19 Camden County School Districts May Disappear Under State Plan

Nineteen Camden County public school districts could disappear if lawmakers act on a report put together by a panel convened by New Jersey lawmakers to study tax and fiscal policy.

Patch obtained a copy of a report detailing the potentially dramatic policy changes proposed by the “Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group.” Here are some highlights:

• Merge all K-4, K-5, K-6, K-8 and K-9 school districts into K-12 school districts to improve the quality of education and promote efficiency.
• Permit the establishment of two countywide school district pilot programs
• Move toward full state funding and administration of extraordinary special education

The Camden County school districts on the list can be found below:

• BARRINGTON BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• BELLMAWR BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• BERLIN BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• BERLIN TWP, CAMDEN K-8
• BROOKLAWN BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• CLEMENTON BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• GIBBSBORO BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• GLOUCESTER TWP, CAMDEN K-8
• LAUREL SPRINGS BORO, CAMDEN K-6
• LAWNSIDE BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• MAGNOLIA BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• MERCHANTVILLE BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• OAKLYN BORO, K-9
• RUNNEMEDE BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• SOMERDALE BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• STRATFORD BORO, CAMDEN K-8
• VOORHEES TWP, CAMDEN K-8
• WATERFORD TWP, CAMDEN K-6
• WOODLYNNE BORO, CAMDEN K-8

The plan would follow the same path outlined by the same group earlier this year that would eliminate 191 towns.

Read more: 14 Camden County Towns Could Be Eliminated Under State Plan

The creation of the Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group was announced in February by Senate President Steve Sweeney, who was embroiled in a public dispute over the budget with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat. The panel consists of economists, tax experts and those with extensive experience on fiscal policy from academia and the public and private sectors, according to lawmakers.

While the state budget dispute has been resolved, Sweeney has pushed for more state reforms, even though his spokesman, Richard McGrath, has insisted that the Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group is still in the midst of its work. Any possible wish list, he has said, is merely a “draft document.”

Sweeney has said he wanted a panel “to evaluate the impact of the federal tax law on New Jersey's economy, jobs, housing values and revenue collections and to assess the broad array of issues that impact taxes and spending at all levels of government in New Jersey.”

“New Jersey faces a series of fiscal and economic challenges that threaten to undermine our ability to address the needs of our residents and invest in the programs and services that will move the state forward,” said Sweeney.

Read more here: Eliminating 275 School Districts? Look What NJ May Do

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