S14 PI *»»**««»»*CAR-RT 10T**C015 I I WESTFIELD Hf MORTAL LIBRARY 5 5 0 E BROAD SI WESTFIELD NJ 07090-2116 lllmliiilllmliliitlimililmllinlliDmlilillmlilMl USPS M0420 Thursday, October 7, 2004 OUR 115th YEAR - ISSUE NO. 06-115 Periodical - P«iU*t Paid *1 WrmlfWd, NJ. SIXTY CENTS Mountainside Public School WFBOE Test Scores Are Updated By BETSEY RURUDORF tially higher than indicated by the and LAUREN S. PASS article last week. Spmnllt Wnntnfttr TV WrttfirU LrnrUr Previews We regret to error. Editor's note: Last week, T he We thank Mountainside Interim Westfield Leader published a front C hief School Administrator, Dr. Walter page article with a misleading head­ R usak fo r reviewing this with us. The Budget line and incomplete data. The article test score data are reprinted in this By ED COONEY reviewed test scores of the article. Mountainside public schix>ls. Sprrinll, Written for T V WrttfirU LntArr ******* The headline read "Fourth and The Westfield Board of Eight Graders in Mountainside Score On Tuesday. September 28, meet­ Education’s estimated budget for Below 50 Percent Proficient in Math.” ing of the Mountainside Board of the 2005-2006 school year is We misinterpreted the data provided Education, Curriculum Coordinator/ $72,146,043, an increase of to us by the Mountainside Board o f Supervisor Angela Cosimano pre­ $2,696,627,orapproximately 3.8 EducationThe advanced pmficient sented the district test results for the percent over the 2004-2005 bud­ scores needed to be added to the Terra Nova. GEPA (Grade Eight Pro­ get. The projected increase is 33 pmficient scores to arrive at the total ficiency Assessments) and NJASK percent lower than last year’s percentage of students scoring profi­ (New Jersey Assessment of Skills increase. cient or better When properly done in and Knowledge) standardized tests. This estimated budget, provided this manner, the test results for the The data presented are provided to the board by Mr. Berman at the Mountainside students are substan­ within. regular meeting on Tuesday,conies in the wake of recently passed Mountainside Board of Education, September 28, state legislation that requires alter­ Terra Nova-comparison across grades—2004 ations to the way school districts handle budgetary planning. 9 r 2 g r 3 g r 4 g r 5 gr 6 gr 7 Basic understanding 99 87 93 90 90 86 The legislation, referred to in Secretary Berman's report as S- analyze text 96 80 88 93 86 97 1701, makes five major changes Evaluate/extend meaning 91 78 42 75 90 88 in the budgeting process. First, it LOCOMOTIVE NOSTALGA_.The ‘Ol 142’ steam locomotive with vintage train cars puffs into Westfield Station last Identify reading strategies 74 85 68 68 77 84 requires a reduction of the yearly Saturday morning to pick up passengers for a nostalgic trip down the Raritan Valley Line. ‘Ol 142’ broke down during the weekend long event but NJTransit came to the rescue with a diesel engine to accomodate the sellout crowds. Pictured in introduction to print n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a budget CAP, which controls how Sentence structure 100 68 76 77 75 93 photos below by Horace Corbin, from the left, are: The Train Crew, Passengers ‘All Aboard,’ Mime of Kingston, NY stokes much a school district’s budget the fire and husband Eari drives the train. More photos can be seen at www.goleader.com/04train. writing strategies 94 57 77 90 84 80 can increase each year. Accord­ editing skills 96 80 78 85 ?3 47 ing to Mr. Berman's report, start­ number 4 number relations 87 91 92 77 58 86 ing in the 2005-2006 school year, computation & estimation 76 93 92 62 64 85 “the base budget CAP has been Tamaques Area Residents operaton concepts n/a 97 91 72 n/a n/a reduced from 3 percent to 2.5 measurement n/a 87 91 45 59 20 percent or the Consumer Price geometry 4 spatial sense 97 91 74 42 55 53 Index (CPI), whichever is data, stats & probability 91 92 100 72 51 80 greater.” The CPI is anticipated Complain About Pond Scum Patterns, functions, algebra n/a 99 80 n/a n/a 36 to be calculated at 3.01 percent. Once taken into consideration, Problem solving & reasoning 60 59 81 50 34 42 By LAUREN S. PASS the statutes of S-1701 dictate that past month, a bubbler was installed the project. The town expects a survey communication 93 n/a n/a 32 40 49 Specially Written for The Westfield Leader the school district’s 2005-2006 which has helped to alleviate the prob­ to be finished in the next few weeks, scienca Inquiry 99 36 8 While most of Tuesday night’s n/a n/a 88 budget could not rise to more lem, but residents are still concerned which will determine if the contractor 83 Westfield Town Council conference physical science 100 n/a n/a 50 79 than $71,539,843 before allow­ with the lack of waterflow out of the went deep enough when he dredged. session centered around a pond scum life science 97 n/a n/a 73 60 68 ances are made for Spending pond, even after heavy rains. Mr. Marsh added that the town has and drainage problem at Tamaques earth 6 space science 97 n/a n/a 68 37 14 Growth Adjustments. Ignacio Rivera, who spoke for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Pond, there were heated moments sciencs & technology n/e n/a n/a 68 n/a 63 Spending Growth Adjust­ group, said that they “never got an ap­ when a resident and a councilman personal & social perspectives n/a n/a n/a 57 n/a 47 ments allow for districts to seek propriate response to what the problems raised their voices over parking issues. geographic perspectives 99 n/a n/a 60 81 92 funds in excess of the CAP in were” over the summer. He said that the Approximately 20residents who live Steam TVain history & culture 99 n/a n/a 37 65 86 spending areas that see above­ contractor did not do his job and seemed in the area of Tamaques Pond were on civics 4 government n/a 53 82 47 normal growth. For the pro­ to abandon the project till together over 94 n/a hand at the meeting armed with photo­ jected 2005-2006 budget, the the winter. He said that this led to terrible economic perspectives 97 n/a n/a 75 63 71 graphs and accounts of what they feel Fascinates Westfield School District can mosquito problems over the summer. was a dredging process gone bad. seek adjustments for enrollment He also said that live electrical wires NJASK3 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Part. Proficient The pond was dredged last fall and growth and increases in special were left out near die children’s play Lanauaqe Arts because the project carried over into Area Riders education costs in the amount area that is “completely ignored.” All Students (76) 2.6 88.2 9.2 the spring, pond scum problems set Town Engineer Ken Marsh ex­ By HORACE R. CORBIN of $606,200. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader General Education (63) 3.2 93.7 3.2 in. The pond scum caused one of the Secondly, the legislation re- plained that there was a problem with Special Education (13) 0 61.5 38.5 aerators to break, and the lack of fish the contractor and that the town has The steam train rides last weekend CONTM UED O N P AO E 12 Mathematics only made the problem worse. In the not given him the final payment for from Westfield to North Branch and All Students (76) 23.7 67.1 9.2 back along the Raritan Valley Line attracted large crowds of sightseers General Education (63) 27 66.7 6.3 and riders from the Westfield region. Special Education (13) 7.7 69.2 23.1 Elm Street Developer Given The events were sold out more than a week in advance. NJASK4 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Part. Proficient The events were scheduled to fea­ Lanauaae Arts ture three trips a day on both Satur­ All Students (75) 8 88 4 Second Nod For Subdivision day and Sunday, with vintage train General Education —. — — cars pulled by Steam Locomotive Soecial Education _ _ . _ By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL dressed the board regarding his appli­ and then try to update it. He noted that 142. Mathematics Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cation stating that he felt it was much the house needed all new windows, The second trip on Saturday had to All Students (75) 47 40 13 Unanimously, the Westfield Plan­ too costly to move the existing house COmtNUEO ON PAGE 12 be cancelled as the locomotive devel­ General Education — — — ning Board passed a memorialization oped a bearing problem. The third Special Education to approve a second appeal made by ride on Saturday was completed suc­ developer Charles Pijanowski to cre­ cessfully, although the steam engine ate two conforming building lots from Lanigan Removed GEPA 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Pj»rt, Prpflclpnt was subsequently taken out of ser­ property at 619 Elm Street last Mon­ Language Arts vice for the Sunday trips. day evening at their monthly meet­ NJ Transit provided a diesel en­ All Students (66) ing. gine to conduct the Sunday rides with General Education (59) As Reeve Executor 15.3 78_ 6.8_The application was first heard and the vintage train cars so as not to Special Education (7) 0 42.9 57.1 approved in February, where condi­ By LAUREN S.