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GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/EMAILNET 11-15-05
GSCS quick facts:
ü Board of Trustees meeting tomorrow, Nov.16, 4 p.m.
ü Education Committees hearing scheduled: Senate December 1, Assembly December 8 – see EMAILNET reissue below/dates had been inadverdently reversed.
ü Two important news articles today:
1) Asbury Park Press, front page, re: S1701/Marlboro schools
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051115/NEWS/511150313
2) New York Times, on Supreme Court decision re special education court case costs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/15/politics/15scotus.html
,
Just in! Two bills on S1701 issues, dropped as ‘proposed’11-10, in the process of being formally introduced during lameduck session; if these bills are introduced timely enough they could move ahead in lameduck:
S2855 Senators Doria/Turner “establishes public school district budget cap adjustment for utility and energy costs”
A4599 Assemblyman Craig Stanley, Chair of Assembly Education Committee “establishes public school district budget cap adjustment for utilities and energy costs and increases % allowable school district surplus.”
Until the bills are formally introduced on a legislative days (11-28 for the Assembly and 12-1 for the Senate), the body of the bills are not available to the public. GSCS appreciates the above actions of these legislators. Proposing the bills demonstrate they are listening to the particularly critical & unpredictable issues surfacing under S1701.
REGISTER EARLY: December 7, 9 am
“It’s Time to Get off the Dime - Pitfalls, Priorities & Potential’
(Seating is very limited – Sign Up & Details at www.gscschools.org )
PLEASE NOTE: EMAILNET [REISSUE 11-15-05] S1701 update FYI:
On the GSCS web - 11-10-05 EMAILNET [REISSUED for date correction] re: Update on S1701:
Member advocacy and information... Please note correction, the Senate Education Committee meeting is scheduled for December 1 and the Assembly Education Committee meeting is set for December 8. GSCS will inform Senator Turner's office that any letters requesting posting S1701 amendment legislation for the Senate Education Committee hearing were meant for the December 1 date.
STATUS as of 11-10-05 (pls remember: things can change rapidly during lameduck sessions- see above re A4599 and S2855) :
AMENDMENT BILLS and
MEMBER ADVOCACY REQUEST
ASSEMBLY ACTION:
- A3680 Assemblyman Joe Cryan et al: passed unanimously in the Assembly in 6/05.
- AN IDENTICAL companion bill needs to be passed in the Senate in order for the Governor to sign S1701 amendment bill into law.
SENATE ACTION (INACTION): COMPANION BILLS TO A3680 INTRODUCED BUT HELD FROM ACTION TO DATE; NOT YET POSTED FOR HEARING IN THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
The following two Senate bills are identical to A3680, as well as to each other, thus they are poised and ready to move.
(1) One bill, S2278 was introduced first in 1/31/05 by Senator Tom Kean, a Republican from
(2) The other bill, S2329, was first introduced on 2/7/05 by Senator Paul Sarlo, a Democrat from Wood-Ridge; the co-prime sponsor is Senator Joseph Coniglio, a Democrat from
THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED FOR A COMMITTEE HEARING THIS DECEMBER 1. GSCS ASKS ITS MEMBERS TO WRITE/EMAIL/CALL THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR, SENATOR SHIRLEY TURNER, AND ASK HER TO POST THE * TWO BILLS, S2329 & S2278, TO BE HEARD ON THE 1st.
*Because these 2 bills are identical to one another, it is advised that members be inclusive of each when talking with their legislators about S1701 amendment legislation. It is up to the legislature to decide how to move ahead in this situation. Often the bills would be ‘merged’ or ‘combined’ when they are posted at the committee level.
In addition to making it clear that districts and parents are still very much concerned about the negative impact overall of S1701 and its lack of foresight and flexibility, LETTERS SHOULD INCLUDE:
ü Your request to the Chair to post the identical bills
S2329 and S2279 at the 12/8/05 Senate Education Committee hearing.
ü Specific examples of what S1701 has meant/done to your district, in terms of staffing, programs, class sizes, etc.
ü What the S1701imposed surplus reduction to 2% means to your district in terms of automatic property tax increases for your April 06 school budget, as well as in terms of having to rob Peter to pay Paul (e.g., pitting programs/needs against each other in district) since there is very little flexibility in budgets when unpredictable circumstances occur: e.g., gas costs in transportation and heating, children moving to district with special needs.
Send a copy of your letters/communications to Senator Wayne Bryant, Chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Senator Leonard Lance, Senate Minority Leader. It also is a wise courtesy to cc: your local legislators whenever communicating to legislative leadership.
Find your legislator: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp
Senator Wayne Bryant
OFFICE:
PHONE (856) 757-0552
Senator Shirley Turner
OFFICE:
PHONE (609) 530 3277
Senator Leonard Lance
OFFICE:
PHONE (908) 788-6900
Cc: Acting Governor Richard Codey
Acting Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy
