NIMBY

Laura Waters February 10, 2009

This past Friday New Jersey School Boards Association hosted a conference in conjunction with the Policy Research Institute for the Region at Princeton University called

How About We Consolidate with Pennsylvania?

Laura Waters February 9, 2009

The concept of consolidating school districts in New Jersey seems to incite either enthusiasm or vitriol. The efficiency-obsessed policy wonks wax eloquent over potential reduction

Sunday Leftovers

Laura Waters February 8, 2009

More School Cuts: With State revenues down substantially – 7% in most categories – Corzine is including mid-year cuts in his budget address on March

Salvaging the DOE

Laura Waters February 5, 2009

As the new data from the N.J. State Report Cards makes the rounds, the DOE is caught in the unenviable position of defending uneven test

Consolidation for Dummies

Laura Waters February 5, 2009

New Jersey School Boards Association has a handy cheat sheet available on potential consolidations of school districts. Though there is a slight bias towards the

The Merger Macarena

Laura Waters February 3, 2009

As districts face the music generated by the DOE’s mandate on school consolidation, a predictable pattern is emerging: first, murmur agreeably about potential efficiencies and,

Sunday Leftovers

Laura Waters February 1, 2009

Paul Mulshine bemoans the cost per pupil of education in N.J.. From today’s Star-Ledger: I discussed this the other day with Jeffrey Reed of the

What’s Another School District?

Laura Waters January 28, 2009

For a great example of the challenges inherent in consolidation of local school districts, look to Oradell’s campaign to withdraw from their partnership with River

The Consolidation Cha-Cha

Laura Waters January 22, 2009

Now that Executive County Superintendents have been ordered by the DOE to issue reports by March 2010 for consolidation of school districts, there’s lots of

Somerset Hills/Bedminster Merger?

Laura Waters January 20, 2009

In a lukewarm try at consolidation, Somerset Hills (2,100 kids K-12) and Bedminster (600 kids, K-8) are looking once again at regionalization. The two Somerset