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Star Ledger - NJ school construction agency announces $500 million for 1,600 projects… 'The state funds represent at least 40 percent of costs of projects for the state’s non-Abbott districts. In addition to Allendale, McKenna announced the execution of grants to Alexandria Township, Cherry Hill Township, Hampton Township, Kingwood Township, Lindenwold, Lodi, Oakland and the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. The projects range from roof, window and boiler replacements to security and technology upgrades and renovations to bathrooms. “This is a great example of how the state and local school districts can work together to provide children with safe and modern learning environments," Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said later.”'
Press of Atlantic City -Success of New Jersey's school choice program creating funding issues
NJ Spotlight - Mayoral Rivals Find Common Foe in State Control of Newark Schools...Both candidates promise to pose challenges for state’s new education commissioner
NJ Spotlight -NJ Charter Schools: A Conversation About Their Place in Our State
Star Ledger - NJ school construction agency announces $500 million for 1,600 projects… “The state funds represent at least 40 percent of costs of projects for the state’s non-Abbott districts. In addition to Allendale, McKenna announced the execution of grants to Alexandria Township, Cherry Hill Township, Hampton Township, Kingwood Township, Lindenwold, Lodi, Oakland and the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. The projects range from roof, window and boiler replacements to security and technology upgrades and renovations to bathrooms.
“This is a great example of how the state and local school districts can work together to provide children with safe and modern learning environments," Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said later.”
By Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger
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on April 15, 2014 at 3:53 PM, updated April 15, 2014 at 8:17 PM
ALLENDALE — The New Jersey Schools Development Authority today announced the start of $500 million in funding for some 1,600 projects that have been approved by the state Department of Education at a total cost of more than $1.2 billion.
The grants represent the single largest funding decision in the state’s history, SDA officials said. However, the state aid is contingent on voters' approval of the construction projects in 333 districts.
SDA CEO Charles McKenna made the announcement in Allendale, where the SDA will contribute almost $350,000 toward four projects involving upgrades to climate and air conditioning units at two schools.
These projects bring Allendale’s state construction aid to more than $3.2 million, according to the SDA.
“The SDA and DOE are working together to execute approximately 1,600 grants, the largest single grant program allocation in New Jersey’s history,” McKenna said in statement. “This grant funding demonstrates the Christie Administration’s commitment to supporting critical school improvement projects throughout the state.”
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority oversees $3.9 billion in bonds approved by voters for school construction and repairs. It has been roundly criticized for the slow pace of releasing funds, especially for projects in the state’s poorest districts. This year, it has announced plans for major projects in Trenton and Newark.
The state funds represent at least 40 percent of costs of projects for the state’s non-Abbott districts. In addition to Allendale, McKenna announced the execution of grants to Alexandria Township, Cherry Hill Township, Hampton Township, Kingwood Township, Lindenwold, Lodi, Oakland and the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. The projects range from roof, window and boiler replacements to security and technology upgrades and renovations to bathrooms.
“This is a great example of how the state and local school districts can work together to provide children with safe and modern learning environments," Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said later.
The state has awarded $299 million for 966 projects since May, 2010, according to the SDA.
Press of Atlantic City -Success of New Jersey's school choice program creating funding issues
By DIANE D’AMICO, Education Writer | Posted: Monday, April 14, 2014 9:08 pm
Cape May County has about 350 fewer students in its public schools this year than in 2010-11. But school districts there will get almost $7 million more in state aid next year, with $5.4 million of it paying for students in the Interdistrict Public School Choice program whose parents have chosen to send them to a different school within the same county.
That extra aid is good news for county schools, but a growing problem for the state Department of Education, which has encouraged the choice program but is now grappling with funding it.
Parents clearly love the program. Deanna Ebner, who lives in Cape May Point, but sends her daughter, Catalina, to kindergarten in the West Cape May School District.
“I heard such great things about it,” she said. “My daughter loves it and it’s only seven minutes away.”
Only 74 students attend the pre-kindergarten to sixth-grade West Cape May School, and 30 do not live in that district. They attend through the Choice program, which lets students apply to attend school in a state-approved choice school in another town. Those 30 choice students generated $400,000 in state aid this year, more than 80 percent of the tiny district’s total state aid.
Nine of the 14 traditional public school districts in Cape May County participate in the choice program. Its popularity reflects an effort to address both the shrinking enrollment in county schools, and the resulting loss of state aid.
Districts currently get about $10,000 per student in choice aid for every child who comes in from another district. In just four years, the statewide cost has grown from $9 million a year to an anticipated $54 million for almost 5,000 students in 136 choice districts in 2014-15.
More than 20 percent of all districts now accept choice students.
Advocates for the program said the state must establish a growth and funding process for choice aid that is consistent and fair, or the program could become unsustainable. The state set a 5 percent cap on enrollment growth in current choice districts next year, but also added 23 new choice districts. The cap meant some choice districts could only add only one or two new students.
“No one thought choice would be as popular as it is,” said Valarie Smith of the New Jersey Interdistrict Public School Choice Association. “But now the process has to be fixed. The money should follow the child.”
The aid process for 2014-15 provides more state aid for districts that accept choice students, but takes no aid away from districts that lose those students. That will greatly benefit Cape May County school districts, but demonstrates the growing statewide funding problem.
In 2008-2009, with Lower Township as on the county’s only choice district, Cape May County schools received almost $68.5 million in state aid, with $557,000 in choice aid going to Lower Township.
But when the recession hit, and a new state aid formula took effect, state aid got tighter and began to more closely reflect enrollment. Cape May County’s share dropped to $58.4 million in 2010-11, with $550,000 still allocated for choice students in Lower Township.
Facing further aid cuts, and possibly the closure of some small schools, more districts began applying to the choice program, which the Legislature approved to expand. Choice aid quickly offset other losses.
For 2014-15, Cape May County schools will get $65.5 million in state aid, including almost $5.4 million in aid for 421 choice students, But countywide there are about 350 fewer students in the public schools now than in 2010-11.
With a few exceptions, almost all of the choice students are just moving from one county school district to another, generating more state aid, but few new students in county schools.
Twenty-three of the new choice students in Upper Township are from other Cape districts, including 11 from Dennis Township and eight from Woodbine, according to district figures
All but one of Lower Cape May Regional 39 choice students come from Middle Township (23), Wildwood (10) and Woodbine (5).
Lower Township also gets most of its 75 choice students from Middle Township and Wildwood, with a few from Cape May, the Wildwoods and West Cape May. West Cape May gets most of its students from Lower Township.
That choice, said West Cape May superintendent Alfred Savio, is great for families, who can chose what is best for their child rather than just accept what is offered in their town.
“Some come here because they want a small school,” said Savio, whose school is so small that some classes combine two grades and still have only about 15 students. “Other families leave for Lower Township because they want a larger school with more activities, clubs and sports that we can’t offer.”
Lower Township superintendent George Drozdowksi said the program has allowed children to stay in the local school with their friends even after they moved out of the township.
School officials said the choice program has allowed them to maintain programs and control property taxes. The almost $400,000 Upper Township will receive for its 35 choice students helped keep the budget at the 2 percent cap, superintendent Vincent Palmieri said.
One of the most popular choice districts, Ocean City, has 166 choice students this year, and will have 194 next year, with a waiting list of about 40 students, choice coordinator Eric Ortolf said. The district was approved for only eight new students, but got a waiver from the state to accept all siblings of current choice students, who are given preference under the law. The district had planned to add at least 40 new students.
Ortolf said he understands that the state did not realize how fast the program would grow, but districts planned their programs and funding based on choice, and the program will likely falter with strict state limits. Ocean City may now limit choice only to the high school.
“The extra aid allows us to keep programs and staff and that helps the kids,” Ortolf said. The district will get almost $2.7 million in choice aid for next year.
The choice program can also have a funding ripple effect on nonchoice districts. Kindergarten through eighth-grade districts that pay tuition to send their students to high school in another district save that money if the student instead enrolls in a choice high school such as Ocean City.
Margate, Ventnor and Brigantine will save money they would have spent sending students to Atlantic City, but that in turn is hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to Atlantic City, which this year joined the choice program, but will only get about $121,000 in choice aid for 12 new students.
Ultimately, the goal of the program is to help students. Acting education Commissioner David Hespe told the Senate Budget Committee that the program has been in the forefront of the state’s effort to offer families more choice.
Dorey Bryan, of Lower Township, had previously paid tuition to send her children to the West Cape May School and was delighted that her son can now attend for free as a choice student. She works as an administrative assistant at the school and said while it’s very small, it just works for students who may have struggled in larger districts.
“There are no cliques, the students have to all get along with each other because there just aren’t that many students,” she said. “The students get a lot of personal attention, and the parents and everyone pitches in. It’s an awesome school.”
Contact Diane D'Amico: 609-272-7241 DDamico@pressofac.com
NJ Spotlight - Mayoral Rivals Find Common Foe in State Control of Newark Schools
John Mooney | April 16, 2014
Both candidates promise to pose challenges for state’s new education commissioner
Even thought they hold no legal authority over the public schools, Newark’s mayors through the years have never been shy about expressing their views – and exerting their considerable influence – over the state’s largest school district.
This spring’s contentious race between mayoral candidates Ras Baraka and Shavar Jeffries is proving to be no exception, with the state of the schools at the center of the campaign in many ways.
Baraka, a city councilman and principal of the city’s Central High School, has drawn some of his biggest support from those opposed to the state’s ongoing control of the school district and, specifically, the leadership of Superintendent Cami Anderson, who was appointed by Gov. Chris Christie three years ago.
Jeffries, a Seton Hall law professor and former assistant state attorney general, comes from the school-reform camp that Baraka opposes and was among the founding board members of the city’s largest charter school network.
But in the weeks leading up to the May 13 vote, where it has gotten especially interesting is that a common ground has emerged in the candidates’ views of the state’s operation of the city’s schools and Anderson’s leadership.
Jefferies, a former chair of the School Advisory Board, has been among those long critical of the state’s control and he led the board in some of its latest legal challenges against the state.
Of late, he also has grown far more critical of Anderson, someone he stood with at her appointment in 2011 but who was drawn the ire of community and parent activists for what they call her autocratic style.
In an interview this week, he took a number of swipes at her “One Newark” vision for the city schools, including its plans for closures and consolidation of neighborhood schools and a universal enrollment system.
Jefferies said he did not oppose the moves in principle, and that the coexistence of public and charter schools will be critical for the district in the long term. But he said Anderson had not fully thought through her plans, leaving too many unanswered questions.
“She’s doing too much, too fast, and doing it beyond the district’s ability to execute,” he said.
His strongest criticism was of Anderson’s leadership style itself. Jeffries said she needs get the community and school employees involved in the decision-making process – or else, she should leave.
“If she can’t collaborate with us, then we need a new superintendent,” he said.
“Let me say this very clearly,” Jeffries said. “She needs to operate in cooperation with our administration. Those are the two options.”
This is not a new refrain for Baraka, by any means, and his campaign maintains that Jeffries has shifted positions late in the game. Three months ago, it was Baraka who stood at the microphone at a school board meeting and led chants for Anderson’s ouster, while Jeffries was far more subdued in the face of the mounting protests.
And there’s no question that the two candidates come from different places in their views of what it takes to improve education.
Different views on public education, school choice
Jeffries is a big supporter of school choice, and has said charter schools offer great promise to the district. He proudly cites his role in helping found the TEAM Academy charter schools in the city 15 years ago.
At a debate held at Essex County College last week, Jeffries said: “I support all public schools that educate our children. I want all public schools to be strong, and I believe parents should have the right to make the decision to what particular school should serve their child.”
As principal of Central High School, a post from which he is now on leave, Baraka often cites significant gains made there in student performance, graduation rates and just the culture of the school as evidence that district schools can improve.
And while he says there may be some place for them, he is openly combative when it comes to charters. At the same debate last week, Baraka said the charters’ aims in the city have been as much about gaining school facilities.
“I think this whole fight between charters and district schools is a fight about land and real estate, and not a fight about education,” he said. “This is about selling buildings, about putting people out of buildings, and taking them over.”
Whoever fills the seat, the mayor’s power comes more from its bully pulpit than from any statutory powers. Still, the mayor is at the political center in the city -- former Mayor Cory Booker’s support for Anderson was seen as critical in her appointment and early momentum.
The latest developments in the campaign promise difficulties ahead for the state and its new education commissioner, David Hespe, as both candidates now pose potential trouble for state control and Anderson’s stewardship of the district.
Hespe has before him Anderson’s controversial proposal to waive state seniority rules in determining layoffs. Anderson has said the district will need to make close to 1,000 teacher layoffs in the next three years due to declining enrollment and a worsening budget crisis. She has started with a fiscal 2015 budget plan calling for up to 400 layoffs.
But while the waiver request was once seen as a long-shot bid, given clear state law, Hespe has still not made a decision and has raised the prospect that other options are being considered.
Anderson’s contract is up for renewal this summer, another potential source of tension. Christie and Hespe’s predecessor, Chris Cerf, both said last summer that they were committed to keeping her on, and Hespe is unlikely to change that stance.
But the renewal of a contract that paid her $247,500 for each of the last three years, plus bonuses of up to $50,000, is sure to generate still more debate.
Finally, the mayoral race comes at a time when state continues to walk a tightrope over its control of the district. The administration is already in talks with the school board to return at least some limited control over fiscal operations. And, with mounting pressure from the Legislature, too, Hespe has made clear that he wants to simplify the state’s process for exiting the four urban districts now under its control.
NJ Spotlight -NJ Charter Schools: A Conversation About Their Place in Our State
John Mooney | April 15, 2014
In a special audio report, NJ Spotlight's John Mooney discusses some of the problems and possibilities presented by charters
New Jersey’s checkered relationship with charter schools continues, with the state receiving more than three-dozen applications to open new charters this month.
But despite the torrent of applications, the state's approval rate in the past few years has slowed to a trickle. And while all of New Jersey was once a hotbed of growth, charters today tend to be concentrated in a few specific areas and sponsored by a few specific organizations.
Related Links
Charter Applications Remain Strong, Even If Rate of Approvals Isn’t
NJ Spotlight’s John Mooney yesterday joined WHYY/NewsWorks Tonight to discuss the complicated issues surrounding charters in New Jersey. The talk touched on a range of issues, among then the continued demand for charters in New Jersey and what that says about the state's public schools.
