Vernon BOE vies for $4 million aid package

The Vernon Township School District Board of Education on September 8 approved an application for over $4 million in stabilization aid to help offset decreases in state aid over the last several years.

The school board’s approval was unanimous. Board of Education member Justin Annunziata was absent.

The district was expected to lose $10 million in state aid over the course of six years. The cuts are expected to end in 2024-25.

“We didn’t expect there would be a second application for stabilization aid available to apply for,” Business Administrator Patricia Radcliffe-Lee said. “The state just announced it.”

Prior to passing the budget for 2022-23, the district received $4.07 million in stabilization aid, which was used for positions lost due to state aid cuts.

“We’re hoping to have the same success,” Acting Superintendent Russell Rogers said.

The Vernon BOE also rejected a bid from the Wallkill Group to reconstruct the tennis courts at Township High School.

The Wallkill Group turned in a bid of $893,000 to rebuild the tennis courts. The bid was reviewed by EI Associates, the project’s architect, and the bid substantially exceeded the estimate for the project.

EI Associates estimated the project to cost about $460,000 in March.

Board of Education President Kelly Mitchell said Athletic Director Bill Foley thought that two of the six courts at the school needed to be sealed and filled. She said the district received a quote on September 7 to do that job for about $5,000.

Mitchell said he wanted to get one more quote before going ahead.

“We could have shut them down, or patch up the two,” Mitchell said.