Sparta parents ask feds for help in school crisis

Sparta — Parents are looking to the federal government to get help for Sparta’s schools. Sparta Unites for Our Schools co-leaders Leslie Huhn and Heather Acker, along with Sparta Board of Education President Jennifer Dericks, met with U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen in his Morristown office on July 9. They asked Frelinghuysen for a federal response to the funding shortfall. They brought him up to speed on Sparta’s funding crisis, and the program cuts the district will face in the upcoming year. They also emphasized the importance of education to the state’s overall economy. Huhn and Acker told the congressman that a highly educated workforce is among New Jersey’s greatest assets, because an educated workforce will continue to attract businesses to the state. Dericks argued that the loss of jobs will hurt local retailers such as dry cleaners, banks and restaurants, putting further strain on a fragile economy. Frelinghuysen told the group that Sparta ran an efficient school budget. New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg’s office recently reached out to the group to meet for a discussion of Sparta’s plight. According to its mission statement, Sparta Unites is made up of citizens “who want to ensure a quality education for all our students. We aim to do this by advocating for adequate funding at the national, state and local levels, improving communication between the schools and community, and utilizing the talents within our community to make our schools a better place.” For updates on Sparta Unites’ ongoing work, including contact information for local officials, log on to www.spartaunites.com.