Dear Editor:
Recently, the Hoboken BOE passed a budget for the coming year. It is about $64 million. It seems like a lot since the school district has about 2,100 students. Roughly, that amounts to over $30,000 per student per year. Some of the best private schools in the area do not charge that much for tuition and fees. By way of comparison here is how Hoboken compares to some other jurisdictions.
Hoboken: 2,100 students, $64 million, $30,000 per student; Weehawken: 1,250 students, $24 million, $19,000 per student; Glen Ridge: 1,800 students, $26 million, $13,000 per student; Montclair: 6,700 students, $118 million, $17,000 per student; Jersey City: 28,000 students, $660 million, $23,000 per student; Union City: 12,500 students, $220 million, $18,000 per student.
Regardless of the source of funding or size of the jurisdiction Hoboken spends more. Why?
Michael Fischetti