Education Summit Open to Public Tuesday Night

On Tuesday, June 14, a first-ever education summit will take place at Mendham High School, and will see elected government and school officials from Washington Township, the Chesters and Mendhams all come together to discuss the future of the municipalities’ school system.

Moderating the summit will be Dr. William Librera, the former New Jersey Commissioner of Education. The goal of the meeting, according to the summit’s organizers, is “To reach consensus on an educational model that preserves academic excellence while being mindful of fiscal realities.”

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

• Short history of the issue
• Discuss options, which include: Maintain status quo; retain status quo with change in tax allocation formula; create a single K-12 (including the Chesters, Mendhams, Washington Township); Create two separate K-12 districts (a Chester and Mendham K-12, and a Washington Township K-12); and divide existing West Morris Regional High School District into two distinct 9-12 districts.
• Reach consensus on next steps (including timeframe, resources, communication, and feedback).
• Public comment

The panel will then discuss the legal and political considerations, educational ramifications, department of education requirements, seniority/salary guide issues, state aid, asset allocation, debt service, demographics, and shared services and consortia arrangements, according to the West Morris Regional High School District.

The summit is expecting 25 members from the various school boards, school administrations, and local governing bodies. A list of the attendees is attached in PDF to this article.  

Dr. Librera’s opening comments will begin at 6:45 p.m.