But it’s the course that makes the most educational sense
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
WEST AMWELL — A public meeting that focused on the 119-page regionalization feasiblity study — “A Feasibility Study to Dissolve the South Hunterdon Regional School District” — was held at the South Hunterdon Regional High School auditorium Feb. 8.
The event drew over 100 people.
The study — which addresses issues relating to the blending of the four existing school districts (Lambertville Public School, South Hunterdon Regional, Stockton Borough School and West Amwell Elementary) into one — can be found online at: http://www.southcountyregionalization.com/.
The study says that combining the four districts into one regional district (for the towns of Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell) is the course that makes the most educational sense.
However, the study also says the creation of one regional school district, which would serve pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (PK-12) would bring only small financial savings to each of the communities involved.
DANIEL SEITER, chairman of the South Hunterdon County School District Regionalization Committee, has expressed the hope that those interested will study the report.
On Wednesday, Mr. Seiter said: “We were very pleased with the turnout last Wednesday evening, both live at the school and those who joined online. The regionalization concept is clearly a high area of interest within our community.
”We now expect the governing bodies to discuss the regionalization options within their monthly meetings, and encourage community members interested in this topic to attend those upcoming board of education meetings and council or township meetings.”
After that, if all goes well, the next step would be to go ahead with a request for Advisability on Regionalization from the executive county superintendent, Mr. Seiter added.
WORKING on the study for the Princeton firm of Porzio, Bromberg and Newman were: James Kirtland, a certified public accountant; Richard Grip, a demographer and former teacher; and Dr. Lloyd Leschuk, retired Kenilworth superintendent of schools.
”From an educational standpoint, the PK-12 structure provides the best opportunity for PK-12 program articulation, continuity, and consistency in a spiraling curriculum,” the study states. “Therefore, the establishment of a “new” PK-12 regional school district to service the communities of Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell is viewed as the most appropriate action.
The study also says the leaders of the new school district, if created, should consider setting up an Early Childhood Education Center at the Stockton Borough School site and the relocation of all sixth-grade students to South Hunterdon Regional High School.
The study says “these two recommendations are targeted at enhancements to the educational program and as a means by which the school district might be able to achieve additional financial savings and possible revenue enhancement.”
ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE of the issue, the study says “the largest savings” would result “from a dissolution of the current regional district with the formation of a three-district PK-12 regional.
”Since the savings are small to each community, we recommend that you study further the impact on combining salary guides and that these decisions be based upon the potential educational benefits rather than finances alone.”
Initially, regionalization would save about $500,000, in large part due to the decreased number of administrators a regional district would require, the study says.
However — the study predicts — over the years, there probably would be no significant cost-savings from regionalization.
The study says that due to the disparities of the teachers’ salary guides (among the existing districts), there probably would be large increases in salaries when a new contract (for a regional district) is negotiated.
”When this is combined with the potential loss of federal aid (of $110,000), there would be no significant cost savings. Though it is possible that the establishment of an Early Childhood Education Center and the relocation of sixth- graders might improve the financial results slightly, the improvement is not expected to change the overall financial conclusion.”
Dr. Leschuk said the advantages of having one regional district would include — having only one school board; one set of policies, procedures, administrative regulations and job requirements; one board attorney; one auditor; one teachers’ contract; one superintendent; one business administrator; one curriculum; and one technology plan.
He said that, if a regional district were formed, it “would be one of the smallest districts in New Jersey and have the capacity to be one of the best.”
Demographer Grip, of the study team, said there would be “no negative racial impact” if regionalization were implemented, “since all students would stay in the same place” they are now.
Asked by a member of the audience what he meant by negative racial impact, Mr. Grip said a school that went from 80 percent to 20 percent Caucasian would be an example of that type of impact.
On July 21, the South Hunterdon Regional High School Board of Education voted to hire Porzio Bromberg & Newman to do the feasibility study. That vote authorized spending up to $50,000 on the study.
Last April, voters in Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell OK’d a school election ballot question: “Be it resolved that there should be raised an additional $50,000 for general funds in the same school year (2011-12). These taxes will be used exclusively to fund a formal feasibility study to examine whether there are educational benefits to the students and/or financial savings to the taxpayers by creating a South Hunterdon Pre-K through 12th-grade all-purpose school district (of about 870 students). Approval of these taxes will not result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy.”

