The battle of S-1701

A group of concerned Middletown parents delivered a stack of signatures and a message to Trenton last week: S-1701 will carry disastrous consequences for New Jersey’s schools, and must be altered or repealed.

Readers should prepare for more stories like these in the weeks ahead as school districts struggle to craft their budgets through these uncharted waters.

The law reduces the surplus amounts districts are allowed to carry from 6 percent to 3 percent in 2004-05 and 2 percent in 2005-06; imposes a cap on budget increases 2.5 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is greater; and implements approval requirements for large line-item transfers.

The bill seems to answer the prayers of those who have contended that school districts hide wasteful spending behind the cover of bulging surpluses and transfers from one line item to another once a budget is passed. And when budgets failed, town councils had the unenviable task of battling the public perception that any cuts made would eliminate courtesy busing, honors classes, extracurricular activities and other community staples. But cuts were made to the overall budget, not specific programs, and the school boards had the ability to shift money around and restore whatever they wanted.

But where are the proponents of S-1701 now? Search the Internet, and you’ll find countless pages dedicated to its repeal, but almost nothing in its favor. This, despite the fact that the bill passed easily in the Legislature, and with remarkable speed.

With little fanfare, the bill was introduced on June 10, passed by both houses by June 24 and signed into law by the governor on July 1. Clearly, support for the law was there, but few then or now seemed particularly inclined to be identified too closely with it.

We have a message for the Assembly members, senators and others who supported this bill from the outset: Stand up and be counted. Right or wrong, S-1701 is the first substantial attempt by Trenton to curb school spending in some time. The momentum against the law is sure to pick up in the weeks ahead, and unless that battle of public perception is fought by both sides, we may never know if it would have worked.