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The Herald And The l.antern

Thursdaj', August 23,XS7S

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School Boards Urge Higher Drinking Age

By Golly You r# Right. Stmpioo. Thi» IS A Bill From Th# Mouicon Gov#rnm#nt For Th#lr Oil Thot'» W6»htr*g Up On Our Shor#tin#'"

CAPITAL COAAMENTS By Asc«mbly Minority Loodor

Jomos R. Hurloy

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community property wealth, a change which will cost an additional $5.3

million per year.

In short, the revisions being recommended would require nearly $54 million in additional expenditures—a situation, filled with irony, coming as it docs a few months after the Governor cut $22 million from anticipated state aid to education in an effort to balance the fiscal

1979-80 state budget.

According to the report, the slate's urban areas still have the highest property tax rates and. because local school budgets increase year after year due to inflation if nothing else, the cities will continue to suffer under increasing

property tax rates.

The report, currently under study by the Legislature's Joint Committee on'-the Public Schools, deserves close attention'and scrutiny on a

number of points.

For instance, it raises— and supports—the prospect that a law, enacted only four years ago as the response to charges that public education was not of uniform quality in New Jersey, has failed to fulfill its intended purpose. Moreover, it recommends—and supports—a position that $54 million more is needed to correct the flaws in the law,' an amount of money which may be difficult, indeed, to convince the legislature is

required.

And, perhaps more importantly, if the report is accurate in its statements and predictions, the possibility of another court action looms large, indeed. The basis for such an action would differ very little from the original suit. It appears that, despite the year long wrangle in the Legislature over "thorough and efficient” education and an income tax, and despite the state's multi-million committment to public education, neither the legislature, the Administration, the courts or the taxpayers have seen the final chapter in the "T

& E" story.

When New Jersey's

t "thorough and efficient"

education law was enacted in 1975, supported financially by the imposition of the state’s first personal income tax, the package was widely hailed as the key to eliminating the wide disparity in financial support between urban and suburban school districts. Indeed, the foundation of the court action which led to the legislation was that school children in me cities primarily were being denied a quality education because of the reliance on

- the local property tax to

finance public education It was argued — and correctly — that suburban areas, because of greater

- property wealth, could

raise large sums of money with relatively little tax .effort while urban areas, whith a steadily shrinking tax base, could raise only a fraction of the same amount at greater tax

effort

The income tax was the vehicle by which state aid to education was to be financed and the distribution formula was geared to channel greater funds into urban areas, theoretically lessening the reliance on the property

tax

That theory has now been called into question by a report issued by the Kutgers Univeristy Bureau of Government Research which claims that the law is no longer equaltffthg the tax burden between poor and wealthy school districts and recommends a shift of $13 million in state t aid from the richer to the

less rich areas.

The report, in fact, raises the possibility that the state aid system has begun to move away from fiscal equity—a condition which led to the court con--•i, frontation in the first place. The same Rutgers University report urges a revision in the manner in which aid to local education is currently calculated, a change which ^ would cost an additional $48.3 million per year. It recommends, further, a change in the manner in which the state determines

\ TRENTON — The New jersey School Boards Association today reaffirmed its stand on the State's minimum drinking age, urging that the 21-year old limit be restored. "Ever since 1973, when the State Legislature lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18 years of age, alcohol abuse among 18 and younger has become a major porblem for the public schools”, declared Martha Crowley, vicepresident of the Association. Speaking for the federation of 611 local school boards of New Jersey, Mrs. Crowley noted that. "There has been a significant increase in the number of injuries and deaths from auto accidents in which persons aged 18 and younger were intoxicated." According to Mrs. Crowley, who is also a member of the Mercer County Special Services Board of Education, the statewide School Boards Association took an official Stand on the matter last January. "Association policy is established primarily through periodic Delegate Assemblies at which representatives of school boards from throughout the State gather to set goals and positions. This subject was addressed at our January, 1979 Delegate Assembly, School board

Immunizations For Children RIO GRANDE - Louis J. luamanna. Public Health Coordinator. Cape May County Health Department, urges parents of children starting school to check with their physician to insure that their child has had the necessary immunizations required by Hie school system. It is generally recommended that a child starting school (4to6years old) should have received a series of DPT (diphtheria, peftusis-whooping cough, and tetanus) immunizations, four polio immunizations (some doctors give five polio immunizations) one measles, one rubella and one mumps immunization. If your child has not received all recommended immunizations, contact your doctor or the health department for an immunization appointment. The Cape May County Health Department’s Child Health • Conference provides immunizations for the pre-school child. The conference staffed by a physician and nurse, also provides related child care and nutritional counseling for the parents. The conference is held the second Tuesday of each month at the Health Department Building, Crest Haven Complex, Garden state Parkway, Cape May Court House, and on the second Thursday of each month at St. Casmier's Catholic Church, 304 Clay Avenue, Woodbine. Anyone interested in maing an appointment should call the Health Department - 465-3181, Extension 210.

members present reported that 18-year-olds haVe been routinely purchasing and supplying alcohol to younger pupils, resulting in considerable problems with drunkeness and alcohol abuse among students. "Hie delegates voted to support legislation restoring the drinking age to 21 in the hope that the problem would be substantially reduced." "Society must face this serious problem head on,’-' concludeJf/Mrs. Crowley, “Using JKvariety of ap^ proaches'lo combat it including educational efforts. The school boards of New Jersey view current legislative proposals which would allow 18 or 19 year olds todrink as a step in the right direction. However, we will continue to press for reinstatement of the 21 year old limit.”

LarK**! ('Irculutlon In The C'owily

OMett Free Weekly In The Comty

Our Thlrt««nth Y*or Serving Cap* May County P.O. Box O 27M Duna Drlva Avalon. N.J. MM2 Phono M7-3312 M7-72M Publlthad f vary Thursday By th* Saawav* Corporation Darr«ll Kopp Editor and Publisher Bill Sharman Sports Editor Kathloon Cox Schaoffor Roportor J.A. Cunningham Foaturo Wrltar Chary I Craws Foaturo Wrltor Potor Dunno ^ Columnist Charlos P. Lamoy. Columnist Chary I Crows Graphics Contributor Gall Carlno Advertising Graphics Susan Carr Compositor Nows A Photos Monday—3 p.m. Advertising Monday—3 p.m. Classified Advertising Tuesday • Noon Nalthar participating advortlsan nor th* publlthars of th* HKBALD will b* rasponslbl* or llablaVor mltinformatlon, misprints, typographical errors, ate.. In any Issue. Th* editor reserves the right to adit any latter or articles submitted for publication.

Letters To The Editor NOW Coalition Against Rape, Abuse

To The Editor: In April 1979, a small group of women, mostly members of Cape May County’s • chapter of the National Organization of Women, began meeting at bi-monthly luncheon meetings at the social services building to discuss theTieed for support groups for victims of rape and abuse. Word of mouth enlaced our group beyond N.O.W. membership to about 30 interested persons and we began taking with representatives from the A.C.W.C. Abuse Center in Northfield. They were interested in establishing an outreachtoffice in Cape May County, and felt they could do so with NOWCARA support. Discussion centered on funding and operating such a progjxnrCand NOW-CARA-^members solicited letters of support from agencies in Cape May County. The Abuse Center made a formal application for $2,500 for FY 1980 to fund operating expenses of an outreach office, and this was approved. Two agencies volunteered space for this office. The idea of staffing this office with a CETA person, and later seeking Title XX funding under adult protective services has been discussed. As people learned of the existence of the NOWCARA group, individual members began to address the problems of abuse and rape. Two NOW-CARA members helped a battered wife escape her home, and "walked" her through the social service system. (She had a job in this county, so did not want shelter in Atlantic County.) We learned first hand the remendous problems that a wife faces when she attempts to escape an abusive situation. This young womanjjiad two babies, no family in the area, no transportation, no money, no housing, nochild car, and only the NOWCARA people to advise.

The social service and legal systems are not presently set up to deal with this kind of emergency in an efficient way. NOW-CARA members vowed to learn more, some are receiving training at the Abuse Shelters In the lower Cape may Area, another crisis was developing. Five different women were rape victims within a very short time span. Concerned women in the area, led by NOWCARA members met with (mayors and police chiefs, and succeeded in increasing the effort to apprehend the offender(s). Municipal officials in Cape may contracted for late night transportation for women needing it. Concern was also expressed about rape cases being lost in court. Attitudes in the community further victimize the victim of rape and abuB, and NOW-CARA wants to be a focal point for change..

Publicity, a speakers bureau, continually reaching out for additional members and supporters in the community are planned. NOW-CARA has been contacted by Atlantic Community College, which is interested in sponsoring a rape workship in the fall. In four months, NOWCARA had made a formidable begining. We now are ready for a reorganization, including election of officers and the writing of By-laws. We continually will be seeking interested men and women to serve as volunteers in anyway they can. Will you help? Come to our next meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 28 at the Association for Retarded Citizens building on Maryland Ave. in Rio Grande (behind ShopRite). For more information, call Barabra Sandin at 8869555 (0( or 398-6846 (H), Hilary Bosch at 884-5760 (H), or Susan Fresia at 4659871(0).

SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS BOYD It WOOD

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