TF School Board Prez Hails Navy Decision: Red Bank Hub

As a neutral grassroots organization, NOPE broadly argued that the influx of hundreds of new prospective (and unexpected) civilian tenants to NWS Earle's Laurelwood housing for the next 30 years obviously would have stressed area school systems, but perhaps none more than in Tinton Falls.  In the end, we proved an essential liaison in what otherwise would have been an ugly, protracted and unproductive battle thrust upon otherwise cordial neighbors by Department of Navy leadership at the Pentagon.

Colts Neck officials, citing an arcane state law now on hold with an administrative law judge as a result of the Navy's decision to buy out Laurelwood, charged Tinton Falls as the one responsible for educating civilian Laurelwood residents, ratcheting up the tension in a 20-year battle between the towns over educational obligations and prompting Tinton Falls to pursue legal action to overturn the aformentioned state law that allowed the borough to accept K-thru-8th grade Navy dependents (5,000 and counting) from NWS Earle for the past two decades. (This law was apparently required in order to let Navy dependents stationed at Earle to leave their Colts Neck base to attend school outside the host township, after Colts Neck leaders in the late-1980s rejected educating military dependents in their district.)

Without rehashing the details of this long-running fued, we share this article from the Red Bank Hub, which highlight's TF BOE president Peter Karavites' satifaction with the Navy's decision to buy out Laurelwood, but balanced against the lack of trust in the Department of Navy stemming from its handling of the privatization of military housing at NWS Earle and how the BOE wants the ALJ to rule on the state law.

NOPE will keep supporters abreast of this case, but otherwise is extremely satisfied to have helped bridge the gap between Colts Neck and Tinton Falls and convince area officials that all parties needed to organize to fight what obviously was a recipe for disaster mandated by the Department of Navy.