Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

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5-12-08 GSCS Testifies before Assembly Education Committee; Contact Information for committee members
Click on More to read GSCS' testimony on A10 (reduces administrative spending beyond limits already set in CORE bill,and expanded oversight of Executive County Superintendents); A15 Moving school board member and second questions on budget votes to November)...GSCS opposes these bills as written. Attached is list of Assembly Education Committee members...

        *       Joe Cryan, chair, (908) 624-0880, AsmCryan@njleg.org <mailto:AsmCryan@njleg.org
        *       Joan M. Voss, (201) 346-6400, vice-chair, AswVoss@njleg.org <mailto:AswVoss@njleg.org
        *       Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., (908) 757-1677, AsmDiegnan@njleg.org <mailto:AsmDiegnan@njleg.org
        *       Amy H. Handlin, (732) 787-1170, AswHandlin@njleg.org < mailto:AswHandlin@njleg.org
        *       Mila M. Jasey, (973) 762-1886, AswJasey@njleg.org <mailto:AswJasey@njleg.org
        *       Joseph R. Malone, III, (609) 298-6250, AsmMalone@njleg.org <mailto:AsmMalone@njleg.org
        *       Paul D. Moriarity, (856) 232-6700, AsmMoriarty@njleg.org <mailto:AsmMoriarty@njleg.org
        *       Nellie Pou, (973) 247-1555, AswPou@njleg.org <mailto:AswPou@njleg.org
        *       Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., (201) 714-4960, AsmRamos@njleg.org <mailto:AsmRamos@njleg.org
        *       Scott T. Rumana, (973) 237-1362, AsmRumana@njleg.org <mailto:AsmRumana@njleg.org
        *       Joseph Vas, (732) 324-5955, AsmVas@njleg.org <mailto:AsmVas@njleg.org
        *       David W. Wolfe (a primary sponsor of the bill), (732) 840-9028, AsmWolfe@njleg.org <mailto:AsmWolfe@njleg.org

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

210 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608

Testimony before the Assembly Education Committee 5-12-08

A15 Provides for the election of school board members at November general election and eliminates vote on school budgets except for separate proposals to spend above cap which will also occur at general election. Roberts, Joseph J., Jr.   as Primary Sponsor; Wolfe, David W.   as Primary Sponsor Green, Jerry   as Primary Sponsor; DeAngelo, Wayne P.   as Primary Sponsor

GSCS OPPOSES THIS BILL.

The Garden State Coalition remains consistent in its position moving elections of school board members to November will open the door for partisan politics to naturally extend into the education arena. Effective policy requires clear research to support its premise. While some may say that school board member elections are already imbued in partisan politics we ask the basic question: what research has been done that demonstrates by number and kinds of Type II districts those where school board members are affiliated with political parties? Is there a factual percentage available that contributes to the rationale for this recommendation?  The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission actually has statistics that show otherwise, that current school board member elections show a minimal level of partisan party activity. In addition, the intent of non-partisan municipal elections being held in the spring must be to keep them just that: non-partisan.

In terms of increasing voter participation in school elections, we ask a couple more questions. How are voter participation rates on the municipal line impacted when occurring in November?   Why is there no push to move the May non-partisan municipal elections to November as well? Since those turn outs are also low, perhaps value is ascribed to keeping these elections ‘non-partisan’.

Regarding  ‘no vote up to cap’ our membership feels that is a positive way to go for a couple of reasons: one, eliminating the necessity to vote on schools budgets when the proposed budget are in compliance with the legislated ‘cap’ limit is reasonable, cost and labor time-effective. It is common sense to allow for this change, especially with the recently enacted laws that make the budget process transparent and very public, backed up by the opportunity for ample public input.

GSCS however, believes that placing second questions up for a vote in November breaks down a sound budgeting process given the fiscal calendar years within which school districts must work their budget plan. In effect, the stability of a school budget plan is vulnerable to a future unknown since the budget must be operational more than four months before the second question vote would occur. The district has to determine it requires a second question in order to maintain the opportunity for a thorough and efficient education and its proposal must first be reviewed and okayed by the executive county superintendent by March prior to A15 proposed subsequent vote.  Many safeguards are now already in place. The proposal in this regard pre-destines an unworkable and unreasonable approach to sound budgeting and operations.  

We ask you not to release this bill.

______________________________________________________

A10 Requires certain school districts to reduce per pupil administrative expenditures by 10% over three-year period, certain reporting by executive county superintendent of schools and schedule for appointment of such superintendents.

GSCS OPPOSES THIS BILL.

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

210 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608

Testimony before the Assembly Education Committee 5-12-08

A10 Requires certain school districts to reduce per pupil administrative expenditures by 10% over three-year period, certain reporting by executive county superintendents of schools, and schedule for appointment of such superintendents. Roberts, Joseph J., Jr.   Primary Sponsor, 5/5/2008 Introduced & Referred to Assembly Education.

 

Good afternoon Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. The Garden State Coalition of Schools has several concerns about A10.

 

As you can see below, there is a list of recent major school funding and accountability bills that have passed the legislature all within a little over one year. This may be our number one concern – so much has happened so fast in the school funding arena that reasonable time is needed for implementation of the news laws which then should be reviewed for effectiveness and amended where necessary In addition, the role of the new Executive County Superintendent, as well as the Commissioner of Education, have expanded a great deal, especially in the direction of accountability and efficient spending. We do not yet know how well these laws are working.

 

A10 already negates the new ‘regional benchmarks’ by setting a new and required target for administrative spending at 10% below those benchmarks in three years. Does that mean that these benchmarks are considered not valid?

 

The bottom line is that there are a number of elements in A10 that appear to be inflexible that would reduce administrative functioning in schools beyond a point where operations and education may be able to produce effective results.

 

While districts may appeal to the Commissioner due to fiscal hardship brought on by new mandates, A10 does not allow for inflation, such as cost of living increases. And the Commissioner is constrained only to grant waivers that are restricted to CPI growth. For the regular district in regular situations, in three years A10 districts’ permitted administrative costs will

 

  • begin to flat line at the prior year per pupil cost with no likelihood of growth in the future;

 

  • Only be able to increase (or decrease) depending on enrollment fluctuations;

 

We ask that A10 be slowed down considered in light of the news laws that impact district spending and efficiencies become operational and then subject to examination; we ask that effectiveness and quality education remain the priority that our members seek.

 

Thanks you for your time and consideration.

 

Here are some examples of the new, and major, laws that are beginning to impact public education today:

 

 

CHAPTER 62 (A1)

 

An Act providing local property tax relief through homestead rebates and credits and limits on local tax levies, amending and supplementing various parts of the statutory law, and making an appropriation.

CHAPTER 63 (A4)

 

An Act to encourage the financial accountability of local units of government through empowering citizens, reducing waste and duplicative services, clearing legal hurdles to shared services and consolidation, and supplementing, amending, and repealing sections of statutory law.

CHAPTER 53 (A5)

 

An Act concerning school district accountability, revising various parts of the statutory law and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

S4000 THE SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM ACT