Topics in Brief
A Community Bulletin

Princeton Regional Schools will receive only the minimum 2 percent increase in state aid from Gov. Jon Corzine’s new school funding formula, while the Montgomery School District and the West-Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District will receive increases of 20 and 10 percent respectively. The new formula calls for approximately $7.8 billion to be distributed statewide for K-12 education for the 2009 fiscal year, an increase of $532.8 million. All districts will receive an increase in state aid of at least 2 percent during the first year, with none to see a decrease in state aid during the first three years. Princeton’s schools would receive a total of $4,158,000 from the state for next school year. Included in that total is $2,225,000 in categorized special aid for the 2008-2009 school year versus $2,981,000 for the 2007-2008 school year and no wealth-equalized special education funding. “While I’m always happy to see the state allocate more money for education, Princeton doesn’t gain much with this formula,” said School Superintendent Judith Wilson. “My concern lies in special education funding, which is a large portion of our budget. With there being no caps, we struggle to provide the best services for students while being able to balance the budget.” (LA)

The Princeton High School Choir will hold its 62nd Annual PHS Winter Concert on Thursday, December 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Princeton University Chapel. The free concert features all PHS choirs and orchestras, as well as the traditional recessional and alumni sing.

For the 19th year, radio DJ Jon Solomon will host his commercial-free, 24-hour Christmas music marathon on WPRB-FM (103.3 FM and at www.wprb.com). The holiday broadcast can be heard starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 24 through 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 25. Mr. Solomon, a Lawrenceville resident and Princeton native, was 15 years old when he first signed up to host the open Christmas Eve shift at WPRB. The show can also be heard via broadcast on iTunes radio.

Students at the Lewis School of Princeton donated nearly 200 new and gently used winter coats to the 12th Annual Jersey Cares Coat Drive. The campaign was organized by Lewis School upper school students Peter Alaimo of Hillsborough, and John Kelly of Princeton as a part of a Community Service Project for college. The students have been collecting the coats for at-risk men, women, children, and infants residing in the New Jersey area since November. The coats were delivered to the Coat Drive Warehouse at the Community Foodbank of New Jersey in Hillside for distribution.

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