>Tepid support as Sweeney renews pitch for shared services
New Jersey’s difficulty in consolidating and regionalizing school districts is well-known, but even a plan to just share services is proving easier said than done.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has called expanded shared services by local schools and municipalities one of his legislative priorities for the year, saying it help would bring down or at least stabilize property taxes.
With schools the bulk of the local tax bill, Sweeney has pressed a year-old bill that would allow the state to appoint in each county an organization such as an education services commission or special service district to serve as a hub for sharing local school resources like transportation, nursing and special education programs. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
