NJ Spotlight published the following article on January 31, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
BILL TO GIVE MORE LOCAL SAY OVER SCHOOL CLOSURES PROGRESSES IN SENATE
JOHN MOONEY | JANUARY 31, 2014
A bill that would give more local say over school closures, even in state-run districts, won important backing yesterday, with the Senate’s education committee endorsing it unanimously.
But a more significant bill may be on the horizon that would clarify and potentially speed the end of state control in New Jersey’s four takeover districts.
The Senate committee passed the bill sponsored by state Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) that would give local school boards a binding say before any school is closed or sold. The vote was 4-0, with one abstention.
The bill is aimed especially at the state-controlled Newark schools, where superintendent Cami Anderson has moved ahead on a district reorganization that would include closing or consolidating more than a dozen schools.
Parents and community activists have loudly protested the moves, although Anderson has shown no signs yet of backing off.