It is 3 A's...

It is PAAAS -- as in the Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies.

As for PAAAS...if students are funded at $15.4K per year as reported by NJDOE and there are ~160 students to date -- this equals $2.5M... that has nothing to do with grant monies. NOW here is a very important thing to remember -- these students were LOST to the district for the most part. If PAAAS had not been created these students would have been enrolled into local charter and other private schools, thereby decreasing the district's funds by $2.5M. So there is no siphoning of any funds --they are doing this district a favor by even being here!!!

The majority of PAAAS students represent 'win-backs' of a fleeing population in this district. Just talk to some of the parents whose children attend this school.

Let me correct something; PAAAS did NOT lose funding as was stated by another blogger! That's not what was said nor is it indicative of the situation. PAAAS was started on grant monies the district received. These funds have since been spent and as such the next iteration of funding will EITHER be paid for by the district budget or through the application of other grant monies. It was never definitive that grant monies would not be applied for or obtained. In fact it was stated that "IF" funding could not be secured "THEN" the district would have to pick up the cost of the school; which again since students contribute funds to the district's coffers by virtue of their presence (AKA school attendance) then certainly one can see the necessity and value in retaining said students.

And another thing...

Honestly, the notion put forth by one of the other blogger’s commenter is so ill conceived. NO matter what school our children go to in the district the decisions we make as a Board member impacts ALL THE SCHOOLS. If we used the commenter’s logic then we would not be able to place our children in any of the schools. This, by the way, would be in direct opposition to those who complain about Board members who do not have children in district schools. You can't have it both ways, try as you may.

The criterion for PAAAS is a part of their application process; please take time to read it on their site, visit the school, talk with the administrator, rub elbows with the students and staff. The Board did not have any input on the development of the criteria nor do they "DECIDE" who gets to attend. Our children had to audition just like EVERYBODY else!

PAAAS’s scores are posted on the NJ Dept of Ed. Please take some time to look it up. There is work to be done for sure, but as was posted weeks ago they were ranked one of the HIGHEST in literacy proficiency on the NJASK for 8th graders within our district cluster. Given this is their 2nd year let us see what we get this go ‘round and the next. If the generally accepted standards for assessment takes 3 years to gather data and begin indentifying correlations, independent factors and statistically significant p-values – certainly our students and this school deserves this same consideration.

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