Those of you who attended our Back to School Night heard me speak about the pending threat of regionalization/consolidation. In March 2010, the executive county superintendent will be required, by law, to submit a plan to regionalize school districts in each county. Harding, along with other K-8 and small districts are being targeted for the intiative. Unfortunately there are many negative aspects to regionalization besides losing our "small school atmosphere." These include an increase in taxes (due to tax apportionment and incurred debt), larger class sizes, lack of board representation and a host of other concerns.
This blog will serve as a format to answer any questions that you may have regarding school regionalization/consolidation.
10 comments:
Tim, great blog. Your knowledge about the consolidation issue is not only welcome, but timely. Many of us are prepared to assist in getting the facts out to our entire community. May I suggest that anyone interested in the effort to do the right thing for our school respond by blog or let Dr. Purnell know. Thanks, Peter Murphy
This is an ongoing concern for many families of HTS as well as the residents of Harding Twp. I love a good debate so when you are looking for volunteers or help for this cause, count me in.
Thanks Julie and Peter! I look forward to more questions/concerns. I will certainly post any events/debates regarding the issue on the blog! Thanks for visiting and spread the word.
When I think about this Regionalization/Consolidation all I can do is shudder at the thought. I just can't manage to see the positives at all. Harding Township's sense of community revolves around things like the school, local churches and Fire House. If we lose our school, we lose a large part of our identity. We need to know what we can do as parents and community members to help sustain all we love about our school and Harding Township.
Thank you for your posting anonymous... The executive county superintendent has been charged with the task of creating a consolidation plan to eliminate all districts, other than K-12 in the county. HTS has already been targeted as a district of interest (as indicated in the Daily Record 11/23/08).
According to Assembly No. 2975, the executive county superintendent "shall require each board of education covered by a proposal in the plan to conduct a special school election and submit thereat the question whether or not the executive county superintendent's proposal for the regionalization of the school district shall be adopted. The question shall be deemed adopted if it receives a vote in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.18A:13-5." 18A:13-5 indicates that the regionalization will only be adopted if the plan reaches a majority in EACH voting district. Therefore, if the plan is rejected in Harding Township, than the creation of a regional district does not come to fruition.
Your feelings of regionalization are a potential reality. In an article entitled “The Pennsylvania Experience,” the author describes the disaster that regionalization caused in Pennsylvania. That author states, “through the reorganization process our schools have been removed from the community. Parents no longer have access. It is no longer convenient to simply walk to school to see a teacher if they feel the need.”
I am completely outraged at the potential for regionalization/consolidation of Harding Twp School. I would like to understand what steps are being taken to blanket our legislature such that our views will be heard. I also think this issue has not necessarily been communicated outside of the Harding school community and as such, needs a broader audience within Harding. As indicated on this blog, school consolidation affects all Harding residents. One example of a good communication would be a one page letter with bullet points as to how this affects every Harding resident. Attached to this mailing should be pre-written letters that Harding residents can sign/date and send to our representatives so they are on notice as to the lack of support for consolidation and, by definition, each representatives' future election.
If their was ever an issue that Harding should rally upon and come together as a community it should be to support our school, our children and frankly, the future of our town.
Mrs. Walters,
Thanks for your posting. The district is actually working on an informational letter that will be released within the next few months. This blog is a precursor to the letter in attempt to answer any questions regarding the issue. The letter will also encourage community members to visit this blog for more information.
The county superintendent's plan for consolidation is due in March of 2010. The Vision Council for HTS has also discussed hosting an informational evening with invited politicians and guests.
I appreciate your support for HTS! Any updates regarding this issue will be posted on this blog.
Thanks again for your posting!
At the most recent township committee meeting, Mayor Lanzerotti discussed the notion of town and school consolidation. His statement will be published in full in the next Thumbnail. The Mayor continues to support the school and lobbies against consolidation.
Today, I sent the following email to Governor Corzine. I will hear him speak on Friday, March 20th in New Brunswick. If he does not address my question, I plan to ask him personally.
"Why consolidate a school district that has statistically provided exemplary education with an outstanding historical budget support from the community? Our town's property tax rate of $1.036 per thousand dollar of assessed value is the lowest in Morris County. The initiative will not reduce taxes, but rather raise them considerably. Our students perform in the top 20% in our sending high school demonstrating that our curricular program is comparable to our sending K-12 district. I look forward to your presentation on Friday and I hope that you are able to incorporate my question into your presentation. Thanks in advance for your time!" (Email to Governor Corzine)
Governor Corzine cancelled his attendance at the NJASA presentation at 5 PM Thursday evening. I decided to ask Commissioner Lucille Davy the question I had prepared for Governor Corzine. She responded, "If your district doesn't vote for it, you will not join the regionalization." She went on, however, to say how she supported the concept of regionalization and larger school districts. I asked her if the NJ Department of Education used data from other states, which regionalized, as a basis of research. I cited the Pennsylvania Experience and Proposition 13 in California as unsuccessful examples.
I also addressed Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee). I asked him if believed in FORCED school consolidation and if he thought legislation would move to a majority vote in both towns, rather than each respective town. He indicated that the vote would remain for a majority in each respective town, but that the state would eventually FORCE consolidation if districts vote the initiative down.
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