“The state has other mandates it is responsible for covering and no matter your opinion on what is driving the rising cost (of private school transportation) to the township, the state should not inflict its bad fiscal policies on municipalities like Jackson which consistently demonstrate good fiscal policy,” Sauickie said.

However, during the April 12 meeting, Township Council President Martin Flemming, Vice President Andrew Kern, Councilman Alexander Sauickie, Councilman Nino Borrelli and Councilman Stephen Chisholm passed a resolution which calls on the state to fund the transportation costs for private school strudents. The Jackson School District Board of Education and the Township Council are separate bodies that act independently of one another. The school district’s decision to make the payment in lieu of providing transportation means the parents of private school children are responsible for their children’s transportation to and from school. District administrators have reported that 246 students are being transported to and from 142 non-public schools.

During the 2021-22 school year, the Jackson School District is paying $2.79 million to the parents of 2,794 students who attend non-public schools and do not receive transportation ($1,000 per student).

Jackson township school district