ERMA — Cape May and West Cape May residents ultimately will have the final say regarding whether their school districts consolidate.
The findings of a feasibility study on a potential merger between Cape May City Elementary School and West Cape May Elementary School were presented to community members June 11 in the Lower Cape May Regional High School auditorium.
The districts hired Stockton University last fall to conduct the study after receiving a $50,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
The Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center School of Education (ETTC) at Stockton conducted an eight-month study that analyzed and presented findings on facility utilization, relationships between districts, administrative staffing, class size, diversity enhancement and debt obligations.
Zach Palombo, who serves as superintendent, principal and director of special education both districts, said previously that consolidation was studied in 2010, 2013 and 2014, but was found not to be feasible. Results of the study will be published on both school districts’ websites.
The presentation was led by Robert Previti of the ETTC. Previti, along with Director Patty Weeks, conducted two focus group sessions in April, giving community members the opportunity to provide input on the possibility of merging.
In April, Previti said, because this study was funded by a grant, after the data is released to the community via a public presentation, action would not be taken if merging were not in the best interest of the district.
Palombo emphasized that the two school districts have been sharing services, which helps keep costs down for taxpayers while maintaining a high level of quality.
Cape May and West Cape May currently share: the superintendent, principal, a director of education, a business administrator and board secretary, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, an American Sign Language teacher, an English language learners teacher and a STEM teacher.
Additionally, the districts share a food service community, special education programs and a preschool program at CMCES.
“We would like to think by creating a symbiotic relationship between the two districts through shared service agreements, that we have established and will continue to create a model and pathway for other barrier island communities or rural area school districts that face challenges of funding issues,” Palombo said.
Previti said the 133-page report was one of the most robust consolidation studies he has done throughout southern New Jersey.
“I wanted to give you, through the cooperation of your superintendent, as many of the details necessary for you to make an educated decision going forward,” Previti said. “Your passion for your little schools is exemplary.”
Data for four scenarios were presented with 19 major topics, including: community descriptions, enrollment patterns, demographic data, long-range plans, state aid, fiscal state school aid over time, municipal equalized valuations, bonded debt, sending-receiving relationships, quality/effectiveness of educational programming, proximity of school districts, transportation, financial analysis, legal considerations, summary/conclusion and recommendations.
The data set for the comparative analysis considers factors, primarily financial and statutory, to be evaluated when requesting to enter a new limited-purpose regionalization relationship for all prekindergarten through sixth-grade students from both CMCES and WCMES.
Previti said the difference between limited-purpose and full-purpose is in the grade-level distributions. A full-purpose regional is preschool to grade 12, and anything short of that is limited-purpose.
When reviewing enrollment numbers, Previti said the smaller the number, the larger the percentage. Among the findings, Previti noted that neither school district holds any debt. Additionally, the study includes a summary of the equalized valuation and enrollment distribution for each municipality, as it would affect taxes.
If the school districts move forward with consolidation, a referendum would go out in both municipalities on the same day.
“[It’s written] in the same language, and it’s voted upon by the people in the municipalities,” Previti said. “It can’t pass in the aggregate; it has to pass both municipalities.”
If the school districts choose to regionalize, both would cease to exist.
“If you regionalize, you are no longer West Cape May Elementary, you are no longer Cape May City Elementary,” Previti said. “You are the regional, pre-K through six regional school district.”
He reviewed several items for further discussion and consideration at the end of the presentation, including non-operating school districts, potential changes to the boards of education, state aid, existing contracts and agreements, equalized valuations and enrollment share of operational expenses, tenured teachers and reduction-in-force.
Previti also noted that a statute states that regionalization shall not increase or exacerbate racial segregation of students.
