Stokes State Forest Trip Back On, But At A Price To Parents

The 42-year-tradition of sending Berkeley students to as part of the district's environmental education curriculum will continue this year, but will come with a price tag for parents.

The Board of Education passed a resolution at the Feb. 9 meeting that will require parents of sixth-graders to pay $150 per child to attend the outdoor education program in Sussex County.

Board Vice President offered the board several options to keep the program going.

"Obviously, we will have to transfer funds to supplement the money from parents," Fulcomer said. "We don't know how many people are going to sign up for this at $150 a head."

The Stokes trip is still part of the elementary school curriculum, he said.

"For the past 42 years, we've had this trip," Fulcomer said. "We just feel it's inappropriate to go cold turkey on this project. Many of our parents have gone Some of our grandparents have gone. We feel it should be continued with everybody making a contribution."

The Stokes trip – a three-day, two-night program at Stokes State Forest in Sussex County run by Montclair State University’s New Jersey School of Conservation – was a part of the curriculum for the district’s fifth-graders for 40 years, until the program came under fire during the 2008 budget process.

After a failed referendum on the program resulted in its cancellation for the 2008-09 school year, a grassroots campaign by parents, students and some members of the school district’s staff resulted in it being reinstated in the budget for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

It was taken out of the budget in the 2011-2012 school year.

That led to the creation of the in March 2011. The nonprofit foundation was formed to ensure funding for the trip every year without using taxpayer money.

But several foundation members, past and present, have said their suggestions to raise money have been thwarted and charge that the school administration has undermined the trip.

Foundation member Peggy Crawford and board member Dawn Parks proposed last year that fifth and sixth graders students at the Berkeley Township Elementary School contribute to a cookbook. The cookbook could then be sold through the schools to raise revenue for the Stokes trip.

Crawford told the board last night the cookbook would be a good project for students and raise money at the same time.

Superintendent said the last cookbook produced in the district netted a $300 profit.

"The problem is so many students have allergies," Vicari said. "Who takes the responsibility when somebody purchases a cookbook. Who has the responsibility?"

Township Council President came to the podium to discuss several issues, including Stokes. Up until early this year, Byrnes was the Berkeley Board of Ed President, until he was appointed to a Township Council vacancy.

Byrnes is also chairman of the foundation.

"Oh, boy, it's nice to be on this side," Byrnes joked.

He said raising revenue for the Stokes trip has "been a little slow."

"A lot of hurdles," he said. "It will be back."

Byrnes also disputed that he had mentioned a concern about pedophiles in connection with the Stokes trip after the last board meeting. But he did add he had concerns about pedophiles - especially around Halloween - and in general.

"Anybody that doesn't know we are in a different time now, they are nuts," Byrnes said. "God bless Joe Paterno. Look what happened there. At no point did I reference there were pedophiles at Stokes."

Brynes produced a Jan. 31 letter from the foundation he sent to the school board that urges the board to keep Stokes and charge parents for a portion of the costs.

"We believe we can minimize the cost of the program by over 50 percent by shortening the trip to two days (one overnight stay), the letter states. "We believe the most beneficial programs can be administered in that time frame."