Preliminary School Budget 2022-23 - Still the Same-old Bloated, Out-of-Control $pending Pot of Money

 Well, looks like they introduced the above-mentioned school budget they're sending down to the County Super. Unlucky for you that you can't see it and won't be able to see it until probably sometime in April, after the County Super approves it. Even, after they get County Super approval, and they show you the Public Budget and the 'User Friendly' Budget they put up on their website - it's Not the same school budget they send down to the County Super.

Recognize while they're touting a zero tax increase budget, $pending is $300,461,684, which is up $14,864,520 or 5.2%. They didn't reduce any $pending in this school budget and the only benefit you see is due to increase in the Ratables.

They're infamous hoarders and while they start thanking the world for the increase in state aid this year, recognize that our increase this year was basically the same state aid increase we got last year, which was less a % increase than it was last year.

In summary, this school budget comes with a school tax rate of $3.197 Per Hundred, which is down 3-cents from last year's rate of $3.227. So, if you live in that imaginary home assessed at $181,400, they your school tax will be $5,798 and your school tax decrease will be $56 - solely due to the increase in the Ratables and Not due to any $pending reductions.

So, it's a good time to remind you about these school budgets and how they're done and how they become such Bloated Pots of Money year-after-year. Here's a bunch of things you should know about these school budgets from comments about last year's school budget:

Here's a simple calculator that will show you what this school budget does to your school tax. Just enter your home's assessed value:

Anyhoo, when they let you see what they want to show you for this school budget, then you'll see what's going on here.

When the Edison School Board Leadership goes from pathetic to apathetic - the only thing highlighted is it's continued dysfunction

 Well, there were eight candidates who submitted applications to fill the open Board Seat. At the March 17th meeting, five made their case (four in person and one virtual).

Apparently, after their closed session to select one to fill the seat - they couldn't. According to Board President Doug 'Mr. Apathetic' Schneider they all agreed in closed session Not to disclose any conversations held in closed session and they would regroup for the March 22nd meeting.

That's nice until a resident spoke in the public session. Seems he presented the Board President with a text found on one of the WhatsApp groups indicating the Board was deadlocked prior to the Board coming out of closed session to make that announcement.

Now, I don't know how that happened or what's going on with this Board but it sure seems that their Oversight role is being trumped by attempts to undermine each other. Take it that it's not the first time that information has shown up in one of these groups before it was made public by the School Board.

Clearly, these type of things just point out the lack of trust and credibility this Board has in moving the School District forward and that concerns me and it should concern you too.

With School Budgets approaching $300 million, Overcrowding issues that need to be addressed and a host of other serious matters on the table, the Board should be more interested ind dealing with those issues rather than letting everyone in town watch the Board's dysfunction play out.

Don't know how they can expect the get the public behind what needs to be done with this type of activity going on.

Nor for nothing but seems 'Mr. Apathetic' thinks he's running a Board Meeting of Romper Room rather that one centered in the bowels of this politically corrupt Dem-party town - and he's losing badly in his push to get to Five. A Mistake by the Board to be elevated to President as a newbie and, no doubt, a mistake will happen with their selection, if they can make one. Of course, they can let it go to the County and that would be ironic since that's how our Mayor was picked.

Now, I don't care who they pick because it won't help you or me, it will just help those seeking the control and power of the School Board.

After you watch the speeches below, you can pretty much figure out what's going on here and if you really payed attention to the on-going dysfunction of the School Board, then you should figure out why the best choice in this pool won't be picked.

Here's the March 17th School Board Meeting:

Anyhoo, at least we're comforted in knowing that the School Board is too busy undermining each other that they hope you don't pay attention to their Preliminary School Budget that comes out next week.

Eight Candidates seek Open Edison School Board Seat

 Well, here's the 8 candidates that have submitted applications to fill the open Edison School Board seat.

You can bet the winner is already picked but it makes for a good dog and pony show.

Since I don't know of four of the eight people on this list or what they bring to the table, it would be unfair to say anything about this list. However, will say, not much of a fan of newbies popping up at the last minute or leading this selection process either for that matter.

But it doesn't really matter to me who they pick since these picks are usually more political than otherwise. It's never who would be best but rather who would best serve those who control the selection process.

Anyhoo, let's see who blinked first and lost this power struggle in this dysfunctional board.

School Overcrowding is a Town Problem, Not just a Board of Ed Problem - You can't solve it without Both Sides of Town

 Well, if you thought (Joshi's Now $100,000 Chief of Staff) Bob 'See No Conflict' Diehl's 'Committee of the Hole' still in search of themselves was a waste of time and money, then you're really gonna like the Board of Mythomania, aka Board of WhatsApp's 'Committee of the Hole' to solve the Overcrowding over there on Mythomania Lane.

Seems the new ill-equipped Board Leader Doug 'I don't know what the heck I'm doing but I'm doing it anyway' Schneider and the old inept Board Leader Jerry 'Referen-Dumb' Shi can't play nice to solve a problem.

Watch the Board of Ed's February 28th 'Committee of the Whole' meeting and recognize why a Committee of the Whole to solve the Overcrowding problem would never work.

So, forget the twisted and self-serving Dem-party politics affecting and effecting both sides of town and let's get serious here. 

Let's start with the Liaison Committees.

On the Council side we have Chair Ship-Freeman and Members Brescher and Harris. 

On the BoE side, we have Chair White and Members Prasad-Madhukar and M. Patel.

Now, we've had these Liaison Committees for years but, quite honestly, they've been as useful as Joshi photo-ops are now.

Be that as it may, they may be useful this time around. If you scratch Ship-Freeman and M. Patel, you just might get some helpful input and collaboration from Brescher and Harris since both of them already served on the Board of Ed and would know all the nonsense that goes on over there and how to cut through it. 

White and Prasad-Madhukar would be our best chance to really fix this problem after years of neglect and piecemeal and expensive temporary fixes.

Maybe they can address the real things we need to do once and for all (which should be obvious to everyone in town by now) and work for a plan that addresses both the short and long-term goals that can garner public support to fix the Overcrowding.

Anyhoo, it's worth a shot - you have to start somewhere and so far we've been going nowhere for years. 

Full-day Kindergarten but Still No Plan to Deal with the Overcrowding?!?

 Well, with the announcement that full-day Kindergarten is back this September (and ignoring all the questions which that raises for now) it begs the question where is the plan to deal with the Overcrowding?

Not for nothing but where was the Board Leadership in making that announcement of full-day Kindergarten?

Oh wait - seems they're more interested in playing politics in photo ops with 'Mr. Shrink-flation' celebrating the outstanding collaboration in getting all that school state aid this year, which was not much more than we got last year without collaboration.

Duh!

 

 

Seems with the Board Leadership over there on Mythomania Lane going from pathetic to apathetic, sure looks like there's an on-going battle of wit between two unarmed opponents in 'Mr. Apathetic' and Mr. Shi-shed' for control of the board.

Both a disaster in moving the School District forward. Seems they spend all their time trying to count to Five.

Meanwhile, still haven't seen a plan to address the Overcrowding. Maybe it will show up on WhatsApp or whatever other avenue in use these days to undermine themselves.

Until we get some substantive Board Leadership over there on Mythomania Lane, we'll just continue down this road to nowhere with You paying for all this nonsense. 

Anyhoo, pay attention to who they pick to fill the Open Board Seat on March 17th.

Look at all these Local Pols lining up for credit in this photo-op?!?

 Well, not a follower of Mayor Sam 'Mr. Shrink-flation' Joshi's Facebook page but saw this post on a group I do follow. Nearly, fell off my chair laughing at his text and thinking who writes this stuff and what are all these Local Pols trying to take credit for. Do they even know?

Don't know if he hired that new Social Media person or not yet but somebody's got to take his computer away.

Not for nothing but it's amazing how Local Pols like to take credit for thingies without giving you all the facts - the $11,756,093 increase in State School Aid we're getting in FY 2023 is just $269,261 more than the increase of $11,486,832 (and less a % increase) we got in FY 2022, without everybody's 'collaboration' and photo op.

Geez, the extra $269,261 is gonna $tabilize taxes and 'Mr. Big-boy pants '..we're not messing around' quote is a hoot. That won't even cover his political hires over there on Oligarchy Blvd. much less what goes on over there on Mythomania Lane.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'll take any money the State wants to give us but this is just a tad bit too much of Joshi photo-op nonsense.

What are you doing Dr. Bragen?!? Surely, you know that Spin is all well and good, just as long as you don't believe it.

Anyhoo, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that 'the future is bright' under 'Mr. Shrink-flation's' lack of context and content. 

NJ State K-12 School Aid Numbers for FY 2023

 Well, just saw the FY 2023 State Aid numbers on the NJDOE website. The Total State School Aid is $9,919,118,962, which is up $649,995,331 or 7.01% over FY 2022.

Middlesex County State Aid is $838,234,510, which is up $83,649,872 or 11.09% over FY 2022.

Edison State Aid is $47,595,461, which is up $11,756,093 or 32.80% over FY 2022.

Here's the K-12 State Aid by County:

Here's K-12 State Aid for Middlesex County:

Anyhoo, now the fun begins to see where all that money is going along with all that other money they've been hoarding. The Preliminary School Budget approval has been rescheduled to March 22nd from March 17th where they will then vote to send the Preliminary School Budget for 2022-23 down to the County Commish for his approval. The March 17th Meeting is still a go so they can pick a replacement for the open Board Seat.