In an op-ed in NJ.com on Sunday, Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11) continued his call for the mandated regionalization of school services to help reduce property tax burdens for New Jersey residents, while also improving the state’s education results.
Gopal wrote that New Jersey has more than 600 school districts, and more than 200 of them enroll fewer than 500 students. He also noted that many of those districts operate buildings that are less than 30% full, and some administrative costs have sharply Increased even as enrollment has declined.
“More than 600 school districts means more than 600 school board attorneys, engineers, architects, insurance brokers and other contracted professionals,” Gopal wrote.
“The question is how to regionalize these services in a way that reduces costs while improving educational quality.”
Added Gopal: “New Jersey’s public education system is among the best in the nation, and we want to keep it that way. We recognize the political challenges of merging and consolidating school districts in a home‑rule state.
“But New Jersey has too much government. Consolidating services and districts would save money through efficiencies, ease the burden on taxpayers, and expand resources and programs available to students in consolidated schools.”
NJBIA supports the position that mandated consolidations of school services will likely be a necessity to improve New Jersey’s fiscal health.
NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Althea D. Ford adds that “we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that our educational quality can improve for students. “
In his op-ed, Gopal noted that local K‑8 districts should be required to coordinate with their regional high school districts, aligning curricula and sharing contracting costs.
He wrote of an example where a parent in the Freehold Regional High School District said that the Colts Neck K‑8 system did not even coordinate math instruction, leaving their child unprepared and struggling upon entering the regional district.
“These are basic, mandatory shared services that would benefit students, but too often they are blocked by school board members focused on institutional self‑preservation rather than outcomes,” Gopal wrote.
To see Gopal’s full op-ed, click here.
