SCHOOL BUDGET PREVIEW CITES ENROLLMENT HIKE, NEW ACCESS AND EQUITY POLICY COSTS

School district kindergarten enrollment continues to climb beyond expectations, School District Business Administrator Cheryl Schneider revealed Monday night as part of a budget analysis that indicated that will lead to a greater enrollment increase in coming years.

Schneider's 17-page analysis also noted that the new access and equity policy that allows greater choice in placement will likely require more staffing and resources to implement, while also indicating legal costs have been inching up and the district has been involved in more litigation than usual.

Finally, she said the district is reviewing the cost of so-called "courtesy busing," which is provided to students at Jefferson and Marshall schools and other special situations. 

State law requires that the district bus students in grades K to 8 who live more than two miles from their school and high school students who live more than 2.5 miles away.

The report indicates the district spends $5.2 million on busing each year, about 4.5% of the entire district budget. $3.2 million of that goes to special education students. But about 443 students are bused in situations in which the law does not require it.

Hear her summary of the report below:

   

COOKING CLASSES AVAILABLE

From Maplewood Recreation Department:

Registration is currently open for the Maplewood Winter 2016 Recreation Cooking Classes.  All classes are held at the Maplewood Community Center, 120 Burnett Avenue.  They are all drop off classes.  Emphasis will be on the Winter Season. Class size is limited to 8 children. 
Mini Chef  II Mondays 4 - 5 PM begins Monday Jan. 11th.  It runs for 8 weeks for $110.00 for children in grades k - 2.  1/12 - 3/14.  ( no classes 1/18 & 2/15)
Mini Chef I Thursdays 4 - 5 PM begins Thursday Jan. 14 and runs for 8 weeks for $110.00 for children 5 - 7 years old. Must be 5 by March 1, 2016.  Classes run from 1/14 - 3/3.
Junior Chef Tuesdays 4 - 5:15 PM begins Tuesday Jan. 12th and runs for 8 weeks for $120.00 for children in grades 3 - 5.  1/12 - 3/1.
Registration may be done at the Maplewood Recreation Office, 574 Valley Street Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 4:30 PM  or online at http://register.communitypass.net/maplewood.  The programs are listed under Fall/Winter 2015 -16.
Any questions please call 973 763 4202.

THEFTS AND BURGLARY MARK POLICE WEEK

From Maplewood Police.

December 14, 2015; Package Theft; At approximately 1:30 PM a package delivered to a home on St Lawrence Ave was stolen.  A black vehicle with no further description was observed leaving the scene and was possibly involved.

December 16, 2015; Burglary; During the overnight hours entry was made by an unknown individual/s to a home on Briarcliff Ct.  A purse and laptop were reported stolen from the first floor.

(In case you missed this robbery when it was reported Saturday:)
December 18, 2015; Robbery; At approximately 8:50 AM, a 13 year old male was approached by a Hispanic male on Valley St.  The male asked for a dollar and then if he could use the victim’s cell phone.  When the juvenile replied no, the male threatened to injure him.  At this time the victim ran to the middle school and reported the incident.  Officers responding to the call were able to locate a male fitting the description of the actor on Prospect St.  He was identified as 18 year old Christopher Zapata of Belleville.  Following the on scene investigation, Zapata was arrested for the Attempted robbery and was also found to be in possession of CDS(Controlled Dangerous Substance).  He was charged with robbery, as well as CDS charges.  The victim was not injured.

December 20, 2015; Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 4 AM a Ford van was stolen from a business located on Springfield Ave.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETS TONIGHT FOR LAST TIME IN 2015

The Board of Education holds its final meeting of 2015 tonight, with plans to discuss or approve issues related to the budget, a new wellness policy, and a new policy for medication distribution.

See the entire agenda HERE.

And remember, you can always show up for public comment. So ask a question, give them a piece of your mind or just a pat on the back.

Remember, they work for you.

ABANDONED HOUSE SET FOR DEMOLITION AGAIN

We've been following the saga of 4 Mountain Ave., the abandoned house that was set for demolition after neighbors petitioned to get rid of the eyesore that has been vacant for years.

Township Committee members voted in November to begin demolition of the house, which has received numerous code violations over the years.

When the owner, Claydes Ahmad Smith, and potential buyer, Michael Yablonsky, pleaded for a stay last month and promised it would be sold by December 4, the TC said they would hold off on a demolition.

But Township Attorney Roger Desiderio said last week that no word of a sale had been heard and the owners had not kept the Township informed as they promised.

That prompted the TC last week to approved a resolution to seek bids for a contract to do the demolition.

See the approval below:

FLASH FICTION LIBRARY TODAY

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
 
Main Library – Grades 6 and up.  Flash fiction is very, very short stories. You choose from the stories provided, read it aloud and then we’ll talk about it. Refreshments will be served.

TROUBLED DAIBES PROJECT GIVEN NEW LIFE, AGAIN

Less than two months after pulling the plug on the troubled Daibes development project at Springfield and Burnett avenues, the Township Committee agreed to allow the work to continue.

But only with strict new conditions.

First, Daibes must deposit $100,000 into an escrow account that will revert to the Township if deadlines are not met.

Second, an architect monitor will be hired, at Daibes expense, to make regular bi-weekly inspections and make sure the housing/retail project stays on track.

If both requirements are not met through the estimated May 20, 2016 completion date, the housing/retail project can be terminated again.

"One thing we can do is throw them off the job," Mayor Vic Deluca said at Tuesday's meeting.

In October, the TC formally canceled the previous agreement after Daibes continued to miss deadlines for permits and completion of the project that was first announced nearly four years ago. Since then, the unfinished building has remained.

Daibes officials requested a new agreement Tuesday that was approved, 4-1, with TC Member Marlon Brownlee opposing.

"I don't have much confidence that the May 20th deadline will be met," Brownlee said Tuesday.

The agreement stipulates that Daibes deposit $100,000 in the escrow account and finish installing windows by Feb. 15. If they are not installed, the money will be kept by the Township and the agreement terminated.

If they are installed, then the monitor will begin regular inspections of the site every two weeks and report back to the Township. If the monitor finds the project is not on schedule, the agreement can be terminated as well.

"This sounds better," TC Member Kathy Leventhal said.

GET YOUR FIRST NIGHT TICKETS EARLY FOR DISCOUNT

First Night - Maplewood/South Orange

When: December 31, 2015 from 4:00PM to 10:00PM
Where: Columbia High School in Maplewood NJ
Plan your entertainment-filled New Years Eve with our incredible performers!
Buy your discounted tickets for First Night NOW. Only $16 until December 24!
Want to Help? We still need volunteers!