Lodi BOE Receives School Security Aid from the State… and chooses to spend it elsewhere.

Here is the "School Security Aid" that Lodi received from the State for the last 3 years:

2014-2015:  $224,397

2013-2014:  $224,397

2012-2013: $202,144

If the Lodi BOE is receiving State Aid for School Security, why is the Lodi Mayor and Council using municipal tax dollars for this school expense?

This year, the Lodi Mayor and Council budgeted $210,000 for school security and the BOE only reimburses them for $100,000.  The Lodi BOE was reimbursing the Borough that same amount long before there were any retired armed guards in the schools.  That $100,000 was for "Resource Officers" (current Lodi Police Officers) who were working at the High School and Middle School.  According to page 17 of the 2014 Municipal Budget, that revenue is no longer anticipated, nor was it realized in 2013.  The Borough is paying a lot more for school expenses than meets the eye.

Link to 2014 budget (please read page 17):

http://www.lodi-nj.org/web_content/acrobat/budgets/CY-2014-Budget-Unaudited.pdf

By the Mayor and Council paying for this school expense, they only enable the BOE to spend School Security Aid on something else (family members and merit bonuses).

Questions on why the Mayor and Council are funding school expenditures have not been answered.  Luna felt by saying that Former Chief Caruso came up with the whole plan would put an end to all questioning.

Former Chief Caruso hired who he wanted to hire.  He came up with a plan to have the Mayor and Council fund the expense while he was sitting on the Lodi Board of Education. Then he sold his house in Lodi and cashed out his $342,000 retirement pay (a lot more than he was entitled to by contract).

And Lodi received no answers.

The State really should have some strings attached to their aid packages.  A common sense one could be:  all School Security Aid has to be used for School Security before your Mayor and Council can use municipal tax dollars for it.