The state education department has scheduled three additional hearings about its School Costs Report released in December. 

Commissioner Lucille E. Davy will chair the hearings. They include:  

• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Gloucester County College, 1400 Tanyard Road, Sewell.  The hearing will be held in room 430 of the Instructional Center.  Click here for directions. Hearing attendees should park in Lots D or E.

• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Mercer County Community College, conference center, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.  The hearing will be held in the Conference Center.  Click here for directions and parking information.

• Thursday, Jan. 25, 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  New Jersey City University, Jersey City.  The hearing will be held in the Gothic Lounge, Hepburn Hall, room 202.  Click here for directions.

Parking is extremely limited on the campus near Hepburn Hall or on the streets around the campus. Parking spaces may be available in Remote Lots 3A (on West Side Avenue, with an additional entrance/exit on Carbon Place, off Route 440 North) and 3B (located on Carbon Place, off Route 440 North). A shuttle bus provides service to the campus from both lots. The parking rate for all lots is $6 per entry/exit, Monday through Friday. 

Live on the Web All three hearings will be Web cast live. People who wish to testify must register in advance and sign a release that will permit their voices to be recorded and broadcast online.  A registration form will be available online starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. 

People also may register by calling (609) 292-6038.  Each organization will be limited to one speaker per site and all speakers will be limited to five minutes each. Those who would prefer to submit written testimony rather than attend the hearings in person may send that testimony electronically to legislative@doe.state.nj.us or fax it to (609) 777-2077.  

The Report of the Cost of Education was designed to calculate the costs that New Jersey school districts face in meeting state performance and accountability standards. Commissioner Davy announced recently that the report is also under review by three nationally-recognized experts. 

The Web cast stream can be viewed using Windows Media Player (download the player) at www.njedge.net/doelive.

Archives of the stream will be available from the NJEDge.Net or the Department of Education approximately two days after each hearing.