The Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School, which draws students from the South Brunswick School District, will not open in September and has been granted a planning year extension by the state Department of Education. While most of the attention in South Brunswick has been focused on the Princeton International Academy Charter School (PIACS), the failure of TEESCS to open means about $1.5 million withheld from state aid to South Brunswick will be returned to the district.

"We have to budget for charter schools what the state tells us," said Superintendent Gary McCartney. "Once we get notification, the state tells us here's the charter school expense and we can't submit a budget without that number in it."

After the announcement on July 12 that South Brunswick would be receiving an additional $2.5 million in state aid, South Brunswick's total aid figure increased to about $21.4 million. The state had projected approximately 150 students from South Brunswick to attend both PIACS and TEESCS. The failure of both schools to open means those students will return to their home districts, as the $1.5 million that followed the students will also be returned.

PIACS was unable to open after not being able to find a location for the school by the June 30 DOE deadline to obtain a certificate of occupancy. 

"Both schools have been approved by the DOE," Dr. McCartney said. "I'm not sure why (TEESCS) is not opening, my guess is that they didn't have enough enrollment."

TEESCS representatives could not be reached for comment.

TEESCS was projected to open in September as a K-8 school teaching students with a theme of green and renewable energy education, according to the TEESCS web site. TEESCS draws students from South Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Franklin Township schools. With the failure to open, all parents of students who were set to attend the school will now have to reapply for Sept. 2012.

At last night's meeting of the South Brunswick Board of Education, the board discussed what should be done with the unanticipated $1.5 million that has been returned to the district, with the caveat that the funding may be needed in next year's budget should PIACS and TEESCS open in 2012.

"There's a strong chance that PIACS can get their site in approvable fashion (for a Sept. 2012 opening)," McCartney said. "I believe at least one of those schools will be able to open next year, the worst case scenario would be that they both open."

Because the money will not be an ongoing source of revenue, board members said the allocation of the funds, in addition to the additional $2.5 million in state aid, should be considered carefully.

"The risk of using that $1.5 million to offset taxes is that money is once and done, we need it to pay for charters (in the future)," McCartney said. "You have to be careful about using that money on an ongoing expense because that money won't be available next year."

South Brunswick received official notice of the additional $2.5 million in state aid on July 15, and had a deadline of July 19 to apply the funds to lower the tax rate. The Board of Education was unable to meet in time to discuss applying the funds to lower the tax rate this year, according to Dr. McCartney (see full story).

He said the state DOE was aware the timeframe would preclude many districts from using the additional aid to lower the tax rate, thus the state sent guidance on how to use the funds to lower the tax rate within the next two budget cycles.

The board will now consider what to do with the money that is to be returned from funding lost to charter schools. Discussed last night were giving a holiday to pay to participate fees for extracurricular activities or fees for Advanced Placement classes.

"Is it prudent to set that money aside and wait until next year's budget to find out what kind of money we will get from the state, and if the charter schools resurface again?" asked board member Harry Delgado during the discussion.

But since the money will not be an ongoing source of funding, board members seemed in agreement that the Facilities Committee should look into the possibility of beginning a solar power energy program at one of the district's schools. Dr. McCartney said the district has wanted to launch a solar energy program for years, but never had the startup funds available to buy the equipment, until now.

"I agree with the solar initiative, it's the correct way to go," said board member Daniel Boyle. "If we were to save $400,000 (on energy costs) we could then use that money to start another solar project on building number two, so our savings would grow from the initial investment."

Board member Barry Nathanson agreed that using the money on a solar project could provide long term savings on energy costs, rather than spending the money on something that would not bring in the same type of return on the investment.

"We have to go to the Facilities Committee to research and see how much money we can save," he said. "Rather than spending that money and not having savings down the road."