[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6034694,"mediaKeyId","5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093","parentId",5121124,"title","Drivers, union push board to keep transportation in-house as district plans outsourcing","audioSeconds",2389,"startMs",6630000,"endMs",9019000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093&start=6630&end=9019","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093/thumbnail_6630000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6034694/New-Jersey/Drivers-union-push-board-to-keep-transportation-in-house-as-district-plans-outsourcing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6034694-1e3ec31bf0613057e09ca1a033bb227b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445367&Signature=iXK9t4EXmXUAdnNsgUG91DzBATchf6HZrjxwcb9ABvOsdCW4b4pwWMmi50FiYQdaVgmfCeTZ8qbk9qGbqbayJqnU81vJVJDBiyHGLL7P98lgjXbLyx3ZWTAUN6JF0DErWlHVLbq3WMGtJq5qv3oAeQ4P~wr6JHY4lZaD2hx3VdYDImMr0Uy3q9bR0vS257Ksh2lqsa97BHV9MrHPRT0ZqcHZJKXEzNGARggmk--DtYRBWp~2EsuhLMnailBDfSyI-0Moocd2TqaFaAdft1tss5VYE2bizZW~DA8dckvM54erxw0FIUXv0tJnztGzRj3QXjVF2WV6p9gkLS-ukr8H0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Evesham Township School District, NJ","date","2025-04-29T01:45:33Z","article","Union representatives and dozens of district bus drivers urged the Evesham Township Board of Education to reconsider plans to outsource a substantial portion of school transportation, arguing the district can consolidate runs and keep routes in-house while saving money.

Angel McDermott, the NJEA representative for the Evesham Township Education Association, told the board the association had initiated a review with drivers that found many Hillman-owned runs carry few students and that drivers could consolidate routes to reduce cost. “By keeping operation under your control, you have total control. And you will know what to budget and how to budget,” McDermott said. She said the association will meet next week with district leadership and expects board representatives to attend.

Drivers who spoke at public comment described persistent operational problems they say the district has not addressed: buses left unrepaired, flat tires unresolved during school breaks, malfunctioning radios and cameras, and repeated outsourcing of runs even when district drivers were available. “We do this day in and day out. We deal with so much that none of you even can fathom,” said one driver who testified she had to evacuate preschoolers when a bus caught fire on a route two years ago.

Several speakers challenged the district’s savings estimate. Administration presentations had said privatizing would save about $800,000; union and drivers pointed to projected transportation costs rising to roughly $8 million next year and questioned how outsourcing is cost-effective long term. Drivers also said no competitive bids had yet been processed and asked why the board would vote on a budget that assumes outsourcing without receiving vendor bids.

The board and administration said they will meet with association leaders and drivers; Doctor Smith agreed to a meeting with association leadership and drivers next week, and McDermott said the union would review documents and propose alternatives to preserve jobs and improve operational efficiency. Drivers also asked the board to require administration to provide complete bid documents and a transition plan before finalizing outsourcing decisions.

The public comments included personal accounts about service problems and pleas to preserve local drivers because of their familiarity with special-needs students. Several parents and service providers warned that private vendors unfamiliar with the district and students pose risks for children with complex needs.

The board took no immediate action on transportation at the meeting; public commenters and union leaders requested follow-up, and the administration said it would provide requested materials to the union and engage in bargaining and operational review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Evesham Township BOE Meeting 04.28.25 @ 7:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","Union leaders and district bus drivers urged the board to retain Evesham drivers and challenged the administration’s outsourcing plan, saying internal route consolidation could preserve jobs and that bids have not been provided. A meeting between district officials and driver representatives was scheduled.","taxTitle","Evesham Township School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",60060,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6034699,"Parents and staff protest plan to place Yale program classrooms in DeMacy Elementary pod",2727,7799000,10526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093&start=7799&end=10526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093/thumbnail_7799000.jpg","/articles/6034699/New-Jersey/Parents-and-staff-protest-plan-to-place-Yale-program-classrooms-in-DeMacy-Elementary-pod","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6034699-0b1083f71c09ebed53045b584b9a3727/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445368&Signature=P93l87M3NVDz0bEZzM2Z10hBfNHPa572H3qMu4HrK0Jvkf4rws~B2Z-aOLN5oNevUws91V-jDAgmKYQqfuYq9hQUFVEB8qpfVgNi~s0Wl22Ua3JY~WXjAtiBe5Eg4ldYh~v4KvuiuDRgcwN~3MPmLYFWXdw~wqo7FVqLgfV8wGwnVrcvXCg9q~WbPiUk2D0NqSL5j3-~TnEHZSCPsCIkbJcEIMiFcU207eChfYi5k0O9dhgxjwRQz84mw70SuGHlLVh8kcspzAxwgXCzjtiFN5hf8Fa-MFGCZFgGCkmDC6eqcWgGiUQtwlZQHP-WkK4igRXlx2zXjxmT0XtcGiFntw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents and teachers urged the Evesham Township Board of Education to reconsider a contract that would place Yale program classrooms in the fourth/fifth-grade pod at DeMacy Elementary School, saying the move would displace students and diminish the elementary-school experience.

During the meeting Doctor Smith and Mister Yates described an existing agreement with Yale to lease space at Evans and an ongoing effort to find district space when Yale needed to relocate from Medford. Doctor Smith said district planners identified three classrooms at Marlton Middle School for Yale middle-school classes and three classrooms in the fourth/fifth-grade pod at DeMacy for elementary Yale classes. “At this point, that’s how we’re planning to do it,” Doctor Smith said, describing the effort to keep grade-appropriate Yale classes together.

Teachers and parents countered that DeMacy’s pod is in active use for small-group instruction, assemblies and PTA activities, and that moving DeMacy fourth- and fifth-graders into middle-school space or trailers would disrupt routines and student supports. Erica Wiskowitz, a fifth-grade teacher at DeMacy, said the move would displace two fifth-grade classes along with a computer class and two resource teachers; she said shared spaces used for projects and small-group instruction are not available in the middle-school areas reserved for older students. “We feel you need to reprioritize your commitments and think about what is best for Evesham students first and foremost,” Wiskowitz said.

Several parents raised concerns about safety and supervision. Andrea Brown, who said she has a son in Yale and a child at DeMacy, asked whether the district had reviewed how the two student populations would be kept separate and whether facilities and staff are prepared to manage behavioral episodes that might lead a Yale student to elope. Other parents described their children’s trauma during repeated years of uncertainty and asked why the board signed any contract before final state funding numbers arrived.

DeMacy PTA leaders and parents described the pod as central to elementary activities — student council, assemblies, projects and special events — and urged the board to seek alternatives such as trailers on Evans property or other nonclassroom space so DeMacy students would not be displaced. “This decision has a direct impact on our children, and the fact that parents are finding out through the rumor mill and not by the board or the administration is insulting,” one parent said.

Administrators told the board the Yale agreement began before the district learned it could take the additional tax levy authority, and that timing constrained available options; they said they planned to honor the commitment while minimizing disruption. Board members said they understood parents’ concerns and asked the administration to prioritize student experience and communicate more fully with staff and families as plans are refined.

The board did not vote on the Yale placement at this meeting; multiple speakers requested clearer, written plans showing which classes would move, how students would be kept separate, and what contingency steps would be taken if the planned rooms are unavailable.

","Teachers and parents said a lease to house Yale program students in DeMacy Elementary's fourth/fifth-grade pod would displace classes and threaten the elementary student experience. The district says it committed to Yale and is seeking locations across its buildings; parents and staff called for reconsideration or temporary trailers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6034704,"Evesham board approves $100.19 million budget, $88.9 million tax levy increase",6341,6076000,12417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093&start=6076&end=12417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5121124-1d2d8af3eed5354127d2c697494e4093/thumbnail_6076000.jpg","/articles/6034704/New-Jersey/Evesham-board-approves-10019-million-budget-889-million-tax-levy-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6034704-f569419ba13147e32880f6cc0feee147/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445368&Signature=JLygm3v0oX4xPn10Pi~VUr6ftZwlrtjQnifgWYdLWL7P778QPBFrAYZRdBzJZ-0IeOkRf1ZtHf3tmmFYZsX7jexkkuM6YFeD4DX9~1Uk9cTGHrP~hlAvABSe03BSdNY7zJgnW8U1a1T-4TnXGh6JWelUq3~DwMODDIVqs3KWwwEotWaHlQWXwOC9EXiUv1yz7~PT6Sq0PLgbYkYdI9uPh602Xyeszqj38mj-ttK4vaK9d5dmgBNCY8PT~DRMcSyA5Y5VCOU-zgGmA8TBIXTrBm10kE9COUBoRzK-rnhGum4HO7M9byIxtpv7i9GG2qNTxvkgqSnyXDjU3jJYSVFovQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Evesham Township Board of Education approved a $100,186,119 general fund budget and a $88,905,012 tax levy at its meeting, adopting the district’s final 2025–26 spending plan after public comment and debate.

The budget approval follows the district’s application to the New Jersey Department of Education for additional local tax levy authority to close a funding shortfall the administration described as being roughly $15 million below the state’s adequacy target. The application requests $14,212,041 in additional local levy authority and $710,602 in state tax-levy incentive aid; the district said the NJDOE is still reviewing the submission.

The district attributed the need for added local revenue to long-running declines in state aid associated with the state’s S2-era adjustments. “We are nearly $15,000,000 under adequacy, which is an absolutely astronomical and outrageous amount,” Doctor Smith said during the final budget presentation. Superintendent Smith and other administrators detailed spending priorities tied to the extra levy: restoring the district’s 2% fund balance with a $200,000 deposit, replenishing a $500,000 maintenance reserve, and directing about $7.6 million to capital reserves for building and infrastructure repairs.

Business administrator Mister Yates walked the board through the revenue and appropriation breakdowns. He said the district’s tax levy will increase from roughly $70 million to $88,905,012 after taking the allowable enrollment adjustment ($2,336,320) and the full additional levy authority ($14,212,041). The administration said staff salaries and related benefits account for the largest share of spending: roughly 54 cents of every dollar goes to staffing alone, rising to roughly 70–75 cents when benefits are included.

Administrators listed several capital priorities included in the plan: heat-pump replacements, roof work at DeMacy and Rice elementary schools, parking-lot repairs, HVAC control upgrades, boiler and chiller work, tree removal, phone and public-address upgrades, and a $283,000 withdrawal from capital reserves for the Marlton Middle School sewer ejector pump station and a prorated share of the municipal fuel pump replacement under the shared-service agreement.

The budget shows an average assessed home in Evesham with an assessed value of $272,785; the administration presented an example increase for that average assessed home from $3,654.47 to $4,564.45 — about a $909–$910 annual increase. Yates noted the district’s net taxable value rose modestly year-to-year, which the administration said will help spread the increase across a larger ratable base.

Public comment was robust and sharply divided. Several residents and union representatives urged the board to reject or scale back the levy increase and to seek alternatives such as banking part of the allowable cap, pursuing a referendum for capital projects (which would trigger state matching funds), or staggering spending. Bob DeLuca, a resident and taxpayer, urged the board to “take the additional $9,000,000 out of the budget” and call a special meeting. Angel McDermott, the NJEA representative for the Evesham Township Education Association, defended drivers and other staff and said the association will meet next week with district leadership to propose alternatives to outsourcing transportation.

Board members were split in public comments: several said they were pained by the size of the increase and the impact on taxpayers, while others said restoring services and addressing capital and staffing shortfalls was necessary after years of constrained state funding. The finance-and-operations motion (items 9.1–9.19) carried on roll call after several board members recorded dissent on specific subitems.

The administration said some items budgeted for capital could be deposited into reserves if not spent during the coming year; Missus Noll asked whether the district would earn more interest by doing that and was told interest rates would be similar whether the money was in reserve or general fund.

Next steps: the district will implement the budget as approved and await NJDOE’s final determination on the additional tax-levy application. The administration said it will prioritize urgent building and safety work and return any unspent designated capital funds to reserves at year end.

","The Evesham Township Board of Education approved a $100,186,119 general fund budget and a tax levy of $88,905,012 after a contentious public comment period over transportation and classroom-space decisions. The budget relies on an application for additional local tax levy authority and includes $7.6 million earmarked for capital projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Drivers, union push board to keep transportation in-house as district plans outsourcing

Parents and staff protest plan to place Yale program classrooms in DeMacy Elementary pod

Evesham board approves $100.19 million budget, $88.9 million tax levy increase