N.B. deemed responsible for educating six students
Officials claim another town should pay costs; are fighting late-filed appeal
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Despite losing an appeal over having to pay over $60,000 for the services for six special education students, the township school district maintains that they are not responsible for the "homeless" students costs.

According to Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski, a family moved from Somerville to North Brunswick for one month in October 2006, leaving their home due to personal reasons and moving in with a relative in the township.

Because they had only temporary status in North Brunswick, they were defined as "homeless" and the last permanent district, which would be Somerville, is supposed to assume the costs of either providing transportation of the students back to their own district or of paying for services in the new one.

However, Zychowski said that the family was utilizing North Brunswick's services without proper compensation.

Yet in January 2007, the Somerset County superintendent ruled in favor of Somerville, stating that North Brunswick must bear the responsibility of the children, Zychowski said.

North Brunswick then had a 60-day period from that January letter in which to file an appeal.

However, the acting administration at that time did not file an appeal until June 2007, according to Zychowski, despite concerns from Kathy Dzwilewski, the director of pupil services, who handles the "homeless" cases.

"It was not because of merit, it was because of a failure to do this in a timely manner," Zychowski said of losing the appeal.

Zychowski, who was not hired by North Brunswick until months after this situation ensued, said he only became aware of the problem when South Brunswick was requesting payment, claiming that when the family moved to that township, again temporarily, that North Brunswick was the last district on record, and thus responsible for payment.

The superintendent said the next step for the district is to try and appeal this based on the merits of the case.

He said the district already paid the $60,000 education costs, plus transportation fees, and hopes to recoup the money.

He said to ease the burden on taxpayers, Board Attorney Anthony Vignoulo is providing the filing and first appeal services for free.

Dzwilewski said the family stayed in South Brunswick until the end of the school year, at which time social services placed them in a shelter in Woodbridge.

The family currently has a lease for a residence in Woodbridge, she said.