I am glad that the article concerning consolidation and
shared services in the Hunterdon County Democrat that featured many quotes by me has sparked more
conversation about the same, consolidation and shared services that is, not me,
although it did do both. Two letters
appeared last week challenging our consolidated school concept and the other
crying foul for my broad statements on shared services.
In reverse order, true enough there are examples of shared
service efforts, and I am keenly aware of these. Not an exhaustive list, but Lebanon Borough
is largely run by shared services, South Hunterdon is to be commended for its
effort and my friend Mayor Daniels and his colleagues in Califon are to be
lauded for their achievements, efforts and enthusiasm. I have hosted seminars with the people behind
these efforts as speakers so I am all too aware of the great work they are doing. Shockingly a brief
interview for a brief news article broadly about shared services with selected
quotes will sometimes result in broad comments that omit some specifics.
My comment that “There’s an apprehension to even look at a
study, to see what the numbers would be,” is true, but it doesn't mean
everybody is apprehensive as one writer inferred. And I have always asserted that school
consolidation would both improve education and reduce costs. Again the writer infers slights that are not
there.
There were many good
questions raised about a single school district. The first question about where
we got our data was answered in an article by Cristina
Rojas/Hunterdon County Democrat on January 24, 2012. The answer to the
second is yes, why not 4 or 8 districts, we are open to more than one. Our data shows that one district may offer
the savings we have suggested based on what other counties around the country
do, but we would have our study would open to any number depending on what best
improves education and secondly reduces costs.
Bigger isn't necessarily better and no one is suggesting
that expressing a cliché should substitute for a thorough study. Let’s get the facts and let the facts guide
us.
