Hoboken School District And 3 Charter Schools May Divide Up Developer Money

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's city council will vote later this month on a proposal to divide more than $500,000 among the Hoboken School District and three charter schools.

The money would come from annual PILOTs — payments made directly to the city in place of regular fluctuating property taxes —from the owners of two developments.

The administration of Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced the proposal on Tuesday.

The Hoboken City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to introduce the plan at their meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21, and would have to give it final approval at a subsequent meeting.

Controversial In The Past

Hoboken has one regular public school district as well as three charter schools, which are considered separate public school districts.

All four districts are free to local students.

The regular Hoboken School District includes Hoboken High School, Hoboken Middle School, three elementary schools, and various pre-K sites.

The city's three charter schools, which were founded by parents and educators between 1997 and 2010, are also considered public schools and do not charge tuition, but raise some funding privately and have a few other distinctions. Students apply to those schools via a lottery held once a year.

They are HoLa Dual Language School (K-8), Hoboken Charter School (K-12), and Elysian Charter School (K-8).

Changes

In the past, the public schools and charter schools have squabbled over funding and over the possible expansion of the charters, which could draw students away from the regular distirct. In fact, the public school district has filed lawsuits and resolutions over the expansions least two of the charter schools in the past.

There was also a dispute four years ago over who was supposed to get the PILOT funds from the 770 House development. READ MORE: Hoboken Says Its Charter Schools Won't Get PILOT Money

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said Tuesday that a council subcommittee was created over a year ago to hammer out a proposal with representatives of all four districts.

"This has been a long process that Councilman Ramos, Councilman Doyle, Councilwoman Jabbour, and I worked together with the schools on," she said, noting that Ramos and Doyle had worked especially hard on the details over the last few months. "The biggest positive takeaway, in addition to providing funding for our public schools, is that we've seen the acrimony between our district and charter schools go away."

She added, "Watching them collaborate, everyone has appreciated the collaboration between the schools, City Council, and administration."

The four districts released a joint statement, signed by their representatives:

"For years, the Hoboken Board of Education and Hoboken’s Public Charter Schools have worked together to advocate for a portion of the proceeds from the PILOT payments for 770 Jackson and LCOR to be shared with public schools in a fair, equitable, and unencumbered manner.

"We are cautiously optimistic this landmark ordinance will serve as a vehicle to distribute these PILOT funds and future PILOT funds to our students, the children of Hoboken, for years to come."

Sharyn Angley, Hoboken Board of Education
Lauren Calmas, Hoboken Charter School
Nicole Cammarota, Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa)
Malani Cademartori, Hoboken Board of Education
Alex De La Torre, Hoboken Board of Education
Chris Defilippis, Elysian Charter School
Mark Galorenzo, Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa)
Ailene McGuirk, Hoboken Board of Education

Vote Next Week

The release also indicated that Bhalla expects a "Yes" vote.

"I look forward to the Hoboken City Council’s impending adoption," he said in the release.

Here is the full press release from the city of Hoboken:

Press Release About Funding Proposal For Hoboken's 4 Public School Districts

City of Hoboken to invest in public school districts through first of its kind trust

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced the administration’s intent to invest over $500,000 annually into the City’s four public school districts: Hoboken Public School District, Hoboken Charter School, Elysian Charter School, and Hoboken
Dual Language Charter School.

Pending Hoboken City Council approval, the City will establish four trusts to allocate a portion of the funding made available through payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with the developers of 770 House and the Hoboken Connect project to support the city’s public education system.

The new School Improvements Trusts will mark the first of their kind in the State, serving as an innovative financing solution to support public schools and their need for improved facilities.

The funding will increase each year by 2 percent over the lifetime of the PILOT agreements and can be used by each district to improve physical facilities, offset debt service, purchase equipment, make lease payments, conduct routine maintenance, and acquire additional properties, among other necessities.

“As a councilman in 2016, I was proud to vote for an idea that charted a course for the City to further support its public school system, and now as Mayor I am even more proud to turn this concept into real dollars,” said Mayor Bhalla. “I am thankful to the leadership at the Hoboken Public School District, Hoboken Charter School, HoLa, and Elysian Charter School for collaborating with my administration on this innovative funding solution. This is particularly important today to help close the gap of stagnant State Aid funding, especially when neighboring municipalities of similar sizes are realizing hundreds of millions of dollars more than Hoboken. I look forward to the Hoboken City Council’s impending adoption, so we can put the money to good use in support of our schools.”

The Hoboken City Council is scheduled to vote on the first reading ordinance to create the four trust funds for each school district during its regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. at Hoboken City Hall, 94 Washington St.