Categories: News

Education Law Center: School Construction Authority’s Profligacy is “Nothing Short of Astounding.”

A new press release from Education Law Center charges that NJ’s School Development Authority, responsible for school construction in high-poverty districts, is wasting tons of money on overhead and, in fact, spend $34 million on administrative costs in 2012:

An analysis by ELC of financial records since January 2010 shows the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) spent a total of $114 million on agency staff, office space, legal services, communications and other administrative expenses over the last three years. That amounts to a staggering 17% of the $661 million in SDA expenditures over the three-year period.

SDA costs are “stunningly high” and “way out of line” with the administrative overhead of similar school construction agencies in other states, said Mary Filardo, Executive Director of the Washington, D.C.-based 21st Century School Fund. Ms. Filardo is one of the nation’s leading experts on the impact of school facilities on student learning and has served as a consultant and advisor to state and district school facilities planning and construction programs.

Seems like a pretty good argument for the Urban Hope Act, which allows school boards in Trenton, Newark, and Camden to bypass the SDA and contract with charter organizations to build school buildings and operate charter schools. Yet ELC has virulently opposed the Urban Hope Act, even after its usual ally, the New Jersey Education Association, expressed its support. From NJEA President Barbara Keshishian: “NJEA supports this legislation because it allows for innovation while providing meaningful public accountability. It is a creative expansion of public school choice that uses public funds to support public education.”  Here’s some background.

Laura Waters

View Comments

  • Different preschool programs will focus on different aspects of the experience. You can choose a preschool program that will help your child to become socially and emotionally ready for school, by finding a preschool with a curriculum that will suit your child.

    Best Preschool in Mumbai

Recent Posts

BREAKING: Statement from JerseyCAN on State’s Long-Delayed Release of Student Test Results

This is a statement by Paula White, Executive Director of JerseyCAN, on the New Jersey…

2 years ago

NJEA: Murphy’s Elimination of Teacher Performance Test Is a Major Win for Students and Educators

This is a press release. Earlier today, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill to eliminate…

2 years ago

Murphy Signs Bill Eliminating EdTPA Test for Teacher Certification

Today Gov. Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 896, which prohibits the New Jersey Department of…

2 years ago

LILLEY: Blue States Had More School Closures and More Learning Loss — Just Like NJ under Gov. Murphy

The 74 conducted a study of the relative learning loss in Democratic (Blue) and Republican (Red) states and…

2 years ago

One of Newark Superintendent’s New High Schools Tolerates Racism Against Black Students

In October 2020 Newark Superintendent Roger Leon announced with great fanfare the opening of district’s…

2 years ago