Weekly Roundup: minimum wage, “fees for fun” in the Tabernacle school district
In other news, Newspaper Media Group announced its first-ever holiday food drive.
The fight over $15 an hour
Over the course of the past few years, the fight for a $15 per hour minimum wage has been a point of contention among the right and left sides of the political spectrum. Thanks to Democratic candidate for governor Phil Murphy, who supports a $15 per hour minimum wage, New Jersey has joined states such as New York and California, both of which signed legislation to raise their minimum wages to $15 per hour, in that debate. His opponent in the race, current Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who late last year famously said that “If we pass the $15 minimum wage, you’re pumping your own gas,” disagrees. The last time New Jersey’s minimum wage was raised was Jan. 1 of this year, from $8.38 to $8.44.
Tabernacle BOE deliberates doing away with “fees for fun”
The Tabernacle Board of Education deliberated getting rid of “fees for fun,” which are fees paid by students or their families to participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports. The fees are $35 per student per club and $50 per student per sport. Exemptions to these fees are based only upon the qualifications of the federal school lunch program.
The motion was brought up by board member Brian Lepsis, who wanted to eliminate the fees. The motion was defeated. Board members Victoria Shoemaker, Gail Corey, Megan Jones, Kevin McCloy and John Tirico voted against Lepsis’ motion, and all voted to keep the funding structure as it is. Board members Megan Chamberlain and Antony Laudicina voted along with Lepsis to approve the motion. The same group, Chamberlain, Laudicina and Lepsis voted against the current structure. As a result, the current “fees for fun” funding structure remained intact.
“We’re striving to do so much here,” Lepsis said. “To include the whole community and at the same time we throw up a barrier to participation by those who are our core nucleus of constituents.”
Newspaper Media Group announces its first-ever holiday food drive
Newspaper Media Group, publisher of The Sun Newspaper, is excited to announce it is holding its first-ever holiday food drive!
In conjunction with the Food Bank of South Jersey, Newspaper Media Group has coordinated a list of local businesses throughout Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties where you can drop off food for those in need this holiday season.
The Newspaper Media Group food drive will last the entire month of November, and all donations collected will be given to the Food Bank of South Jersey, which distributes all the donations within the South Jersey community!
