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6-13-08 News on Education Committee actions yesterday in Trenton
'Fight over school funding... head of education Committee wants suburban schools included in $2.5 billion construction plan.' Friday, June 13, 2008 The Express-Times

June 13, 2008'Bill would limit superintendent payout' GANNETT STATE BUREAU Reacting to news of school superintendents receiving huge severance packages, the Assembly Education Committee unanimously passed a measure Thursday limiting the retirement compensation a local school board can put into contracts for school superintendents, assistant superintendents and school business administrators.

 

Fight over school funding

head of education Committee wants suburban schools included in $2.5 billion construction plan.

Friday, June 13, 2008

By Trish G. Graber

The Express-Times

TRENTON | The head of the state's school construction program Thursday urged legislators to approve a proposed $2.5 billion in additional funding for new schools in poor districts, but a key lawmaker predicts it won't happen without money for suburban schools.

Scott Weiner, head of the Schools Development Authority, said the money is much needed for projects in former Abbott school districts.

In making his case for the funding, he also assured lawmakers on the Assembly Education Committee that the agency is ready and able to take on the responsibility of handling the money since taking over for the embattled Schools Construction Corp. which was riddled with waste and mismanagement.

"I believe that this agency is ready. If you don't think it is, take me out I'll leave tomorrow," said Weiner, the authority's chief executive officer. "But don't use the past as an excuse not to address the future of children."

Assembly Joseph Cryan, D-Union, the committee chair, said he believed the agency has been reformed under Weiner's leadership and that the funding is needed. But he also said school construction money should be included for suburban districts and predicted that the $2.5 billion would not pass the Legislature without it.

He said the suburban money is key so that "everybody in New Jersey has an investment."

Gov. Jon S. Corzine is pushing for legislative approval of the $2.5 billion for school construction, which he promised the Supreme Court he would deliver to some of the 31 former Abbott districts.

The funding would finish 27 stalled school construction projects. It would also fund 20 additional projects from a list of 371, about 100 of which are major renovation or construction projects, according to the Department of Education.

Phillipsburg, which has been waiting for money for a new $88 million high school, will be considered in the list of up to 20 possible school projects selected from 100. School officials there have estimated that the construction cost would now be near $105 million.

On Thursday, Weiner estimated the total cost of the projects needed in all of the former Abbott districts is near $17 billion. The funding for projects needed in suburban districts is $10 billion, according to Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.

Cryan said it is important for the Legislature to swiftly approve the proposed $2.5 billion in order to begin building the 47 projects. He favors doing so without voter approval, despite the opposition of some lawmakers, saying there has been no discussion of a backup plan should the referendum fail.

"No one has talked about what opportunities are there for those children," Cryan said. "And why should they have to wait any longer?"

The Legislature has yet to act on the legislation appropriating the $2.5 billion. State officials have not given a timeline for the release of a list of projects to be completed with the proposed funding.

Trish Graber is Trenton correspondent for The Express-Times. She can be reached at 609-292-5154.

 


June 13, 2008

Bill would limit superintendent payout

By MICHAEL RISPOLI
GANNETT STATE BUREAU

Reacting to news of school superintendents receiving huge severance packages, the Assembly Education Committee unanimously passed a measure Thursday limiting the retirement compensation a local school board can put into contracts for school superintendents, assistant superintendents and school business administrators.

The bill sponsored Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, prohibits severance packages from including additional compensation beyond pay for accumulated unused vacation and unused sick time. This would be in addition to any pension they may receive.

Cryan, who at times laughed or shook his head in disbelief when discussing the perks given in the packages, said he is looking to put an end to hefty severance packages which sometimes total hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I hope the gravy train hits a brick wall today," said Cryan, adding he blames both superintendents and school board members for the contracts.

"We have a responsibility with the people's money, and these folks at the very local level abused that," Cryan later told reporters.

The limitations would apply retroactively, though problems could arise applying the prohibitions to existing deals because it may violate contract law. Payments for unused days off were capped last year at $15,000 for unused sick time and accruable vacation time to one year's worth.

"When adults in charge walk away with that kind of money, that's money that's not getting into children's educational purposes," said state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy, who also expressed anger to committee members.

All the commotion comes in wake of news that Keansburg Superintendent Barbara A. Trzeszkowski was set to receive a $741,000 severance package. It since has been put on hold as Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration attempts to have courts void the contract. In that contract, Trzeszkowski received $556,290 in bonuses, calculating her salary by the number of years served. Cryan's bill looks to prohibit such a payout.

Tom Dunn, director of legislative and urban affairs for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, said legislators are wrong to pursue a bill that looks to usurp school board and superintendent negotiations.

"Our members sat down with members of boards of education, and it was give and take, and they worked out with agreements boards were satisfied with and obviously our members were satisfied with," said Dunn.

County superintendents are reviewing existing contracts in all 615 school districts, but the DOE cannot void the contracts. Davy said if abusive contracts turn up, the state would look into bringing those to court as well. She doubts it is widespread.

Recently, however, it was revealed the department refused to void $100,000 in "consulting fees" in a $600,000 package for exiting Hoboken Superintendent Patrick Gagliardi back in January.

"It should be criminal to be misusing public funds like this," said committee member Assemblyman Joseph Malone III, R-Burlington.

The high price tag for superintendents has been chalked up to the scarcity of finding superintendents. Davy suggested savings also could be found in district consolidation and shared services.