Thursday, December 15, 2011

Taxpayer rights under New Jersey’s current Education Policy Agenda « School Finance 101

Taxpayer rights under New Jersey’s current Education Policy Agenda « School Finance 101:

Taxpayer rights under New Jersey’s current Education Policy Agenda

In light of recent controversy over the role of state appointed “emergency” managers in Michigan, I’ve been pondering the state of taxpayer rights under the current education policy agenda(s) in New Jersey. For example:

  • The state of New Jersey seems determined to maintain its control over Newark Public Schools, which, in effect, at least partially (if not almost entirely) negates the voice of local taxpayers in decisions over the operations of their schools. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/education/newark-school-district-in-debate-over-state-control.html
  • The State of New Jersey continues to maintain a charter authorization law which permits the state department of education to grant a charter to a school to operate in any district, and draw resources from that district, including those resources derived from local property taxes. But, local taxpayers have no