Crisis in County Vocational-Technical School Construction

County-by-county impact

No major projects funded:

  • Atlantic
  • Cumberland
  • Essex
  • Hudson
  • Mercer
  • Sussex

Pending projects unfunded:

  • Atlantic
  • Bergen
  • Camden
  • Cape May
  • Cumberland
  • Hudson
  • Hunterdon
  • Mercer
  • Monmouth
  • Morris
  • Salem
  • Somerset
  • Sussex
  • Union
  • Warren

The Crisis:

Recognizing the critical role of county vocational schools in addressing regional and statewide economic needs, the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act of 2000 (ECFCA) provides a $100 million set-aside for county vocational school construction projects. This provision in New Jersey's landmark facilities law was intended to stimulate county freeholder boards to undertake construction and expansion of vocational school facilities, not to limit state support for construction in these school districts.

The ECFCA program successfully jump-started long-delayed construction projects in school districts throughout the state. County vocational schools participated actively in the program, with 15 counties undertaking major projects. Unfortunately, the initial $100 million earmarked for the county vocational schools in now committed, and the Department of Education has refused to approve state grants for additional projects, some of which are already in the planning process. The total value of pending vocational school construction is $272 million; many of these projects will die without state grants for part of the cost. The Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools disputes the interpretation that EFCFA limits county vocational school participation in the statewide initiative for school facilities improvement. Neither the Legislature nor the county vocational schools would have accepted any provision that unfairly limited participation of a single group of public schools in the school construction initiative. It is grossly unfair for the state to require county freeholders to issue bonds for the full cost of county vocational school projects, while grants are provided for other public school districts. Legislative action is needed to ensure county vocational schools have the continued ability to improve their facilities to meet the needs of students pursuing rigorous academic and technical training in preparation for continuing education and the workplace.

The Solution:

A 2920/S 2056, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, Assemblymen Joseph Malone III and Jeff Van Drew, and Senators Bernard Kenny and Joseph Kyrillos, clarifies the Legislature's intent to include New Jersey's 21 county vocational-technical school districts among those eligible for grants from remaining EFCFA funds for non-Abbott districts. Expansion and renovation of New Jersey's county vocational-technical schools will expand access to education and career training programs that prepare high school and adult students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. It is unfair to students and harmful to the state's economy to exclude county vocational-technical schools from eligibility for the remaining school construction funds; Legislative action is needed to restore equity.

The need is particularly great in urban areas, where county vocational school facilities are outdated and overcrowded, and many students seeking educational and job training opportunities must be turned away due to lack of space. A related bill (A389, sponsored by Assemblymen Stanley and Van Drew) would help address this problem by providing a higher level of funding for county vocational schools that serve large populations of Abbott students.