Weekly Roundup: State Senator, MEF grants, budget cuts
Catch up on what happened this week in Medford.
State Sen. Dawn Addiego switches from Republican to Democrat
The news came in the form of a surprise announcement Monday afternoon from the longtime Evesham resident and Eighth Legislative District senator.
Addiego’s switch now brings the Democrats’ control of the state Senate to 26 seats, versus Republicans’ 14 seats — the lowest number for New Jersey’s GOP in decades.
Addiego previously served on Evesham Township Council from 1993 through 2000, then served on the Burlington County Board of Freeholders through 2008.
Addiego then represented the Eighth Legislative District in the state Assembly from 2008 through 2010, before moving to the district’s state Senate seat she currently holds.
The full story can be found here.
Grants were awarded throughout the Medford Township School District
Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi acknowledged the foundation for its support of the Medford Township School District, specifically thanking MEF president Pamela Scheller.
“I’d like to recognize you, Pam, as the president of the organization, for the time and effort you’ve put in this year thus far with some of the most successful events, tonight is a clear example,” Del Rossi said. “I’m sure I speak for the board of education, but I want to thank you as a superintendent. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your efforts.”
Scheller followed by awarding seven staff grants totalling $10,111.72, with five impacting individual school buildings and two impacting the entire district.
The full story can be found here.
SOS: Support Our Students
Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi also addressed upcoming budget cuts due to a reduction in state aid funding.
He said over the course of the next six years, the district will lose a total of about $1 million and he is concerned with how the students will be affected.
Del Rossi explained an advocacy group called “Support our Students” that represents 57 school districts (including Medford) and more than 138,000 students plans to go to the Capitol in Trenton during the governor’s budget address to ask for a freeze on the reduction until the fair funding formula is looked at more closely.
The full story can be found here.
