Bridgewater wants to know why school busing bill has doubled

Mike Deak, MyCentralJersey.com
·2 min read
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BRIDGEWATER -­ The township’s tentative agreement to pay the Bridgewater­-Raritan School District more than a half million dollars to fund busing for students who live in traffic hazardous neighborhoods hit a speed bump on Monday

The Township Council decided that it needed a meeting with school district officials to discuss how the $523,808 amount was calculated for the 2021-22 school year.

There are still questions "floating among council members," Council President Allen Kurdyla said.

It was the second time the council put off a vote on spending the money. The matter had also been tabled at the Dec. 5 Council meeting.

Councilman Howard Norgalis said the figure represented a "staggering" increase, double the $250,000 the township paid in 2020.

"This issue has to be addressed," he said.

Since 2004, Norgalis said, the township has paid the school district $4 million for the transportation program.

Under state law, public school students in grades K-8 who live more more than two miles from school and high school students who live more than 2.5 miles from school are entitled to be bused to school.

However, a hazardous busing program can be implemented for students who live closer if the school district decides that children face potential safety hazards from traffic volume, average vehicle speed, not enough sidewalk space, roads with blind curves and busy roads that must be crossed on the way to school.

According to the resolution presented to the Council, Township Administrator Michael Pappas and Police Chief John Mitzak reviewed the agreement and recommended that it be adopted. The money would come from the 2022's $44.9 million budget.

Kurdyla suggested that two council members personally meet with district officials to answer questions about the cost.

Councilman Filipe Pedroso, the governing body's liaison to the school district, will meet with the district along with possibly Councilman Michael Kirsh who is recovering from surgery and was unable to attend Monday's meeting.

"I'm going to find out what happened," Pedroso said.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater wants to know why school busing bill has doubled