahn Sue Pregibon Barbara Colegrove-Bravo Dave Kaplan Randy Brummette"

Irene has one one child in the public system and there is a god chance that another will attend HS next year.

Admission to High Tech is based solely on performance. Irene's child obviously has more smarts than you.

No she makes perfect sense. So, how do students get into high tech? $40 vbms"?

Can anyone name a BOE in NJ who has kept the levy flat besides Hoboken for 3 straight years? I can't find one, please help Passkey!

I could only dream that Dawn and Stan are Republicans!

CG: When you are at or just above the minimum levy the per pupil figure has no meaning. I know that your side doesn't believe in following the the law, but Mayor Zimmer and Kids First do belive that following the law is the right thing to do. If they can't legally cut more than $165,000 please explain how they can lower the per pupil cost. Educate me and the others please.

I don't agree with the law on the minimum levy but it exists. I spoke about this with Bob Bowden last (as well as the funding differential between public and charter schools. Here's the link on the minimum levy:
http://www.hoboken.k12.nj.us/files/Minimum%20Tax%20Lavy.pdf

Fiscal buffoon Gettheleadout. The tax levy is less then 1% away from the minimum levy required by law. As I've pointed out many times when the state mandates a minimum levy it is legally impossible to spend less.

So CG you thing the answer to low test scores is to put the same crew that ignored our student for decades back into power? Explain how that will fix the problem?

CG conveniently forgets the 10r scam that led to the bogus test scores. Amnesia is no excuse for covering up the true facts.

The 10r scam was acknowledged under Razlowski. The audit recommendation was to test each and every child. The correct policy was reinstated by KF. This topic as well as reworking people the County Superintendent as "consultants" and the minimum levy have been discussed ad nauseum. This is far different from a per pupil figure that I was told to by a BOE employee. The difference between and CG is that when I am wrong I correct the fact. She on the other hand just keeps reposting the same garbage.

I don't know who is deleting. I've emailed Claire twice. But Rtux and Graphix Avenger are getting deleted also.

I've been told that flagging with such immediateness can only be accomplished by hacking into the system. If this is indeed the case then Patch should investigate and prosecute accordingly