Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     6-24-11 Democrat Budget Proposal brings aid to all districts
     4-29-11 BOOMERANG! Near 80 per cent of School Budgets Passed in Wednesday'sSchool Elections
     4-21-11 Supreme Court hears school funding argument
     4-14-11 Governor Releases Legislation to Address Education Reform Package
     4-8-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-7-11 Early news coverage & press releases - Governor's Brooking Inst. presentation on his education reform agenda
     3-25-11 Education Week on School Cutbacks Around The Nation
     2-7-11 Education - and Controversy - in the News
     12-5-10 Sunday News - Education-related Issues
     10-8-10 Education Issue in the News
     9-1-10 Education in the News
     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
     8-16-10 Senate Education hears 'for discussion only' comments re expanding charter school authorization process; Commissioner Schundler relays education priorities to the Committee
     8-13-10 East Brunswick Public School seeks stay on Hatikvah Charter School opening this fall (re: Hatikvah not meeting minimum enrollment requirement)
     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
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-28-10 State Budget tops the news today
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-23-10 Trenton News: State Budget on the move...Education Issues
     6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule
     6-10-10 Op-Ed in Trenton Times Sunday June 6 2010
     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
     4-23-10 Education issues remain headline news
     4-22-10 School Elections - in the News Today
     4-6-10 'Gov. Chris Chrisite extends dealdine for teacher salary concessions'
     4-6-10 'NJ school layoffs, program cuts boost attention to Apri 20 votes
     4-2-10 Press of Atlantic City lists county impact re: school aid reduction
     4-2-10 'On Titanic, NJEA isn't King of the World'
     4-1-10 Courier Post article reports on Burlington and Camden County district budgets
     4-1-10 Education in the News today
     4-1-10 New Initiatives outlined to encourage wage freezes - reaction
     3-30-10 Race to the Top winners helped by local buy-in
     3-29-10 The Record and Asbury Park Press - Editorials
     3-26-10 School Aid, Budget Shortfall - Impt Related Issues = Front Page News
     3-23-10 ' N.J. Gov. Chris Christie signs pension, benefits changes for state employees'
     3-23-10 State Budget Issues in the News
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-17-10 Budget News - NJ Schools Stunned By Cuts
     3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'
     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'
     2-26-10 'NJ average property taxes grow 3.3 percent to an average of $7,300'
     2-24-10 'Tight funds raise class sizes that districts long sought to cut'
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     1-29-10 Schools in the News
     1-20-10 'N.J. files application for federal Race to the Top education money'
     1-20-10 Editorials, Commentary on New Governor in Trenton
     1-15-10 Education News-Race to the Top incentives, NCLB annual results, supermajority vote upheld
     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 More articles + Wikipedia information re New Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler
     1-13-10 Christie Press Conference reports
     1-12-10 Change in Trenton
     1-6-10 Race to the Top Plans on the move, not without conflict
     12-23-09 Press of Atlantic City - 'Corzine forms panel to aid nonpublic schools'
     1-5-10 News articles re: lame duck
     1-4-10 'Last Call for Lame Ducks in Trenton'
     1-5-10 Update on January 4 Lame Duck Session
     12-28-09 Education Week 'Race to Top' Driving Policy Action Across States
     12-27-09 'New Jersey competes for education reform stimulus money' (aka 'Race to the Top' funds)
     12-20-09 Education in the News
     12-12 & 13-09 Education Issues in the News
     11-29-09 Ramifications - News of NJ's fiscal realities
     11-20-09 'Christie lays down his law for state'
     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
     11-11-09 'Oliver ready for Nov.23 leadership vote, wants up or down vote on marriage equality'
     11-11-09 Christie mum on fiscal emergency declaration
     11-9-09 Edcuation in the News
     11-8-09 News of Note
     11-6-09 News of Note
     11-5-09 Day After the Election News
     11-3-09 ELECTION DAY IS TODAY - SHOW UP AND VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATES OF YOUR CHOICE
     11-2-09 NY Times NJ Governors' race update
     11-4-09 Record low turnout elects Chris Chrisite NJ's Governor
     11-3-09 'Chris Christie wins N.J. governor race'
     11-1-09 Education News of Note
     Education Week on Federal Stimulus Funding Issues
     10-26-09 'High school sports spending grows as budgets get tighter inNew Jersey'
     10-22-09 News of Note
     10-20-09 News of Note
     10-19-09 Education Week 'States felling fiscal pain despite the stimulus'
     10-14-09 'Meetings are just the tip of the iceberg'
     10-7 & 9-09 Gubernatorial Campaign news: Candidates on education; Corzine on next year's state budget
     10-5-09 Gannett: Editorial & Recommendations re: Gubernatorial Campaign Issues '09
     10-4-09 NY Times 'As Property Taxes Become a Real Burden'
     10-2-09 News of Note
     10-1-09 Education Week on Acheivement Gap narrowing; Algebra Testing
     9-30-09 'Attack ads give way to issues as campaign enters final phase'
     9-30-09 Results of School Construction bond referenda rolling in
     9-27-09 Education News of Note
     9-23-09 'Tests changing for special ed students'
     9-16-09 Courier News Editorial
     9-9-09 News of Note
     9-13-09 As an issue for N.J.(Gubernatorial election), schools are in'
     9-3 & 4-09 News of Note
     8-20-09 'Nearly all NJ teachers are highly qualified'
     8-10-09 News of Note
     8-7-09 'Bill would strengthen teacher tenure rights'
     8-4-09 Recent NJ Education News of Note
     7-22-09 'State gives extra aid for schools an extraordinary boost'
     7-16-08 Schools Testing measures adopted; Test scoring upgraded - harder to pass
     7-14-09 Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial
     7-1-09 What's the Buzz: News of Note
     4-23-09 The public shows its support for public education in passing nearly 75 per cent of school budgets statewide
     4-17-09 The $609M Federal Stimulus aid to NJ - initial reactions
     4-19 and 20-09 Editorial and School Elections articles
     3-29-09 Record Editorial on Judge Doyne recommendations
     3-10-09 GOVERNOR TO DELIVER STATE BUDGET MESSAGE TODAY - SCHOOL AID FIGURES TO BE RELEASED BY THURSDAY LATEST
     1-11-09 'Corzine State of State speech to put economy front & center'
     12-28-08 NY Times 'Pension Fight Signals What Lies Ahead'
     12-29-08 NJ to new leaders - Fund our schools
     11-19-08 'Too soon to scrap Abbott'
     11-24-08 Editorial asks for preschool initiative slow down
     11-23-08 State lacks financial incentives to sell concept of school mergers
     9-24-08 Editorials re High School Redesign issues
     9-24-08 Commissioner of Education at Assembly Education Committee yesterday
     9-24-08 Supreme Court hearing on constitutionality of School Funding Reform Act
     8-29-08 'Newly hired teachers benefit from Corzine delay'
     8-26-08 What's the Buzz...
     News on the Issues - Stay Informed
     8-15-08 'Superintendents sue education commissioner'
     8-14-07 In the news today
     7-28 &29- 08 Fuel cost crisis impacting school budgets across the nation
     6-13-08 News on Education Committee actions yesterday in Trenton
     6-10-08 NJ lawmakers work on $33B spending plan Tuesday
     6-9-08 GSCS Quick Facts: TRENTON FOCUS THIS WEEK
     6-4-08 In the News
     5-21-08 News Articles & editorial
     4-30-08 'Loophole on town mergers targeted
     4-18 & 4-21-08 RECENT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS: 3 MAJOR POLICY CHANGES PROMOTED BY ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBERTS
     NEWS EDITORIALS Star Ledger 4-19 & 4-20 Ammo for Abbott Foes & Spending but with Restraint
     Recent news articles of note re: probable 'lame duck ' legislative session issues - to be or not to be- and controversial school construction report
     10-23 Media reports & Trenton responses to date re GSCS Press Conf
     In the news - Corzine on school aid formula & good news for urban schools
     9-13-07Corzine adds school aid to the lame-duck agenda
     Back to School News of Note
     8-10-07 'Standing 'O' greets Corzine as he hosts town hall mtg'
     8-8-07 Editorial 'School [construction] program needs more than a facelift'
     8-2-07 Editorial 'Reliance on property taxes must be fixed'
     8-1-07 'Paterson isn't ready to gain control' & 7-29 'The Numbers still don't add up'
     7-27-07 Retiree health costs 'time bomb'
     7-26-07 'State's tab for retirees' health care is $58B'
     7-25-07 Debate over School Tests
     7-25-07 NY Times '2 NJ school districts regain some local control'
     6-29-07 Lots of news affecting NJ, its schools and communities this week - STATE BUDGET signed - LIST OF LINE ITEM VETOES - US SUPREME CT RULING impacts school desgregation - SPECIAL EDUCATION GROUPS file suit against state
     5-21-07 In Connecticut '2 School Aid Plans Have a Similar Theme'
     5-16-07 Education Week 'Frustration Builds in NJ Funding Debate'
     5-15-07 Grad students tackle school funding issues
     4-18-07 School Budget Vote passed statewide at 78% rate - GSCS take: state aid increases a factored in offsetting property tax increases, thus boosting passing rate by 24.6%, up from last year's passing rate of 53.4%
     4-4-07 News articles, editorial & Op-Ed on bill signings for A1 and A4
     4-4-07 N Y Times, front page 'NJ Pension Fund Endangered by Diverted Billions'
     3-25-07 New York Times on NJ Comparative Spending Guide, more on Gov putting off signing A1, Tax Caps & Rebate bill
     3-16-07 News articles
     3-15-07 State eases at risk aid restrictions & 25% members of NJ Senate retiring (so far)
     3-12-07 This article tells you why you cannot get easy access to legislator votes on-line
     3-8-07 'Education Chief Revamps Department'
     3-1-07 Op Ed piece re 'Super' Superintendent in the CORE Plan
     3-1-07 Emerging Devil showing up in the details
     2-23-07 News Articles re Gov's Budget Proposal
     2-22-07 Gov's Budget Message Link & Related News Articles
     2-22-07 News articles re Governor's Budget Message this morning
     2-21-07 Associated Press 'Codey Affirms More State Aid'
     2-16 to 2-19 News Articles of Note
     2-20-07 Live from the Ledger on-line
     2-21-07 Associated Press - Codey Affrims More School Aid
     2-16 to 2-19 New Articles of Note
     2-15-07 'Parents get boost on special ed rights' Star Ledger
     2-12-07 State School Aid - needed to offset property taxes now
     2-8-07 Editorial - ' Progress, Trenton style'
     2-1-07 Turnpike for sale, Gov - need funding formula, more
     1-23-07 Tax Reform in Trenton?
     1-9-07 Countywide Pilot Program and County 'Super' Superintendent bills held again yesterday, Jan 22 next probable vote date scheduled for these bills
     1-8-07 Articles & Editorial talk about 'missing pieces' of tax reform proposal and note consequences
     1-5-07 Small-town officials protest consolidation
     1-4-07 Gov Corzine & legislative leaders agree on 4% hard cap tied to sliding scale rebates (20% max on down)
     1-3-07 GSCS Member ALERT 'County School bills' fastracked again
     12-19-06 Feedback - articles on school funding heaings yesterday
     12-18-06 Sunday editorials - take of Property Tax session
     12-14-06 Trenton News articles
     11-15-06 The Special Session Jt Committee Reports
     11-19-06 Sunday Press Articles & Commentaries
     11-16-06 Property Tax Proposal news articles
     11-14-06 Direction of Special Session Report Recommendations starting to leak into press articles
     11-13-06 Schools, property taxes fuel debates
     11-11-06 New school funding plan could add $1 billion in aid
     11-10-06 NJ education chief vows urban support
     11-4-06 Senate President & Assembly Speaker 'no new taxes'
     11-1-06 Gannett 'Halved property tax called unrealistic'
     10-31-06 The Record - Property Tax Cut Debated
     10-30-06 NY Times
     10-21-06 Education Data Study Released - how the news is being reported
     10-20-06 Education - study data released
     10-5-06 Conversation on school funding, consolidation continues
     9-25-06 Savings Little -Costs at merged schools similar
     9-20-06 Coverage of the benefits & School Funding Jt Comm hearings 9-19-06
     9-18-06 News Articles re Special Session
     9-15-06 Star Ledger - 3.25B suggested for school construction
     9-7-06 The Record Local Govts Poised to save as co-pays rise
     9-7-06 News re Jt Comm on Consolidation & Shared Services mtg 9-5
     9-6-06 Articles re Jt Comm Hearing yesterday & related school news
     9-4-06 Weekend news articles of note
     8-29-06 School Funding to be reviewed today
     8-29-06 Assoc Press - School Funding to be reviewd today
     8-29-06 Hopewell Valley article re - courtesy busing withdrawal
     8-26-06 'N.J.'s best schools in wealthiest, northern towns'
     8-23-06 Crowd assails changes to state health plan
     8-23-06 Live from the Ledger on-line
     8-20-06 AP 'Property Tax reform bid to shift to overdrive'
     8-22-06 Star Ledger Column & NY Times Editorial
     8-14-06 News Clips
     8-9-06 Special Session Jt Comm on Consolidation of Govt Services meeting 8-8-06
     8-9-06 article re today's Jt Comm on Public Employee Benfits Reform
     8-8-06 NY Times Public Pension Plans Face Billions in Shortage
     7-25-06 Associated Press Prop Tax Q & A
     7-18-06 Live from the Ledger
     7-16-06 (thru 7-21-06) Bergen Record series investigate cost of NJ public services & property tax link
     7-16-06 Bergen Record series investigate cost of NJ public services & property tax link
     7-12-06 Column on State Budget legislator items
     7-12-06 Statehouse starts talking specifics about property tax reform
     7-13-06 Articles - Property tax issues, teacher salaries, voucher suit filing
     6-30-06 State Budget news - as the dissonance must be resolved
     6-29-06 Mirroring the elements, State Budget looking like a 'natural disaster'
     6-25-06 State Budget issues: legislative branches conflict - news articles
     6-21-06 Star Ledger - Washington DC Bureau re graduation rates & quality education
     6-20-06 News articles re State Budget FY07
     6-15-06 Star Ledger, Gannet articles- Abbott advocates demand school reform at educ. dept
     6-14-06 Assembly Minority Budget Leader Joe Malone's Op Ed
     Editorial on benefit of using UEZ surplus for spec educ aid for this year
     6-12-06 News Clips
     Weekend News Clips re Property Tax & School Funding issues
     6-9-06 Star Ledger ' Salary review bill hits roadblock'
     6-7-06 News Articles re Leg Summer Session work on Property Taxes
     6-6-06 Star Ledger re Special Summer Session
     6-5-06 Editorials on school funding & State Budget articles
     6-1-06 Star Ledger Thursday article on GSCS Annl Mtg
     5-30-06 News Articles
     5-21-06 Sunday Courier Post on Schools' hiring
     5-23-06 News Articles
     5-23-06 AP 'Codey to propose school ballott change'
     5-14-06N Y Times 'For school budgets the new word is NO'
     5-17-06 Trenton Times - School Aid, budget dominate forum
     5-16-06 News fromTrenton
     5-10-06 A Lot is going on - Major News fromTrenton
     News articles re even less state revenue & SCI scapegoating
     5-5-06 News articles Gannett and Courier Post
     One example of schools consolidating services
     4-16-06 Courier Post
     4-16-06 Star Ledger editorial & article re Gov v. Abbott from 4-15-06
     4-16-06 Sunday NY Times Metro Section, front page
     40-16-06 Gannett & Asbury Park Press on School Budget election issues
     4-13-06 'Budget cap puts NJ schools on edge'
     4-7-07 The Record
     3-31-06 AP 'Budget idea puts onus on income taxes, businesses'
     3-28-06 NY Times re Texas school finance case
     3-25-06 Press of Atlantic City
     3-29-06 News Articles on State Budget testimony before the Assembly Budget Comm. yesterday in Collingswood
     3-29-06 News Articles on State Budget testimony in Collingswood 3-28-06
     3-10-06 Star Ledger 'Time is ripe for poorer districts to contribute.
     3-22-06 News Article sampling on Governor's Proposed FY07 Budget
     3-19-06 Millville, Vineland may lose Abbott status
     3-19-06 Sunday News Articles on State Budget
     3-15-06 News articles on FY07
     3-15-06 NY Times 'Crisis at School Agency Reflects Missteps'
     3-10-06 News articles GSCS related issues
     3-7-06 More articles on the Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members fo to Trenton
     2-14-06 TrentonTimes Letter to the Editor on school construction
     2-11-06 Trenton Timesn'NJ State Budget has little wiggle room'
     2-9-06 Star Ledger School agency reformers discuss goals, problems
     2-10-06 Star Ledger editorial re void of credible & useful data at Department of Education
     FUNDING HISTORY - May 27 1998 - Education Week article re Abbott V - funding above parity
     1-26-06 New York Times article re public schools fundraising for private support
     1-25-06 Star Ledger 'School District's Woes Point to Rising Tax Resistance'
     1-24-06 Asbury Park Press 'Funding sparks heated debate'
     1-15-06 Sunday Star Ledger front page on Property Taxes
     1-12-06 Star Ledger 'Lawmaker pushes tax relief plan'
     1-12-06StarLedger 'Lawmaker pushes his tax relief plan'
     1-11-06 Star Ledger - Corzine Casts Wide Net for Cabinet
     1-6 thru 1-9-06 articles on Lameduck session and School Construction
     1-5-06 Monmouth county article on S1701 ramifications,examples - hitting hard at home
     1-1-06 Press of Atlantic City
     12-30-05 School Construction and Education Funding news clips
     12-20-05 Star Ledger on NJ Supreme Court decision on stalled school construction
     12-20-05 Star Ledger 'Schools lower the heat and risk a backlash'
     12-20-05 Star Ledger
     12-20-05 The Record 'Where Will the Bills End?' NJ Supreme Court releases its opinion on stalled school construction program.
     12-14-05 Asbury ParkPress Editorial 'Re-assess the ABC's of School Funding' notes the Governor's role is critical to make positive change
     12-16-05 Star Ledger Schools may end courtesy busing, tied to S1701 budget stressors
     12-16-05 News articles of note
     Trenton Times 6-25-05 State Budget FY06 and Democrat Tensions
     Activists Hope to Revive School Funding Issue
     12-15-05 Star Ledger School bond plans get resounding 'no'
     Time Magazine
     12-10-05 Star Ledger Schools might get heating help as bill gains on spending caps
     On Star Ledger
     12-8-05 Asbury Park Press Mom takes up the torch for school funding
     12-5-05 Governor-elect Corzine selects policy advisory groups
     11-28-05 Star Ledger 'It's Lame-duck time in Trenton'
     11-20-05 Sunday Star Ledger 'Corzine's risky promise to taxpayers
     The Record 11-18-05 Corzine's tax fix to mean 'pain'
     11-17-05 Trenton Times 'Education Chief announces testing overhaul'
     11-15-05 N Y Times article
     11-13-05 Star Ledger Sunday front page 'Blueprint for 6 Billion Dollar Boondagle
     11-14-05 The Record Herb Jackson on Whitman experience a lesson for Corzine
     11-11-05 Trenton Times Corzine puts property taxes at the top of his agenda
     11-9-05 The Record - Governor Elect can't claim a mandate
     Assoc. Press NJ 6-10-05 Codey Brokering Deal on Tax Convention
     Gubernatorial Candidates' Education Plans announced September 05
     November 9 The Trenton Times - Corzine Triumphs
     November 7 YOUR VOTE TOMORROW COUNTS ... Some news articles worth reading
     11-4-05 Star Ledger State Board of Education calls for revamping school funding
     10-23-05 Sunda Star Ledger article on how property taxes work
     10-4-05 Trenton Times NJ may replenish school building fund.
     10-16-05 Sunday Star Ledger & Gannet news articles on gubernatorial candidates take on important issues related to public education issues
     10-19-05 Courier Post-Gannett article on Gubernatorial Debate
     Groups Seek Attention from Candidates 10-12-05
     10-6-05 and 10-12-05 Forrester v. Corzine, Corzine v. Forrester articles
     10-4-05 Trenton Times School Construction fund may be replenished
     9-29-05 Star Ledger 'NJ in hole for $53M after vote on school funds promised for construction
     9-26-05 Star Ledger School Construction Making the Grade is Now Up to the Voters
     9-22-05 Some news articles on the press conference - Gannett and Star Ledger
     9-23-05 Star Ledger School Construction on next Tuesday's bond referenda
     9-12-05 Associated Press Rutgers initiates new education institute
     9-9-05 Trenton Times,Corzine Education Agenda
     9-9-05 Asbury Park Press Corzine plans 25M education agenda
     Star Ledger 9-9-05 Soaring gas costs result in towns asking for cap relief
     Star Ledger 8-31-05: Though few, new schools open doors for kids
     8-19-05 Head of School Construction Agency Resigns Abruptly, Compounding Agency Turmoil
     Trenton Times 8-12-05 School funding sought
     Star Ledger Front Page 8-16-02 School districts run for school construction aid
     Herb Jackson Column 7-18-05 Budget 'cuts' more a case of creative math
     Herb Jackson Column 7-18-05 Budget 'cuts' more a case of creative math
     The Record 'get's it' Read Editorial 7-14-05
     Star Ledger 7-13-05 Codey Puts Constitutional Convention on Hole
     The Record7-10-05 Sunday Front Page Must Read
     Star Ledger 7-7-05 Local school officials told state may not provide promised construction funding
     The Record 7-3-05 State Budget Doles Out Money
     The Record 7-4-05 Rebates safe, but tax problem not nearer solution
     The Check it out - Press of Atlantic City 7-6-05 Education Funds lie in Budget Fine Print
     Star Ledger 7-2-05 Late Night Budget Passes
     The Record 7-2-05 State Budget Passes
     Gannet 7-2-05 State Budget and School Aid
     Asbury Park Press 6-28-05 Senate Passes $20M for 5 school districts
     Philadelphia Inquirer 6-30-05 Dueling Budgets Will Miss Deadline
     Asbury Park Press 6-30-05 No Consensus in Trenton on Spending Plan
     Trenton Times 6-30-05 School Construction Review Panel Formed
     Star Ledger 6-30-05 State Budget Finale on Hold
     Star Ledger 6-29-05 Bid to Save Tax Rebates Imperils NJ Budget
     The Record 6-29-05 Tax Plan Quitely Dying
     Trenton Times 6-25-05 State Budget and Democrat Tensions
     Star Ledger 6-17-05 Seniors want tax convention, Senate prefers Special Session
     050618 Press of Atlantic City 'Activists Look to Revisit School Funding Issue
     6-16-05 Philadelphia Inquirer Commission Librera Releases Abbott Designation Report
     Star Ledger 6-4-05 GSCS Annual Meeting Forrester & Schundler
     Assoc. Press NJ 6-10-05 Codey Brokering Deal on Tax Convention
     Star Ledger 6-14-05 Legislators Assail School Building Agency at Hearing
     Star Ledger 6-13-05 Legislators Assail School Construction Corp
     Trenton Times 6-10-05 Rebate Debate on Budget for FY06
     Star Ledger June 3 2005 Advance article, Annual Meeting noted
     Gannet on Annual Meeting 6-4-05 Forrester, Schundler Address School Concerns
     Gannet on Annual Meeting 6-4-05 Candidates Address School Concerns
     Assocated Press, In the Homestrech Forrester and Schundler Talk Education
     Class Sizes Disappoint Glen Ridge Parents
     SCC reforms underway 'Jump Starting the Effort to build New Schools' Star Ledger May26 2005.
     Trenton Times 5-24-05 Codey Plans for Less Pain in Budget
     Preliminary School Election Results from NJ Dept of Education
     Jersey Journal article
     State Health Benefit Plan Star Ledger 4-8-05
     Taxes, ire both on rise
     NJ lawmakers want the state to join education law protest
     Panel Tells of Referenda Woes
     GSCS Parent Leader Molly Emiliani-Livingston & GSCS Director Lynne Strickland present to Pennsylvania Bucks County
     Hopewell valley School Board Approves $63M Budget
     Schools will seek Extra Funding
     Rebate Panic
     Lack of funds amid surplus of concerns
     Enrollment Dip Hurts Special Schools
     Costly School Site Fiasco Spurs Assembly Measure
     Teacher Seeks Family to Fight Abbott Rulings
     Panel OKs Constitutional Convention on Tax Reform
     Jersey Halts New Pacts for School Construction
     Schools Face Enrollment, Aid Dilemma
     Cut is sought in Abbott District Aid
     Local News - Cuts plentiful in NJ budget proposal
     Amid probe, agency to cut school costs
     Acting governor faces tough sledding on deficit
     Parents Give Cody an Earful
     Courier Post Online
     Article Mt Laurel GSCS Summit 2-10-05
     Bill to loosen school budgets altered
     WNBC Interview
     Educators urge parents to fight school spending cap
     Assembly Panel Weighs Plan for a Property Tax Convention
     Tax-reform debate takes sharp turn
     School funding plan gets OK from panel
     Legislature Acts to Revamp School Spending Caps
     Educators to Argue for Repeal of Cap Law
     State must devise tests to comply with No Child Left Behind
3-10-09 GOVERNOR TO DELIVER STATE BUDGET MESSAGE TODAY - SCHOOL AID FIGURES TO BE RELEASED BY THURSDAY LATEST
GSCS will in the Chambers' Gallery to hear Governor Corzine's Budget Message today....Attached are articles related to today's Budget Message The Record/NorthJersey.com , Tuesday March 10, 2009, “ Highlights” State Budget Message

March 10, 2009 Corzine budget includes higher taxes, worker furloughs THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Record –Star Ledger Statehouse Bureau, ‘Corzine offers 'pain on every page' of $29.8B budget’Sunday 3-8-09

Star Ledger - 'Lawmakers say Corzine's budget will cut funding for schools, towns' March 09, 2009

Star Ledger - 'Corzine lets state's largest teachers union keep costly health plan', March 08, 2009 Sunday

March 10, 2009 'Cherry Hill looks at school budget cuts' Courier-Post

The Record/NorthJersey.com , Tuesday March 10, 2009, “ Highlights” State Budget Message

$29.8 billion in spending will be proposed for fiscal 2010, down about $3 billion from the current $33 billion.

Revenue: $2 billion will come from President Obama’s stimulus package. Additional revenue will be raised by increasing the tax on incomes over $500,000 a year and hiking taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.

Savings: About $500 million will be saved if state employee unions accept a wage freeze and 12 unpaid furlough days. Another $500 million will be cut from the $1.7 billion property tax rebate program. Rebate checks will be reduced or eliminated for all but seniors and residents making less than $50,000 a year.

 

 


March 10, 2009

Corzine budget includes higher taxes, worker furloughs

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Payroll taxes will increase, state workers must take 12 unpaid days off and forgo raises, and property tax rebates will shrink or disappear in the bad-news budget Gov. Jon S. Corzine will propose today.

Corzine's $28.5 billion budget is certain to contain deep cuts that will return spending to 2006 levels.

"This is a brutally tough budget that cuts to the bone and provides essential lifeline services in this state and nothing else," Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. said after being briefed on Corzine's spending plan Monday.

Senate President Richard J. Codey said conditions are the most dire he's seen in 35 years in the Legislature.

Details of the proposal have leaked over the past couple of weeks, as Corzine narrowed his choices amid a deepening recession with rising unemployment, mounting state debt and falling revenue. As late as Monday, lawmakers who had been briefed on the proposal said some aspects of the budget had not been finalized. The plan requires legislative approval.

A payroll tax increase for New Jersey's 250,000 businesses seemed all but inevitable.

State officials who have been briefed on the budget said the $270 million that Corzine promised to pump into the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund probably won't be enough to avoid triggering an automatic tax increase July 1. The tax is triggered when the unemployment fund dips below a certain threshold measured on March 31.

Labor Department spokesman Kevin Smith said the fund is paying $75 million a week in claims, nearly double that of last year. The fund's balance is down to $126.6 million.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the budget, say a tax increase of about $70 per employee is likely.

Corzine is also looking for concessions from public employee unions in closing a multibillion-dollar budget gap. He has in recent weeks threatened layoffs if the unions don't agree to give up their negotiated pay raise of 3.5 percent and take one unpaid day off a month beginning in July.

Bob Master, political director of Communications Workers of America District 1, the largest of several state worker unions, said the unions were open to compromise.

However, two state officials with direct knowledge of the budget said the unions would agree to forgo their wage increase in the coming year if Corzine dropped the furlough plan and agreed not to lay off anyone.

No deals have been struck.

Many New Jerseyans will see their property tax rebate checks disappear.

Only the rebates of senior citizens and those earning under $50,000 will be preserved, according to the officials.

Last year, rebates cost the state about $1.7 billion. The checks provide relief against the nation's highest property taxes, averaging $6,800 a household.

The governor and the entire Assembly are up for re-election in November.

Other elements of his election-year budget are said to include:

Adding Powerball to the list of lottery games in which New Jersey participates, generating about $10 million. New Jersey would become the first state to participate in two multistate lottery games.

Raising taxes on liquor, wine and cigarettes, which would generate about $30 million. Beer is not included.

Reducing municipal aid about 2 percent.

Adding a 4 percent to 5 percent surcharge to taxes paid by residents earning more than $250,000 a year.

 

The Record –Star Ledger Statehouse Bureau,

‘Corzine offers 'pain on every page' of $29.8B budget’

By Clair Heninger and John Reitmeyer, Sunday March 10, 2009 05:00AM

Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to propose a state budget "with pain on every page" today, raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy, requiring wage givebacks from state worker unions, and cutting property tax rebates and aid to towns.

The governor's $29.8 billion budget strives to protect the working poor, the elderly, the disabled and the schools while seeking sacrifices from millions of other New Jerseyans, according to officials and lawmakers who were briefed Monday. Even $2 billion from President Obama's federal stimulus did not soften the blow for many.

AP Photo/Mel EvansGov. Jon Corzine talks about rebalancing the state's budget in February 2009.

-- FULL BUDGET COVERAGE

Corzine's speech is scheduled to begin at noon at the Statehouse. It will be shown live on the Legislature's website.

Shell-shocked Democrats, emerging from a briefing session with Corzine Monday, said the national economic crisis forced agonizing choices.

"This is a very, very tough -- a brutally tough budget that cuts to the bone and provides essential lifeline services in this state and nothing else," said Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden). "This is a budget that has pain and tough decisions on every single page."

Approximately half of the stimulus money goes to Medicaid, and much of the other $1 billion to education, according to two officials briefed on the plan. The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the governor's proposal.

Property tax rebates would be preserved at current levels for seniors, the disabled and those making less than $50,000 a year. Households earning between $50,000 and $75,000 a year would get two-thirds of the rebate they received last year, officials said.

That would save about $500 million from the $1.7 billion spent last year on the popular program, which included staggered rebates for households making up to $150,000 a year. Those making less than $100,000 got an average of $1,115 back, while the elderly and disabled got $1,266.

Corzine is also expected to propose raising taxes on cigarettes, wine and liquor, as well as a one-year income tax increase on residents making more than $500,000 a year, officials said.

He will also warn businesses that they will face a $350 million payroll tax increase starting in July to shore up the dwindling Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, officials said. The state will be able to pay about $150 million into the fund next year - following a $270 million infusion last month, plus more than $200 million from the stimulus package, officials said.

But that will not be enough to avoid automatically triggering a payroll tax increase of about $88 per employee per year, officials said.

"The pain, if you want to call it that, has been dispensed as evenly as humanly possible," said Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). "Both school aid and municipal aid will see a very small, de minimus reduction."

Corzine also wants to achieve up to $500 million in savings by asking state worker unions to agree to 12 days of unpaid furloughs and forgo a previously negotiated wage increase. The governor has also been laying the groundwork for layoffs of up to 7,000 people if no agreement is reached.

Bob Master, a spokesman for the Communications Workers of America, the largest state worker union, said Monday that negotiations are ongoing but "no agreements or compromises have been offered or made."

"We will be meeting with the administration over the next several weeks to discuss proposals that will save jobs, include shared sacrifice and maintain the integrity of collective bargaining in New Jersey," Master said. "We will oppose any attempt to balance the budget solely on the backs of working families."

 

 

Star Ledger - Lawmakers say Corzine's budget will cut funding for schools, towns

March 09, 2009 14:35PM

Gov Jon Corzine's new state budget will maintain property tax rebates for seniors and lower-income residents, but cuts funding for school districts and municipalities, legislative leaders said today.

Senate President Richard J. Codey ( D-Essex ), said Corzine is planning to keep some property tax rebates in his budget, but fewer homeowners will qualify for them this year.

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerGov. Jon Corzine pauses during a speech in February at the Department of Labor.


"I think you're going to see a cutoff that's raised," Codey said after leaving a meeting with Corzine and other legislative leaders in the State House.

Corzine is scheduled to present the fiscal 2010 budget at noon on Tuesday. The budget is expected to be roughly $29 billion, about $4 billion lower than the current plan. Corzine is forced to cut spending because state revenues like sales and income taxes are declining rapidly in the troubled economy.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) said the rebates would go to seniors and lower-income residents

"The governor realizes those folks who are making $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 a year are having the toughest time," he said.

State aid to public school districts will be reduced and aid to municipalities would also shrink, Codey said, but he did not say by how much.

"The pain, if you want to call it that, has been dispensed as evenly as possible," Codey said.

Core health and safety programs are the only ones that aren't on the chopping block, Roberts said.

Corzine, meanwhile, is still seeking savings from state workers through a wage freeze and furloughs or layoffs, the lawmakers said.

Star Ledger - Corzine lets state's largest teachers union keep costly health plan

By Susan Livo, March 08, 2009 Sunday

Mel Evans/APNew Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine in his office Friday Jan. 2, 2009, in Trenton.

To avoid a legal fight with New Jersey's largest teachers union, the Corzine administration has agreed to spend as much as $20 million to allow thousands of its members to keep seeing doctors enrolled in an expensive health plan the state abolished last year.

Under an agreement completed two weeks ago between the State Health Benefits Commission and the New Jersey Education Association, more than 100,000 active and retired public employees can delay moving into a cheaper managed health care plan until the end of the year. The state had originally wanted them to switch to the new plan by April of last year, according to Department of Treasury officials.

Treasury spokesman Tom Vincz acknowledged that the agreement gives union members several more months of enrollment in "the most expensive program in existence."

But, he said, it ensures there will be a smooth and peaceful transition into a health care system that will eventually save more than $90 million a year.

The health insurance program the state abolished last year was a throwback to the pre-HMO era, when people selected their own doctors and didn't have to pony up anything for premiums or co-payments or go through a primary care physician for permission to receive treatment.

The agreement not only benefits the 77,000 active and retired school employees who belonged to the more expensive plan last spring. It also allows another 23,000 state workers and 17,000 local government workers in the plan to continue to see other medical professionals outside the new managed care network.

Treasury officials estimate the agreement could cost the state, local governments and school boards $17 million to $20 million in medical claims, Vincz said. He could not estimate how the cost would be split between the three. The agreement will cost another $1.8 million to execute, according to the contract.

Though the concession to the union is especially costly given the state's $7 billion budget shortfall, state officials said the new plan will eventually reap huge savings -- $56 million for the state and $37 million for schools and municipalities, for a total of $93 million annually.

The new plan, a preferred provider organization or "ppo" called NJ Direct, contains a pool of doctors who have agreed to accept set rates.

"This is a major plan that will save the state and local governments hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years alone," Vincz said. "To get this done we had to make sure the transition was smooth, and this agreement was critical to that -- a fair price for what is saved in return because it ends in less than a year and the savings are permanent."

By reaching the agreement, the Corzine administration averted a legal battle with the teachers union, one of the largest and most influential unions in the state.

After the state awarded the contract to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in November 2007, retired members of the NJEA wasted no time appealing the decision. The appeal would have been heard by an administrative judge, but it never got that far.

"NJEA was concerned about our members being put into a new, different network and abruptly losing access to their current doctors," NJEA spokesman Steve Baker said. "The original contract had no allowance for a transition period, which we felt was necessary."

The state went ahead and rolled out Horizon's new plan, but agreed to delay putting the terms in force, giving more time to members of the teachers union to find new doctors or settle their relationships with the old ones. In the deal reached last month by the State Health Benefits Commission and the union, the grace period will last through this year.

In exchange, the union agreed to withdraw its appeal and not file any other litigation, according to the agreement. The School Health Benefits Commission, an entity created in July to make decisions on insurance coverage for schools, also agreed not to challenge the agreement.

The spokesman for the active and retired members of the NJEA said the agreement makes sense for everyone involved.

"It's important to keep in mind the transition was very beneficial to the state of New Jersey. It allowed them to save a significant amount of money. As citizens of the state, we wanted to cooperate with that," Steve Baker said, spokesman for the NJEA.

"But we also didn't feel like our members should be penalized. This a very reasonable accommodation ... allowing people in one network to have a smoother transition so they didn't switch doctors immediately," Baker said.

William Dressel, executive director of the League of Municipalities, a lobbying organization for local governments, said he wasn't aware of the agreement, and was troubled the state would ink a deal without consulting others who would be affected by it.

"I would have preferred it was done through a legislative process where we would have been able to evaluate the costs," Dressel said.

"We're told to run government like a business and be concerned with public dollars," Dressel added. This agreement "has the impact of driving up costs and ultimately property tax dollars."

The agreement also gives the 117,000 employees a potential break on co-pays for doctor's office visits.

The contract requires employees to pay $10 per office visit until they reach $400 for an individual or $1,000 for a family. But under the amended contract, after they reach that threshold they will be reimbursed for future co-pays once a year if they apply for them.

The Corzine administration and members of the Legislature have been talking about reducing the cost of the state health benefits plan since 2006. At that time, Treasury officials predicted the cost of providing health benefits would rise from $2.1 billion to $3.6 billion by 2010 unless the state scaled back its spending.

This is not the first time Corzine has withdrawn a part of the contract expected to save the state money.

The contract, settled in February 2007, called for retired teachers and other retired government workers for the first time pay a share of their health benefits, saving the state $2 million over four years.

Four months later, Corzine and the Legislature repealed that provision, allowing retired employees to continue getting free care if they signed up for a "wellness program" requiring them to undergo physical exams and participate in programs that promote healthy living.


March 10, 2009

Cherry Hill looks at school budget cuts

By BARBARA S. ROTHSCHILD
Courier-Post Staff

The school board will discuss the 2009-10 district budget and also hear a report from its Facilities Advisory Committee at its work session tonight.

Both topics have been heavily affected by the economy -- fueling the district to cut the projected budget rather than suggest raising the tax levy, and to hold off on a bond referendum to address aging facilities.

This year's $171 million budget carries a tax levy of $3.19 per $100 of assessed value. A resident with a home valued at the $140,000 township average pays $4,460.41 in school taxes.

The board is examining ways to trim up to $10 million from the current budget to allow for increases in contractual obligations including salaries, and in areas such as transportation, health benefits and out-of-district placements.

The district implemented a budget spending freeze earlier this school year and hopes to reserve $4 million to $5 million from the current budget to support next year's operations.

As part of the federal economic stimulus package, it is also estimating an additional $1 million in funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It also anticipates an appropriation of $250,000 from its School Age Child Care program and $70,000 in revenues from the Special Education Medicaid Initiative.

The wild card is state aid, due out later this week.

"Figuring state aid will be flat, we are still looking at a $3 million to $4 million gap," district spokeswoman Susan Bastnagel said.

The state awarded $17.1 million in aid to the district for the current school year.

Under new Department of Education guidelines for budget reduction that need to be addressed over a three-year period beginning in 2009-10, Executive County Superintendent Margaret Nicolosi asked the district to look for cuts among custodians, nonmandated educational assistants, and in health insurance costs.

Other areas of potential cuts include athletic and co-curricular activities and professional development, elimination of high school courses with low enrollment and equalizing class size across all three middle schools.

The district plans to introduce a preliminary budget on March 17.

A committee report from the 30-member community task force charged with looking at ways to replace the district's aging facilities -- the oldest school, Kingston Elementary, is nearly 54 years old -- is expected to take into account the current dearth of funds and the bleak economy.

The report will ask the board to move forward with planning and design work so it can proceed once funding is available or economic conditions improve. There are no plans in the current economic climate for a bond referendum, which had been previously considered for as early as January 2005.

In 2004, an earlier task force had recommended tearing down Kingston school and replacing it with a new facility on the same grounds. Since then, state construction funding has dried up and costs have risen. Other aging facilities and rising transportation costs have forced the district to look at everything from renovations and/or large additions to consolidating schools on fewer sites.

Reach Barbara S. Rothschild at (856) 486-2416 or barothschild@camden.gannett.com

Additional Facts

IF YOU GO

The Cherry Hill school board's work session will begin following a special action meeting tonight, 7 p.m., at Malberg Administration Building, 45 Ranoldo Terrace. The board will take action to approve bills, draw the position of school board candidate names on the April 21 ballot and make several appointments.