When the news broke that the Camden, New Jersey, had rejected four charters, their reasons for doing so were not clear. This article in the Philadelphia Inquirer provides some more detail and context.
The charters had powerful political support: Not only from Governor Christie but from George Norcross, whose foundation was in partnership with KIPP to create a five-campus school that would enroll as many as 3,000 students.
The largest application came from the partnership of the Norcross Foundation Inc., a charity created by the family of Donald Norcross and his brother George E. Norcross III; the charitable foundation of Cooper, which George Norcross chairs; and one of the nation’s largest charter-school operators, the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP). George Norcross is a managing partner of the company that owns The [Philadelphia] Inquirer.
The four proposals would have a large financial impact on the district:
Companies could build and operate the schools and receive from each student’s home district up to 95 percent of the amount the district would have spent for that student.
The effect of the new schools on the existing district factored into some board members’ decisions Wednesday, they said.
Between $18 million to $22 million for each proposal would be diverted from the district in per-pupil costs, according to a quick estimate by the district business administrator, Celeste Ricketts. Because the Renaissance proposals could mean the shift of more than 4,000 students from the district and result in consolidation of schools, Ricketts said, she could not estimate the total loss or cost to the district if the proposals went through.
I am not clear how many students are enrolled in Camden, but it is not a large district. It sounds as though the board was invited to outsource its responsibilities, its students, and its budget to private operators. Just the kind of thing Governor Christie likes.
UPDATE: A reader informed me that Camden has an enrollment of about 13,000 students. The charter proposals would have drained away almost 1/3 of the district’s enrollment and a large part of its budget. No wonder the board said “no, thanks” and defied the power structure, both Republican and Democrat.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
As of the 2009-10 school year, Camden’s 32 schools served 13,106 students.
LikeLike
I am starting to feel that the strike in Chicago sent a clear message to Wall Street investors that the window of opportunity to privatize America’s schools is closing.
As more and more parents begin to understand what is threatening their children’s schools, and as more teachers unions point to the organizational abilities of the leadership in CTU, the tie to throw the bums out may be near at hand.
LikeLike
Norcross, Sweeney, and Christie. The trio that is trying to rule NJ. Along with Cerf, they will work on keeping NJ’s wealthy extending the gap between them and middle class and poor.
LikeLike
The brothers Norcross. Both are Democrats and the children of a union organizer.
I miss my time in Jersey.
George: State Senator – NJ’s 5th District
IRONY ALERTS!
He was investigated and recorded discussing his influence with then New Jersey governor James E. McGreevey and then United States Senator Jon S. Corzine. Chris Christie, as a U.S. prosecutor, accused attorneys of mishandling the investigation.[
http://bit.ly/THQmSl
Donald:
Norcross is currently the president of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and resides in Camden. He is the co-chair of the Camden County Democratic Party. His brother, political boss George Norcross, heads the South Jersey Democratic Organization.
http://bit.ly/VPpixL
LikeLike
New Jersey has its very own version of the Koch brothers!
Tell me, Mark, who produced that laughable movie “The Cartel” from a few years back? It was largely ignored, I think (good!)–had a very limited run in Chicago.
LikeLike
There needs to be corrections on the facts – The KIPP: Cooper Norcross Academy proposal would eventually lead to the opening of 5-charter schools – two elem, two middle and one high school. Student projections are 2,800, This would remove anywhere from $33-million to $61-million from the Camden City Public School District budget. The large span is a result of the differences between the state’s $12,000-per student basic allocation, or, the $22,000 per student that include extra-funding for special needs students (of which Camden has a huge number).
NJ already had a Charter School law, since 1996, when the legislature approved the Urban Hope Act in 2012. What are the differences? The UHA, as you pointed out, gives 95% of what the district would receive to the so called Renaissance-Charter schools as opposed to the current 90%. In addition, schools established under the UHA are allowed to forego public bidding requirement for all types of contracts and state funds can be used for lease and mortage payment. These two last elements frees up tax dollars for political use and makes the taxpayers par for the buildings.
The UHA is part of the Republican administration’s efforts to privatize public schools into money making enterprise and a political bosses desire to get his hands on tax dollars for rewarding his friends with contracts.
Jose Delgado
LikeLike