Time for the Second Step
It’s too early to see the agenda for next Thursday’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council, but one wonders whether including Sea Bright in school regionalization will be moved a step further.
Now that both Atlantic Highlands and Highlands residents have approved the Regionalization of their three school districts, it’s the right time to take on Step #2 and let the Council begin its work towards a new referendum to consider the inclusion of Sea Bright in the newly formed district.
This borough’s council members, along with the school superintendent, Sea Bright and Highlands borough Council, have all indicated they would favor such a referendum. Each of the school boards unanimously endorsed such a move, and now with the new Board comprised of these same members who endorsed Sea Bright earlier, it shows the new board is also eager to have a vote to include Sea Bright. The 2nd Step.
All previous feasibility studies have concluded that the inclusion of Sea Bright would offer the best educational benefits for our students and tax savings for our residents.
In State Education Commissioner McMillan’s letter dated last month, just days before the election that approved a regional district, she indicated that a new referendum request can now be submitted requesting Sea Bright’s inclusion. She also said the appeal submitted by Shore Regional and Oceanport opposing this has been rejected. That means there are no hindrances to allowing all the residents to have their own say at the election polls.
The Commissioner went on to say that since so much time has evolved, an update to the prior feasibility study may be required.
Sea Bright has already initiated that process, so eager is that borough to join its two close neighbors for improved education for all and to pour money into this new district. Sea Bright has also requested that Atlantic Highlands and Highlands participate in that update as well.
Highlands did not waste any time in stating they will participate and approve updating the feasibility study as the Commissioner wants. They long ago said they want the people to vote on whether to include Sea Bright; they are not going to do anything that would delay what they feel is important….let the people decide.
So it seems Atlantic Highlands Council will most likely be discussing how they feel about it at their meeting Thursday night, knowing how important it is they, too, approve participating in a study update.
This is Step #2, the next logical step in the careful walk toward a referendum that could finally see the three towns come together and achieve all the benefits identified for both our education system and taxpayers.
You remember when taxpayers and educators got all the facts on the monetary impact of regionalization among the three schools many months ago. Atlantic Highlands and Highlands each stand to save over one million dollars per year through Sea Bright’s inclusion. Those facts still stand and would still happen once Sea Bright is approved by the voters to become part of this new regionalization that officially happened this week.
Now it appears it is all up to the Atlantic Highlands council to continue moving along the right of the people to decide.
It will be remarkably interesting to see if the elected officials will stand true to their word and make the decision to join Highlands and Sea Bright in approving a feasibility update to support the Commissioner’s request. It is worth attending the meeting at 7 pm next Thursday or joining online to see what each of the council members says regarding their support to move forward with Step #2 and giving the people the opportunity to express their opinion.
