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GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS
Public Support for Public Education
GSCS Message for FY2009-2010: Stability & Fairness
EMAILNET 3-16-09
FIND OUT & STAY TUNED - www.gscschools.org has nearly 1,000,000 verified hits and approximately 90,000 individual visits to date ... and counting!
DON’T FORGET! MARCH 18 - GSCS OPEN MEETING IN LEONIA
GSCS General Membership/Open Meeting: Wednesday, March 18, 7:00PM, Leonia. (Detailed information on attached flyer - Click on More below). The meeting will include 'Conversation with Education Commissioner Lucille Davy', moderated by NJN's Senior Political Correspondent Michael Aron, joined by panelists Dunstan McNichol -Contributing Reporter, NY Times/NJ Section and former Star Ledger Statehouse Reporter covering finance & state budget issues; Jim O'Neill/President GSCS and Superintendent School District of the Chathams; and Lynne Strickland, GSCS Exec. Dir.
(HADDONFIELD MEETING MARCH 25 – SAME GUESTS, FORMAT & TIME see GSCS website)
ON THE HOMEPAGE at www.gscschools.org:
PDF of March 18 GSCS - Leonia Meeting Flyer - details and directions More...
3-09 School Facilities Grant Program - Regular Operating Districts: Allocations & Analysis Round One
GSCS has been involved since the later 1990's in seeing that the regular operating districts, which are primarily suburban, receive a fair share in the school construction program. In fact, GSCS was widely recognized for its advocacy in getting the 40% grant program (and seeing that % maintained in the current program) established as the floor for grant funding for all districts. Below is the link to the latest round of Department of Education approval grants for regular operating districts release March 5, 2009. http://www.nj.gov/education/facilities/projectapplication/rod/Allocation1Analysis.pdf
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Title 1 funding charts - Same as immediately below, but in PDF form: Latest Title 1 'preliminary' funding under the ARRA 3-09
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Latest website filing by the USDOE on Title 1 funding
Here is the explanation on how the Title 1 additional funds via the stimulus plan are derived: American Reinvestment Recovery Act (ARRA) funds flow through two Title 1 formulas (the Targeted and EFIG formulas). The most recent Census Poverty data available are factored in the run for the Title I ARRA preliminary LEA allocations currently shown on USDOE website. To receive Title I funds allocated through the Targeted and EFIG formulas, an LEA must have at least 10 formula children and these children must be at least five percent of the LEA's 5 through 17 population. Using the updated Census data, LEAs would be ineligible under the Targeted and EFIG formulas if their percentages under those formula are less than five percent.
Note that this is still labeled 'preliminary' but the data is the latest, up to date information available from Washington D.C. Here is the web address/copy paste it into your browser (see above for PDF of same) -
http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy09recovery/newjersey.pdf
3-13-09 Information to Districts re: Federal Stimulus- Additional Title 1 and IDEA funding information still not ready for distribution
According to Commissioner Lucille Davy's remarks yesterday at the Assembly Education Committee meeting, the final breakout of funds for the additional Title 1 and IDEA monies, and the release time of this information, is in the hands of the federal government. Washington D.C. is not quite ready to send the details, but hopefully it will be out to districts within one to two weeks.
GSCS realizes that districts are putting together their budgets now and that they need to get this information ASAP. We have communicated this to state leaders, and they too are pressing for the details. New Jersey is not the only state where there is a need to know, many states have school budget preparation calendars similar to NJ. In the meantime, districts can look at the latest data sent out on the funding amounts as a guideline.
In addition, the Commissioner reported to the Committee that President Obama's administration will require that these funds be spent directly on 'student achievement' goals: 1)to align standards that are rigorous; 2)to identify benchmarks of educational success for K-12; 3) to increase teacher effectiveness and 4)to focus on positive change in achievement in lower performing districts. The Title 1 and IDEA funds will be distributed directly to school districts from the federal government. Districts will be held accountable for spending these monies, reporting via the NJ Department of Education, to the U.S. Department of Education. We were also told that the state is also reviewing district waiver requests and should be getting the results of its reviews back to local districts soon.
3-13-09 News of Note today
STAR LEDGER ‘Rise in N.J. Property Taxes is lowest in nearly a decade’ http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/riseinnjpropertytaxes_lowe.html NORTHJERSEY.com ‘Most North Jersey Towns Exceed Property Tax Cap’ http://www.northjersey.com/news/taxes/MostNorthJerseytownsexceedpropertytax_cap.html
PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/164/story/426732.html ‘But even getting more money doesn't always mean lower taxes. Bridgeton in Cumberland County will get almost $3.7 million in additional state aid and is estimated to get almost $3.4 million in federal Title I stimulus funds. But under the state formula, Bridgeton is one of seven districts statewide that also will have to raise its tax levy, which the state considers to be too low. "We're going to have to raise the tax levy four percent to get the aid," Superintendent Victor Gilson said. "It's very hard to explain this to taxpayers."
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NJ Education Commissioner to visit – Mar 25 | |
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03/12/09
New Jersey's Commissioner of Education, Lucille E. Davy, will visit Haddonfield on Wednesday, March 25 for a community conversation. A panel of speakers will include Dunstan McNichol, the New York Times' reporter who covers New Jersey state finance and budget issues; James O’Neill, president of the Garden State Coalition of Schools and superintendent of the School District of the Chathams; and Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. The panel will be moderated by Michael Aron, senior political correspondent for NJN. The event will take place in the Middle School auditorium, beginning at 7:00pm. The mission of the Garden State Coalition of Schools is to promote public support for public education in New Jersey. CLICK HERE to link to the organization's Web site. CLICK HERE for Commissioner Davy's bio. |
General Membership Meeting- All Welcome
A Conversation
With
NJ Commissioner of Education
Hon. Lucille E. Davy
March 25, 7:00 p.m.
Haddonfield Middle School
Moderated
By
Michael Aron
NJN Senior Political Correspondent
Joined by Panelists
Dustan McNichol
Contributing Reporter NY Times / NJ Section
Former Star Ledger Statehouse Reporter
Covering Finance & State Budget Issues
James O’Neill Lynne Strickland
GSCS President Garden State Coalition
Superintendent Executive Director
School District of the Chathams
Directions to Haddonfield Middle School, 5 Lincoln St., Haddonfield, NJ
On Route 295 take Exit 32, County Highway 561W, toward Haddonfield.
At the end of the exit ramp merge onto Berlin Rd / Haddonfield-Berlin Rd and go 1.1 miles.
At the fork with a traffic light, make a slight left onto Ellis Street and go 500 feet.
Make the first left onto Lincoln and go around and up the hill.
Go two more blocks, crossing Walnut Street and Centre Streets
to the corner at Chestnut Street. The school is on the corner.
To park, turn right onto Chestnut and then left just after the school into the lot,
or park on the street.To confirm directions: www.haddonfield.k12.nj.us
