The NJ Department of Education may soon issue a report on its secret 2003 effort to determine the cost of educating New Jersey’s 1.2 million public school children, and hold a public hearing on the cost figures on December 18th.

There has been no official announcement of the report’s release or the specific time and location of any public hearings. Advocates, concerned parents and citizens are urged to check the ELC website regularly for further details.

The Our Children, Our Schools Campaign (OC/OS) is calling on everyone concerned about the impact of a new school funding formula on students, schools and their communities to urge Governor Corzine, state legislators and Education Commissioner Lucille Davy to establish a deliberative, open and public process for reviewing any proposed education costs and school funding formula.

This has not been the case since the Legislature formed a special committee in July to study reforming the way New Jersey funds its public schools. While notable national experts have appeared before the committee, there has been almost no information presented to the public on the NJ DOE 2003 education cost study. This prompted at least one committee member, Assemblyman Brian Stack of Union City, to sharply question the study’s reliability and present validity. Assemblyman Stack indicated he may call for a new cost study, preformed under open, rigorous standards such as those used in Maryland, New York, Connecticut and other states.

Based on information obtained through a lawsuit against NJDOE under the open records act, and other information, Education Law Center has found serious flaws with the secret 2003 cost study. Because the study is also outdated, ELC is calling for the Legislature to authorize a new study based on the professional standards used in other states.

A recent Star Ledger editorial -- "A slipshod reform effort" -- echoed these concerns, declaring: "what should be carefully considered legislation is shaping up as a December rush job without adequate public scrutiny."

The OC/OS coalition will be meeting regularly to discuss plans to press for an open, public and rigorous process on education costs and funding. (The next meeting will be Monday, Dec. 4 at 4:30 pm in Room 292 at Rutgers Law School, corner of New and Washington St. in Newark.)

OC/OS is also raising other concerns, including:

• A potential retreat from Abbott reforms
• The imposition of spending caps on successful suburban districts
• The creation of "super" County administrations with control over local budgets
• Uncertainty about the overall impact on state aid for education
• The absence of a plan to pay for proposed changes in school funding and property tax proposals

For more information on the OC/OS Campaign, contact: skarp@edlawcenter.org

Prepared: December 1, 2006

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