P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

Workshop 2010 — New Location, New Date

TRENTON, January 22, 2010—Workshop, the major training conference for New Jersey’s local school officials, will take place Oct. 19, 20, 21 – but not in Atlantic City.

The New Jersey School Boards Association is finalizing plans for the multi-day training and information event at a new location in central New Jersey, which is a departure from its 57-year history of hosting the conference in Atlantic City.

NJSBA had been considering the change in the location of its annual conference since last year, prior to the 2009 Workshop.

The Association will provide further information about Workshop 2010 and its new location shortly. NJSBA officials state that Workshop 2010 will include the same high quality programs to which board members and school administrators have become accustomed.

“Our concern is based on the state’s economy and its impact on local school districts’ financial ability to pay for overnight accommodations related to training programs,” said Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA executive director.

“The state’s budget deficit has been growing, not shrinking; the new governor has been advocating tighter and harder caps on local school district budgets. These factors could affect the ability of local school boards to obtain training for their members at a three-day event in a venue like Atlantic City.”

For approximately two-thirds of the state’s school districts, attending a program for more than one day in Atlantic City requires an overnight stay.

“The Association’s decision to relocate the conference from Atlantic City after 57 years was not an easy one,” Bilik continued. “We have had an excellent working relationship with the Convention Center and Visitors Authority.

“However, the current economic climate makes it critical for us to host our annual conference in a lower-cost venue, in a more central location. By making the change, we can eliminate the need for overnight stays for a significant number of school officials and reduce hotel fees for those who still need accommodations.”

The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.