By Kelly Heyboer | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
LAKEWOOD — Attorney Michael Inzelbuch walked into court in Atlantic City a few weeks ago with the family of his latest client.
She was a little girl from an Orthodox Jewish family preparing to begin pre-K in Lakewood's public school system. Her evaluation said she had a long list of challenges – Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and physical problems, including a limp.
Lakewood's experts said the school district could educate her in the district's Early Childhood Center, located in a series of trailers. But Inzelbuch argued the public school couldn't accommodate the girl's disabilities.
In the end, the judge agreed. Lakewood taxpayers will foot a higher bill to pay for the girl's private school tuition at one of the specialized schools in town run by members of the Orthodox Jewish community.
"I got them what they deserved. Nothing more. Nothing less," said Inzelbuch, who has sued the Lakewood district more than 100 times on behalf of special ed students. "They deserve an appropriate education."
Lakewood expects to spend nearly $32 million on tuition this year to send special education students -- including hundreds of members of the growing Orthodox Jewish community -- to private and out-of-district schools. The bill is among the highest in the state and
one of the reasons the booming Ocean County town is facing a school funding crisis.