Consolidating all of the state’s local school districts into 21 county districts “may not be appropriate” and changing the structure of public education now could disturb student development, the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services has found.  The panel, however, recommended some school district consolidation, one countywide district as a pilot program, and most significantly—establishing “super” executive county superintendents to oversee local district operations.  

NJSBA Executive Director Edwina M. Lee commented on the recommendations, expressing concern about the “super” county superintendent concept. 

The consolidation committee’s 86-page report, issued on Wednesday, offered 18 recommendations, many of which would affect school districts.  The panel is one of four charged with developing recommendations for property tax reform.

Some Required Consolidation  The panel called for immediate elimination of the state’s 23 send-all, or non-operating districts, as well as requiring referenda on consolidating elementary- and secondary-only school districts into K-12 units. 

Pilot County District  While it refrained from endorsing the creation of 21 county school districts, the committee endorsed the idea of piloting one county-based school district for a limited period of time.  It noted that “a slow, deliberate and well-thought-out approach to considering the question of county-based school districts is required.”

‘Super’ County Superintendents  Most far-reaching of the panel’s recommendations is the creation of 21 executive county superintendents, who would assume many of the administrative functions now handled by local school districts. 

The “super” county superintendents would –

• Approve or disapprove the hiring, compensation and benefit plans offered to local superintendents.
• Sign off on school budgets.
• Veto excessive non-instructional expenses.
• Authorize audits of school administrative spending.
• Require school districts to document their efforts to share administrative services.
• Eliminate non-operating districts within one year.
• Authorize referendums to create kindergarten through grade 12 districts within three years.
• Require a cost-benefit analysis of any proposal to de-regionalize a school district and preclude dissolution of a regional district if it would result in inefficiency. 

Additionally, the executive superintendent could potentially handle local district procurement and human resources functions. 

Base-Closing Approach  Other committee recommendations, to be reviewed by the Legislature, include –

• Creating a commission to evaluate existing local government structures and to recommend consolidation of municipalities to the Legislature and governor.  (Municipal consolidation could have an impact on existing school district structure.)
• Moving school district elections to November and eliminating the vote on the school district base budgets.  (The Joint Legislative Committee on School Funding Reform made an identical recommendation.)
• Expanding self-insurance and joint-insurance options in the areas of health, life and liability to school districts.
• Requiring school boards to submit employment contract terms including all forms of compensation for central office administrators to the commissioner of education.
• Creating a permanent panel charged with overseeing local reorganizations and consolidations to facilitate mergers and shared services.
• Creating a county-based system of property tax assessment.