How to solve high taxes (Part 1) (Newark, West Orange: how much, neighborhoods, middle schools)
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My cut off is all towns that share a high school should be under one school district. It makes no sense to me to have a district with only one or even two schools pay for the required administrative overhead when a regional district would see significant savings.
Westfield has its own well run k-12 district and they are below average in school and administration spending per pupil while being well above average in teacher salary. Westfield would remain unchanged because they have their own high school.
all towns that share a high school should be under one school district.
It's a good thought, but a single district doesn't always mean that there will be lower admin costs. Many have deputy & assistant superintendents, directors of this & that, coordinators, etc., while some small town single-school K-8 districts have one chief handling all admin duties. Empire building is common in many bureaucracies.
It's a good thought, but a single district doesn't always mean that there will be lower admin costs. Many have deputy & assistant superintendents, directors of this & that, coordinators, etc., while some small town single-school K-8 districts have one chief handling all admin duties. Empire building is common in many bureaucracies.
No one says that every new district would, for sure, reduce over all costs, but if 95% do it would, without a doubt, be worth it. The only thing to keep a power hungry admin in check is the local residents and if they fail to do that then they are at fault. The fear of what if something bad might happen holds back so much progress from happening and it is time to change our thinking to what if it turns out well
The new districts would, for the most part, contain less than 15 total schools, eliminating any need to have assistants, deputies, directors, coordinators, etc. that are seen in large city districts such as NYC.
The new districts would, for the most part, contain less than 15 total schools, eliminating any need to have assistants, deputies, directors, coordinators, etc.
You really need to look at the admin structure of K-12 districts of this size ...
You really need to look at the admin structure of K-12 districts of this size ...
After looking back at my post I realize we are on two different pages. Even small districts have Assistant superintendents, Business Administrators and Director of curriculums, these of course would be necessary in a larger district along with a full time HR person, and a, for lack of a better term, child services officer. I thought you were referring to what a very large district has in regional superintendents, etc.
With the pension adjustments that were made the pension funding becomes manageable after the next 3 budgets. That is why the current Christie is trying to lay the groundwork to blame current employees. He does not want to deal with it during his budgets.
Did anyone read the articles about Christie only funding the pension for current employees and not making the payments for the years missed by previous governors. Two things first he lied about his big pension saving legislation and second note the % of the budget that the payment is. It is about 2% and that is for every teacher and state worker. Clearly the pension payment is not a big driver of the budget and therefore taxes.
After looking back at my post I realize we are on two different pages. Even small districts have Assistant superintendents, Business Administrators and Director of curriculums, these of course would be necessary in a larger district along with a full time HR person, and a, for lack of a better term, child services officer. I thought you were referring to what a very large district has in regional superintendents, etc.
We live in a town where our school district is pretty large (3 high schools, 3 middle schools and 15 elementary)... and I have never heard of a regional superintendent. Do you know of an area that has them? We have one super for our entire district.
Another advantage of regional k-12 districts (if it has been mentioned already, sorry) is that several towns being part of the same tax base helps to reduce the every-town-for-itself mentality that NJ has right now in terms of attracting development. When all the tax money is going to the same pot, Town A doesn't have to compete with Town B to bring in a Walgreens to a random strip mall wherever there is space. Instead, you can have coordinated growth and development that allows for a vibrant community center (main street, town center, downtown, whatever you want to call it) to form.
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