Statewide bond plan would boost voc-tech schools, but what about Ramsey?
The appealing – but misleading – name of the saga that eventually put a $500 million bond issue before New Jersey voters is Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. It went through many plot twists before a cliff-hanger scene, and the suspense will drag out until voters write the ending on Nov. 6. Audience impact, though, will always be small: This bond issue would mostly benefit the niche population of vocational schools while K-12 districts settle for bit parts.
If voters across all of New Jersey approve this nine-figure borrowing plan, we will all share the debt payments on $350 million offered for undefined infrastructure projects at vocational schools and security improvements at all other public schools. Another $100 million would be offered for improvements related specifically to water in schools, with the last $50 million earmarked for improvements at county colleges.
Don’t confuse this statewide, Nov. 6 bond referendum with the one Ramsey voters will face on Dec. 11. The statewide vote is focused on voc-tech schools and involves funding that would be collected, assigned and processed by the folks in Trenton. It has nothing to do with Ramsey’s bond referendum on Dec. 11, which asks for funding that would be locally controlled by your elected school board.
Vocational schools had the starring role when the legislation was first introduced in the Senate back in March. The proposal sought a $500 million bond just for voc-techs, pointing to their need to upgrade and expand to meet needs in the workforce. Lawmakers signed a co-star by adding security-based infrastructure at all schools, and that doubled the price to $1 billion. The cast continued to grow with county colleges wanting money to expand, too.
Meanwhile, K-12 school districts like Ramsey have struggled with costs of maintaining aging infrastructure, the need for expansion to meet current education standards, and the demand to elevate safety and security. Yes, this statewide proposal includes security infrastructure – without details and with a local cost share – but Ramsey leaders are not alone in saying that’s an issue best handled locally. Forgive us, but funds routed through the state coffers rarely pass through at 100% and don’t always reach their purported target. More glaring is the second-billing status given to K-12 districts. Every day these schools teach thousands more students than those at voc-tech facilities. And the state hasn’t turned the spotlight on that very real struggle.
Approved by both houses with multiple revisions, the $1 billion Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act sat for two months awaiting the attention of Gov. Phil Murphy. The governor gave a conditional veto to that bill and a batch of others on Aug. 27 – giving lawmakers just one day to pass his modified version, or miss the deadline to get it on the Nov. 6 ballot. Gov. Murphy acknowledged the need, but cited the state’s already hefty debt load as a reason to back down the investment. His modification also added infrastructure related to water in schools.
So this $500 million bond will be on the Nov. 6 ballot, even though it is light on details. Voc-tech schools retained top billing; K-12s are tacked on. A grant system is referenced, with an indication that districts would have to match grant money with local funds. What qualifies for infrastructure, security, water-related projects, and county college improvements? Those scenes aren’t yet written.
Here’s what we DO know: The State of New Jersey can’t be counted on as a reliable funding source for education that goes beyond bare minimum needs or curries political favor. To go beyond basics — to create learning opportunities that allow students to explore, grow, and succeed — we can only rely on local support. Thankfully, in Ramsey that’s a guaranteed blockbuster.
