David Sciarra of the Education Law Center in Néw Jersey wrote this description of a legislative proposal that would slow or stop school closings in state-controlled districts such as Newark. The key change is that schools may not be closed without the approval of the local board.
Sciarra writes:
NJ Parents Push New Bill to Regulate School Closings
The wave of school closings continues to sweep across the nation, primarily in low income communities. In New Jersey, the State-operated Newark district closed schools last year and has proposed another round for 2014. Camden, another State-operated district, is likely to follow suit. In Newark, one shuttered school was sold to the KIPP charter group, and the State wants to let charters operate other Newark public schools after they’re shut down.
With support from parents and advocates, a bill to regulate school closings was recently introduced in the NJ Legislature, sponsored by Senator Ron Rice (D-Newark) and Assemblywomen Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-Trenton).
The bill codifies and strengthens existing NJ Education Department rules requiring the State Commissioner of Education sign off before a district can close a school. To obtain State approval under the bill, a district has to demonstrate:
1) The closing is consistent with the district’s State-mandated facilities plan and will not result in overcrowding or the use of temporary space in the remaining schools
2) If the school is being closed to make way for constructing a new school, the benefits of new construction outweigh rehabilitating the school slated for closure
3) The reassignment of students to other schools will not “produce, sustain, or contribute to the unlawful segregation of student populations on the basis of race, socio-economic status, disability or English-language proficiency” and does not impose unreasonable transportation burdens on students and families.
4) The district’s school board approves the closing, including the school boards in State-operated districts
Board approval in State-run districts is crucial, since school closings and charter school expansion have emerged as a key strategy in Newark, Camden and Paterson under Governor Chris Christie and Commissioner Chris Cerf. Under existing law, the school boards of these districts, while elected, are advisory, with no binding voting power. This bill creates an exception, authorizing boards in these communities to decide whether to close neighborhood public schools.
The bill is pending in the NJ Legislature. Parents and public school advocates are pressing to have the legislation move forward.
Closing a neighborhood school is a dramatic step, one that has serious short and long term impacts on students, families and neighborhoods. School closings can shred the very fabric of the public education system in disadvantaged communities. This legislation provides critical safeguards to ensure these decisions are based on sound reasons, with community support, and only as a last resort.
David G. Sciarra, Executive Director
Education Law Center
60 Park Place, Suite 300
Newark, NJ 07102
973-624-1815, ext. 16
973-624-7339 (fax)
http://www.edlawcenter.org
The Asbury Park District is suffering the horror of a school closing ordered by a state monitor that was imposed on the students, parents. And the Asbury Park Community. The monitor action simply motivated by a short term savings. Was not supported by a demographer report, impact study, or state approved long range facility plan.
The community came out in mass opposition of the decision. The fact that the school was located in close proximity to the greatest concentration of school age students was ignored. The building stop being an elementary school and became a under utilize “asset” of the district.
Please note: The district was leasing premium space in the affluent business district to house the central administration.
He (the monitor$ had the authority and he closed the school. Community litigation follow and their request for busing pre-K and K students was provided.
Today you have an overcrowded elementary school. Overcrowded middle school (5th graders were reassign from elementary to middle), students in trailers, and administrators in trailers.
In September 2013 in the final report of a monitor being reassigned advised the district to explore the option of reopening the Barack Obama Elementary School. Nothing was said to the BOE for months. Last night at the regular schedule BOE meeting the Interim Superintendent ask the BOE for authorization to reopen the school. No feasibility study, no financial study, no redistricting plan.
Is this the way to treat children and parents. Community rights must be protected.
There are no checks or balances to today’s DOE. The NJDOE has evolve into to political arm of the Governor. Everything is top down directives..
Sent from my iPhone
Your absolutely correct, Governor Christie, Mayor Bloomberg and the usual suspects with no education background are making critical decisions that are deliberately destroying the education opportunities of children and leading to destruction of communities. Under the previous School Superintendent Dr. Janey in Newark NJ measureable education was taking place in the classrooms. Teachers were teaching Under this superintendent no education plan outside of creating a NY rubber room for teachers and the closing of schools. There is no democracy in our public schools just extensions of Mayors, Governors who are all education politicians and that way there can never be held accountable for the lack of education that is not taking place. This country is in serious trouble.
I sent my letters today.
THE CLOSING OF MY GRAND CHILDRENS SCHOOL IS REALLY HITTING ME VERY HARD. I HAVE CUSTORY OF 3 OF MY GRANDS. I AM ALSO A SENIOR. MY SCHOOL IS ONLY ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR HOME. IF BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH I CANNOT TAKE MY GIRLS TO SCHOOL I KNOW I HAVE TWO VERY CLOSE FRIENDS THAT WILL DO ME THE FAVOR………WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN I HAVE NO ONE TO DO THIS FOR ME. THIS IS VERY, VERY HARD FOR ME AND I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. ONE OF MY BABIES ALSO HAS AN IEP AND NOT MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE THE HELP SHE NEEDS…….. I NEED MY SCHOOL TO BE LEFT ALONE……PLEASE. MY GIRLS SCHOOL IS BRAGAW AVENUE SCHOOL. HELP ME SOME ONE PLEASE. GRANDMA