Atlantic City Schools Have Significant Deficiency & Not In Compliance

We have been investigating a potentially serious situation within the Atlantic City Board of Education.

Multiple BOE staff members and Atlantic City Board of Education Member John Devlin have confirmed that there is a significant deficiency within the Atlantic City Public Schools system.

The annual Atlantic City public schools budget is a staggering $ 268 million. That is more than the County of Atlantic‘s annual budget. It is more than City of Atlantic City‘s budget.

NOTE: The staff members that we have spoken with, only agreed to provide this public information, under the condition that their identities would remain anonymous. Each cited a long history of retaliation of whistleblowers.

We have been advised that the Atlantic City Public Schools system does not have an attendance officer on staff.

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According to Devlin, this is a requirement.

Regarding state mandated letters that are required to be sent to students and parents, we have been advised that this is not taking place.

We have been told that Atlantic City BOE policies and procedures have also not been followed.

“Chronic absenteeism at all levels is sky rocketing without an attendance officer. With nobody following policies and procedures regarding absenteeism there is
no accountability,” said Devlin.

Devlin has confirmed that the high school is overwhelmed with chronic absenteeism and violence with no plan to address either.

"It's unfortunate and sad to hear of such inability and non-compliance from our administration to follow simple
policies and procedures. Chronic absenteeism is a real
problem and especially this year, to not have a plan or even an attendance officer in place is a travesty. Our children and taxpayers deserve better,” said Devlin.

"With a budget as large as ours and so much wasteful spending going on, you would think something like truancy should be at the top of Superintendent
Smalls agenda. Instead of spending money like a bunch of drunken sailors, we need to refocus as a district and put resources behind solutions rather than make excuses and hand out trophies,” said Devlin.

Atlantic City Board of Education candidate Matthew Diullio-Jusino has weighed-in saying:

There is an old saying, "Power Corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." One need look no further for proof of this claim than the City of Atlantic
City and the School District within it.

Over the last two years, the Small family has consolidated all of the political power of the city into one household, and the Small Family are the only ones better off for it. Our schools are falling apart at the seams, and the children of Atlantic City are being set-up for failure, and you are paying for it.

At the end of the day there are two ways of dealing with this situation. Either we wait for a clearly biased DOJ to get involved, or the people of Atlantic City take a stand, and vote people in the school board who are willing to call a spade a spade, no matter what shiny objects get dangled in front of them,” said Diullio-Jusino.

It is remarkable that out of a $268 million annual budget, the Atlantic City Public Schools haven’t found room for an attendance officer.

NOTE: Another Atlantic City Board of Education Member has expressed an interest in participating in this story. We will be adding additional remarks. Check back for an update to this developing story.