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GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS
EMAILNET 3-6-07
ON THE HOMEPAGE TODAY at www. gscschools.org
GSCS Quick Fact: GSCS will be testifying next Monday 3-13-07 at the State Budget hearing before the Assembly Budget & Appropriations Committee. GSCS is working hard to present updated analysis of state aid to schools, especially in light of recent revelations concerning Department of Education procedures being applied that further restrict aid usage as well as certain cap waivers.
GSCS Membership Questions? Read FAQs
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Statement of Bruce Quinn, Acting President of AMID, upon joining GSCS membership
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Hearings Schedule for State Budget FY07-08
Released 3-5-07: Includes public hearings dates and how to sign up to testify, as well as list of Departmental/Agency hearings dates before the Senate and Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committees.Public testimony hearings begin next week, starting 3-13-07.
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Grassroots Forum set for 3-8 in Millburn-Short Hills
Millburn Township Open Forum 3-8-07 7:30 pm Impact of Property Tax Legislation on Our School District and the Municipal Budget
Guests- New Jersey State Senate –Senate President Richard J. Codey
21st Legislative District Representatives – Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr. Assemblyman Eric Munoz, M.D. Assemblyman Jon M. Bramnick
Millburn Township Schools –Supt Dr. Richard L. Brodow...
Garden State Coalition of Schools–Exec Dir Lynne Strickland...
Panel Discussion moderator Millburn Twp Mayor Dan Baer.
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Grassroots Speak Up re State Aid for FY07-08 & Recent Legislation that can negatively impact school communities
GSCS MEMBERS BULLETIN BOARD: GRASSROOTS TALK with TRENTON Recent letters from GSCS Member Districts to Governor Corzine, and legislators point out issues with school aid for FY07-08 as proposed by the Governor, as well as real problems that will negatively affect schools and programs under new legisation A1 and A4. Read to learn more, to see how these communities thoughtfully challenge some of Trenton's premises...Letters are also a good example for others to use when 'talking' with Trenton. The following are communications from West Windsor-Plainsboro and Cherry Hill.
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3-1-07 Emerging Devil showing up in the details
GSCS: State aid restrictions curb property tax relief & program appllications for the aid-targeted districts noted by DOE to receive meaningful % state aid increases - read Star Ledger article... 'OFFICIALS TRIP OVER STRINGS IN SCHOOL AID' State targets the funds at new programs only STAR LEDGER 3-1-07
"New Jersey communities that began the week celebrating hefty boosts in state school aid are beginning to worry that the increases are far less substantial than they first thought.
They believe state-imposed restrictions on how the money can be used mean the new funding will be of little help in holding down property taxes..."
"...How does the new program help you when the program you already have for these kids is straining?" he said. "We certainly don't want to lose what we have in place, while someone tells us we have to do something new. ... It's almost an oxymoron..." (Jerry Tarnower, West Oragne Sup't.)
"...We are grateful for the money, but it certainly is not the 6 percent raise for Montclair that was advertised to the world," Alvarez said. "It is deceiving to the public. Our challenge will be trying to explain this to our local constituencies in order to gain their support during this budget process..."
"...Officials (in Washington Twp, Mercer county) there responded to a $67,500 boost in aid by filing a lawsuit in federal court yesterday alleging that the state's continued refusal to fund the school aid formula since 2002 has cost the township $12 million. Washington Township officials say the state's underfunding amounts to a violation of the equal protection clause of the
U.S. Constitution..."
"...She (Commissioner Davy) said the department plans to issue guidelines shortly to further clarify the use of the targeted funds..."
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3-1-07 Op Ed piece re 'Super' Superintendent in the CORE Plan
'County school superintendents would politicize education' - Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/28/07
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2-27-07 GSCS notes that state aid increases for regular operating districts helps lower & some middle income districts - will persevere to see that the state extends its share of support to education more fully to all districts
However, GSCS also notes that school property taxes will remain a problem in the majority of districts in the state because the 3% increase that applies to most districts does not offset cost driver increases in schools across the state, nor can it do much to offset the past 5 years of school funding formula aid being held flat (since 2001-2002)........ New York Times - 'In New Jersey, Districts Find Aid Increases Insufficient' "...This is not the massive relief that the governor was hinting at a few weeks ago," said Elisabeth Ginsburg, the school board president in Glen Ridge. "It's better than nothing, but it's not significant tax relief..."
Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents more than 150 school districts, said that education officials had taken the first steps toward "course-correcting" what she called the practice of underfinancing school districts. "We hope that this kind of state support will become a trend, with meaningful aid increases going to more districts in the near future,..."
Star Ledger - 'Middle income districts get boost School aid is flat for poorest towns'
' 'Frozen' towns see a thaw in N.J. school aid State budget aims at non-Abbotts with large numbers of poor pupils' Star Ledger
Trenton Times - 'Districts glad for increase in aid Schools to get at least 3% under Corzine's budget' Philadelphia Inquirer 'N.J. School Chief told - Cut Waste' Lucille Davy, questioned by state senators, vowed scrutiny after audits in Camden and other cities.
Star Ledger 'Retired teachers told: Medical bills on state'
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2-26-07 DOE Release re State School Aid Figure Made Public to Schools Today
GSCS notes the increase in state support aid to all schools; in particular low and middle income schools benefit under this aid package where there are high concentrations of at-risk students and full day kindergartens currently in place...GSCS will keep a persevering eye on school funding as it continues to develop in the upcoming Appropriations Act for FY07-08 to see that state funding support continues to extend its reach more fully to all schools - that the legislated commitment to extraordinary aid for special education highly disabled students starts to be funded again. ".....DOE Releases 2007-08 State Aid Figures The 2007-08 state aid figures were released today by the New Jersey Department of Education. The information can be accessed on the DOE website at the following link:
http://www.nj.gov/njded/stateaid/0708/ Attached is a summary of key explanatory points."
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GSCS membership is joined by the Association of Middle Income Districts
Posted by The Star-Ledger February 20, 2007 2:57PM "Two lobbying organizations that represent hundreds of school districts left out of the state Supreme Court's Abbott v. Burke court cases on public school funding announced today they have joined forces..."
"We will have power that we have not had," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, an organization that represents 110 of the state's wealthier communities."
"Strickland's group grew by about 40 districts, with the announcement that a second lobbying group, the Association of Middle Income Districts, is disbanding and becoming part of the Garden State Coalition."
"The Garden State districts have long been seen as leaders in this debate," said Bruce Quinn, president of the Middle Income District's group, and superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen School District. "The new Garden State Coalition, now backed by the inclusion of middle and lower wealth districts, will have an even stronger voice to advocate the needed changes."
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2-26-07 GSCS: Major changes re teachers' benefits program underway
STAY TUNED...ON the homepage of the NJEA website today - "NJEA has reached an agreement with Gov. Corzine on key changes to members' pensions and benefits"
"When bills were introduced last December that would have made major changes to the pension and health benefits of current and future retirees, Gov. Corzine asked the Legislature to withdraw them because he believed they should be negotiated at the bargaining table. As the governor began negotiating with CWA, it became clear that protecting NJEA members' benefits would not only be a legislative battle. We also had to be concerned with the state's public employee negotiations. Because we share a pension system (PERS) with the state employees, their bargaining could potentially impact our members…"
2-23-07 News Articles re Gov's Budget Proposal
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2-22-07 GSCS EMAILNET re Gov's Budget Message
2-22-07 Governor Corzine's Budget Message today GSCS PRESS RELEASE: Overall, GSCS welcomes the direction the Governor is taking by adding direct school aid for all schools to the FY07-08 Budget. While this budget indicates a positive beginning, it will be the follow through that counts...."
From Phila Inquirer today: "...Lynne Strickland, an advocate for middle-class districts, said the increase was "a step in the right direction" ....
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2-22-07 Gov's Budget Message Link ,Related News Articles, A4 CORE Plan gains final passage in the Assembly
The Governor's budget message is available online at: http://nj.gov/governor/news/news/approved/20070222.html
A budget summary is also available online at: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/omb/publications/08budget/pdf/budget.pdf
The Record 2-22-07 'Homeowners, schools get bigger share of budget'
Courier Post 2-22-07 Homeowners and suburban schools will get a bigger share of the $33.3 billion state budget Governor Corzine is expected to introduce today By TOM HESTER Jr. Associated Press
It also doesn't fully fund the state's obligation to public worker pensions, and Sen. Barbara Buono said the increased state aid wouldn't help with property taxes. "That increase will be negligible," said Buono, D-Metuchen. "It's just not going to cut it." Bill Dressel, New Jersey League of Municipalities executive director, said that increase would quickly be erased by increased pension costs for public workers. "It's not going to dramatically reduce our reliance on the property tax," Dressel said.
Last property tax reform bills clear Legislature Posted by The Star-Ledger February 22, 2007 3:02PM The Assembly gave final approval today to measures that would set up new county school superintendents with veto power over local districts' budgets and eliminate pension benefits for future elected and appointed officials, effectively wrapping up the Legislature's eight-month effort to rein in property taxes.
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2-22-07 GSCS Press Release: Governor Corzine's Budget Message today
Overall, GSCS welcomes the direction the Governor is taking by adding direct school aid for all schools to the FY07-08 Budget. While this budget indicates a positive beginning, it will be the follow through that counts...."
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Recent Commentary on State Approaches to School Funding, plus PEI & ELC invitation to policy discussion on costing out studies
1. Star Ledger Op-Ed 'Fulfilling the promise of Abbott' Wednesday, February 28, 2007 BY DAVID G. SCIARRA
2. Star Ledger Op-Ed 'Don't use audits to indict the state-run school districts' Thursday, February 08, 2007 BY PAUL L. TRACTENBERG
3. The Public Education Institute and the Education Law Center Present March 19, Rutgers Busch Campus - 'Costing Out an Adequate Education in New Jersey: Where do we go from here?' Sign up + more info attached.
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2-22-07 News articles re Governor's Budget Message this morning
Philadelphia Inquirer - Corzine budget: Aid up, not taxes The plan, to be introduced today, has more for towns and schools and offers homeowners some relief.
NY Times: Corzine to Propose a New Jersey Budget With No Tax Increase and More School Aid
Star Ledger - $33 billion budget rules out tax hikes Big capital projects are left in the lurch
"...It's a small move in the right direction," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. "The question is, will it stop, or go for ward?..."
· Live television broadcast on NJN and New Jersey News 12. NJN will re-broadcast at 10 p.m.
· Live radio broadcast on NJN Public Radio.
· Streamed live and archived at njn.net.
· Live webcast on the Office of the Governor's site at state.nj.us
Contributed by Joe Donohue and Dunstan McNichol
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2-21-07 Associated Press 'Codey Affirms More State Aid'
Corzine and legislators had hoped to devise a new plan to fund schools for the budget year that begins July 1, but the governor said the plan wasn't ready. He wants to put more emphasis on how many special-needs students each district has, rather than community wealth. "...Word of increased aid came as school groups vowed a stronger effort to get the state to increase help. "It has been a deaf ear and a blind eye going into the sixth year now, and we are mad," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. The coalition represents about 110 suburban districts, including some of the wealthiest in the state.
Yesterday, it announced it was joining forces with the Association of Middle Income Districts, which represents about 40 low- and middle-income schools..."
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2-20-07 EMAILNET FYI - AMID joins GSCS
Special thanks to Senators John Adler and Barbara Buono, and Assemblyman Joe Malone who took the time to speak at the GSCS press conference today announcing the joining of GSCS by the Association of Middle Income Districts; GSCS also thanks these legislators for standing up to support the need for putting a stable school funding formula in place that will support the needs of both children and communities across N.J.
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2-20-07 Live from the Ledger on-line
Wealthier schools join forces for more funding 2:57 p.m. "...We will have power that we have not had," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, an organization that represents 110 of the state's wealthier communities....Strickland's group grew by about 40 districts, with the announcement that a second lobbying group, the Association of Middle Income Districts, is disbanding and becoming part of the Garden State Coalition.
"The Garden State districts have long been seen as leaders in this debate," said Bruce Quinn, president of the Middle Income District's group, and superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen School District. "The new Garden State Coalition, now backed by the inclusion of middle and lower wealth districts, will have an even stronger voice to advocate the needed changes."
Lawmakers last year failed in a six-month effort to devise a new formula for distributing the $7 billion in state aid New Jersey sends to schools each year.
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