Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     5-1-12 Department of Education Release explains policy rationals for new rate methodology, federal requirements for revision of gradnuation rates
     4-11,12-12 p.m - Governor's Press Release re Priority, Focus and Rewards Schools Final list...PolitickerNJ and NJ Spotlight articles
     3-30-13 Education in the News - Dept of Education-State Budget, Autism Rates in NJ
     3-20-12 Education Issues in the News
     GSCS State Budget FY 2012-2013 Testimony
     2-29-12 NJTV on NJ School Funding...and, Reporters' Roundtable back on the aire
     2-26-12 State budget, School Elections, and Federal Grant funds for local reform initiatives
     2-24-12 Headlines from around NJ - from Google (hit on nj education-nj budget)
     2-23-12 Education in the News - Education reform noted in state budget message; Facebook grant to Newark teachers
     STATE AID DISTRICT LIST - PROPOSED for FY 2012-2013
     Education Funding Report on School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) issued 2-23-12
     Text of Gov. Christie's State Budget Message, given Feb. 21, 2012
     2-22-12 School Aid in State Budget Message - Is There a Devil in the Details
     2-21-12 State Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2012-2013
     1-24-12 Supreme Court Justices Nominated by Governor Christie
     1-17-12 Breaking News - Governor delivers State of the State Message, Signs 'November Vote' bill, A4394
     List of PRIORITY, FOCUS and REWARDS SCHOOLS per DOE Application on ESEA (NCLB) Waiver
     Education Transformation Task Force Initial Report...45 recommendations for starters
     9-12-11 Governor's Press Notice & Fact Sheet re: Education Transformation Task Force Report
     7-14-11 State GUIDANCE re: Using Additional State Aid as Property Tax Relief in this FY'12 Budget year.PDF
     7-14-11 DOE Guidance on Local Options for using Additional State School Aid in FY'12 State Budget.PDF
     FY'12 State School Aid District-by-District Listing, per Appropriations Act, released 110711
     7-12-11 pm District by District Listing of State Aid for FY'12 - Guidelines to be released later this week (xls)
     6-1-11 Supreme Court Justice nominee, Anne Paterson, passed muster with Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday by 11-1 margin
     4-26-11 School Elections, Randi Weingarten in NJ, Special Educ Aid, Shared Services bill
     4-25-11 Charter Schools in Suburbia: More Argument than Agreement
     4-24-11 Major Education Issues in the News
     4-21-11 Supreme Court hears school funding argument
     4-14-11 Governor Releases Legislation to Address Education Reform Package
     4-13-11 Governor's Proposed Legislation on Education Reform April 2011
     4-5-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-8-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-7-11 Gov. Christie - 'Addressing New Jersey's Most Pressing Education Challenges'
     4-7-11 Early news coverage & press releases - Governor's Brooking Inst. presentation on his education reform agenda
     4-3-11Press of Atlantic City - Pending Supreme Court ruling could boost aid to New Jersey schools
     4-2-11 The Record - Charter school in Hackensack among 58 bids
     4-1-11 N.J. gets 58 charter school applications
     3-30-11 Acting Commr Cerf talks to School Administrators about Gov's Education Reform agenda
     3-26-11 New Jersey’s school-funding battle could use a dose of reality
     Link to Special Master Judge Doyne's Recommendations on School Funding law to the Supreme Court 3-22-11
     3-22-11 Special Master's Report to the Supreme Court: State did not meet its school funding obligation
     GSCS 3-7-11Testimony on State Budget as Proposed by the Governor for FY'12 before the Senate Budget Committee
     3-4-11 'Teacher Evaluation Task Force Files Its Report'
     3-6-11 Poll: Tenure reform being positively received by the public
     Link to Teacher Evaluation Task Force Report
     GSCS Take on Governor's Budget Message
     Gov's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Today, 2pm
     Tenure Reform - Video patch to Commissioner Cerf's presentation on 2-16-10
     2-16-11 Commissioner Cerf to introduce education reform plans...School construction...Speaker Oliver on vouchers
     2-16-11 Commissioner Cerf talks to educators on Tenure, Merit Pay , related reforms agenda
     9-23-10 Breaking News - Star Ledger ‘Facebook CEO Zuckerberg to donate $100M to Newark schools on Oprah Winfrey Show’
     1-7-11 Opinion: The Record - Doblin: ‘Students are collateral damage in Christie’s war’
     2-7-11Grassroots at Work in the Suburbs
     1-13-11 Supreme Court Appoints Special Master for remand Hearing
     1-20-11 GSCS Testimony before Senator Buono's Education Aid Impact hearing in Edison
     12-16-10 p,m. BREAKINGS NEWS: Christopher Cerf to be named NJ Education Commissioner
     GSCS Board of Trustees endorsed ACTION LETTER to Trenton asking for caution on Charter School expansion
     12-12-10 'Rash of upcoming superintendent retirements raises questions on Gov. Christie's pay cap'
     12-8-10 Education & Related Issues in the News - Tenure Reform, Sup't Salary Caps Reactions, Property Valuations Inflated
     12-7-10 Education Issues continue in the news
     12-6-10 njspotlight.com 'Christie to Name New Education Commissioner by Year End'
     12-5-10 New York Times 'A Bleak Budget Outlook for Public Broadcasters'
     12-5-10 Sunday News - Education-related Issues
     GSCS Education Forum Stayed Focused on Quality Education
     11-19-10 In the News - First Hearing held on Superintendent Salary Caps at Kean University
     11-15-10 GSCS meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver
     11-18-10 Superintendent Salary Caps to be publicly discussed tonight at Kean University
     Governor's Toolkit Summary - Updated November 2010
     10-8-10 Education Issue in the News
     9-29-10 Christie Education Reform proposals in The News
     9-15-10 'Governor Christie outlines cuts to N.J. workers' pension, benefits'
     9-1-10 Education in the News
     8-31-10 Latest development: Schunder's margin notes reveal application error
     8-27-10 later morning - breaking news: Statehouse Bureau ‘Gov. Chris Christie fires N.J. schools chief Bret Schundler’
     8-27-10 Star Ledger ‘U.S. officials refute Christie on attempt to fix Race to the Top application during presentation’
     8-25-10 Race to the Top articles - the 'day after' news analysis
     8-24-10 Race to the Top Award Recipients named
     8-23-10 S2208 (Sarlo-Allen prime sponsors) passes 36-0 (4 members 'not voting') in the Senate on 8-23-10
     8-18-10 Property Tax Cap v. Prior Negotiated Agreements a Big Problem for Schools and Communities
     8-16-10 Senate Education hears 'for discussion only' comments re expanding charter school authorization process; Commissioner Schundler relays education priorities to the Committee
     7-22-10 'Summer school falls victim to budget cuts in many suburban towns'
     7-21-10 List of bills in Governor's 'Toolkit'
     Governor's Toolkit bills listing
     7-16-10 GSCS Information & Comments - S29 Property Tax Cap Law and Proposal to Reduce Superintendent salaries ....
     7-15 & 16 -10 'Caps - PLURAL!' in the news
     7-12-10 Assembly passes S29 - the 2% cap bill - 73 to 4, with 3 not voting
     GSCS re:PropertyTax Cap bill - Exemption needed for Special Education enrollment costs
     7-8-10 Tax Caps, Education in the News
     GSCS:Tax Cap Exemption needed for Special Education Costs
     7-3-10 Governor Christie and Legislative leaders reached agreement today on a 2% property tax cap with 4 major exemptions
     7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
     6-29-10 GSCS - The question remains: ? Whither property Tax Reform
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule
     6-10-10 Op-Ed in Trenton Times Sunday June 6 2010
     Recently proposed legislation S2043 brings back Last Best Offer (LBO) for school boards in negotiations
     6-8-10 Education issues in the news today - including 'hold' on pension reform, round two
     6-8-10 (posted) Education & Related Issues in the News
     6-4-10 Education News
     6-3-10 RTTT controversy remains top news - articles and editorials, column
     6-2-10 RACE TO THE TOP (RTTT) 'NJ STYLE': It is what it is ...but what exactly is it? Race to the Top application is caught in a crossfire of reports - more information and clarity is needed
     6-2-10 RACE TO THE TOP (RTTT) 'NJ STYLE' :It is what it is ...but what exactly is it? Race to the Top application is caught in a crossfire of reports - more information and clarity is needed.
     GSCS 'QUICK' THOUGHT - Will the Administration's reform legislation being introduced just this month- May - have a fair chance for productive debate and analysis
     5-11-10 njspotlight.com focuses on NJ's plans for and reactions to education reform
     ADMINISTRATION'S PLANS CITED FOR ROUND 2 - RACE TO THE TOP GRANT
     5-8 & 9-10 Education Reform Proposals Annoucned
     5-9-10 'Gov Christie to propose permanent caps on salary raises for public workers'
     5-3-10 Newsflash! Governor Christie makes NJ Supreme Court appointment
     Office on Legislative Services Analysis of Department of Educaiton - State Budget for FY'11
     4-23-10 Education issues remain headline news
     4-22-10 School Elections - in the News Today
     Hear about Governor Christie's noontime press conference tonight
     4-21-10 News on School Election Results
     4-21-10 Assoc. Press 'NJ voters reject majority of school budgets'
     4-18-10 Sunday Op-eds on school budget vote: Jim O'Neill & Gov Christie
     4-19-10 Lt. Gov. Guadagno's Red Tape Review Group initial Report released
     4-13-10 Commissioner Schundler before Senate Budget Committee - early reports....progress on budget election issue
     4-12-10 'Gov. urges voters to reject school districts' budgets without wage freezes for teachers'
     4-6-10 'Gov. Chris Chrisite extends dealdine for teacher salary concessions'
     4-2-10 'On Titanic, NJEA isn't King of the World'
     Administration's presentation on education school aid in its 'Budget in Brief' published with Governor Christie's Budget Message
     4-1-10 New Initiatives outlined to encourage wage freezes - reaction
     3-29-10 The Record and Asbury Park Press - Editorials
     3-26-10 GSCS: Effective & Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     3-23-10 GSCS Testimony presented to Senate Budget Committee on State Budget FY'11
     3-23-10 ' N.J. Gov. Chris Christie signs pension, benefits changes for state employees'
     3-21-10 Sunday News from Around the State - School Communities, School Budgets and State Budget Issues
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-16-10 Link to Budget in Brief publication
     3-15-10mid-day: 'Gov. Christie plans to cut NJ school aid by $800M'
     3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'
     3-15-10 'N.J. taxpayers owe pension fund $45.8 billion' The Record
     3-11-10 'GOP vows tools to cut expenses, tighter caps'
     3-9-10 'NJ leaders face tough choices on budget'
     3-5-10 HomeTowne Video taping + interviews of GSCS Summit@Summit
     3-5-10 GSCS Summit@Summit with Bret Schundler to be lead topic on Hall Institute's weekly 2:30 pm podcast today
     3-4-10 'School aid cuts unavoidable during NJ budget crisis'
     3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'
     Flyer: March 2 Education Summit Keynote Speaker - Education Commissioner Bret Schundler - Confirmed
     2-25-10 Gov. Christie's Red Tape Review Comm., chaired by Lt. Gov. Guadagno, to hold public hearings In March
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     Flyer for March 2 Education 'Summit@Summit'
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     2-14-10 'FAQ's on NJ's state of fiscal emergency declaration by Gov. Christie'
     2-12-10 Assembly Budget hearing posted for this Wednesday, Feb. 17
     FY2010 Budget Solutions - PRESS PACKET
     State Aid Memo (2-11-10) 2 pgs
     2-12-10 News Coverage: Governor Christie's message on actions to address current fiscal year state budget deficits
     2-11-10 Gov Christie address to Joint Session of the Legislature on state budget and current year aid reduction remains scheduled for today
     2-10-10 'Schools are likely targets for NJ budget cuts'
     2-9-10 News article posted this morning notes potential for large loss of current year school aid
     2-8-10 Northjersey.com editorial 'Tightenting our Belts'
     2-8-10'Gov Christie, lawmakers proporse sweeping pension, health care changes for public employees'
     2-2-10 GSCS BOARD TO MEET WITH COMMISSIONER BRET SCHUNDLER TODAY
     1-28-10 School Surplus plan to supplant State Aid in this year gaining probability
     Governor Christie's Education Team Transition Report
     Governor Christie Education Transition Team Report , released 1-22-10
     1-21-10'N.J.'s Christie won't rule out layoffs, furloughs to close unexpected $1.2B deficit'
     1-20-10 Editorials, Commentary on New Governor in Trenton
     1-19-10 Chris Christie - Inauguration Day
     1-18-10 Advance news on 'Christie as new Governor'
     1-14-10 'N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment'
     1-14-10 'To lead schools, Christie picks voucher advocate'
     1-13-10 More articles, plus Wikipedia information re New Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler
     1-13-10 Christie Press Conference reports
     1-13-10 Christie's New Commissioner of Education to be announced today - 12:30 Statehouse Press Conference
     1-13-10 New Commissioner of Education to be announced today - 12:30 Statehouse Press Conference
     1-12-10 Moving on...'Budget plan a wrinkle for districts'
     1-11-10 Transition News
     1-7-10 'N.J. Gov-elect Christie blast Democrats for lame-duck actions'
     12-27-09 'New Jersey competes for education reform stimulus money' (aka 'Race to the Top' funds)
     12-23-09 GSCS: Governor Corzine targets excess school surplus to replace state aid payments starting in Feb '10 - lame duck legislation anticipated
     12-15-09 GSCS is working with the Christie Transition Team
     12-12 & 13-09 Education Issues in the News
     12-11-09 'Gov.-elect Chris Christie's team got its signals crossed on education funding application'
     12-9-09 Governor-elect Christie talks more about his thougths for education
     12-5-09 'Once powerful teachers union faces tough times with Christie'
     12-3 Governor-Elect Chris Christie Announces Key Appointments
     12-3-09 'Gov.-elect Christie visits North Brunswick to talk with educators on district challenges'
     (12-8-09) GSCS Board of Trustees representatives to meet with Christie 'Red Tape' Group
     11-23-09 Governor-elect Christie names Transition Team Subcommittee members
     11-13-09 Chrisite's Budget Transition Team Annouced
     11-13-09 Education Week on: Gov-elect Christie's Education Agenda; Race to the Top Funds Rules
     11-12-09 Governor-elect Christie names his 10 member transition team
4-26-11 School Elections, Randi Weingarten in NJ, Special Educ Aid, Shared Services bill
NY Times - For New Jersey School Budget Votes, Tempers and Tax Rises Ease … “Ridgewood is proposing an $86.8 million budget with a 2 percent tax increase after an $849,425 rise in state aid erased a projected shortfall of $600,000. Last year, residents rejected a 4 percent increase, the first budget defeat since 2003. “The mood is not as dire as it was last year,” said Daniel Fishbein, the Ridgewood superintendent. “This budget does not propose any cuts in personnel or programs. But neither will it allow us to hire additional teachers to meet increases in enrollment, nor fund capital improvements at a level that we had done in the past.”

Daily News ‘Daily Politics’ Randi Weingarten, Al Sharpton To Team Up For New Jersey Teachers Ahead Of Budget Vote

Njspotlight.com - Fine Print: Federal Waiver for Special Education Cuts

Courier Post Online - Proposed bill would penalize N.J. towns, counties that reject shared services

NY Times - For New Jersey School Budget Votes, Tempers and Tax Rises Ease

By WINNIE HU Published: April 25, 2011

Little drama. Limited tax increases. Fewer draconian cuts.

Despite the imposition of a cap this year that limits the increase in property tax collections to 2 percent, school districts in New Jersey are heading into budget elections on Wednesday largely free of the anger and turmoil of last year’s budget season.

Last year, voters defeated 58 percent of school budgets after Gov. Chris Christie urged taxpayers to hold the line on higher taxes in the districts where teachers had refused to accept wage freezes. It was the highest failure rate since at least 1976.

This year, in districts like Edison Township, where voters last year rejected an 8.6 percent increase in property tax collections, the district is calling for a 1.7 percent increase — the lowest in 24 years.

The Teaneck district is seeking no increase at all, planning instead to supplement tax revenue with user fees for bus service, sports and extracurricular activities.

Even a well-to-do district like Ridgewood is sticking to a modest 2 percent increase in tax revenue, which will maintain existing programs but not pay for additional teachers to meet growing enrollment.

Statewide, nearly 87 percent of the 538 districts with budgets on the ballot will propose raising their taxes by no more than 2 percent, adhering to the annual limit set by the tax cap pushed through by Governor Christie. About 71 districts will go over 2 percent to cover large increases for health insurance, pensions and higher enrollment — spending that is allowed under the cap.

Eleven districts are also seeking voter approval on separate ballot questions to raise additional tax revenue for specific proposals, which include restoring sports programs and having full-day kindergarten.

“It hasn’t been easy, but I don’t think it’s going to be a repeat of last year in the voting booth,” said Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Jerry Cantrell, president of the New Jersey Taxpayers Alliance, which supported the tax cap, said he was optimistic about the smaller tax increases, though he cautioned that budget numbers were, by and large, self-reported by the districts.

“On the surface, it sounds like an improvement,” Mr. Cantrell said. “I think the message went out and the majority of them are taking it seriously and know they’re going to be watched, but I would still caution every taxpayer to take a close look at those numbers.”

In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a freshman Democrat, proposed a 2 percent cap on property tax increases, to help rein in rising costs for homeowners, but a cap was not part of the budget agreement he reached with the Legislature. The agreement did restore some of the deep cuts in state aid that Mr. Cuomo had proposed, easing some of the pain for districts and for taxpayers, who will vote on budgets next month.

In New Jersey last year , many of the property tax increases were sought by districts to close budget gaps after Mr. Christie, a Republican who was in his first year in office, cut direct aid to individual districts by up to 5 percent of their budgets to help close an $11 billion state deficit. A $1 billion infusion of federal stimulus money for schools had run out last year.

As state revenues have rebounded, Mr. Christie increased aid by $250 million for 2011-12, effectively restoring one percentage point of the 5 percent reductions to districts. Because most districts, not expecting any increase, had not factored it into their budgets, they were able to use the money as a cushion against further layoffs and program cuts. In some cases, it has even led to the restoration of services that were eliminated last year over protests from students and parents.

Edison Township will receive $1.9 million more in state aid, along with $579,000 in federal jobs financing for teachers that it saved from the current year. Daniel Michaud, the district’s business administrator, said the money was used to hold down taxes as well as to restore 27 of the 131 teaching positions eliminated in 2010-11; 19 of them will be in the elementary grades, to reduce class size.

The district, which cut a total of $18.3 million last year, also plans to bring back middle school sports, after-school bus service and stipends for advisers to clubs and honor societies. Mr. Michaud said, however, that there was not enough money to return kindergarten classes to full-day from half-day. “A lot of parents are feeling the pinch of some of the things we lost,” he said.

Ridgewood is proposing an $86.8 million budget with a 2 percent tax increase after an $849,425 rise in state aid erased a projected shortfall of $600,000. Last year, residents rejected a 4 percent increase, the first budget defeat since 2003.

“The mood is not as dire as it was last year,” said Daniel Fishbein, the Ridgewood superintendent. “This budget does not propose any cuts in personnel or programs. But neither will it allow us to hire additional teachers to meet increases in enrollment, nor fund capital improvements at a level that we had done in the past.”

Even districts without direct budget elections are feeling pressure to hold down property taxes. In Montclair, where the budget is adopted by a board consisting of town and school officials, the tax collections will drop by 3.6 percent. The district, which will receive an additional $1 million in state aid, is planning to save $1.3 million more in health benefits, by either outsourcing 250 teaching assistant positions or negotiating union concessions. In addition, it expects to lay off eight teachers.

Superintendents and school board members say they were helped by lower overall costs after making big cuts last year. Following the defeat of Teaneck’s budget, which called for a record 10.2 percent tax increase, the district eliminated 45 teaching positions and four administrative positions as part of a $6.1 million reduction.

Teaneck is again facing a tight budget because, while it is to receive an additional $903,933 in state aid, it must also provide about $1.4 million to a new charter school, resulting in an overall gap of about $500,000. But instead of raising taxes, district officials negotiated $264,000 in salary and benefit concessions from custodians and groundskeepers, scaled back busing service and developed alternative revenue sources.

Under the bus proposal, students in first through fourth grade who live closer than the state-mandated two miles from school will no longer receive free busing, saving the district $260,000. In addition, the district would consolidate some bus stops, to save another $85,000.

The district is also considering starting a subscription bus service to raise $75,000 annually in fees from students in Teaneck and neighboring communities who are not eligible for free busing from their districts. It is also planning to raise $25,000 by charging students to participate in sports and extracurricular activities, and another $25,000 by raising rental fees to outside groups using school buildings.

“All of this hinges on the voters’ coming out and voting yes on the budget,” said Robert Finger, the Teaneck business administrator. “If they come out and vote no on the budget, then it goes to the Township Council and they can order even more cuts.”

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Daily News ‘Daily Politics’ Randi Weingarten, Al Sharpton To Team Up For New Jersey Teachers Ahead Of Budget Vote

I seem to be doing a lot on protests and labor today, so here's one more tidbit for you:

President Randi Weingarten -- who, of course, most of us remember as the former head of the UFT -- will hit three New Jersey events tomorrow, including a rally to keep open the Vineland Developmental Center, a Trenton roundtable with local and state officials at Shiloh Baptist Church and a Newark rally for working families with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

“It’s important to understand that the issues that bring us together today aren’t just labor issues. They’re not just economic or political issues. They are really human rights issues,” Weingarten said in an AFT statement.

As Winnie Hu over at the NYT noted today, "Despite the imposition of a cap this year that limits the increase in property tax collections to 2%, school districts in New Jersey are heading into budget elections on Wednesday largely free of the anger and turmoil of last year’s budget season. Last year, voters defeated 58% of school budgets after Gov. Chris Christie urged taxpayers to hold the line on higher taxes in the districts where teachers had refused to accept wage freezes. It was the highest failure rate since at least 1976."

Christie, the GOP star who's had some tough talk when it comes to the teachers unions, said last week that he's "willing to compromise with the New Jersey Education Association on changing the entrenched tenure and evaluation systems, but insisted on sticking to the core principle of measuring teachers by student learning."

 

Njspotlight.com - Fine Print: Federal Waiver for Special Education Cuts

Federal agency gives New Jersey the OK to make a one-time cut of $26 million in special education funding

By John Mooney, April 26 in Education

Summary: The U.S. Department of Education gives New Jersey a one-year pass from the so-called maintenance of effort requirement that demands no cuts be made in special education funding.

Related Links

What it means: The waiver request was no certainty, one of a few granted by the federal government, and left the state potentially in the hole to restore an estimated $25.7 million in funding. The state provides about $1.2 billion overall in special education aid.

Extraordinary circumstances: The waivers have typically been few and far between, granted only due to "exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances." Before last year, for instance, one of the few granted was to the state of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Four have been granted this year, all due to dropping tax revenues.

Key line: "We do so carefully and reluctantly, given the importance we place on maintaining State financial support for our most vulnerable students."

The math worked in the state’s favor: The state’s cut represented a 2 percent reduction in special education funding from 2009-2010 levels, significantly less than the 13 percent state aid cut overall and the 19 percent cut in general education aid.

Regrets from special ed community: "We’re very disappointed, because we know a lot of the impact of the cuts was in special education programs in high-needs communities," said Peg Kinsell, director of public policy, Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN).

A future warning: The feds said they will do a follow-up audit to insure the cuts weren’t even deeper. The letter also said the state is required to maintain special education funding going into next year at the same $1.2 billion level that would have been required without the waiver.

Public disclosure: The state is required to post this letter "prominently" on its website, and also to publicly report any updates to its special education advisory board by this summer. A link to the waiver request and this correspondence is indeed on the state Department of Education’s office of special education web page.

 

 

 

Courier Post Online  - Proposed bill would penalize N.J. towns, counties that reject shared services

Apr. 26, 2011  |  Written bySHRUTI MATHUR DESAI Courier-Post Staff

·         South Jersey News

Municipalities may soon have no choice but to share services.

Under a bill proposed recently by State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, towns and counties would face a monetary penalty if voters reject shared services proved by a state commission to save money.

The legislation -- backed by Assembly members Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, and Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester -- would put the issue to vote during a general election. If voters reject the measure, they could lose state aid, Sweeney said.

"We tried the carrot approach, where we give towns money, we give counties money, to do shared services," Sweeney said.

"We tried the carrot and it didn't work. So here's the stick."

The legislation comes on the heels of a Camden County effort to explore countywide police and fire services, a plan announced in the wake of massive layoffs in Camden city.

Camden County freeholders insist they are acting as facilitators and will not force any municipalities to join in the countywide services, but Freeholder-Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said the Sweeney legislation may force municipalities to do just that.

"Public safety is one of the biggest expenses at the municipal level," Cappelli said.

"I think when you combine the 2 percent cap with Sen. Sweeney's legislation, there will be many more shared service agreements coming.

"It's forcing municipalities in that direction."

Sweeney has constantly driven home the message of shared services across the state, including at a recent editorial board meeting with the Asbury Park Press, where he used examples from his time as a Gloucester County freeholder.

He noted that he combined that county's vocational-technical and special services schools to save $1.3 million a year, and instituted a countywide police dispatch system to save money.

He acknowledged, though, that the police dispatch initiative took eight years to implement, and more work needs to be done.

Sweeney says the savings range from $22,937 in Elk Township to $779,887 in Glassboro.

"We had a mayor say "Well, it's only a little bit of money we can save,' " Sweeney said.

"But that's my point. Every dollar is a dollar that should be considered to see if we can bring the cost of government down."

Lampitt said one of the main issues at hand is to make residents and government officials comfortable with the idea of change.

"People can talk on both sides of their mouth saying we want change, but not to me," Lampitt said.

"We can do this without diminishing the identity (of towns). We can be doing these things that are seamless to the resident while controlling and possibly lowering their property taxes."

But despite the hard talk on shared services, change doesn't come quickly. It was eight years before all Gloucester County municipalities agreed to the plan, first implemented in 2000 with eight towns on board. Sweeney said the delay resulted from a combination of patronage and home rule.

"Local government didn't want to give up control," Sweeney explained. "A lot of people knew who the dispatchers were. They said, "This was a friend of mine, it's a family member.' "

At the time, police dispatchers argued any budgetary savings would be negated by the loss of police services to the community. They insisted their argument had nothing to do with job loss.

One month after the first eight towns signed on, eight more joined, but the county's largest towns -- including Washington Township, Deptford and Monroe -- held out for several more years, with Monroe finally joining in August of 2007.

"There was a concern, originally, that we wouldn't be able to get on air all the time like we needed to be," said Sgt. George Johnson, a Deptford Police detective. "I was very apprehensive, as an officer, when it happened."

But the dispatch service is a success for Deptford, because the large municipality was able to zone out its own dedicated set of dispatchers from the pool in Clayton, with the advantage of being able to pull additional dispatchers in the case of a major incident, Johnson said. Several years ago, Deptford had a bank robbery that included a car crash, a foot chase and securing of the town's mall. The dispatch in Clayton was able to use additional dispatchers to help.

Johnson said there is always risk in making public safety changes.

"Nobody ever wants to gamble that way," he explained. "But to me it's been a real success."

Gloucester County Freeholder Joe Chila is a former mayor of Woolwich Township, one of the first towns to sign on to the countywide dispatch plan. He said combining dispatch didn't stir the same amount of emotion in residents as fire and police.

"I think the average citizen doesn't care who's on the other end of the phone," Chila said. "You just want that person to be trained and get that help immediately."

The county is now working on a countywide EMS plan to which only 15 towns in Gloucester County have agreed to join. Chila said the reason more towns are slow to sign on is that people feel more connected to the volunteers who staff many of the EMS teams.

"When you get into other shared services, for example, police shared services, you investigate and make sure it's in the best interest," added Chila, who cited the merged Woolwich-Swedesboro police force as an example of where the plan works.

Johnson said Deptford is not a town that sees a need to join a countywide EMS because it has its own paid force, unlike the smaller municipalities that rely on a volunteer ambulance service. But, he added, "Countywide dispatch was a success. I think we're eventually gonna see countywide ambulance."

The EMS plan is saving those 15 municipalities $2.8 million a year, according to the county, with Glassboro saving nearly $800,000 a year.

Sweeney said he doesn't believe his legislation strongarms any town into accepting shared services.

"You don't get any emails about how bad the service is," Sweeney said. "All the rhetoric is up to it happening. All the articles are about people thinking it's not safe, not having good service and then it happens and all of the sudden people realize, this is working fine.

"And it does."

Reach Shruti Mathur Desai at (856) 317-7828 or smathur@camden.gannett.com