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Special Election—July 19 |
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As you
are
probably
aware,
next
week the
New
Jersey
School
Boards
Association
has
scheduled
a
special
Delegate
Assembly
meeting
on
Saturday,
July 19,
from
9:30 to
10:30
a.m. at
the
Ramada
Inn
National
Conference
Center
in East
Windsor.
The
purpose
of this
meeting
is to
elect a
vice
president
for
county
activities.
A
continental
breakfast
will be
served
from
8:30 to
9:30 am.
Get the
full
story. |
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State Budget
Receives
Approval
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On July 1, the
fiscal year 2004
budget bill
passed the
Senate and the
Assembly. The
bill increased
state aid to
school districts
by approximately
$39 million over
Governor James
McGreevey’s
original
proposed budget.
The bulk of the
increase is an
additional $37
million in
Extraordinary
Special
Education Cost
Aid. The bill,
S-3000, was
sponsored by
Senator Wayne R.
Bryant and
Assemblymen
Louis D.
Greenwald and
William D.
Payne.
Get the full
story. |
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Abbott X—
Successful
Mediation |
On June 25, the
New Jersey
Supreme Court
handed down its
latest decision
in the
continuing
Abbott
litigation
(Abbott X). The
Supreme Court’s
decision was
prompted by the
Department of
Education’s
March 2003
motion
requesting that
the court relax
its mandate
requiring the
implementation
of the remedies
ordered in
Abbott V. In its
decision, the
court identified
certain programs
available to
Abbott districts
but did not
mandate that the
Department
provide each
program in every
district.
Get the full
story.
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News About
Workshop
October 22-24 |
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Dance the
Night Away
Put on your
boogie shoes and
take part in a
Workshop
tradition. On
Wednesday,
October 22, join
us at the new
Borgata Hotel
for the annual
Workshop Dance
Party.
Whether you
groove to the
sounds of old
favorites or jam
to the latest
hits, we’ll be
spinning
continuous tunes
from 9 p.m. to 1
a.m. for your
dancing
pleasure.
Get the full
story. |
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Pest Management Programs
Required |
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A
model policy is now
available for school districts
to use in establishing an
Integrated Pest Management
program, which is required by
June 2004.
Get
the full story. |
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New President and Vice President
Elected to Lead State Board |
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The
State Board of Education
unanimously elected Dr. Arnold
G. Hyndman as president and
Debra Eckert-Casha, Esq. as vice
president of the state board for
a one-year term. Hyndman
replaces five-term board
president Maud Dahme and Eckert-Casha
replaces four-term vice
president Dr. Ronald Butcher.
Get the full story. |
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Urge Governor to Veto
Last Best Offer Bill
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Now is the time to let
Governor McGreevey know
how you feel about
A-3419/S-2398,
legislation that would
give teacher unions the
upper hand in labor
negotiations. If the
governor signs this
legislation, it would
take an important
negotiating tool away
from school boards—the
right to impose their
last best contract offer
only if mediation and
fact-finding have failed
and a genuine impasse is
reached.
Tell the governor not to
sign it unless it
includes strong
anti-strike protections.
Urge Governor McGreevey
to conditionally veto
the bill to include the
anti-strike amendments
proposed by NJSBA.
Click here for more
information.
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Unsafe School Policy
Schedule
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The
New Jersey Department of
Education has posted an
advisory on its Web site of
schedules and actions that
districts must take for schools
identified on or before July 31
as “persistently dangerous” by
the Department. Compliance with
the Unsafe School Policy is a
condition of receiving funds
under any and all titles of the
No Child Left Behind Act.
Click here to access the
schedule.
The Department anticipates that
about 20 schools out of 2,400
will be classified as
persistently dangerous.
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June 30 Legislative Action
A-2640 (Sires,
Doria)—Provides additional
retirement benefits for certain
members of PERS and TPAF
employed by school boards,
educational services commissions
and jointure commissions; and
permits issuance of refunding
bonds to fund benefits. NJSBA
opposed the bill because it
would not afford school boards
the opportunity to determine
their total liability in advance
of having to elect to
participate or not to
participate in the program. The
bill was reported out of the
Senate Budget and Appropriations
Committee and sent to the Senate
floor. It passed the Senate by
emergency resolution and was
sent to the governor.
Get the full story. |
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 School
Board Notes Summer Schedule |
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This
issue of School Board Notes
marks the beginning of our
summer publication schedule.
Publication dates for the summer
are July 10 and 24, and August 7
and 21. SBN will resume its
regular weekly schedule on
September 5. |
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