I have a friend who says that the school bus will not drop off his children if the driver believes that nobody is home. He has several times had to leave work so that he can meet the bus and reassure the driver that somebody is home. He says that children who are not met by an adult are collected at the school and will be turned over to child services if nobody drives to the school to get them. He was told this was all about liability.
I can’t tell you if this is for every child or because one of his has special needs.
Special needs here means door to door service.
Even for two different kids in the same house in the same grade and school.
If they have different “needs”.
This is why every year since the big staged “collapse” in 2007-8, while the private sector (most parents) has seen layoffs, fewer than normal or no bonuses, few or no pay raises, good people out of work all over the place...
school budgets reliably have gone up 2% or more every year.
In NJ, Chrispie Chreme fatboy signed a law that says if local school budget increases total 2% or less - the public does not have to VOTE on the budget. I guess it is just DEEMED to be OK, PASSED INTO LAW by boards, administration, etc.
During that same time - school enrollments have DROPPED ALMOST 20%.
What ?
Why ?
Because FEW people in this town can SELL their HOME.
So as children gragimacate high school... no new young families move in with children.
Everyone wants to move out of NJ but no one wants to move in.
Of course, wealthy towns have no such problem, homes sell fine. Of course, they are fine with sky-high real estate taxes.
In all the other towns... the market price of real estate is down by A LOT... think 20% to 50% or more... from its high in pre-2007-8 crash times.
The problem is not going away, it appears it will stay this way for “the duration”.
An average property tax bill in northern NJ is say around $9,000 per year; perhaps $6,000 per year ($500 per month) is about the lowest property tax bill for the tiniest house.
When young couples see a 20-year-old house, with $500+ per month for taxes on it, home values staying depressed... the only way they want to buy is a brand new home.
Oh, and the job market remains in the toilet.
Unless... you work for a school/government or the medical industry...
Despite school enrollment being down 20%...
NO TEACHER LAYOFFS.
WOO-HOO !