Know that your attention and time to these matters have been well spent thus far, but also know that this is a long haul endeavor and your efforts will be needed even more in the next several months.....together we can achieve our goals of stability and quality.

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS     www.gscschools.org  ‘every day’

November 17, 2006

Dear Garden State Coalition of Schools Members,

Now that the Legislature’s Special Property Tax Session Joint Committees have released their recommendations to revise school funding, school and municipal governance, public employee benefits, and reviewed the possibilities of a constitutional convention, GSCS would like to take this time to thank each of you for your input, and your constancy of concern for your communities and your children’s public education. Because of our unique and broad statewide member volunteers and the well-reasoned focus of the GSCS Board of Trustees, GSCS is at the table in the state’s great debate.

We already see some of our advocacy in the recommendations phase from the Special Session committees, such as: minimum state share aid for all districts; improvement in special education procedures, dispute resolution and programs; a $1B funding infusion to cover the ground  taxpayers had to cover when our school funding formula was not implemented since 2002; additional state funding for middle and low income districts; aid for high performing districts; revisions to the State Health Benefits Plan that allow for local district flexibility as well as providing for dual-spouse incentives;  a formula that will be more sensitive to individual community members pocketbooks, and more….

We certainly have our concerns too. To name a few:  a process time-line that may not serve open public debate on the very important details that translate the recommendations into law; special education aid dollars being funded as part of foundation aid budgeting, rather than as ‘dollar for dollar categorical aid’ that follows students no matter how their communities’ wealth is measured; a distinct lack of information as to how the new  funding plan will play out when formulaically applied  to all children and their districts. We need to see the data district by district, statewide, before enlightened in-depth analysis can really be undertaken. Without this information available to the public, we are left to craft ‘what could be’ scenarios in order to dialogue with our state leaders and local legislators. While we cannot afford to wait, we ask Trenton to hurry up and get this formula – as well as school governance – legislation out for legitimate public scrutiny. To pass laws that will have deep and lasting impacts on all the citizens of our state – older and younger – deserves everyone’s full attention.

Know that your attention and time to these matters have been well spent thus far, but also know that this is a long haul endeavor and your efforts will be needed even more in the next several months When large public policies of far-reaching impact undergo significant change, it is not possible to have an early win and then go back home…We are in this debate for the long haul. GSCS is committed to your children, the quality of education in their schools, and to the well-being your broader communities deserve, and require, that will continue to inspire public support for public education in New Jersey.

As a statewide advocacy organization, we need to stay the course and to be well-placed - which we are - and at the table – which we are – in order to effect positive change that is reasonable and feasible and that works. Your on-going presence will sustain our efforts and together we can achieve our goals of stability and quality.

Lynne Strickland, Executive Director