Press of Atlantic City

State to borrow $3.9 billion for school construction
Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008

by Diane D'Amico

 The state Legislature on Monday approved borrowing $3.9 billion for school construction, with both supporters and detractors saying they voted with the children in mind.

Supporters, mostly Dem-
ocrats, said funds were needed to replace ancient, decrepit schools across the state. De-
tractors, mostly Republicans, said today's children would be stuck with the debt as they grow older and begin to pay taxes.

Vineland and Pleasantville are expected to be among the beneficaries of $3.9 billion. Both districts have been approved for new schools but are stalled in the design phase. The bill also could provide some funds for a proposed new building for the Atlantic County Institute of Technology.

The bond will provide
$2.9 billion for the 31 urban districts managed by the Schools Development Corpor-ation, formerly known as the Abbotts. Another $950 million is expected to go to suburban districts and $50 million to vocational schools. The state education commissioner also would be required to develop a priority system for the suburban projects.

The bill, A-2873, passed largely along party lines 21-18 in the Senate and 42-36-2 in the Assembly.

First District legislators bucked the trend. State Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam, all D-Cape May, Cum-
berland, Atlantic, voted against the bill. Albano said they were living up to a campaign pro-
mise not to borrow any more money without voter approval.

"Schools are needed," Albano said, "but there must be some type of income to pay for it."

Van Drew said he believes more funds are needed for school construction but that voters should have a say in the process.

State Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said he voted for the bill because new schools are needed. Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vincent Polistina, both R-Atlantic, abstained from voting.

Several Republicans said they support more school construction but not borrowing the money to pay for it without voter approval. They also criticized the waste found during the first round of $8.6 billion in school construction.

Judy Savage, director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational Schools, said aid priority is expected to be given to county vocational schools that have not yet received construction funds, including those in Atlantic, Mercer and Essex counties.

"But the $50 million really is inadequate for all the vocational school needs," Savage said.

The bill also will fund the completion of a another new middle school in Vineland and a new alternative high school in Pleasantville. Those were among 27 approved projects stalled last year when the original $6 billion fund for the Abbott districts ran dry.

The biennial report of the state Schools Development Authority, released June 12, said about $800 million is needed to complete the 27 projects.

The Education Law Center went back to the state Supreme Court in October asking the court to order the state to continue to provide funds. In January, the state Attorney General's Office said a Supreme Court order was not needed because the Legislature planned to introduce a bill for an additional $2.5 billion.

A 2006 report by the state Department of Education estimated about $13 billion was needed to complete already approved projects in the 31 Abbott districts. Supporters of the bill said the longer the state delays, the more expensive projects get.

The SDA report said an additional $2.5 billion would allow the state to continue projects for another two to three years.

Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, said while the bill will help suburban schools, she is still concerned that the process for distributing the $950 million is not yet defined and has been left up to the commissioner of education.

"They just came up with this over the weekend," she said. "It just feels unfinished."

To e-mail Diane D'Amico at The Press: DDamico@pressofac.com