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Star Ledger - Town tries to measure the price of school pride...Hackettstown, an average district, weighs taxes and funding Gannett - School officials balk at consolidation idea
Asbury Pk Press - Tax plan could target poor schools
StarLgr Legislator: Let's erase the 'Abbott district' label
The Record - Tax panel wants change in school funding
Star Ledger - Town tries to measure the price of school pride
Star Ledger-State raises co-pays for teachers, government workers
Don't ignore fat contracts - Asbury Park Press editorial
Trenton Times - Auditor pokes hole in budget
Council told it should remove projected $5.7 million in revenue
School officials balk at consolidation idea
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/6/06
BY JONATHAN TAMARI
"We should be very cautious about looking at what might seem to be a very easy solution," said New Jersey Education Association President Joyce Powell, referring to the idea — floated by some lawmakers as a way to cut costs — of using 21 county superintendents to oversee the state's 616 school districts.
Powell said county offices would need larger staffs to oversee local districts.
Other administrators said the state should rely on voluntary cooperation between local districts and the existing county supervisors.
"We can exact the savings right now the way the county offices are designed," said Barry Galasso, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.
Betsy Ginsburg of the
"When you put accountability squarely in the lap of the public, you have much more true accountability than you have with a county superintendent," Ginsburg said.
But Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, co-chairman of the legislative panel examining school funding, said the idea of consolidating school oversight "has legs."
He said
"I believe in leadership," Conaway said, adding, "for that reason we need to have someone accountable for driving quality."
Tax plan could target poor schools
Funding formula would cause less disparity
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/6/06
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Such a plan would end years of disputes over state funding disparities between school districts but also would have to pass muster with a state Supreme Court ruling that has demanded equality between poorer and wealthier schools.
Sen. John Adler and Assemblyman Herb Conaway, co-chairmen of a special committee mulling school funding as part of property-tax reform talks, said their goal is to develop a funding formula that can be imposed upon every school district, no matter its locale.
"It doesn't seem like a crazy idea to treat people fairly wherever they live," said Adler, D-Camden.
David Sciarra, an attorney and executive director of the Education Law Center, which has argued on behalf of students in needy communities, said the court ruling that led to the special state funding gave lawmakers the option of creating a formula that treats all schools the same, but they've never done it.
Still, he said lawmakers will be hard-pressed to devise a new formula that alters the special focus given to poor students.
"We could move to a unified system, but in order to do that the Legislature has a very heavy burden," Sciarra said. "They're going to have to come up with proof it will deliver the level of resources needed by all students in the state."
The comments came after Assemblyman David W. Wolfe, R-Ocean, demanded that the panel — one of four considering property tax reform ideas — hold a special hearing on spending in the 31 largely urban districts that receive extra state money.
Those districts have about 22 percent of the state's student population, but they get about 55 percent of all state school aid.
While there is heavy state funding for the 31 districts, state aid for most schools hasn't increased in five years, forcing them to rely more heavily on property taxes that have increased about 7 percent per year in recent years. The taxes average $6,000 per property owner, twice the national average.
"The explosion in property tax rates in recent years can be very closely tied to the disparity in school funding," Wolfe said.
But Adler and Conaway said a special hearing won't be needed because they plan to eliminate special treatment for the 31 districts.
"I'm a Democrat," Conaway said. "I'm an African-American. I am not going to do something which will be a detriment to black and brown children across this state, but we need to recognize that children who have hurdles before them in terms of their education live all over this state."
Star Ledger - Legislator: Let's erase the 'Abbott district' label
Democrat wants all students treated equally
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
BY TOM HESTER
Star-Ledger Staff
"Abbott district," the term state officials use to describe the 31 poor school districts that receive the bulk of state aid, would become extinct under legislation that a key state senator expects to take shape by next month.
Sen. John Adler (D-Camden), a co-chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform, told Republicans on the panel yesterday he sees no point in focusing on the spending practices of the poor and mainly urban districts because the funding formula is likely to change.
"I imagine recommending to the Legislature that we remove the title 'Abbott,' as we develop legislation that will treat kids throughout the state equally and fairly," Adler said as he opened a hearing in
Adler was responding to Assemblyman David Wolfe (R-Ocean), who asked when the committee would hold a hearing specifically on the spending practices of Abbott districts.
"This has been a bipartisan effort to study the issue of school funding reform, and in that spirit, I hope the co-chairman will consider my request," Wolfe said. "We cannot reach a well-informed decision on how to revamp our school funding formula without first understanding how these dollars are being spent by the districts."
Assemblyman Herb Conoway (D-Burlington), the other co-chairman, cut Wolfe off and moved on with the hearing.
Wolfe and Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), the two Republicans on the six-member panel, are anxious to question the hiring and spending practices of such districts as Newark, Irvington and East Orange, but Democrats are equally anxious to avoid the potential embarrassment.
Last year the state spent $4.18 billion -- 57.3 percent of total school aid -- in the 31 Abbott districts, so-called because of the Abbott vs. Burke court case in which the state Supreme Court ordered extra state funding for poor districts. The state's remaining 585 districts shared $3.12 billion.
There are 340,000 pre-kindergarten through high school students in the Abbott districts and 1.1 million non-Abbott students.
Adler said following the hearing that he hopes to see the committee offer school funding and cost-cutting proposals to the Legislature and Corzine administration by the end of October. The deadline for the four special legislative committees to offer proposals designed to ease property taxes is Nov. 15.
Adler also said he foresees a school funding system based on the needs of each child statewide. The senator said that while aid would not be equal for each child, he expects it to be fairer. Gov. Jon Corzine also has called for a funding system based on students' needs.
"The governor believes that the school aid formula is one of many such formulas in the state that is obsolete and unfair," said Brendan Gilfillan, Corzine's spokesman. He said Education Commissioner Lucille Davy "is working with the Legislature on a new funding formula grounded in three principles: It will meet the needs of every child regardless of zip code, it will function in the context of the state's finances, and it will meet the obligations of the constitution."
The Record - Tax panel wants change in school funding
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
TRENTON -- Lawmakers plan to develop a new school funding formula that ends special treatment for poor, urban schools, two Democrats said Tuesday as legislators continued debating how to cut New Jersey's highest-in-the-nation property taxes.
Such a plan would end years of disputes over state funding disparities between suburban, rural and city schools, but also would have to adhere to a state Supreme Court ruling that demands equality between poor and wealthy schools.
Sen. John Adler and Assemblyman Herb Conaway, co-chairmen of a special committee mulling school funding as part of property tax reform talks, said their goal is to develop a funding formula that can be imposed upon every school district, no matter its locale.
"It doesn't seem like a crazy idea to treat people fairly wherever they live," said Adler, D-Camden.
David Sciarra, an attorney and executive director of the Education Law Center, which has argued on behalf of students in needy communities, said the court ruling that led to the special state funding gave lawmakers the option of creating a formula that treats all schools the same, but they've never done it.
Still, he said, lawmakers will be hard-pressed to devise a formula that alters the special focus given to poor students.
"We could move to a unified system, but in order to do that the Legislature has a very heavy burden," Sciarra said. "They're going to have to come up with proof it will deliver the level of resources needed by all students in the state."
The comments came after Assemblyman David Wolfe, R-Ocean, demanded that the panel -- one of four considering property tax reform ideas -- hold a special hearing on spending in the 31 city school districts that receive extra state money.
Those districts have about 22 percent of the state's student population, but get about 55 percent of all state school aid.
There is heavy state funding for the 31 districts, but state aid for most other schools hasn't increased in five years, forcing them to rely more heavily on property taxes, which have increased about 7 percent per year in recent years. The taxes average $6,000 per property owner, twice the national average.
"The explosion in property tax rates in recent years can be very closely tied to the disparity in school funding," Wolfe said. "We cannot fix that problem unless we have a full and accurate understanding of how money is being spent and whether money is being wasted in all of these school districts."
But Adler and Conaway said a special hearing won't be needed because they plan to eliminate special treatment for the 31 districts.
"I'm a Democrat," Conaway said. "I'm an African-American. I am not going to do something which will be a detriment to black and brown children across this state, but we need to recognize that children who have hurdles before them in terms of their education live all over this state."
The committees have until Nov. 15 to devise reform recommendations.
The Supreme Court ruling stems from concerns that children in poor city schools don't receive the same quality of education as those in wealthy suburban schools.
It requires the state to provide substantial aid to 31 districts designated as needing special help so their funding equals that of the state's richest school districts.
Conaway noted the court has often ruled against bids to alter the special treatment and ordered lawmakers to change their plans.
"We may have do that this time, but we're going to give it the old college try to make sure that we come up with a system for funding schools for funding the individual needs of students," Conaway said.
Sciarra predicted lawmakers would find it difficult to cut funding for preschool programs in poor cities and said a serious cost analysis of the resources needed by poor students is needed. "They just can't come up with some kind of cooked up, budget-driven number," he said.
Star Ledger - Town tries to measure the price of school pride
Hackettstown, an average district, weighs taxes and funding
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
BY JOHN MOONEY
Star-Ledger Staff
As small towns go, Hackettstown might seem as typical as they come. Nestled in a valley on the border of Morris and Warren counties, the town of 9,000 residents has four schools that residents say are a fine place to educate their kids, institutions with deep ties into the lore of this historic community.
Outside the high school gym is a list of championship sports teams, dating to the undefeated football team in 1925. Colorful murals hand-painted by students decorate the walls.
At election time each year, the name of a pro-budget organization in the community says it all: "Hackettstown Pride."
But being a typical
Hackettstown has had to cut almost a dozen faculty positions in the last five years. Class sizes are creeping up, and desired programs in the arts are wanting.
Extracurricular programs like lacrosse or tennis aren't offered at all.
"Are we maintaining? Yes, and we're very, very proud of our programs," said Bruce Smith, the school board's president. "But they are not where they could be, and if you put it under a microscope, you can start to see the erosion."
But at the same time, Smith concedes his own tax bill has risen from $1,000 in 1980 to more than $5,000 this year.
Others are less diplomatic about the tax squeeze.
"Property taxes are killing us," said Damiano Fracasso, a former school board candidate and rare Democrat in the mostly Republican town. "The taxes in this town are getting obscene, and 60 percent of them are going to the schools."
As schools open this week across the state, Hackettstown's tug-of-war is emblematic of struggles faced by districts across the state, many which have to deal with escalating needs spanning from special education to the federal No Child Left Behind Act to a six-digit utility bill.
It doesn't help that legislators in
"We are the piñata right now," said Hackettstown superintendent Robert Gratz. "Everybody takes a whack at it, and hopes something good will fall out."
By most measures, Hackettstown lands in the middle when it comes to spending.
Last year, the district spent an average of $11,247 per child, just off the state norm of $11,442. The state paid about half of the district's budget, again pretty typical, and the local taxpayers picked up the balance, on average almost $6,000 per home.
And in a state where barely half of the school budgets passed in the spring, Hackettstown's $25.8 million plan won by just 33 votes.
With an median household income of $56,000, Hackettstown is a solidly middle-class community with a tint of blue collar, and nobody blames residents for their simmering frustration with property taxes.
The resentment is more toward the state, whether for the lack of any additional aid for the last five years or the ongoing funding of the 31 districts that fall under the Abbott v. Burke school equity rulings, including nearby
"I just don't think it is fair that depending where your children are raised you can get more money from the state, be it an Abbott district or one of (the wealthiest)," said Gratz, the district's superintendent. "We deserve better from this state."
But a walk through the schools shows Hackettstown is doing well.
The high school is a case in point. Also serving children from Great Meadows and Allamuchy, the one-story building boasts a new $6.9 million wing, with shiny science labs, art rooms, and a soaring gymnasium.
The library and media labs are stocked with new technology every three years, the computers networked by broadband, and classrooms each have televisions and DVD players.
The district as a whole cut a total of two teaching positions this year, including one in the high school. But those who remain do pretty well. The average pay is more than $54,000 a year, and $45,834 for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree, both better than the statewide average. The latest contract won the teachers an annual average of 4.3 percent raises.
"We've come a long way," said Linda Gray, a special education teacher in the high school and one of the district's four Teachers of the Year. "Especially the starting pay, that's gotten pretty decent."
As she prepared her classroom, Gray said she pays her share for supplies out of her own pocket, but has what she needs from the district. She must share a classroom with two other special education teachers, but added that has its benefits, too, where she can exchange ideas and suggestions.
ARTS CURTAILED
Hackettstown, like many school districts, is feeling the pinch in the arts.
The district is looking at how to better coordinate its programs between the schools, and officials pointed out there are no dance or theater classes and little instrumental music instruction for the kids in the elementary and middle schools.
"You need to start them young," said John Sarcone, principal of
Sarcone isn't one to complain about resources. He is thankful for this summer's work on a new walkway outside and tiling inside. His class sizes range from 14 to 25 children, he said, manageable enough.
He also had high praise for the district's outside foundation that has helped teachers like Cindy Vass, who won a $400 grant to provide an exercise program for her first-graders a couple of years ago.
"Jump ropes, hula hoops, things like that," she said of the program's supplies. "It helps the children then concentrate a little more on their studies."
Still, Sarcone is losing his full-time Spanish teacher this year with the expiration of a federal grant, and he must share the position with the other elementary school. The gifted and talented teacher is also shared, as is the child study team for children with disabilities.
The town has shown steady support for its schools, passing all but one budget in the last eight years. That was in 2002, and the town council didn't end up cutting the budget at all.
A big help comes from the community organization called Hackettstown Pride that has used radio spots and a full campaign of posters and fliers to drum up support for the budget.
Last April, 22 percent of the town's voters came out, well more than the 15 percent average statewide. And every vote was needed in what was one of the narrowest approvals in years.
"The days are long gone where you can just show up and expect people will vote for this," said Jim Simmons, a father of a middle school child who helps lead Hackettstown Pride.
He said when traveling the town to PTA meetings and other events to promote school programs, the questions always come back to their cost. "Would I like to see other things in the schools, of course," he said.
"But I'm savvy enough to know it's not going to happen, not now."
John Mooney covers education. He may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com, or 973-392-1548.
Star Ledger-State raises co-pays for teachers, government workers
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
BY DUNSTAN McNICHOL
Star-Ledger Staff
With lawmakers hoping to save billions of dollars by overhauling the state's health benefits program for teachers and government workers, union representatives turned out in force yesterday to resist plans to trim millions through higher co-payments and drug-buying restrictions.
Despite the objections, members of the State Health Benefits Commission voted 3-2 to raise the co-payments more than 200,000 teachers, local government workers and retirees pay for visits to doctors' offices and prescription drugs.
The changes, which take effect Jan. 1, are designed to save state and local governments enrolled in the State Health Benefits Plan $32 million per year.
But commission members deferred another proposal, to save about $34 million annually by steering state and local workers to generic drugs and mail-order pharmacies, until January, to let state officials launch a public education campaign about the changes.
Both proposals had sparked vocal opposition among the labor unions that represent public workers. A representative of the state teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said it is possible legal action might be taken to head off the higher co-payments.
"We're looking into it," said Robert Antonelli, the NJEA's associate director for government relations. "NJEA's looking into the legality of the whole thing."
That threat and heavy union resistance to the changes proposed in the health program this week give lawmakers a glimpse of the difficulties they will face if they seek major changes in the $4 billion a year benefits program.
One of four legislative panels considering options for reining in property taxes has targeted benefits as a place to find significant savings.
But at three hearings on the changes considered so far, union officials have packed the hearing rooms and served notice they plan to challenge wholesale reductions in the program's benefits.
Yesterday's commission vote on the co-pays broke down 3-2, with the three representatives of the Corzine administration favoring the changes and representatives of the NJEA and AFL-CIO opposing.
"I believe any increase in co-pay should be negotiated at the bargaining table and should not be implemented by this committee," said Eric Richard, the AFL-CIO's representative on the commission.
Under the provisions adopted yesterday, teachers and other local government employees and retirees enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program will see the co-payment for a doctor's office visit rise from $5 to $10. The co-payment on a 30-day supply of prescription drugs also would rise from $1 to $3 for generic drugs and from $5 to $10 for brand names.
The changes raise the co-payments for local employees, teachers and retirees to match the levels state workers already pay, and they provoked vocal opposition from organized labor.
The change in co-payments will affect 210,786 employees and their dependents.
The other proposal, to steer participants to generic drugs and mail-order services by imposing penalties on the use of brand-name drugs or drugs bought at local pharmacies, would affect all 358,000 employees covered by the health benefits plan, plus their dependents.
Under a schedule approved by a 3-2 vote yesterday, the commission will consider those changes in January.
"There is a clear need for education as to what these changes provide," said Fred Beaver, director of the state Division of Pensions and Benefits. "It's our intent by January 2007 there will be no one whose concerns will not have been addressed."
Dunstan McNichol covers state government issues. He may be reached at dmcnichol@starledger.com or (609) 989-0341.
Don't ignore fat contracts
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/6/06
While the legislative committees charged with finding ways to reduce property taxes find new and creative excuses for not being able to act, one of the most important drivers of escalating taxes — teacher salaries and benefits — continues to fly largely under the radar.
As public schools open their doors this week, more than 100 school districts will be operating without new teacher contracts — about 60 percent of the districts with contracts up for renewal. That should not be construed to mean school boards are finally making the local teachers' unions work up a sweat. Despite what may be good intentions on the part of some school boards, the unlimited resources of the New Jersey Education Association and the collective bargaining rules authored by the Legislature make it an uphill fight.
The numbers tell the story. The average salary increase for contracts covering the 2006-07 school year is an inflationary 4.65 percent, slightly below the 2005-06 average of 4.7 percent. Those kinds of increases, coupled with unaffordable health benefits costs and state spending caps, virtually guarantee painful cuts in other portions of the school budget — cuts often detrimental to children's education.
The New Jersey School Boards Association notes that 56 percent of the new teacher contracts contain clauses to control health benefits costs. But only about 10 percent of the state's school districts require teachers to contribute toward the health care premiums of dependents, and only about 2 percent require teachers to pay anything toward their own premiums. Despite the clamor by taxpayers for property tax relief and the pledges by state lawmakers to provide it, the bloated teacher contracts continue to be rubber-stamped — largely out of public view. Most legislators — Democrats and Republicans alike — remain stonily silent on the subject of excessive contracts.
Lawmakers talk about the need to control the cost of education, as the legislative committee on school spending did Tuesday, but ignore the fact it is driven by salaries and benefits. If they were sincere about reducing property taxes, they would not only work to reduce the size of the teaching workforce through consolidation of districts, but eliminate the costly, wasteful and often morale-sapping process of negotiating contracts one district at a time.
Contracts should be negotiated countywide. It would save enormous sums of money. It would provide for greater equity among districts. It would eliminate the inherent conflict of superintendents and business administrators, who tend to use the settlements they help negotiate as benchmarks for their own salary treatment. And it would help eliminate some of the negotiating mismatches between the NJEA and local school boards.
Significant property tax reform is not possible without reducing school spending, which accounts for about 60 percent of the property tax burden. If the Legislature buries its head on this one, it will have buried its head on property tax relief itself.
Trenton
Council told it should remove projected $5.7 million in revenue
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD
The auditor, Robert Morrison, told the council that the budget, which was given to the council last night, included some $5.7 million in revenue that does not exist and should be removed from the spending plan.
At issue, Morrison said, is money collected by the township on behalf of the school district in the first half of the year. The township collected an extra $5.7 million during that time and, according to Morrison, that money must be paid out to the school district during the second half of the year. Instead, the money was included as revenue.
"It was billed as school tax, I've calculated that it must be paid to the school, so I'm not sure how you can use it as revenue," Morrison said.
Officials announced the $81.1 million budget yesterday, proclaiming that taxes would not increase for the second straight year. Included in the budget was the addition of two new police officers.
But Morrison's assessment of the budget put a damper on the good feelings created by the announcement as officials attempted to explain the disputed $5.7 million.
Township Business Administrator John Mason said by law the township can collect up to 55 percent of the prior year's budget in the first half of the following year. The law allows the practice, Mason said, because the new school district tax is not known, so they add extra billing to ensure that enough is collected.
The extra money collected has routinely been used as surplus for the budget, Mason said. The ultimate decision will be made by the state Department of Community Affairs.
"In the past the money has been used to offset tax increases and stabilize the tax rate, and that goes back to 1992," Mason said.
But Morrison disputed Mason's reading of the law, saying the money was owed to the township and could not be used as revenue.
"You will not have a penny of school taxes that you can use for your own on Dec. 31," Morrison told the council. "(You) are treating a cash liability as if it is the township's money. It is completely inappropriate. You are at the edge of a very steep slope and if you take this step you will be setting yourself up for a potential default."
Morrison drew groans from the crowd when he told the council that the only municipality in the area that has done something similar is
Bringing the budget in without a hefty tax rate has been no easy feat this year as pension and health care costs have gone up more than $1.5 million.
Despite the added costs, Mayor Glen D. Gilmore said residents would not face an increase in the tax rate, which is currently 77 cents per $100 in assessed home value.
"We as a community are facing real challenges in the loss of state aid," Gilmore said. "We have also seen, like so many homeowners, skyrocketing utility and health care costs. But for the municipal portion of our budget, we will hold the line on taxes."
Included in the budget will be two new police officers, Gilmore said, bringing the township's total to 184. While many township departments have had to compromise, Gilmore said he is not willing to weaken the police because safety is among the most important issues to residents.
"By asking workers to do more with less, we have been able to hold the line on taxes," he said. "But I don't want us to think we can rest when it comes to fighting crime, so I'm asking the council to hire two new police officers in order to keep our record of safety."
But even before last night's dispute over revenue, yesterday's announcement did not sit well with all of the township's legislators.
Council President Tom Goodwin called it unfair and said he and his fellow Republicans on the council would not introduce the budget until they had a chance to read it.
"How do we even know what's in it to introduce it," said Goodwin.
But their reluctance could spell trouble for the township.
The state mandates that all fiscal year budgets be introduced by Sept. 15 in order to apply for extraordinary aid, traditionally given to municipalities in dire financial straits.
In order to comply with that deadline, the council must introduce it before that date, but the next scheduled council meeting is not until Sept. 19.
Goodwin said he will be forced to hold a special meeting for the budget introduction.
"This is not a prudent way to do business," Goodwin said. "We have repeatedly asked them for this budget and we begged them not to do it at the last minute. We haven't even seen it so how do we know what the revenues and expenses look like."
Earlier this year, the state announced massive increases in the amount each municipality must contribute to the public employees pension fund.
Yesterday, Gilmore attributed
