School Budget Gap Forces Lakewood To Cut Sports: Report

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The Lakewood Township School District will retain 130 teachers but cut all of its sports except football in a budget for the 2017-18 school year approved by a state monitor, according to a report.

The Asbury Park Press reported the budget approved Tuesday night cuts all but one librarian's position and almost all athletic programs. The school board refused to approve the budget for next school year, but state monitor David Shafter overruled board members to adopt the proposal, the report said.

Several guidance counselor positions were set to be slashed in the original proposal, but after district Superintendent Laura Winters said she wouldn't certify the original budget, Shafter said all 14 guidance counselors in the district would keep their jobs.

The budget includes $8.5 million in emergency state funding to rehire nearly 130 teachers whose positions were cut last month as the district faced a severe budget deficit, and $85,000 from the township to save the football program, the report said.

Despite the emergency funding, the district still faces a budget gap and state money was not enough to save most athletic programs and library jobs. The district will employ just one librarian in the budget adopted Tuesday.

Read more here.

Image via Shutterstock