Seaside Park's unkind cut

The municipal version of going for the jugular when it comes to recommending cuts to a defeated school budget is to take funding from sports. That's what the Seaside Park Borough Council did last week in calling for cutting all money for athletics and other extracurricular activities at the Central Regional district. Let the athletes, musicians, singers, actors, service club members, et al, pay a fee for participating, according to a council resolution on the matter.

If the council members wanted to get the attention of both the school board and the public, they succeeded. But it just aggravates the animosity between Seaside Park and the other four members of the regional district. And it imposes double taxation on the parents of the many students involved in extracurriculars - activities that can make a difference in where a student lands after high school. The council members said they acted under the assumption that "programs would not be cut and any cuts would not hurt kids.'' But that's just what they're doing in axing sports, the arts and community service.