ON THE GSCS HOMEPAGE TODAY….

9-15-06 GSCS Quick Facts - Sometimes 'Stats' can misinform
GSCS Quick Facts – Statistics can be misleading….

1) The letter below was forwarded toGSCS by parents in Union County and points out that when the same criteria are used, Maryland and New Jersey’s per cent of budget allocated as Administrative costs vary by less than three-quarters of one per cent, not the 7.4% stated at the Committee hearing.

2) The $8B noted as education spending for Maryland at the 9-6-06 testimony before the Joint Committee on Consolidation and Shared Services did not include special education costs which were cited to be approximately $1K more per pupil (indicated as total pupil enrollment in state at 869K students), thus an additional $869M should be added to the $8B and there may be other costs not included in that $8B, llimited to what was cited as "current expense" spending in Maryland ( see pp. 55-57 of the transcripts). Maryland has student population is slightly less than 2/3 of New Jersey’s public school enrollment.

Here’s the parent letter:

“Dear PTO/PTA Legislative Committee,

Attached for your information is a further indication as to how the Maryland school model is "misleading."

Best regards,

"... At a recent Joint Committee meeting on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, the Assistant State Superintendent for Business Services for the Maryland public schools submitted documents that reported Maryland's per pupil cost for public school administration for the 2003-2004 school year to be $240 ( 2.5% of total spending). Another document in the hands of committee members indicated that New Jersey's public school administrative costs exceeded $1,200 (9.9%). These numbers were mentioned in many newspapers following the committee hearing.

The fact is that the National Center for Educational Statistics for the 2003-04 school year reported that Maryland spent $865 per pupil (9.16% of total spending). The same data table indicated that New Jersey, for the same year, spent $1,319 ( 9.88%). Apparently, apples were not being compared with apples..."

9-15-06 Special Session hearing information for next week -
Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - 1:00 PM Meeting - Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ The committee will hear invited testimony from Jay G. Chambers, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow/Managing Director & Professor John Yinger, Professor of Public Administration & Economics on methods to determine the cost of education. FYI - You can watch the special session hearings on line by going to http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/Default.asp

Joint Legislative Com. on Public Employee Benefits Reform Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - 5:00 PM Meeting - Clifton High School Auditorium, 333 Colfax Ave, Clifton, NJ Directions: www.clifton.k12.nj.us/Cliftonhs/chsdrct.html The committee will hear testimony from the public on pensions and health benefits for public employees. Persons wishing to testify may register by contacting Pamela Espenshade or Jim Vari by phone (609) 292-9106 or fax (609) 777-2998.

Joint Leg.Com. on Con.Reform & Cit. Prop.Tax Con. Convention Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 12:00 PM Hearing - Livingston Student Center, Rutgers University, 84 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ Members of the public are invited to testify before the committee regarding proposals to amend the NJ State Constitution in order to achieve property tax reform.

9-15-06 Star Ledger & AP - 3.25B suggested for school construction
..."Put simply, this report proposes seizing money from suburban taxpayers and then telling them to fund their own school projects while using their money to build schools in cities and towns where the taxpayers are not asked to contribute a dime," said Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris), who said he will urge all Republicans to vote against new school funding. Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents hundreds of the non-Abbott communities, said the task force's recommendations raise concerns.

"It reminds us of how it was before the schools construction act, when 239 of the non-Abbott districts did not qualify for aid," she said...."
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