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March 9, 2019 – March 15, 2019
Photo By Skip Harris
Medford Township Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi explains the fiscal impacts of state aid reductions to the Lenape Region.
A CHANGE OF PLAN
Area Schools Join Coalition Seeking Pause in Reform of School Funding By Douglas D. Melegari Photo By Burlington County GOP
Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield and 8th Legislative District GOP Assemblyman Ryan Peters, who are now teaming up to run in the upcoming primary election.
Retiring Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield Mounts Challenge to 8th District GOP Assemblyman Joe Howarth By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—The already altered political picture in Burlington County was again dramatically transformed on Wednesday when Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield, who had announced just two weeks earlier that she would be retiring May 1, unexpectedly threw her hat in the ring for this year’s 8th Legislative District Assembly race. Stanfield, 61, who had said she intended to remain politically active after leaving office, is now actively seeking to be named running mate of Assemblyman Ryan Peters, a fellow Republican who has remained loyal to the party in the wake of Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego’s defection to the Democrats, despite recently having voiced sharp criticism of President Donald J. Trump.
“Ryan is a fantastic legislator, and I’m looking forward to running with him,” said Stanfield in a phone interview with the Pine Barrens Tribune. “I’m hoping to have the support of the Republican Party.” If she gets that support, however, it will wrap up a political one-two punch to the district’s other current assemblyman, Joe Howarth, who recently lost the backing of the Burlington County Republican leadership, which suspected him of attempting to switch party affiliations as well. “I’ve gotten good feedback from a lot of people already,” Stanfield said. “It is my understanding that quite a few chairs in the 8th district have withdrawn their support for Joe after learning more about his reported attempt to switch parties.” In fact, Stanfield said, she made the decision to run on “the evening when I saw
that Joe was nowhere in sight, and Ryan was very decisive about his inclination to stay and fight.” To be listed in the party’s official column on the June primary ballot, Stanfield will need to win over a majority of the Burlington County Republican Committee’s voting members. An encouraging sign for her candidacy was a posting Wednesday on the committee’s Facebook page saying that its 8th Legislative District Screening Committee has announced it would recommend both Peters and Stanfield for the party endorsement in the upcoming Assembly race. “We’re thrilled that Sheriff Stanfield has stepped up to join Assemblyman Peters in fighting for South Jersey residents against the tax-and-spend agenda of Phil See CHANGE / Page 21
Staff Writer
MEDFORD—The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD), and six elementary school districts within the high school district’s region, have joined Support Our Students (S.O.S.), a state-wide coalition now comprising 74 school districts demanding that the state Legislature pause school-funding reform legislation, Senate Bill 2 (S-2), signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on July 24 of last year. The coalition is asking for the hiatus until stakeholders can “create a better solution” to fund all schools adequately. The reform was passed, according to S.O.S., to “increase funding” for school districts throughout the state previously “not fully funded.” However, the reform redistributes state aid to support the underfunded districts, taking financial assistance away from districts deemed “overfunded” by a state-aid formula established in 2008 through the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA). S.O.S., in its request for a pause on the reform, cites “catastrophic” reductions in state aid outlined for certain school districts based on “material flaws” in the state-aid formula leading to the overfunded designations. The coalition argues that 180 districts across the state will be losing some level of state aid, in part due to the flaws. “The reasons and the situations for the districts losing state aid in many cases are very unique,” said Southampton Township Superintendent Michael L. Harris, who leads S.O.S., during a See REFORM / Page 22
INDEX Community........................10 Health ...............................13 Here is My Card ...............16 Hobbyist ...........................15 Jobs ..................................20
Leo the Lion ........................4 Scanner ..............................7 Local News .........................3 Senior Column ..................10 Marketplace ......................19 St. Patrick’s Day................14 Opinion ...............................8 Worship Directory................9
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