Jersey City schools could gain full local control today
NJ Education Commissioner David Hespe
The state Board of Education could return full control over the Jersey City public schools to its local school board today (Wednesday, Oct. 7)–exactly 26 years and three days after New Jersey officials, citing mismanagement and student failure, took over the state’s second-largest school system.
A member of the state board, speaking anonymously, said the panel would vote on a proposal from state Education Commissioner David Hespe that would return local control, despite the failure of the district to attain adequate progress in improving student performance.
“There is going to be a debate,” said the board member. “There has to be a discussion abut the failure of the state to improve student performance.”
The Jersey City schools were taken over Oct. 4, 1989, by a unanimous vote of the state board. At the time, Saul Cooperman was state education commissioner and Tom Kean was governor–a Republican who pushed the school takeover bill Jersey City schools could gain full local control today | Bob Braun's Ledger:
