HADDONFIELD - Calling it a positive first step toward school district consolidation, Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed legislation clarifying the procedures for executive county superintendents to eliminate non-operating school districts and merge them into existing ones.
 
“This legislation that I am signing is another important component in our effort to share services and reduce the size of government,” said Governor Corzine. “By merging with neighboring districts, students will receive the same quality education as before, and we will also begin to bring more rhyme and reason to our system of school districts across the State.”
 
Non-operating districts are typically those with a small number of students, but these districts do not operate schools.   As a result, students are sent to another district via a “send-receive” relationship. The non-operating district is charged tuition for the students it sends to the receiving district. Non-operating districts have school board to assemble the budget for the district. There are 26 non-operating districts throughout New Jersey.
 
“While much lip service has been given to reducing the number of school districts, Governor Corzine is the one governor to actually do it by eliminating school districts which do not operate a single school,” said Senator Jim Whelan, (D-Atlantic).  “In closing these school districts, our students will still receive the same level of education they deserve.”
 
The bill, S-3000/A-4141, provides the executive county superintendent with the authority to merge a non-operating district with the district in which it participates in a sending-receiving relationship.
 
There is an exception for a non-operating district that has a sending-receiving relationship with more than one district or the sending-receiving relationship is with a District In Need of Improvement. Under these circumstances, the executive county superintendent will decide which district the non-operating district will be merged with based on the district that can accommodate the merger with the least disruption to its finances and educational operations.
 
“A great deal of study has shown we can save money by consolidating certain things, and this seems to be a very obvious one,” said Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “This doesn't seem like public money that’s being well spent.” 
 
In the first year of the merger, the Commissioner of the Department of Education will determine the apportionment of the appropriations for the new district in the least fiscally disruptive manner possible.  After that, a five-year phase-in to transition the new district to one of the appropriations apportionment methods can be used for regional school districts if necessary.  
 
“School districts without schools are a New Jersey anachronism whose time has simply passed by,” said Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem).
 
The legislation also accounts for board of education representation related to these new  mergers. For non-operating districts merged with Type I districts, which have mayoral appointed school boards, the board will have the same number of members as the board of the district with which the non-operating district was merged plus one additional member appointed by the mayor or chief executive officer.  For non-operating district merged with Type II districts with elected school boards, the board will initially consist of members of the board of the district with which the non-operating district was merged, plus one member appointed from the former board of the non-operating school district for the first year after the merger.  Then, any vacant positions on the board will be filled by members elected at-large by the voters in the new district.
 
“Average New Jersey taxpayers don’t care whether they have a local Board of Education, so long as they have a voice in the decision-making process,” said Senator James Beach, (D-Camden).  “These hard-hit taxpayers care about the bottom line, and the bottom line in New Jersey is that property taxes are too high.  We need more common sense initiatives which reduce the cost of government without reducing the level of access and accountability that people really do care about in the Garden State.”
 
Primary bill sponsors are Senator Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), Senator James Beach (D- Camden), Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli (D-Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester) and Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley ((D-Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester).
 
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