Former Ventnor, NJ Mayor Calls Out Atlantic City School Costs

Former Ventnor City, New Jersey Mayor Tim Kreischer is shining the light of truth upon the amount of money that Ventnor City is paying for students to attend Atlantic City High School.

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

It’s a whole lot of money per-pupil. Making matters worse, the City of Ventnor has no representation on the Atlantic City Board of education, despite sending 90 students to Atlantic City High School.

FORMER NEW JERSEY SENATOR BILL GORMLEY ACHIEVED SUCCESS - BUT, THINGS HAVE CHANGED

It is a literal case of taxation without representation. That’s just plain wrong. Former New Jersey Senator Bill Gormley successfully crafted and implemented legislation that provided the downbeach sending districts with representation on the Atlantic City Board of Education.

The legislation was tied to a certain (minimum) number of sending district students being sent to Atlantic City Hugh School. The Gormley legislation worked for many years.

However, sending district enrollment has declined over the years. The Atlantic City public schools monitored this with a microscope. The moment the sending district population no longer met the minimum requirement … the Atlantic City public schools craved to remove the sending district board of education member.

KREISCHER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING VENTNOR REPRESENTATION IN ATLANTIC CITY

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, former Mayor Kreischer posted a comprehensive narrative about this unfair situation on his Facebook page.

Mayor Kreischer stated:

Ventnor spends over $21,000 per student for the 90 students we send to Atlantic City High School (ACHS). However, we have no control over how this funding is allocated or the curriculum our students receive. Under current New Jersey law, Ventnor has no options available, as the state does not allow us to withdraw from the sending-receiving relationship with the Atlantic City Board of Education, said Kreischer.

STATE & CASINOS PAYS MORE TOWARDS THIS

Ventnor City taxpayer share is $ 21,000 per-pupil, however, the state and Atlantic City casinos kick-in another combined $ 30,000 osr-pupil.

Can you imagine that? More than $ 50,000 per-pupil, per-year. It’s outrageous.

THE SENATOR VINCE POLISTINA TEAM

The time has come for Senator Vince Polistina to revisit this issue.

Polistina has the talent and clout to make a big difference here.

The taxpayers of Ventnor are paying the Atlantic City Board of Education $ 1,890,000 per-year and they have absolutely no say in how their students are being taught.

CREDIT TO KREISCHER

Kudos to former Ventnor’s City Mayor Tim Kreischer for bringing-up this important issue.

ALL IS WELL?

Kreischer said that “I recently spoke at a school board of estimates meeting, urging our elected officials and the Board of Education to take a more assertive stance against this gross violation of our rights regarding taxation without representation. I was informed that discussions have taken place but were met with the belief that no action could be taken. A Board of Education member mentioned that all is well at ACHS and that parents are satisfied with the education and environment. While this may be true today, we remain vulnerable to decisions made by a future school board in Atlantic City that could significantly affect our tax dollars and the quality of education for our students,” said Kreischer.

I find it hard to believe that Ventnor parents are satisfied with the current education and environment.

This much I do know. When you pay nearly $ 2,000,000 per-year to neighboring Atlantic City, you deserve representation on the Atlantic City Board of Education.