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Answer:
Election of school board members will take place on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
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When the Regis Academy Charter School was approved by Acting Commissioner Cerf last fall, Cherry Hill received a charter school aid projection of $1.9 million based on an enrollment projection of 169 students. Administration used that initial projection in the proposed 2012-2013 budget.
On February 28 – the day administratioin presented the proposed budget to the Board and community - the district received revised charter school aid projections from the NJ Department of Education. The DOE sent two projections, one for 186 students (and a set-aside of $2,331,866) and one for 50 students (and a set-aside of $608,825). The DOE explained the two versions as follows: “One version apportions enrollment for the districts in the region of residence using the maximum students in the approved New Jersey Charter School Application pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-15.3. The second version is based on enrollment data provided by the charter school.”
As Dr. Reusche discussed at the Board meeting that evening, the district wanted to seek guidance from the DOE regarding which projection to use. We don’t believe that Regis Academy will draw 50 students from Cherry Hill. In fact, in response to an OPRA request in late February, Regis told us that they had just five applicants from Cherry Hill.
We have argued at length with Commissioner Cerf and with our legislators about the flawed process that requires our district to front funding for enrollments that are unlikely to materialize. Nevertheless, the DOE has been quite clear that it will not approve a budget that does not reflect at least the minimum set-aside of $608,825 for 50 students.
According to the DOE, Regis has until June 30 to demonstrate that it has a facility; until directed otherwise by the DOE, we still have to set aside funding using one of the DOE's two projections from February 28.
Based on budget discussions at the Board of Education meeting on March 13, it appears likely that the Board will use the DOE's lower projection of 50 students. If the Board opts for the lower projection, the administration is recommending the following:
We encourage residents to continue writing to Acting Commissioner Cerf and our legislators about the set-aside issue.
Yes, in special action on February 14, the Cherry Hill Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to move the annual school election from April to the November general election date. This action eliminates the public vote on proposed school budgets that are at or below the levy cap, which is currently at 2%.