Senator Bob Singer, Assemblyman Avi Schnall, Lakewood Mayor Coles, and the Lakewood Township Committee issued the following joint statement following reports that New Jersey plans to seize control of the Lakewood School District:
Lakewood is one of the most unique school districts not only in New Jersey, but in the entire country. More than 50,000 children attend private schools in Lakewood, while approximately 5,000 students are enrolled in the public school district — nearly 90 percent of whom are English Language Learners (ESL). No other district in the state comes close to this demographic reality, and New Jersey’s school funding formula was never designed to account for such a system.
As a result, the Lakewood School District faces an annual structural deficit of more than $100 million. This is not the product of mismanagement or lack of oversight. It is the direct consequence of a funding formula that does not reflect Lakewood’s unique circumstances and statutory obligations.
Recognizing this mismatch, the State has for many years provided loans to help fill the district’s budgetary gap and keep schools operating. During that same period, more than a dozen state-appointed fiscal monitors have reviewed Lakewood’s finances in depth, each charged with identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for cost savings.
Without exception, every one of those monitors reached the same conclusion: Lakewood’s challenge is not a management issue — it is a revenue issue.
If the State of New Jersey believes that assuming a more direct role in Lakewood’s school district will finally lead to a sustainable, long-term solution to this structural problem, we welcome that effort. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Department of Education and with incoming Governor Mikie Sherrill to resolve this issue once and for all.
Our priority has always been — and remains — the students. The students who rely on the Lakewood School District deserve stability, resources, and an education system that is properly funded and designed for their needs. We welcome this opportunity.
They may say Lakewood has to raise the taxes to cover everything.