On Friday, May 14, Senate President Steve Sweeney hosted a roundtable discussion on the benefits and challenges of school district regionalization.
The New Jersey School Boards Association was invited to participate and was represented by Director of Governmental Relations Jonathan Pushman.
Other participants included: Senate Education Committee Chair M. Teresa Ruiz; Senator Vin Gopal: Benjamin H. Laury, commissioner/director of the Salem Board of Chosen Commissioners; Dr. Melissa McCooley, superintendent of Pinelands Regional School District; Sean Spiller, vice-president of New Jersey Education Association; and Tom Puryear, NAACP New Jersey State Conference Education Committee Chairman.
Senators Sweeney and Gopal are the primary sponsors of S-3488, which establishes various financial incentives to explore regionalization.
The roundtable can be viewed here on the New Jersey Senate Democrats’ Facebook page.