|
P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UPDATE: Jan. 22 vote possible on county pilots, other special session bills TRENTON, January 9, 2007 - The state Senate yesterday held off voting on A-8/S-49, which would authorize the creation of one pilot county administrative school district. However, a new Senate voting session has been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 22. A-8/S-49, as well as S-10, the super executive county superintendent bill, may be on the agenda that day. Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday gave final legislative approval to A-5/S-4. The bill is now on the governor’s desk. It would expand the commissioner of education’s authority to intervene in school district business operations and would give her the ability to appoint a state monitor under certain conditions. It also would expand mandatory training for new school board members and would require reelected and reappointed members to complete advanced training. Newspaper accounts indicate that, in his State of the State address today, Governor Corzine will endorse the super county superintendent concept, as well as the imposition of hard caps on local property tax increases. Following is a summary of these issues: Super County Superintendent S-10, the Senate version of the “super” executive county superintendent bill would create a politically appointed position with sweeping powers over local school district financial operations and administration. As now written, the bill would leave the current April school board member/school budget election in place. The bill could come up for a vote on Jan. 22. The Assembly version, A-4, which was approved by the lower house in December, would move school board member elections to November. By concentrating power at the county level, the super county superintendent bureaucracy could actually cost taxpayers more. For example, it could negate achievements in the areas of staffing, purchasing and negotiations that have taken place at the local level. County Pilot A-8/S-49 would authorize the commissioner of education to develop a plan to establish one pilot county administrative school district. The pilot county school district would be governed by a board of education appointed by the freeholder director or county executive. Current local district administrative functions would be concentrated at the county level. Local school boards in the pilot county would be replaced by advisory panels. NJSBA opposes A-8/S-49 for the following reasons:
This bill will do nothing to resolve New Jersey’s property tax problem. Hard Caps In his State of the State message, Governor Corzine is expected to propose a 4% “hard” cap on local property tax levies for schools, municipalities and counties. This type of cap is significantly different from the current spending growth limitation, which is based on total growth in state, local and federal revenue and allows adjustment for enrollment increases and costs that are out of a school district’s control. It may have the same impact as strategies enacted a generation ago in Massachusetts and California, the latter where cuts in school spending seriously damaged the K-12 education program.
|
