Long Island, NY – The Lawrence school board, dominated by parents who send their children to private schools, has learned an important lesson. Taxpayer money must be spent in accordance with state law.
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A state Supreme Court judge in Albany has upheld an August ruling by state Education Commissioner Richard Mills barring the district from providing bus service to private schools for pre-kindergarten students. The busing dispute is just one of the many divisive fights in a school district influenced by a rapidly growing population of Orthodox Jewish families, who prefer to educate their children in yeshivas.
Now a majority of the district’s more than 7,000 students, mostly from the Lawrence and Woodmere communities, fall into the private-school camp. Not surprisingly, the parents who are paying both taxes and tuition want services from the district that support their choice.
That’s why the board authorized spending $465,000 this school year to bus 275 of the young private-school students, despite the state’s saying that was an unauthorized expense. The state allows busing to public pre-school programs, which are attended by about 135 children in Lawrence.
The district, which has lost each round of this fight, should avoid pandering to its supporters with another costly appeal. That would only further undermine confidence in the school board and its ability to carry out its primary mission: fostering public education [newsday]
As a general comment on the issue of providing peripheral services, such as transportation to private/religious school students; The Orthodox Taxpayers are paying school taxes , as are other taxpayers, but are not using the services of the public schools. So it’s only fair that they should get part of their taxes back in the form of bus transportation and USDA food programs.
I don’t get it. If there is parity with the older kids, why is the state denying the same parity to private school taxpayers with pre-k kids? Pre-k kids attending public school get busing, so why shouldn’t it be an option for private school kids? They pay taxes, too, and the majority of the kids in the district go to private schools.
” Anonymous said…
The deciding factor has nothing to do with Pre K or Pre 1A or 1st grade. If your 7 year old is in Pre K he can go by bus. In all schools, public or private, the age limit to go on the bus is 5.”
You all missed the point here. The issue here is whether the law allows the district to bus private school kids to pre-k. The law definitely allows the district to bus public school kids to pre-k, the decision just says that the private school kids can’t. It’s not about age, or about what is danbgerous. If the yeshiva kids would be the same age and going to public school pre-k they would be on buses every day.
“Clearly the liberal/athiests toute seperation of Church and state when it comes to services that help religious people (who are also american’s/taxpayers)”
11:44 — this is such an absurd thing to say.
Do you really think this way? I hope not.
The deciding factor has nothing to do with Pre K or Pre 1A or 1st grade. If your 7 year old is in Pre K he can go by bus. In all schools, public or private, the age limit to go on the bus is 5.
Exactly anon 11:17. My son’ friend who is 1 year older is going to the SAME SCHOOL and lives right next door. But the bus can’t pick up my son…jeez
to anon 9:32am.
Why should I stop complaining because you’re paying $2,700. This is money that could be better spent…btw where do you pay that much for 1 child to be bussed?
Clearly the liberal/athiests toute seperation of Church and state when it comes to services that help religious people (who are also american’s/taxpayers)
I know everyone here believes that what they say is always the only truth, but are you people missing the fact the Pre-K children that go to public school are recieving the very same bus service which was rejected for the private school kids.
-Tax Payer
Sorry, Newsday is right this time – No place in the US pays for Pre-K bussing.
Pre K kids are too young to go on a bus. No money in the world will bring back your loved one if R’L something happens. I live here in Monsey and the law is the same. Its not discriminatory, its a safety issue, live with it.
stop complaining, i pay $2700
This cost me $1800 to bus my son to pre-school this year!!