Study to look at school consolidation

Study to look at school consolidation
Focus on merging districts, creating K-12 districts
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Local superintendents say they will await the results of a study that will look at whether consolidating some school districts would provide educational benefits for their districts.

The study is a proposal by Monmouth County Executive Superintendent of Schools Carole Knopp Morris, who is considering a school consolidation feasibility study that could result in the merger of several area school districts.

The study, which is expected to be conducted in the coming months, will focus on the possible merger of smaller school districts as well as elimination of non-K-12 and non-operating school districts.

The move toward K-12 districts would allow school districts to come into compliance with the state's current grade structure, which calls for districts to be configured from grades kindergarten through 12.

Local districts being considered include the Tinton Falls, Eatontown, Monmouth Regional and Shrewsbury Borough districts as well as the Ocean Township, Deal, Interlaken, Allenhurst and Asbury Park school districts.

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The study is also expected to investigate a possible merger among the Shore Regional High School sending districts of West Long Branch, Oceanport, Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach.

"What they are trying to do is create a K-12 program that includes all the children that reside in Eatontown, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury and Fort Monmouth and Naval Weapons Station Earle," said Monmouth Regional High School Superintendent James Cleary.

Cleary said recently that he understands and supports the idea of merging smaller districts.

"Academically, it's the soundest way to approach education," he said, adding that such a move would allow for a unified curriculum for the transition from the elementary program through the high school program.

"One curriculum would enhance communication between all of the programs taking place [between the districts], right down to something as simple as a school calendar that all three towns would adhere to equally," Clearly said.

Tinton Falls is one of the districts being considered for a merger with the Eatontown, Shrewsbury Borough and Monmouth Regional school districts.

"The success of consolidation would certainly vary from district to district," Tinton Falls Superintendent John Russo said. "I won't be sure if it will help Tinton Falls until I see the results of the study. The study will look at the districts and recommend which ones would benefit from consolidation."

Knopp Morris will conduct the study and submit it to state Commissioner of Education.

According to Knopp Morris, the study will examine "every aspect of a school that can be looked at" in order to determine whether districts should merge.

"There are over 670 school entities in the state, and the decision of the Legislature was that that must represent duplication, and so it's also directed at that," she said in a recent interview.

In 2007 the state Legislature passed a law requiring counties across the state to investigate cost-saving measures by eliminating non-operating school districts and creating more K-12 school districts.

A non-operating school district is a district that does not have a school and instead sends its students to another district.

The law also created Morris' position as county executive superintendent.

The study is expected to take a look at district school budgets, tax levies, student population, the utilization of buildings, staffing, depth of programs, and similarities between districts.

The thought process for the consolidation study, according to Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District Superintendent Peter Righi, is that it would benefit the districts in two ways.

"They are looking to consolidate for two reasons," Righi said. "They are looking at this to save money and also for educational purposes. Some of the smaller districts may not be able to afford to offer some services and programs that larger ones could offer."

"There is conflicting opinion on whether consolidation would be beneficial," Righi said. "I'm in favor of looking at the feasibility study and deciding what is best from there. I am interested in seeing what the results of the study are."

Rumson-Fair Haven would possibly consolidate with the school districts in Fair Haven and possibly Sea Bright, which currently sends students to Shore Regional High School.

Should a merger between one or more school districts appear to be beneficial, the issue would be brought before each district's voters in the form of a referendum, Morris explained.

In order for the referendum to pass, voters in each district being considered for consolidation would have to approve it.

In some instances, the feasibility study may call for the dissolution of smaller regional school districts in order to create larger regional districts,

Should such a case arise, voters would have to first approve a referendum dissolving the original regional district followed by a second referendum approving the consolidation into a larger district.

"Each municipality gets a vote on the consolidation," Righi said. "So if four towns are looked to consolidate and one of the municipalities votes it down, then the consolidation can't take place.

"The commissioner may then decide that they want the other three towns to consolidate," he added.

Red Bank Regional District Superintendent Edward Westervelt doesn't feel that the consolidation would make that much of a difference for his district.

"We work very closely with our three sending districts [Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Little Silver]," Westervelt said. "I'm not sure if it would benefit our district from an educational standpoint, because we work so closely with the other districts. It may help from a fiscal standpoint.

"All of our districts seem to be on the same page," he added. "I don't see that consolidation would create any change."

The feasibility study is expected to begin in the spring. It should be completed a few months later and presented by 2010.

Staff Writer Daniel Howley contributed

to this story.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.