The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Sweeney Center for Public Policy recently held a School Regionalization Conference at Rowan University. The event focused on discussing school regionalization and its potential to improve efficiency, resource allocation, and educational outcomes.
Over 150 superintendents, school business administrators, board members, and association representatives attended both in person and virtually. They gathered to learn about the School Regionalization Efficiency Program (SREP), managed by the DCA's Division of Local Government Services (DLGS).
Interim DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez and Rick Richardella, head of the DLGS Office of Local Assistance, provided insights into the state's perspective and an overview of the SREP process. Grant recipients from SREP and education officials also discussed the benefits of school regionalization.
"The implementation of school regionalization and shared services through voluntary initiatives is integral to Governor Murphy's mission to make government more efficient and cost-effective," said Interim DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. "The SREP offers public school districts the opportunity to explore potential outcomes of regionalization by providing the best possible education for students while ensuring lower costs for taxpayers. We look forward to continuing conversations with public school districts to help advance their initiatives."
The grant program was established by P.L.2021, c.402, signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in January 2022.
Through SREP, approved applicants are reimbursed for eligible costs associated with feasibility studies on district regionalization or consolidation. These studies explore how districts might merge, including forming county-level or regional school districts, assessing whether such mergers would result in cost savings along with other performance benefits for students and taxpayers.
"School regionalization in New Jersey is progressing as more districts take advantage of grants offered through the State's Division of Local Government Services' School Regionalization Efficiency Program," said Mark J. Magyar, Deputy Director at Rowan School Regionalization Institute. "This fall, voters overwhelmingly approved merging preschool through grade 12 in Henry Hudson Regional School Districts Atlantic Highlands and Highlands as the first successful school regionalization since 2013 under bipartisan legislation that created SREP grants."
Since its inception, the application process has been streamlined for continuous submission throughout the year without requiring a proposal request when contracting state universities for feasibility studies.
To date, DLGS has awarded SREP grants to four public school districts statewide.
For more information on school regionalization visit: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dlgs/programs/srep_grants.shtml
The Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy was created as an independent bipartisan center focusing on public policy research and pragmatic solutions based on data analysis and rigorous academic research while convening working groups that bring together policy experts stakeholders advocates seeking consensus solutions. More information can be found at: https://chss.rowan.edu/centers/sweeney_center/
DLGS advocates local government interests providing technical financial assistance budgeting financial reporting joint services purchasing management ensuring financial integrity reviewing approving municipal county fire district budgets examining many local government financial measures guiding local officials' conduct.
In addition to local government services DCA offers programs like affordable housing production fire safety building security community planning development disaster recovery mitigation historic preservation information privacy.
