Eagleswood Faced With Big School Costs
by Liam McKenna
Introduction: Local government fascinates me, especially in small towns. When asked why, I cite this meeting from last fall. I get to write, see and hear about what people expect from their government — and the impact it has on daily life. Outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, I don’t think there is any other part of government I’d rather cover more.
11.18.2015 — Frugality appears to have cost the Eagleswood Elementary School. On Sept. 29, a referendum asking taxpayers for nearly $3 million to perform needed repairs and to construct additions was defeated. On Nov. 16, town hall was packed by school supporters for the municipal meeting to make officials aware of the situation. They said the bill is for the basics to keep the school from going bust. Yet, that number appears to be too large for residents of the small town.
“Every day, we are getting notices of people losing their homes,” Mayor Debra Rivas said. “I got homes that were destroyed by the storm that we’re getting no tax money from. Any way you can cut this down to just what you need, let’s try to do that.”
School Superintendent Debra Snyder said the school has equipment original to the building, dating back to 1968. She said that is evidence that they’ve made every effort to be as fiscally conservative as possible since 1968. Now, the equipment is just too old to be repaired, according to Snyder.
“That’s money you cannot save,” Snyder said, referencing the replacement of equipment.
Eagleswood Board of Education member Kim Pharo speculated that the importance of the referendum was not stressed enough prior to the September vote. She said the board has had an architect assess the safety of the school, adding, “Our main goal is the safety of our kids.”
Initially, there was an estimated $6 million in crucial repairs. Pharo knew that was undoable. Then, the board broke down what was an absolute priority. Keeping the school running was at the top, followed by items mostly required because of state mandates.
“You’re all homeowners. You understand that when you buy or you own an older home, things cost a lot more to fix and are not running as efficiently,” Pharo said. “You can only Band-Aid things for so long.”
“The kitchen, HVAC and the electrical: The architect was like, ‘These things just aren’t safe. If they break, good luck getting them fixed because they no longer make parts,’” she said.
Pharo said the board then decided the referendum was needed. They had cut everything they possibly could. She said the board went over the referendum’s total, line by line, figuring out how it could be minimalized.
The final numbers came down to just under $3 million, including about $1.5 million mainly for building improvements. Construction of additional space would cost about $1.3 million.
On the referendum, the numbers did not appear to add up correctly. However, this was a result of the legal wording required, and proponents said the numbers did actually add up.
That referendum alone cost the school roughly $10,000, according to Pharo.
“All of this stuff has to go out to bid through the state, and that’s more expensive than having your neighbor doing it,” she said. “We’re talking about cracks in the foundation. That’s scary.”
Deputy Mayor Wayne Thomas said there needed to be better budgeting: having money set aside for when heaters or other items need repair or replacement. However, “I realize how hard that is with a tight budget,” Thomas said.
Now, he feels the referendum is the result of the accumulation of these issues.
The matter will be voted on again March 8, but there are doubts about its ability to pass. Pharo said the school board knows it needs to be open to suggestions. Her point: she doesn’t want to see Eagleswood get swallowed up by a surrounding district. Although her children are no longer in the school, she says she is on the board to ensure every child in Eagleswood can go to its school.
Resident Isabella Pharo said she felt lucky to live in a school district with a small ratio of teacher-to-student. If she were living in a larger district, she fears her daughter’s need for an occupational therapist would go unnoticed.
“My kids were privileged to go to Eagleswood,” Rivas said. “It’s a gift. I want that for everyone else in this town.”
School Board Seeks Township Support
So why did proponents of the school flood the Eagleswood Township Committee meeting? Resident Steve Halford said they are seeking the support of township officials for both the passage of the referendum and educating the community on its importance.
“When you guys get everything together, we’ll review it, and if we feel we can support you, I’m sure we will,” Thomas said. “We’re not opposed to supporting you.”
Committeeman Mike Pasternak said better educating the public may also help.
Halford said when he and others polled residents about the referendum, there appeared to be misunderstandings about it. He reported that some thought the bill was for new teachers, staff raises or unnecessary additions.
“None of that is true,” Halford said.
He added that residents appeared not to understand the impact the school’s closure would have on Eagleswood. Providing the example of some people believing school taxes would go away, he said residents were not informed about the costs of consolidation with another district. He argued that school taxes have a potential to go up if Eagleswood became a sending district; the member towns would have control over its budgeting.
“I don’t want to see the school close, either,” Pasternak said. “I don’t want to see us incurring all this other debt, believe me.”
Pasternak could personally attest to the legitimacy of the necessities listed. Though speaking as “Mike Pasternak, the person and the resident,” he was surprised to see the length of the list.
“Something has to get cut because I’m concerned we’re going to see the same result,” a second defeat, Pasternak said. “I really don’t know what to say. People are hurting. Jobs are bad.”
Pasternak also said there may be more debate on state-mandated school consolidation, adding to Eagleswood Elementary’s concerns. “I understand there’s a rough road ahead. I don’t have a magic bullet to give you.”
“It’s not a matter of getting you what you need. It’s a matter of getting it to pass,” Thomas said. “We know these numbers don’t pass. They already didn’t.”
Snyder said the school doors are open for residents to see exactly what is being billed to taxpayers. Right now, it appears unlikely the bill would change, because doing so would cost the school more money and a loss of state aid, according to Halford.
“Do you think (asking for) spending that much money again for something that just lost a couple months ago is a good way to go?” Thomas asked.
“That is a very good question,” Halford said. He hopes that voter turnout will be higher because the first vote did not pass. He had heard from many folks that there was an assumption the referendum would pass. Better educating Eagleswood voters on the importance of the referendum’s passage is imperative for its success.
Jiovanna Debella, a parent of a student and an employee within the Atlantic City School District, works in a district being monitored by the state. She says that may happen in Eagleswood without the passage of this referendum.
“I know, because I live it every day, what happens to the students when the state comes in: They are no longer students. They are numbers on a piece of paper. They are dollar signs,” Debella said. “Programs and things that they need get lost.”
She claimed that there’s very little say the residents, the board, the staff and municipal officials have once a school is managed by the state.
“I see it with my students every single day,” Debella said. “It’s a sin.”
Debella added that she has had children go through the Little Egg Harbor Township School District, and she later specifically bought a home in Eagleswood for its school.
She said she understood the feelings on the other end, those taxpayers. As a single mother, she understands the hurt of tax hikes. Her argument: Taxes will go up no matter what, and it’s a matter of selecting “the better of two evils.” To her, that would be passing the referendum and ensuring the school stays.
Frugality has been the message from the school to Eagleswood residents, Pasternak said. However, he added it’s hard to make that claim when the school is asking for millions of dollars.
“I know how difficult this can be, but this is our community school,” Halford said.
“We don’t have much here in West Creek, but the one thing that we do have here that the other surrounding towns do not have is our small, family-oriented school,” Isabella Pharo said.
