Politics & Government

Washington Twp. Officials Weigh In on Education Summit

Summit resolutions are 'step in the right direction.'

The historic that took place on Tuesday, June 14 at Mendham High School, involving municipalities from the West Morris Regional school district, went just as some Washington Township officials expected.

The meeting included mayors, committeepersons, school superintendents and school board officials from Washington Township, the Chesters and the Mendhams. West Morris Regional School Board President Cristen Forrester, one of the driving forces behind the gathering, was pleased to see everyone involved in the summit.

“I thought it was a productive conversation,” Forrester said. “I think there was a larger realization of the issues, and it was good to get everyone involved.”

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The group decided to go forward with investigating the possibility of two separate K-12 districts in the region, one serving Washington Township, and the other serving the Chesters and Mendhams collectively. Research will also be conducted to provide alternate tax allocation formulas for the regional district, incorporating a per pupil spending technique combined with the current property value formula.

“I think (the tax allocation findings) will provide good basis points for any discussions going forward,” Forrester said. “Fairness is in the eye of the beholder; this isn’t so much about fair funding as it is finding alternate forms of funding.”

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Washington Township Mayor Ken Short, accompanied by committeeman Jim LiaBraaten as representatives of the municipality’s governing body, feels that once the numbers are properly researched and certified by an auditor, residents from all five towns will see the value in the regional district.

“The research has to happen,” Short said. “I think once the numbers are figured out, it will calm people down. We need to see how we can make the schools better going forward.”

Short, who explained during the meeting that 81 percent of the regional district’s state aid comes through Washington Township, said that the overall figure accounts for $906 per pupil in the high school district.

“(The meeting) took a step in the right direction, but I don’t think having two K-12 districts is going to solve any problems,” Short said. “There’s still a lot to be considered, like pay scale, debt service and asset allocation. I think once the research is done, we’ll see the value in the regional district.”

Both Mendham Borough and Washington Township have been given the opportunity to take part in the presentation done by Courage to Connect New Jersey, a grassroots organization that as the end game for cost savings. Gina Genovese, CCNJ’s executive director and former Long Hill Township mayor attended the historic event as well.

“The people have to have a seat at the table to get this started,” Genovese said. “I’m hopeful that it turns into something, but the tax situation won’t be resolved until everyone begins to think as one, rather than five.”

The solution, Genovese said, is to consolidate the five municipalities so the tax rate and assessment can be uniform. “(Summit moderator) Librera even eluded to it: the tax situation isn’t going to be resolved,” Genovese said. “But if you come together as one, that’s a major force to bring to Trenton and make a change happen.”

There is currently no set date for a follow up summit.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here