May 4, 2017, Clark (NJ) TapInto: Clark BOE Passes 2017-2018 School Budget; Parents Voice Concerns Over Cuts https://www.tapinto.net/towns/clark/articles/clark-boe-passes-2017-2018-school-budget-parents
Business Administrator Paul Vizzuso said that the projected school tax based on the 2016-2017 school year would be increased by about $122 per household (based on the average assessed value of $121,000) depending on the value of the home.
Before getting into the specific budget numbers, Superintendent Ed Grande reviewed a few key aspects of school budgeting to explain the district’s current financial status. …
Special Education
“When you look at the 2015-2016 school year, our special ed students… grew dramatically, much more than we anticipated," board member Robert Smorol said. "And we took a significant hit financially based on the growth in special ed. To send one special ed student out-of-district runs us somewhere between $50,000 to $90,000 per student.” …
“We have to deliver a better product in the school systems to keep our students here,” added board member Thomas Lewis. “Let’s make special ed better.”
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.