Assemblywoman Nellie Pou

POU CALLS FOR BUDGET PANEL TO TAKE 'CRITICAL LOOK' AT PRESCHOOL SPENDING
Assembly Appropriations Chair Says Inquiry Into Alleged Mismanagement
Must Be Key Part of Committee's Questioning of Education Officials,
Applauds Attorney General's Willingness to Reassess Cases

(PATERSON) -- Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nellie Pou today urged her colleagues on the Assembly Budget Committee to hold an in-depth review into whether taxpayer dollars meant for funding early childhood education in the state's poorest communities instead ended up lining the pockets of preschool owners and operators.Pou said an investigative report by The Record of Hackensack that reported waste and mismanagement in more than 100 publicly-funded preschool programs required follow-up by state legislators. The programs investigated by The Record operated in some of New Jersey’s poorest communities.

"The reports raise serious allegations that need to be looked at swiftly and aggressively," said Pou (D-Passaic), who also is a member of the Assembly Education Committee. "The Assembly Budget Committee needs to seriously look into these allegations when the Department of Education goes before them in the coming weeks. We must ensure that these allegations do not permanently mar New Jersey's excellent reputation for providing our kids with a thorough preschool education."

According to The Record, some preschool operators spent thousands of dollars on luxury items -- including gourmet food and vacations -- that benefited neither students nor staff. Others reportedly turned the state money into personal slush funds.

None of the preschool administrators has faced criminal charges, as the office of then-Attorney General Peter Harvey found that the state's contracts with the private operators were so vague that the misspending was not explicitly outlawed. However, the overseer of the Abbott program told The Record that he was never given "a satisfactory explanation" into why criminal prosecutions were never initiated.

Pou said she was heartened to read a statement from a spokesman for Attorney General Zulima Farber who said that the Abbott cases were being reevaluated.

"If the owners of these preschools did breach their contracts with the taxpayers of New Jersey, then the Attorney General should hold them liable to the fullest extent of the law," said Pou. "We have a duty to stand up for our kids and ensure that all money set aside for education goes into the classroom, not an individual's pocket."

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FOR RELEASE:
April 10, 2006

CONTACT:
Assemblywoman Pou
(973) 247-1555
Derek Roseman
(609) 292-7065