Four city school districts to undergo tough state audits

April 13, 2006, 1:44 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. -- Four city school districts already under state oversight will undergo extensive audits and could be forced to accept special monitoring, according to a published report.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration will hire auditors to scour finances in the Camden, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson school districts, The Record of Bergen County reported in Thursday's newspapers. The state directly controls the Jersey City, Newark and Paterson districts; officials appointed by the state sit on the Camden school board.

The districts are among the state's poorest and receive extra state money under a court order. The auditors hired by Corzine's administration intend to review spending in recent years and require local officials to justify the costs.

Corzine told the newspaper he would install special monitors in the districts if they fail the audits. The monitors would be similar to the federal monitor recently installed at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark.

"I think that you will see in many instances, we may put our own monitors in _ without having to be stimulated by indictments," Corzine said.

Corzine's plan for new audits was hinted at in a legal brief filed Friday that asked the state Supreme Court to maintain funding at current levels for the state's poorest school districts. The administration contends the extra money hasn't improved student performance and the state cannot continue making payments to the districts without guaranteeing the money is properly spent.

The high court required the poor districts receive extra funding to ensure their students receive an education equal to that received by students in the state's wealthiest schools.

Corzine asks court's permission to freeze aid to some poor schools

April 7, 2006, 5:24 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. -- For the second year in a row, New Jersey is moving to freeze aid to some of the state's poorest school districts.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced Friday that he had asked the Attorney General's Office to request permission from the state Supreme Court to keep aid in check.

In a series of rulings known as the Abbott v. Burke cases, the state's high court has required the state government to give extra money and other help to school districts in 31 poor cities. Holding spending for those districts in check requires the court's approval.

In Corzine's proposed $30.9 billion state budget, the districts would get a total of $4 billion _ an increase of about $140 million over the current year.

But some schools with especially low local tax rates _ including Newark, Jersey City and New Brunswick _ would have aid cut. To make up the difference, those districts would have to raise taxes.

Most of the state's roughly 600 school districts have been told their aid from the state will not change for the 2006-07 school year.

Friday's move comes one year after Gov. Richard J. Codey froze the aid to most of the poor districts.

"I have called upon state officials at all levels to reduce expenditures and to find ways to do more with less," Corzine said in a statement. "They have been fully responsive to this call. I expect nothing less from local municipal and school officials."

Corzine said holding back school spending this year does not mean he's not committed to improving the poor schools.

Education advocates, such as the Education Law Center, which sued for more help for the poor districts, have called for Corzine to reverse course and offer more aid to schools.

Manzo trying to head off school tax hike
Friday, April 07, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Assemblyman Lou Manzo says he is trying to save the average Jersey City property owner about $60 on their annual tax bill, but it's not clear if he will be successful.

When the state Department of Education officials announced school aid figures two weeks ago, they had slashed aid to Jersey City by roughly $7.5 million for the upcoming school year, from $430.4 million to $422.8 million.

The school district won't feel the cut, though; state officials also ordered local officials to raise the school tax levy by an amount equal to the state aid reduction, which translates to a $90 tax hit for a homeowner whose property is assessed at $100,000, city officials have said.

Manzo's position is that the state doesn't have authority to impose higher taxes in a school district with an elected board. Voters in what's known as a "Type 2" district should get the chance to vote on the increased tax levy, he said.

That vote should take place on April 18, the date of the school board elections, Manzo said. But since those ballots are already at the printer, Manzo says the state should bite the bullet and cough up the $7.5 million.

However, the state has a different opinion. Even though Jersey City has an elected board, which would normally make it a "Type 2" district, it's really a state-run school district, and therefore a different set of rules apply, says Department of Education spokesman Richard Vespucci.

In a state-operated school district, the DOE approves the budget, then certifies a tax rate with the county, Vespucci said.

Manzo asked Albert Porroni, legislative counsel for the Office of Legislative Services, to look into the matter, who said he'll have a response by the end of the week.

The increased school taxes would not kick in until August, said Tax Assessor Maureen Cosgrove.