I don't understand this comment. We currently have 105 students out with out of district placements (http://www.pthsd.k12.nj.us/pdf/2011-2012_Budget_Worksession_2.pdf - slide 14). We have decreased the number over the years by adding special add classrooms within our district and allowing students to be in their home school and many times with siblings. Additionally the current budget has 7 or 8 special ed contingency seats for students who move into the district during the school year to make sure they get everything they need. What more do you want funded?

Choffo is the incumbent, who supported the increase in Seitz' contract. Trapp is a retired teacher who also supports the increase. Let's vote for some honesty & transparency in the BOE and vote in people who will look out for both the students and the taxpayers.

Going out of district for services is very costly to the taxpayers. One child that I am aware of has a cost of approximately $100,000.00 per year to be serviced out of district. I think the more cost effective and better for the student way to handle this issue is to take that money for all of the 100+ students that are sent out of district and bring them back into the district and hire the appropriate teachers and caregivers for them. Realistically, more than one child can be serviced efficiently and beneficially for under $100,000.00 per year. Those same children can attend a district school where they or their siblings or their parents may know others in their school, even if it is not their home school. Sending the children out of district just makes no sense to me. The costs are so much higher to do so and you send them to towns that are all over the county or even out of county. It seems like that would be something that would be detrimental in the long run for them. I just don't understand why we can't fund the educators and caregivers here in our own district, saving the taxpayers the extra money that the other districts charge us for their specialized educators & caregivers. Why don't we have them here? What am I missing here?

With regard to the Nancy Smith video, this is sooooooo unrealistic. If you would like class size to be 15 or 20 max instead of 25 for grades K-2 you would be looking to hire many more teachers. (my rough guess is 3-4 per school...roughly one per grade and an extra as some grades are larger x 10 elementary schools), while everyone is saying cut the budget this now encourages the hiring or 30-40 teachers. While I too would like to see smaller class size, I wish the public would come forward with realistic expectations.

I also watched the video and thought 15 students is an unreasonable number. Public schools are not private schools - there isn't that very individualized, small group setting.

Niki's comment is interesting. If the town is paying $100K/year for a single student, there must be a way to make that more efficient.

I would like more talk around shared services and resources among the schools - human resources, equipment, etc. In addition, perhaps green initiatives that might be achievable through grants that would result in energy efficiencies.

Yes - I'm aware of the solar initiatives, as they are constantly brought up. I would hope that we would continue to pursue grant funding in "hot" areas, as much as possible.

Hi Niki - I never thought that you would want to see a child not get the services they need! As already evidenced, there is money to be saved by bringing kids back into the district. I just don't know that we have the space needed! Would love to hear what Suzanne (special services) has to say! Monica

Steve- I follow the posts on Patch and my heart always sinks when I hear you reference your terrible experience. It sounds like someone dropped the ball big time in regard to your experience. Would you mind sharing some of those rules that you were referring to in the post above? Perhaps if you did, we would be able to work toward change.