Some State Aid Returns to Little Silver School District

The Little Silver School District, which lost all $522,301 of its state aid in 2010, will receive about $90,000 this year, Superintendent Dr. Carolyn M. Kossack said Wednesday night. Her comments came during a school board meeting at the Markham Place School, attended by members of the borough council and residents.

The district's official budget hearing was scheduled for  7:30 p.m. Thursday at Markham Place School. Information from Wednesday’s meeting was made available at www.littlesilverschools.org. The site also has an e-suggestion box where parents can submit topics and concerns that they would like to see addressed at future meetings. 

At the Wednesday night session, Dr. Kossack fielded questions from attendees,  including some challenging the necessity of administrative positions such as board secretary, principal and supervisors overseeing curriculum and special services. Some speakers urged consideration of shared administrative services with other school districts. Dr. Kossack and school board members explained and defended the positions, discussing their impact on students' education.

Revenue generation ideas were also discussed. Some have already been implemented, including a summer enrichment program and a tuition policy for non-resident and pre-school students. 

One parent suggested the introduction of fee-based  after school programs, such as dance or music classes, an idea that received favorable comment from Dr. Kossack and school board members. A pay-t0-play policy for athletic programs was also suggested, prompting a discussion in which Dr. Kossack disclosed that it costs $295 per bus to transport a sports team from Little Silver to Rumson. She also said, however, that the district was trying not to impose additional costs on parents.