Coalition of Schools

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Education symposium to explore impact of school cap legislation

By: Rachel Silverman, Staff Writer 03/11/2005

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Program sponsored by Princeton Special Education Parent Teacher Organization.    If you ask Princeton resident Marianne Carnevale her opinion on the new state legislation known as S-1701, which tightens the caps on school budgets and reduces the surplus school districts can carry over from one year to the next, you're likely to get a fiery response.    "S-1701 is a very evil legislation with regard to local school districts," the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization coordinator said. "Funding is really, really the heart of the problem this year."    For this reason, Ms. Carnevale and her fellow special education PTO associates have decided to make this item the centerpiece of their annual education symposium, to be held Saturday at John Witherspoon Middle School.    "This time we've chosen to go global on this," she said. "In the past we've done special education workshops. This is the first time we're branching out.    "It's the most important thing facing both special education and regular education this year," said Ms. Carnevale, the mother of an autistic student at Riverside Elementary School. "We're all facing the evils of S-1701 together. ... We are all affected by budget restraints and formulas."    The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will include two main workshops throughout the course of the 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. event.    The first of these, a workshop led by Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Jeffrey Graber and district grant writer Kim McReynolds, will serve as an introduction to the world of grant writing and application.    The second will feature the executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, Lynne Strickland, who will give an overview of S-1701.    "It's another primer to understand what our district is going through in preparing a budget under these constraints," Ms. Carnevale said, referring to the Board of Education's $67.1 million budget submitted to county officials this week.    Ms. Carnevale also points out that this year's $1.9 million second question, a proposed addition to the budget that must get separate approval from voters because it exceeds the state-imposed budget cap, includes a special education component — $155,000 to set up a program for preschool autistic children.    Ms. Carnevale said there are between 450 and 500 classified students in Princeton schools, about 12 to 14 percent of the student population.    "We're all vying for our portion of the pie," she said. "But traditionally Princeton has had a collaborative mentality between special education and regular education.    "We saw this year's symposium as an opportunity to raise awareness and generate activity to accomplish change at the state and local levels," Ms. Carnevale said. "We try to always have in mind all concerns facing all children in the district. ... We are all part of the same team."

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Public Forum Set For Monday, March 14th Speaker To Address New School Finance Law S-1701

Lynne Strickland, Executive Director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a leading advocacy group for public education, will speak to the Hopewell Valley community on Monday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Timberlane Middle School. The public is encouraged to attend.

A well-known and respected figure among educators and legislators, Strickland will speak about S-1701, the controversial new school finance law that has dramatically changed the way public school budgets must be drawn. The upcoming 2005-06 school year is the first year affected by the new law.

S-1701creates sweeping changes in budgeting formulas, virtually eliminates the ability of districts to transfer money between accounts and severely restricts the power of districts to fund programs, such as through second ballot questions. It also requires districts to reduce their surpluses. Educators across New Jersey, including those in Hopewell Valley, believe the new law cripples their ability to cover unexpected big-ticket bills, such as facility emergencies and special education costs, which are inherently unpredictable.

While S-1701 was designed specifically to limit local decisions regarding school district spending, its restrictions are particularly stinging in districts like Hopewell Valley, where so much of the budget is funded by local taxpayers. Taxpayers here supply 92 cents of every $1 spent by the local schools.

Strickland will be joined by representatives of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education and administration officials who will explain S-1701's specific effects on the 2005-06 budget. The district’s tentative spending plan is scheduled to be adopted tonight. The final budget will be adopted on March 23.

The Garden State Coalition of Schools is a grass-roots advocacy group of 125 school districts and more than 290,000 children. Representing urban, suburban and rural districts, it is largely focused on raising awareness of school finance issues and building support for public education. The group is widely recognized for playing a critical role in helping secure state funding for construction projects at a 40 percent minimum, regardless of district wealth.

A graduate of Skidmore College where she majored in American government, Strickland has led the Coalition for the past 13 years. She is a former assistant to the editor of the National Tax Journal, then produced by the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A former school board member, Strickland has been active in public education issues for more than 20 years.