TRENTON | The head of the state's
school construction program Thursday urged legislators to approve
a proposed $2.5 billion in additional funding for new schools
in poor districts, but a key lawmaker predicts it won't happen
without money for suburban schools.
Scott Weiner, head of the Schools
Development Authority, said the money is much needed for projects
in former Abbott school districts.
In making his case for the funding,
he also assured lawmakers on the Assembly Education Committee
that the agency is ready and able to take on the responsibility
of handling the money since taking over for the embattled Schools
Construction Corp. which was riddled with waste and mismanagement.
"I believe that this agency is
ready. If you don't think it is, take me out I'll leave tomorrow,"
said Weiner, the authority's chief executive officer. "But don't
use the past as an excuse not to address the future of children."
Assembly Joseph Cryan, D-Union,
the committee chair, said he believed the agency has been reformed
under Weiner's leadership and that the funding is needed. But
he also said school construction money should be included for
suburban districts and predicted that the $2.5 billion would not
pass the Legislature without it.
He said the suburban money is key
so that "everybody in New Jersey has an investment."
Gov. Jon S. Corzine is pushing
for legislative approval of the $2.5 billion for school construction,
which he promised the Supreme Court he would deliver to some of
the 31 former Abbott districts.
The funding would finish 27 stalled
school construction projects. It would also fund 20 additional
projects from a list of 371, about 100 of which are major renovation
or construction projects, according to the Department of Education.
Phillipsburg, which has been waiting
for money for a new $88 million high school, will be considered
in the list of up to 20 possible school projects selected from
100. School officials there have estimated that the construction
cost would now be near $105 million.
On Thursday, Weiner estimated the
total cost of the projects needed in all of the former Abbott
districts is near $17 billion. The funding for projects needed
in suburban districts is $10 billion, according to Education Commissioner
Lucille Davy.
Cryan said it is important for
the Legislature to swiftly approve the proposed $2.5 billion in
order to begin building the 47 projects. He favors doing so without
voter approval, despite the opposition of some lawmakers, saying
there has been no discussion of a backup plan should the referendum
fail.
"No one has talked about what opportunities
are there for those children," Cryan said. "And why should they
have to wait any longer?"
The Legislature has yet to act
on the legislation appropriating the $2.5 billion. State officials
have not given a timeline for the release of a list of projects
to be completed with the proposed funding.