School Construction

9-27-09 Education News of Note

8-22-08 School Construction Guidelines Released

6-25-08 'State to borrow 3.9B for school construction'

6-24-08 State Budget passed yesterday, as did the School Construction, Pension Reform, and Affordable Housing bills

6-23-08 A2873-S1457 School Construction bills up for vote today, along with State Budget FY09

6-20-08 State Budget stalls, school construction is one obstacle

6-18-08 School Construction bill is before Senate Budget & Approps Comm tomorrow - GSCS is tracking the issue

8-8-07 Editorial 'School [construction] program needs more than a facelift'

8-7-07 'State rebuilds school construction program'

School Construction: Third Report to Governor by Interagency Working Group

9-15-06 Star Ledger & AP - 3.25B suggested for school construction

9-15-06 Star Ledger - 3.25B suggested for school construction

August 2006 District Resolution for School Construction Aid

School Construction Symposium July 27, 2006 for Regular Operating Districs [Non Abbotts]

10-14-05 EMAILNET Parent question for Gubernatorial Candidates aired on 101.5 debate, SCC funds, Next Board meeting, press briefing notes

9-29-05 EMAILNET School Construction Issues

7-29-05 EMAILNET

3-15-06 Report to Gov re school construction Interagency WorkingGroup

3-15-06 NY Times 'Crisis at School Agency Reflects Missteps'

3-10-06 New Management at School Construction Corp

3-8-06 Gannet Press on Buildling Our Children's Future coalition

3-4-06 Star Ledger SCC Agency chief puts burden on districts

3-4-06 Gannett - SCC chief says Abbott districts may have to 'ante up'

List - Regular Operating Districts waiting State Share Payments confirmation for school construction

GSCS 10-3-05 School Construction Testimony before the Joint Comm. on Public Schools

Legislators Assail School Building Agency at Hearing

Dept Ed Directive 7-6-05: School Construction Sec 15 Grant Funding for more than 450 districts questionable

2-14-06 TrentonTimes Letter to the Editor on school construction

2-9-06 Star Ledger School agency reformers discuss goals, problems

1-15-06 The Record 2 Sunday Articles anticipating top issues confronting the Corzine administration

12-21-05 Inspector General's Report on the School Construction Corporation

12-20-05 Star Ledger on NJ Supreme Court decision on stalled school construction

12-20-05 The Record 'Where Will the Bills End?' NJ Supreme Court releases its opinion on stalled school construction program.

12-15-05 Star Ledger School bond plans get resounding 'no'

11-13-05 Star Ledger Sunday front page 'Blueprint for 6 Billion Dollar Boondagle

9-29-05 Star Ledger 'NJ in hole for 53M after vote on school funds promised for construction

EMAILNET 6-10-05 School Construction Funding Heads Up!

Tuesday's School Construction Bond Referenda: Some facts

School Construction aid entitlements Abbott (pdf)

School Construction aid entitlements 55% and over Districts (pdf)

School construction aid entitlement districts 40% to 55% (pdf)

Debt Service v State Share 0 to 40 Districts, before and after Ch. 72 PL2000 law(pdf)

School Construction Sec 15 Grant Funding in Question - DOE Directive 7-6-05

school Construction DOE Directive 7-6-05

August 2006 District Resolution for School Construction Aid
(Another cost driver that the state is ignoring and that falls on local taxpayers to make up the difference when the state does not meet its obligations. )In the midst of the state's fiscal 'mess', school construction needs & costs continue to grow yet Trenton continues to drop the ball in response to district inquiries re promised aid. Communities are in a quandary and need direction. Read to see Bernards Township resolution on this issue, a good statement of the problem and a good sample for other districts with similar needs.

WHEREAS, in September 2005 the voters of Bernards Township, in response to our growing school population, approved a referendum that provides for a $54.1 million school facilities expansion project; and

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Department of Education committed $9.5 million of state aid towards this school facilities expansion; and

WHEREAS, it has been nearly one year, and the Bernards Township Board of Education has received no official notification from the state Department of Education concerning when and in what form the state aid will be provided; and

WHEREAS, this lack of information inhibits the ability of the Bernards Township Board of Education to prepare a funding schedule for this project; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Bernards Township will face the possibility of additional interest costs if the state funding is not available and is not presented to the Bernards Township Board of Education in a timely manner; and

WHEREAS, the Bernards Township Board of Education requests a clear response from the New Jersey Department of Education concerning the state's intention to provide the funding that was committed to the citizens of Bernards Township for our project; and

WHEREAS, because property taxes are a main concern for all residents of New Jersey, and especially for Bernards Township where state aid covers one of the smallest percentages of operating cost of any school district in the state (about five percent); and

WHEREAS, receiving this aid promised by the state is necessary for the Bernards Township Board of Education to complete the project on schedule and within the budget upon which our residents voted,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Bernards Township Board of Education is soliciting a timely and positive response from the New Jersey Department of Education concerning delivery of the state aid committed for the school facilities expansion.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the Bernards Township Board of Education, that we do hereby direct that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Governor Corzine, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Education Davy, Assemblymen Bateman and Biondi, Senator Kavanaugh, the Bernards Township Committee, the Garden State Coalition of Schools and the New Jersey League of Municipalities.